The final run up to the Race For Life

Sorry I haven’t posted much recently – it’s been busy, busy, busy. Weight has stayed the same – but I got yet another compliment from someone at the weekend – so I guess that proves that you can not really lose any weight but still look at a lot better thanks to exercise. I’d dearly like to shift the excess fat around my middle, though – so I think I’ll have to concentrate more on my diet before that’s going to go. But, for now, I’m just concentrating on exercise due to the fact that on Sunday I’m running the Race For Life.

Oh, shit! 

On the plus side, I’ve pretty much completed my 10 week training programme. It’s rather basic compared to many programmes I’ve seen – I still don’t run for more than 3 minutes at a time – but I can now do that 9 times in a row, with a minute between each repetition. This year I’ve definitely improved my stamina, compared to last year, when it felt like I could run faster, but for not as long – probably because I was at least 5 pounds lighter at the time. So – having not shifted that extra weight in time for the race, the best I can do is simply do my best! If I make it round all in one piece I’ll be happy.

 The course is a right bugger – as half of it runs around the perimeter of a big field – which is on a hill. Sigh. The last kilometre involves running up the hill, before running along the top and then down again to the finish line. Last year any race ‘tactics’ went out of the window, as I went full pelt around the whole course from the start, meaning I had to walk up the hill towards the end, and then staggered down the hill again to the finish line – screaming “WATEERRR!!” to my family as I careered past them. (I didn’t realise that I got a free bottle of water when I finished!) It was baking hot – so I’d drunk every last drop from my precious water bottle long before the finish.

Anyway, I’m sort of excited – a bit nervous as I know what’s coming – and a bit worried that I won’t be as fast as last year. However, no matter how slowly I run on the day, I remember the massive endorphin high I got for several hours afterwards last time. I hadn’t felt a sense of achievement like that since I gave birth! 

And also I realise that, no matter how hard I find it – it’s all in a good cause, and I’ve got it very, very easy compared to some of the brave souls running this year. I was humbled to read in our local press about competitors who were actually undergoing chemotherapy at the time they took part last year. Bloody hell – that puts it all into perspective, doesn’t it? Immediate family members of both mine and Mr N’s family have been lost to cancer – so Cancer Research is a cause close to both our hearts.

Wish me luck! I promise I’ll write about the day and post up some pics (finally!) of me – no matter how bad they are! Bye for now…