RunningRuth

 

Start at the beginning...

I have started blogging many times and it's taken various different directions and all of them I have thought were a bit lousy and have changed direction and deleted posts etc and tried again. I still have my doubts as to whether anyone will be interested in reading my posts, but quite fancy blogging again!!

So, where to begin with it this time... Well, I have just signed myself up to the 10k Race for Life in Loughborough. Last year I ran the 5k in Leicester. I actually managed to run 5k! I was very proud of myself. The last bit of running I can remember was in PE at college and I, along with my friend, spent the "run" trying to find a short cut to cheat the teacher and a shop to buy 20 Marlborough Lights with our lunch money. I never imagined then that running could be anything more than a punishment and I certainly never thought that I would get any pleasure out of it.

In June 2008 I lost my mum to breast cancer, she was 52. In my opinion she was taken far too young, but of course that's the terrible thing about cancer, age makes no difference. A friend of mine has just heard the terrible news that her sister in law has been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34. She has a 3 year old son and a 10 year old daughter. It breaks my heart to hear these stories. I have 2 small children of my own and trying to imagine what they would do without me... well I just can't think about it. So in June last year (2011), on what should have been my mum's birthday, I signed myself up for the 5k Race for Life in Leicester. I hoped to run "most" of it in memory of my mum.

027

I started my "training" in June and the race was in July. That first mile I ran was so much effort I honestly thought I was going to let everyone down and I would never be able to run the whole 5k. I certainly never thought that a year on I would be entering to run double the distance. I managed the 5k though. It was a hot day and the last part of the race I felt like giving up. I did it in a reasonable 36 minutes which I was happy with. I did it with the support of a friend who also lost her mum to Cancer. We had t-shirts made with photos of our mums on the front and dates on the back. It was a very emotional day. My friend who had recently been diagnosed with stage 2 cervical cancer was also there, she walked the 5k. She was one of my mum's best friends and was accompanied by her 9 year old daughter. If that doesn't put a lump in your throat, what will?!

Finish

I have found that it does genuinely get easier though and if I can do it then, honestly, anyone can do it! I love the idea of running a half marathon and maybe I will one day, I'm going to see how the 10k goes and go from there. Today I have officially started my training for it! I have lost almost a stone since last years 5k and I can see that I am much fitter now than I was then, so I'm aiming to do it in under an hour. I daren't committ myself to a specific time ;)

Here's a link to my sponsorship page, just a couple of quid would be greatly appreciated:

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/ruthenglish

Thanks,

Ruth xx

 

Filed under: 10k 5k Breast cancer Cancer Leicester Loughborough Race for Life Running
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