Race for Life
Well, I’ve been talked into running a race……. me and my two friends (who were my bridesmaids) Sarah and Sarah are going to do a sponsored run to raise money for cancer research. It’s a national thing where races take place all over the country and women walk/jog/run round the course. At the moment there are over 400,000 women signed up.
I did it once before but mainly walked. This time I want to run! (Who’s laughing?!) We’ve decided to do ouselves a training schedule. It’s on 4th June and the course is 5km/3.1 miles.
We get to race with thousands of other women who are running to help save the lives of other people.
If you’re able to sponsor me that’d be great! There’s a website we have where you can pay by credit card. I don’t know if you have to be resident in the UK or not…
http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/ssr
This is quite a big deal. I don’t think I’ve run anywhere, apart from for a bus, since I was 16! I really want to commit to being disciplined in running regularly! A bit of effort from me can raise money for others who really need it.
Anyone got any training tips?!
March 24th, 2006 at 1:53 pm
Good for you! I like these kinds of events. My mother is a cancer survivor, so I participate in them quite a bit; usually a couple of times a year. I got involved while she was still in treatment, because I felt so helpless I was going mad. It helped me channel my energy, and it was so fun I’ve just never stopped. I’m not much of an athlete so I always just walk, and lend my only real skills (organizational) by being team captain and taking care of all the paperwork (the boring part, so nobody seems to envy me the role).
My favourites are the Komen Race for a Cure and the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The Relay is especially fun. People form teams and fundraise together before hand, getting people to sponsor them and having bake sales and things. On the day of the relay, things kick off at about 7pm. Everyone brings tents and they camp out all night, and somebody from each team has to be out on the track at all times. Generally it’s two or more, because you can walk it together and chat which is more fun. It’s ends twelve hours later, at 7 am. People generally sleep and walk in shifts throughout the night. Local bands play. They have a luminaria ceremony to remember people who have died of cancer, where you can write a name of someone on a luminaria bag and they set them out and light candles in each one. And teams set up booths to have other fundraisers, selling snacks and, towards the morning, breakfast foods! The organizers work through the night adding totals for money raised, and at the end they announce which team has raised the most. So much fun!
-Mel
March 24th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
Sounds really fun Mel! The relay sounds brilliant. It’s amazing what people can do when there’s a cause. Rx
March 24th, 2006 at 9:03 pm
how fun! i want to do one of those here…maybe Max will let me push him along!
March 24th, 2006 at 9:43 pm
Rach, that’s so cool… so excited for you. I did it one year but pretty much walked the whole way - it was at Don Valley Stadium so we ran around all the dodgy places in Attercliffe! I’m going to do the London Marathon before i’m 30 - gives me enough time to prepare I think…. much love xxx
March 30th, 2006 at 6:29 am
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