Race for Life

I said I would update people on how the Race for Life went but I have been so tired and busy that I haven't had the chance to do so; until now. So here it is:

I did the Race for Life last Wednesday evening (27th June). I am sure many are aware that the Race for Life is an event held every year, all around the country, for women to walk, jog or run 5Km in order to raise money for Cancer Research UK (CR UK). This year I signed up to do the Race for Life in York. My last post 'Running' was about my reasons for doing the run. I also mentioned in that post that, at that point, I had managed to raise £165 for CR UK, which was amazing.

Well a week and two days on from the event and I have recovered - I actually recovered a week ago, but as I said earlier, this post has been a while in coming. I completed the 5Km in under 50 minutes. I didn't run the whole thing but walked and jogged alternately - which had actually been my intention - so I succeeded in doing what I had set out to do. I started off in the walking section which I regretted slightly as it took a while to get past the start point and to break away from the rest of the walkers in order to start jogging.

Aside from this, the event was rather enjoyable. Around 3,000 women were doing the Race for Life and it was amazing to be a part of it and to see that number of people supporting CR UK. On the weather front, it didn't rain (fortunately) but it was very hot and humid which made it very hard work. But despite that, moods were high as people completed the race.

I was so pleased and proud of myself for completing it and I really hope that my Grandad and Grandma (in memory of whom I was doing the race) would have been proud of me also. As well as my joy at completing it, I am over-whelmed at the support I received from friends and family. I have now managed to raise over £200 for CR UK which will go to do some amazing work to help people who suffer from cancer and their families. So I just want to say thank you to everyone who supported me in doing the Race for Life.

Thanks and God bless.

KV

Running

            So today is the ‘Race for Life’. The ‘Race for Life’, as I’m sure you’re aware, is a five kilometre run to raise money for Cancer Research UK. It started as a run just for women, to raise awareness for breast cancer. The run is still only open to women but doesn’t just focus on breast cancer; it raises money and awareness for research into all kinds of cancer.

I signed up twelve weeks ago and those twelve weeks have flown by; I don’t know what happened to them. I decided to sign up for several reasons. I suppose firstly for my Grandad (my mum’s dad) and my Grandma (my dad’s mum) both of whom died of cancer, and so I am running in memory of them. Secondly, Cancer Research UK is an amazing charity that does so much good for people suffering from cancer and their families. Their work literally saves lives, as research and medical advances mean that more people survive cancer now than ever before. I praise God for those involved in the hard work that goes into saving the lives of so many; they are such an amazing blessing, so I want to raise as much money as I can for the cause.

My other reasons are personal. Due to my mental health problems I have gained a lot of weight in the last few years and have done little exercise. As well as, and partly because of, this I have very little confidence and a very low self-esteem. I am trying to lose weight in order to be healthy but, due to my history of eating disorders, this is proving to be very difficult for me, emotionally and physically. I took up running to try and get some exercise and to lose some weight. I also hoped that it would help with my confidence and self-esteem issues, which it has slightly – one step at a time (pun unintended). It has also been shown that exercise can improve mood and help with mental health conditions such as depression. I do believe that it has helped a little in this respect and has also helped a little with my anxiety problems as it has made me go out and do something where people can see me – which is a huge deal for me.

Obviously the real test will be tonight at the actual event where there will be hundreds of people around me. I am feeling extremely anxious about this but I really don’t want to waste all of my hard work and let down all of the people who have sponsored me. I am really praying that it all goes well and that I don’t bottle it, and I would be extremely grateful for the prayers of anyone who may be reading this. If you know me well, you will understand what a big thing this run is for me. I have been rather directionless for the last year and so having something to aim for and actually working hard for it and seeing it through is a big step forward in my recovery. It has given me motivation to get up and do something productive, and I am really hoping that things will all start to go up from here.

Before I finish this post, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has given me their support, their prayers and those who have sponsored me. I have raised £165 so far and it’s still not too late to donate, so I am hoping to raise even more. For more information about the ‘Race for Life’ visit: www.raceforlife.org. And if you would like to sponsor me please go to: www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/kirstennott or contact me and let me know how much you would like to give. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for all of your support in this venture.

God bless

KV