RACE FOR LIFE: MAKING HOPE HAPPEN

Well, I did it. Today I did the Race for Life in Edinburgh. 10K round Holyrood Park with some of the finest women on the planet. What a morning. 


This year I ran to celebrate and to mourn, friends and family who have survived and those who didn't. But I also ran in hope. Hope for friends and family who are currently having treatment; hope that more people will not even get it in the first place. Hope for a time when cancer isn't scary any more. Dare I hope for a time when we just don't get cancer? Is that possible? I hope it is. I know that every woman and girl (and the black lab who joined us today!) who ran round Arthur's Seat today got up that hill because of hope and love.

I don't know what's scientifically possible, I'm just a punter. But I do know that Race for Life is about making hope happen. The money we raise helps find cures and treatments. By running we raise awareness and hopefully make people think about how they can reduce the risks of getting cancer. By running Race for Life, we might also be helping ourselves. Keeping fit and healthy, keeping active, keeping a reasonable weight all help reduce the chances that we will get cancer, particularly women of a certain age, like me.

So, here's to all the thousands and thousands of women who've run Race for Life this year.

Also raise a glass to the marshalls, volunteers, warm up acts, well wishers and the lovely lady near the finishing line who cheered me on when I was ready to walk and helped me sprint over the line. Here's hoping that the money and hope that we have raised will make a difference. Here's hoping for a day when we don't have to do Race for Life anymore, when cancer is history.

Love, Sue

How to stay slim after weight loss - keeping motivated

I hit my target weight loss autumn, it was a great moment, standing on those scales and seeing that finally, I'd made it after almost a year of hard work and self discipline. Those weekly weigh ins, friendly words from the mentors and the loosening waistline had really kept me motivated, kept me well and truly on track, gave me something to aim for.

Now I'd got there, all I had to do was stay slim! Why oh why did I think that this would be the easy part?  I was fine for a few months but gradually my weight started creeping up - not helped by a minor op, Christmas and lots and lots of snow. I knew all I had to do was get back on that diet for a week or two, but I couldn't face it, I wanted to try and manage my weight normally, I'd had enough dieting, but there was nothing round to help me. I began to get de moralised and I did think about just giving in and getting fat again (Thanks Carol for giving me a talking to!).

It was quite a struggle and now it was all up to me. I was training for my big run so needed to eat healthily, work was really busy and Mum would now only eat if I ate something with her (miming didn't cut it, it's only her memory that's fused!).  The scales - my big friend during the diet didn't work any more.  My clothes fitted fine which reassured me that things hadn't got out of hand, I was fit as a fiddle and was looking good for the run, but I needed more of a push, I needed something to keep me motivated.

I got some real inspiration from other weight loss success stories who set themselves a goal for after reaching their target.  For some it was looking good on the beach, or a big occassion; one was to blog every day about food (see Foodie Fisher!) but the one that caught my eye was running. Two of my weight loss sheros had set themselves a running goal for a few months after the end of their diets. I needed my goal.

I'd always had a secret dream to run a marathon but never ever thought I would. As I lost weight that dream began to become possible, I decided to take some tentative steps. I signed up for a half marathon. I signed up for Race for Life.  I'm currently working out when - yes when - I should dare to go for that marathon dream, then I'll work back from that. Suddenly, I'm looking ahead, I have my goal and I'm going to go for it. It's a bit bonkers, but it's definitely not boring!  To get there my weight will have to go up and down, I will have to eat well and eat healthy, I'll have to be disciplined and not get too heavy or my knees won't stand the strain! But I have the scales and my trousers to help me keep on track and my dream to keep me going.

We all need a dream or a wish or a hope to keep us going whatever challenge we set for ourselves. For some people it's to make money or get promoted or win the lottery. My first challenge was to lose weight, as I did that I rediscovered my dream to run 26.2 miles with loads of other people. I will run that marathon and I'm already thinking about what happens after that - good to plan ahead.  Watch this space!!!

I'd be really interested to hear how you keep motivated to lose weight or keep the weight off? What keeps you going? 

Happy dreaming!

Sue

Race for Life and Living

Every single woman should do Race for Life at least once.  Unusually for me, I'm almost lost for words to describe what it's like, it's just amazing. The excitement of the gathering - who's going to be there, will you know anyone? Will all the girls turn up? The warm up laughter as we get the legs and arms moving and the chat going. The moment's silence, as we remember why we are all there, together but in our own hearts for that minute. And then we race for life - your life, my life, our children's lives. Doesn't matter if you run, walk, jog or wave and cheer (believe me waving and cheering really makes a difference!).

Almost everyone running will have a name written on the back of her shirt, people they love who have or have had cancer. Too many names, far too many. You want to hug everyone and make it better. Whatever you do, wherever you go, you'll not find a gathering quite like it.  These women are amazing, inspirational.

Everyone does Race For Life in her own way. We trot, jog, walk, run and sprint. We pant, glide, hobble and waddle. We don't care what other folk think, whether it hurts or whether we're any good, that's not what Race for Life is about. Everyone there runs a personal best just by being there.  We do Race for Life because we love life and we want our life and the lives of those we love and care about to be long and happy and healthy.  We run to raise money and we run to raise awareness, to support each other and lift spirits. 

You don't have to like running to love Race for Life, but I know people who have come to love running that way. More and more women are taking up running, you just need a good sports bra (definitely worth it believe me) and trainers and you're off.   I kept doing Race for Life even at my largest when I mainly walked my 2k. This year I'm going to do the 10k, I remember thinking I'd never do that. They say almost anyone can do a 5k with a bit of training and that starts with walking. It's all just one foot in front of the other.

And if you really can't manage - then sponsor someone or raise money. No excuses!

So, here's the link to Race for Life. Please sign up if you can.raceforlife.org

Some tips:

• Write your name on your top so people know who to cheer
• Make sure you've got water
• Smile as much as you can (your face should hurt more than your legs afterwards!)
• and most importantly --- wear waterproof mascara. I defy anyone not to shed a tear at some point during the day.

Enjoy every moment and tell everyone how you got on.

  

Love from Sue