Yesterday i joined 8000 other women in the Portsmouth Race For Life. Yey me!
Today I'm feeling it. my sides and legs hurt like dillio!
Anyway, that's not the point. the point is that 8000 women ran 5km around the common yesterday morning, another 8000 ran the same length in the afternoon, and even though the reason behind it is a heartbreaking one, the atmosphere was absolutely breathtaking.
My reasons behind running is the fact that my Grandad has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has been given weeks to live. He's come to terms with that and so have we. but I don't want people to have to come to terms with it in the future! That's why I'm running, so my children's children can have a life where they won't have to deal with that disease which we shall not name!
Reading the signs that some of the women pinned to their backs was tear jerking. Girls as young as 10 wearing signs saying 'In memory of my mummy!' seeing these signs made me realise how lucky I am to have had this long without losing someone to the disease we shall not name. It was an eye opener to say the very very least.
Two girls from my theatre company braved to race with me, for which i thank them immensely! as did my Auntie, my Nan and my very very lovely Steffi. She's been through so much already and to hold her hand as we ran over the finish line felt incredible. Bless her, she was the same shade of pink as the sign on her back. The two of us stayed side by side throughout and managed to pass the line in 35 minutes. It was that moment that sealed the deal. It wasn't the £100 pound i raised that made it worth while, it wasn't the fact i got to wear pink leg warmers and a pink tie, it was the fact that I did it with my best friend at my side. seeing the smile on her face when she hugged me, saying 'Bloody hell, we did it!'
I'm so proud of everyone who did the run yesterday. lets hope that in the years to come, we won't have to do things like this to battle the disease that shall not be named!