Race for Life - last chance to sponsor me!
Category NoneWell, ten days ago I did the Edinburgh Race for Life. A 5k walk round Holyrood Park. The day dawned and I got into my tracksuits bottoms, comfortable shoes and packed up a baby rucksack with water, sungalsses etc. We headed off (Warren was my trusty support team and chauffeur for the day), parked up the car and headed for the start line. We then realised that we had parke at the wrong end of the park and so we trundled the 1.5k or so to the start and joined the crowd. The crowd of 8,500 women and their suport crews / families.
There was local radio DJs on the stage, getting the atmosphere going and pumping everyone up. The sun was almost out and we were about ready to set off. Half an hour before the official start time they announced that we were going to be part of a Guinness Book of Records attempt for the largest number of women doing 'warm up stretches' at teh same time. So Rosemary Conlin trainers in place on stage to show us the moves we set out and do five stretches for each leg, holding each for 20 seconds. So picture the scene: 8,500 women doing leg stretches and counting down from 20, 19, 18... etc. the funniest one was when we were stretching our hamstrings and thus all bending down - this left all the 'support teams' i.e. the men standing up, like mercats on guard round the burrow - all staring at each other and sharing a certain sense of 'ok, we're here to support out women, but right now we are feeling a bit exosed'. So I was part of a 115,000 women stong stretching session - strange feeling.
Then the fun really started, Rosmeary Conlin's lot decided we needed to do some 'warm-up' aerobics. So again, picture the scene: 8,500 women doing aerobics to Eurthymics 'Sisters are doing it for themselves', Robbie Williams and several others. The men kinda melted away at this point and left all us women to it, which was probably sensible, but was definitely self preservation at work. Now I have to admit that I was quite glad my Mother had decided not to do the walk with me in the end - getting over shingles is not fun - I couldn't quite picture her getting down to Robbie and joining in the hand-holding lovey-doveyness, somehow.
So off we set and steadily worked out way round the course. The most moving part for me was reading the signs on everyone's backs detailing who they were walking for : those who had died and those who had survived. I was nearly in tears for quite a lot of the way and there was a such a sense that we were all in it together and that maybe, just maybe we could beat this thing called cancer if we all worked at it, even just a little bit.
I had a fabulous day, picked up my goody bag and medal at the end and took a load of photos and even more memories away with me and I will definitely be back again next year. Click here for a short video of my impressions of the day.
[Cue shameless plug]: My fund raising web page is still open for business and will be until Sunday 18th June. If you feel you can donate to this cause I and those countelss millions affected by this horrible disease, would be most grateful. [/shameless plug]
[Bribe, just in case I haven't tugged your heartstrings enough yet]: I have my new Thinkpad tablet arriving tomorrow and it will be at ILUG. Anyone who wants a play with it is welcome for say £1 per 5 minutes ;) [/bribe]
Serioulsy all donations would be very welcome.
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