Back in the race

Instead of indulging in a lazy lie-in tomorrow on Women's Day, my family and I will be up and at 'em soon after the sun rises, because tomorrow is the day that I'm back in the race.

Last year August I started running. Ok wait, let me not give you the wrong idea... last year August I started walking with the end goal being running. I was going through many, many changes in my life and it seemed as good a time as any to find out what this exercise-thing was all about. A friend inspired me to get running and gave me a basic Tim Noakes' running schedule. It looked easy peasy as it started off with only walking for the first few weeks - just up my alley! I soon grew bored with the walking though and started running as much of my route as I could. The more I ran, the more I enjoyed the running - which is quite bizarre as the only reason I enjoyed running around the track at school during PE was to watch the rugby boys flexing their muscles! Anyway, although still not running very far at all, I was enjoying the activity and the changes I could see in my body and in October last year I entered the Spar Women's Challenge - "prettiest race of the year", which is quite hilarious as men are allowed to enter (but not compete) as long as they are in drag! I wasn't brave enough to enter the 10km as I really wanted to be able to run most of the route so I entered the 5km - and thoroughly enjoyed it, I was so proud of myself as I ran over the finish line and collected my medal. I was also completely gobsmacked a few weeks later when the results came out in the paper and I was placed 398th out of
4 124 people, finishing the race in 36 minutes and 20 seconds - woohoo for me!

I haven't been able to run for the last few months but have picked it up recently and tomorrow will join the hoards of other ladies competing in the Totalsports Ladies race. I don't expect to beat my previous time, I'm not at all fit, but I'm looking forward to the challenge and the camaraderie of the other runners and the cheers from the spectators. Best of all is that my man and my little girls will be waiting for me at the finish line, and I know they'll be super-proud. In fact, E is more excited about the anticipated medal than I am. So hold thumbs for me and cheer me on :-)

xx