Doubling Up

Sunday turned out to be a really great day for the Race for Life.  The forecast had called for rain but it was actually quite warm with sunny breaks.  I was a bit overwhelmed at all the women, children and their supporters who were gathered on the field.  What an amazing turn out for such an emotional and important cause. I met up with a friend from the organization I work for and after a brief chat we decided to leave Molly with Andy and Connor as the course itself is rather tight and it was going to be hard enough for us to navigate the tight corners (Tracie told me there are a number of women who start out running but quickly resort to walking, causing major bottlenecks).  She was right, because although the paths down by the beach are really scenic the organizers really need to find a better venue for the race as the track isn't very suitable for the high volume of people. It was particularly lovely though to see all the crowds of people along the race track who were out to offer support and encouragement. 

I really wanted to post a picture of my race kit, but I left it over at Beryl's when I stopped by with Molly after the race on Sunday (after which we then walked the 3 miles home). I had to stop reading people's backs because I was beginning to spend a lot of time fighting back tears. I wanted to be positive and upbeat, not sad.  

My sign read: 

I run for my Mom 

my Aunty 

and I run for You 

I ran the race in just under 33 minutes. I won't be breaking any records but I felt good about it all the same.  Running with someone made it a whole lot easier that's for sure. As we came back onto the track leading to the finish line I grabbed Molly from Andy and with my shoe-lace undone, we crossed the finish line. Loads of people were cheering and seemed thrilled to see  the dog beside me (they wouldn't have realized that she had just joined me).  The commentator who welcoming everyone back actually called us over for a short interview because of Molly.  It was funny seeing the expression on her face when I told her that I had only picked Molly up along the way because of the crowded paths.  Of course I'm regretful that Molly didn't get to run the whole thing with me as planned but I had to think of her safety first. Either way, she had  her moment to shine.

 

 I'm seriously thinking of training to do the 10k in Hull next year :) 

Oh and I almost forgot to mention that I raised £175 in total.  Not too shabby if I say so myself. 

Last year Andy went out and spent some serious money on a bike;  he hasn't been out on it nearly as much as he had hoped. I've been saving up my Tesco Clubcard vouchers for the Double Rewards Program which is now on.  Monday I went in to the shop and ordered this baby: 

  It was on sale and because my vouchers were worth double it cost me a whopping £0.   Sure it's not as fancy as the bike Andy bought himself but I'm hoping it will suit my needs perfectly.  It's at least going to ensure that my husband gets his money's worth out of his bike and I'm looking forward to planning a few outings with him. I think we will both be putting more than a few miles behind us this summer.