Over the past few years, I have tried to do a little bit to help local charities, by helping to organise a couple of events to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, attend several events during the year in support of St Michaels, our local hospice and Sara Lee Trust and rather than sending Christmas Cards I make an annual donation to Breast Cancer Care.
2020 has seen all these events cancelled (apart from Christmas Card donation) and charities are struggling to raise much needed funds. We are hoping that 2021 will see the return of many more fund raising events.
However there will be a big black hole where 
2020 funds should be. In a mad 5 minutes, my daughter has persuaded me to run the annual 5k race for life in the Summer of 2021. 😳
Having not done any running since I left school ( too many years ago now to think about ) and 12 months ago I wouldn’t even have been able to run for a bus, I’m not sure why I’ve let myself be persuaded.
So wearing some ancient cycling shorts and old Charity T-shirt’s, I 
have been getting on the treadmill in the garage on a regular basis, and gradually building up my stamina. Initially with a mixture of walking and running ( well I call it running, its more of a trot and probably not a pretty sight ). After a blip in training, whilst nursing the annual Winter cold, I am now managing 5km three times a week.
My daughter, having run the race a couple of times previously, wants to aim to do it in 30 
mins 🥺. I have gradually reduced my time from 46 mins, down to a current WR of 32 minutes 14 seconds. ………..(That’s a Wallis record not a World record) 🥺. I have a long way to go yet.
The treadmill, I fear, is probably an easier way to run as you can set the speed and away you go. If you don’t keep up, you end up falling off the end and face planting the track! . . . . . No I’ve not experienced that yet!! There’s also no uneven paving or holes in the path to trip or fall over. So I feel that in the next couple of months, I’ll need a bit of practice outdoors.
I have invested in some new running gear. It 
won’t help me run any better, but I look a bit more respectable. It should also hopefully contain the wobbly bits and my daughter will not be embarrassed and feel the need to run 100 metres ahead of me.
The thought of running in public is a bit daunting, more for the worry of falling down a pothole & breaking a bone, or collapsing half way round, hyperventilating and being carried off on a stretcher. I may need to enlist an army of supporters to cheer me on along the route and hold up countdown banners at every 100 metres in the last Km to encourage me across the finish line.
But I have another 5 months to practice and now I have put it out there, I have to go through with it. Plus the added thought of raising some much needed pennies for charity, will incentivise me to carry on.
Lets do this Gem
🤑🏅🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏅🤑
Mum your doing better than me, I think your be leaving me behind 😱
I think this is brilliant Kay. Well done for even contemplating it in the first place, especially as you haven’t run for years. You are fit enough to do this already I’m sure and let’s face it, having lockdown has given you the ideal opportunity to get ahead of the game and train train train….not much else to do right now. Best of luck with your continued training on the treadmill. I for one will only be too happy to sponsor you when the time comes ❤️ 🏃♀️ 🏃♀️ ❤️
Thank you. I don’t think there will be many charity events this year either, so the run may be a virtual one. Lockdown is certainly helping with the training. 🤞 I can keep up with Gem xx I will set up a gofundme page nearer the time.