Keep on running

I’ve done it again! I completed my second 10km Race for Life yesterday in 1 hour, 4 minutes and 10 seconds! Unfortunately I didn’t reach my target of completing the race in 1 hour, but I’m pleased that I finished it quicker than last year. My previous time was 1 hour and 11 minutes.

Knackered at the end of the Race!

Even though the race was at the same venue, the route was quite different which made it feel more challenging than last year. There are currently some works at Victoria Park where part of the route went along in the previous Race for Life. This part of the route was flat and carried on along more flat parts of the park. This year the route went up and down slopes a lot more, which made it difficult to reach my target.

I reached the half way point at just over 31 minutes, so I was determined to run as fast as I could in order to complete the race in 1 hour. However, the inclines proved even more challenging the second time I went round, since the route was 5km which you had to run round twice to make 10km.

The atmosphere was as great as it was last year. Lots of women were dressed in pink and wearing fancy dress, all with dedicatory statements written on notes on their backs. As with last year, mine fell off during the run, but luckily one of my friends who came along to support me rescued it for me.

Thousands of ladies currently charging 10k through #Leicester for #RaceForLife– all looking great in pink! 🙌🏃🙌 pic.twitter.com/LhtscpET6Q

— Tom and Claire (@tomandclaire) July 10, 2016

I was even mentioned in a tweet by Tom and Claire, two radio presenters on Captial FM! I uploaded a photo onto Twitter using the hashtag #raceforlife just before I went to run 10km. After the race I found out that my photo was complied into a mini montage by Captial FM with other women who participated in the Race for Life.

I’m pleased that I’ve raised just over £200 so far for Cancer Research UK! The support I’ve received from family, friends and colleagues has been fantastic. If you would like to sponsor me for finishing the race, then you can donate on my justgiving page.

I continue to surprise myself in my journey to become fitter and healthier. Last year I was a stone lighter but I finished the race in a quicker time yesterday. This proves that your body weight doesn’t affect how fit you can be. I have more muscle in my upper thighs and I feel more confident about my than I ever have. For the first time ever I wore clear tights with a short dress; I felt fabulous!

 

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear