Gotta Run With It...

Well yesterday was the day.


Super Fast Mum, Fastest Teacher on the Block, Best Improver, Running Girl and I were joined by Virgin Runner and Yoga Queen as well as Nos 1&2 at the start of Race for Life. Every other race I've taken part in, I've been pretty much on my own, so it was really great to be part of a group.


The atmosphere on the race course where we ran was also great. Without wanting to be corny, I guess most of us are there for personal reasons one way or another, and we get a chance of a minute's silence to remember them. More movingly, though I felt was the opportunity just before the start to cheer for a whole minute in celebration of the people we've lost. I liked that, and it's certainly motivating at the start of a race.


Last year it was very hot and no 1 and I made the mistake of going with the walkers, so it took us ages.


This year, we all decided to skip the aerobic warm up and headed straight for the start line.


The weather of course has been slightly tempestuous to say the least (though we have luckily escaped flooding - there are benefits to living on a hill), and yesterday morning looked very gloomy. Luckily just before the start the sun came out and we were able to offload our anoraks on Fastest Teacher's very noble Spouse.


As I had the sprogs, it was never my intention to run a fast race, but being at the front of the pack (let's face it, an unusual experience for me), despite my running chums leaving us behind we amazingly did the first k in 6 mins.

Blimey, I thought we'll be finished in half an hour at this rate.


I had, however reckoned without no 1's capacity for slowing down. Bless her, she really wanted to run all the way having walked it last year but a) physically she is like me not really built for running and b) she does have a huge mind over matter thing going on, where she finds it difficult to keep running. I can sympathise because this was exactly the way I used to be till I started running properly three years ago. To be fair to her, she also was recovering from a nasty cold and had a very painful stitch and had to keep stopping.


So the next kilometre was a bit slower, and then at 2.5 k she stopped running altogether, and we walked pretty much till the 4k mark. From 3-4k there was big hill, so I was pulling her up it at one point.


I tried a variety of motivational techniques on her from, Come on you know you wanted to run it all, which elicited a rather bad tempered response, to all three of us running together holding hands and trying out Mil's mantra: Ich Kann, Ich Will, Ich Muss. It did sort of work, but there were points when I could see she was finding it tough going, and I was thinking, oh god, how much of a meanie should I be?


No 2 meanwhile was going great guns. She is a natural runner, and was impressively speedy. If we'd been going at her pace I think we'd have done it in 35 mins.


As it was we got to 4k at 37 mins and I realised we were going to miss my target of 40 mins, so told the girls we could get in in under 45.


By then we could see the end of the course (which was really great actually. I enjoyed it much more then last year when it was a lot more wiggly. Plus the race course is my favourite place to run, so it felt pretty heavenly to me) , and then Spouse, the littlies and my mother put in a welcome appearance which spurred both girls on.


We ran/walked the last kilometre and no 1 really gave it her all at the end. I had to slow no 2 down so we could cross the finish line together (last year no1 having walked all the way cheekily ran on ahead) at 43 mins.


I would have loved to have run with my pals - but it was so brilliant coming across the line with the girls, I don't care that we didn't do the best of times.


Sorry for being so bossy, I said to no 1 as we left the racecourse. I couldn't have done it without you she said, giving me a hug (which if you knew no 1 you'd know was a fairly rare occurrence). I wanted to cry at the beginning said no 2, because I thought I couldn't do it. And now I want to cry because I have.


They were both as pleased as punch with themselves, as well they might be. It's a fantastic achievement for a nine and eleven year old and I am soooooo proud of them.

And the mums who run did brilliantly too.


I haven't got everyone's times, but Super Fast Mum came in first in 30 mins and the others weren't very far behind. Congrats to all of them too, because apart from me and SFM, none of them have done much running before.


So far we've raised nearly £100 on the website but I don't know what we've done between us. Thanks so much to everyone who's sponsored us.


It was a great race to be part of. And even better cause.


All power to Cancer Research and the people who work so hard tirelessly to try to find a cure for this wretched disease.


It was a privilege to take part again.


And like Arnie....


I intend to be back.


In the meantime, girlies if you're reading... anyone on for that 10k in September????

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/MumswhoRun