Race for Life - Essex University 29 July 2007

A massive THANKS to everyone who sponsored me for RACE FOR LIFE on Sunday - your generosity has been heart-warming, and those of you who know me will appreciate why I am now more determined than ever to raise as much as I possibly can to support the absolutely vital, life-saving work of Cancer Research UK. I upped my target to £400 last week but a huge influx of goodwill brought the total to £550. With promises of more to come, I should clear £600. If you haven't sponsored me yet, do please consider throwing a few £££ my way, via online sponsorship, cheques payable to Cancer Research UK, or used fivers in an envelope . . . whatever - every little helps. Thanks. http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/jedoyle


Following lots of rain overnight, it was, thankfully, dry on the morning, pleasantly overcast and not too warm.


Had a small 'lost running number' crisis on arrival. Not having done the race before I didn't realised I should have received a number through the post. Which I didn't. Probably a casualty of the recent postal strikes. Caused a brief panic - 'arrghh, suppose they don't let me run without one! '

I needn't have worried - I was given a nice emergency marker-pen job. Celebrated with a bottle of water before realising the length of the queues for the Portaloos. (But here's a point worth noting - and who will be surprised? 2,500 women, 15 loos in constant use. By the end of the day they were as clean, hygienic and pleasant to use as they were at the outset. Low percentage of men. No beer tent. QED.)

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Following the Man with the Blue Flag to the starting point. The easy bit.

Some of yer actual running. Sun starting to emerge from behind clouds.

Still running . . .

. . . but not used to all this hot sunshine, and completely forgot to sprint over finishing line, but at least I was still doing a passable impression of running, albeit not terrifically fast.

Thankfully no shortage of free bottled water from those nice Tesco chaps. (Nivea, another sponsor, supplied a goodie-bag containing . . . deodorant! Hmmm, thanks!)

Got a shiny medal, though - yeah!

Despite a lot of fairly soggy grass and some bumpy woodland sections, I couldn’t believe how easy it all felt, buoyed up by the goodwill and emotion of it all.

The ‘women only’ thing gave it a fabulous, non-competitive, celebratory atmosphere – all shapes and sizes and ages and conditions. In answer to Every Woman’s Most Urgent Question, yes, my bum DID look big in those lycra leggings, but . . . who cares?

It was great and I’ve decided I’ll do it again next year - although having done such a big, bullying sponsorship push this year, I think they’ll just be getting my entrance fee next time. I suspect a lot of people sponsored me out of sheer surprise and disbelief this year!