Life's too short

The pressure was off, I'd done a race and raised some money for Cancer research, my mother in law was fighting breast cancer at this time and both my mother and sister had successfully got through thyroid cancer. I was really proud of myself.

I kept up my morning jaunts, sometimes I'd even do 4 miles but I could never replicate my time for the race for Life, but I was happy trotting along seeing the way the world changed as the seasons passed, before I went to work as a supervisor in a local supermarket.

Later that summer (2007), whilst we were on holiday we received some mixed news, we had a new nephew, my mother in law was in remission, but my father in law had terminal bowel cancer.

In Feb 2008, on my mother in laws birthday, my father in law died. It was a hard time for us, we'd never had a close family member die, running helped me cope, it got me out and I found that I could really sort my head out when I ran, working out rotas and orders even what was for tea, all before I got the kids out of bed.

We had taken up camping after the dog got put down which we loved it but it didn't do my husbands bad back much good sleeping so close to the ground, so when in Feb 2008 we saw a campervan for sale, we blew our savings and bought it, Life is too short for ifs and buts My father in law had once told my husband that if my mother in law didn't survive her cancer then he would sell the house and buy a motorhome and travel.

We spent Easter at Filey, I love the seaside, It snowed and was frosty but we were warm and toastie in our little van. A few weeks later we went to Pateley Bridge for the weekend, this time the weather was lovely, the sun was shining the opposite of Filey. I'll always remember the Sunday that we came home. On the way home we saw signs for Fountains 10k I thought I'd check that out when I got home. When we got home we checked the phone and there was a message from my mum, my dad had died of a heart attack.

I was devastated, there was no warning, I found the next few weeks difficult, so to focus my mind on something positive I entered the Race for life at Harrogate.

I dont know if the course was tougher or just because it was raining but I was slower at 5km this time 34 min 30 sec, but I loved the atmosphere and the thrill of racing.

A few days later a colleague asked if I fancied doing the Great North Run, with my new life's too short attitude I said "Why not?" I looked it up on the internet but it was full and we would have to raise about £350.00 each to get a charity place, but on the BUPA website I spotted the Great Yorkshire Run, a 10k race in Sheffield in September. There were places available so I entered us.

10Km thats 6.2 miles now I had something to work towards again, I decided to raise money for 3 local charities, St Wilfreds Parade, the YMCA, and The Red Triangle Drama Group, where I'm a volunteer youth worker.

I soon was regularly doing 5 - 6 mile runs without stopping, and the sposorship was mounting up, I was quietly confident that I could do this.

Whilst doing my job in the supermarket I had got tennis elbow, and in July I had an appointment to see a doctor at Harrogate Hospital. In the waiting room a lady came over to me who I knew worked at the local secondary school where I had been trying over the last couple of years to get a job as a teaching assistant. She told me that there was a job going at school.

When I got home I downloaded an application form and hand delivered it because that was the cut off date for applications. A few days later I got an interview and my phone rang before I even got home offering me the job. I accepted, the pay was less but the hours were better and this what I really wanted to do, work with young people.

September 2008 I started my new job, I loved it right from the start, and the big race. The person that i was going with told me 2 days before that no-one would swap shifts with him so he would'nt be able to do the race. So I was all alone again but maybe not, this time my husband would be watch me and waiting at the finish.

It was an early start we had to drive to Sheffield and get a tram to the city centre, it was mobbed, I'd never seen so many people and portaloos. Portaloos, ooh I didn't like the thought of using those but there wasn't much choice, so I went whilst the queues were quite short. Soon we were called to our pens, I was in pink because I didn't have a known time. Oh Oh, I needed a wee, tough it would have to wait now. .We were the last to go, we had a warm up after the first lot went, there were gaps to time the starts with the trams, as we finally set off i could see out of the corner of my eye the elites finishing. It didn't matter though because we had timing chips on so our times would be accurate.

I set off with everyone else, a downhill start, but soon I was struggling, I'd gone off too fast this was going to be a long run to Hilsborough. I kept on refusing to walk and soon realised that the majority of people around me were running the same pace, I started to feel confident again as we made our way under the stands of the football stadium. There were queues outside the portaloos, I still needed a wee but I wasn't going to stop, I was doing ok time wise. Now I was on my way home, I could see that there were a fair few folk behind me and i got a second wind. The last 1500m were awful up hill all the way but the crowd cheered me on and finally I crossed the finish line and received my medal and goody bag. My husband was there to congratulate me and it was the best feeling in the world, apart from finally getting into a portaloo for a wee. I completed my first 10k in 1 hour 13 minutes and 28 seconds and raised £180.00 for the local charities to split.

I had the next couple of weeks off, then because my new working hours were regular I joined Ripon Runners, the local running club.