Race For Life this weekend

The Race for Life is just a few days away and I am running it with my nine year old daughter Jessie on The Downs. Strictly speaking I know it’s not a race, but the Race for Life is what got me back into running, so it is special to me. The first time I ran it, emotions were high. It couldn’t have been anything else with so many women running together, all for Cancer Research UK.

Jessie ran the Race for Life last year for the first time and did so well that we decided to do it again this year with a little bit of fundraising. I finally managed to get her to try out her new trainers the other day. She’s been refusing to wear them since we bought them. Something about not being “cool” enough and so and so doesn’t wear these. I’ve tried to tell her to stop being so materialistic! She’ll either wear these or run with bare feet. Now there’s an idea………… I’m all for bare foot running. Probably not a good idea at the Race for Life though - trampled feet would not be good.

With the event coming up, it also got me thinking about running and kids. The Race for Life is a really fun way to get girls out running. I certainly know that Jessie and all her friends that took part last year loved it and are probably going to take it a little more seriously this year. So if you see a crazy blonde woman desperately trying to keep up with her tiny nine year old while she weaves in and out of everyone, that’ll probably be me! I might have to do it next year with my youngest daughter too. Running with both of them could be interesting.

Tower of Power

If anyone is interested in a no strings run around the Downs in a small goup I am meeting with local journo of Clifton People Simon P, also author of Fatboy Bristol running blog, at the water tower 7pm tonight Wednesday 16th with a couple of others. We’ve run in various groups with various names, but basically this run is social and aimed at people who want to start running and may be intimidated by joining a club, there is a small mix of males and females and it’s only for a couple of miles at a slow/steady pace, maybe taking in the Suspension Bridge and back…  

A group for slow runners

Simon Peevers, who lost a heap of weight and ran the London Marathon, is putting together a group for running slowly on the Downs.

The group is for people “who, like me, feel they should do something to get fit but don’t like to join running clubs for fear of being left behind”. He is thinking about 14 min/mile pace.

The group will meet by the water tower on the Downs at 7pm on Wednesdays, and having followed online Simon’s efforts to train for the London Marathon, I think I can safely say you will be in experienced, gentle, and entertaining company.

More info on Clifton People.