This week I feel awesome.
I have previously only ever covered 5km, and when I do it's a sweaty and slow affair. I frequently cry during the run and at the finish line, but if you follow my blog you will learn I cry a lot. Happy crying, sad crying, tired crying, believe me I cry for all kinds of emotions.
I signed up to do the Great Manchester Run (10km) with Manchester Metropolitan University to support the First Generation campaign, which aims to raise £1 million to fund a new scheme that will target young people who will be the first generation in their family to go to university.
I have also signed up to do 10km in Burnley and then Bury to support Jane Tomlinson's Run for All charity which was launched as a lasting legacy to Jane Tomlinson CBE who died from cancer in 2007. Before her untimely death aged just 43, Jane raised £1.8m for children's and cancer charities through a series of incredible endurance feats - despite suffering from terminal cancer.
Scroll back to last Saturday when I set about doing a run for International Women's Day in the beautifully named Boggart Hole Clough in Manchester. I knew it was about 5km, so thought no bother, I'll do that, I'll be slow and most likely last but it's a great cause and in a place I never knew existed even though I've lived in the area for 20 years. Plus I was told there was cake at the finish line! It was tough. Hill? Hill? The incline that was described as a 'challenge' put Everest to shame. I did it, but it hurt. And to add insult to injury, it was 5.7km. An extra 0.7km made all the difference. I was broken.
Waking up the next day, and knowing 5.7km proved such as problem, those 10km runs for such amazing causes were creating a mental blocker in my head of 'I can't'. I took the approach of tackling that 'can't' and turning it into a 'can'.
Sunday afternoon, the next day after the killer 5.7km, my friend Mel and I set off to do 10km. I knew it would be slow, I had put in my expected time when booking my places on the 10km as 1 hr 55min - 1hr 59min. I thought so long as I can walk 10km I can at least finish. I moaned a lot, a common response I'm told for anyone who has the (dis)pleasure of accompanying me on a run/walk. And yes we did it. It took me 1hr 54mins. Spot on and with 10 weeks until the first 10km I have a bit of time to try and bring that time down a bit.
But you know, having covered around 25km in total last week, I lost not a pound of weight. People keep telling me about losing inches not pounds in my journey but that did slightly stick in my craw. Today was my day off and I spent it in the gym. Who is this odd, happy, upbeat woman who favours the gym and wearing active wear and what did you do with the unhappy, unhealthy, inactive woman who was here less than a year ago?
In addition to the above I am supporting Cancer Research UK's Race for Life in partnership with Tesco. Run, walk or jog. Every pound raised, from £10 to £100, will beat cancer. Sign up right now at http://raceforlife.org For more infromation ab
out my 1000km challenge, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Dawn-Nisbet2017
Thanks for reading
Dawn Nisbet