and we're off...........................

Race for Life: A personal journey

Ah, blogs. Why would you? What are they for? Who cares? So many questions so little time.

I have never really been one for blogs. I couldn’t see the point of reading about personal journeys through the likes of sex changes, hamster keeping and log rolling (!!!) or reading the rants and views of others on current affairs. I have friends after all. I really don’t need to build unreciprocated relationships with unidentified dudes who float somewhere out there on the ether.

Imagine then, if you can be bothered, (and if I was reading this, I quite frankly couldn’t be) my amazement and quiet despair to learn that some of my friends are in fact closet bloggers. So now, as if phone calls, text messaging, emailing, postcards, anniversary cards (for anniversary cards also read birthday cards), congratulations on your divorce cards, faxing, voiping was not enough, I now feel obliged to keep in contact via periodical blogs.

Where do I start? Well probably with my friend Rosemary, because actually this is her idea.
We are founder members of a lovely all women food group aptly named the “Jam Tarts” (also Rosemary’s idea). We meet monthly in each others houses, all bringing a plate of food to correspond with that months theme, (Aprils was tapas) and obviously alcohol is compulsory.

This month, after much munching on tortilla and guzzling Rioja we decided that our very good friend Jane was far too gorgeously slim to be a true friend. Most of us are in, if not fast approaching our middle youth and it is probably true to say carry more ballast than we care for.
Jane proving her friendship let us in to her fitness secret……..RUNNING!!!
How she had the nerve to say that in front of the rest of us is quite beyond me, but, and probably due to the Rioja, we unanimously decided to follow Jane’s lead and train for the Cancer Research Race for Life!
That’s the last time I drink Spanish wine!

So there you have it. This blog is going to be an on-line diary about the trials and tribulations of an overweight team of middle aged women, who have never broken into a sweat, menopause aside.

We have just less than 9 weeks until we will attempt to run en masse 5km which is on 17th June at Lydiard Park in Swindon. If at this point you would care to sponsors me/us you can do so on-line blah, blah, blah at http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/julielenderswain
Or
http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/uberfast



In these shoes? ...I don’t think so!!

Training Schedule so far looks something like this:

Day 1: Phone Rosemary re: training together for moral support.

Day 2: Buy running shoes


I am pleased to report that we are on target.

I had a very successful day shopping with Rosemary. We both purchased our running shoes, after the embarrassment of having to ask a spotty teenager with NO customer service skills, what a running shoe actually looked like. We then celebrated with a trip to Starbucks, and because we are in training only had a black coffee and skinny lemon muffin. Well Rosemary did, I had a cappuccino and slice of fruit cake, knowing that when we start the actual running part of our schedule, I will in fact burn it off.

I have been slightly concerned about the possibility of blisters, so have advised that we break our new shoes in. I am pleased to report that mine are in fact extremely comfortable. I have worn them quite a bit today and found them equally comfortable when laying on the sofa and when running to the garden to drink my G & T before the ice melted.

I really think we are off to a flying start.

by Julie aged 41 and a half