The Joneses Very 2020 Race for Life

After a year where vital cancer trials have been delayed, the Race for Life is more important than ever. That's why I'll be taking part in a Very 2020 Race for Life. When I stumbled across this ‘Very Race for Life’ on Facebook just now, I thought I’ve GOT to do it - I’ve been trying to run regularly, the past few months, for general health and fitness. I don’t focus on time or pace, I just focus on actually getting off my backside and running. It makes me feel empowered that I feel I’m doing some good for my body - I also enjoy solo running as I’ve got my own headspace, and the peace to appreciate the nature around me too. It helps me feel grounded and it actually helps me to feel very much ALIVE when I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. Cancer affects so many of us nowadays and I think it always will. I can’t ever see there being a one stop miracle cure for ALL cancers - that would be a magic wand and when I was younger I believed that such a thing existed, now I’m older and more cynical I don’t think there is such a thing but what I do know is that Cancer Research UK provides funds to allow the research for trials into different cancer treatments and medication, which can help individuals on their journey with cancer. Sadly I lost my closest sister to cancer - breast - in 2002. 10 months from diagnosis to death. I was 29, she was 30. Sometimes I think we were almost like twins as we were so close in age, always shared a bedroom and did lots of things together. The day she died was the saddest day of my life and I will never forget it. That moment she took her last breath will always be with me for the rest of my days on this planet. I also lost my dad to cancer - bowel - in 2014. He was 70. About 3 years from diagnosis to death. It’s weird because although I felt devastated that he died, I kind of compared him with Al and felt he was lucky to have lived 40 years longer than her. In my eyes 70 was a great age in comparison. Of course I miss him, I always will, like Al. But it’s a comparison thing. If I reach 50 in a couple of years I feel I will be very lucky in comparison to Al. I don’t want to dwell on the negative side of cancer but it has had a profound affect on my life over the past 20 odd years. Doing events like this make me feel like I’m doing something positive for a cause that I feel so passionate about. Raising money for vital research. So if you or me or any of our family or friends did develop cancer, there are more ways of trying to help our journey with cancer if that makes sense? Like I said previously, it affects so many of us and will continue to do so won’t it? I can’t remember the statistics but last time I looked it was 1:2 or 1:3 people will have cancer at some point during their lives. I’m in a family of 5 - I have an amazing husband and 3 gorgeous boys. Stats are that 2 of us will get it at some point during our lives. That’s scary isn’t it? But fact. Really don’t mean to scare or upset any of you by writing this. I have friends going through this right now and it’s horrible. We just have to do what we can, to support whichever way we can, isn’t it? So I’ve signed up for this Very 2020 Race. I’ve literally just asked my eldest son Dan if he’d join me and he agreed. He chose to do running as his ‘Physical‘ Element of the Silver Duke of Edinburgh, during lockdown so has been running once a week for that. A ‘normal’ Race for Life is 5km or 3 miles, so we decided to up it by a mile and do 4 miles each as a challenge. My youngest, Jack has literally just said he wants to be involved and will run the 4 miles too, and George, my middle teenager also just mumbled that he’d do it too (his actual words were “piece of pi**!” I so can’t wait to see how he finds it, considering the most he’s exercised is his thumbs, on the PS4 for the past 6 mths!) So it’s going to be a joint effort from all of us. Actually, we’ve also just persuaded my husband to take part, so we’re going to do a 20 mile joint effort ‘Race’. Not sure all 5 of us wil be constantly running the whole way but I’m proud to say we will all be taking part as a family of 5 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Only thing is now, that it’s on the weekend of 26th September - only 3 weeks away and we’ve set an ambitious fundraising target of £250! We would REALLY appreciate every pound you can donate. Thank you so much lovely friends and family. Let’s do this all together 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️💪🥰😍😘 Every pound you can donate will go towards Cancer Research UK’s ground-breaking work, so please sponsor us today! If you’d like to join the Very 2020 Race for Life community, then sign up at raceforlife.org/2020 We won’t let 2020 stop us.