News

Run and Walk for Life 2017: Alice’s Blog | Week 2

Run and Walk for Life 2017: Alice’s Blog | Week 2

Has it really been one week since my first blog? Phew…that time went fast!

So, this week I learned not to trust technology. I clocked up 5 miles and 6.6 miles during the week so wanted to go that bit further over the weekend. You wouldn’t believe the euphoria when the nice lady on my running app echoed in my ear:

“Distance…. 8 miles.”
“Time…. 1 hour, 7 minutes.”

Are you serious lady? 8 miles? I did a little victory dance right there on the spot. I couldn’t believe I’d ran 8 miles and was still standing after it. I burst in the front door of my house and proudly announced my 8-mile achievement.

Advertisement

Doubting my athletic prowess, my partner Brian asked what route I took so I showed him the map. My jaw dropped, it looked like I attached the GPS to a drunk person trying to make their way home on a Saturday night.

I was gutted, to say the least. I had only run 6.8 miles, not 8.

I’d obviously lost signal a few times during the route and the app tried to figure out the rest of it.

There was only one thing for it: go out for dinner with the girls and inhale a burger the size of my face!__

Advertisement

__

This is probably going to sound a bit daft but I only looked at the Run for Life route map a few days ago.

I was blissfully unaware of how long it is. The same goes for the day I received the breast cancer diagnosis, I had a simple plan: put the head down, follow the advice of my consultant and oncologist and crack on with the treatment.

I didn’t go online and Google scary breast cancer stories or read the large brown envelope packed with information and leaflets from the hospital. Sometimes I prefer not to know the finer details but in the case of a 10-mile run, it’s probably wise to get familiar with the route.

Advertisement

A few months after my treatment finished, I sat on my bedroom floor to clear out my locker and read through all the hospital leaflets I stored away. Ironically I thought to myself “Jeez these would have been handy if I’d read these during treatment”. Preparation is key people!

I’ve seen an increase in the number of people jogging and walking around Waterford City recently. A lot of them are wearing the Run and Walk for Life t-shirts. I have to say I get very excited when I see the bright orange T-shirts and want to wolf whistle (for moral support, obviously!).

I passed a guy the other day running along Waterford’s Ring Road, head to toe in orange. I thought to myself, the Solas Centre must really be pulling out all the stops this year with the merchandise, but sadly, his clothes had no Solas Centre logo.

He just loves the colour orange. You go man!

To read week 1, go here

Advertisement