CIBC Run for the Cure

OK, so I do not run. I know people who do - if fact two of the girls in my mom's group have a run on this Sunday. Good for them, I say! Not for me. I am having a hard enough time getting myself psyched up to go for a walk and do an exercise video that I have sitting downstairs that frankly, I need to do, as I am beginning to feel a little chubby and that my love handles are getting to the point of having too big of a grip! But that is an entirely different post altogether...
I am going to be participating in the CIBC Run for the Cure again this year. Last year was my first year and it was such an amazing experience. Here is an email that I wrote to people who had supported me financially right after the run-

Hello everyone!
Today was the day of the CIBC Run for the Cure. We did it! DH, R and I all did the walk - which I found out when I got there was actually only 1 km if you were walking. We walked in the rain - it was coming down quite steadily. It only took us 20 minutes. If it had been sunny I probably would've power walked the 5 km, but for this cold, wet day it was perfect. It was good and quite humbling to be there and see all the women who survived breast cancer ("regular" participants like me got white shirts, survivors got pink), see all the teams who were walking for a particular person. I saw a little guy not much older than R with a T-shirt that said "Running for my Mom," and another little guy with a hat that said "I don't do pink!" There were dogs wearing shirts of their own, little kids with run shirts and men with pink hair. It was an amazing morning with such a spirit that I cannot describe. I have never before in my life seen so much pink nor have I ever wished that I wore pink or owned more, but today I did. Next year...
So thank you. Thank you for supporting me in this. Thank you for your gift to Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Thank you for giving so that someday we will not have to worry about breast cancer and its effect on those we love. I appreciate every one of you!
Love, R

It really was a wonderful morning. An emotional one as well, as a close family friend, Pat, was fighting breast cancer at the time. She passed away at the end of October, finally getting to go to home, to a place where there is no more pain, no more struggles. Never again! Oh, heaven...

This year as I walk I will be thinking of her - and of a new friend from our church that has been battling breast cancer since the spring. They are still unsure as to where things are at and what the next step is, but she keeps talking about how God is giving her peace. And that it is amazing how she can have it in these circumstances, but she does.

This is one cause that it close to my heart - and I encourage you to join me in this. You can sponsor me financially by giving me a cheque, or donating online. Email me at rle75 at shaw dot ca to find out how you can do that. Or you want to join on the run - if you are in my city, email or call me and we can walk together. (Sorry, if you are running, I will see you before and after it! :) If you live elsewhere, join the run in your hometown. You can even raise money doing a "virtual run" if you do not live near a run site or cannot participate on that day.

So get involved - we can beat this thing together!

This reminds me... I gotta go buy some pink! :)