I am so not a runner.
I’ve spent my life explaining to people that I can walk until the cows come home (and for some time after that too) but that I simply cannot run. Even when I’ve been at my peak fitness, I doubt if I could have run for ten minutes, let alone ten kilometres.
When I decided to return to the gym, though, I decided that this was a silly state of affairs - somehow, for the first time since my long-forgotten childhood, I would learn to run. I just needed a goal to aim for which is how, somewhat to my surprise, I found myself entered in the ASICS British 10k London Run, aiming to raise money for Paul Strickland Scanner Centre.
My family’s had more than its share of encounters with cancer over the years and one thing I’ve learned the hard way is that early diagnosis and accurate imaging enable more effective treatment and vastly improve the chances of a positive outcome. Since I started working for the Centre, I’ve come to appreciate that the quality of service that the Centre provides really makes a huge difference in this regard.
And while it's doing such good work on a day-to-day basis, it's also involved in research that will lead to better techniques and better treatments, helping others in the future.
And it's a charity: it’s donations from the public that make all of this possible; without the generosity of ordinary people like you and me, the Centre simply wouldn’t be able to keep providing such a good service to the thousands of people who pass through its doors.
Somehow I’ll manage to drag my carcass around the 10 kilometres of central-London streets on July 10 – feel free to come along and laugh. But equally, if you feel you can spare even a small sum to support this worthy cause, then please please please sponsor me.
As the adverts say: “Every little helps”.
And if you want to know more about the excellent work that Paul Strickland Scanner Centre does, day in and day out, why not have a look at the Centre's website or search for it on Facebook?
