Shameless Self-Promotion and Fund Raising: Run Melbourne 2012 5km Fun Run

Most of you were probably too busy drooling over recipes to notice, but I do have a tab on this page called Fit for 30.  The idea was to be in the best possible shape of my life when I hit 30, because surely that's as good as it will ever get!

Ten days out from the big 3-0, and I have realised something: that 30 is just a number (albeit a scary one, to women, at least, for some reason that probably doesn't make much sense but which may very well involve deteriorating collagen and encroaching sagginess...), and just because you say something will happen doesn't make it so. I'm not in the shape I want to be, and I have only myself to blame. That, and a bout of bronchitis that benched me for about two weeks in my Couch to 5km running (HAHAHAHA okay, shuffling!) program. So, partly my fault and partly the fault of the bacteria that attacked my lungs. Thanks a lot, bacteria.

I should stop saying bacteria. It's kind of gross, isn't it. I'm sorry.

So, this coming Sunday I'm entered in the Run Melbourne 5km fun run/walk. I have a friend running with me, and another friend who is running the half marathon. I'm also not sure but I thought I heard a rumour that another friend still was running the full marathon, but surely I don't associate with such crazy people... do I??

I started training in time but didn't allow for pesky winter inconveniences such as illness and torrential rain. Silly Nessie. But I'm still going to give it a crack. I don't know how much of it I will run (as discussed, my style is more of a shuffle. And it's about walking pace, but a totally different motion! Sad, I know...), but I do know that I will be dragging myself out of bed on a Sunday to participate in a physical activity, and surely that in itself is a good sign of a healthy lifestyle, right?

(Please disregard the fact that I will most likely be brunching afterwards with my 5km Partner in Crime...)

I am raising money for the Victor Chang Heart Research Institute. They do lots of amazing research into cardiac disease and conditions, including my personal favourite (NOT!) - Long QT Syndrome. That's the one that I have, so the more of you who donate to the cause, the more likely it is that they'll fix me for good one day and I can go hiking without the intervention of helicopters!

I'm not usually big on begging, but please, please, PLEASE, donate today by clicking here. You can read more about my motivation for doing this if you follow this link, and the Donate button is in the lower right hand corner of the page. And tell your friends, too! Better yet, you could always enter yourself and raise some money for the charity of your choice... or you could just enter your credit card details instead of the race and be with me in spirit, as you enjoy a cosy cup of tea and a bikkie on the couch on what is bound to be a cold and wet Melbourne morning ;)