Race For Life The Reason I Run
Every year thousands of women take part in Cancer Research UK's Race For Life.
The event is in aid of raising money for cancer research and - more importantly - increasing the public's awareness of this devastating disease.
Although some forms of cancer are thought to only effect women, surprisingly some - like Breast Cancer - can also affect men.
When a woman finds a lump in her breast she is all too well aware of the possible implications however when a man does he is more likely to put it down to a benign cist. By the time the seriousness of the lump is explored and the cancer diagnosed secondary cancers may have already become established. My own great-uncle Edwin (Ted) Fury from Abergavenny died when the cancer - that had began as breast cancer and had eventually spread throughout his body - finally killed him.
I run the race in his memory and that of my great-uncle Brian Fury - also from Abergavenny - and hope to increase people's awareness of this disease. If you would like to help by taking part in any of the races - that take part throughout the UK - or would like to sponsor a participant please visit the Race For life website www.raceforlife.org| or the Race For Life Sponsor site http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org|
If you would like to sponsor me then please email me stating the amount and your contact details - including a telephone number or even better on the run-up to the competition you can make an online donation| - that way you can be sure that your money has reached Cancer Research UK.
Cancer Research UK 'are committed to curing cancer by understanding its causes and investigating how best to prevent and treat it'. They also fund research aimed at providing the best possible support and information to cancer patients and their families' so are a charity that is well worth supporting.
Remember prevention is always better than cure. Try to avoid things that are known to cause cancer - such as cigarettes and alcohol and try to take regular exercise and eat plenty of fibre. If anything about your body worries you go to your doctor and get it checked out. Five minutes embarrassment is much better than a lifetime of regret.