Walking 10,000 Steps For Cancer Research

6th March Steps

I've been posting pictures like this daily to my Instagram (which shares to Facebook and Twitter) my steps - as proof - that I'm walking 10,000 steps a day.

I've signed myself up to walk 10,000 steps a day, for the whole of March, in the Walk All Over Cancer campaign by Cancer Research. 

The days I work are the hardest as I'm cooped up in a very small office. But instead of sitting down in those quiet periods, I've been standing up and pacing the minuscule office. I felt like a polar bear in a zoo, pacing that office!

Why am I doing this?

Ever since my sister was diagnosed with Leukaemia in 2010, and with everything she's been through, I've wanted to do things to give back - to Cancer Research and CLIC sargent. I'm not going to run marathons (I would epic fail!) so I give blood regularly and try to be a Dryathelete in January, but this year, I thought I'd take on the challenge of walking 10,000 steps a day instead.

She's been amazingly brave, and is happy and healthy to this day! We have a lot to be thankful for.

This is my fundraising page if you would like to sponsor me: Cancer Research Fundraising Page

Finally It's February...

...and I can drink wine!

All writers need wine... well, most of us do.

If you read this blog post, you will know I was a Dryathlete to raise money for Cancer Research.

I endured 31 days off the sauce! But to be honest, if a cancer patient has to go through Chemo, then I was sure I could go without a glass of wine for a month.

It's just a good job I didn't have to give up chocolate too, otherwise I really would have found this task hard.


Anyway, I want to say a very big thank you to everyone who donated. To you lovely, generous lot, I give you Henry Cavill :)

(That's just a cheeky way of getting an excuse to post a picture of Henry... obviously). 

And to those who still wish to show your support, there is still time to donate for this very good cause. Just go to my JustGiving Page Here.

No Wine For The Whole Of January...

... at least I can still have chocolate. I'd no way be able to give up both!

Leading up to Christmas, and afterwards, I kept hearing the Dryathlon adverts on my favourite radio station. And after the hugest hangover ever on New Year's Day and vowing never to drink again (yeah, right, I love wine too much), I'd decided I would stay off the alcohol in January at least. Let the old Liver recover and all that.

I wasn't going to sign up because then I'd stress about the lack of donations etc. I thought I would just do it on my own for health reasons and see if I have the willpower.

I only 'drink' at weekends. In other words, I allow myself an alcoholic beverage Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. This is when I'm likely to go out too. Sometimes I will drink mid-week if I meet up with a friend, but that's a rare occasion. But at the weekend, even if I'm home, I like a glass of wine whilst vegging in front of the telly.

Well, last night, coming home from work, I was in the mood for that glass of wine. Automatically I'm thinking it's Friday - I'm allowed!

Luckily, I saw that a friend's husband was a Dryathlete, and so I signed myself up pretty sharpish (and donated on his site - as I thought it would look weird donating on my own)!


Anyway, if you'd like to sponsor me, here is my JustGiving page.

Cancer Research is such a good cause. Would my sister have survived Leukaemia without the research? Who knows... but my gratefulness for this charity is unmeasurable.

Over Christmas I also learned of a close friend who's baby boy has a cancerous tumour, so this charity is just so important. Not only the old get sick with Cancer... so do the young.

Please, please, please sponsor me. Or sponsor a closer friend if you know they are also participating. Everyone gets touched with cancer once in their life. I believe some can avoid cancer with lifestyle changes, but people like my sister, and my friend's little boy are sadly the unfortunate unlucky ones.

I get fed up of the 'Cancer' related Facebook posts about 'I bet know one reposts this' etc. etc. I never share them, because it's too close to my family, and they're just bloody SPAM in my opinion.

Instead of sharing one of those stupid posts which WILL NOT help fight cancer, give a couple of pounds to Cancer Research! Do it!

And while on the subject, if you're interested, in 2011 I read Food To Fight Cancer... this is my review. It's a fascinating book and endorses my belief that some cancers can be avoided.