I DID IT !!! See me jogging soggy in the rain ...

IF YOU HAVEN'T SPONSORED ME YET,

PLEASE DO SO!

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OR I WILL FIND YOU (I'm not joking...)

I don't notice the rain as I held my hard-earned Race For Life medal

SUCCESS! JUBILATION!

No injuries, excuses, or even death!

Yes, Dear Sponsors, Ceals actually DID the 5km Race For Life!!

Darren took a snap before leaving the house...feeling a tad nervous now!

What the Hell have I signed up to?!

Being Blackpool, it was, obviously, raining by the tine I was half way round!!! But frankly I was relieved, it kept me cool!! I didn't even use my Brolly, I was that focused (plus I'd decided to run, and you can't run with an open brolly!)

One and a half thousand women covered Lawson's field, waiting for the Shout-out to come to the Starting Line. We were all there for different reasons, but with one aim... to raise money for the UK's Cancer Research charity. The atmosphere was amazing; we were all as high as kites but nervous as Hell, lol! There were volunteer marshalls, Medics, First Aiders, and the Boys Brigade were helping out too. Radio Wave, the local radio station, had set up on a large stage, and were playing energy music, and shouting out Dedications.

Then an aerobics instructor from Bannatynes went up onto the stage, and lead 1500 women through a overly energetic warm-up! By the time the aerobics were finished, I must confess, I was ready to go home, rofl!!

Darren kindly videoed me doing the aerobics...and uploaded it to YouTube (he's dead).

Watch out for my patience beginning to wane around 1.45mins...I increasingly go paparazzi from there on in! I stood towards the back, but he captures the volume of women there as he scan across the fields.

Wow. What I'm about to do hits me.

And then, too soon, the Shout-outs to the Starting Line began. Heart is hammering with nerves and excitement as I stride away, outwardly confident...inwardly experiencing conflicting feelings of impatience to get going, and sh*tting myself...

Celia strides away (in centre, back to camera)

Celia has her brolly at the Start line, and carried it round...just in case!

The run itself was a mix of power-striding and running...and everyone, all ages, were in high spirits and having fun. I passed ladies wearing bunny outfits, a pvc clad Batwoman, groups of women casually walking, and panting 50 somethings cluthing bottles of water for dear life. Brilliant women going out of their comfort zone, for something more important than themselves. Amazing.

Being me, I made pals around 3km with two girls also doing the powerwalking/running. They had come from Manchester to take part, leaving work at The Trafford Centre and diving onto the motorways straight after work to get here. We pace-maked each other, and it was bluddy FUN as well as exhausting over the hilly parts! Yes no one warned me about HILLS!! And MUD, lots of mud! Reminded me of school Cross-country...but fun! And no lesbian PE teacher at the end watching us shower (no joke)!

Gwen dared Sue and I to sprint finish the last 1km, and I managed to get over the line before them...weeeee!!

Gwen, Sue (red tops) and I cross the line!

(P.S. I'm smiling but actually feeling v dizzy and at that point, thinking I was going to vomit. Seriously)

I beat my own personally-set target, so seriously happy.

But The Serious Stuff.

This is why I, one person out of 1500+ women, did what we did today.

Every other woman had a reason to walk, run, and just get round. Different names, but for all the same reason. To stop losing more loved ones to Cancer.

Deepfelt thanks and gratitude to everyone who has sponsored and supported me through this. It was bigger than just training for a Run. I've come a long way, in more ways than one. Thankyou. You know who you are xxx

If you haven't yet been able to Sponsor me, for any reason, please donate what you can. It is not too late- my Donations Page closes in September! Click on the Pink Donation button at the Top Right of this page. Plus I have a Manual form, if you prefer pen and paper!

Do what the wonderful people who have Sponsored me already have.

Make a Difference.

Thankyou.