Pink wings, a tutu and a Sunday in the park.

The hot weather this week has been lovely, but I was hoping it would settle down to a breezier weekend and moreover a cool Sunday. Not just because I'd prefer if men kept their shirts on please. Not just because being out of breath before I get to the bus stop is my idea of a bad start to the day. Not just because when it's really hot I am even grumpier than usual as I can't handle the heat for any prolonged period of time. No, none of these perfectly sensible reasons.

I want it to be cooler tomorrow because I'll be donning pink fairy wings, a tutu, deely boppers and a Hawaiian style lai in order to run race for life on one of the tougher courses I've done. It's not my first race for life, far from it I've done many of them and used to do a few each year. I haven't been running as much since I had my son and have only taken part in a few running events so deciding to do my first fancy dress run on possibly one of the hottest days I've ever run might not be the best decision.

It is important, however, because this year I have three people in mind for whom I am taking part. In the past I've run in memory of people and to celebrate friends who have made it through. This year for the first time I am running in memory of our dear neighbour who passed away a few weeks ago, in celebration of my lovely friend Soraya who has come out the other side of her journey with breast cancer and for our wonderful midwife Penny who is currently undergoing a chemo regime to fight the aggressive pancreatic cancer that has riven her family for generations.

We have become used to hearing the phrase that cancer touches everyone's life. In my childhood no one ever had cancer and we grew up believing that it just didn't affect indian people. I now assume that it just wasn't talked about openly so when our elderly great aunt passed away after years of illness it may well have been cancer, but no one said it was.

My father-in-law had a kidney removed a few years ago as it had developed a tumour, a few years ago my aunt found out after a biopsy that she had pancreatic cancer that had been caught early enough for her to survive and my brother-in-law had extensive surgery earlier this year to remove a pre-cancerous growth.

I don't for a moment believe that my wearing pink wings will make it better for anyone living with a diagnosis or who is currently fighting cancer or who has made it through a punishing regime of treatment. What I do hope is that my small gesture will make them smile and feel supported and noticed. I run Race for Life as a sign of respect for those people who are still around and to show them that their fight is not or has not been in vain.

If you can sponsor me any amount I'd be most grateful - I promise to post photos of me in full pink regalia in return for your kindness.

Sponsor me here - thank you