Photo credit - David Brawn
I have been a keen runner for many years. I ran my first marathon in 2004 and promptly said 'never again'. However, I have now run over 100 marathons and didn't stop there. I increased my distance from a marathon to 50 miles, 100 miles and beyond. This culminated, in June 2017, with me running the Thames Ring 250 mile ultra event. I was fit, healthy and strong.
However, in November that same year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and my future hopes and dreams were taken from me. I expected that I would not be running for quite some time.
When I found out that exercise was encouraged and other cancer patients had managed to run during their treatment, I decided to continue to run whenever I felt well enough. If I couldn't run then I would walk. I set targets to reach through my treatment and had a goal for when everything was over.
Running became my therapy and also gave me some control in a period of my life where I felt that I had little. I started to write a diary and I found comfort doing this. With my husband Russ's continual encouragement my diary has now been transformed into a book which gives a full account of how running helped me through my breast cancer journey and beyond.
"Sandra's story is an exploration of the human spirit and a profound meditation on perseverence, passion and the relentless pursuit of the extraordinary. I haven't read a more compelling reason to be a runner than Sandra is able to communicate here."
James Elson - Founder of Centurion Running
"As you read Sandra's story it shows strength, courage and resilience. Giving up or giving in are definitely not in her vocabulary."
Mimi Anderson - Ultra running legend, multiple Guinness World Record holder and author
"Cancer Diaries of an Ultra Runner is the amazing and ultimately uplifting story of a fabulously gutsy woman whose idea of a good time away is competing in off road races of 100 miles plus. Much of this book deals with her cancer treatment and her feelings during this time. She explains about this in depth but none of it comes across as maudling or self-pitying. Her life became a constant stream of hospital appointments, tests and treatment plans. Her way of dealing with this perceived 'loss of control' was to continue with her running and set herself a goal of competing another ultra running event which coincides with the end of her treatment."
Maria, Gosport
"Oh my gosh! I couldn't put this down and read it from start to finish in a day. I felt as though I was on the journey with Sandra, I cried through sadness but also through immense happiness with her incredible strength and determination. Sandra is a huge inspiration and her story deserves to be read"
Vicky, Portsmouth
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Buy a signed copy - £8.99 + £2.99 P&P (UK only)
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I set up this page to provide a more personal alternative to buying from Amazon. It enables me to provide a better quality book which includes colour pictures.
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