It’s official. daughter Kate has registered a team to take part in Sunnybrook Hospital’s Underwear Affair, a 10k-run/5k-walk to raise awareness of — and money for research into — cancers below the waist.

And Kate is expecting me to sign up. Not only am I expected to join “The Semi-colons,” I am expected to run! Yikes!

So, I am officially in training.

This presents no small challenge. I probably haven’t run with any regularity for about 30 years. This past winter I played hockey twice a week, which represented a certain amount of exercise. But that has ended for the summer and I have quickly returned to my slothful ways. Both dogs have died — of cancer, no less — so I don’t even roll out of bed in the morning to walk the dogs.

I have been planning to introduce an early morning bike ride into my exercise regime but that is still very much in the theoretical stage. I don’t even own a bike.

Kate is doing her best. For the 16 months I was in treatment for rectal cancer — one of those below-the-waist cancers — Kate was a dedicated caregiver, making foods that would appeal, making sure I ate, offering me an arm on my daily shuffles down the street. Now she is applying that same dedication to getting me in shape.

She has taken me to second-hand bike shops looking for the right “road” bike. She has been searching Craigslist for a second-hand bike for me. We almost had a deal but minutes before Kate arrived, cash in hand, the seller sold it to another cyclist. I think she fears if left to my own devices, I will never buy a bike.

Road bikes do seem to be in short supply in Toronto. When the city was threatened with a transit strike, bike stores couldn’t roll them out fast enough. Our hockey-playing buddy Nancy, who runs the Urban Cyclist, says there were literally fistfights over bikes in her store. And gas prices seem to be keeping demand high.

I realize that is a poor excuse.

Kate has also given me The Beginning Runner’s Handbook, which promises a “proven” 13-week walk/run program. But, I confess, it has joined the pile of books beside my bed that I intend to read any time now.

We have gotten out for one run — a week ago. I started out at a good pace, thinking maybe I could do this. But by the time our three-minute interval was done, I was done, too. The walk intervals always seemed too short and the run intervals too long.

I missed our second scheduled run when a glass of Amarone got between me and my running shoes.

I’m afraid it’s time I got serious about this. I still have time. The Toronto run is Aug. 23. (There are also Underwear Affairs in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal.)

It is certainly a good cause and one that I believe in. In our family, we refer to the need for a “brown-ribbon campaign.” And once you have hit a certain age, you are bound to know someone who is suffering or has suffered from prostate, colorectal, cervical or ovarian cancer. Our neighbour Terry is in year three of a battle against cancer of the appendix.

Awareness is certainly a big part of prevention, just as early detection significantly boosts your chances of survival.

Kate assures me it isn’t a serious race. Judging by the Web site, www.uncoverthecure.org, I would guess she is right. How can anyone be serious about racing against teams with names such as Broads in Briefs, The UndieDogs and the Bay St. Briefs — especially when well-displayed underwear is part of each part participant’s apparel.

Besides, there is a promise of a party following the race. That should keep me going to the end.

TESSA WILMOTT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF