21/09/2026
I was in Cheltenham at the weekend and it was lovely. We aim for an annual (doesn’t always happen) weekend away with some friends who also love running, and this year we decided to run the Cheltenham Half Marathon - it was so much fun.
It made me think last night about my relationship with running over the years, and why running always remains a constant (in some form of other) in my life though I don’t run anywhere near as much as I used to these days and I definitely don’t run to chase times or PBs anymore.
I love how running continues to teach me about the importance of mindset, and how possible it is to retrain it, reshape it and become stronger because of it.
I love how it challenges me to push beyond what feels comfortable. Heck, sometimes it pushes me beyond what I think is even possible!
I REALLY love how running has helped to teach me the importance of cheering for myself. And how to be kinder, more encouraging and, generally, a much better friend to myself, which, I think we will all agree, is a lifetimes work.
And I love that running is something I always come back to, even after a break, because when I run, I feel joy, and I feel free and I feel capable and I feel like ME.
Running saved me when I was going through infertility and IVF. And, in different ways, it has saved me many more times since. It gave me a life lesson that helped me then and helps me now - that we just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
In the words of my favourite running coach, and generally brilliant, inspirational human Coach Bennett , “This is about running. This is not about running.”
Ps - if you are a runner and haven’t ordered his new book yet - you absolutely should, he is a total legend ❤️
