I’m going to be honest, running does NOT come easy to me. 

I have started and stopped on and off for the past ten years, since I first began. Last year, however, I broke through my glass ceiling and it became my life-line during the first two lockdowns. I started a Couch to 5k in January 2020, got to 5k just as the first lockdown hit, but kept running in the background. I managed to keep going until October 2020 when I did my first marathon ever! It was the ‘virtual’ marathon, but nevertheless, it was such an accomplishment. 

I haven’t been running since, it’s been a tough few months as my father became ill and died earlier this year and I launched a new Education Programme, to get Counsellors and Psychotherapists Grief-Educated, so my body has been glued to a laptop and the running shoes have been much neglected! I am delighted to be County Ambassador for Wicklow to draw attention to the wonderful work of the Irish Hospice Foundation, where I work as a lecturer. I am a Grief Therapist and have never been busier, since the pandemic started. Some of the stories I hear are simply heartbreaking. 

One of the questions that I ask nearly everyone that I support is, are you walking? Are you moving? If not, get moving, grief needs to move. I like to practice what I preach. Signing up for the mini-marathon this year feels like a real challenge, but I know it will help me to get back into my body again and all of me will feel better for it. Now who’s coming with me?!