My Running Journey: From Darkness to Discipline

How I Discovered the Power of Running

My journey into running started early in 2024. I had run prior to this due to my job, however I just saw it as the daily “thrashing” from the PT's. It was only in May 2024 that running became so much more to me — it became a form of meditation and a way to feel grounded throughout the mayhem of my life at the time.

Running for Mental Health and Stability

Running became a daily habit that was a positive in my life and something I could do no matter how I felt at the time. Whilst running, it allowed me to escape the reality of depression and my illness I had hidden for so long.

What Running Means to Me

What does running mean to me? It means freedom, it means peace and stability, it means challenges that I can overcome, and it means happiness to me.

From First Races to the Paris Marathon

In my very brief time of taking running a little more seriously, I have completed multiple half marathons and the Paris Marathon with very minimal training. When I started my running journey, I would sometimes use running to have a negative effect — not listening to my body and pushing my limits.

Most of the time, this would be done fasted and with an extremely poor diet. Often, I would fast for 48 hours before a race to completely strip whatever fuel I had, so I could make a race as painful as possible.

Lessons from Endurance and Adversity

Spending time in that state of negative running taught me many life lessons and helped me build a mental resilience when it comes to endurance sports. I believe I know my body better now and have a tougher mind in life — not just in running.

Many endurance athletes use their sport to overcome life obstacles and deal with trauma they have faced.

My Next Challenge: Ironman and Sub 1:20 Half Marathon

My next challenge is attempting my first Ironman 70.3 in June with the goal of completing a full Ironman next year. I have also set a goal of running a sub 1:20 half marathon by the end of the year.

How EFECTIV Nutrition Fuels My Training

Having spent time using EFECTIV products on my bike, runs, and swimming, this has allowed me to stay fuelled during my training — something I wouldn’t have done previously due to my relationship with food.

I would always struggle to keep thicker products down when training hard or racing. However, due to EFECTIV and their easy-to-use products, it makes fuelling easy when pushing the tempo in training. Their products have drastically helped with my recovery.