By day, I’m The Loss Foundation’s fundraiser.
By September… Apparently, I’m also a 10K runner. 😅
When I signed up for the Vitality London 10K as part of Team TLF’s 10K for £10K challenge, I had a brief moment of confidence.
Then I remembered I actually had to train.
I used to love running. I was even pretty good at it. But life changes, bodies change, and somewhere along the way running became something I’d left behind.
Then came perimenopause.
Some days I feel like I’m rediscovering something I loved. Other days I’m fairly sure I’m personally responsible for the UK’s next heatwave. 🔥
This is fine. Obviously.
Why take on a 10K?
As a fundraiser, I spend a lot of my time asking other people to support The Loss Foundation. I see every day why our work matters – because grief can feel incredibly lonely, and people bereaved by cancer deserve access to compassionate support.
This time, I wanted to put myself in the challenge too.
A 10K might not sound like a huge challenge to everyone, but for me it represents something bigger: doing something that feels uncomfortable and unfamiliar.
The reality of training
So far, training has taught me a few important lessons:
- Children make surprisingly effective running obstacles.
- Optimism is not actually a substitute for fitness.
- Running is considerably harder than fundraising.
My first run strongly suggested that a hip replacement might be the sensible next step. 😂
But I know why this challenge matters.
Sometimes we don’t take on something new because we’re worried we won’t be good at it. We worry we’re too old, too out of practice, too busy, or that our bodies won’t cooperate.
I’m learning that starting again doesn’t have to mean going back to who we were before.
It can mean discovering what we’re capable of now.
Follow my training journey
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing my training diary – the highs, the lows, the nerves, the lessons, and possibly the hip deterioration.
If you’re someone who has thought about taking on a challenge but felt unsure, I hope my journey reminds you that you don’t have to feel completely ready before you begin.
You just have to take the first step.
Why your support matters
This challenge isn’t just about running 10K.
Every donation helps The Loss Foundation continue providing free grief support for people bereaved by cancer.
Behind every support group, every conversation and every person reached is someone navigating life after loss.
So yes, I’ll be running.
I’ll probably be hot, dramatic, and wondering why I signed up.
But I’ll also be running for something that matters.
Please support our run 👉 https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/10k-for10k
