What is Running for Life about?
My blog was initially created in 2019, one of the most challenging years of my life. It is about how running has helped and continues to help me get through some of the most difficult times of my life and how the benefits of running extend beyond physical fitness.
In September 2018, I finished working in a role that left me with psychological injuries I am still addressing today.
I had been studying part-time for my psychology degree since 2015 and was heading into my third year in 2019. I decided I could study full-time if I were not working, so I enrolled in a whole load of units for both semesters. In hindsight, this was not one of my most intelligent decisions.
The year is almost a total blur in my memory. It was spent negotiating with workplace injury departments and lawyers and undertaking intense psychological and psychiatric therapy. How did I get through 2019, which saw the end of my full-time working life, enduring the process of compensation claims, intensive psychotherapy, and full-time study? I am not entirely sure, but I know that running played a part in my survival in more ways than one.Â
I ran the Hobart (Cadbury) marathon in January 2019 and was to commence the build for the Melbourne marathon later in the year. Creating Running For Life Australia helped to give me some focus and a sense of purpose while it seemed the rest of my life was going off the rails. I was surprised when I was contacted by people telling me that my story resonated with them. I was humbled when a school teacher reached out to ask if she could share some of my content with her students. By opening up about my struggles and recounting how running was helping me navigate the most uncertain time of my life created connections with people that were incredibly humbling and helpful.
Most runners I know would agree that our hobby helps us with our mental health. I often describe running as the only time I feel I can be mindful. I know the times when I haven’t been able to run regularly are usually also the times when my mental health is at its worst.
Revamping the blog
The timing of getting my Running For Life Australia blog back up and going again is no big coincidence. I have been unable to run regularly since August 2023. I ran the Boston Marathon in April, but during the build for that event, I experienced some significant pelvic pain that was soon diagnosed as osteitis pubis. After Boston, I had a brief break before commencing another build for the Sydney marathon, but only a few weeks into that build, I had to pull the pin and start taking this injury seriously. Some sports doctor visits, MRI scans and physiotherapy sessions later, it was discovered this was quite a chronic injury that had been developing for some time. I had run three full marathons, a 75km ultra-marathon and numerous half marathon events in 12 months before commencing the build for Boston at the end of 2022. My body was telling me it had had enough.
I can now start running again, but the process is prolonged and frustrating, but necessarily so. The symptoms of my injury are improving, and I aim to run the Berlin marathon in September. I know I need to do everything right to get to the start (and finish!) feeling healthy and strong.
But, more than anything, I rely on running to help me cope with life and the mental health conditions I experience. It is no secret that I struggle with psychological problems. I have formal diagnoses of complex PTSD, major depressive disorder, and, more recently, ADHD. I take various medications to help with the symptoms of these disorders, and I continue regular intensive psychotherapy. Running, however, allows me some space where I feel free; I feel happy being outdoors in the sunshine (or rain), among the birds, with my running buddies. I love the feeling I have after finishing a long run or a challenging session. I love running and how it makes me feel. I love the friendly running community I am part of, I love enjoying coffee and chats after runs, and I love supporting others through their running journeys.
In many ways, I feel a bit of a fraud or an imposter, writing a running blog, given my distinct lack of running pedigree. I am not elite. I am not fast. I am not well known in popular running circles. But I want to share my story; I want to share my struggles with mental ill-health and share how beneficial running can be for our mental, physical, and social well-being. That is the premise behind “Running For Life Australia”…
So, what about the logo?
The logo for Running For Life Australia has undergone a couple of iterations. The one you now see was designed by me and created by Michael at Australian Logo Design. There are a few components of the logo, the first being the semi-colon ;
For anyone unaware, the semi-colon punctuation mark is used when a writer could have ended their sentence but chose not to. In 2013, the semi-colon came to be used by people impacted by suicide, where survivors could have decided to end their story but didn’t.
I do not wish to go into details except to say that in March 2016, I made a serious attempt to end my life. My husband found me and effectively created a semi-colon for me, so my story continues. My extended family has been impacted by suicide, and I fully appreciate the sensitivity of this topic.
The rest of the logo, the runner, an electrocardiogram image, and a heart represent life, and how running is a massive part of my life, and that I hope it continues so that I can always run, hence: Running For Life.Â
