I am not a natural runner. My last proper running experience was the Meadows Marathon 5K in March 2015. Despite my obsession with picking up heavy things and putting them down again/bashing around on wheely shoes/spinning around a pole, running has always been a struggle and I never understood what this elusive "runner's high" was. For me, it was more of a constant runner's low.

But you gotta love a tryer, and I'm a fan of a challenge with a deadline, so against my better judgement I have decided to run NOT the Edinburgh Marathon Festival 10K on 23rd May 2020, as originally stated, but the EMF VIRTUAL 10K, which must be completed by 31st December 2020!

I will be running this race in aid of TransForMotion (https://www.underdoghealth.co.uk/transformotion), a grassroots initiative in Edinburgh offering bespoke fitness, sport and exercise activities to transgender people. Despite being a relatively new group, TransForMotion is constantly growing from strength to strength. They currently run lifting classes, have raised enough for a six-week pole dancing course at my beloved Pivot Pole Studio, and are well en route to funding a self-defence course. These classes have been put on hold due to Covid, but throughout lockdown, TransForMotion has continued to offer physical activities to the trans community by running two online classes per week. Who knows where they'll go with more funding?

As a cisgender, able-bodied woman, I have be fortunate to not suffer discrimination and violence in gyms and other exercise spaces - many are not this lucky.

In fact, in comparison, running 10 kilometres seems barely like a challenge at all.

Please donate and keep an eye on this page to see how I'm getting on with my training!