I'm shit at running... but over the last 4 months I've been working on my pace and it has reduced significantly. I'm really proud of myself. I did 50 miles in January, and got mt 50mile badge on Garmin (whoo hoo, get me).

So this is why I have given myself 75 miles for February, and it's a shorter month (hang on a minute I don't think I thought this through properly 🤔).

Anyway, I usually do a minimum of 3 runs per week alongside my weight training, so I am determined to run the 75 miles. 

I've signed up with Race at your Pace virtual eventa to do 75 miles in February. Ill even get a medal at the end (the true reason why I am doing it 😉). My longest run recently has been 6miles, but I generally do about 3-4 mile per run, so this is definitely going to be a bit of a challenge for me.

Ill definitely share pictures and updates throughout. I would be eternally grateful for any donation....not matter how small or large, I will be grateful, as I am sure the charity will be too.

Now a bit about my why...

When I was 23 I was diagnosed with bulimia, albeit it had probably been going on since I was 17. The reason it took so long to get a diagnosis was because I didn't fit the "criteria" to receive support. I wasn't of a certain weight or BMI. In fact I looked pretty "normal", but that didn't mean I wasn't suffering with my mental health. That didn't mean I wasn't starving myself for days, then swapping over to binging & purging on other days. Unfortunately, to get the support I needed to show "physical" evidence, so without living with the doc for a few weeks and letting them watch my behaviours for themselves, it wasn't until I was diagnosed with something else that the medical profession finally realised I was suffering from disordered eating. 

It shouldn't be this difficult to get help. Okay, maybe I wasn't too bothered about getting the help at the time. But my parents will have been and everyone around me that it was affecting too. Instead they just had to watch my personality and life deteriorate for years before anyone would listen. 

Now I am bothered. I am bothered for those out there suffering now, I am bothered for the future generation, I am bothered for their parents. I could be one of those parents. I have a child. A daughter. I might not have had the support and help available immediately, I got there in the end, but it shouldn't have been so difficult.

I don't want it to be that difficult for anyone else...

So that is why I would like to raise money for First Steps.

First Steps Derbyshire is an award-winning quality assured eating disorder charity working across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire providing care and support for adults, children and young people providing coping strategies and recovery services which are directly commissioned by NHS partners and through grants from funders who’s aims are to support individuals, families and communities.Our founding principles are built up from experts from experience having lived with and recovered from Eating Disorders.