I was ambitiously aiming for running the Oxford Half Marathon in October 2022 until I got a bad Covid in the summer followed by a slow recovery. The long recovery impacted my mental health too which made resuming my training even harder. Before the Covid, I progressed very well with my training plan. Being a newbie in running, this was a daunting challenge at first. Before signing up, I didn't check what level of fitness is needed to be able to finish a half marathon. It turned out, if you can run a 10K you can probably run a half marathon too. The longest distance I had ever run was under 5K and that was two years ago, before getting very comfortable with my current inactive lifestyle...

I started training for my HM with Couch to 5K plan and then increased my miles week by week and reached 8K just before went down with Covid. I was very satisfied with my progress and performance. Now, even though I am missing the race, I am committed to deliver what I aimed for, that is running a HM. I will resume my training and will complete the run on my own and I will update you all on the accomplishment!

Supporting mental health research means a lot to me, and I would be incredibly grateful for any spare change you wish to donate. I believe this challenge could lead to positive impacts on my own mental health too.

Thanks so much for your support which will be my drive in this pretty  journey!

About the Charity:

MQ's vision is simple: to create a world where mental illness is understood, effectively treated, and ultimately prevented. With the help of our supporters and a global network of leading scientists we can make this a reality. Together we are championing and funding research into mental health that will change millions of lives. Right now, one in four people in the UK is living with a mental health condition. That's nearly 15 million people with an illness that affects their wellbeing, their relationships with family and friends, and their ability to work. The experience can be painful, exhausting and isolating. Despite extraordinary advances in treating physical health conditions, progress in understanding mental illness, and research into its causes, treatments and prevention, is nowhere near equal. We're here to change that by funding cutting-edge research. Better is possible.