Running is a big part of my mental health, giving my head a good clearing out and a better perspective on the world.  But when a race doesn’t go to plan, it has the total opposite effect that is hard to come to terms with.  With all the publicity about the links of running and mental health, does anyone think the pressure to feel good mentally while running is sometimes a bit much?  If your mind is not in a better place after a run (race or training) are you failing, not only at your performance but also failing your mental health?

For this reason, I’m looking for something bigger to run in the background of my running.  Something that will make every mile count.  I’m going to try to eek up my annual mileage to 1000 miles for 2018.

Now I am a little behind schedule, I’m about 80% of my year to date target at the end of June (I've made a slightly addictive little spreadsheet).  But whether I make it to this lofty grand total or not, every single mile counts for something. I’m dubbing them ‘MyMindMiles’.

So here we are - thank you for visiting my Just Giving Page.  I have fundraised exclusively for Mind - the Mental Healthy Charity since 2015, and I believe it is a great cause.  Did you know: 

• £10 could help send essential information booklets about mental health to 40 people!
• £40 could pay for 28 people to campaign for change on behalf of mind
• £70 could keep the online community Elefriends open and safe for 2 hours
• £120 could offer a lifeline to 8 people in desperate need of support from the Mind legal line
• £200 could keep the Mind info line open for 1 our helping 35 people
• £300 could support a young person bereaved by suicide to access a 1:1 support group
• £550 could provide 5 people struggling with their mental health a place in a 10-week wellbeing group with team sports and cookery.

Would you like to  join the My Mind Miles and create an end of year target that you would like to aim for - giving your running a great purpose, beyond a time, a race, but for something all together bigger - Mental Health Awareness.