Ever since I was a kid I enjoyed running mainly the sprints even whilst battling Ulcerative Colitis and as I got older and before I got far too sick with pouchitis I started to enjoy distance running. I have dabbled a few times with running since my ileostomy but I'm not sure my heart was in it and with having two small kids I'm not sure I had the get up and go either. Something however has changed my mind set and that something was pretty tragic.

My best friend and her husband sadly lost their little boy Phoenix; her big love in life prior to her little family was running and I remember watching the London Marathon in 2016 whilst I was recovering from my ileostomy surgery just days before desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of her running it. Her husband has managed to encourage her to run again and that show of love and support through their own grief kick started the spark for me to run again.

So of course I downloaded a couch25K app, dug out my trainers, my support wear and made a plan to go out for my first run. I decided to do my first run when Sarah, Hannah and Ollie of Team #RunForPhoenix did their first half marathon of the year. Sarah only started running again on the 23rd of December. Ra-Ra came with me and we set off at the same time and did 1.8 miles which I think was a pretty good go if I do say so myself! We have since finished couch to 5K week one and will continue to run.

Running with my ileostomy hasn't been so much of an issue for me but my hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome likes to make itself known.

To begin with I just wanted to get back running in memory of a sweet little boy but now I have become determined, no not London Marathon determined! But 00Steve has paid for my entry to my hometowns 10K in May and the Great North Run for Sarah, Luke and Phoenix.

Many thanks

Stephie