In January 2019 having lost 6 stone i decided I needed to add in some exercise to help maintain my loss. I downloaded the couch 2 5k app. I did the 1st run/walk. 60 seconds felt like an hour and I laughed to myself that I would never manage the 5k and thought I'd quit in a few weeks. I'd often do the runs at 6.30 in the morning in the dark so nobody would see me. The weeks went by I improved, I started to not care who saw me. I was out there doing it and enjoying it. In April I graduated and ran 5k for the 1st time I was so proud and couldn't believe it, I'd fallen in love with running more than I ever imagined. I continued to run happily by myself 3 times a week and started to slowly add a little more distance. I found it helped my mental health that I didn't even realise needed help and gave me time to be me and have space to myself having two young children this is a rare treat. Though when St Neots started a Junior parkrun in June they did join in too and we started to all go, something I never would've dreamed I'd be doing with them. I entered a 5 mile race in October 2019 my 1st event, my 1st medal I loved it. In January 2020 after an injury I was up to about 6k again then a friend suggested I come along to a new running group that had just started. I wasn't sure, I had always run by myself, what if I was too slow they might leave me behind. I decided to try and if I didn't like it to not go again. That was when I joined Ouse Valley running they didn't leave me behind! Far from it they were so supportive and encouraging I grew to enjoy running with the group and meeting new people. Who knew I could talk and run at the same time. Joining OVR was a new chapter in my running and I grew in confidence, with the encouragement from the group started to run further and can't believe how far I've come. I enjoy chatting to the other members and learning about their journey, I love feeling as happy as they do when they achieve something new.