I went from running my first 10K race in 2018 to a half marathon in 2019, and have now become a total trail-running addict – I love the longer, slower runs in the countryside and the challenge of planning and following routes (and the snacks!). I have run two ultramarathons over the past year, and here I am at the Green Man 30 mile (Green Boy) round Bristol last week, with the support of some other wonderful TMR friends!”
"I’m Seema. A doctor, mother, runner. I'm a full time hospital consultant in Bristol treating emergency patients and also have a leadership role there. I’m mum to a 10 year old and between my husband and I, there's lots of juggling of work, school/club drop offs/collections and of course, trying to fit all our runs in!
Running didn’t become core to my life until I became a mum. After a pretty harrowing birth, I experienced a level of trauma which made me feel highly anxious and isolated. My GP advised me to start gently running again for my mental well-being. The best decision. Running gave me a sense of freedom, a level of control and a powerful proximity to nature.
However, the sense of isolation remained. It wasn’t until November 2014 when I was added to a group on Facebook called "This Mum Runs", that the desire to run with others who may be feeling just like me, became a possibility. I was so nervous the first few social runs. We didn’t have Run Ángels then and the distance could be variable. But the kindness of all the women in the group and looping gave me confidence.
I went on to become a Run Angel and then a Run Maker as I felt so motivated to give back to this fab running community. It was so joyful coaching women who had never run, to achieve their goal of running for 30 minutes.
In 2017 I started trail running. As my hospital job became more and more intense, it seemed to me that the hillier, rockier and muddier the trail, the more able I was, to deal with the stresses of the job. I started a little off-shoot Facebook group for
TMR Ladies who trail run.
My most wonderful moment as a member of TMR was in January 2020 when I offered to lead an off-road route for Ladies interested in trying out trail running. Over 30 women turned up! What an adventure! We didn't know at that point that we would soon face months without being able to run together.
The friendships made that day and over the years through TMR, continued during Lockdown and gave strength during the challenging times of treating very sick patients with COVID, clinically leading the launch of the hospital vaccination programme and improving healthcare equity across the city. This is the power of the TMR community!"
AMY
"I’m Amy, I am a 37 year old mum of one (Poppy, 8) and I am a primary school teacher from near Peterborough. I did a bit of running when I was younger when I was at school and I think I quite enjoyed it but I was never one of the ‘sporty’ girls.
When I was 21, I watched the Great North Run and randomly decided to sign myself up for the following year. The running was hard, it’s safe to say I was under-trained and I was lucky to be fairly fit so I got round but vowed never again!
Fast Forward to 2016, I had my daughter and was doing very little exercise and my anxiety had been at an all time high having had post-natal depression and struggling for several years. Once again, I had another sudden urge when watching the London Marathon and got myself in the ballot! The next thing I knew I’d got a place, joined a running club (something that terrified me) and found myself in London surrounded by thousands of other runners lapping up the incredible atmosphere.
Since then, I’ve run London again and all sorts of distances in between and made some amazing, life-long running friends.
Although my mental health will always have its ups and downs, the endorphins from being outside really help to lift me and I truly believe I have running to thank for the parent I have become.
What keeps me going is the community- online and in real life. I love to see other women going out and doing their best no matter what that is. I don’t have to be running- just volunteering and cheering others on will have the same boost. No matter how many races or parkruns I’ve done I am always nervous and the people around me keep me going- I love a chat at the start (usually in the queue for the toilets) about “why on Earth are we doing this?!” or trying to spot other TMR kit!
The community This Mum Runs provides supports all women to get out there and I am so proud to be a small part of this. My goal with running is to encourage others to get out and get started, particularly my own daughter who over the past couple of years has developed into a great little runner. I don’t want her or my nieces (most of whom now run parkrun) to become one of the statistics we see of young women dropping out of sport in their teens. I also see this as my role as a teacher to show the children I teach that we can all enjoy movement and you don’t have to be the fastest or the best.
Being a runner isn’t about running marathons or running races though, it is about lacing up and getting out there for as little or as much as you can. Find a group of people who feel the same (online or local) and it really can change your life!"
#IWD2022