So it is International Women’s Day. I wanted to write something about the inspirational women in my life who helped on this running journey but somehow the words didn’t come when I sat down to write it. That’s not to say that I don’t think that all those women are awesome – you all are but my thoughts kept drifitng back to an exchange on facebook with my friend Donna. Donna has been instrumental in my running journey and she probably doesn’t really know that. Donna is superwoman. Always has been in my eyes but lately I think she might have forgotten she is superwoman when it comes to running.

Anyway, Donna, this one is for you, to remind you that you can do anything you want to do, that you can achieve anything you set out to achieve and that you are awesome. It’s funny, in some way I don’t actually know Donna that well -We are both academics and I did some work for her former institution and we keep in touch – and yet Donna was the first person to comment on my running blog, she’s the only person I know who reads it regularly I think. She was the first person to remind me that by just being out there I am doing more than anyone sitting on the couch and eventhough Donna is this stunningly gorgeous tiny little thing and I must be about 4 times as wide as she is, she has always made me feel like we could talk about running (actually talk or write or whatever) as equals. Where I plod, Donna runs. She can actually go fast and I was a little bemused that Donna could possibly be in awe of my running achievements and it was heartbreaking to hear her fall out of love with running a bit. It’s been on my mind. You see, I know that running is basically just awful most of the time and that’s fine for me, I’m happy taking the occasional high and sense of achievement but I want it to be all rainbows and unicorns for Donna because, well because she is Donna.

So Donna, I want you to know this: Without those encouraging words early on I might well not have kept running. You have no idea how often your likes, comments, shows of support made me cry and kept me going. You didn’t laugh at my efforts when you had every right to. You have been hugely supportive every step of the way and I haven’t really said thank you – so thank you. Now for that half marathon of yours. You can do it because you are you. You just keep putting one foot in front of the other, one step at a time. The training is awful, it hurts, you get tired, it’s boring but you will smash that distance on race day because you are you. Remember why you like running, remember how it clears your head, remember how it is ‘you time’. You just get a little too much of a good thing for a little while longer and then you get the bragging rights of having done a half marathon. And I, for one, want to hear all about it! You go girl!