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<\/a>I am a finance administrator for the Division of Cancer and Genetics, and for the past two years I have run the Cardiff Half to raise money for my workplace because I work there and support the brilliant work they do. This year is personal, due to my husband\u2019s ongoing challenges relating to depression and anxiety. I\u2019m running for neuroscience and mental health research at Cardiff University.<\/p>\nI am aiming to run this year\u2019s half marathon in 2:15:00 (or less) so the training has really been stepped up to include cross training. I\u2019m up at 5am to do a 5km run on Mondays and Thursdays, long runs are on Sunday mornings before my family wake up, and Tuesday evenings are for interval training and hill sprints. I cycle to work every day, I do a Boot Camp every Saturday morning with Calon Lan Health and Fitness, and squeeze in kettlebells in the evenings when everyone has gone to bed thanks to You Tube. The only reason I can train like this is my wonderfully supportive husband; he\u2019s like a really great sports bra!<\/p>\n
I have some fantastic supporters who have generously donated because they know how much this cause means to me, but I wanted to go that extra mile this time. I\u2019ll be doing bake sales of course, and asking for donations, but I also wanted to do something a bit different, and somehow highlight how many of us are affected by depression, so I am \u201cselling\u201d my kilometres. For a donation, anyone can have a kilometre dedicated to themselves or a loved one, and I will carry that name (or pseudonym) on my t-shirt somehow and run that kilometre for them. Running has really helped my mental wellbeing but I know how hard it can be to get a foot out the door, so I wanted to show symbolically that I am running this for others as well as myself. Of course, the first kilometre is dedicated to my fantastic husband.<\/p>\n
The reaction from my work colleagues has been incredibly supportive, but it has highlighted the flaw in my genius plan: not everyone wants to be \u201couted\u201d as having a mental health condition. \u00a0There is still a stigma, which leaves sufferers feeling alone when in reality the statistics show a very different story. 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health challenge in our lives, and I\u2019m hoping that the money I raise will go into the research needed to come up with better treatments and understanding of an unseen condition that affects not just those who are ready to talk about it, but the huge number of people who suffer in silence.<\/p>\n