I always struggled with sport a bit because I wasn't very competitive. In sixth form, I thought runnning was a good thing to do socially since I was new to the school. So I started running then. And it was the first thing which I noticed just helped my energy levels so much. I used really struggle with keeping awake in the evening, and I'd have this sort of energy crashed late in the afternoon. And when I got into running in my afternoons, I noticed that I sort of have the second wave of energy. And the long distance aspects was something which I only got into in the last few years when I realized that it's also become very meditative for me. I have very clear thoughts when I'm running - it brings me back to a sense of self.

I have two types of routine. I try not to exercise two days in a row just so that I sort of get that small excitement the night before and that sort of anticipation. So I either have a very lazy morning where I have a cup of coffee and I write my diary or I speak to friends before work and sort of have a moment to myself. On a day I'm running, I'll get up or have a coffee and I'll stretch and listen to music. I really take my time on that. I often do the first 10 minutes with no music to feel in touch with the season and wake up in like a natural way. I do celebrate with another coffee after - it's sort of a reward, which makes me really sort of appreciate what I've done. And then I go to work!

I'm running the London Marathon to prove to myself that you should never put yourself in a box. I've never been a quick runner. So I assumed that I could never do something like the marathon which I always felt was for the best runners. My sister ran the marathon last year and I was quite overwhelmed with emotion because she was raising money for leukemia research. We had a sibling who passed away from it. So when she did it after having a child, I thought, okay, I can do it now. It's given me another whole appreciation for my mental health at the moment as well. The fact that I feel well enough to spend hours in my head and see it as a positive place is very timely, from a few years ago, where I would have been quite worried to do all of that training on my own. I've become a lot more comfortable in myself the last few years so I thought it could be sort of an ode to that progression.

Viva runs was born out of a desire for inclusivity in the running community. Traditional running clubs can feel intimidating, especially if you're not a speed demon. Viva runs aim to change that narrative. It's all about accessible, enjoyable running experiences. Because I speak a lot about mental health, I was quite aware of how much your mood can sort of restrict you joining things. I hoped that having it be virtual... it wouldn't get in the way for someone to join. You download the playlist and then give it a go. I make weekly updates to it allow people to come again and again.