A HUGE hello to this awesome community made up of fellow runners and those aspiring to be runners! My name is Anne or as I’m known, Annie Bee 🐝. I’m a Wife, Mother to 2, a Deputy head Of School and a runner who enjoys LONGER runs!
This something that I thought I would never voice about myself as I have such vivid and unpleasant memories when running longer distances in my teens! My love was 100m and 200m track and field races which gave me so much joy! I dreaded cross country and 1500m.
Across the years I joined the gym, fell in love with boxing (my dads former love) but as life took over, I let it fall by the wayside unknowingly. October 2019 I made a conscious decision to improve my fitness levels and former love of exercise after so many years. So I started walking, once, twice and the love blossomed again!
#Lockdown2020 hit and overnight, I predominantly worked from home, was unable to see loved ones and gyms alongside all outdoor events were closed! I chose to turn this negative into a positive and afforded the time to focus on my health & well being and improving my fitness levels!
I grew during this time and June saw me want to challenge myself further so I joined the Couchto5k programme to put to bed those negative connotations I had associated to running! I then joined Black Girls Do Run Uk 🇬🇧
and saw my running journey take off with an incredible body of women supporting and nurturing me. Two months after starting my running journey, I entered my first race #londonlandmarkshalfmarathon and I’ve never looked back!
Running is in my blood—the adrenaline flows before the races, the love/hate of butterflies in my stomach. It teaches me to challenge myself, to push beyond where I thought I could go. It helps me to find out what I am made of. This is what I do. This is what it’s all about.
My biggest achievement to date as a runner was my first marathon, the virtual London in 2021, (4 months after starting this incredible journey) which saw me dig deep and push forward! I also have a love of trail running and have my first trail marathon in the Peak District this year!
I am an advocate of running and looking back at my journey just demonstrates that with the right support and encouragement absolutely anyone can run and afford themselves the title of being a runner! It’s never too late to start something new, to make new connections, set new goals and get fit at the same time!
My running goals are to continue to nurture and share this passion with my friends, family and my community helping people start their own journey to fitness and running. I want to continue to grow as a runner, become a rune-some running mayor, complete an ultra-race, and begin my cycling journey! An exciting journey awaits!