![\"Joey](\"http:\/\/staging.celfserver.co.uk\/irunwales\/web\/app\/uploads\/Joey-iwd-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIn January last year I found my tribe, my place and surprisingly it was in an online running club (usually it would\u2019ve been a pub). I found, or rather these women found me, through the blog and Facebook page of Julie Creffield \u2013 founder and CEO of The Fat Girl\u2019s Guide to Running. This is a whole other blog, for a whole other time but yes, I am FAT and I own that word, its emblazoned across my running vests which my breasts jiggle underneath, its on my buff that soaks up the sweat of a long run. I\u2019m a fat girl and I run. Luckily Julie is clever enough to have brought out a range of t-shirts for plus size runners so we\u2019re no longer forced to wear black or shop from the men\u2019s section. So now I\u2019m very much a multi-coloured fat girl who runs.<\/p>\n
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So why did I start? Well that\u2019s easy, these women were just like me, some even have my dark sense of humour and taste for gin, I didn\u2019t feel judged and I can\u2019t say enough how important it is as a new runner to not feel judged. So why did I continue? Well that\u2019s a slightly longer explanation but what it boils down to is sisterhood. Standing shoulder to shoulder with each other and building each other up instead of down. Recommending a decent bra or trick you\u2019ve just figured out how to keep your knickers up and don\u2019t even get me started on the conversations about panty liners while running. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou could\u2019ve got this support from a mixed group\u201d some may argue. Possibly. I personally believe after a couple of sessions of being the very slowest in a mixed group I would\u2019ve gone home and carried on watching Greys Anatomy. Every time I fall down, there is a woman online who will build me back up again, give me some words of wisdom, send me a virtual hug or tell me to put my happy pants on.
\nAs women, we are so used to being judged for the way we look it has sadly become a usual part of life but on this day, I\u2019d like to thank every person who has run past me or seen a picture of me running and yelled\/commented \u201cgoing strong!\u201d \u201cyou\u2019ve got this\u201d or my personal favourite \u201cflying feet!\u201d because when I\u2019m running I don\u2019t care what my hair or make up looks like. I feel strong and more confident than I ever have on any night out.<\/p>\n
On Sunday I was meant to be doing a challenge I\u2019d set myself, the 5km, 1km and 10km races at the St David\u2019s Day run. About 2km in my heart was racing and I pulled over to the side. Three women stopped, not caring about their times, and waited for St Johns paramedics to arrive. It turns out that one of my (many) medications was stopping me getting the oxygen I needed. It was the women who stopped and helped and have later found me on Facebook to find out if I\u2019m doing okay. I\u2019m not saying for a second that men wouldn\u2019t have stopped but these women did and to me that sums up the women\u2019s running community. We are a tribe with unwritten rules. We leave our jobs and families at home to pound the pavements and trails where we are equal. We encourage, celebrate and cheer each other on. We may be a little mad but the best people always are. My running friends have become some of my best friends even though I\u2019ve only met a minority of them in the \u2018real world\u2019.<\/p>\n
To the men who stand with these women, supporting, holding rucksacks of kit, taking your daughters to Junior Parkrun. I thank you. You are building the next generation of running women and standing shoulder to shoulder with the current one.<\/p>\n
I could easily get really sentimental here as I am so passionate about women in sport but really what it boils down to is we are stronger than even we know. We can do and accomplish things we haven\u2019t even dreamed of yet. So, find your tribe, whether it be your local run group, an online running club, your neighbour or your work colleagues. Find them and show the world what we can do!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today is international women\u2019s day, so here\u2019s a bit about why I started and have continued to run. Women. That\u2019s right, Joey who went to an all girls school and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2970,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n