The key to balancing training and running with my teaching and family time...is time management...

I'm a creature of habit and plan my day as such so I have time for everything...

In Islam a good balance and moderation is taught to us from young...and if we plan our day according to our 5 daily prayers we can have time to do everything...

The greatest challenge faced by women all over the world is abuse...any type of abuse...

Whether it be from a women or a man...

With GBV on the rise its more scarier for a female runner...that fear always looms over you...

But we find strength in numbers...

There are many factors which affect Muslim women in sports...

Because we are fully covered it does affect you training and your ability to go faster ect....but with the right clothing and time you adjust to it accordingly...

People tend to judge you when you a fully covered...like you shouldn't be out at all...

Which is sad because Islam doesn't limit you...the hijaab and niqaab are there for your protection and also as a means to get closer to your creator...

Hijaab doesn't mean to hide away...its a covering and an honour...

I would love to see more hijaabis out there training and giving that importance to their health and fitness...

I think the worst thing for me with the coming of covid was not being allowed out on the roads to run. Because I already cover my face with my niqaab the wearing of masks didn't change anything...my dressing pre covid is same as it is during the pandemic as well...

In terms of cleanliness we have to wash 5 times a day for prayers and the area in which we pray had to be absolutely clean...so the only way my life has changed during this time is just having my kids at home...and having no skin left on my hands after all the sanitizing

Going forward with this pandemic I think we should remain positive and have faith it will pass...

Take our precautions as best as we can...

There's a saying by our Prophet muhammad peace be upon him...that every disease has a cure....

So I have firm faith in this and life will go back to normal...until then I still see everyone social distancing to their best ability and to wear masks and just be safe...

My aim for this year before lockdown was to do a 42 km...but unfortunately didn't happen...now we just enjoying the training and do more hiking...

Don't ever give up or let anyone stop you from being the best you can be in whichever field you are in...

I am truly blessed to be surrounded by women in my life who support and always help me...

Hello! I’m Ronnie, and I’m a creative vegan goth who runs marathons! I run a lifestyle blog and Instagram called Coming Full Spiral. There, I talk about being vegan, running marathons, goth fashion, Seattle (where I live), mental health, and travel. For work, I’m a freelance content writer and producer. Sometimes I make art on the side. I feel at my fullest when I have creative outlets and can make a living off of it.

My work ebbs and flows throughout the year, as that’s the freelance life. When the workload does get heavy, it can definitely be hard to find the time and energy to train. I run marathons, and those do take a lot of time, especially when training has reached its peak. Work comes first because that’s my livelihood. But I also can’t live without running, so I always find a way to fit it in my schedule. So, I prioritize both ahead of everything else.

I started running in 2000, when I was 13 years old and recovering from anorexia nervosa. Nothing makes a recovering anorexic panic more than gaining weight. I turned to running to try to keep the weight down. It turns out that I actually enjoy the meditative aspect of the sport, as well as the satisfaction and endorphin high that results from completing a workout. There has also been significant interpersonal trauma throughout my life, which has spurred this lifelong depression that I’ve been slowly emerging from. But running has always been there. Over the years, it has also shown to be a great life metaphor: stay present, keep going, and don’t give up. One mile at a time. One day at a time. I’m still with it 20 years later.

It hasn’t been too bad, and I realize how fortunate my situation is. I work remotely. I also grew up as an introvert, so this doesn’t feel like anything new. In some ways, I feel like I’m ahead of the curve because of my coping skills. Fortunately, the stay-home orders from our state government still permits outdoor exercise as an essential activity. So, we can still run to our hearts’ content, as long as we’re practicing social distancing. The races I signed up for have turned into virtual races, which means we just do them on our own and track our distances with a phone app that uses GPS. My travel plans to see and run the world were cancelled, but keeping everyone safe is the highest priority. 

That’s a real interesting thing to think about. It’s quite a traumatizing time. People are on edge, and it’s going to take a good while for things to rebuild. This is the first time something of this magnitude has made the world stop. While there was the 1918 flu, the difference is that we have access to more information (or misinformation) than ever before. It’s making us seriously confront mortality and existence, which will spur new laws and new orders. There are complex systems to delve into, such as the shrinking economy, and how to really beat this pandemic (because we still know little). It’s really hard to say how life will go on after the coronavirus, but the world we knew before doesn’t exist anymore. 

Probably the best running experience I’ve had was the 2019 Seattle Marathon. I had this ambitious goal of running 4 marathons in 6 months. That race was the last one, and I finished 18 seconds slower than my fastest time. When I crossed the finish line, my soul rode this immense wave of elation for weeks.

My worst running experience was the 2018 Seattle Marathon. I had worked 70 hours that week and only slept for 4 hours the night before the race. Plus, I was injured. I was even almost late to the race, so I skipped breakfast. Running 26.2 miles (42 km) on an empty stomach definitely wasn’t ideal. Plus the injury was acting up. While it was a miserable experience, I still pushed through and finished the race. I see it more as a lesson now.

I walk once or twice a day around the neighbourhood. Spring in the U.S. is beautiful, all of the flowers are in bloom. It’s nice to slow down and take it all in.

Remember to pace yourself and go about half or even a third of the speed you think you need to. It also takes about 21 days to enforce a new habit, so keep making yourself run, even when you don’t want to. Running can be an acquired taste, so it takes some persistence before you start to enjoy it. Run with friends if you want to, so that you have someone. Eventually it catches on, and then the satisfaction of completing a workout is reinforcing. Before you know it, it feels transcendental. Above all, don’t give up.

I’ll still sign up for more virtual races. Right now everyone’s a little nervous to sign up for races later in the year, because a second wave of COVID-19 is possible. In the meantime, we do what we can.

I have a blog (www.comingfullspiral.com), Instagram (@comingfullspiral), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/comingfullspiral). Drop me a line and say hello!

As an endurance runner I’ve learnt to accept that pain is inevitable. You just need learn to manage the pain in your mind and block it. Once you master that,then estate enjoying running. I’m often called a happy runner as I usually smile and talk a LOT during runs. Best way to shift/distract the pain . 

Q. What advice can you give somebody who wants to start running?

Start small and build up. Have targets or goals. Celebrate every milestone,no matter how small. If you fall off the wagon, dust yourself up and try again. And excuses in the bin. 

Q. Which Social media sites are you on and how can one follow you?

Facebook : Nandipa Mafongosi 

Instagram: @nandimafongosi