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!

(This was good flow,  I was even sweating)

1 Hour Ashtanga Yoga (intro class)

(I could feel the steam coming off my body, I want to do more Ashtanga Yoga)

(Vinyasa Yoga: Gentle Hip stretching sequence.)

(This was a more relaxed flow, appropriate for a friday evening flow)

I am getting more comfortable now with being in front of the camera. Every day that I practice my flow I go live on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thatindierunner/) . Follow the IG page and maybe join the flow. 

We are on day 10, almost halfway through the lockdown. 11 more days of yoga practice to go & a yoga playlist for isolation dropping soon! 

#RunRevolution

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