Sport leads us to discover so many things about ourselves: strength, commitment, ethics, even solidarity. Running is also a practice that gets us socializing to a greater or lesser extent and sharing stories that move us, and shake us up.
That's Eva's story. I met her at the last Espacio de Corredoras Training Camp I organized in Banyoles, and she told me firsthand about her experience with celiac disease and running. Like her, many women are battling invisible illnesses and find in running both a refuge and a voice.
Today, at Espacio de Corredoras, we're handing the mic to Eva Escorihuela so you can get to know her story too.
The most important thing running has taught me is to make time for myself
I found out I was celiac 6 years ago, after a 100% reliable diagnosis from a biopsy. I hadn't done any sport for a while because I felt very tired and kept getting injured. After my diagnosis, my doctor told me I had to go at least a year without doing any sport because my body needed to reabsorb all the nutrients it had lost after so many years of illness.
As I started to feel better, I really wanted to exercise, but my doctor advised against it because I hadn't yet regained all the weight I'd lost. But after a while, I got the green light!!
At the time I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, and a coworker said to me: “I go for a run some lunchtimes, want to join me?” It felt really strange because I'd never liked running, but within a few months I could see I was getting better, my body was responding well and I felt happy. I guess my moment with running had finally come!
Running has shown me the way to outdo myself
So I signed up for my first race: the Bomberos de Barcelona 10K. It was so much fun, I had a blast, I loved the atmosphere, and today I can say I've met loads of people thanks to this wonderful sport. I'm still loving running, a passion I also share with my partner.
I'm still in the process of coming to terms with celiac disease in my everyday life, and running helps me face it with more strength and health. This sport and its community have encouraged me to launch a personal project where I raise awareness of the harsh reality faced by those of us who live with this disease, in a society that is still not very aware of the consequences suffered by celiacs and the people who share our lives. I've combined sport and illness in a formula whose result is HEALTH, at celiacaderepente.es.
Running came into my life almost by chance, but through it I've found the way to get fit and to push myself physically, mentally and emotionally. Plus, I love it because a run lets me release all the bad vibes and tension of a tough day; it makes me stop and devote that time just to myself, with no phone and no stress about having to do other things.
One of the most important things running has taught me to respect is that the time I spend running is for me and me alone.
Thank you to Espacio de Corredoras and to all the women who make it possible for more and more of us to lace up our running shoes and cross our own finish lines.
Come find me on social media so we can keep sharing passion, running, health and kilometers!
Eva Escorihuela
www. celiacaderepente.es
www.facebook.com/celiacaderepente