Organic Tootz

Organic Tootz on leaving a toxic relationship, losing a friendship and running the Auckland Marathon.

I was terrified of being alone, so I signed up to run a marathon in a city where I knew almost no one.

At the time, I was leaving a toxic relationship (we both were the problem) and losing a friendship I thought would always be there. Running gave me somewhere to put the grief, anger and fear. Five months later, I stood at the start line of the Auckland Marathon.

Along the way, an eight-year-old girl named Lily ran beside me and told me to chase my dreams. Near the end, I met an older man who was running alone too. We crossed the finish line together. Then I looked around and realised no one I knew had come to see me finish.
I sat in a nearby park and thought about the person I’d been when I first signed up. I had done something I once thought was impossible, and for the first time, being on my own felt different.

In Episode 002 of Effective Not Famous, I share what that marathon taught me about leaving painful relationships, choosing the people around you, and learning to trust yourself.

If you’ve ever stayed somewhere because leaving meant facing life alone, I hope this story meets you where you are.