#TeamSFE – SFE employee Beth set to take part in this year’s Birmingham Running Festival 
This year Beth will be taking on a 10k in order to raise funds for Services For Education, encouraging others to donate or even become a Team SFE member themselves 
We recently chatted to Beth to find out what encouraged her to sign up for the challenge, as well as how she plans to prepare for her upcoming running journey 
Welcome to Team SFE Beth, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hey, I’m Beth, the Digital Content Coordinator here at SFE.
I joined Services For Education back in March 2023 shortly after finishing University, and what a journey it’s been!
My role at SFE encompasses all things digital.
From social media management to publishing website content, there’s always an exciting project for me to get involved in, meaning no two days are the same.
In my spare time, I’m often pre-occupied with my adorable but needy Dachshund Frank – I’m sure other sausage dog owners will relate…
So, you’ve decided to join Team SFE and take on the Birmingham Running Festival’s 10k in the summer – can you tell us why?
Having been at SFE for just over a year now and witnessing the impact of their work on the wider community, and in particular those in Birmingham, joining Team SFE and helping raise money towards our projects was a no-brainer.
I’ve always been an avid runner, having started at the age of 15 when my mum convinced me to take part in the Couch to 5K, a brilliant programme might I add, which kickstarted my passion for the sport.
When SFE’s Fundraising Manager Sarah Caldwell came up with the concept of Team SFE and the various challenges we could take on, I couldn’t think of a better way to combine my passion for running with supporting our charitable projects 
Do you do much running?
Whilst my running journey started back in 2015, I have definitely had periods where I’ve run more than others, with the intensity and frequency of my runs fluctuating.
In the past I’ve taken part in park runs and 5Ks, sometimes with ease or immense difficulty, depending on my training habits at the time!
A 10k, however, is a different ballgame – and will require a lot more prep in order for me to comfortably finish the race.
How are you going to prepare for the challenge?
Having only taken part in 5k races so far, I’ve been upping my prep game ready for the 10k, and I’m actually quite excited about it…
Many of you will likely be familiar with the current running craze present on social media – every man and his dog seems to be running a marathon at the minute, and I’m totally here for it.
What this craze has done, however, is populate my feed with running tips, advice, app recommendations, and even playlists, which have actually proved really useful in preparing me for my running journey.
Having now done my research (not just via TikTok, I promise), there are several habits and tools I’ll be implementing over the next few months to help me prepare for the race
Finding the Right Footwear
Whilst I’ve always been a runner, I’ve never actually taken the time to invest in a solid pair of running trainers until now, and let me tell you the difference they’re already making.
Having heard about the importance of finding a shoe that’s right for you, I popped over to Up & Running in Birmingham City Centre to get a free gait analysis and bagged a solid pair of trainers that were tailored to my running style.
It felt good to invest in something I knew would support my running journey and I’d definitely recommend others to do the same if you can.
Fuelling
One thing I’ve learnt from listening to podcasts, as well as using apps such as Runna, is the importance of fuelling before, during and after runs.
Whilst I’ve always been into running, I didn’t quite realise the importance of getting in your protein straight after a run, or about the benefits of taking electrolyte tablets to replenish the salts lost when running.
As I begin my preparation for July, I’ll be continuing to learn more about the key fuelling habits needed to aid my race and will hopefully learn a lot along the way 
Staying Consistent
Over the next few months, I’ll be making sure I stay consistent with my runs, aiming to slowly but surely increase my pace and distance.
After all, consistency is key, especially when it comes to your goals 
Support Team SFE
If after reading about Beth’s challenge you would like to support her, you can donate to her fundraising page here – any support is hugely appreciated
If you have something else in mind that you would like to do as part of Team SFE please contact Sarah, fundraising@servicesforeducation.co.uk to get involved.