Parkes resident Kimberley Chalmers never thought she'd get enough of Lake Burley Griffin on her regular runs.
But she lost all interest in the scenic track, and in running, earlier this year after the death of her best friend Emma.
Her dear friend's passing because of brain cancer shook her and she felt a weight "too heavy" to run with. If she did step out, she would return in tears.
She said time had slowed down and her passion for running had taken a hard hit.
"Her death was very difficult so I took a little bit of a break that I didn't necessarily want to take," Ms Chalmers said. "For four months, I really couldn't run much at all."
She struggled to process her grief and find motivation to do the one thing she loved doing every day.
The unintentional break also took a toll on her emotional wellbeing.
After a few months away from the track, the sprinter realised keeping herself from running was not an option. In fact, she remembered how good she felt on her runs and how much they helped her mental health.
"Running is one of the many steps for processing my grief," she said.
Ms Chalmers then decided to set a goal and run 5kms in The Canberra Times Fun Run next month.
She's been training for weeks and can already feel the improvement. As far as ageing actively is concerned, her health goals are also back on track.
"I'm feeling happier, more positive, hopeful," she said. "I'm getting older, skyrocketing towards 40 it feels like, so [running] also helps to stay fit and healthy with that goal in mind."
She ran 10kms in the 2019 Fun Run and "absolutely loved it".
"Running in groups ... when we're all running towards the same goal to get over the finish line, that's a beautiful environment to be part of," she said.
This year, she's using the Fun Run as an opportunity to come back to the running community and also raise funds for brain cancer research. Her plan was to raise $500 for the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation but she has already passed that mark.
"[Emma] was never really a runner. But she was one of my biggest cheerleaders," she said. "I will feel the lack of her presence."
- Sign up to The Canberra Times Fun Run
