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Welcome to episode 147 of the Women’s Running Podcast. We get straight into it this week with a spot of imposter syndrome, which is something both Esther and Holly feel a *lot*, especially when it comes to running. Slow running We then charge into the idea of slow running and how it can affect our pace and endurance and our health much more positively than the usual running we do, which tends to be staying vaguely in heart rates zone 3 and 4. We discuss how hard this it is to run slower. Better recovery And we also discuss the concept of slow running making our harder/faster running better – because if we’ve recovered well, we can basically put in more effort on those technical sessions. Wild swimming Other than that, Holly has been exploring wild swimming as a cross training activity and thoroughly enjoyed herself, but the end result has been less than brilliant. London Vitality 10,000 And here’s a quick reminder for the event of the year. We want you to come and run with us at the London Vitality 10,000 this year on Sunday September 24th. We have our very own Women’s Running Wave, which means we can all run together, and there’s enough space for everyone. There’ll be a special meet and greet area just for us in the park, so we’ll be able to chat with you before and after the run, and we can all celebrate together.   We can’t wait to run with you! Links Join the Women’s Running Wave and run Vitality 10,000 with us! Big long clicky link here just in case: https://www.letsdothis.com/gb/checkout/ticket?eventId=18139&reservationCode=re_w37-cc3zed54&utm_organiser_id=29443 Subscribe to Women’s Running now and you’ll save a third off the cover price! Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Please continue to donate whatever you can to our fundraiser for the Trussell Trust – Holly and I ran 5K and donated £5, but you can give whatever you can afford. Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is brought to you by the triple whammy that is hot running, half term juggling and booze. Running in the summer Now that the sun's out, we talk about sunscreen and sweat, and finding the elusive sun block that doesn’t sting. We also talk about dehydration in the heat, and how to prevent that, which brings us neatly to our next point. Running and alcohol We talk about managing moderate drinking and training, and how that’s tricky especially in the summer when you may have more social engagements. We also talk about the effect that booze can have on our health and our lifestyles, and also on our running. We also touch on running and anxiety and depression, and that link between alcohol and our mental health. Running and juggling I then have a small whinge about running and juggling time, as it’s half term and it is HARD to do these things. Esther copes a little bit by planning ahead and putting timed slots in my diary. That’s just one way of doing it, there are others! Also, as Holly says, you don’t have to run! London Vitality 10,000 Lastly, we have a big announcement. We want you to come and run with us at the London Vitality 10,000 this year on Sunday September 24th. We want you to come and run with us – and we have our very own Women’s Running Wave, which means we can all run together, and there’s enough space for everyone. There’ll be a special meet and greet area just for us in the park, so we’ll be able to chat with you before and after the run, and we can all celebrate together. We can’t wait to run with you! Links Join the Women’s Running Wave and run Vitality 10,000 with us! Big long clicky link here just in case: https://www.letsdothis.com/gb/checkout/ticket?eventId=18139&reservationCode=re_w37-cc3zed54&utm_organiser_id=29443 Subscribe to Women’s Running now and you’ll save a third off the cover price! Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Please continue to donate whatever you can to our fundraiser for the Trussell Trust – Holly and I ran 5K and donated £5, but you can give whatever you can afford. Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 145 of the Women’s Running podcast. We start this issue talking injuries! A runner’s favourite subject, right? Running injuries We’re chatting about all the injuries that we’re suffering from, and most of them have been on Esther’s hit list: from runner’s knee to ITB irritations, weird toe things, and a pulled quad. Plus, also, as ever, lower back issues. A catalogue of running disasters. Running injury cures But we come bearing good news, because Esther has been to the chiropractor and feels like a new woman. Perhaps not 100% cured but almost nearly, so we have lots of thoughts and feelings about that, exploring the concept of traditional vs alternative medicine. Mental health and running Then along with all the different physical injuries we’ve been suffering from, we’ve also got a bit of anxiety chat cos Holly’s been having a bit of a crappy week as far as that’s concerned. We also, you’ll be pleased to hear, manage to segue between how much we love routine into some pretty decent Harry Potter impressions. Really, honestly, there’s an enormous bit of content on Harry Potter here. Enjoy! Get more from the Women's Running podcast! Subscribe to Women’s Running now and you’ll save a third off the cover price! Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Run 5K and donate 5K on May 28th, World Hunger Day Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 144 of the Women’s Running Podcast with your hosts Esther Newman and Holly Taylor. In this episode, we delve into various topics, including Eurovision, running injuries, mental health, weight and running, and finding the balance between gentle and punishing running practices. Eurovision Debrief We start with Eurovision, because that’s the way we roll. Yes, we’re going to talk about running, but we need to prioritise here. Of *course* Holly is hugely invested in this, but it may come as a bit of a surprise that Esther is also a Mega Fan. We debrief the best bits from the weekend, and Holly gets a chance to do her very best “douze points”. Running Injuries and Post-Marathon Recovery Esther shares her struggle with a persistent running injury that has persisted since completing the London marathon. We explore the importance of post-race rest and care for our bodies. The Impact of Running on Mental Health Continuing the discussion, we delve into the relationship between running and mental health. Esther opens up about feeling down due to her running injury, emphasising the emotional toll it can take. We reflect on the need to prioritize mental well-being alongside physical fitness. Weight, Body Image, and Anticipating Changes One of the effects of not being able to run is the feeling of a lack of control and an increased tendency toward self-loathing as we anticipate changes in our bodies. We discuss strategies for maintaining a healthy mindset. Running as Punishment and Finding Balance We explore the concept of running as punishment and using food as a reward. Finding the right balance is essential, and and how we need to try and find that sweet spot between being too gentle and too punishing. Links Subscribe to Women’s Running now and save one-third off the cover price! Join us on Patreon and become a member of our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Run 5K and donate 5K on May 28th, World Hunger Day. Join us in supporting this meaningful cause. We'd love to hear from you! Please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’ve moved on from training for a marathon, to recovery from that marathon, and ploughed straight into injuries. Injury prevention Esther has got a catalogue of them, and what we’re discussing here is, is it common to fall prey to injuries once you’ve completed a marathon – not in your training block, and not on the day itself, but afterwards, when you’re slowly beginning to start running again. And it sounds like it’s a resounding yes, as many of you have already responded to on Instagram to say you’d had something similar – but we thought it was surprising that there doesn’t seem to be a lot online about it as a Thing. Healing injuries We talk about one method of healing post injury, which has been suggested – and that’s going to a chiropractor. We will of course report back, as we've now been persuaded that this might be the way to go in terms of preventing injuries in the future, particularly if they stem from bad backs. Cross training Speaking of backs and cross training, we chat about yoga and bootcamps and strength and mobility, all of which we need to upweight in order to prevent those annoying injuries. Community By the way do please subscribe and leave us a lovely review if you can, cos the last one that’s up there is MEAN – we discuss in detail. Come and join us on Patreon so that you can join our lovely Pod Squad community in our exclusive chat room - which we’ve made just for you, so we can all discuss running and races, health and nutrition, and also all of that non-running stuff too. Links This episode is sponsored by Precision Fuel & Hydration! Get 15% off Precision Fuel & Hydration The Fuel & Hydration Planner How to measure your sweat rate How to estimate how salty your sweat is Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 142 of the Women’s Running Podcast, Esther and Holly talk about recovery and finding new joy in exercise regimes. It’s a week after the London Marathon, and this episode is a load more joyful than episode 141, because Esther is no longer in huge physical and emotional pain! We talk about running and routines and how we discover ourselves again after we’ve achieving huge running goals like, for instance, a marathon. Muscle soreness We also discuss marathon recovery – you have to listen to Holly explain exactly how she goes to the loo after a race when the DOMs mean lowering on to a loo seat is the worst pain in the world. Goals We also chat about the concept of “one and done”. Just because you’ve run a big goal distance or race, that doesn’t mean you need to go on and do more of them, or longer distances. You can just stop! But if you’re able to, and you fancy it – it’s a great thing to continue to do. However you don’t have to carry on chasing goals if you don’t want to. Community Come and join us on Patreon so that you can join our lovely Pod Squad community in our exclusive chat room -which we’ve made just for you, so we can all chat about running and races, health and nutrition, and also all of that non-running stuff too (the important stuff). Links This episode is sponsored by Precision Fuel & Hydration! You can get 15% off using the code WR2023! Go get ‘em. Head over there, too, to find out How to carb load before your next race and to sort out all your nutrition with the clever Fuel & Hydration planner. Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s time for the London Marathon debrief. At time of recording, it’s the morning after the day before, and Esther feels a bit broken. London Marathon and recovery We need to talk about marathon recovery here, which we’ll go into more next episode of the Women’s Running podcast, bearing in mind how blue many of us will feel in the days after a big race, for so many reasons. Periods and hormones And then, hormones. Because of one thing and another, Esther was running the day before her period. This, as we all know, is the very worst day of the month, and has at least served to answer questions around why she didn’t enjoy the day as much as she had wanted to. What are your experiences of running, periods and hormones? Mental strategies On the plus side, Esther had a lovely stay at the Westin London City the night before, and managed to actually sleep this time round. And another thing that worked was the mental strategies that she used during the race – it turns out it isn’t just your legs that get you round. Links This episode is sponsored by Precision Fuel & Hydration. You can Get 15% off Precision Fuel & Hydration using the code WR2023 Go here too, with fuelling questions, such as are you fueling adequately to maintain health and performance? And make sure you check out The Fuel & Hydration Planner Esther stayed at the Weston London City: a beautiful, centrally located hotel perfect for runners! Do join us on Patreon for exclusive behind-the-scenes newsletters and extra podcasts! Find out what to do in the last week before a marathon Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 140 of the Women's Running Podcast, hosted by Esther Newman and Holly Taylor. In this episode, we discuss Holly's exciting weekend and hanxiety which leads us to talk about our usual state of generalised anxiety in the face of challenges, especially with the London Marathon just around the corner. London Marathon Taper and Dealing with Anxiety Esther shares her nervousness about the upcoming London Marathon and being in the taper phase, which involves less running and more eating (and more sleep, which she just remembered!). She talks about her fears and classic maranoia, trying to learn from last year's marathon mistakes, such as not thinking about food until a couple of days before the race. Esther also looks forward to post-marathon fun exercise, taking inspiration from Holly's approach. Menopause Symptoms and Their Impact on Running We also dive into the topic of perimenopausal symptoms and how they are affecting Esther's stress levels ahead of the London Marathon, particularly heavy periods and frequency. We discuss symptoms, periods, and tactics for managing them, sharing new insights that are news to both of us. Sponsorship and useful links This episode is sponsored by Precision Fuel and Hydration! Need help with your fuelling and hydration? Don’t we all! That’s where their Fuel & Hydration Planner comes in. Also they have the answer as to whether female athletes’ carbohydrate needs are different to mens’. AND while you’re thinking about it, you can get 15% off Precision Fuel & Hydration with the code WR2023 Boom. Do join us on Patreon for exclusive behind-the-scenes newsletters and extra podcasts! Find out what to do in the last week before a marathon Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’ve got a couple of things to get off our respective chests, running-wise. We talk about how running with other people can be “unexpectedly good” for those of us who tend not to. We also chat about time management and my favourite topic, emotional load. You can get a lot more of this sort of thing if you subscribe to Women’s Running magazine btw, currently with a stupendous offer of 3 issues for the price of 2. Bargain. Running hates We also return to one of favourite ever previous sections on the podcast that we’ve not discussed for ages. It’s pet running peeves! Hurrah! This is only because I was stopped while I was out running by a tourist asking for directions. This drives me absolutely nuts! Possibly because I run around a tourist hotspot, and I’m more likely to be running around it than walking around, but it seems to me that I’m way more often asked for directions while I’m running than while I’m walking. I’ve even had cars stop alongside me to ask for directions while I’ve been running! It makes me so cross! So because we loved having that chat, we want more of your pet peeves please! Tapering We also talk about tapering, cos I’ve got London in about 9 days time and it’s filling all my waking thoughts, and all of my googling. There is some sensible advice about what we need to be doing in the last week before a marathon on the website, as Holly points out, thankfully. And very quickly, do come and join us over on Patreon, as we’ve got our next Women’s Running Live next Wednesday 19th April at 7pm, exclusively for patrons. Come for chats! Links This episode is sponsored by Higher State! Head to their partner SportsShoes.com and use the code HSTWR20 to get yourself 20% off when you buy 2 Higher State things! Do join us on Patreon to come along to our next Live event on Wednesday 19th April! Find out what to do in the last week before a marathon Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I start with the chaos in my life at the moment, and because that’s included a trip to A&E, I have a little weep within about five minutes. While it isn’t directly running related, it is something I wanted to talk about in the context of the emotional mental load that women so often carry. I’d be really interested to hear what you think about with. But It’s an important topic to discuss because the fact remains that we are the ones that carry the majority of that load, and how on earth do we train for a race, whether it’s 10K or a marathon, if we’re doing all of that? Reality But because I’ve had a rubbish week you have to forgive us as we then have a delicious conversation about reality TV. Holly is at pains to tell me that EVERYONE wants me to watch Love is Blind. Fasted running We also talk about fasted running. We’re both guilty of accidental fasted running, but we get into the logistics here, based on some very quick google research, on whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing to do. Obviously if it works for you, then that’s great, do let us know your thoughts please on this, and any other topics at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk.  Links This episode is sponsored by Higher State! Head to their partner SportsShoes.com and use the code HSTWR20 to get yourself 20% off when you buy 2 Higher State things! Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 137 of the Women’s Running Podcast. I am your host Esther Newman, and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. We’ve got a lot to get through this episode, not least because of the reaction to my controversial parkrun comments last episode, so of course that means we spend the first 20 minutes discussing Oodies for kids and British Summer Time. London Marathon Then we truck on with some dedicated running chat. I’ve just completed my penultimate long run before the London Marathon – so we have thoughts about that, and there’s a small tangent off into stress incontinence. If you know, you know. New goals Holly discusses what she should train for next – should this be a 10K? Or a virtual thing? Or a cumulative thing? At the moment, she’s enjoying no pressure training, but we know that goals are our friend, so there are a few things to ponder here. Parkrun And then, of course, the parkrun controversy continues: we had a full mailbag this week with plenty of you weighing in on the debate. So we talk about your thoughts, and how we can create more of a non-competitive atmosphere for our weekly meet ups. Links   Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We launch into this episode with a dabble in what Holly’s been doing with her running, but then swiftly into a controversial topic: and that’s parkrun. And we want to know what you think: do you love it? Or are you a little more ambivalent? Parkrun ponderings Don’t get me wrong here, we both know how brilliant parkrun is, it’s bloody wonderful and it has singlehandedly persuaded countless people to move their bodies and to enjoy the feeling of running who wouldn’t otherwise have done so – and it’s a great way to celebrate running your first 5K. But, the run-not-a-race thing is the bit I have an issue with, as it can feel really competitive – and that’s great for a lot of people, but not necessarily for all of us. Holly, for one, didn’t like having stats sent to her – she suggests an option to opt in and out of those stats. Maybe that could be a thing. Weird personalities We then talk about our different personality types AGAIN (this is endlessly fascinating for us, I’m afraid) and the ways in which we fulfil smalltalk. We end on magnesium (one of the supplements it’s often suggested we take), something I’ve been researching for whole actual minutes, so that you don’t have to. We talk about the benefits for women and runners. Yes it’s nice to have a bath in it, but what does it actually do? Come and join us! Before I forget to say, we’ve just released a new Extra Mile podcast on Patreon, which is full of additional silliness just for patrons on the Cheer Squad tier. Join us to listen to it, and to access lots of other lovely bits besides, all from just two quid a month. Total bargain. Links This episode is sponsored by the lovely people at Yeo Valley: try the Organic Kefir, it’s proper lush Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is all about recovery! I ask Holly what she’s been doing to recover from the Paris Half and, without consulting a single google search, it sounds like Holly is doing all the best things. Resting up She’s doing exercise for the fun of it, rather than for a goal, and she’s also been eating and drinking for pleasure and whenever she damn well wants. The trick here, however, is to view your recovery as something that’s just as important as your last few weeks’ training, because it’s your rest and recovery that will repair your body and bring you back even stronger for the next goal in your running career. We also talk about introverts and extrovert, nausea on a run, breathing exercises that actually work, and smutty books we love. Links This episode is sponsored by the lovely people at Yeo Valley: try the Organic Kefir, it’s proper lush Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Read our full review of the Paris Half Marathon experience with Sports Tours  Grab yourself a copy of Josie’s book, the Ten Pillars of Success, and bag some of her motivation for yourself Book yourself a race with Sports Tours International! Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a very special episode indeed, so it makes sense to release it on International Women’s Day. To be fair, in a roundabout way, we celebrate women in every episode, but this one has real significance. Pod goes live We recorded a portion of this episode live in front of an actual audience. This was in Paris, an hour or so after we ran the Paris Half Marathon with 50 Pod Squad listeners, thanks to Sports Tours International. We gathered together with a glass of something chilled in a not very glamorous room filled with laundry, which felt very on brand, to congratulate each other and talk about our races. Here is all our excitement, our tears and our thoughts – we’ve also written our full review of the Paris Half.  Race report Holly talks through all her favourite bits and her worries - as she says herself, she was absolutely dreading it, with a run up and training regime that had been hampered by Covid and anxiety and various things that had derailed the running she had wanted to do. With only an hour’s long run in the bank, she was having a full scale wobble. So find out how each of our half marathons went, from start to finish, and discover the clever ways we kept ourselves motivated en route, thanks to the wisdom of sports psychologist Josie Perry who joined us as well. And also here, find out how bloody brilliant it was to meet up with, and run with, 50 brilliant women – we suggest you do this as soon as you can to be reminded of how wonderful we all are.  Links This episode is sponsored by the lovely people at Yeo Valley: try the Organic Kefir, it’s proper lush Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Read our full review of the Paris Half Marathon experience with Sports Tours  Grab yourself a copy of Josie’s book, the Ten Pillars of Success, and bag some of her motivation for yourself Book yourself a race with Sports Tours International! Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re covering everything from anxiety and post-covid concerns to half marathon techniques and long run disasters. Paris half marathon New coffee addict Holly is buzzing about caffeine, but also about our Paris half marathon coming up in just a few days. We’re both enormously excited, but also extremely nervous. Holly’s training isn’t where she’d like it to be, so we figure out some easier Jeff splits for her (find out more about walk/running) and she tries to calm her anxious brain a little. Training and trots I’m also worried about my training – London is fast approaching, and I’m not sure I’m where I need to be in terms of strength or technical training. I completed a long run at the weekend, and I’m 90% happy with it. You will have to discover if the remaining unfortunate 10% has anything to do with Runner’s Trots by listening right through, you lucky lucky people. Honestly the things we do for this podcast... Links This episode is sponsored by the lovely people at Yeo Valley: try the Organic Kefir, it’s proper lush Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Drop off some food this February for Food Bank Run – there are families out there who really need our support Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holly opens this pod giddy with a recent purchase – while I’m not entirely positive that she’s target market, I am absolutely NOT judging. Jeffing Moving on to actual running, Holly has made the decision that she’s going to definitely walk/run Paris, and all her confidence has come back in droves, in no small part due to all the messages she received after the last episode. She had been feeling so stressed and so ill, and was so unsure about everything. But she has now faced up to her anxieties, and is both pragmatic and excited about Paris. Running & nutrition We have a chat about nutrition for the half marathon – Holly does well these days at eating before she runs, but she hasn’t practised running and eating at the same time, so I’m here with all the tips on what she can practice with, without impending doom. We talk about what our A goals and B goals are for both Paris and London. We talk about the possibility of running a race while drinking booze at the same time – we’re aware food and wine races exist. But I can’t help but wonder here, does celebrating en route mean you then can’t celebrate post race? Tricky tricky. Links Holly is loving her new BAM kit We also talk about Revvies, Bounce and Tribe – nutrition fit for queens Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Drop off some food this February for Food Bank Run – there are families out there who really need our support Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 131 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman, and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. This episode is all about illness and recovery, because Holly is firmly in the doldrums, in terms of her physical training, but also her overall health and the impact that’s having on her mental health. Running therapy So it turns into a bit of therapy session between us, to which you are all cordially invited. Holly is finding herself enormously stressed about our impending half marathon, she’s worried about her training having taken a tumble, she’s worried about pleasing people (or not), and she’s also worried about not doing it. Because if only it was as easy as saying she didn’t need to run it – which I do say, and she needn’t, but her conflict is caring for her mental and physical self vs that part of her that really wants to be wearing her medal with the gang on the finish line. So we talk through how she encourages that first part of her to also be that second part of her. It’s tough. Running love She’s also worried about not being Top Form Holly when we’re in Paris. As she says: “Because I’m worried people won’t love me”. I’m positive that all of you are with me, when I say that EVERYONE will love her even more when she makes it there, but she needs a lot of convincing. Links Go and get coached by Runna – it’s just ace Enter our competition to win entry to Ultra X Scotland and a night’s stay in a luxury hotel for two Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Drop off some food this February for Food Bank Run – there are families out there who really need our support Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 130 of the Women’s Running Podcast, sponsored by Runna. Holly is talking health and mental health. Both have taken a bit of a pounding over the past month and it’s overwhelmed her training and exercise schedule, no matter how hashtag-be-kind she’s been to herself. Menopause I’ve had a big old menopause symptom and it’s made me feel like SHIT, so I fess up all of it, which has taken a bit of courage because we know that not only do you lot listen but so do our bosses! Anyway. I wanted to share, because we need to talk about this stuff.  The fear We also talk about being given the fear by Martin Yelling, using the mantra “this is my race”, troughing on vegan croissants from Paul’s, Aunty Praline makes a guest appearance, there’s a little bit of Paris nonsense, and we have loads of lovely emails from listeners including one that’s a little bit shady to a competitor. And we’re keeping it in. Run for good We also make time for a quick mention for Food Bank Run, which would be great to do in February – link below. And also the wonderful 1% club, being run by Earth Runs (link also below), who will plant a tree for every day you’re active in 2023. Be one of us! Now. Do sign up to be a patron. If you’re in the Cheer Squad tier, you’ll be able to listen to exclusive monthly podcasts – which we’ve decided to call the Extra Mile – created specifically so you’ve always got a bit extra to listen to on your long runs, in which we promise to do our best to talk about anything *apart from* running. The latest one was released just this Tuesday, do go and have a listen. Links Go and get coached by Runna – it’s just ace Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Drop off some food this February for Food Bank Run – there are families out there who really need our support Join the 1% Club and they’ll plant trees for every day you’re active – you’ve nothing to lose! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 129 of the Women’s Running Podcast. This week, we are sponsored by Runna. We have a LOT to talk about today. We’ve got to cover off training for the Paris Half, insecurities about that training, motivations for running in the first place, menopausal symptoms and, lastly, figs. Half marathon training So first of all we chat about Holly’s training for the half. She’s having all the wobbles about Paris, post Covid. Her long runs haven’t quite hit the mark, although she has been doing some cross training, and she’s really worried about how things are going to go on the day. I try and soothe her fears, but I’m sure you guys can do that better than me! Menopause symptoms I talk about menopause a bit here, because I’ve realised that periods and hormones (or lack of them) have been having an effect on my training. We talk through as many symptoms as we can before we run out of time – I’m fully aware that there are more, but also that a number of these can affect our lives and our running. And that it’s important to remember that they are wildly diverse and sometimes it’s difficult to join the dots between all these different things. Have a look on Women’s Running womensrunning.co.uk for great advice on menopause and running. Lastly: are figs vegan? An expert weighs into the debate and we are, obviously, delighted. This, and more hot topics, including the ever present Veganuary wind situation, are discussed in detail. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. Links Find out more about Runna and download the app! Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 128 of the Women’s Running Podcast – this episode is sponsored by Runna. We launch right into it, with some vegan nonsense, but then very quickly we move on to the National Running Show, which we attended at the weekend in Birmingham. We had an absolute blast, we saw so many of you Pod Squadders, and are just giddy with the happiness of it all. We talk here about just some of the brilliant people we met, about Holly getting the spooks in her hotel room, dog biscuits, flapjack, and lots of wine. Race training We eventually get on to our own running, and how our training is going. Post-covid it’s been a bit tough for both of us. In terms of the upcoming Paris Half, Holly is really worried about where she is, and whether she’s not as strong as she was ahead of the Bath Half last Oct. BUT she’s been doing strength training and mobility, and I have a sneaking suspicion that she might actually be in a stronger place on the start line of the Paris Half. Strava badness I’m also feeling a bit uneasy about where my running is, so I whinge about that for a bit. We also talk about Strava etiquette – which I am terrible at – and also how we shouldn’t measure ourselves by our Garmin stats. Tricky, tricky. Links Find out more about Runna and download the app! Do join us on Patreon for exclusive newsletters, free monthly Live chats, and Patreon-only episodes! Do please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.