Tough Girl Podcast Louise Johnstone - Endurance Athlete & PT, discussing mental health, Marathon des Sables & her next challenge #2020RunNorthSea
May 12, 2020
43:43
Louise is a Dundee based person trainer and endurance athlete. She has spent her career focusing on improving the mental and physical health of women, utilising her expansive knowledge to adapt recommendations to allow each individual to strive for an improvement in their health. Louise has struggled with depression throughout her life. This in turn has been the driving motivation for the fundraising Louise has undertaken over several years. To give an example of the extent of her running ability, one of the races she ran in 2016 was the Marathon des Sables, raising over £5,000 for Dundee Association for Mental Health, covering 154 miles over 6 days in gruelling conditions. Louise describes herself as a ‘middle to back of the pack’ runner, loving to chat with fellow runners along the way, to hear their stories and what has brought them to take on their current challenge. Louise is passionate about raising the profile of mental health, holding talks in schools and businesses as well as the general public. 2017 saw the launch of Dundee mental health awareness week – Heart Tay Heart, started by Louise herself. 2020 will see Louise take on her biggest challenge to date #2020RunNorthSea it involves 7 countries, 2 feet and over 3,000 miles in approximately 100 days. Show notes
- Who is Louise and what she does
- Her passion for rugby and running
- Deciding to become a personal trainer
- Sports and self esteem
- Sharing more about her journey of mental health
- Managing her own mental health
- Taking photos while out running
- Having alternatives to manage your mental health apart from exercise
- Needed to get out of her own head
- Continuing to learn about herself and what works
- Having a gratitude journal - A positivity journal
- The 100 Day Run in the Cotswolds
- Having her eyes opened to a whole new world of people and challenges
- Starting to do fundraising
- Running the Marathon des Sables in 2016
- Going back to university while working full time
- The MDS - “Being brilliant and awful in equal measures”
- Having too much time in her own head
- Rolling her ankle on the first day of MDS
- The horrific sandstorm on the 1st day
- Having a good cry and letting it all out
- Growing into the challenge
- Wanting to go back and do the challenge again
- 2017 - The West Highland Way Race - 95 miles in 35 hrs
- Dealing with some of the worst weather in Scotland
- How having a 20 min power sleep made all the difference
- Finishing the race in 30 hrs with thanks to her support crew
- Key lessons learned from extreme endurance events
- Having physical fitness and being able to go to the next level mentally
- 2017 - Launching Dundee mental health awareness week – Heart Tay Heart
- Focusing on the services that are being provided to help support mental health
- #2020RunNorthSea
- Starting the run from her home town in Dundee
- Aiming to do 100 days - approx 40 miles per day - with a rest day every 7 days
- Key aims and objectives from doing this challenge
- Hopping that people will come and join her on the route
- Getting support from so many people in the local community
- Deciding to do this challenge…
- Doing the challenge solo
- Dealing with other peoples fears and concerns
- Don’t let other people limit you and your dreams
- How to fund and pay for the challenge - Feed Me Days - £25
- The challenge of female hormones on training and day to day life
- Working with your monthly cycle
- Follow Louise on Social Media
- Final words of advice