The Final Push! How to Taper & Mentally Prepare with Mary Ngugi-Cooper

World record-breaking runner Paula Radcliffe and double Olympian Chris Thompson guide you through week thirteen of marathon training. Paula and Chris explore tapering, trusting your training, and managing mindset in the final weeks of preparation. They’re joined by elite Kenyan runner Mary Ngugi-Cooper, who shares her inspiring journey, her Boston Marathon insights, and the powerful story behind her Nala Track Club – a safe space she created to empower young female athletes in Kenya.

Any questions, please email us: hello@paulasrunpod.com, or you can leave a voice note on WhatsApp: 07418 627194 – we love hearing from you!

Timecodes:

01:22 – Tapering begins: mindset shift & aches are normal

04:05 – Paula’s 10-minute rule for assessing niggles

05:34 – Chris on knowing when to stop a session

08:26 – Training is study, race day is the exam

10:30 – Practical taper prep: shoes, travel, kit

21:09 – Mary on founding Nala Track Club to protect & empower girls

27:03 – Recovering from injury & building back smarter

36:02 – Boston Marathon tips: respect the downhills, race smart

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Paula's Marathon Run Club is a Viral Tribe Entertainment Production.

Exec Produced by James Carpenter and Jon O'Donnell.

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