In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we sit down with Shafeeqah Gordon, a passionate trail runner from Cape Town, South Africa. Shafeeqah shares her journey, from playing netball as a child to discovering the freedom and challenge of running through her university cross-country club. Over the years, running has become an integral part of her life, and she hasn’t looked back since.

As a leader for Tuesday Trails, a group dedicated to the joy of trail running, Shafeeqah is all about building community and encouraging people to get outside. Her work as a mountain guide and sports scientist has equipped her with invaluable skills for tackling challenging terrains and pushing the limits in her races. From competing in prestigious races like the Ultra Trail Drakensberg 65km and the Ultra Trail Cape Town 55km, to conquering technical trails with a focus on strength and conditioning, Shafeeqah gives us insight into her training, race strategies, and the mindset needed to overcome physical and mental battles during ultra races.

In this episode, Shafeeqah opens up about inclusion in the trail running community, the power of running to clear the mind, and her personal battles with self-doubt during tough moments in races. She also talks about her involvement in outdoor education through her Outdoor Education Hub, which will be relaunched in 2025 after a brief hiatus.

Tune in to hear Shafeeqah’s thoughts on trail running, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and her final advice for anyone looking to take on their own running challenges!

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Show notes

• Who is Shafeeqah Gordon
• Group Leader for  Tuesday Trails IG @tuesdaytrails 
• Being sports and playing netball from a young age
• Getting into running via the cross-country club at university 
• How running became apart of her life
• Never regretting a run
• The difference between cross-country and trail running
• Mountain guide, outdoor educator and sports scientist
• Studying sports science at university. 
• Specialising in strength and conditioning for running and netball players
• The outdoor education hub
• Working a full time job in retail
• Getting qualified as a mountain guide
• Why the marathon distance is the sweet spot. 42km
• The Cape Town Skyrace - The Sky Running Series 
• Training for technical trails
• Bullet proof ankles
• Working with a strength and conditioning coach and a run coach
• Running mojo
• Calling a friend to schedule a run together
• Running the Ultra Trail Drakensberg (UTD) 65km
• Ultra Trail Cape Town 55k (UTCT) 
• The challenges of running further 
• Figuring out nutrition and fuelling for the longer runs
• Fitting in training around life 
• Recovery?
• Trying not to take running too seriously 
• Race strategy and wanting to get a better time than last year
• Future dreams and races
• Batrun Race
• Running thoughts - thinking about everything and nothing
• Being at war with herself during a tough race 
• Inclusion in trail running
• Outdoor Education Hub (on hiatus for the rest of 2024) but coming back in 2025
• How you can connect with Shaf
• Final words of advice 
• Don’t listen to the demons
• Why it’s just important to get out there

Social Media

Personal Instagram: @shafgordon

Outdoor Education Hub - We're an initiative focused on equipping people with knowledge & educational tools for the outdoors - making it a fun & safe space for all to enjoy 

Instagram: @outdooreducation_hub