Tough Girl Podcast Dr. Katie Myint - Running for Enjoyment and Mental Well-Being
Join us today as we have a conversation with Dr. Katie Myint, an eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Her journey takes us from her Midlands upbringing to becoming a doctor and the role running and exercise played in promoting mental well-being.
Katie candidly shares her battle with depression during her second year as a doctor, shedding light on how exercise and medication became transformative tools for enhancing her mental health. As we explore her running journey and marathon experiences, one theme remains constant: the pure joy of movement.
Throughout the episode, Katie discusses her marathon adventures, from running alongside her husband to using races as a gateway to explore the world. She passionately underscores the importance of running as a cherished hobby, never allowing it to encroach upon her daily life.
Katie offers advice on motivation and self-compassion and encourages women to embrace exercise with the conviction that it can be an enjoyable endeavour.
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Show notes
- Working as an eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, in London
- Her early years growing up in the Midlands
- Being focused on academics
- Learning how to swim with her dad
- Enjoying school and wanting to do well
- Finding her way into sports and exercise as an adult
- Not enjoying sports at school
- Dealing with depression in her 2nd year of being a doctor
- Feeling alone
- Using exercise to improve mental well-being
- Taking the first step to going out and doing exercise
- Not recognising in herself that she had depression
- Going to see her GP and being recommended exercise and medication
- Going on her first run in winter in the rain and the dark
- Her running journey and what that looked like
- Being a solo runner for a long time
- Running to help process her thoughts
- Not having any running goals and using running to improve her mental well-being
- Working her way up to a half-marathon and marathon
- Why it wasn’t about times or PBs but rather the joy of moving
- Running with her husband and using a marathon race as an excuse to go on holiday abroad
- Fitting in running around her job and life
- Not following a structured running program
- Wanting to keep running as a hobby
- Doing 2 or 3 shorter runs throughout the week with one long run at the weekend
- Not letting running get in the way of life
- Magical moments while running
- Running the Barcelona Marathon, Spain
- Marathon du Medoc, Bordeau, France
- Managing the tough times in a race and how to mange that
- The race is just the final victory lap and the journey is in all the runs you’ve done before it.
- Why it can be tricky between mile 16 and 18
- Loving Park Run and starting Saturdays with a run followed by brunch
- Getting involved in triathlon
- Getting her first bike
- Training solo or with her husband
- Doing her first triathlon and why it was a total wash out
- Taking the race at your own pace and not comparing yourself to others
- Being an Ambassador for ON
- Advice for when you don’t want to go out running
- Remembering why you are doing it, but also being kind to yourself
- Stretching….
- Race plans for 2024
- Where Katie is most active on social media
- Final words of advice to encourage more women to get exercise in their life
- Encouraging you to run for the love of it and that exercise can be fun!
Social Media
Instagram: @katietriestorun