The Women's Running Podcast

In this episode I speak to Carla Molinaro. Carla is a runner and adventurer of epic proportions – and even more importantly, if you read the magazine, you might remember her adorning the cover of our April issue this year. She first came to my attention in 2020 when she smashed the Land’s End to John O’Groats record by about 10 hours during lockdown. Turns out this wasn’t her first adventure by a very long chalk. She tells me about her start in running, which actually came from triathlon, and how she found her running ‘niche’. She has loads of running advice for us here too, as happily she’s also a running coach who has a passionate belief in strength and conditioning for runners, and in fact runs a course that does exactly that – details below. She also tells me some of her adventuring stories, such as her ridiculous tapering plan before the Comrades, taking on the Lejog challenge with just 3 months training, and attempting an ultramarathon with a quiche tucked in her pocket. She also bigs up hill training - if you want to run faster, she says, run up hills, it’s the perfect way to become a better runner. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts – these reviews mean the WORLD to us, and really help us to keep this podcast going. And as we’re firm friends now, so I think you should join us. If you become a member of Women’s Running right now, you’ll get a FREE base layer from Zerofit, worth £40. Just enter X21WRPOD at the checkout.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67575412) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re talking gear. And there’s a reason for this – We’ve just stumbled past Halloween, and you interrupt us having a giggle about that, and then next up it’s firework night, and before you know it, it’ll be Christmas. Don’t hate me for saying that. So if you’ve got some favours to pull in, it’s worth thinking about those big ticket items first, so you get exactly what you want on Christmas Day. And by that, I mean shoes and jackets. So this is us having a chat about the shoes we’re currently running in, and the jackets we’re wearing to keep the wind and rain away. Both these things are equally important right now – we need shoes that enable us to keep our mileage up during the winter, and jackets have suddenly become indispensable overnight. Like, what’s going on with the weather? Holly chats about her favourites and I talk about mine, and all the things we discuss are good – promise. We’ve run in everything, and really tested them to their limits, which is what we like to do here at Women’s Running. So if you’re on the lookout for that perfect running jacket that keeps you protected from downpours without making you clammy, then listen in!Here are all the things we talk about:New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v11, London edition £145Brooks Hyperion Tempo, £140Brooks Ghost 14, £120HOKA ONE ONE Rincon 3, £105Inov-8 Trailshell waterproof jacket, £127.50Inov-8 Thermoshell Pro Insulated jacket, £210Montane Spine waterproof jacket, £250Showers Pass Cloudburst jacket, £175 Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts – these reviews mean the WORLD to us, and really help us to keep this podcast going. And as we’re firm friends now, so I think you should join us. If you become a member of Women’s Running right now, you’ll get a FREE base layer from Zerofit, worth £40. Just enter X21WRPOD at the checkout for your exclusive Podcast shaped deal.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67575412) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Episode 63 of the Women’s Running Podcast. This is one of our hybrid episodes – it’s part workshop chat with me and Holly, and part chat with one of our favourite people to give us some advice. Our expert this week is the very lovely Anna Harding from the Running Channel. She’s been on here before – way back in the mists of time in episode 8. Check that out to hear all about how she started running in the first place, and her journey from non-runner to running expert. In this episode it’s a game of two halves. I wanted to talk to her about her recent efforts to achieve a Boston Qualifying time, which was documented on the Running Channel – links to that are in the show notes, you must watch it. She definitely went on one of those journeys we talk about here so often, but has survived to tell the tale, and here she is to tell us all about it. And here’s a treat for you, I’ve asked Anna to tell us all about it in the January issue of Women’s Running, so remember to pick up that issue, when it’s out just before Christmas to read her story in full. It’s a perfect stocking filler fyi.And then Holly and I want to pick her brains about winter running and how we motivate ourselves to get out there – and her tips here are nothing short of genius. Pants on the radiator for the win. This, and more super top tips are right this way. Just to forewarn you, Anna has a very beautiful dog called Ralph (who has his own Insta page by the way), who introduces himself to us fairly early on, and enjoys keeping us on our toes -  I decided to keep all his little barks in because he’s a beauty and deserves our support and affection.Watch Anna’s attempt to Boston Qualify – be warned, it’s a weeper.Follow Anna and Ralph! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts – these reviews mean the WORLD to us, and really help us to keep this podcast going. And as we’re firm friends now, so I think you should join us. If you become a member of Women’s Running right now, you’ll get a FREE base layer from Zerofit, worth £40. Just enter X21WRPOD at the checkout.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67575412) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Holly and I are talking about parkrun. Yes, we actually went after talking about it for months. After a bit of an early start, and some not inconsiderable nerves, we got Holly through her very first parkrun – and only my second since lockdown lifted, so it felt very new to both of us. We talk about our experiences, but most specifically Holly’s – how she found the course, the experience itself, and how she feels now. It turns out she was quite overwhelmed by it, in a good way, and loved the marshalls around the course, who cheered us on in such a lovely way that by the halfway point, she’d decided to volunteer herself! We talk about the caring nature of the volunteer team, getting lots of special claps (not a euphemism), Holly feeling “glowy”, and meeting an actual podcast listener at the end, which made it all feel very special indeed. We then have a bit of a chat about running more visibly now that the days are shorter – along with our own safety, we really need to be mindful of pedestrians as it can be a bit of a nasty shock if someone passes you unexpectedly, especially if they’re wearing dark clothing. Ban the black leggings till February! Coming up in a future episode, we’ll talk about the best winter kit to make sure you’re seen and warm This episode is sponsored by Marcy. The Marcy ME-702 upright bike is the deserving winner of the Women’s Running Editor’s Choice award in the cardio training category. With 13 different programs and 4 user settings, it’s perfect for every kind of gym bunny. You can pick one up today from Costco or Exercise.co.uk for only £399, where it’s also available on 0% finance. And if you love this podcast, you’ll totally love our brilliant magazine. If you become a member of Women’s Running right now, you’ll get a FREE base layer from Zerofit, worth £40 as well as our gorgeous mag delivered to your door once a month, all for just 39.99. Just enter X21WRPOD at the checkout for your exclusive offer.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67575412) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I speak to Nikki Love, runner, adventurer and menopause goddess. I  love talking to women who speak frankly about their bodies and their experiences of the weirdnesses being female can throw at us, and Nikki does all of that and then some. We pile straight into the menopause, as Nikki’s experience is pretty grim listening, but also incredibly inspiring for those of us staring menopause in the face. She talks about the stuff that she had to push for with her GP, as traditional HRT wasn’t working for her, and she also talks about the link between nutrition and menopause, which is fascinating. Now you might be wondering what all this has to do with running – and the thing here is that Nikki isn’t just your average plodder. When she runs, she really runs. She pretty much went from couch to 63 marathons in 63 days, and since that epic adventure, she has just tried to find more ways to push herself to the limits of her endurance. Those limits were tested earlier this year when she attempted 100 marathons in 100 days and ended up with a gruesome injury as a result. But, as optimistic as ever, Nikki picked herself up and adjusted her training to suit. She talks to me about how she found out she was good at all this endurance stuff, how she’s being kinder to herself these days -and certainly pragmatic, and the adventures she has up her sleeve. She’s just a superwoman. This episode is sponsored by Marcy, winners in the Best Strength Category for their Inspire FTX Trainer in this year’s Women’s Running Product Awards. The FTX Trainer is a fantastic home gym that’s perfect for the whole family. It comes with two independent pulley systems, quick adjust sliders and 30 positions, giving you the freedom of doing practically any exercise you want. The FTX Trainer is available for £2,199, or with 0% finance. If you become a member of Women’s Running right now, you’ll get a FREE base layer from Zerofit, worth £40. Just enter X21WRPOD at the checkout for your exclusive offer.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67575412) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the 60th episode of the Women’s Running Podcast, and our 22nd Workshop. Goodness we’ve done a lot of podcasts! In this episode Holly and I have a lot to catch up on. We’re talking the day after the London Marathon and we have had ALL the feels about that iconic race, particularly because I didn’t get to run it as planned. We talk about how inspiring it is, how weepy it is, how nerve-wracking it is, and how – sort of secretly – we’d both like to take it on next year. We also talk about the races that we have signed up to, or would like to – including a lovely trail run in April that we’re hoping to sign up for. And then we’re on to the really big news in Esther and Holly Land: our trip to Club La Santa a fortnight ago, which didn’t quite go as planned. Spoiler: I went on my own and Holly stayed at home, staring mournfully at a PCR test. So the latter half of this episode is all about me and my trip to Lanzarote to a place that is essentially a Runners’ Paradise. And, much like Women’s Running, it’s a place for all kinds of runners too – perfect for those who love a bit of track running, those who want to push their pace, lonely goats who want to beat their own path, or social runners who want to head out in a chatty gang. They’re all there. And you can do so many other things to support your running too: you can book yourself into hundreds of exercise classes, you can take on bouldering, you can cycle up volcanoes, you can learn how to windsurf, you can have a running analysis, you can eat and drink the most incredible food, and you can even just eat ice cream. It’s all up for grabs. Stick with me for a bit of autumnal sunshine. Club La Santa deetsFind out more about holidays at Club La Santa on the Club La Santa website, and stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Running week at Club La Santa 21st – 27th January 2022Join experienced coaches for a week filled with training, education and sore legs. They will challenge you to improve your fitness as you build your winter training towards your running goals of 2022. Find out more at Club La Santa.Sponsor messageThis episode of the Women’s Running Podcast is sponsored by Marcy, the winner of three awards in the 2021 Women’s Running Product Awards. The Inspire IC1.5 Indoor Cycle Bike won the Women’s Running Best Cardio award. Check it out at Costco today for only £879.99.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67575412) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I speak to Elise Downing. I first heard of Elise when her brilliant book Coasting landed on my doormat. Elise is the youngest person ever to run the coast of Britain, and she has written a masterful memoir of that experience, detailing the literal and figurative ups and downs in the kind of voice that makes you want to go for a pint with her. What makes that feat even more remarkable, as I discover during this discussion, is that she set out with very little preparation and absolutely no idea about what such a thing would entail. She tells me about that, about the enthusiasm of her mentor Anna McNuff (but also Anna’s horror at how little planning Elise had done beforehand), how she trained “on the job”, on becoming a fully paid up member of the Yes Tribe, and the problem with cows…Find out more about what Elise has been getting up to, and buy her book. Like, now! Be inspired to take on your own adventure…Podcast listeners can claim the best discount we have for membership to Women’s Running, which is 35% off. That’s less than £2.95 a month! Just enter WRPOD at the checkout for your discount. Come and join Women’s Running – we’d love to have you with us!Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 58 of the Women’s Running Podcast, and the 21st Workshop. This time, Holly and I have an actual guest. And this has been a long time coming: Kate Percy has worked with Women’s running loads, she’s the utterly lovely brains behind Go Bites, those beautiful balls of loveliness that keep us going on long runs. I wanted us to talk to her, as I thought both Holy and I could do with a bit of guidance when it came to our nutrition. What’s lovely about Kate is that she’s a realist and she loves food: so she’s not going to tell us what not to eat, she’s only going to gently guide us towards the sorts of food that will be helpful in terms of supporting our running. We talk about the food that we should be eating, bearing in mind the chasm between our ages, and the sorts of food we enjoy eating – happily enough, some of these things are the same. It’s so useful to find out what Holly (25) needs to be thinking about, and what I (47) should be thinking about. Spoiler: I need to eat more edamame beans, but happily it doesn’t matter if it’s the salted kind from Wagamamas (not sponsored, but happy to take sponsorship from our Favourite Take out Ever). And there are a couple of things that have blown our minds – firstly that it’s fine to have breakfast later in the day. And secondly, we discover the Magic Window! And in the Magic Window you can essentially eat anything you like, or at least that’s what I decided to hear. Oh, and check out Kate’s recipe kits here too, while you’re waiting for the episode to start… Podcast listeners can claim the best discount we have for membership to Women’s Running, which is 35% off. That’s less than £2.95 a month! Just enter WRPOD at the checkout for your discount. Happy running!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67575412) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 57 in which I speak to Sue Anstiss. Sue is one of the most passionate champions of women’s sport I think I’ve ever spoken to – and I’ve spoken to a lot of women who are passionate about it! As a founding trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust, co-founder of the Women’s Sport Collective, and CEO of Fearless Women, her over-arching ambition is to forge forward in terms of equality in sport: whether that be representation in the actual sports themselves, or through representation in the media. As host of the Game Changers podcast, she talks to trailblazing women in sport, and she talks to me here about what a brilliant medium this is – and I agree. She also talks to me about her book, Game On: the Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport. Launched in September, this is a book we all need on our shelves, in which Sue investigates why women have been excluded from the world of sport for centuries, and why we are now witnessing positive change as never before. It’s a celebratory book, as much as a rallying cry, and is testament to Sue’s positivity and passion for all women’s sport, including running. She also talks to me here about the sport that she loves to do, including her newfound passion for open water swimming. She’s a total inspiration, and a complete force of nature – by the end of our conversation I had one of those “oh my god, women are amazing” moments. Be inspired! Podcast listeners can claim the best discount we have for membership to Women’s Running, which is 35% off. That’s less than £2.95 a month! And for that you get our brilliant magazine, and you also get loads of money off the sorts of stuff you love. Just enter WRPOD at the checkout for your discount. Happy running!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67575412) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 56 of the Women’s Running podcast, and our 20th workshop. So in the spirit of full disclosure, this week it just wasn’t all about the running. If you’ve been following our workshops, you’ll know that it’s been a chequered summer in terms of our training, so this week we’re having a tiny bit of a break. Welcome, my lovelies, to the booze cast. Or the plonkcast. Or the booze pod – we couldn’t decide on an appropriate name. Here we are, drinking a cool glass of wine – at a very appropriate time, so don’t @ us – to celebrate ourselves and having got the podcast to where we are.A lot of this is quite random, but we do have a bit of running chat, you’ll be pleased to know - Holly is continuing to tootle, but is in a far happier place doing so. I’m recovering (I may even have recovered!) from injuries. So we talk about the JOY of running mainly. And for once I’m pragmatic about races and dates and goals, and I don’t even cry about deferring my London Marathon place. We also talk about organising our first parkrun, being efficient on our periods, we swear quite a bit, and we must have been a bit jolly because I had to edit out 15 minutes of chat about supermarkets that don’t exist anymore. Run with us, or have a glass of wine with us, but just do please stick with us!Podcast listeners can claim the best discount we have for membership to Women’s Running, which is 35% off. That’s less than £2.95 a month! And for that you get our brilliant magazine, and you also get loads of money off the sorts of stuff you love, like kit, nutrition and class memberships. Just enter WRPOD at the checkout for your discount. Happy running!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=67575412) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.