Tough Girl Podcast

Guin was introduced to rowing by her sister at 19 whilst at Southampton University. In her early years Guin excelled in a variety of school sports, playing county hockey and athletics. During this podcast we learn more about the set backs that Guin faced trying to follower her dream, from being told she would never make it as a rower, to being so broke she was sleeping on changing room floors. This is a story of courage and conviction and how by work hard, using everything you have you can achieve your goals. Guin provides lots of top tips to help you face your own challenges, and also shares more knowledge on how you can take up rowing and maybe one day row an ocean! Show notes When she started rowing Loving sport at school and how she learnt the rules of life through sport Rowing in the novice pot and taking 3 years to win it What she loved about rowing Growing up in West Africa and going to boarding school when she was 9 Being expelled from school at 11 Deciding she wanted to go to the Olympics Making the GB Team Having to work hard at her technique Not making the team and being told she was too small and that she would never be an international rower Being ranked 8th in the world in the single scull 5’7 tall Having no money and not being able to afford to go to her first World Championships Sleeping on floors and trying to cut her outgoings How she get’s over disappointment Her first World Championships rowing in the single scull The challenges she has faced throughout her international rowing career Dealing with injury before the 2000 Olympics The 2000 Olympics, the challenges, the race, the day, the experience Having to change the crew 5 weeks before the race Being coached by Mike Spracklen Having a race off for the last place in the boat Team makers & Drivers Dealing with the pressure when the world is watching you Being able to turn on the raw emotion at the right time 4 cms….. What it was like afterwards Getting back into rowing and stroked the women 8 at the World Championships Struggling with overtraining Deciding to retire from rowing at 34 Deciding to row the English Channel Waiting 4 months for the right weather to row the channel The start of her expedition career Not letting people erode your belief Surround yourself with people who believe in you  The Youth Sport Trust  Turning the BIG 50! Her rowing plan for the summer - Outrigger Canoeing… Advice if you want to get into rowing    Social Media Twitter @guinbatten   Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.    Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.   

Kim broke her neck while doing a backflip on her snowboard. After making a complete recovery, she reinserted adventure back into her life with things like competing in big mountain snowboarding and even going to school to learn how to become a stunt woman.  She is the Editor-in-Chief of Purpose2Play.com, a U.S. based digital publication that tells the positive and inspiring stories in sports. She routinely explores how and why athletes are able to overcome great physical and mental challenges. She believes that the talent she has for telling others' stories is rooted in her own desire to challenge herself physically and mentally and live her life at full throttle.   Show notes Where she is now and where she grew up Why she is a story teller first Being fearless since a young age Snowboarding off the roof when she was 8 years old Loving spending time outside Not knowing what she wanted to do Having to change career direction Becoming a sports writer and being willing to try something new Being in a major snowboarding accident when she was 28 years old Dealing with recovery Her identity and how it was tied to being an athlete Using writing to help her recovery and reflect on what had happened Wanting to get back to snowboarding and eventually getting back to the snow Doing another backflip and reclaiming herself as an athlete Where the idea for Purpose2Play came from and why they focus on the positive stories Why play is an important component in life Being inspired by Juliana Buhring Her vision for Purpose2Play Still competing in big mountain snowboarding What’s going through her head before she starts a competition 11, 11, 11, Going to stunt school and how it all came about What her parents think! Her plans for the coming year Writing a children's book Why she wants to focus more on mental health  Nikki Kimble and how she deals with her depression Dealing with the adventure blues 14,000 ft mountains and her goals to climb 58 by the time she turns 48! Wanting to go bungy jumping!   Social Media Twitter @KimCon14  @Purpose2Play  Instagram @KimCon14 Website http://www.purpose2play.com/   Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.    Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.   

Show notes Being a free spirit Growing up with 3 older sisters Being a spoiled brat while growing up Leaving home at 18 to travel Hopping around for 4 years, changing countries and jobs Dealing with anxiety at college Living on her own, working on her own and doing it all on her own Every step took her further and further away from home Dealing with a broken heart and trying to fill the empty void Arriving in Mexico - sorting out a job and a place to live within 3 days Doing Jaguar conservation work Leaving Mexico after 4 months Duolingo for learning languages Deciding to sail home across the Atlantic Crewbay.com  The cow scull Trying to get to the boat with no money  Sailing to England  Surviving on four hour sleeps Having an argument and not being able to get out  Sailing to Ireland and not England! Getting itch feet and wanting to get travelling again Cycling Ecuador to Argentina with no money Operation South America Getting her plans in place and dealing with the negativity Why you should smile at strangers The mental and emotional challenges of her trip Asking for help, asking for food How she coped when her fiancé was in an accident Having Ness Knight come out to join the trip What she learn’t from the South American cycle Being emotional once she was back at home What’s on her bucket list Her message that she advocates - “follow your dreams” Why you’ll learn from failure   Social Media Twitter @laurabingham Instagram @laurabingham    Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.  Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.   

EXPEDITIONS:  •First female to stand up paddleboard 1000 miles (Missouri river, USA) •Cycled solo + unsupported 2000 miles across the USA •First female in history to swim the length of the Thames River (UK) •400 mile run – 15 marathons back-to-back (London to Land’s End, UK) •Namib Desert solo fatbike expedition (2016) •Upcoming: Record attempt – first female to row the Pacific Ocean solo and non-stop   Show notes Not being a natural adventurer Coming to exploring later on in life Being an accidental adventurer  Deciding to change her life Looking for her passion in life Losing her best friend at university Deciding she no longer wanted to be an introvert and what she did to change it What would you do, if you could not fail Her conservative family and growing up in South Africa Why we need more females in endurance sports getting the spot light  Her list of how to live rather than things to do Her fear of failure Losing her best friend at 20 years old Deciding to live her life her way Deciding to do SUP - Missouri River - 1,000 miles Being inspired by Roz Savage - (Listen to Roz on the Tough Girl Podcast) Enjoying the solo journey  Courage & confidence  Her fears before her first solo cycle Trusting her gut instincts and how it improved her confidence How she’s been building her career and what she’s been focusing on Having her vision of what she wants to do with her life How she decides on what to do Swimming the Thames and the challenges she faced; the cold, dealing with Raynaud’s Disease, spending 10 hours in the water, dealing with the isolation and the pressure What’s going on in her head while she's doing these challenges and why she ends up writing books in her head What she’s learnt about her mindset and her mental resilience  Why her strength in life is to see everything positively Why you need to smile! Watch an Amy Cuddy TED Talk - Your body language shapes who you are 2016 challenges - Joining Laura Bingham in Bolivia for her cycle (with no money) challenge Heading to Namibia - to be the first person ever to solo cycle across the world’s oldest desert, the Namib. The worst decision she has ever made while being on an adventure Being humble and making smart decisions The Pacific Row and why it’s been 7 years in the making Planning for the challenge and wanting to build her own boat Costs of the challenge Working with a performance coach The power of visualisation Final words of advice and top tips for you Watch TED Talk- The power of vulnerability By Brené Brown   “My expeditions and work have taken me to some amazing corners of the world, but there is still so much more to discover.”   Social Media   Twitter - @Ness_Knight Instagram  - @Ness_Knight Facebook  - @explorernessknight Website - http://www.nessknight.com    Next Week Laura Bingham will be coming on the Tough Girl Podcast  to share more about her life and cycle throughout South America   Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.    Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.   

In 1982 at age 22 Elspeth set off on a solo motorbike trip around the world. The journey took her 2.5 years and she covered a distance of 48,000 miles taking in the sites of North America, Australasia, Asia & Europe.    This was all done in the age before mobile phones and internet. During her travels Elspeth rode through post-revolutionary Iran during the war with Iraq. She survived life threatening illnesses and numerous accidents. She witnessed civil uprisings that delayed her journey and forced her to fake documents to cross brokers.   This is one hell of a story not to be missed!   Show notes   How would Elspeth introduce herself Understanding more about her childhood Being encouraged to explore and push the boundaries Going to boarding school at a young age and being expelled at 16 How she found her love of motorcycles Buying her first bike and understanding the travel potential of having a motorbike Doing what she wanted to do Going on a 10 week trip with her brother, riding across America What she feels when she rides her bike and why she loves it Finding out in 2006 that she was the first woman to ride around the world Having a painful breakup, feeling lost and needing a distraction Working in a pub to save £2,500 for her round the world trip Feeling nervous and not having a clue what she was doing The challenge of the unknown and why she liked it What her friends were saying when she told people about her trip The fears she had to deal with before she left Highlights from America and why she loved New Orleans Flying to Hawaii and then on to New Zealand hitchhiking around the North & South Island Arriving in Sydney with $50 in her pocket Having nothing to fall back on and having to rely on herself Her trip around Australia and heading over to Asia Feeling separate from other travellers and never feeling like she belonged Going for weeks without speaking English Being followed and started at while travelling around India Crossing the borders into Iran and Pakistan Getting Hepatitis  Coping with the stress of daily travel and the, not knowing what was going to happen next Being ready to head home and the reality of getting back to London What happened with Robert after they came back to the UK Why you should just go on that trip and do that challenge   Feeling inspired week after week?    You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast!   Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.    Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you!   Want to do more?   Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.       

7 Women - 7 Challenges PART 4 At the start of 2017 after feedback from the Tough Girl Tribe. I started 7 Women - 7 Challenges. Throughout the year I will be interviewing 7 women as we follow them on their journey of going after their own personal challenges. We will learn what really has to happen for people to achieve their goals, we will hear about their frustrations, disappointments, set backs, as well as their successes and achievements.  It is real stories, from real women, living real lives.   Schedule of future episodes Part 1 - 1st January LIVE Part 2 - 12th February LIVE Part 3 - 2nd April LIVE Part 4 - 28th May LIVE Part 5 - 1st October Part 6 - 19th November Part 7 - 31st December   Show notes Rae Red Feeling a bit weird in January Finding out she was pregnant! Knackered, dealing with morning sickness Stopping training Going on a mental roller coaster Not being able to tell people Moving house & being surrounded by boxes Processing the news Being angry Going through a grieving process BREAK Struggling with mental health  Walking everyday Publishing her blog posts Feeling lonely while pregnant Making her pregnancy her own experience The first 3 months Round ligament pain Pregnancy Yoga via Youtube Not fighting against it The elephant in the room! Heartburn The London Marathon Ballot! Being due early October Plans for the future.. new business idea Ice climbing in February? How her diabetes has been affected by being pregnant Having a starvation test Eating a banana a day.. Trying to stay positive Why you need to reach out to people Starting with her blog - howdoesshedoit.com     Laura Try   Listening back to part 3 of the podcast and crying about it Being on the edge of nearly giving up How it has all changed…. Getting a main sponsor! Going to a business networking meeting every week #BNI Asking for a dream referral and wanting to speak to Russell Quirk 6 week later being told he will be at the meeting Should she mention the rowing trip? Doing her research.. taking a deep breath and saying hello! Going for it! £2,000 to go Becoming numb to emotion and not being able to feel anything Why the challenge is not about rowing GB Getting excited!! Give some love to www.emoo.co.uk Why it’s more than just the money Getting physical and emotional support Being a New World Record Holder!!! Being a member of the Sub 7 Rowing Club  Saying “YES” The world record row! Fitness before the challenge…. & not being able to train properly for the past few months £150 club? Still an option? The plan to get the final £2k Donations have stopped since she got a main sponsor Guest speaking gigs - which is ticking a few boxes Exhausted, scatter brain, forgetting things, never being so tired in her life! Taking time off…. Moving house on Monday - 5 days before she goes rowing! Having a job for when she comes back! Starting her row on the 3rd June! Mental skills coaching Why it’s all about imagery! Getting excited!! 8 weeks - follow along with Laura via her social media channels It’s so easy!!   Jen Dykhoorn   What’s been happening since we last spoke! Moving countries and living in Stockholm Getting to travel more Experiencing Spring twice! What she loves about Stockholm Signing up for an Ultra Marathon in July (Eco Trail Ultra Marathon) Doing long runs at the weekend and cycling to work everyday Tips for running on new trails, using iPhones and having a back up plan MapMyRun.com Getting the balance right between running and cycling while training Using the ultra as a training exercise Doing what she can do Being prepared as much as she can while maintaining everything else in her life Structured Reflection from using the Passion Planner Having fewer obligations in Stockholm and being able to choose what she wants to do Struggling with anxiety and why her tools helps her to create space Dealing with the stress and pressure from work Everyday magic goals! Making music once a week! Taking up the harmonica The 100 Day Challenge! Tips for meditation  Planning for LEJOG - mapping and accommodation Getting excited for her challenge! Her goals for the coming weeks Heading off to Budapest for a weekend getaway      Jo Jo Rogers   Dealing with injury Focusing on recovery Being angry with her injury Getting a new rescue dog and training her to get use to cars The frustration of not being able to run Being able to get out to Texas to race! Not pushing on her running, until race day Heading down to Dallas, and getting to see her son as well Running on cement in the heat! Carrying her own hydration and not needing to stop at the aid stations 3 loop course of 10.33 mile course Not having a time goal or a place goals Assessing the other runners on the start line Her goal for the race and wanting to run even laps 1 hr 30 mins for each loop - finishing 2nd women!! Women placed - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th! “Go the Girls!!”  The challenges during the race…  Running the last 3 miles faster and making an effort to stay over pace Feeling fully recovered Plans for the summer months Sleep & nutrition Meeting Jo Jo in Maine Her B Goal - To run the fastest 50K for women over 50 Being the 2nd fastest female in the US for running 50K in 2016 Her C Goal - To get a PB in a 50K Her 50k PB - 4 hr 5mins   Georgie Akin-Smith 2 challenges done Injury update… Not being able to run London Marathon (but being able to defer it to next year) Focus on cycling and 2 cycling challenges completed What was going through her head before Mallorca 312 The pressure of having a cut off time of 14 hours and trying to do the distance in that time The start line Not sleeping well the night before and having a 5 am wake up call Dealing with mountains from the start of the course Eating every half an hour - which became harder and harder as the time went on Getting to 290K  Dealing with the nerves and excitement at the start of the race Race tactics The hills! Deciding to carry on and not stop at the 220 The final 2 hours of the race and why they were so hard - mentally Having not choice but to carry on (having a few tears) What she’s learnt from the Mallorca experience Going to the extremes of her mental and physical fitness Pushing herself and gaining confidence from the experience 2 week rest and then cycling from London to Paris Cycling with Laura Kennington Meeting10 new people and having a lose plan for the cycle Having a MRI scan on her hip and being able to start running again Racing to the finish line to make it in 24hrs! Making changes to her 12 challenges Doing a Tough Mudder with her parents in August Having more of a focus on running and cycling Getting to a good place with cycling and training for her next 100 mile race in July Is she still enjoying herself? Making the challenges work for her and her lifestyle Why you can achieve more than you think   Gemma Smith - Adventures of a Novice Mountaineer   What’s Gemma has been up to Climbing the Cosmiques Arête, how it came about and what it is Why she decided to do it Taking advantage of the weather and managing to get some skiing in Fitness while climbing at altitude  What she’s learnt from climbing the Cosmiques Arête and how she will be able to apply it to future challenges Building her confidence and gaining reassurance from the experience Getting a new climbing partner Climbing with a para climber and how it’s made her think differently Getting half way up a 7a London Ladies Climb - FB Group How her personal training is coming along What she’s focusing on with her training  Getting tickets for the ARC’TERYX CLIMBING ACADEMY Going on a mountain clean up Having to give up on May as a training month Working brutal hours and struggling to get the balance Feeling guilt about not training Having to speak to her boss about her work Plans for the coming months Bullet Journal…. Trying to get a routine back in her life Not managing to make it to Scotland The Sandstone Trail…on the list for July to test her endurance Making a commitment and learning when to step back Making more time for herself Blogging… having more stuff to publish   Rachel Wise   Summary from the last 2 months The big things have been done A family will be able to take the house furnished A home has been found for the dog Sorting out her job and speaking to her boss Having the difficult conversation Feeling relief that people now know Running the Geneva Marathon! Being ready for the next one! Running her own race, and running at a steady pace Pushing the dark throughs aside How the children are coping with the upcoming changes How Rachel is feeling about the trip Not being super excited and more focused on getting things organised Trying to save money and make money Her experience with Air BnB Dealing with back to back bookings Renting the whole house out for July Prices  Trying to fit it all in Money and the budget.. Heading off in August! The girls education for while on the road The jobs that have to be done before they head off The website - slowtravelfamily.com Wanting to write more and share more blogs What she hopes will have happened by October     Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.  Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.      You can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on the go via iTunes, Soundcloud & Stitcher!  

After 6 years of living a 9-5 lifestyle, she had had enough. She was fed up of being stressed and overworked and had a mountain of baggage to contend with. She was burnt out, didn’t sleep well, was over-thinking all the time and had bouts of depression. She didn’t feel healthy. So, she decided to make a change. She quit her job, signed up to do a few challenges and…..here she is! Adventuring, travelling and living her absolute dream life. Since leaving her job she has completed the 240km London Loop on an adult kick scooter, sailed across the North Sea and hiked 1000km the full length of Israel.    Show notes Where Bex is at the moment Going to Africa at 18 where she got the travel bug Settling into adult life and getting a regular job as a teacher Making the decision to quit her life and go travelling full time Making another big change in her life for the second time Having a small amount of savings  Making money while on the go Deciding to head off to hike 1,000km the full length of Israel Getting herself sorted before she headed off Logistics and planning for the trail Having her honeymoon at Burning Man Festival The challenges of her hike 2 months hiking with her husband and hiking separately What Scoop the Loop is! Not spending any money on the challenge Winning the Next Challenge Grant!  Wild Camping in a residential urban environment Sailing back from Sweden with Tall Ships Getting sea sick for the first 24 hrs How she decides where she will go travelling The struggles she has to face being a nomad and travelling all the time Working longer hours than she would in a normal job Living with uncertainty and not knowing when your next going to be making money Starting - “Love Her Wild” with her friend Alex Being inspired by Beth Rodden - climbing when pregnant  The Mentor Scheme and why it came about What challenge is on her bucket list! Looking for her next big adventure How she decides what to do next Planning and working with her husband Japan highlights! Advice if you do want to quit your job Why you should listen to your gut and your instincts! Why I got rid of my stuff  #minimalism Her top piece of adventuring kit - good boots and good socks! Getting a good night sleep! Get in contact with Bex via her blog Why you should go and visit loveherwild.com    Social Media Website - The Ordinary Adventurer & loveherwild.com   Facebook Twitter - @Bex_Band  Instagram - @_theordinaryadventurer   Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.  Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.   

Phoebe Smith is an adventurer, author, editor, presenter, speaker and filmmaker. By day she is award-winning editor of Wanderlust Travel Magazine, travel writer and presenter, by night she’s an extreme sleeping outdoors adventurer who thrives on heading off to the wildest locations she can find to sleep in the strangest places she can seek out. She was the first person to sleep at all the extreme points of mainland Britain – including the centremost point – which she did solo, on consecutive nights in 2014.  She has completed the Three Peaks Sleeps Challenge – in which she overnighted on the summits of the highest mountains in Wales, England and Scotland. She is also the author of 7 books including the bestselling Extreme Sleeps: Adventures of a Wild Camper,Wilderness Weekends: Wild Adventures in Britain's Rugged Corners  and the first ever guidebook to Britain’s free-to-stay-in mountain shelters –Book of the Bothy.   Show Notes   Backpacks & her favourite Lowe Alpine pack How Phoebe would introduce herself and why she lives something of a double life… Inspiring people to travel to new places  Doing a feature on the Appalachian trail and how you can fit in the best bits of the trail in 2 weeks Being a tourist in her own backyard the UK Why adventure doesn’t have to be extreme Growing up close to Snowdonia National Park and taking it for granted Not knowing what she wanted to do with her life Working in Australia for a year and how sleeping in a swag bag in the “red centre” change her perspective on the outdoors Finding strange places to sleep throughout the world Trying wild camping Her fist solo wild camping experience  Dealing with the naysayers Having adventures in the UK 2014 - The sleeping challenge! Seeing a cloud inversion  Dealing with the rubbish on the top of the Ben Nevis  Getting people to appreciate their local beauty spots The history of the bothy and becoming a bothy bagger! The Book of the Bothy - 26 of her favourite shelters spread out through Britain Her first book - The Camper’s Friend and how it came about via twitter! Practical tips for people going camping “Enjoy not endure” Creating a hot water bottle Tentertainment…. Why it ok to just stop and “just allowing yourself to be” Wild Camping in Scotland and the changes to the by-laws and how it can impact you Take your rubbish with you and leave no trace What people should do, to help support this campaign Ordnance Survey 2016 and 2017 - Get Outside Champion #GetOutside Why you should learn to map read How she’s applied what she’s learned from the outdoors to her own life Getting angry with herself whilst facing a dangerous river crossing Her 8th book!! Britons Best Small Hills  - ***Coming 1st September*** Final words of wisdom  “You don’t find the time, you make the time” Creating your own go bag!!   Social Media   Twitter @PhoebeRSmith Instagram @phoebersmith Website: www.phoebe-smith.com YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ExtremeSleeps   Check out her latest books at:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Phoebe-Smith/e/B0070LP2N2   Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.  Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs. 

Dr Laura Gush is a patron of the Tough Girl Podcast, a member of the Tough Girl tribe and a phenomenal runner. She’s raced in The Iron Man, Marathon Des Sables and a number of ultra races and marathons. Laura took a year off her medical career in 2015 and took that time to get her personal training qualifications and race in the Marathon Des Sables. Laura shares what she does to train for a race and how her educational perspective had an impact on her running. We talk about how Laura got into running with no background in sports and what her future challenges will be. Show Notes Growing up in South Wales with a musical background Running in the 2008 London Marathon Training for her first marathon Getting shin splints and underestimating the challenge Becoming like the people you’re closest to Deciding to participate in The Ironman Laura’s strategy for getting through The Ironman Mallorca Running a marathon while feeling terrible How being a doctor affects Laura’s running What it felt like to be an Ironman Balancing running with her medical career Taking time off her career to run in the Marathon Des Sables Creating her own training schedule with back to back runs Running her first Ultra in the freezing cold Laura’s tips and tricks for getting through a difficult race Getting to the desert and getting ready before the race Learning from her experience in the desert Balancing holding yourself back and pushing yourself forward Wanting to repeat the Marathon des Sables Running the Druid Ultra and getting injured Struggling with rest and recovery Running a 100-mile race 6 days after the London Marathon Recognising that failure makes things ok and that it’s a choice Getting past the experience of giving up on a race Competing in the brutal Ironman Wales in 2016 The highlight of the Ironman Wales What Laura enjoys most about marathons and ultra   “Every time I push myself forward a little further, I realise what I can do.”   Laura’s race schedule for 2017 - The Boston Marathon Doing things that scare you - Laura and South Africa   Social Media www.drgpt.co.uk Instagram - @doctor_eat_sleep_run_rpt Twitter - @drlauragush Facebook - @drlgpt   Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.  Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs. 

Last year Georgina Cleere Won the Women’s Soloist title at Revolve24 2016 completing 127 laps (305 miles) and climbing 8,128m (26,670 feet). Her passion had always been horses, and horses were her life, her own horse Mr Darcy broke his leg and had to be put down and this changed her life. She no longer had a social life, she no longer did exercise, she had no direction and didn't know what to do with her time.   She decided to buy a bike through the Cycle to Work Scheme, and with the encouragement from her husband, she  joined a cycling club and soon found herself cycling all the time.  This is her story of what she has learned along the way and how cycling has changed her life, she shares the challenges she faced, the learnings she's made and her plans for the future as well as her dream to ride non-stop across America! Show Notes Her childhood and adventures with horses, including her very own Mr Darcy Finding her feet again through losing her horse and her father being ill Starting to ride a bike through the Cycle to Work Scheme Finding a cycle club and the surprises of going cycling with experienced bikers Discovering the buzz of cycling and getting into the sport Entering her first Sportive and overcoming her nerves about riding 60 miles for the first time! Handling the doubts and worries about rides, and keeping her spirits up Taking on even longer distances with some friends, and discovering a love of pushing her boundaries Saving her bottom! Sharing her tips for avoiding a sore bottom from hours in the saddle. Revolve 24 as a team and deciding to go solo Cycling powered by rice pots and wotsits! Breaking up the 24hours and keeping herself going  Her race strategy and her surprise win at Revolve 24 Her dream challenge for the future – RAAM! Aiming high for the Ultramarathon Cyclists Association Fitting everything in within the day between life and training Starting to train with a coach and the difference the structure has made, learning to push herself in new ways Her tips for getting into cycling as a woman if you’re nervous   Social Media Say hi to Gina on twitter - @GinaCleere1   Feeling inspired week after week?  You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast! Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment! Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.  Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you! Want to do more? Please become a Patron and donate a small fixed amount every month to help fund the runnings costs.