Tough Girl Podcast

Susie started running later on in life, she used to be a single mother, who loved drinking and smoking, but running had a profound effect on her and after doing one half marathon that was it, she was hooked. Two years later she was entering and running ultra marathons.   During this podcast we discuss: -Her first race and what happened before, during and after -How she swapped her bad habits for good ones -Joining a running club and connecting with other runners -Two races went on her bucket list- the Boston Marathon and the Marathon des Sables -Advice for listeners who want to make a change in their life -Why its never to late and age is irrelevant -Her first ever Marathon - Running the Paris Marathon and why she had a terrible time! -Do you need a training plan for a race?  -Why listening to your body is so important -How she fits in her training around having a daughter and a full time job -How she didn’t make excuses, she made it happen  -How she trains and why she loves hill training! -Make a “run date” and get out of the door! -Her first Ultra race - Around the Island - 72 miles over two days -The low points and the hight points and what she learned about herself -How to train your mind and how to have the right mindset - Be arrogant and believe in yourself! -How Susie met her husband and the connection between twitter, running and the MdS -What happened during the MDS 2015 -Her top tips for the MDS -Her next Big Challenge in the Jungle - The Jungle Ultra! Plus many more - 2016 is going to be a busy year.   You can follow Susie on Twitter @Susie__Chan. I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL. Send us a tweet once you've listened to this episode! You can listen on iTunes -  Soundcloud - Stitcher

  During this episodes we chat with Mimi Anderson, who describes herself as a wife, mother and grandmother, who likes to run. We get to share in some of Mimi many challenges, from racing in some of the most extreme environments on the planet, from the heat of the desert to the bitter cold of the Arctic. She shares her experiences, the hights the lows, and what she learnt from the races. She provides advice and tips and will inspire you to put your trainers on and go for a run! During this podcast we also discuss the following: Why she decided to start running & when she called herself a runner for the first time Making the change from the treadmill to running outside The 6633 Ultra Race - A 350 mile non stop, self sufficient race in the Arctic. Training for the event and having a plan for the race What it was like being in that environment Coping with being on her own during the race - and getting away from it all Coping with the cold and dealing with temperatures of -70! Why you don't want to sweat in the Arctic The highs and the lows and how she dealt with them and what got her through her darkest moments Achieving her goal of winning the 6633 Ultra Race The importance of having a race plan, doing your research and being prepared  Her 2008 challenge - Going for the Female World Record - JOGLE  How she learned from failure and how she became stronger as a result The challenges she faced; from having her body swell up, being hit by a car, and being stopped by the police! Recovery after big races - her 3 top tips! Why quality training is so much better than just training for the sake of training  Learning more about the Double Badwater Race and what its like running in extremely hot temperatures Tips and advice for running in the heat What makes Mimi so determined The ultra running community For more inspirational stories from women overcoming challenges go and check out the Tough Girls on the Tough Girl Podcast at toughgirlchallenges.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Tough Girl Podcast for more fantastic episodes! Coming up next - Ultra runner and Blogger - Susie Chan.

Nat is a lover of endurance events, and anything to do with the outdoors! She loves being fit and active and during this podcast she shares with us some of the events she's participated in, from being involved in adventure races to  completing Ironman's and ultra endurances races in extreme conditions.  She also discusses why she decided to join the army and what military life was like while training at Sandhurst. She shares top tips and advice which you'll be able to implement in your life. Topics discussed during the podcast: -What Adventure Racing is and what to expect during a race -Tips for making decisions when tired and sleep deprived, and how she's learned from previous mistakes -Why communication and teamwork is so important during race conditions -How her journey into ultra events started and why she decided to do the 6633 Ultra Race - A 350 mile footrace in the Canadian Arctic! -How she trained both mentally and physically for the 6633 Ultra Race -Why it’s important to break your big goals down into smaller chunks and make it more manageable -27hrs into the race, things changed and why Nat needed to split away from Nics and carry on, on her own -How her race progressed over the next 5 days and the importance of having routines  -Having a sense of humour failure and how she managed to get through this and keep on going -What’s involved in an Ironman and how she ran 2 Ironman's just 13 days apart -Facing her ultimate fear…..the water -Learn more about the Ice Maidens Challenge in 2017 and why the Ice-Factor is so important   For more inspirational stories from women overcoming challenges. Check out the Tough Girls on the Tough Girl Podcast at toughgirlchallenges.com.  Next week I'll be talking to Mimi Anderson and Susie Chan!  You can listen to The Tough Girl Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud and Stitcher.  

During this podcast we get to cover a whole host of different topics! From why Nics decided to join the British Army and what its like being a female in a male dominated environment. How sports at a young age from athletics to skiing encouraged her to try triathlons at university which led to her completing an Ironman! Nics also touches on the following topics: -The difference between Alpine skiing and Nordic skiing -The Bolton Ironman in 2012 and coping with the unexpected heatwave -Trying to get the balance right between training and studying -How she combined her fitness with studying to become a doctor -Mental preparation for the Ironman -Getting help with training and training programmes -The Winter World Triathlon Championships -Doing a Nordic Ski Season  -Top tips for running on snow -Coping with the cold! -The 6633 Ultra Race - One of the toughest races in the world. Held in the Arctic! -Her concerns before the race -150km Ultra race in Lapland, Finland -Coping with sleep deprivation and the thoughts running through her head -How she overcame challenges during the race, when everything was starting to go wrong! -What happened on the 6633 ultra race and why she was ashamed  -Her next challenge - Ex Ice Maiden - The first all Female British Team to cross Antarctica via the route Felicity Aston did solo.   Social Media Follow the Ex Ice Maiden Challenge via their website, on twitter @exicemaiden or Facebook.      For more inspirational stories from women overcoming challenges go and check out the Tough Girls on the Tough Girl Podcast at toughgirlchallenges.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the Tough Girl Podcast for more fantastic episodes!  

British polar explorer Felicity Aston MBE became the first woman in 2012 to ski alone across Antarctica. It was a journey of 1744km that took 59 days to complete and which gave her a place in the book of Guinness World Records. During this podcast Felicity shares her experiences of how she prepared both mentally and physically for this journey.  Felicity also talks about the following: -What first got Felicity interested in Polar Exploration -How she coped with preparing for her first expedition -Being 19 and heading off to the unknown for the first time -Tips on building self confidence  -How to retain your femininity in a male dominated environment -How to cope with criticism -Staying true to yourself -Her first job… moving to the Antarctica for 2.5 years! -Why she decided to ski across Antarctica -What skills she needed to develop before setting off on this challenge -What it felt like at the very start, when she was suddenly alone on the Antarctica coast -Preparation for being alone -Mental hygiene -Why its about where your heads at, and not the physical challenge -What Felicity took away from the challenge and has used going forward -Making progress & moving forward -Keeping focused -How not to get overwhelmed by your goals -What a typical day on the ice was like -Why routines are so important & how you can apply them to your life -Returning to life in the real world -Being present and being in the moment -The next challenges Felicity faced -Top tips for dealing with the cold -Felicity’s Books:- Alone in Antarctica, Call of the White: Taking the World to the South Pole, Chasing Winter: A Journey to the Pole of Cold -The Queens Polar Medal Social Media Felicity is on twitter @Felicity_Aston Her website is www.felicityaston.com For more inspirational stories from women overcoming challenges go and check out the Tough Girls on the Tough Girl Podcast at toughgirlchallenges.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the Tough Girl Podcast for more fantastic episodes. Next week we have two more inspiration women. Nics Wetherill and Nat Taylor.   

In this podcast we talk about: How Megan first got into Judo and what she loves about it. Taking it to the next step and deciding to train full time How Judo built her internal self confidence Why she wants to be the best in the world Jumping from a green belt to a black belt at 15 years old The grading route verses the competitive route Coping with being diagnosed with OCD at a young age How her OCD impacted on her Judo Competing at the Cadet Europeans  How it works at Judo competitions The four main ways you can win in Judo The struggle to win and perform at a junior level How she needed to change her judo style to become a better athlete Keeping the faith and not giving up when she wasn’t getting the results Preparation for the Commonwealth Games “The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday” Why you need to focus on YOU! Facing her nemesis! - Sally Conway in the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games 2014 Getting over her own mental block of being able to beat Sally Do you attack or defend - what are the pro/cons? Why the right decisions are sometimes the hardest Why she dedicated her Gold Medal to her coach - Don Werner The tactics she thinks about when she steps onto the mat Why you should go and give judo a try! Surviving the arm bar from Ronda Rousey! Her future….. UFC fighter or teacher? Give a shout out to Megan on Twitter @megs_feltcher1 For more inspirational stories from women overcoming challenges go and check out the Tough Girls on the Tough Girl Podcast at toughgirlchallenges.com Don’t forget to subscribe to the Tough Girl Podcast for more fantastic episodes. On Thursday I’ll be speaking with Arctic Explorer, Felicity Aston MBE about her Guinness World Record, when she became the first women to ski alone across Antarctic in 2012. 

During this podcast we speak with Rachel Gibson a mum of two from the Wirral, UK. Rachel shares her experience of the Spartan races from competing and placing at the Manchester Spartan Race and her journey to the Spartan World Championships in America. In this podcast we talk about: Getting back into fitness after children Why the Spartan Sprint races appealed to her What to expect at a Spartan Race from the obstacles to the atmosphere What happens when you fail an obstacle Why the Spartan spear throw isn’t as easy as it looks Top tips for rope climbs What happens after you win a “Spartan Coin” Advice for balancing training with work and having children Why you should always read the small print for races Dealing with the brand new Spartan course What it felt like at the start of the race & the Spartan chant The obstacles that challenged Rachel and pushed her to her limits Coping with the ice cold water during the swim Hitting the wall and still moving forward Future challenges Raising money for Cancer Research Why you should just - Go For It!!! For more inspirational stories from women overcoming challenges go and check out the Tough Girls on the Tough Girl Podcast at toughgirlchallenges.com Links Fancy doing a Spartan Race? Click here! Want to train with the best? Come and check out the Underground Training Station! Are you tough enough? Try the original OCR race - Tough Guy! Want to donate to Cancer Research? Click here!  Don’t forget to subscribe to the Tough Girl Podcast for more fantastic episodes. Next Tuesday I’m speaking with Judo Commonwealth Champion - Megan Fletcher who shares her story of how she got the gold!  On Thursday I’ll be speaking with, Arctic Explorer, Felicity Aston MBE about her Guinness World Record. 

This week on the Tough Girl Podcast we talk to Sarah Outen where she discussed her journey from London all the way around the northern hemisphere and back to London by rowing, kayaking and cycling. In order to do this Sarah had to overcome a variety of challenges. She’s endured extreme conditions in remote environments, often being alone for months at a time.  A typhoon during the North Pacific crossing forced a mid Ocean rescue from her rowing boat in 2012 and a hurricane on the Atlantic this summer forced a pre-emptive evacuation after 143 days at sea. She has also kayaked some of the most treacherous waterways in the world and cycled across North America during one of the harshest Winters on record. After 4.5 years and over 25,000 miles, Sarah has made it back home, arriving back on midday on the 3rd November 2015. Sarah shares the following on the podcast: Her background and what’s inspired her to achieve what she’s achieved Becoming the first woman to row across the Indian ocean Turning her dream into a reality Persevering through the most treacherous conditions A typical day cycling from Europe to Asia How to overcome bad conditions  Her highlights and low points Her best memories and highlights from the trip. The people she met  Celebrating the milestones The most terrifying experience on her journey The healing process after a traumatic experience Tips for coping with isolation Dealing with challenge and change What she learned about herself on this journey and what’s next for her! Don’t forget to check out previous episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast! - All links and information on www.toughgirlchallengs.com. This Thursday at 7am I’ll be speaking to Rachel Gibson about her experience at the Spartan World Championships.  New episodes for December are out every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 am (UK Time) - Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Elin Haf Davies got into sports later on in life. When she moved to London, she started with rugby, and for 9 years her life was all work and rugby, until she got dropped by the rugby team and divorced. All of this happened at the same time and massively impacted on her confidence and took her to a dark place.  She decided she had to move on and change her life and this is when her love of challenges and adventures started. During this podcast we discuss: Her Inspiration - “Rowing it Alone” by Deborah Veal Rowing across the Atlantic in a pair Raising funds for Metabolic Research How she approached the preparation for the Atlantic row Not getting on at school but going back to academia to get her degree, masters and PHD.  Learnings from the Marathon Des Sables where she failed to finish Rowing across the Indian Ocean in the first female crew What life was like rowing every day - sleep deprivation, rowing in shifts, the drive and motivation Why you row naked! Mental preparation before and during the race. - “Were the mind goes, the body follows” How to deal with negative thoughts and turn them to your advantage - “Don’t let other people kill your dreams.” The challenges she faced rowing the Indian Ocean  Why she decided to sail the Pacific instead of rowing across How she first started in sailing at 32 Tips for working in a male dominated environment Advice for getting into sailing  Becoming a 2 handed sailor Women and getting sponsorship  Role models for women If you’ve enjoyed this episode then please send Elin a tweet @ElinHafDavies. I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL.  Thanks so much for listening! New episodes are coming out every Tuesday at 7 am - #ToughGirlTuesday. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

During this podcast Amy talks all about her love of fitness and how she came to take up the sport of powerlifting. To put this in context, Amy had never done any weight training before and had never even picked up a dumbbell! Five months later she had entered her first powerlifting competition.  Amy shares her journey from entering local competitions and progressing to the British Championships before taking on the European Championships where she gained the European Junior Bronze Medal.   Amy talks about the following: What powerlifting is What happens in a competition How to overcome nerves and focus on what you're doing Why having goals are important to helping you achieve The difference between weightlifting and powerlifting Why powerlifting isn’t recognised as a sport Competing in the European Championships How she overcame her nerves What goes through her head when she lifts How “mind over matter” works in powerlifting Breaking the British Junior Record Squat Training cycles Rest & recovery Nutrition- chicken & broccoli?!  Coping with training and university life Why women should lift weights Raising money to go to international competitions - Bake sales & selling t-shirts Joining the Amy Army! “Don’t be scared of lifting weights!” If you’ve enjoyed this episode then please send Amy a tweet @AmySpencerr. I’m also on twitter @_TOUGH_GIRL.  Sarah x