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Still Running Strong

Welcome to Still Running Strong — a new podcast for midlife women who love ultra running and trail running. Not the elites, not the podium finishers — the mid-pack, the back-of-the-packers, the ones who are just there for the love of it.

In this taster episode, hosts Becky and Dawn introduce themselves, share the (slightly smelly) story of how they met at an ultra race in Greece, and talk about why midlife might just be the strongest chapter yet — even while their bodies are changing shape around them.

Expect honest conversations about perimenopause and menopause from lived experience (not medical advice — they're very clear on that), the friendships that ultra running builds, and why this podcast is for absolutely anyone who runs, walks, or ultra-walks their way through a race.

In This Episode

● Who Becky and Dawn are, and what “mid-pack” really means

● How they met — a running retreat kitchen in the Lakes, and an unforgettable moment in a tent in Greece

● Why midlife is a new chapter, not a decline

● What listeners can expect from the show: real stories, practical tips, and guests with their own journeys to tell

● Why this isn't a professional advice podcast — just two women sharing what's worked for them

Connect With Us

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates on new episodes, and get in touch if you've got a story to share — we'd love to have you as a guest.

Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.

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S1 · E9
Wednesday · 56 min
DNF Does Not Mean Failure
Email us Three letters can undo months of training if we let them: DNF. We’ve both seen how “did not finish” gets translated into something far harsher, and today we slow it right down and tell the truth about what those letters can and cannot mean in ultra running and trail running. We start with the real-world choices that sit behind a result, like Dawn dropping down to a shorter race distance to protect an ankle and keep her long-term running intact. Becky shares what it’s like to return to a structured training plan with more speed work, drills, and strength training focused on Achilles resilience, plus the recovery basics that actually move the needle: sleep, routine, and not trying to be a hero when you’re run down. Then we get into the heart of the mindset work. A DNF doesn’t tell you whether you ran 10 miles or 90, whether you were injured, hypothermic, timed out, underfuelled, or simply having a terrible day. We talk about that moment when the thought “I could stop” appears, why safety and navigation change the stakes in long races, and how to use a physical reset and a mental reset before making a decision you might regret. You’ll also hear why we love the idea of getting curious rather than judgemental when you debrief a DNF, so you can learn and come back stronger. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a running friend, and leave us a review. What’s your DNF or DNS story, and what did it teach you? Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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S1 · E8
September 14 · 48 min
Post-Race Blues? Why we feel so low after a big race.
Email us Most of us have enjoyed the elation of finishing a race and breaking across the finish line, and that euphoria can last minutes, hours, sometimes a couple of days. But sometimes we can unexpectedly feel low a few days later. We have both felt that post-race emotional drop, and we want to say it out loud: it is common, it is human, and it deserves as much attention as sore legs and tired feet. We dig into what sits underneath “post-race blues” in trail running and ultra running. Yes, there can be a chemical comedown, but we think the bigger story is the full-body aftermath: disrupted sleep, lingering pain, dehydration, decision fatigue and the sudden disappearance of a goal that has organised your life for months. When training, kit planning, travel logistics and race-day focus vanish overnight, the mind can feel like it has lost its scaffolding. We talk about learning to sit with those feelings without turning them into a brutal performance review, and without chasing the next high just to stop the discomfort. Then we get practical. We share simple emotional recovery planning that actually works, from setting up comforting food and a clean bed to protecting proper rest and connection in the days after a race. We also switch into detective mode on a wider issue: why ordinary midlife women are still so hard to spot in mainstream trail running advertising, and what that absence says about belonging and visibility in our sport. If any of this rings true, hit play, then come back and tell us your post-race ritual. Subscribe, share with a running friend, and leave us a review so more mid-pack stories find their people. Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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S1 · E7
September 9 · 47 min
The Amazing Disappearing Women — Midlife, Identity & the Need to Run
Email us You cross a finish line after an ultra and everyone expects a euphoric rush. But what if you feel proud and relieved, yet also a bit flat, sore, and quietly confused about why you ever signed up? That question sparks a proper, honest chat between us, Becky and Dawn, about what really keeps runners running when the sport is hard, time-consuming, and sometimes downright miserable in the moment. We share the most resonant reasons we heard back from our community: running as freedom, headspace, mental health support, time alone, time in nature, and the simplest possible way to feel like yourself again. We also explore curiosity and challenge, from wanting to see what lies beyond marathon distance to the satisfaction of training towards something that matters. If you love trail running, ultra running, or just getting out the door when life is busy, you will recognise the mix of grit and joy that sits underneath it all. Then we widen the lens to midlife. Perimenopause and menopause can shift energy, mood, confidence, and how we feel in our bodies, and we talk about how running can anchor identity at a time when women often feel less visible. We get into the practical side too: mindset, strength and conditioning, sleep, hydration, nutrition, recovery, coaching, and why small improvements across many areas can compound into real progress. Finally, we kick off a light-hearted investigation into representation in trail running marketing, and ask why midlife women seem to disappear from adverts unless they are elite athletes. If any of this hits home, listen now, share it with a running friend, and then subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what keeps you running and what goal you refuse to write off. Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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S1 · E6
September 2 · 46 min
Courage Becky! Finishing UTMB OCC
Email us You can do everything right and still have a moment where you want to cry on the side of a mountain. Becky has just finished UTMB OCC in Chamonix, and we sit down while it’s still raw: the heat, the technical trail, the constant concentration, and the strange mix of pride and exhaustion that hits when you finally stop moving. We also talk about what it felt like having people track the race live, sending messages, and willing her to the finish from back home. We get practical about what actually moved the needle on race day. Becky shares how she built a pacing buffer around the cut-offs, why she rehearsed her aid station routine, and how a short, deliberate reset can save your race when your brain is fried. We also dig into fuelling for mountain ultra running: eating little and often, using carbs in drink, and accepting that what looks perfect on paper can be hard to swallow when you’re hiking steep climbs. Then comes the stuff you cannot ignore: kit choices and the consequences. Becky’s shoe decision made the descents miserable, and we unpick the lessons around lacing, slippage, socks, and why you must test what you plan to race in. We finish with the magic of Chamonix, the crowds shouting your name, and one word that carried Becky forward when it got dark: courage. If you’re training for a trail race, planning your first ultra, or dreaming of a UTMB start line, come and learn with us. Subscribe, share the episode with a running mate, and leave us a review so more people can find Still Running Strong. Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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S1 · E5
August 26 · 30 min
Chasing The OCC Finish Line - the real logistics of a mountain ultra in midlife
Email us Chamonix is buzzing and Becky is right in the middle of it, number collected, tracker ready, and a 62k UTMB mountain ultra on the horizon. We talk about what it’s like when the town itself becomes the venue: runners drifting through the streets, crowds clapping people home, and that moment where you suddenly feel the weight of what you’re about to do. From there we zoom out to something that matters far beyond one race: sponsorship and representation in trail running. Why do brands pour attention into elites while midlife mid-pack runners quietly carry the sport for decades? Becky shares a jaw-dropping stat about how few people are in her age bracket, and we dig into what “aspirational marketing” misses when it forgets who is actually showing up, training, buying kit, and still running strong. We also get practical and specific about race logistics: registration quirks, the surprise of no kit check, LiveTrail tracking, and the temptation to let an app’s predicted finish time get in your head. Becky sticks with the low-tech option (laminated cards) and walks through travel to the Swiss start, wave starts, and how cut-off times really work. Dawn brings in the other side of endurance life too: training while dealing with family stress, nervous system load, and a simple idea for stress management that might help when life is already full. If you enjoy honest conversations about ultra running, UTMB, Chamonix, masters running, and what it really takes to get to a start line, subscribe and share this with a friend. What’s the one part of race week that always messes with your head the most? Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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S1 · E4
August 19 · 53 min
Training In A Busy Life
Email us You can love running and still feel like there is no space for it. We’re both living that squeeze right now, so we get specific about what actually helps when training has to compete with work, family, caring and the constant “invisible jobs” that somehow land on your plate. We start with our updates, including Becky’s final build-up to OCC in Chamonix and the surprisingly serious business of race logistics: kit laid out, lists ticked off, pacing notes, and a fuelling plan built to avoid decision fatigue when you’re tired and hot. We also talk honestly about underfuelling, sweetness overload, and why recovery is not a bonus, it’s part of the training. From there we move into the real question: how do you fit training into a busy life without burning out? We share what works for us, what doesn’t, and what our listeners have found helpful, including run-commuting, ten-minute strength sessions at home, training by feel (RPE) instead of obsessing over watch metrics, and putting your runs on the family planner so they count as a real commitment. We also unpack the bigger mindset shift: consistency isn’t doing the same week perfectly, it’s finding your way back, and you do not have to earn your run by finishing everyone else’s list first. We finish with a simple framework for choosing goals that match your reality, plus the big question of whether you adjust your goal or adjust your lifestyle. If you’re a midlife runner trying to balance trail running ambitions with a full life, this one will land. Subscribe, share it with a running mate, and leave us a review, what’s your biggest barrier to getting out the door? Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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S1 · E3
August 12 · 45 min
Running Motivation Habits That Actually Work
Email us Motivation gets talked about like it’s a superpower you either have or you don’t. We do not buy that. After a quick catch-up on how our training is going, we get into the messy, practical reality of staying consistent when sleep is poor, the weather is hot, and your brain would rather empty the dishwasher than lace up your shoes. We also share the behind-the-scenes of real trail running prep: changing race plans to suit where the body is right now, getting kit sorted early, practising poles and fuelling, and why a full dress rehearsal run can calm race-week nerves. Becky talks through her OCC preparation, including a tight nutrition plan and how she’ll stay on top of eating every 20 minutes, while Dawn reflects on how daily rehab and strength work instantly improves run quality. Then Dawn delivers a straight-talking running motivation masterclass grounded in sports psychology and CBT-style behavioural activation: act first, then motivation follows. We cover if-then planning, removing friction, the pain and pleasure principles that drive behaviour, and Dawn’s Three S’s framework: keep it small, keep it simple, start before you’re ready. If you are a mid-pack runner trying to build habits that last, this one is for you. https://www.maverick-race.com/races/trail-series https://www.blacktothetrails.co.uk/ https://www.blacktrailrunners.run/ Subscribe, share the episode with a running friend, and leave us a review if it helps. What is the one thing that reliably gets you out the door when you cannot be bothered? Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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S1 · E2
August 5 · 42 min
Ultra Or Trail Runner
Email us You can run a marathon, you love the trails, and yet “ultra” still feels like a club you have to earn your way into. We get it, and we go straight at the question that trips up so many runners: do you have to race to be an ultrarunner, or can you simply train beyond 26.2 miles and claim the identity on your own terms? We share where we land, what the definition actually says, and why belonging in the ultra world has far more to do with curiosity and consistency than pace or bravado. We also pull back the curtain on the unglamorous parts of ultra training that make the difference on the day. Becky updates her UTMB prep, from managing Achilles and knee issues to navigating tapering tension and a run of poor sleep. We talk about “attention to detail” in a way that is practical, not preachy: following physio advice, staying on top of rehab and mobility, warming up properly, and building simple systems that stop small problems becoming race-ending ones. If you have ever told yourself you will do the strength work tomorrow, this will sound familiar. Then we get nerdy about the stuff that wins minutes and saves hours: checkpoint routines, cut-offs, grab-bag efficiency, kit flat lays, and fuelling cards that tell you what to eat and when. We share a few laughs too, including the medal debate and the kind of kit mistakes you only make once, unless you are us. Along the way we celebrate big moments in the sport, including inspiring midlife performances and UK ultra race results, and we answer listener questions about taking the leap from road marathons to a first 50k. If you are standing on the edge wondering whether you belong, press play and come and run with us. Subscribe, share the episode with a mate who is ultra-curious, and please leave a review so more trail runners can find the show. Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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S1 · E1
July 29 · 35 min
The friends we make on the trails.
Email us In their first proper episode, Dawn and Becky catch up on where they're both at — Dawn's coming back from 18 months of injury and reflects on her recent Racing the Planet Ultralight in Mongolia (44K on the long day, wild horses, and a camping experience she's still not over), while Becky is five weeks out from the OCC — one of the UTMB World Series races in Chamonix — after the course was extended to 64K with 3,500m of climbing. We also dig into some genuinely hot UTMB news: Chamonix's new mayor is raising concerns about the race's impact on the town and the Alps, and runner numbers may be heading for a cut. But the heart of this episode is what we keep coming back to — the community. Dawn tells the story of her “kinder introduction to trail running” (spoiler: it was anything but kind), and Becky shares how a stranger on the Spine Race became one of her closest friends — the kind of trail bond that turns up with water bottles when you've forgotten yours, 40 miles from home. In This Episode ● Dawn's comeback from long-term injury and her Racing the Planet Ultralight experience in Mongolia ● Becky's build-up to the OCC at UTMB week — the course changes, the cutoffs, and the nerves ● This week's UTMB news: Chamonix's new mayor and the debate over runner numbers ● Why trail running conversations are never about pace — it's “have you had a poo?” energy ● Dawn's unforgettable first proper trail outing on Kinder Scout in the Peak District ● Becky's Spine Race story — meeting Darren, a Mountain Rescue volunteer who became a lifelong trail friend ● Why there's “no ego” in ultra running, and how shared struggle builds real friendship Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health. Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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July 28 · 10 min
Taster Episode
Email us Welcome to Still Running Strong — a new podcast for midlife women who love ultra running. Not the elites, not the podium finishers — the mid-pack, the back-of-the-packers, the ones who are just there for the love of it. In this taster episode, hosts Becky and Dawn introduce themselves, share the (slightly smelly) story of how they met at an ultra race in Greece, and talk about why midlife might just be the strongest chapter yet — even while their bodies are changing shape around them. Expect honest conversations about perimenopause and menopause from lived experience (not medical advice — they're very clear on that), the friendships that ultra running builds, and why this podcast is for absolutely anyone who runs, walks, or ultra-walks their way through a race. In This Episode ● Who Becky and Dawn are, and what “mid-pack” really means ● How they met — a running retreat kitchen in the Lakes, and an unforgettable moment in a tent in Greece ● Why midlife is a new chapter, not a decline ● What listeners can expect from the show: real stories, practical tips, and guests with their own journeys to tell ● Why this isn't a professional advice podcast — just two women sharing what's worked for them Connect With Us Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates on new episodes, and get in touch if you've got a story to share — we'd love to have you as a guest. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health. Get In Touch Got a story about a trail friendship, or a question for us? We'd love to hear it — email us at stillrunningstrong@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram and Facebook. Still Running Strong is for general interest and entertainment only. We share our own personal experiences, not professional medical, nutritional, or training advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your training, diet, or health.
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