SERIES 3: NEW ~ ‘I knew I couldn’t quit’ with Clare Smyth

SERIES 3: NEW ~ ‘Building a body for life’ with Talilla Henchoz

For this final episode of Plodcasting series 3, I head out on a run (out in the rain) with Tallila Henchoz, founder of online training platform, Club 5 as well as Leap Academy, an online fitness course and qualification provider, a successful fitness and lifestyle influencer and friend of mine! I have got to know TJ over the last couple years whilst working for Instate and we have had many deep chats, as well as a lot of laughs. I love how open she is in person and on her instagram, in particular about relationships so I can’t wait to dive deeper into her relationships with her body, her training, others and her work. She talks a lot about body positivity and building a strong body, as well as the importance of truly loving who you are before you start diving into deep romantic connections. We will explore why this is important to her, from her experiences with an eating disorder growing up, her forming of relationships with the opposite sex over the years, why training is her medicine and whats next in Tj’s career. We get into quite a bit detail abut TJ’s past experience with her eating disorders, in particular annorexia. Largely because, what she has learnt about this time has really helped her define the strong woman she is now. More than ever, it is hugely important to discuss mental health and contribute to this conversation. The following information to describe eating disorders was taken from the Beat, one of the leading helplines for eating disorders, website. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses affecting people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and backgrounds. People with eating disorders use disordered eating behaviour as a way to cope with difficult situations or feelings.  Weight and shape may be a big factor in someone with anorexia’s sense of self-worth. This can lead to them checking their body regularly, or else trying to avoid scales and mirrors. The way people with anorexia see themselves is often at odds with how others see them – they often have a distorted image of themselves, and think they’re larger than they really are. They experience a deep fear of gaining weight, and will usually challenge the idea that they should. If you have listen to this podcast and think you or someone else might be with an eating disorder, please contact Beat for help. The UK landline is 08088010677or their email is help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk I wanted to include the latter for understanding of Tj’s experience but it is worth noting every eating disorder is individual and may be interconnected with other issues, like both myself and TJ experienced. I am wrapping up this series of Plodcasting until after the London Marathon, but we will be back with more amazing stories to share! I really hope you have enjoyed listening as much as I have enjoyed sharing these plods with my guest!

SERIES 3: NEW ~ ‘The path that found me’ with Emily Pullan

I headed out running in Richmond Park with Emily Pullan, aka the midwife PT. An NHS Midwife, but also a fully qualified personal trainer, who is using her unique combination of skills to better support women, in particular mums and mums to be. I have previously worked with Emily supporting pre and post natal clients. She is a brilliant trainer and a fountain of knowledge, so I was very excited to pick her brains on how we can be better supporting women and some of the myths around training in pregnancy. She helps debunk some of these myths, and offers tips on improving pelvic floor, especially if wanting to continue running whilst pregnant. Despite the enormous dissatisfaction being experienced and expressed within Midwifery, she is innately passionate about supporting pregnant patients and clients, and eager to continue driving change for the next generation of midwives. One example is how she has carved out a niche in her career. In order to continue her momentum as a passionate midwife, she has managed to mould a schedule that enables her the space to train and support pre and post natal clients through exercises, as well as find time for looking after herself outside of midwifery or PT. She is a true inspiration to others working across all fields of the healthcare system in regards to time management, keeping fit and healthy, and advocating a sustainable work life balance. Her top tips are, start small, don’t over commit to too much, to soon in terms of exercise and find a coach (if you can), even if it is just some online accountability. Emily is currently in training for the London Marathon, and using Running Mind, which is great to hear she is absolutely loving because they listen and adapt her plan based on what is going on in the present. And the best bit, they take away any of the thinking! Enjoy listening

SERIES 3: NEW ~ ‘Nothing is impossible’ with Chloe Trigg

I head out on a plod with Chloe Trigg, fellow personal trainer and endurance athlete. She is currently working as Head trainer for Blok and committed to lots of events this year including 2 ultras. Chloe was diagnosed with OCD in her teens, which subsequently became a hurdle in a number of goals she had set out for herself, such as trying out for the army. Chloe has found fitness as a way to embrace how mentally and physically strong she can be, and to feel in control of her body. According to OCD Action, OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder is a clinically recognised disorder which affects around 1-2% of the population. It is debilitating and paralysing. People with OCD experience intensely negative, repetitive and intrusive thoughts, combined with a chronic feeling of doubt or danger aka the obsession. In order to comfort the thought and quieten the anxiety, they will often repeat an action, again and again aka the compulsion. One of the greatest challenges that people with OCD face is the need to fight both the enormous stigma attached to mental health disorders and the widely held belief that OCD is a mild problem that is nothing more than hand washing. Many people now use the term “a bit OCD-ish” without understanding the consuming and paralysing nature of the disorder. It is incredibly important to open up the conversation around all mental health disorders and issues, so I am very passionate about sharing Chloe story to help provide anyone listening with a bit more understanding. You may not suffer with OCD but may know if someone who is. I do want to pre warn you, there may be some triggering stories in this podcast, of which Chloe describes as dark thoughts related to self harm, so if you think certain thoughts/compulsions may be triggering to hear then feel free to skip ahead when Chloe gives you the nudge to do so.

SERIES 3: NEW ~ ‘I knew I couldn’t quit’ with Clare Smyth

What a privilege to head out running with Clare Smyth, the only British Female Chef to hold 3 Michelin stars in the UK and only fourth British chef in history! She is the incredibly dedicated and hardworking owner of Core in London and Oncore in Sydney. She is a living legend! Clare has been on many podcasts, but this was a completely new experience for her as we recorded on the move! We discuss growing into a chef, learning the ropes in the kitchen from some of the best at such a young age, her achievements to date and tips for budding entrepreneurs, and last but not least the importance of fitness and exercise for her and her industry. I am lucky enough to know Clare through Instate Fitness, where I first hand see her hardworking nature and determination at play. Clare is the sort of person you could chat with forever and not get bored. An inspiration, so much experience to share and advice to be able to pass on to anyone. Enjoy listening!

SERIES 3: NEW ~ Running for England with Lucy Reid

In the first episode of Series 3, I am incredibly excited to meet with my guest, who I have been trying to get on this podcast since Series 1. Unfortunately, due to injuries it never quite worked. Today I head out on a walk in Battersea park with Lucy Reid, England 10k and half marathon runner, who last year she ran the Copenhagen half marathon in an impressive 70 minutes! Having worn her England vest to race 10k in Valencia the weekend prior we sensibly decided to go for a walk rather than a run, to allow her a bit more recovery. I am secretly grateful as clearly I wouldn’t be able to keep up! Lucy is a humble, but inspiring athlete. She has overcome many setbacks in her career from injury but also achieved huge amounts of success. Working a busy 9-5 she is disciplined yet realistic with her training. We will be chatting about how she got into running, some of her most memorable races, how she tackles her racing and stays resilient, fitting in training blocks around her work, coping with injury and the advice she has for others, where she wants to head with her running and what she wants to see happen for the future of the running community. This is a fascinating conversation with lots to learn from, so enjoy!