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.

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.

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.