Running Won't Save You

This week Allie and Kirsty discuss being gaslighted by Hoka, the Kendal mountain festival, alcoholism, the not yet theory and emotional avoidance vs endurance plus we talk about our fave Xmiles snacks and try and answer the age old question am I ready for an ultra? What a show! The Running Won't Save You podcast is proudly sponsored by XMiles - you get 10% off all your orders using the code RWSY10...

Praise be Holly is back! This week it's a bit of a strength special because so many of you tell us you find the gym to be the hard thing - so we have got some ace info for you to get you started or keep you going - let us know if its helpful - PLUS there is an update on last weeks prick from the running club situation and Allies 5Km horror challenge. Keep your questions coming! The Running Won't S...

In this week episode, there's something for everyone from fell racing to butt plugs to pants. Allie and Kirsty discuss why we're all getting winter wrong, we answer some of your questions and launch an investigation into a man being an absolute bellend (I know - hard to believe). Let us know what you think in the comments! The Running Won't Save You podcast is proudly sponsored by XMiles - you get...

Holly's on erm...Hollyday, so we are absolutely thrilled to be joined by extra special friend of the show and backyard ultra world champion Sarah Perry! Sarah is not only one of the most wonderful humans ever to grace the earth but also one of the greatest ultrarunners this country has ever produced. From her first 30 miler to smashing the world record for the BYU, we talk about what it took to br...

In this week's highly professional and well-presented podcast, Allie and Kirsty cover pretty much everything from David Goggins to why they don't go to parties. Fresh off a lovely trip running up and down all the Northern Wainwrights, there is some hopefully inspiring chat about how to cope in harsh conditions on the hill, dealing with body image, the difficulties of changing your mind and how to...

This week Allie and Holly talk injuries and setbacks, where suffering actually comes from and the problem with entwining yourself worth with your hobby. Be warned - this one gets deep. Theres also some chat about the awesome Sarah Perry as she continues to smash the women's BYU record and we answer a listener question about the difficulties of time management - keep your questions coming via email...

Podcast favourite Kirsty Reade is back, and she knows what she's talking about which is a massive relief for everyone. This episode we talk a LOT about Tour Des Geantes and Tot Dret, discuss books, chat disaster planning, play a bit of hardness top trumps thanks to ChatGPT, and talk about why the word 'resilience' is totally misunderstood. Let us know what you think and send us your questions on t...

We're back! Our fourth season theme is Doing Hard Things and in this episode Holly and Allie talk about what we actually mean by that - and the results may surprise you. There's a lot of chat about mental health that some people may find triggering, some might find helpful and we try and answer the question why do we do these things when they have the ability to make us feel so shit? We would love...

Our end of season interview is here and we are thrilled to be joined by top sport psychologist Dr Josie Perry. In this episode we discuss the problem with Strava, how not to attach your identity to an outcome and how to define what success means to you to make your running more fun and fulfilling. There are also some really helpful tips on how to define your purpose and why it's important to do so...

Damo and Allie are back for the final co-host episode of the series to discuss Damians successful win at the Lakeland 100. Damo talks us through the highs and lows of the race, his focus, plan and how he exectued it but the big question is how many times wil he mention UTMB? Spoiler alert - it's a LOT. There are also some really bad jokes plus answers to your questions about his race. The Running...

Welcome to your diverse sports episode! This week Allie and Kirsty talk about football, golf and of course Via Ferratta (never forget) and are joined by a special guest in the form of Allie's sister Janey who at 55 has just completed her first 100 miler. There's also come chat about getting the race you deserve, the arrival fallacy and some book recommendations you may not be expecting - links bel...

This week Allie and Holly talk about Dan Lawson's incredible success on the SWCP, setting a new FKT and doing it in the quietest, simplest, and most pure way possible - we could all be a bit more like him? There's also some chat about Hollys most recent race at Ham and Lyme and as always, we answer some of your questions - keep them coming! The Running Won't Save You podcast is proudly sponsored b...

It's a packed show this week as Allie and Damo talk about Lakeland 100 prep, John Kellys' AT attempt and Dan Lawsons jog along the Southwest Coast path as well as answering some of your listener questions and discussing your successes. There are some discussions around HRT and menopause - links to what we discussed below. Keep your question's coming in because we love them! Renee's Webinar on meno...

Strap in everyone - this one goes deeeeeeep. This week Kirsty and Allie talk everything from AI induced sexism to being manhandled off a course. The bulk of the podcast focuses on defining success and the ways in which we can refocus ourselves to see the best and not worst in our efforts, how all circumstances are neutral and how to get the most out of our efforts. There are also some top tips sto...

Allie and Holly finally catch-up post Summer Spine and of course end up talking about foot flakes, chaffing, poo residue and how Jon Shield went, in their eyes, from zero to hero by failing to meet his own standards. Success takes many forms and sometimes not getting the result you want can be a huge win. There are a few shout outs for our own successful pod listeners, producers and mates and we s...

In this episode, Damian catches up with Allie just hours after her incredible win at the 160-mile Montane Summer Spine Challenger North. With one of them running on just 18 minutes of sleep, they attempt to piece together what happened — while trying (and mostly failing) to keep the conversation from descending into delirious nonsense. Allie shares how she framed and reframed her mindset before an...

She's back! This week Allie is rejoined by her friend, mentor, and hero Kirsty Reade - fresh of the back of an ego smashing race in Italy. In this episode we talk books (as always), ego, FUCKING INFLUENCERS, Italian mountains, Kevin Munt, tennis, skill, effort, and talent. PLUS, we try to answer the question do our definitions of success change with age? The Running Won't Save You podcast is proud...

Our season three opener covers everything from depression to tiny hippos as Allie and Holly dig into what success means to them. There's some interesting chat around societal vs personal success plus the usual catch up and rants - and who on earth actually thinks they can pace Killian at Western States? The Running Won't Save You podcast is proudly sponsored by XMiles - get 10% off all web orders...

Our season finale features the incredible Siân Longthorpe. Running has been an integral part of Siân’s life for the past 35 years. For many years, as a decent club runner, the focus was on training hard to race everything from 5Ks through to ultra marathons – both on the road and the trails – with a marathon PB of 2:35. However, since 2016, racing has largely taken a back seat, with running instea...

This week we have the Northern Traverse course recording holding, tea drinking, Danby Wiske hating Damian Hall co-hosting a podcast that we had to record twice because Allie deleted the first set of files. Find out what Damos best bits, worst bits and most babyish bits of the NT were, how he became both an unlikely fashion icon and a groundbreaking chef on the course plus when does and ultra just...

What have poodles, umbrellas, VIP boxes and the sky falling in got in common? They are all things that Kirsty saw on her incredible run from St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay on this year's Northern Traverse. In this episode Kirsty talks about comparing events when you've done them more than once, and how to know when you're ready to take on these huge distances. She also shares with us her newest endura...

This week Allie is joined by Holly straight off her incredible second place at The Speed Project - we talk about the highs and lows, the blood, sweat, tears and people telling you wrong distances. Theres a great 15 mins section at the end where we have all the hosts on for the first time ever, as Damian and Kirsty celebrate completions, wins and records set at the 200-mile Northern Traverse. What...

Thie weeks podcast is a bit different, and some might find it distressing from the start. Please jump straight to the interview at about 10 mins in if you don't want to hear about Allie's struggles with depression over the last few days. The main feature today is a brilliant interview between professional frenemies Damian Hall and John Kelly. They discuss what made the Barkley so hard this year an...

There is discussion about mental health crisis and suicidal ideation from the start. This week Allie is re-joined by podcast fave Kirsty Reade who has once again 'done the research' and has a whole host of interesting stuff to share. You can expect chat about Bullshit Comparisons (the excellent book by Andrew Brookes) Josie Perry's top tips for not comparing yourself to others and why our sense of...

Brace yourself! (that's a super funny joke about this week's pod....) This week is a Holly Stables special where we talk about all things Speed Project before she jogs off into the sunset via some horrendous roads, deserts and bitey things. This episode has some ace questions for you lot plus a brilliant conversation about what we shall call Inspiring Comparison - the stuff that lifts us up and ke...