#theinspired Women’s Trail Weekend Adventure
Editors foreward: There’s no doubt there is a big movement among women in ultra running. Despite recent figures from the TRA showing a drop in women participating in trail races, groups like SheRaces and SheUltra are doing great things to encourage and promote women in racing. Race Directors are doing more to help women feel included, listened to, valued. Women do things differently, and a large proportion of the front of the pack female line up running the Winter Spine got together for a recce weekend. It wasn’t competitive, it wasn’t an excuse to size up the competition; it was simply a few women getting together because hey, when there’s a small group of you, you stick together, right?
The media around that recce resulted in two ordinary women being inspired and deciding they could do the same thing. “The inspired became the inspirational”. This is the story of that weekend.
Photo courtesy of ULTRA IMPOSSIBLE
By Janey Robinson
Sometimes, when you throw things out to the universe, absolute magic happens…this is what happened to a weekend at the end of March. Two amazing women, Marie and Sarah, who I knew vaguely through Instagram, had decided to organise a women’s trail weekend after being inspired by a similar weekend put on by women for a Spine recce. They wondered if other women would be interested and a big hell to the yes was the response they got from women in all areas of the UK.
When the call had first gone out I was pretty badly injured, not able to run and not sure when I’d be running again so I put my sensible head on. As much as I wanted to put my hand up and say me, me, me, I also didn’t want to take a place from someone else who wasn’t injured, as I knew this was going to be something special!
Photo courtesy of Alice Townend
However, the universe had my back as running was very slowly and carefully re-introduced in December, by January I was thinking well maybe it’s not an impossible dream. I messaged Marie, who’d I’d met the previous year at the National Running Show, and asked if they’d be interested in having a Physical Trainer, who is also an ultra runner (albeit injured right now), come along to give a talk on the importance of Strength and Conditioning for women. I got a message back very quickly to say yes please, we’d love to have you along and I was in. I now had a goal in the rehab plan to get me ready to tackle a group run/hike in the Lakes.
A very chatty WhatsApp group (which was wonderful) was set up in the lead up to the weekend. We were a pocket cheer squad for those of us doing events, sharing excitement over things like The Spine and The Barkleys, and we all ‘fessed up to feeling very nervous about the weekend. Meeting and running with new people en-masse felt intimidating and scary but then, after months of planning and chatting, we were there. We stayed in Rydal Bunk House, which was the perfect accommodation for a big group and dog friendly, and the weather forecast had improved.
Photo courtesy of ULTRA IMPOSSIBLE
Chat and excitement levels were HIGH for the Saturday adventure, which was a figure of eight through Ambleside, taking in Loughrigg and Wansfell. Friday night was chilled with getting to know each other, everyone doing what they wanted for food (no mass group food decision making needed phew) and also a collective sigh of relief as we all realised that about 9pm was everyone’s preferred bedtime!
Across the group we had a mixed bag of injured (not able to run), coming back from injury (under physio orders to take it easy) and tip top fighting fit runners. Saturday morning, and some keen beans amongst us went off to do Parkrun as a pre-run run. The rest of us were nosying through each others kit. It was the perfect way to see other packs, trainers amongst other bits that you have seen but not tried. There was a lot of different pack trying on happening and I think everyone added items to their run kit want/need list.
Photo courtesy of Alice Townend
The weather was again improved and was already warm at 9am, which was causing a lot of us huge indecision; long legs or shorts? This was not the weather we had been expecting! Saturday was a GLORIOUS day. Truthfully I went in to it with anxiety. This was going to be my longest run/hike since getting injured late last summer. Being in a large group, what if I couldn’t keep up, what if things started niggling during; what if; what if… I needn’t have worried.
This was THE MOST SUPPORTIVE group setting I have ever had the privilege to be part of. There was zero comparison. It was pure and simple women supporting each other. Frequent regroups, snack stops at the top of climbs, reminding each other to stop, look back and take in the view, checking in on each other.
Photo courtesy of Alice Townend
The bonus of coming through Ambleside before going up Wansfell was a stop at the chippy shop for, yes you’ve guessed it, chips and fat coke. Next level mid-adventure fuelling which I was very grateful for as I was ravenous again by the time we got to the top of Wansfell!
The Saturday evening was very focused around food and chatting over the day had by the different groups of walkers and run/hikers. Then some knowledge sharing from a GP in the group who specialises in menopause (we were mostly all of that age) and then myself talking about the importance of strength and conditioning for women, and especially ultra runners. I went to bed exhausted but buzzing after an absolutely epic day!
Photo courtesy of ULTRA IMPOSSIBLE
Due to dog commitments I had to head home on the Sunday so whilst they were all adventuring on the Horseshoe, I had the less scenic views of the motorway but the joy of the weekend hasn’t diminished. The WhatsApp is still just as chatty, future meetups being planned, many of us have been enabled to join the fun at the 13 Valleys Ultra 2 or 5 Valley races. This weekend wasn’t just a weekend, it was just the beginning of something very special for us all. I am very glad I grabbed the opportunity to be part of this weekend because these women are all phenomenal and inspirational in so many ways.
How would I sum up this weekend in a smaller number of words? It’s simple.
The VIEWS
The LAUGHTER
The SUPPORT
The JOY
By Siobhan Brennan
As a member of the inaugural meet organised by Marie and Sarah, I was lucky enough to bimble along, despite being injured.
The group WhatsApp became a safe space for us to talk about all matters important to us. One reoccurring theme came up again and again….. the Menopause and the difficulty we still have navigating this.
As a GP with an interest in the menopause and nutrition in ultrarunners, I offered to share my knowledge on the menopause. Focusing on the medical interventions but also on other core foundations for management of the changes the menopause triggers.
As ultrarunners, it can become very frustrating when our usual nutrition and training doesn’t give the result we want or traditionally achieved but it’s important to embrace the challenges the menopause triggers and truly understand the why.
Photo courtesy of ULTRA IMPOSSIBLE
It’s important to normalise talking about the symptoms of the menopause but also the often taboo symptoms that can cause embarrassment, misery, breakdown in relationships and trigger urine infections. Poor Tom did have to indulge me taking about vulvas and vaginas in the menopause and was an absolute gentleman. But this message needs to be normalised and openly discussed, without embarrassment and shame.
We talked about the medical options side by side with specific advice regarding diet in the menopause, especially protein and fibre, and talked about appropriate evidence based supplements that can help with symptoms.
Above all else, reinforcing movement, lifting heavy shit and jumping around to help our bone density and muscles was the parting comment.
Photo courtesy of Alice Townend
Looking after and investing in our future selves, not feeling guilty about that and living longer but also, with a better quality of life too.
The final message was to be proactive in your menopause journey. Start with lifestyle, diet, evidenced based supplements and consider HRT. All of these are relevant but your journey is specific to you and will need to be bespoke to your needs. Read only accredited information as there is a lot of menopause noise out there. Above all else, talk to your menopause lead GP in practice.
Be proactive, not reactive.
Knowledge is paramount.
Lift heavy shit.
Photo courtesy of ULTRA IMPOSSIBLE
Huge thanks to Alice Townend and ULTRA IMPOSSIBLE for sharing their photographs and to Janey Robinson and Siobhan Brennan for sharing their experiences.
Feeling inspired and want to join in? Contact Marie Burton!
