Women's Running April 2022

A few years ago, I wrote a feature for this magazine made up of advice from women who had run marathons. I wanted everyone’s experience – athletes, trailblazers, and the woman next door. I sent a million emails, and sat back and waited. The day I received one back from Kathrine Switzer, I almost fell off my chair. Along with Kathrine, I sought out wise words from Susie Chan, Charlotte Purdue, Jada Sezer, Joyce Smith and Mel Bound among many others. The advice ranged from the general ‘Don’t worry about anyone else’ to the more specific ‘Don’t cut your toenails the night before the race’, and there were about 4,000 more words inbetween. It was, in my opinion, probably the best bunch of advice that any woman contemplating her first marathon…

Emma Kirk-Odunubi Emma is a sports scientist & strength coach who has been in the running industry for over 15 years and, with her partner, set up Bulletproof Athletic (bulletproofathletic.com) to empower runners to achieve their goals. An avid runner and an experienced gait analyst, Emma is keen to use her knowledge to educate on injury prevention and running form. This issue, she explains how we can all avoid shin splints in Clinic on page 20. Anna Harding Anna has a passion for all kinds of running, from social chatty runs with friends, to road marathon racing and epic ultra marathons in the mountains. She loves setting big running goals and isn’t afraid to make mistakes along the way as she learns to improve. She’s also one of the presenting team on The…

The organisation Period Education UK has called for action to improve menstrual education for both girls and boys across the UK, insisting that resources and training need to be made available to all teachers, as well as the development of peer support groups for young people within schools to encourage open conversations around periods. Period Education UK’s study found the lack of informative menstrual cycle education in schools is caused by inadequate teacher education, resources, confidence and time, and results in reduced attendance, performance and participation in physical activity by girls. The study insists that social and emotional dimensions must be considered in menstrual cycle education, to empower girls to manage their cycle and seek help where needed. Read the new findings at periodeducation.org. Raising awareness of RED-S Pippa Woolven, a Team GB…

All that glisters Glitter all the way to the finish line with these Designed by Sports 7/8 leggings. They come in a range of stand-out designs, but we love the flashes of gold on this pair. We also love the high waistband, soft fabric and two large thigh pockets (plus essential rear zip pocket). They take the gold medal for lovely leggings this issue! £39.99, designedbysports.co.uk Sunset vibes Bring a pop of summer sun to your workouts with the Arc’teryx Taema tank. It excels in moisture management, banishes body odour, repels water and sits softly on the skin for ultimate comfort. £45, arcteryx.com Hope rises like a Fenix Garmin has done it again with the new Fenix 7 launch! It’s a rugged multisport watch that contains all the features and functions you could ever dream of. It…

Muscular aches and pains, soreness, tightness and muscle injuries are common in runners,” says physiotherapist Sammy Margo, from Deep Heat and Deep Freeze (deep-heat.co.uk/deepfreeze.co.uk). “Muscular pain and injuries occur when the trauma you are inflicting on your legs exceeds the rate at which you can recover.” A muscle strain, or pulled muscle, occurs when a muscle is overstretched or torn. This usually occurs because of fatigue, overuse or improper use of a muscle. “Strains can happen in any muscle, but in runners, they are most common in your hamstring, which is the muscle behind your thigh, and lower back,” says Sammy. Two common injuries in runners, while not directly muscle injuries, can be aggravated by tight muscles in the calves and feet. Firstly, plantar fasciitis, which is pain on the bottom of…

Research from WUKA(wuka.co.uk), which provides reusable and leak-proof period wear, shows that whether it’s leakage, cramps or general wellbeing, 80 per cent of women who exercise say that their periods impact their workout schedule. Academic research reveals that, during ovulation (day 14 of the menstrual cycle), women are at their strongest and during the luteal phase (day 14-21 of the menstrual cycle), bodies are not primed for high intensity training. WUKA’s own research reveals that the majority of women plan workouts around their period. Unsurprisingly, two in three women say they avoid swimming during their period and although one in six of us fear that exercise while menstruating is harmful, the majority (64 per cent) say that exercising while they’re on their period actually improves mental wellbeing. Looking at how menstruating and…