Email us

Three letters can undo months of training if we let them: DNF. We’ve both seen how “did not finish” gets translated into something far harsher, and today we slow it right down and tell the truth about what those letters can and cannot mean in ultra running and trail running.

We start with the real-world choices that sit behind a result, like Dawn dropping down to a shorter race distance to protect an ankle and keep her long-term running intact. Becky shares what it’s like to return to a structured training plan with more speed work, drills, and strength training focused on Achilles resilience, plus the recovery basics that actually move the needle: sleep, routine, and not trying to be a hero when you’re run down.

Then we get into the heart of the mindset work. A DNF doesn’t tell you whether you ran 10 miles or 90, whether you were injured, hypothermic, timed out, underfuelled, or simply having a terrible day. We talk about that moment when the thought “I could stop” appears, why safety and navigation change the stakes in long races, and how to use a physical reset and a mental reset before making a decision you might regret. You’ll also hear why we love the idea of getting curious rather than judgemental when you debrief a DNF, so you can learn and come back stronger.

If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a running friend, and leave us a review. What’s your DNF or DNS story, and what did it teach you?

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

Most of us have enjoyed the elation of finishing a race and breaking across the finish line, and that euphoria can last minutes, hours, sometimes a couple of days. But sometimes we can unexpectedly feel low a few days later. We have both felt that post-race emotional drop, and we want to say it out loud: it is common, it is human, and it deserves as much attention as sore legs and tired feet.

We dig into what sits underneath “post-race blues” in trail running and ultra running. Yes, there can be a chemical comedown, but we think the bigger story is the full-body aftermath: disrupted sleep, lingering pain, dehydration, decision fatigue and the sudden disappearance of a goal that has organised your life for months. When training, kit planning, travel logistics and race-day focus vanish overnight, the mind can feel like it has lost its scaffolding. We talk about learning to sit with those feelings without turning them into a brutal performance review, and without chasing the next high just to stop the discomfort.

Then we get practical. We share simple emotional recovery planning that actually works, from setting up comforting food and a clean bed to protecting proper rest and connection in the days after a race. We also switch into detective mode on a wider issue: why ordinary midlife women are still so hard to spot in mainstream trail running advertising, and what that absence says about belonging and visibility in our sport.

If any of this rings true, hit play, then come back and tell us your post-race ritual. Subscribe, share with a running friend, and leave us a review so more mid-pack stories find their people.

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 cross a finish line after an ultra and everyone expects a euphoric rush. But what if you feel proud and relieved, yet also a bit flat, sore, and quietly confused about why you ever signed up? That question sparks a proper, honest chat between us, Becky and Dawn, about what really keeps runners running when the sport is hard, time-consuming, and sometimes downright miserable in the moment.

We share the most resonant reasons we heard back from our community: running as freedom, headspace, mental health support, time alone, time in nature, and the simplest possible way to feel like yourself again. We also explore curiosity and challenge, from wanting to see what lies beyond marathon distance to the satisfaction of training towards something that matters. If you love trail running, ultra running, or just getting out the door when life is busy, you will recognise the mix of grit and joy that sits underneath it all.

Then we widen the lens to midlife. Perimenopause and menopause can shift energy, mood, confidence, and how we feel in our bodies, and we talk about how running can anchor identity at a time when women often feel less visible. We get into the practical side too: mindset, strength and conditioning, sleep, hydration, nutrition, recovery, coaching, and why small improvements across many areas can compound into real progress. Finally, we kick off a light-hearted investigation into representation in trail running marketing, and ask why midlife women seem to disappear from adverts unless they are elite athletes.

If any of this hits home, listen now, share it with a running friend, and then subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what keeps you running and what goal you refuse to write off.

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.