SPEAKER_00 0:12

Hello and welcome to another episode of Empower Your Men and Pause, the podcast where we dive deep into the topics that matter most to women navigating this incredible stage of life. I'm James Ellis, your host, joined by my fabulous co-host and business partner Julia Medesi. Together we're here to help you reclaim your energy, confidence, and sparkle. Now, those of you watching on YouTube will see there's a third window with us here today, and today I'm incredibly absolutely buzzing to bring in a conversation with someone who's not only an incredible athlete, but also a very good friend of mine. It's the lovely Laura Watts. Now, Laura is one of the UK's top female ultrarunners, she's got an awe-inspiring track record. She's completed some of the world's toughest endurance events, including three finishes at the legendary Badwater 135. You can see she's wearing a Badwater t-shirt if you're watching this. She was the first British woman to do that. She's also completed the iconic Spartathlon and the Florida Keys 100. Now Laura and I first met on the ultrarunning scene a couple of years ago, but we really got to know each other during Spartathlon, where we ran the last, I think it was about 60 miles side by side, and then most recently I had the honour of actually crewing and buddy running her on her attempt at Badwater this year, where we did about 80 miles through the desert together. Let's just say we had plenty of time to chat on the road. So we're going to talk about Laura's incredible journey as an ultrarunner, how she juggles her life as Virgin Atlantic cabin crew with training and racing, and the lessons she's learned along the way. Plus, we're going to explore a little bit how she's navigating her health and hormonal changes as a woman in her 40s. So grab a coffee, lace up your trainers, or just settle in for what promises to be an inspiring chat. Welcome to the show, lovely, lovely Laura Watts.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Thank you very much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

So Laura, why don't you tell us a little bit, for those listening who don't know you, what's your story in a nutshell? Tell us a little bit about you.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Um my name's Laura, I'm 47 years old. Um I live on the South Coast, um near Bogner Regis in um West Sussex with my husband Matthew, and we both work for Virgin Atlantic. Um I'm a flight service manager and he is a captain. And my other um major passion in life, as you've just said, James, is running, especially ultramarathons.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

So how's working for Virgin Atlantic, Laura? And what's the most exciting part of your job? You mentioned that Matthew is your husband, and you obviously fly around the world together. Tell us a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Yeah, um, no, I love my job. I've worked for Virgin Atlantic for nearly 28 years now, and what I started to join there just for a year just to travel. Um, but yes, 28 years later I'm still there. Um, but I just love the job. Every day is different. I love working with people, the crew I work with, um, and our customers on board, you know. I just love making people happy, uh making a massive difference to their journey and their experience. So, yeah, and I mean I love my down route time as well. So when I every destination we fly to, because it's long haul, we always stay at least 24 hours. So um, I've always got an opportunity to go running in a really cool place in the world, which is a big plus for me, um, as well as the actual job that I do that I love as well. And I fly with my husband, um, and a lot of people wouldn't want to work with their other halves, but um yeah, we love working together as well. So we were down route, you know, we've always got so we can do fun things together. Um that's no, so it's good.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

That's so cool. So, just out of curiosity, when did you first get into running? Like what what made you decide to lace up a pair of running shoes and especially get into ultra running in particular? Because that's not a small thing to do.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Yeah, no, exactly. Um I basically was ran ran at school. Um, I was in the athletics team and the cross country team, um, and but I didn't properly start running until I went to watch the London Marathon in 2002, and I was completely inspired by just watching how hard everyone was trying, and just the you know, I was a mile 20, and you know, people were kind of hitting the wall, and I just thought this is incredible, I want to be part of this. So then I literally went home that night, went for a run. I thought, right, next year I'm doing the London Marathon, got myself a charity place, and um yeah, and then the rest has been history really um throughout like say in the 2000s, I was doing like one marathon a year, and then I got a bit more crazy and running two marathons a year. So I'd always like run, just sort of, you know, maybe doing 10k races or small, you know, just training runs. But it wasn't until 2016 when I discovered ultra marathons. I'd never even knew these things exist. I didn't know how anyone could literally run one step more than a marathon, which I thought was the hardest thing ever. But um I sort of heard about an ultra an ultra um, it was 100 kilometres from London to Brighton, and I just thought, I want to have a go at that. You know, what's the worst that can happen? I know I can run a marathon distance, you know, if I have to walk it. And I actually signed up for it and I absolutely loved it. It was just I loved the um fact, well, you run first. Well, when I first started running ultras, you know, I was running slower, I was walking up the hills, got to eat on the course. I thought this is great, you get to eat. It's um, you know, and um I did really I did really well um you know, for my first one, and then I was like hooked on you know pushing myself and what the human body can achieve basically.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

Was there a point where you actually said, right, that's it, ultras are my thing. I'm not really going back to anything much less than than a marathon.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

Yeah, I think um probably when I started doing that, we I mean it wasn't all an easy, like easy journey because say I did the 100k and that was great, and then I I was a bit I was a bit cocky. I thought, let's try 100 miles, you know. And but the first time I attempted 100 miles at the North Downsway 100, I quit at 75 miles because obviously 100 miles is a lot further than um 100 kilometres, and you know, I didn't realise the highs and lows of ultra running, and you know, I was I was sort of it was the middle of the night, I was cold, it was dark, you know. I was like, what am I doing? And you know, I was I with hindsight now, I could have walked, you know, just walked it out. Once the once daylight came, I would have felt so much better. And anyway, it was a learning experience, as every ultra really is. But once I completed a hundred-mile race, then that was probably in 2017. Um from then on, I I was always focused on ultras. Um, it's I just love them. I love the community as well, um, the people you meet, and plus the feeling of achievement when you do finish an ultra marathon. It's incredible.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

For sure. I I know that um exercise in general, but especially the people I know who run, because I've run a couple marathons myself, but I'm I don't consider myself a runner. I'm more of a hiker-cyclist kind of person. So um I but I do know a lot of people find that running helps with their mental health. Do you do you find that? And and how does that how does that play in for you?

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Yeah, oh no, definitely. Um, I mean, a lot of not many people probably would like know this, apart from like say my husband and my immediate family, as I have struggled with like mental health throughout the years, probably since when I was a teenager, you know, I've gone through periods of anxiety, depression, I've been on antidepressants, um, but running is that thing, yeah, you're so right. The feeling you get from exercise, um, endorphins, even if you think I'll just do 10 minutes or I'll just do 20 minutes, it's just makes you feel, and you always do generally do a little bit more than that, um, you know, and you feel honesty, you feel amazing amazing from just sort of getting out there and having that time to think, um, be on your own, um, and just I don't know what it is, it's the affiliate of the endorphins way, way um outpower than sort of negative energy that you're feeling at that time. So troubly, sometimes it's just hard if if you're if you're in a low position, getting yourself out the door, but you know, it's general generally exercise and running, anything outdoors, you feel great.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

We've shared a lot of those highs and lows together on the road over the last year or so. Um, and it's almost like a microcosm at times, isn't it, of our own mental health? Is sometimes you're on a high when you're running, and sometimes you can be on an incredible low, you know. You and I were running through the desert at Badwater during the night, weren't we? And uh I think we're both on a massive lull at the time, struggling to get you to to the finish there. So, what do you do then from a mental point of view that helps you navigate those sort of like ups and downs during a race?

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Yeah, um that's a good no, it's a good question. It's I think the thing is I break the um breaking the race down into the smaller chunks is um one thing I do. So I and I know now that these lows are not gonna last forever. I just I know that um yeah, they're I will ride through them as as you say, and just gotta just all I have to think about is I am not finishing this race without getting my buckle or without getting my medal. You know, failure is not an option. Um so yeah, that's basically um how I attack it and just keep moving forward, just one step at a time.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

I guess that's something that comes with experience, then the more you do, the more mentally resilient you've become, would that be right?

SPEAKER_01 9:28

Oh yeah, yeah, no, definitely. Like when I look back to say 2016 when I tried the North Downsway 100, um, you know, I was really not clueless, but I wasn't I wasn't mentally strong at all. I just, you know, now yeah, say the feeling of finishing is incredible, but like you said, parts of the race, like what in Badwater when we were together and I was throwing up. I mean, I sorry, I do I still feel so bad about what you had to endure watching me, but you know, I had like literally no food in me, no water. Um, but I just had to sort of suck it up and just think, okay, it's gonna be, you know, in 46 hours, for example, this will be over and I will be feeling on top of the world. Um, but yeah, the mental toughness. That's why I find it incredible. Young, you know, ultra running is generally an old, not an older person, not saying I'm old, but when you see people in their 20s doing ultras, I think it's so amazing that they've got that mental. I probably didn't have it in my 20s, that mental resilience.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

Yeah, it feels as though you need to have had a little bit of a um an up and down, up and down time in life as well, doesn't it? To actually have that mental resilience and fortitude, I think, to to keep going. And you've you've clearly adapted that really well over the years.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

Yeah, no, I think um no, I think I have now. I mean, some still sometimes you know you're in a race and you think, oh god, this is like this is horrendous. What's wrong? Why am I doing this? You know, but then you just have to knock that negative um thought out of your head and just think, no, I'm really lucky to be doing this. Because a lot of people, you know, have never would never experience it. And no, I'm really, really lucky to be able to run and you know, have sort of the health to be able to do it as well.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

Well, you know, talking about ups and downs and highs and lows, I mean, having to work on different shift patterns, which is not an easy thing to do, and plus you fly all over the world to so many different places. How how do you fit running into such a demanding schedule?

SPEAKER_01 11:29

Yeah, no, I mean, I sort of do have to try and listen to my body um where I can because sometimes, you know, when you are jet lagged or you have not you've hardly had any sleep, to drag yourself out for a run can be like difficult. Um, I am actually part-time now at work, so um I have like a 52% contract, so I do have a lot more time like for running um and stuff like that. But even so, I'm the day I get home from work, you know, if I land early in the morning and I've managed to have a bit a few hours' sleep, then I'll try and do like an easy jog or an you know, an easy like maybe a hike on the tread or something like that. But um sometimes if I'm really not feeling it, I will just leave it and I think right, I'll start tomorrow afresh and you know, do like a longer workout or maybe a double session if um you know if I feel particularly guilty about missing something. But I think yeah, it's um it's it can be hard, but I'm also trying to you know sleep, like sleep when I can, um and not try and put too much pressure on sleeping because you know what it's like. If you go, I'm rubbish, um, if I go east and you know you can't sleep at night, and then you lay there and you're like tossing and turning, and in your head you're sort of getting a bit stressed, thinking, Oh, my wake-up call's gonna come at 7am, and I it's now three and I haven't slept yet, and so it's you know, I'm still not very good at it, but it's hard. I try to try and relax and try and do some meditation and you know just think, oh well, what will I just get and you know, just get on with it.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Yeah. One person who is obviously very good at it is Matthew, your husband. You mentioned him before. I know that when I was at Badwater with him, when uh there was a time when I took over the driving for a while and he got in the back and had a sleep, and he was just off in like seconds, and it must be something that you almost train yourself to do when you when you're working these sort of like crazy shift patterns, or you're piloting and you might get a rest break in the middle of a flight and things like that.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

Yeah, no, he is a champion sleeper. I would love to have some of his um what he's got to be able to sleep, like sleep like that. Um, whereas, yeah, I'm not such a great sleeper.

SPEAKER_00 13:25

Yeah. So with some of the things you just talked about there, this idea that although you're working part-time now, you can be in one place one day and then a couple of days later you're it somewhere else. How can you actually organise a training schedule around that? Is there a typical training week for you, or is there no such thing as a typical week given that you're a cabin crew as well?

SPEAKER_01 13:53

Yeah, no, you're right. Um I I generally sort of look at the week because I don't have a coach, I am a bit of a I do wing it a bit, but um yeah, I'll look at the week and just see what days I've you know got sort of available and I'll try and sort of do a a speed session, um, which I generally do on my Peloton tread um at home. So I just find it so much easier to do like a hit class or an intervals class when you've got an instructor telling you um so I'll do like one of them. I'll and depending on the race coming up, you know, I've normally try and um do like a couple of either a marathon at the weekend or two marathon marathon Saturday, a marathon Sunday. Um if I'm off, you know, I try and swap my flights around as well to so I can get to these marathons, which rather than doing a 20-mile training run, I kind of like to go and do a marathon at um these sort of there's quite a few events near me, and they're so friendly, they're timed events where say it's a seven-hour event, and you either do one lap, you get a medal, that's say 5k, or you could do eight laps, which is a marathon, you still get the same medal, or you could even go further, you could run for the whole seven miles. But I'd so I quite like to go to them, um, get I know I'll get a medal, um, and it motivates me a bit more and see some see some running friends as well. But yeah, I just sort of look at the week ahead and just will pencil in what I'm planning to do. But sometimes obviously it doesn't go like that, and you just have to adapt.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Sure. When you when you've been travelling around, uh do you have a favourite place out of all these places that you've visited to to run then? I mean, I I look at your Instagram feed sometimes, Laura, and I'm absolutely uh amazed, you know. One day you're in New York, the next you'll be in LA, the next you'll be somewhere else, and you know, loads of pictures of you grinning and looking rather athletic in locations that aren't the south coast of England.

SPEAKER_01 15:36

Yeah, not downtown Bogneregius, no. Um, yeah, so no, I um I got we do I do a lot of American flights, which I love. I mean, you can't beat running in New York. I love like running down the Hudson. Um, and you could just run for miles. I'd run down the Hudson, go over the Brooklyn Bridge, um, anywhere to get a photo opportunity. Um, but any like literally every place we go to, really, apart from when we fly to India, we you can't really run outside there. It's a bit cra crazy with the traffic, and they don't really advise us going outside. And Lagos in Nigeria is another place we're not actually allowed to leave the hotel. So I have to go into the gym in those locations. But I mean, every literally everywhere, like Washington, I just did a really cool run. I ran into um where the National Mall is to the Congress and the Capitol building. I mean, LA, you've got the Hollywood Hills, Miami, Key Biscayne. It's really it's I'm very lucky to have some cool places. Boston, I like run along the um Charles River up to Harvard University. So I'm always looking when I get my roster, where can I run? And so try and find some new, but even like Cape Town, not that I haven't been there for a couple of years, but Cape Town's a beautiful city to run in as well. Absolutely gorgeous. Nice.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

So out of curiosity, what if if somebody, you know, if there's a woman over 40 is thinking, wow, this all sounds really cool, if maybe they want to start running, what what tips would you give them, especially because they might be feeling a little intimidated? Oh, I'm starting so old, and you know, what what do I do?

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Oh yeah. I mean, there is you're never, never too old. Um, I mean, I've never tried it, but I know a lot of people have um rave about couch to 5k. And also online, you can find quite a few train pans. But what I'd say, if you did want to just get yourself, yeah, get yourself some trainers and just maybe try run for a minute, walk for four, and just repeat that five times. Literally as simple as that, or whatever you feel, you know, whatever someone would feel comfortable doing, or maybe just think, right, I'll just try and run for a mile, or just gonna, you know, run to the end of the road, and then it's amazing, just gradually doggy sized chunks, um, just gradually build up. You know, if you could do a mile, then you could do that 1.5 miles, or you know, if you've got a friend, maybe go to park run, um, because that's all they're always really inclusive. Doesn't people walk park runs? So you can, you know, you've got the guys that are sprinting at the front of the pack, and you've got you know the people walking it. It's there's something for everyone. Um, or even if you felt confident signing up for like a 5k race in you know, six months' time, just look at it, don't look at the big whole picture of sort of running, but just build up really slowly and um, or you know, maybe in the gym. So it's a it's harder at this time of year now because it's getting dark at four o'clock, and I know a lot of people don't really want to go out running in the dark. Um, so you know, if you are tired to having to run after work, you know, maybe go to the gym and get on the treadmill and again do the same thing, just sort of, or even you know, hiking or put this treasure and incline and do um just just movement in general, and it'll be amazing if you you think you can't run, but just just starting slowly. I think anyone can um, you know, and obviously not everyone because some people have got knee knee problems, and you know, but that's what the bike's for or swimming. But um go for it, I'd say.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

When you when you actually graduate onto the longer that stuff then Laura, how do you actually stay energized? Because it's a long way, isn't it? I know you mentioned eating on the go before, but for people who are looking at sort of like maybe extending their running capabilities and going sort of like beyond half marathons into marathons and potentially trying ultras out. Do you have any tips around that? Sort of like feeding strategies or or energy levels?

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Yeah, I mean, nutrition isn't really my strong point. Um, I'm not the best at um nutrition, but I would, you know, I've got all the advice that I don't take myself, but you know, I'd definitely say, you know, obviously eat like eating a really just you know a balanced diet normally, you know, having a um, you know, I've either have sort of a jacket potato or pasta the sort of the night before, but you know, try just trying out different gels. I mean, there are obviously gels are really popular. I personally really just like the traditional jelly babies. Um, I was talking to a guy at Precision Hydration who are a new um, they do you know electrolytes and different gels and things like that. And he did say if you just have like a palm full of um jelly babies, I think that's the same as having a gel, or I think that's about 30 grams of carbs. Um, but or whatever, you know, whatever you can tolerate, but try it on your training runs. Just take out a little bag of jelly babies or haribos or you know, try a couple go online and try a couple of gels and just see what you know works for you. But definitely try it in the training. Um, but I mean some people you know will have like banana, I mean I don't like bananas, but bananas are really popular. Um flapjacks, any you know, I just think it's all about trying and just whatever works for you, and just don't try it new on if you were to try it on a on a race day.

SPEAKER_00 20:40

So it's a case of trial and error, then, really, isn't it? I I guess when it comes to those kind of things, working out what works for you individually.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

Yeah. I think so, yeah, because we're I mean that's the thing, we're all we're all different, um, and um there is no sort of science, just whatever, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:59

Yeah. So just one fun question. What's one piece of running kit that you just can't live without? What's your favourite bit?

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Oh, that's um yeah, that is a that is a really good question. Um oh, well, I mean, obviously my Garmin watch is I just can't go because you know, if I haven't recorded it, um I know it's quite traditional, but I do love to see my distance um, you know, and then go obviously translate it onto Strava, because if it doesn't go on Strava, it didn't happen. Um, but I do have another piece of um kit which is a slightly obscure, it's um some nappy rash cream, which um I can't live without on orders now because um I did when I was at Badwater um a couple of years ago, I think I got about 70 miles and I went to the toilet. And I'm sorry to be graphic, but I my bottom had a bit of a rash on it and it was quite sore, and I was like oh god. Anyway, my one of my crew at the time, Brian, he's like, Oh, you've got to try this. So um some American nappy rash cream called Decitin. So that was a game. changer and i've since learned you know if you're running a race in a humid place you can put it on your feet so it could because it creates like a waterproof barrier so that's another room that between that and my garmin are my two your two go-to's live without yeah i think i probably i think i probably know the answer to to my next question laura you've done some incredible stuff you've finished the keys 100 a couple of times you've done spartathlon you've done bad water three times now which is the standout memory or particularly tough time that you've had that really sort of like stays with you that you you're really proud of out of all the all the amazing runs that you've done that is so yeah that is such a difficult question because yeah they've all they've all meant meant so much and every like ultra has been so difficult um I mean sparsathlon finishing that for the fact of the distance the 70 there's 75 timing checkpoints where which you have to obviously get through and being you know not the fastest of runners it was like a a real real challenge and that you know getting down getting to the finish line and kissing the feet of kick king Leonides was the most incredible feeling but um again bad water I mean that's it's got my heart in Death Valley um it's so tough it's the dis you know it's the heat it's you know we've experienced temperatures of 50 degrees like 126 degrees Fahrenheit um and the fact last year when I was just couldn't stop being sick you know and that was a real it was so tough I just kept having to like just grind it out and then the sense of achievement there was spartathan bad water to equals I find it so difficult to find to decide yeah the difference uh just to clear it up for people who are listening yes uh bad water's a hundred and thirty five miles across Death Valley right in in July in July and what's the time limit that you've got to do it so you have um I think it's 48 hours to finish um Badwater. Uh it crosses three mountain ranges um and yeah it's also known as the world's toughest foot race but yeah spartathlon is 153 miles but you only have 36 hours to do that so you've got to do 10 20 miles more a spartathlon and you have like 12 hours less time so it's really it's really tough.

SPEAKER_00 24:35

But not the the heat is not as much there right as it would be in in uh bad water yeah when you've finished races like those I mean you know depending on which ultra runner you speak to and there's a debate in the ultra running community about you know which is the tougher of the two you've done both of them I suppose so given you've done the two of the toughest foot races in the world where do you go where do you go after that? What what what's what can you do next?

SPEAKER_01 25:08

I mean do you still have ambition or are you kind of like topping out now I've I've I've done the toughest of the toughest oh yeah well I mean I just like to get back and do the toughest a few more times um yeah they are like I I mean when I look back when I started my ultra running journey never in a million years would I have ever dreamt that I'd have been able to have even been invited to Badwater or achieved a qualification standard to get to Spartathlon I just never would have believed I could that was possible. So um they are like two such incredible races with the whole camaraderie you've got between you know the runners with the Spartathlon race you're part of the British Spartathlon team which is just amazing and Badwater's got a massive Badwater family of people that go back year after year either volunteering or um crewing etc so I don't know other races I mean I did used to want to do UTMB but I'm not so good with the mountains. I mean I wouldn't turn down doing UTMB but it's difficult to get into now because you've got to do one of their sort of qualifying races um which I don't have sort of lined up but um I definitely would like to go back to Badwater again. I'd love to go back to Spartathlon again um and I'm just trying to think there's a a race in America called Leadville it's up at um call it the race across the sky because I think it's it's all at quite high altitude. So I'm quite tempted with with that as something different. Western states that was another one I'd like to do but really next year I'd love to do Badwater and sparsathlon again. So for people listening with their mouths adja at some of these things that you've already achieved give us a little bit more detail about UTMB what is it and Western states what is it leadville how what's the distance like how do they all compare to each other those three races oh yeah sorry so yeah um so UTMB is um set starts in Chamony and it's called the Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc and it basically goes through three countries France Italy and Switzerland um and it's got loads of elevation I think it's I was getting my feet and metres muddled up I think it's 1000 is it 1000 feet or 10,000 metres it's like loads of elevation um but it's absolutely beautiful and it's I've I did actually attend that race in 2019 but I broke my toe so I didn't finish it. That's a long story I won't bore the listeners with that but um the start line there's like 2000 people on the start line it's absolutely incredible it's a huge race um chamony's like buzzing at that time of year they have different races going on so and it's 100 miles long. Leadville's 100 miles I think it's a 50 mile out and back but it is say is up at the altitude which is a big challenge and I think that's got quite hard cut-offs as well and Western States is a really really famous race in America it starts in places Squaw Valley and um yeah that's another 100 mile race just it's very difficult to end everyone wants to do that race. I think they have like 400 places um but you've got to have done certain qualifying races to give yourself a ticket to get in into that race. So yeah that would um would definitely it's looks just an incredible race with loads of um like really amazing runners there and just so is it more a case of checking off some some other iconic races then because you know you've done 153 miles you've done 135 miles three different times across Death Valley these are just little hundred milers that's just a walk in the park for somebody like you isn't it oh no no no honestly every 100 mile race is like really is so difficult I've actually got one in on the 11th of December it's called the Winter Downs 100 so it's um it's in the south of England it's 100 miles it starts in Amberley in West Sussex it goes along the South Downs Way for about I think 40 miles joins the St Swithens way for about 30 miles and then the North Downs way for another 25 miles but I'm I'm kind of a bit worried about it because it's going to be dark at four you know we're not gonna get much daylight. It starts at two in the afternoon so first day two hours of daylight I've done a couple of recis this week it's so muddy like you know when the track there's tractor ruts it's so difficult to run on um it's slippery I I mean I fell over the other day in broad daylight so god knows what I'm gonna be like you know in the dark um so and I'm 100 miles I think is a right distance to be respected it really every 100 mile race is difficult even though I know it isn't as long as 153 miles it's it's tough it's gonna be tough. It's gonna be brilliant but it always makes me laugh when people say to me what about my running oh a marathon must be really easy then and you think 26.2 miles is still a long way to run isn't it and you're trying to go faster as well yep so yeah it's road marathons hurt when you're really pushing yourself it's like I think I'd rather almost run like a I don't know a 50k ultra kind of slowly than a road marathon because it's really difficult it hurts and you it's tough. So yeah even the I did the Bogner Regis 10k in May and it nearly killed me. It was on the worst races I've ever done and it was 10k I had to stop and walk halfway and this man turned around and said oh keep going love like it was my very first race I mean I didn't want to say I've actually run like 180 marathons um but I'm just not very good at going fast.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

So yeah so yeah I think every race is a is a tough one yeah yeah one I know you talked about that first hundred mile race that you did thinking oh yeah I've done 100k I can do this so if you could go back and give advice to your younger self as a new runner what would what would that be?

SPEAKER_01 30:54

I just say I mean to say never give up just never give up unless you are you know going to be taken to hospital just try and keep moving forward and the lows will pass um and just you know even if you have to say take a walking break depending on the if no matter what distance you're running you know even if it you're just you're running out for half an hour if you need to have a couple of minutes walk reset and then keep going again or just but just keep going keep moving forward um and just think visualize the the prize the the glory of getting that medal being able to tell everybody what you've done and how proud you be of yourself what you've achieved so just got a the feeling of the next day of disappointment when you think oh I could have actually finished that is it's outweighed by if you know a few a bit of pain and what we suffer in you know for enjoyment is some people are suffering in when they're poorly and you know we're doing this because we want we want to be here we paid to be here so just try and always keep smiling as well.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

Just to start rounding off then because we're coming up to our half hour ideal show show limit Laura um do you mind sharing a little bit about where you are on your own journey with your hormones and also how do you find running has impacted or is impacting on your sort like general overall health do you feel as it puts you in a good place yeah I think I mean yeah definitely running definitely puts me in a good place mentally um and physically um it's so funny because I've been thinking about the menopause because I you know recently I'm at that age where I'm thinking should I be experiencing symptoms?

SPEAKER_01 32:32

Um and there's now there's so much online there's so there is so much information but there's almost too much information and then I'm getting I do feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes thinking if I'm you know wake up in the night if I have a s like a night sweat I'm like is that part of the menopause or is that just because I'm hot or is there um it's really I it sounds silly but you sort of think am I thinking I'm experiencing symptoms or um but I basically you know just quickly I was taking the pill for many years and just this year I decided I don't take the pill anymore. I thought I'm 47 years old I just don't want to be putting a hormone in my body I just decided to sort of stop taking it and spoke to my doctor and she suggested I should carry on taking the pill. She's recommended one with high level of estrogen just to keep my estrogen level topped up but I haven't started I have got it but I haven't taken it because I just I just feel like I just don't want to be putting something in my body um but I haven't had a period so I but I hadn't really had periods with the pill. So I'm kind of thinking I don't now and the doctor did say to me as well you know it does take about six months for your ovaries to reset after you've stopped taking the pill. So I'm in that stage at the moment where and I asked her if I could have a test about the menopause but she said no because if my if I was under 45 or if I was experiencing really strong symptoms I'd be able to so I'm just really unsure. I mean I do feel I have these mood swings which I say as I said earlier I've probably had all since I was a teenager so that's probably just me. I don't know whether but then you're like is that is that the menopause is that not um and I do sometimes wake up in the night and I can't get back to sleep which I know is you know a symptom but then I'm like is that jet lag? Is that so there's always like an you know one side of me thinking is it is it possibly signs of the menopause starting or then other thing is that just lifestyle or so I'm really not sure I don't think it's unusual for women to be to have some confusion about where they are because it is such a fluid journey and you know particularly someone like yourself as you said you've got so many other factors that could be playing into what could be symptoms so you're exactly right is a sleepless night a sign of being menopausal or is it just a sign that you had a long whole flight a couple of days beforehand and you're still not still catching up so yeah I think it's really interesting that you're in a place where you're still unsure you're yourself.

SPEAKER_00 35:03

And I and I don't think that that's um I don't think that's uncommon at all. Julie I'm not sure whether you've got any thoughts on that.

SPEAKER_02 35:09

Well and as you said Laura the the fact that there's so much information online the the difficulty with that is not only does it feel overwhelming but what do you believe because there's a lot of it that is conflicting um so so how do you know what's the right what's the right information and what's silliness um out there. So it and it is a very individual journey since every woman experiences it differently and you have so many demands on your body through all of the things that you're doing it it would seem right that it's that it's a little bit confusing because I think it's confusing generally um because nobody prepares us for this right we don't have the the talk like we did before puberty.

SPEAKER_01 35:54

Yeah no exactly yeah no I spoke to my mum yesterday and I said I was coming on to chat to you guys and then she said um she was 50 when she um started her symptoms but she all she got was hot flushes so um I don't know whether it you know if hereditary if you sort of follow so I know we're all all different um but I mean again I didn't start my periods till I was 17 which I was quite a late late developer so um again I don't know if there's any formula in will you have menopausal symptoms early later or who we need a crystal ball.

SPEAKER_00 36:30

Yeah I I I I do think women tend to mirror somewhat immediate family members from my experience. I'm not sure there's any research into into the genetics of it you know whether your mum has a late menopause whether you the daughter will have one as well but but anecdotal experience at least tells me that it it it's similar. I mean I only have to look at um you know my wife Laura and and our our twins they both started menstruating or all three of them started menstruating at a similar age so you know there's there's obviously something similar going on there from a from a from a family perspective.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

Okay so I think we're just about to wrap up then Laura but um before we go I know Julie's got a last question that she wants to ask you but just before we go people want to find out more about you where can they go where can they see your achievements where can they keep up with what what what you're doing oh well you can find me on um Instagram um at Laura underscore running girl um or on Strava uh Laura Watts um but yeah anyone who's got any running questions or you know any anything just please send me a message it say it's my favourite subject and I'd love to you know help anyone if I can inspire one person to get out there and start running um I'd you know makes me so happy so yeah just go for it.

SPEAKER_00 37:58

Yeah well I think you've certainly inspired quite a few of our listeners today or I'm sure you will have done it's certainly been inspiring chatting to you to hear about all your amazing experiences. It's just phenomenal I mean I I get I'm lucky enough to have seen it close up and see that drive and determination you have I know Julie was very excited about getting the chance to chat to you and dig a little deeper into what it is that makes you tick and stuff. So thank you so much for coming on.

SPEAKER_02 38:29

Julie what what was your last question that you wanted to ask Laura then um I know you mentioned that sometimes sleep can be elusive but I'm wondering after a grueling race or a long haul flight or something that you find really um taxing on your body how do you unwind and recover? And then just for fun, what's your favourite treat?

SPEAKER_01 38:56

Oh um so yeah after a race um after a race for a very long race I do find it hard to sort of sleep after even though you're really suffering from sleep deprivation um I do find it hard sometimes I'm laying there with restless legs and probably like the day after that I have like the more power sleep and it's the same with work. I get back from work and um oh god I have the best sleep but sort of after a night flight um but I just unwind um just sort of I don't know just I like just lay on the lay on the city and just um with my hot water bottle um in the in the winter um but my favourite oh I mean I do love a glass of champagne after a um after a race it's um I do love or um yeah a glass of champagne and maybe um some dirty food it's my my treat um but obviously a massage a massage if um I've actually started sorry yeah no a massage is um also something of which is just makes you feel so nice.

SPEAKER_00 39:57

Massage champagne and a little bit of dirty food it sounds like the perfect ending to a race to me. Just have to run 100 miles to get all that fabulous okay Laura thank you thank you very much for coming on um just before you go to and before listeners shut off just to let you all know that Julie and I still have a few of our free uh sessions to offer in November and early December we're offering uh oh we started off with 43 sessions to give away we've still got a few left so if you are interested please visit freecall dot fabulousbeyond40.com we'll put that in the show notes as well along with all the details of where you can catch up with the very very amazing Laura Watts so Laura thanks so much again for coming on it's been an absolute pleasure.

SPEAKER_01 40:45

Oh thank you for having me it's been great great great chatting to you thank you.

SPEAKER_00 40:49

Yes