Winter training is never easy, but when the big freeze hit, I knew I had to adapt. Reluctantly, I joined the gym, dreading the treadmill. But surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I had feared. Observing gym-goers—some deeply focused, others just passing the time—gave me an interesting perspective. It’s motivating to be around people who are all there with one goal: to improve themselves.
Missed Half Marathon & Life’s Curveballs
One thing that has suffered in the past few weeks is my long run training. I had signed up for a half marathon two weeks ago, excited to test my progress. But on the day of the race, my husband fell ill, and I couldn’t make it to Chester in time. Gutted, but life doesn’t stop. The following weekend brought another unexpected turn—The National Running Show. We got a last-minute place as an exhibitor, and that meant all my energy shifted to preparing in record time. No time for a long run, but I managed to preemptively run 11 miles on Thursday to compensate!
This experience reminded me that marathon training isn’t just about running. Life happens. Balancing everything—work, family, training—can be just as much of a challenge as the miles themselves. Learning when to push forward and when to ease off is one of the biggest lessons this marathon journey is teaching me.
A Huge Milestone: Mindfulness Strides App Launched!
One of the biggest successes of the National Running Show was the official launch of our Mindfulness Strides App! This app is about changing how we measure running success—not just pace or distance, but how running makes you feel. It tracks mood, sleep, hydration, nutrition, and other wellbeing factors that influence running, and in turn, how running influences overall wellbeing.
The response was overwhelming! We had hundreds of sign-ups for beta testing. If you’d like to be part of this community and help us refine the next version, send us an email at info@midliferunners.com—we’d love to have you on board!
Fundraising Progress & The Road Ahead
At the exhibition, I was humbled by the generosity of so many kind-hearted people who donated towards my London Marathon fundraiser for Diabetes UK. Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing lifestyle illnesses in the UK, and every contribution helps find long-term solutions for prevention and management.
If you’d like to support this cause, no donation is too small—every penny counts. You can contribute here.
Looking ahead, February is all about getting back to consistency. More linear progress with my marathon training, fine-tuning the Mindfulness Strides app, and pushing through the remaining winter months with renewed focus.
As always, thank you for your support—whether it’s a donation, an encouraging message, or just following along. Every bit of motivation keeps me going!
