A few years ago, the last thing I wanted to be called was healthy. To me, it was the furthest thing from a compliment. Why? Because I didn’t want to be healthy. I believed that to look ‘well’ was a bad thing. It was a metaphor for having put on weight and I did not want to gain weight. I wanted to remain as thin as possible and thought to be the fastest runner I could, I needed to look ‘unhealthy’. Deluded I know. However, fast forward a few years, and healthy is an incredibly positive thing to be called, and something I don’t even second guess. It is a compliment, because our health is the most precious thing we can have, so we should embrace it. 

I wanted to write this blog as someone called me healthy the other day and I remembered how the word didn’t always have positive connotations to it for me. However, this time, it made me smile, because to present day me, to be healthy is to be exactly where I want to be; in a strong place. I didn’t always think like this, so I want to explain to you why being ‘healthy’ is 100% a compliment, and to help others who maybe don’t view the word in the amazing light they should. 

What does health signify?​

Health signifies a lot of things, but to start with it is a sign of strength. In order to be the strongest we can be, we need to be the healthiest we can be. This is because to get stronger and build muscle, we need to fuel ourselves properly to allow muscle to build. Without sufficient fuel, we would be unable to recover properly, and therefore not repair and build muscle maximally. 
To me, I see health as a green light for training. I know, every month, when my period comes around, it is a sort of green tick that everything is on track. My period tells me that my body is working as it should, and I am fuelling myself plentifully to sustain my body and the training I ask of it. It is a sort of comfort and reassurance, that may body is functioning well. 

Being healthy is one of the main things that can help reduce injury risk! If our bodies and bones are in a healthy state, they are likely to be more robust, and therefore withstand the demands of training a lot better. As an athlete, injury is something a lot of us fear and do not wish even upon anyone, therefore, why not one of the simple things we can to prevent it? If we can help prevent it simply by having a healthy body, why not?! 

Finally, the word healthy indicates having high energy levels. Health is wealth, because with health on our side we can perform to the best of our abilities. By fuelling ourselves with plenty of wholesome food, we can provide ourselves with the energy levels we need to train at our hardest. Not only can we have enough energy to train, but also to meet the demands of daily life on top of this. There is nothing worse than feeling energy dead before you have even started a run, and not because you are tired from training, but simply because you haven’t fuelled properly, so we can avoid this, by eating well. 

If anything, I hope this has allowed you to see that being healthy is an incredible thing to be, and it is the most precious thing we can all individually have. Some people have their health taken away out of no reason that is their own, so why would we take it away ourselves?

Some days don’t go to plan and others are a struggle for no reason. There is no rhyme or reason why, but it can throw you off course. It can cause you to over-evaluate the meaning of your thoughts and consequently turn on yourself. Whether it is a session that didn’t go as you hoped, a slip up at work, a comment that didn’t come out as you expected, or just a down day, we tend to take such experiences deeper than we should. As a result, we question our worth, value, and self belief. Somehow, this tiny mishap/moment of feeling down, has become all encompassing, and caused us to devalue ourselves. It happens to all of us, but many of us feel isolated and anxious as a result. I speak from experience. 

When I have a day like this, I feel like I’m the only one in the world who lets the smallest of things get to them. I feel like a failure when the most insignificant thing goes wrong or not as I hoped. However, many of us react in the same way. We are our own biggest critics, but, there is one way we can make ourselves and others feel better, and that is through sharing. 

You are not alone.
I say this time and time again. You are not alone. We forget it as soon as we realise it, but it never changes. If we all open up and share the experiences and battles we have with ourselves, no matter how big or small they are, we will see that we aren’t alone. For some reason, as soon as we realise that we aren’t the only person in the world to think in the way we do, we feel a million times better. So, if this is the case, why do we not open up more often? As soon as we share our thoughts, we feel less confused by ourselves, so think about how this makes somebody else feel. By opening up, not only are we therefore helping ourselves, but we are undeniably helping so many others out there too.

Mishaps make us human. 
If we can all help others whilst also helping ourselves, think how much warmer the world would feel. It doesn’t help solve a problem, but it helps us recognise that we are only normal. Overthinking, worrying, overanalysing and scrutinising ourselves for the mishaps we make is what makes us human. We all do it. If we say we don’t, we’re lying. Not only to others, but to ourselves. It is all part of the human process. Taking the step and having the strength to share, is a very precious trait to capitalise on. A lot of people don’t have the strength to be honest to others about their struggles, so be proud of yourself for opening up. It isn’t an easy thing to do, and not everyone can, so if you have the power to share your thoughts and experiences, do it. You never know whose life you may be helping.

This is a blog to say, open up about how you’re feeling and share it, and share it again and again, because you will feel so much better when you find out you’re not alone. Not only will you feel lighter, but you will help someone else recognise this too and feel better within themselves. Life can be hard, and we can be so hard on ourselves, so open up, and recognise that you are not alone and you are not crazy. You are just human.

Growing up at school, the last thing anyone wanted was to be different. The majority of us wanted to blend into the trends and do our upmost to be considered normal. We wore the same things as our peers, had the same interests, and did whatever necessary to be seen as ‘cool’. As a consequence, this meant hiding aspects of our true self in order to come across as more ‘normal’.

For the majority of my time at school, I can confidently say I was myself. I followed the passions I had and I felt comfortable with my weirdness, whatever that was. Sadly, I know this isn’t the case for everyone, and as I got older I noticed more differences between myself and others. I didn’t enjoy going out and I didn’t drink, but I found enjoyment out of other things. I think, more and more we are all recognising the importance of being ourselves and accepting others for who they are. This is the best person we can be, and the best person they can be, so why not just be kind to one another.

Accept the differences.​

Being different is precious, and accepting our differences is the biggest step towards happiness we can take. If we were all the same there would be no interest in the world and sometimes it’s the differences we worry most about that are the most valuable. You never know where that hobby you were embarrassed about or style you tried to conceal will take you. If we can learn to accept our differences, that’s when we can truly become comfortable in our skin. Essentially, it is the insecurities that we dwell upon that hold us back from finding daily happiness. 

Find your people.
If someone makes you feel bad for being who you are, you don’t need them in your life. Find the people in the world who accept you for who you are and love your differences. There is this wonderful saying that goes, ‘let your weird light shine bright so all the other weirdos know where to find you’. I think this is so powerful, because if you conceal your true self and hide those unique traits, you will never find your true people in the world, as they will never see  the side that they need to find. It’s only when you become confident and let your true self shine that your people will gravitate towards you. 

This blog may seem like it doesn’t have much point, but it has more than you realise, because I’m trying to show you that being you is the greatest person you can be, so don’t try and hide or change them.

I am a firm believer that you will be most successful in life if you pursue your passions and do what you love. Life is meant for living not just existing, so we want to be able to pursue paths that make us most feel alive, whatever that may be. We don’t all have to follow the same path, life would be very dull anyway if we did. 

Different shapes and sizes.
​
Success comes in many different shapes and forms. It doesn’t have to look the same for everyone, nor should it. It depends on how you look at success as to how it manifests itself. One shape/size of success is happiness.  Success doesn’t have to just be about earning as much money as we can, despite what societal pressures may make us feel. One of the most important things in life is to be happy, and in my eyes, if you are doing something with your life that makes you very happy, you are a pretty successful person. Down days are inevitable, but if you can live most days in a happy state, you’re doing pretty well for yourself, and for others. Being surrounded by happy people also helps others to feel the same way, it’s an infectious emotion.

More to life than money.
Yes it is important to earn enough money to live life comfortably, but earning more and more is not a necessity, despite how societal pressures make us feel. If we constantly follow the path in life that is purely motivated by money, we are unlikely to ever feel fulfilled, or truly enjoy what we are doing. If we only see life and work as a process to make money, and the time outside of that as time to enjoy, think how much of our lives aren’t being enjoyed. There is absolutely no shame in following the path that makes you happy, instead it’s actually admirable. Not everybody has the bravery to do so, so be proud of yourselves for taking that step. 

Ultimately, if you are doing what makes you happy, be proud of the path you have chosen. It isn’t one size fits all, life would be boring if it was. Stepping towards happiness is progress in life, which is a step towards success. Do you and be proud of your decisions.

We all have struggles. Some periods of our lives are harder than others, but we all have tough things to get through in our individual lives. A lot of the time, this just isn’t known. We only see people as they appear on the outside, and frequently, this is good. As individuals we don’t like to appear as though we are struggling as we deem it as a sign of weakness, but it couldn’t be more opposite. If anything, opening up signalises strength, because being able to is something to be proud of.

Voicing your experiences is a priceless thing to do. You never know who you might be helping. It is very unlikely that what you are going through nobody else has ever experienced, so it may really help somebody to hear your story.

Not only may it help someone else, but it may also bring you some clarity over your thoughts. Often we get easily caught up in our own lives that we begin to lose perspective. Expressing our thoughts and feelings can allow us to connect with their meaning and help put our worries to rest. Even if you don’t get feedback from others, simply putting your thoughts out in the open can be a positive step towards self acceptance.

Never forget to be honest. Withholding or skewing the truth doesn’t help anyone. It plunges others into a false trap and can make them seem isolated. If you aren’t honest, it could exacerbate another persons worries. Additionally, it can lead you into a false sense of security. The more you lie to yourself, the less likely you are to confront you the problem head on. It can cause you to convince yourself that your worries don’t exist. This may be a great temporary fix, but it doesn’t solve the root or cause of the problem. A little bit of honesty can go a long way.

Accepting your mistakes comes with being honest. Being open about them is a sign of our acceptance. It shows we are aware of the challenges we have faced and the way we have dealt with them, but we are at peace with this, and have come out the other side stronger. If you are able to do this, big steps can be taken to allow others to learn from our mistakes so they can avoid them in the future. If we can’t be open and honest about our past and ongoing battles, the younger generation will only be the same, which means more people will continue to struggle in silence. If we are open about such problems we can do our best to fight them.

Ultimately, we need to create an environment where people feel able to voice their struggles and consciously be open to help.

I am a stickler for sticking to plan A, because, surely you wouldn’t have made it plan A if it wasn’t the best route to follow. I can get very set in my ways and don’t like it when plan A doesn’t go as it should. I convince myself that plan A is the only route and any other pathway will lead to failure. However, life is not as straight forward as plan A, and sometimes we have to resort to plan B, C, D or maybe even E or F, whether we like it or not. It may not always be out of choice, but sometimes change is necessary, and this is ok.

Training this week didn’t go quite to plan. I felt very tired on Tuesday during my session and the legs were having none of it, so I called it a day halfway through the session. I don’t tend to do this easily, so it takes me truly feeling like crap, for the plug to be pulled. I then switched my days around, took a rest day on Wednesday, and got back to it on Thursday, unsurprisingly feeling much much better. I listened to my body, gave it a little extra recovery time, and resorted to plan B. Despite what my irrational brain might of said, this won’t have set me back. If anything, it may pushed me forward, as I listened to my body rather than fighting it for days, or possibly weeks.

Plan A may be the most straight forward, but it isn’t always the best for where you are at NOW. When training plans are first made, you look at the weeks ahead with the intention that they will all go swimmingly. Unfortunately, or maybe even fortunately, this doesn’t always happen. The plan may be set, but it is always open to change depending on how you feel. Life can be random, so we have to be flexible and react to what it throws at us from time to time. We can’t predict what will happen every day, so we can’t predict how all our sessions will go. The important part is reacting sensibly and remaining positives 

It is also important to focus on YOU. It doesn’t matter if everyone else has had the best week of their lives. They probably have had a bad session at some point, they just choose to only reveal the perfect ones on social media. You are doing the week that will prepare you to be the strongest athlete you can be, and if that looks different to somebody else’s because your body needs a bit more time to recover, that’s ok. Listen to what your body is telling you. 

As my coach told me, you are never in the same place twice, and he was speaking some pretty good sense. We don’t always see it, but it is true. No matter how similarly things go, something is always different. Whether it be the weather, how you felt, where you approached something from, or what you had done the weeks prior, something is always different. Therefore, you need to be prepared to make changes along the way the allow scape for different situations. Be adaptive, and as hard as it can be, be flexible with plan A. When it gets nearer to the time, sometimes plan B is the better route to take.

Confidence comes in all shapes and sizes. How confidence looks on one person is not how it looks on another. Some are quietly confident whilst others prefer to vocalise their confidence, but what does look the same, is how confidence presents itself on the inside. It is the confidence we possess in our ability, those around us, and the process we follow, that allows people to pursue challenges despite how they appear outwardly. 

Confidence in yourself.
This is quite possibly the hardest sort of confidence. A lot of us are very quick to criticise ourselves and put ourselves down when things don’t go to plan. Especially when you decide to pursue something in life that isn’t guaranteed (most things we do in life), because you have to be confident in your own ability, or you are more likely to fail. Being confident in ourselves enables us to pursue whatever excites us and be proud of the decision. Sometimes, believing in yourself is the hardest step to take, but the one that will most likely lead you towards success. It has taken a lot for me to build up my self confidence, and don’t get me wrong, some days I don’t have much, but the one thing I have noticed, is that I tend to outdo my expectations, when I tackle a challenge with 100% confidence in myself. It isn’t fluke, it’s the way it goes.  

Confidence in those around you. 
Whilst we are all responsible for our own actions, a lot of our life adventures rely on other people too. Whether it is a coach, a partner, a relative, or a business partner, it is important to have confidence in those supporting you, and to trust their opinion. Sometimes, not always, but sometimes, you are lucky enough to find someone who knows what’s right for you more than you know yourself. Recognising when it is right to be confident that someone else will guide you in the right direction and have your best interests at heart is powerful. Sometimes this trust, coincided with self belief, is the magical equation that allows you to take steps you never thought possible. 

Confidence in the process. 
In my eyes, the most important sense of confidence one can have is confidence in the process they are on. Without this, the confidence you have in yourself and others, can be irrelevant. Being confident in the process involves possessing a patience; a frustrating trait, but a vital one. We all have the unique journeys we do for some reason, so trusting where life takes us, and absorbing the ups and downs is all part of it, because who knows where the journey may take you if you have confidence in it. 

Confidence doesn’t come overtime. It takes a lot of hard work and persistence to build up, but don’t give up on it, because it is a very powerful trait to possess. 

One of the most powerful traits an individual can possess in my opinion is the ability to recognise the need for change. This is especially relevant in terms of self help. Many of us are programmed to help others and not to self pity, but the concept of self pity is frequently misconstrued. There is a stark contrast between self help and self pity, and self help is something many of us neglect. Being able to recognise the need for change and understand when helping yourself is something that needs to be done, is key to developing as an individual and as an athlete. 

Only a couple of years ago, I was stuck in a place without the ability to recognise I needed help. Before anyone else could help me, I needed to see for myself that I needed help, but I was far from this point. I was training like a maniac whilst significantly underfuelling and I was doing absolutely nothing to help myself. In fact, I was doing the opposite. This was because, at the time, I was unable to see that I needed help. I believed I had my best interests at heart and was acting accordingly. I did not want to change, nor did I feel I needed to, so anyone who suggested I did, I believed to be attacking me. No matter what others would say, I did not see what they saw, so their attempts to help me were useless at the time. 

It makes me so sad to think of the way I acted when others simply wanted to help me, but I didn’t want help. I was ‘coping’. This method of coping was however destructive. If this made me see one thing, it’s that you cannot be helped until you recognise the need for change/ help. It was not until I was able to recognise the pit of destruction I had got caught up in, that I was about to embark upon the journey towards positive change.

Once you can accept yourself that change is an essential part of your self development, the rest of the journey is a lot easier. This is hands down the hardest thing for someone to do. Others can and do have your best interests at heart, but no one can force action upon you. You are in charge of your own destiny, so when you are acting destructively, recognising how change will only benefit you and make your dreams more achievable, is an incredibly powerful thing. 
This relates to any walk of life, not just sport, and not just a mental battle. Whether it be the need to change your health, your mentality, the coach you are with, or the job you are in, until you realise you need to make these changes, no positive outcome will arise. 

Recognising the need is always the first step towards anything. All these things start with you. Until you are able to recognise the need to change, nothing will happen. So, listen to what others may be saying and reflect, because they do have your best interests at heart, and their suggestions may genuinely make sense. All you need to do is help yourself.

Humans are unique. We are all physically and mentally different. So, why, when it comes to competition, are female athletes all expected to look the same? It’s unrealistic. We aren’t all built to have six packs, long legs and a high level of muscle definition. Our physique doesn’t represent who we are as athletes nor how good we are at what we do, so why does it matter? We all look different, it’s just part of human nature and is representative of how strength looks different on different people.

We all look different and have different confidences and insecurity, and as a result, all prefer to compete in different outfits. This should ultimately be supported and encouraged. You should be able to compete in the outfit most comfortable for you, not the one that shows off the right amount of flesh.

As athletes, we train hard for the opportunities we get to race. Therefore, we want to do everything we can to ensure each race goes in the best way possible, and to do this, we have to be comfortable. The last thing we want to be doing on race day is feeling self-conscious about our attire and worrying that we aren’t comfortable. Therefore, we have to wear what works for us, not what somebody else tells us we should wear. We need to do everything to ensure all our focus is on the race ahead, and not how we look.

​If we are self-conscious about a specific body part, or just don’t like having lots of flesh on show, why should we have to reveal it. It is important when competing to wear what works for you. If you feel most confident in briefs and a crop top, wear that. If you prefer to wear longer shorts and a vest, wear that. Alternatively, if you feel happiest in a bodysuit, wear this. The outfit you wear is not the decision of anyone other than yourself. It also has no other effect on your performance except to influence how you feel. For this reason, you have to wear what works for you, as the opinion of others is irrelevant to how you perform. 
 
In addition to this, it is important to not compare yourself to others based on image. How others look when they compete is not how you need to look at a competition. Everyone looks very different when they are competition ready. We all perform at our best when we are healthy and comfortable in our own skin, and this looks different on everyone. For this reason, we all feel comfortable showing different parts of ourselves. In the end, what we wear for competition needs to make us feel the best version of ourselves. For me, I like to wear a crop top and briefs because there is less for me to get annoyed by. I find vests uncomfortable against my skin and therefore prefer to wear a crop top. I also find wearing briefs allows me to stop constantly trying to pull shorts down as they rise up. 
 
As shown by Holly Bradshaw in her recent Instagram post, it is important to stand up for yourself and what you feel confident in. No circumstances should force you to wear an outfit that you feel uncomfortable in. Not only will this make you feel self-conscious but may resultantly hinder your performance, and we do not train incredibly hard for our competition outfit to be the thing that throws us off our best.

One thing that comes to the fore at the end of the summer season, is the camaraderie associated with running. The summer season whilst very support focused, tends to be a lot more individual. Everyone has different race calendars, different distances they are training for, and training becomes a lot more intense. As a result, it is difficult for people to train together, as rarely do their sessions interlink. However, fast forward to the winter, and this tends to change. For the majority, weather focusing on the track next year or deciding to do cross country, the winter provides the opportunity to build their base fitness. Sessions tend to be slightly longer, a little bit less speedier, and mileage starts to increase. As a result, it is easier to link up with others and get ready to battle for fitness through the winter.

Sense of community.
If anything, the winter shows the sheer sense of community that floods throughout the running world. When training gets tough, runners come together to help one another. This brings a huge sense of support that allows you to not feel crazy when you head outside in minus degrees and pouring rain, because, guaranteed, even if you are running alone, there are lots of other runners battling through the exact same thing somewhere else. 

Another example is shown by the club community. Every Tuesday and Thursday, week on week, all year long, big groups of runners come together to grind it out. It is this that makes people accountable. If you know others are pushing on through, you want to too. You don’t want to let them down, so you turn up too. Even if you are sessioning solo, there is a coach, friend or relative that knows what you should be doing. This also makes you accountable. If they know you have a session to get done, they’ll ask you about it, and you don’t want to say you wimped out.

Common goals.
From runner to runner, whilst individualised, we all tend to share the same goals. It really is true as the saying goes, ‘winter miles bring summer smiles’. Thus, we all share the same want to work as hard as we consistently can throughout the winter in order to set PB’s on the track season. Whether a 1500m runner or a marathon runner, the winter is a crucial time to get your head down and get some consistent months of training under your belt. It is this common aim that unites us all, and allows us to recognise that we truly are, all in this together.