Welcome to series five! For our first episode, we have a special before and after on all things Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), with past guest Gayle Tait and myself as your hosts and guests rolled into one. I was excited for the opportunity to catch up with ultrarunning mama Gayle nine months or so after our first conversation (if you haven’t yet heard this, go check out episode 25). We dug into the difficult stuff last time; Gayle told us about her history with depression and PTSD, and an attempt she made to end her life in 2018. After everything Gayle has been through over the last couple of years, I was delighted she’d been able to make it injury-free to the start line in Chamonix. To give an insight into this monster trail race for those not in the know, UTMB is a 106-mile ultramarathon around the stunning Trail du Mont Blanc in the Alps. Over 2,000 runners. who have worked patiently to build up the entry points and get through the lottery system, leave Chamonix on a Friday evening, and most don’t return until Sunday. They traverse ten mountain passes, ascend over 10,000 metres – higher than Everest - and cross two borders into Italy and then Switzerland before closing the loop back into France. Gayle and I shared a three-day recce run around the course in early August, then caught up again in Chamonix before the race to talk race plans, preparations and fears. It was my third dance at the race and Gayle’s first. The audio is not perfect as we struggled to find quiet space in our apartments to record, so resorted to an outdoor greenspace – mostly quiet with the occasional helicopter circling overhead. Indicative of the circus that is Chamonix pre-race. Then we headed off into the mountains to make our UTMB 2019 memories, catching up a week after the race to relive our experiences. Enjoy!

I speak to the incredible Liz O’ Riordan. Liz is a consultant breast surgeon who has treated and supported women with breast cancer for 20 years. Several years ago Liz was diagnosed with breast cancer herself, at the age of 40. She has since been through surgery, chemo, radiotherapy, hormone therapy and a rare local re-occurence around a year ago. Liz is open to talking about the entire spectrum of her personal experience - at times excrutiatingly difficult - from the questioning of her femininity to the collateral damage of chemo, impact on relationships and sex and learning to accept and move forward without bitterness. Liz is also a triathlete and total warrior advocate for staying active and exercising - an approach now with proven scientific evidence of benefit for cancer patients. Enjoy our conversation and please share with anyone in your community who is affected by cancer.

Meet Jo Dyke, also known for her blog melanomajo.com. A diagnosis at the age of 18 with early stage Melanoma (skin cancer) led her down an unexpected path in life for her entire 20s. She has been through the works of cancer treatment - from major operations on her organs to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. At 23 she was told she was a stage four patient and had around 18 months to live, but nine years later after an incredibly successful immunotherapy treatment she is cancer free and trying to move on with her life. But how do you move forward after so much physical and mental trauma, trying to make life plans and live in the moment whilst facing the constant fear of re-occurance? Jo openly spoke about what life has been like over the past decade; the resulting PTSD she has suffered; the frustration of having to bypass decisions about relationships and having children; and which therapies have helped her improve her mental health. Jo is an incredible woman and I hope you will share her story with others.

We have featured several different mental health conditions on the podcast, and I feel ALL mental health struggles are important to shine a light on, but still some are much less socially acceptable to talk about and accept into our social circles than others. Schizophrenia seems to be one of these conditions, certainly in my understanding. One that people still associate with institutions, violent crime and assumptions that sufferers are not capable of living a normal life. Ashley Smith is breaking these perceptions down by her work as a writer, blogger and speaker in the US. In 2008 she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and after many years or treatment and medication has a lot to share about it. We talk about what her 'breaks' (hospitalisations) have felt like from her perspective, and triggers; how she is redefining recovery; the need for public advocacy; her learnt coping skills and recovery strategies; writing projects; and talking to her son and family about schizophrenia. Ashley is an incredible human being, please share her story.

Paula is an author, columnist, public speaker, radio presenter and adventurer. Since her youth she has dealt with crippling anxiety disorder, which saw her confining herself indoors and unable to communicate comfortably in the world. Through an incredibly unique approach she has found a way to manage her anxiety and do the things she has always been terrified of - in her own words turning her barriers into climbing frames. She is a force to be reckoned with and has proven to her own mind many times over she is ok in the world.

Isla is a pro mountain biker and cyclist with bags of life experience and wisdom beyond her 22 years. She was Scottish champion in both Mountain Bike and Cyclo-Cross for two years running before becoming Elite British Mountain Bike Series champion in 2016 and competing at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, placing an amazing 5th place. In a career best, she also placed fourth in the Mountain Bike World Cup last year. This girl is 22, people. More than her results, Isla has been through a lot for her age and has a quite impressive understanding that her self-worth is larger than her race results. Her racing career has not just brought highs but painful lows; two traumatic accidents, both involving a broken back and collarbone; struggles with PTSD and depression; and disordered eating and food restriction. Do check out the blog post and show notes on ofmountainsandminds.com, and Isla’s own writing. She is an amazing talent, a down to earth, very real athlete who has learnt a lot through her short years and is openly sharing her experiences.

This episode features my good friend Lucy Colquhoun. Many in the UK running community will know Lucy or have seen her name next to course records in ultramarathons. She is still the female record holder on the 95-mile long West Highland Way Race in Scotland, with a time of 17:16 which has stood for well over a decade. Lucy is most certainly not defined by her running though and this was a fascinating opportunity to learn more about her mindset on running and racing, what drives her in life, her mental health struggles, experience with counselling and our views on the tricky and all-consuming dynamics of friendships. We do also talk about what her record-breaking West Highland Way Race felt like and her daily life and training schedule at the peak of her racing. Lucy is an incredible woman and I am grateful for her openness and honesty. Check out the blog post and show notes on ofmountainsandminds.com.

In this episode we meet Sarah Williams. I said when I started the podcast I wanted to feature a whole variety of different life challenges, and unconventional career change was up there. Sarah is well known in the world of female adventuring – you may have heard her Tough Girl Podcast and if you haven’t go give it a listen. A blogger, vlogger, podcaster and motivational speaker who has chalked up a lengthy list of long-distance endurance adventures, from hiking the Appalachian trail in 100 days to finishing the Marathon des Sables and most recently cycling the Pacific Coast Highway and Baja Divide solo. Sarah talks to me about the process of realising her well-paid, secure career in London was not making her happy and how she finally transitioned to a more unconventional life. It was not clean cut and many years later she still struggles to finance a fully independent life. Yet she is making it work and was amazingly open with what this looks like today. We talk about the many sacrifices she has chosen to make; what remain the hardest struggles; how she finances her work and life; and what happened in her most recent adventure along the Pacific Coast and Baja Divide. Sarah is a positive force with bucketloads of passion for shining more light on women and empowering us to seize the day and take on that challenge we’ve been thinking about. Make sure you check out the blog and show notes on ofmountainsandminds.com.

Natalie, also known as This Vet Runs, her blogger alias, is a veterinary surgeon based in Nottingham. Just over a year ago she suffered a miscarriage following a surprise pregnancy. Natalie believes passionately that we should be able to talk more about this extremely common human experience, rather than hiding it away out of sight but dominating many minds behind closed doors, and perpetuating the stigma that persists in our 21st century society that its uncomfortable for women (and men) to talk openly about miscarriage. Natalie is a runner and recently ran the London marathon; she talks honestly about what transitioning to the sport has been like after struggling with eating disorders, and the role it now plays in her life and for her wellbeing. I loved talking to Nat, she's an inspiration in speaking up without being brought down by concern about what people will think - at work, in friendship and family groups - which I hope will help other women and men feel they can talk about their own experience with miscarriage if and when they feel the need to.

I met Jeri in 2017 after The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 mile in San Francisco. Jeri and her husband were so generous in hosting me in gorgeous Marin County and I got to learn a little about their lives. I had the opportunity to catch up with Jeri this spring, fresh from her finish at the American River.

Jeri is an incredible athlete, a mother, grandmother, wife to another Jerry, former development director for a rainforest conservation NGO, consultant, coach and organic food business owner. She does a lot, and her enthusiasm for the outdoor and her lifestyle is infectious. And Jeri is 63.

We talk about what life was like when Jeri dipped her toe in the water of triathlon in the early 80s; her time in Ironman, including nine races at the Kona World Ironman Championships; training and racing into her 60s; the origins of her drive and motivation; and balancing her commitment to sport with a demanding career in San Francisco and running a food business.

There so many older people who are doing incredible things and have decades more perspective to share, and some damn good stories, but there is limited spotlight on their achievements. This isn't to say young people don’t have valid experience to share but it’s out of balance. Especially in running media, which largely focuses on young sponsored athletes at the top of their game. I hope you'll enjoy hearing all about this inspirational woman, and sharing her story with folks in your own circle.