The Checkpoint

This episode of The Checkpoint is sponsored by adidas TERREX.

In this episode Sabrina and Rachel talk to BTR Members Angela Tomusange, Lisa Jayne Henry-Arscott and Alice Light about their trail running journey and what lessons they’ve learned along the way.

We talk about the importance of community, representation and mentors as well as modelling what we want to see in the world.

Be prepared to be blown away by these inspiring ladies and their stories and experiences.

Thanks for listening and remember to rate, review and subscribe on your preferred podcasting platform.

To follow their journeys go to:

Lisa: https://www.instagram.com/henryarscottl/

Angela: https://www.instagram.com/kimbowa2016/

Alice: https://www.instagram.com/alice.light.731/

This episode of The Checkpoint is sponsored by adidas TERREX.

In this episode Sabrina and Rachel talk about what they wish they knew about trail running before they started and the important part that mindset plays, no matter what distance you’re running.

They share techniques they use when things get tough during runs and what keeps them going.

This a candid, wide-ranging conversation, which includes a few swears, so perhaps not one for little ears!

Thanks for listening and please send us thoughts on what you would like us to include in future episodes via our Instagram @blacktrailrunners or our website blacktrailrunners.run

Volunteer at Black to the Trails: [email protected]

Camino Ultra 50k Epping Forest: https://www.caminoultra.com/

Sabrina’s Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/sabrinapace/playlist/1VUlZhV86Sq2jACBKnEBs0?dl_branch=1&si=13lxqjGbRTKPT3Qr329-Ng

This episode of The Checkpoint is sponsored by adidas TERREX.

On this week’s show Sabrina talks to fellow Black Trail Runners member, Renee McGregor, and trail running ultrarunner, Raj Mahapatra, about their experience at this year's Spine events.

On June 18th 2022, Renee crossed the line as 3rd female at the Spine Sprint – a race covering 46 miles along the Pennine Way, starting in Edale and finishing in Hebden Bridge. And on June 25th, Raj and Sabrina crossed the line of the full Spine – a race covering 268 miles along the Pennine Way, starting in Edale and finishing in Kirk Yetholm.

In this episode the trio discuss:

And much more….

Links:

Renee McGregor – IG @r_mcgregor / https://reneemcgregor.com

Raj Mahapatra – IG @mrrajkm

Sabrina Pace-Humphreys – IG @sabrunsmiles /www.sabrinapacehumphreys.com

NASS Charity - https://nass.co.uk/

Spine Race - https://thespinerace.com/

This episode of The Checkpoint is sponsored by adidas TERREX.

Abby Hall is a professional trail runner for adidas TERREX. She started running at the age of 12 and has never stopped!

She fell in love with running, both the pursuit and the community and – as an adult - continued running when she was living in Chicago and Los Angeles, working as a graphic designer. She started to make trips to the mountains on the weekends and moved to Boulder, Colorado with a view to be part of a community eager to explore the outdoors.

In Boulder, Abby signed up for a number of ultras and attended every group trail run she could find, exploring the trails and mountains. She now lives in Flagstaff, Arizona and over the past few years has been racing all over the world.

Recently, Abby has finished 1st at the Innsbruck Alpine Trail Festival 65k, 2nd at the 2022 Transgrancanaria Classic (126km), 2nd in the prestigious 2021 UTMB-CCC race and she has also finished Western States 100 amongst the top 30 athletes.

Abby is part of the adidas TERREX ‘United by Summits’ campaign and we discuss what that message means to her in this conversation. 

For more information on Abby, follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abby.k.hall/

For more information on United by Summits: https://www.adidas.com/us/blog/858718-united-by-summits

This episode of The Checkpoint is sponsored by Adidas Terrex.

In this episode, the first in our new ‘How To’ series, run coaches Sabrina and Rachel are talking about hills!

They address questions from the community including:

- How do you train for a hilly trail race when you live on the flat?

- What is a ‘technical’ trail?

- Do you have to use poles?

- How do you improve your downhill running technique?

- What can you do to avoid injury on the up and downhills?

It was a fun and (hopefully) informative conversation. We’d love to hear what you think about this episode, so please drop us a comment and also let us know what other topics you’d like us to cover in future ‘How To’ eps!

For the strength and conditioning sessions mentioned, go to: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDioyxbx4tPQPCy-4BOVVZg/featured

This episode of The Checkpoint podcast is supported by Adidas Terrex.

Earlier this year, Black Trail Runners won a grant from Ciele Athletics to send a team to compete in The Speed Project. If you don’t know what The Speed Project is, you’re not alone. Taking place once a year in non-Covid times, it’s an extreme challenge that proudly espouses a ‘no spectators’ philosophy. In simple terms it’s a running relay. But it’s much more than that, because it’s a relay over 340 miles, from Santa Monica on the California coast to Las Vegas in Nevada. It’s a relay that traverses Death Valley. It’s a relay with effectively no rules. Teams self-navigate and self-support, with runners and crew sharing large RVs (that’s a Recreational Vehicle, or camper van, to our UK listeners).

Technically it’s not a trail race, but it has many of the features of one. Varied terrain. Extreme weather conditions. A need to manage nutrition, pacing and logistics. And frankly, it’s epic!

BTR’s team of six flew into Los Angeles a couple of days before, some of them meeting for the first time, and some of them being in America for the first time. Angela, Deo, Jazmin, Laurence, Nethliee and Tony were supported by a three-man crew from the US – Dan, Gordon and Kevin.

Having had only 10 weeks or so to train for the event, our team’s goal was about challenging themselves, about the experience, and about representing the BTR community in what, despite, or perhaps because of its mystique, is an iconic event.

A couple of weeks after they returned from the US, Sonny spoke to some of the team about their experience. First Jazmin, then Laurence, Deo, Angela and Tony.

This episode of The Checkpoint podcast is supported by Adidas Terrex.

Miranda Brawn is a multi-award winning philanthropist. She has more than 25 years of experience in the financial markets and legal industry, and has served on more than 30 boards and committees across the private, public and third sector. She is a non-practising barrister-at-law and a former hedge fund derivative sales trader, being one of the first women of colour on the London trading floor of a tier 1 global bank. 

She is the creator of the world’s fastest success course (The 60 Second Coach) and an international public speaker who champions diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability, success, human rights and opportunities for diverse young people including women and girls. She serves as an independent non-executive director for global corporate boards, including electric vehicle manufacturer Switch Mobility Ltd, making her one of the most senior women in the global engineering boardroom. 

In 2016 she founded The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, where she chairs the Board of Trustees and launched the UK’s first Black Women on Boards initiative. 

In Episode 35 of the Checkpoint, Miranda talks to Sabrina and Sonny about her career, what has driven her success, the importance of giving back, and the work of the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation.

Follow Miranda on Facebook @MirandaBrawnEsq, on Instgram @mirandabrawn, on LinkedIn @mirandabrawn and at www.mirandabrawn.com. Follow the work of the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation at www.tmbdlf.com.

This episode of The Checkpoint podcast is supported by Adidas Terrex.

In episode 34 Marcus and Sabrina speak with Sophia Danenberg, an American mountain climber.

In 2006 Sophia became the first African American and first Black woman to climb Mount Everest in the Himalayas. Additionally she has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, Mount Rainier, The Matterhorn and Cotopaxi plus many more.

Born in Japan to her Japanese mother and African American father, who was stationed at a U.S. military base in Japan at the time, Sophia and her family eventually settled stateside, in the Chicago area. She went on to Harvard University and became one of the first five students to earn an environmental sciences and public policy degree from the prestigious institution. In her day job she specialises in environmental sciences and public policies.

Whilst we cover the topics previously mentioned, we also have to talk about the time that she partied with Jay-Z, Beyoncé, President Obama to name a few.

It is a really honest and insightful conversation into what it means to be a pioneer in your field, all whilst being true to who you are and what you believe in. Sophia talks about the importance of using her role to inspire the next generation, to show that the climbing world is a space for young girls, demonstrating that women have the power to accomplish incredible things.

You can learn more about these groups by going to the links below.

https://www.browngirlsclimb.com/

https://www.flashfoxy.com/

https://www.fullcircleeverest.com/

You can follow her on Instagram: https://instagram.com/sophiaclimbs?utm_medium=copy_link

You can watch her Ted talk here: https://youtu.be/mMDr9Psdmrw TEDxUChicago

This episode of The Checkpoint podcast is sponsored by The North Face®.

Frit Tam is a British- born, Chinese, transgender filmmaker. Frit is an adventurer, climber, roller-blader, cyclist, stand up paddleboarder, skier, and hiker to name a few.

Frit is also the founder of Passion Fruit Pictures, an award-winning film studio whose aim is to add colour and diversity to the adventure industry through film-making.

In 2021, Frit embarked on Glide for Pride - a 1700km rollerblading and cycling challenge, North to South, across England to showcase LGBTQIA+ stories. Frit is in the process of creating a documentary around the challenge and it will be the first film of its kind with a transgender, East-Asian protagonist, highlighting the wealth of diverse voices the UK has to offer.

In this wide-ranging discussion, we talk about adventure films, how Frit discovered the outdoors, mental health, fries and puns!

Follow Frit on Instagram: @frit_tam

Frit’s Films:

Brave Enough: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/braveenough

The Wanderlust Women: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2_g-Btaj60

Adventure Films mentioned by Frit:

Meru - Jimmy Chin: https://jimmychin.com/motion/meru/

Rise Above The Fear– Abbie Barnes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qfPDk9it2U

This episode of The Checkpoint podcast is sponsored by The North Face®.

American trail runner Adam Merry is a name in our sport that, if you don’t know already, you are sure to know soon.

Over the past few years, since taking his training to the next level due to working with the well-respected coach – David Roche – Adam has podiumed, and won, some impressive US based trail races. He thrives through hard work, dedication, finding joy in the process and having fun while being super consistent with his training cycles.

Adam - a mixed race man – was encouraged to go for a trail run six years ago. As often happens while out there on the trails, this 4-mile run turned into 8 miles and just a few months later he signed up for his first 50K. Yes, trail running is that addictive!

Nowadays you can find Adam out on the trails of Colorado finding joy in the process, coaching his own athletes, or working – as we do at Black Trail Runners – to increase representation of Black people in trail running.

Follow Adam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amerryrunner/

Visit Adam’s website here: https://runmerry.com/

BLACK TO THE TRAILS

On the episode Sonny and Sabrina discussed the launch of Black Trail Runners’ inaugural trail run event – Black to the Trails - which will take place on 11th September 2022. If you are a Black person, person of colour or White ally who wants to see more diversity in trail running, come and join us at the event. Register at www.blacktothetrails.co.uk