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The Women's Running Podcast
Ep 240. The Bath Half
Welcome to episode 240 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.
It’s the week after the Bath Half and we have had lots of thoughts, not least about the roast we celebrated with afterwards. After a bit of nonsense about Holly’s verbal diarrhea on whatsapp voicenotes (which I really think is the Podcast Moment of the Year).
We talk to Jordan about our race day experiences at the Bath Half – no spoilers but there is a LOT to discuss; from the race village to the run itself, how we’ve recovered since, and how drunk we got in the pub. As I say: lots to discuss.
And then on to a HUGE controversy which we dive into, which is all about the experiences of runners at the Lisbon Half. Listen in for big gasp moments, and let us know your thoughts and experiences if you were there too! Email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk
Before I forget to mention it, did you know about our Discord channel? This is an exclusive forum for you, our gorgeous Pod Squad, to meet up, chat about running, TV, books, menopause, and anything else you like. To get a ton of support from new friends just like you, all you need to do is head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month. It’s worth every penny.
This episode is sponsored by Coopah. Coopah are offering all pod squadders a 2-week free trial of their app and then giving 20% off their standard annual subscription price. Just download the Coopah app and use the code WOMENSRUNNING when you sign up. Or visit coopah.com/womensrunning where you can find all of these details.
We picked up our lovely hotel rooms through Marathon Tours: you can pick up hotel rooms for the Marathon here: TCS London Marathon 2025 | Marathon Tours & Travel UK
Do also check them out if you’re eyeing up one of the other marathon majors.@marathontours_uk on Instagram
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- Download a FREE mini mag to help you run 5K! Go to womensrunning.co.uk/run
- Buy a Pod Squad t-shirt!
- Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunning
- Email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories
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10. Ep 10. Am I Nuts... for worrying about Christmas2
34:09||Season 7, Ep. 10Welcome to the second series of Am I Nuts. This is the last episode in a series of ten weekly podcasts from us at the Women’s Running podcast. I am your host Esther Newman, and she is your other host Holly Taylor. In this series, we wanted to explore some of the things that we’ve talked about on our big podcast – that’s the Women’s Running podcast – that don’t necessarily have anything to do with running. Hol and I are natural born worriers, and we’ve realized that in almost every episode, we talk about at least one of those worries – and we also realized that with many of them, we’ve thought we were the only ones. We thought we were nuts.In this episode, we’re considering whether we’re nuts to worry about Christmas, and I think we answer that before we’ve even begun. We talk about the emotional load of present buying, organising, food preparing and cooking, party hosting, and the stress of planning for one solitary day. Are we nuts? No we are not.Thank you so much for listening to us!Am I Nuts has been brought to you by the Women’s Running podcast – do please check it out wherever you listen to your podcasts for longer episodes to keep you company while you run. And if running is your thing, or you’d like it to be your thing, check out Women’s Running magazine – right now you can save up to 50% off the cover price. Just go to shop.womensrunning.co.uk to find out more.
280. Ep 280. Christmas, icks, training fails
01:17:03||Season 1, Ep. 280Welcome to episode 280 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Injuries and icksThis is the final episode we’re recording in 2025, which is kind of exciting because we’re very ready to put our feet up. After controversies involving red cabbage, we eventually get on to our running, you’ll be relieved to hear. We talk about impact injuries, general icks, and our high and low points in 2025. Have a very lovely Christmas if you celebrate it, enjoy your time off if you get it, and we wish you all a relaxed and peaceful new year. We have treats for you over the next couple of weeks with exclusive interviews with Kathrine Switzer and Lisa Jackson, so listen out for them on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day respectively.Join us!Now, if you aren’t a patron yet do join us on Patreon for just £2 a month, through which you can join Discord, our forum just for you. You also get to come along to our Live Pods! Just head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month.Lovely linksGet expert coaching with the Coopah app. Use the code WOMENSRUNNING for two weeks free, plus 20% off a year’s coaching. Just head to coopah.com/womensrunning Subscribe to Women’s Running – and you can save 50%Get tickets to our live event ahead of the Bath Half 2026!Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we’ve been using it for ages and LOVE ITDo join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories
9. Ep 9. Am I Nuts to worry about... losing weight?
38:40||Season 7, Ep. 9Welcome to the second series of Am I Nuts. This is the ninth episode in a series of ten weekly podcasts from us at the Women’s Running podcast. I am your host Esther Newman, and she is your other host Holly Taylor. In this series, we wanted to explore some of the things that we’ve talked about on our big podcast – that’s the Women’s Running podcast – that don’t necessarily have anything to do with running. Hol and I are natural born worriers, and we’ve realized that in almost every episode, we talk about at least one of those worries – and we also realized that with many of them, we’ve thought we were the only ones. We thought we were nuts.Should we worry about losing weight?In this episode, we wonder if we’re nuts to worry about weightloss. There’s a lot to cover here, from our own relationships with our bodies, as well as what’s going on in wider society in terms of the body positivity movement, and the rise in popularity of weightloss drugs. How do we feel about all of those things? And how do you feel about it? If you have thoughts on this, or any other subject we’ve talked about this series, then please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk
289. Ep 279. Christmas, marathons, 10K PB, January reveal
01:10:50||Season 1, Ep. 289Welcome to episode 279 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Running & the juggleWe’ve got a bit more Christmas overwhelm to begin with. But we cheer up and start talking about running on Christmas day, which Holly is particularly joyful about. Even better than that, we have an update on Hol’s 10K PB attempt – a good one – and then we’re into our training and expectations for the Bath Half and the London Marathon, and doing all that while juggling all this Christmas nonsense. And we have news for January! Lots of exciting things are happening on this very podcast, but we need you to help us shape it – listen in right to the end and get back to us with your thoughts on Patreon, Discord or over email on wrpodcast@anthem.co.ukJoin us!If you aren’t a patron yet do join us on Patreon for just £2 a month, through which you can join Discord, our forum just for you. You also get to come along to our Live Pods! And we have our Christmas special all booked in for December 15th – do come along to our very silly quiz. Just head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month.OTHER THINGSSubscribe to Women’s Running – and you can save 50%Get tickets to our live event ahead of the Bath Half 2026!Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we’ve been using it for ages and LOVE ITDo join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories
8. Ep 8. Am I Nuts... for worrying about cleaning
56:55||Season 7, Ep. 8Welcome to the second series of Am I Nuts. This is the eighth episode in a series of ten weekly podcasts from us at the Women’s Running podcast. I am your host Esther Newman, and she is your other host Holly Taylor. In this series, we wanted to explore some of the things that we’ve talked about on our big podcast – that’s the Women’s Running podcast – that don’t necessarily have anything to do with running. Hol and I are natural born worriers, and we’ve realized that in almost every episode, we talk about at least one of those worries – and we also realized that with many of them, we’ve thought we were the only ones. We thought we were nuts.In this episode we’re talking about the thing that prompted me to want to do a second series in the first place: are we nuts for worrying about having a tidy home? From Marie Kondo, to sparking joy, we are on a mission to remove the stress and hard relate to everyone here, specifically just before Christmas!If you have thoughts on this, or any other subject we’ve talked about this series , then please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk
278. Ep 278. Christmas chaos & gifts for runners
01:18:48||Season 1, Ep. 278We launch straight into Christmas stress and then we’re on to my exciting weekend at the footie, followed by some actual run content. Wish Hol luck for her 10K PB attempt this weekend! Eventually, we get on to our 2025 unofficial Christmas Gift Guide – links below.Do join us on Patreon for £2 and you can come along to our Christmas special on December 15th. Just head to patreon.com/womensrunning. CompressSports Jacket / BAM yoga top / BAM Contour / BAM fleece / Ronhill Tights / Bimble & Bolt leggings / B&B advent calendar / Step One pants / Nixi pants / Maaree Empower bra / Coopah membership (use WOMENSRUNNING) / Absolute mugs, NB FuelCell Rebel / NB Fresh Foam 1080v14 / Mizuno Neo Vista 2 / Veja Condor 3 / PF&H marathon taster pack
7. Ep 7. Am I Nuts... to worry about having kids?
45:03||Season 7, Ep. 7Welcome to the second series of Am I Nuts. This is the seventh episode in a series of ten weekly podcasts from us at the Women’s Running podcast. I am your host Esther Newman, and she is your other host Holly Taylor. In this series, we wanted to explore some of the things that we’ve talked about on our big podcast – that’s the Women’s Running podcast – that don’t necessarily have anything to do with running. Hol and I are natural born worriers, and we’ve realized that in almost every episode, we talk about at least one of those worries – and we also realized that with many of them, we’ve thought we were the only ones. We thought we were nuts.Having kidsTrigger warning: in this episode we discuss pregnancy and miscarriage.In this episode we want to find out if we’re nuts to worry about having kids. There’s a lot of huge topics here; so many we think we could do a whole series on this. There’s a lot to unpack and worry about: the societal (and familial) pressure to have kids at a certain age, the concerns and struggles with fertility, the question of how to tell people you have chosen not to have kids, the conversations about miscarriage, and the prejudice around fertility, motherhood and women in general.If you have thoughts on this, or any other subject we’ve talked about this series , then please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk ----- Thank you so much for listening. Do please like and subscribe, so that you’ll be first to know when the next episode in this special series dropsAm I Nuts has been brought to you by the Women’s Running podcast – do please check it out wherever you listen to your podcasts for longer episodes to keep you company while you run. And if running is your thing, or you’d like it to be your thing, check out Women’s Running magazine – right now you can save up to 50% off the cover price. Just go to shop.womensrunning.co.uk to find out more. Helpful linksTommy’s – the pregnancy and baby charityNCT – the UK’s leading charity for parentsMaternity Action – the UK’s maternity rights charityThe pregnancy page on the NHS websiteMaternal Mental Health AllianceGingerbread – the single parent charity
277. Ep 277. Awards, Raynaud's, Hidden Race, Gift Guide
01:44:13||Season 1, Ep. 277Welcome to episode 277 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.First up, we have some exciting news about awards, and some honest thoughts on the wine we were served. Then we talk about The Hidden Race, produced by SportsShoes.com and Hoka that's all about the crews behind the runners. Raynaud's syndromeWe talk to Louise Parker from the Raynaud’s Clinic. We ask all the questions to find the answers – how can we keep warm, is it dangerous, what can women who run do to help themselves, and how does it affect us as we get older. Also, she confirms that one treatment path does include a well-known blue pill… Gift guideDo continue to listen in to the second half of our general chat, as we also have the start of our gigantic Pod Gift Guide. All the links to some brilliant products are in the show notes below. Lovely extra bitsWatch The Hidden Race here Check out the Raynaud's Clinic for more info, and fyi you can self-refer...Our Gift Guide top picksBlack Friday Women’s Running deal! Save a whopping 62%! It's MADNESS!Gym+Coffee Industry Fleece, £80Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro, £399Petzl SWIFT® LT, £53Monkey Sox Classic Quin Sports Socks, £17Garmin Forerunner 570, £459.99Asics Novablast 5, £134.99Higher State Allover Reflect Women's Hooded Jacket, £39.99 PLUS:Get tickets to our live event ahead of the Bath Half 2026!Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we’ve been using it for ages and LOVE ITDo join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories
6. Ep 6. Am I Nuts... to worry about UPFs
43:25||Season 7, Ep. 6Welcome to the second series of Am I Nuts. This is the sixth episode in a series of ten weekly podcasts from us at the Women’s Running podcast. I am your host Esther Newman, and she is your other host Holly Taylor. In this series, we wanted to explore some of the things that we’ve talked about on our big podcast – that’s the Women’s Running podcast – that don’t necessarily have anything to do with running. Hol and I are natural born worriers, and we’ve realized that in almost every episode, we talk about at least one of those worries – and we also realized that with many of them, we’ve thought we were the only ones. We thought we were nuts. If you have something you think we should talk about, then please email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.ukUltra processed foodsWe’re talking about ultra processed foods, otherwise known as UPFs – are they the devil incarnate? Can we avoid them? Should we be as worried as the media is making us?Thank you so much for listening. Do please like and subscribe, so that you’ll be first to know when the next episode in this special series dropsAm I Nuts has been brought to you by the Women’s Running podcast – do please check it out wherever you listen to your podcasts for longer episodes to keep you company while you run. And if running is your thing, or you’d like it to be your thing, check out Women’s Running magazine – right now you can save up to 50% off the cover price. Just go to shop.womensrunning.co.uk to find out more. LinksFind out more about the food you’re buying at Open Food Facts – you can download the app Holly talks about there.