Are We Running for Fitness… or Running Away From Life? 10 Types of Runs Women Really Need

Are We Running for Fitness… or Running Away? 10 Types of Runs Women Really Need

Are we running to get fitter… or are we secretly running away from everything else going on in our lives?

In this episode of the Women’s Running Collective, Hayles and Jussie unpack the very real reasons women run and how those reasons can change throughout different seasons of life.

They kick things off with a catch-up on a tough training week, including 10 x 400m reps and a threshold/tempo session, plus weekend plans involving a 5K time trial, Parkrun and, of course, a very important hair appointment.

Then things get a little deeper.

We ask whether we're actually running for fitness… or whether sometimes we're running away from stress, motherhood, anxiety, responsibilities and the general chaos of life.

Jussie shares a particularly chaotic parenting story involving an escape through a window, and we chat about why we started running in the first place — from postpartum recovery and anxiety relief to reclaiming our identity, finding friendship and building community.

Because running isn't always about getting faster.

Sometimes, the run you need most has absolutely nothing to do with your training plan.

We break down 10 different types of runs women really need, including:

🏃‍♀️ The sanity run🔥 The rage run🧠 The long-run therapy conversation🌅 The dawn run👩‍👧 The motherhood identity run🙈 The avoidance run💪 The confidence run🔄 The comeback run😩 The “when running stops being fun” run❤️ The joy run

We also get into mum guilt, vulnerability, friendship, confidence and the weirdly powerful role running can play in helping us feel like ourselves again.