How do you know when the lingering fatigue you feel after training is more than just the after-effect of a sensibly tough workout schedule? Here, in a post that could also be titled ‘One Girl and Her Idiotic Training Decisions’, I talk about my personal experience with overtraining/underperformance syndrome. It’s long, but read to the end for expert advice from applied sport scientist, Dr Barney Wainwright, on how to spot and treat the symptoms of overtraining.

It’s one thing to summit Kilimanjaro as a hiker and battle altitude sickness and fatigue, but to run up it – and set a new world record in the process? That’s another level of crazy.

As yesterday saw ultra-runner Fernanda Maciel set a new women’s world record for the fastest Kilimanjaro summit and return (to the top and back in an amazing 10 hours 6 minutes), 29-year-old Sundried ambassador and ultra runner, Becky Shuttleworth, recounts what it was like to set her own Kili running world record two years ago.

Photo Credit: Mark Hoey

26-year-old Australian, Stephanie Langridge (aka Polar Steph) upped sticks from sunny Australia and moved her life to Iceland to be a Glacier Guide. Despite never having been to the country before the move, she’s never looked back. Here, she explains what a typical day in her life looks like.

Photo Credit: Magnus Egger
One of the biggest names in obstacle course racing, Karin Karlsson is a multiple Toughest Race winner, third in the world at last year’s OCR World Championship 15km course and second in the 3km event. The Swedish osteopath is one of the first athletes I saw compete in OCR and is known for her skill and strength on technical obstacles (I remember watching a Toughest Mini Tour final on my laptop and seeing her breeze through every obstacle. It was amazing.)

Here, Karin talks training, grip strength and goals for 2017.

Before committing to her goal to swim the English Channel (a not insignificant 34km), the furthest 42-year-old Karlie Price had swum in open water was 2.5km. With no real distance swimming background, she trained for two years, working up to swimming 10-15km before first negotiating the English Channel crossing.

Here, Karlie shares the highs and agonising lows of her mission to tick ‘Swim the English Channel’ off her bucket list, all the while demonstrating how incredibly focused and determined she is.

Bonjour from the Dordogne!

Just a quick note to let you that you can now follow me on Facebook where I have my own page (get me) @lessonsinbadassery. I share all my blog posts here, as well as lots of other stories that I’ve found about amazing ladies doing incredible things in sport and adventure.

Check it out at www.facebook.com/lessonsinbadassery

Thanks!

This morning I’ll have arrived in the Dordogne for our family holiday, after driving through the night – in fact, I’m probably losing a fight with a tent as you read this. Knowing this, I took the chance to write a catch up on the Wattbike, and my goal of getting bike fit, before I left.

*Background: I’m a case study for Wattbike (more on that another time) and have loan of a bike. While I’ve been waiting for a date to have some terrifying fitness tests with their sport scientist, Barney, I’ve started the Wattbike Advanced Level 3 Sportive programme which I follow via the Wattbike app. I’m currently four weeks in.*

With too much work and too little training recently, my fitness has taken a serious nose-dive. I’m probably the least fit I’ve been in three years. I’ve even been struggling to get a burpees session in. (Unheard of!)

Photo Credit: Camilla Rutherford photography

With breathtaking lake and sea swims, rugged trails and a challenging multi-sport set up, it’s no wonder the swimrun scene is growing. From swimrun rules to swimrun training, here’s the need-to-know for beginners…

Photo Credit: Jack Chevell

I’ve always wondered what happens behind the scenes at a world class cycling stage race. What do the riders do? Is there any panic on the team bus right before the start? Does everyone get on? On Sunday I got a sneaky insight while spending time with the Wiggle High5 Women’s Pro Cycling Team in London at the final stage of the OVO Energy Women’s Cycling Tour.