Just As Well, The Women's Health Podcast - Intisar Abdul-Kader: Cultural Ignorance or Chronic Illness Won't Stop Me Running

Episode Date: September 13, 2022

Hey! This season, powered by Nike, we're homing in on all things running. You can expect tips and tactics from Nike run coaches to elevate your own running practice - or build one from scratch. Plus, powerful stories from extraordinary women guaranteed to spark your motivation this back-to-school season. For today’s guest, NHS mental health worker Intisar Abdul-Kader, running is a privilege and a joy. Especially so given the various barriers she’s faced on her way to running multiple World Marathon Majors races. She shares with Roisín how running enabled her to process her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis - and continues to help her manage the chronic condition. She also explains how a destabilising incident of racist, Islamaphobic abuse while out running in 2020 has ultimately strengthened her resolve to show up - unapologetically - as a Black, hijabi runner. And encourage other women like her to lace up their trainers and access the transformative benefits that running - for whatever distance; at whatever speed - can bring. In today’s Coaching Clinic, Intisar is joined by Nike Run Coach Andi Goceva. She provides Intisar with all the tips she needs to smash her next big race. Join host Roisín Dervish-O'Kane on Instagram: @roisin.dervishokane Join Intisar Abdul-Kader on Instagram: @intysar Join Nike Run Coach Andi Goceva on Instagram: @the_andi_g Join Women's Health on Instagram @womenshealthuk Like what you’re hearing? We'd love if you could rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps other people find the show. Also, remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, so you’ll never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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These are fundamental needs for us humans. In our social circles, at work, in our families. And when we're getting down to whatever form of fitness helps us feel and function at our best. So what can you do to help everyone, especially people who might be new to your favourite? type of training, feel welcome and included. Give that ponder, please, as you listen to today's episode. Hello, my name is Rochene Derbyshokane and you are listening to Going for Goal, the Women's Health podcast. I am so chuffed that we are back for a new series, Powered by Nike, that homes in on running. You can expect plenty of expert advice on improving your own running

practice, whatever your level. That's alongside real stories from extraordinary women, some familiar, some not so, as they open up about the pivotal role that running plays in their lives. Because, as you'll discover, if you haven't already, there is so much more to running than just putting one foot in front of the other. Today's guest is Intasar Abdul-Kadir, an NHS mental health services worker, world majors marathon runner and proud member of London-based running crew London Select. Their tagline is cultural expression through a physical narrative. How good is that? She does all this while living with multiple sclerosis or MS, a lifelong chronic condition that affects the brain and nerves. I first connected with Interzar after she shared

her frankly galling experience of harassment while outrunning. This was part of our campaign to raise awareness of the issue, reclaim your run. Twenty-five percent of women we found are routinely harassed while outrunning and rates increase for those from non-white ethnic backgrounds. Just a warning that Intersal's story contains description of racist and Islamophobic abuse. It goes without saying that it's not nice to listen to. But Interzal's response to what happened and how it's made her think about how she shows up as a runner on the street or on starting lines at races is so powerful.

This is a woman whose love of running and passion for helping everyone access its many benefits is infectious. Let's meet her. Intesar Abdul-Kadir, hello and welcome to the Women's Health podcast going for goal. Hello and thank you for having me. Oh, it's such a privilege to have you on. Thank you. Glad to be here. As you'll know, so for this series of the podcast, we are really homing in on running

and its power and all the amazing things that it does for people. Now, Intersar, I know that running plays a really important role for you in your life and we're going to get into that. But first, can you tell me a bit about the last run you did? Yes, the last run. Last run or last favourite run? Oh, last favourite run. Let's go to the ones with the good details. Okay.

I really, really enjoyed long runs. Like Sunday long run is where I find my piece, where I digest the life week that I've had, working in the NHS is busy, training for a marathon is busy, social life is busy. But my long run is the time where I'm like, oh, finally me time.

And I've started to run without music now, so I'm really enjoying just listening to my breathing. And I've taken advice from my very good friend to just put the music to our side and just listen to your breathing when you're out running. And wow, game changer. That's fascinating. So is it almost like a bit of a meditation for you now? It is because it's like I'm at there and it's just me and my thoughts. And sometimes I'm not thinking about anything. Sometimes I'm thinking about what am I going to do for work on Monday, what are the plans?

What am I going to do in the weekend? And other times I'm like just out there enjoying the run. So let's get a little bit of a sense of your running history and where you are at now. Okay. So you ran track at school, is that correct? I ran track at school. So my dad signed me up to the school track team. That was the best decision, best thing he ever did in my life because I fell in love with running.

I was part of the mixed relay 400 meter team. And then I, yeah. learned about cross-crunchy when I moved to the UK because I used to live a board. So cross-country was a whole different ballgame. I was like, what is this type of running? It seemed wild, but it was so beautiful as well. I enjoyed it and then kind of like went into road running from there, signed up to a couple of park runs here and there.

And then I thought, I want to do something longer. I want to do something long and I want to earn a medal for it. So I signed up for 2016 London. I won a ballot place. I thought, wow, this never happens for a first time. But it happened for me. And I crossed the finish line of London and I was like, okay, when is the next one? And that kind of like opened floodgates of me signing up to races and wanting to run marathons and aiming to finish all the six world majors and getting that nice big medal with the stars.

But it's more than the medal in the journey is the fact that I did it. That is so impressive, especially when we consider that you, You work in public health in the NHS, right? Yes, yes, yes, yeah. So tell me about what your days are like and how you're running kind of compliments that. Okay. I work in mental health services, patient and public involvement. I'm also a public health postgraduate.

So my work, I work with our service users when they finish long-term therapy, kind of get them to come back into the trust to help us improve the service. Monday to Fridays are busy. I tend to work mainly with. young people but running during my work week is my break as well from the NHS a little bit it gives me that um break of like I can put work to aside either in the morning before I even start work in the morning or during my lunch break or afterwards and that running time is me time everything is put to aside work life everything is just pause because it's so busy and

you're doing so much during your 40 hours a week or 3 7 and a half full time hours and You're like, okay, I need the break. And running is my break. Even though, like, the sessions are hard and challenging, but I still see it as a break because it's not, I have to run. It's I get to run. There's a privilege in running, and I'm glad that I have that privilege to enjoy it. And that totally comes across just how much, how, like,

you come alive when you're talking about running. Yeah, honestly, like, my friends say that as well. I sparkle and I, if I could talk for the world, I could run if I could talk to the running. The energy, the energy is beautiful. Beautiful. So we've partnered with Nike on this podcast. And one of the key things that they want to know and that I'm really nosy to know about you

is why you run. How would you sum that up? My God, where can I start? I love running. It's ingrained in me. I think it's genetic. It's a passion. Sometimes I don't want to go out and run,

but it's like there's no bad run. You know, there are some runs where there are. are challenging, but the feeling that I get after a run, if I could bottle it and give out to everybody, I would. People say so run as high. I completely believe in it. It helps me, like, process my week. It helps me deal with living with a, deal with living with a chronic health condition as well. And despite everything that I'm going through, running is kind of like been there for me from the beginning. Getting diagnosed with MS, the first thing I did when I came back home after I saw my neurologist was putting my running shoes and go out for a run.

So it's been there when my life has been really tough. And I just wanted that alone time of like dealing with this big diagnosis at 23. I was like, okay, what am I going to do next? What am I going to do it? I wanted some alone time. I put on my shoes and I went out and I didn't stop since then. I never looked back. So yeah, some days are challenging.

Some weeks I can't run because my illness is telling me take a break and to Saar rest. And I do. But the days that I can, my God, I go for it. Yeah. So this is a can week. I can do wherever I want week and I'm feeling good week. So despite work being up and down and busy, I know I can get in a good running tomorrow after a rest day today,

a long weekend because I'm going to spend holiday and I'm running with my crew Saturday. So I'm looking forward to it. And who's your crew? Shout them out. London Select. Hi, guys. I want to almost know what it was. like to be in your brain and your body on that first run that you did after your diagnosis. Yeah.

That day, did you think you'd be where you are now? I was diagnosed on my birthday. So it's kind of like, so whenever my birthday comes through, comes around every year, it's like, do I celebrate it because I'm living with MS and I'm, this year's living with MS. So is it in my MS anniversary? Is it my birthday? It's like so many things are happening.

Mixed emotions. It does. But for me, now in my head, it's like, it's the day that I fell in love with running again. So that's the day that I celebrate. Not my birthday. Yes. The fact that I was diagnosed with MS. The fact that I picked up running shoes and I went out running.

But that day has opened so many doors to me as well. I fell in love with running again. I started running long distance again. I ran London 2016. I fell in love with the marathon distance. It's not an easy distance. So I did it again in Berlin. I did it again in Chicago.

And then I did it again in London, 2019. And I was like, okay, what's next? I was like, okay, I got my three starts. world majors, I'm going to aim for all six. So now New York will be my fourth and hopefully somehow I'll earn a Boston spot on Tokyo. So we'll get the six out of six. I do not doubt you. Yeah, we'll get there.

Definitely. That's the goal is the dream. I have every faith. Yeah. Is there a part of you that maybe thinks that you almost were so drawn to these long runs and these challenging runs because you're almost proving to yourself that even despite, this chronic diagnosis and the nature of a chronic illness means it's never going to go away. It's something that you are going to have to live with.

Is there a part of you that thought, right, I'm going to prove to myself that I can do this? Yes, 100%. I think there was a small act of rebellion when I first diagnosed. I was like, I'm going to do this because I was diagnosed with this illness and I was like, okay, I might not be able to do it as fast as the next person, but I could still do it. Super, super, super inspiring. So, Intersar, I'm going to make you put your public health expert hat on if that's okay. There's a lot of talk at the moment about social prescribing and the importance of exercise for managing health conditions.

Could you tell me a bit about how this pure love of running that you have and this hobby, this passion, how this informs your work in the NHS? Yes. I'm going to look at it with the fact that I work in mental health services. and how it has helped me mentally and emotionally. Getting diagnosed with MS, I had so many options. Because I had more than one relapse, I was offered to go on disease modifying drugs.

The doctors and clinicians that I work with are absolutely brilliant. They gave me the option of, if I don't want to go on medications, what can I do to help manage and live with MS? So I had, I mean, it is social prescribing because it was like so many options when it comes to quality of life, eating, diet. I was given so much advice.

And then the one thing that resonated was exercise. And I thought, okay, I'm an athlete. I was always a runner. What is one thing I can get up and do now today was running. So I put on my running shoes and I went out running. But that also was with support of my doctors. So I had a great neurological team, GP practice, an MS nurse that helped me get to this decision. So I was very well informed.

And also, at the time, I wasn't a public health graduate, but I had an inkling of what I wanted to do. And that's how I kind of got into public health because I was given the information. I was educated. And then I went back and did my own education as well and learning. And I was like, okay, this is how I can tackle this. That being said, every MS journey is different.

Some people might need disease-modifying drugs at the start of their relapses to help them with their conditions. And for me, I was able to rest more and take up exercise as a, not that it's a substitute for medications, but it did help. It did help me be active. It did help me. I don't want to say stop my MS because I'm still living with it, but the relapses are not as many. where the first couple of years of my diagnosis I had two relapses back to back

in the past 10 years my MRI scans are showing no new lesions which is always good news for someone living with Emma amazing, so pleased to hear that yeah, I'm at a good place right now and hopefully it will inspire the next person

to be like what can I do to change my life socially, emotionally, mentally and take back a little bit of control as well when we have this thing over our head of a chronic illness you have it for life it's never going to go away but as a human beings we want to control

we want to be able to control something and that gave me something I can control and be like this is this part I can deal with this is the part that I get to plan per week and then yeah my illness comes into it sometimes and changes up my week if I need to rest more days than the others but I'm still running yeah and also again going back to it

It's because I have a great medical team as well. That supports me all the way. So that helps us. They got the NHS. Honestly, as an employee and a patient, I've got nothing about gratitude for the NHS, and I'm a firm believer over it. Now streaming on Paramount Plus.

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And Bafto Award winner Lenny James. You're about to have a plague of outsiders descend on your town. Let me tell you this. It's going to be consequences. Mayor of Kingstown, new season now streaming on Paramount Plus. So we connected just over a year ago. Yes. When I was working on a joint campaign between women's health and runners' world

called Reclaim Your Run. And as part of that campaign, we found out the really dismal statistic that 25% of women are routinely sexually harassed when they are out running. And you got in touch to tell us your experience. Would you mind sharing that with me and listeners right now? Yes, of course. It happened 2020. So this is lockdown, early months of lockdown.

I would say it was just May-ish or weather was getting warmer. May June, I would say, as lockdown was getting lifted a little bit. So strange talking about it now. It seems such a lot of time ago. But I was out on a run. It was Walmart side. I was wearing a long sleeve top. My headscarf.

I'm a hijabi runner. And then I was heading out and there was a calf coming up to my left, a local calf in my area. And there was gentlemen sitting outside. There was five of them. And as I was running, I had my music in. But since then, my habits have changed because of that incident.

I had headsets in, but you kind of sense when somebody's talking at you. And I stopped and I took off my headsets and I was like, I looked at them and one of them was like, I will never forget this and this is word for word. It's hot enough today, love. I'm sure your Lord, your God would forgive you for taking off some clothes, some layers, reiterate.

And then I thought, shall I retaliate and say something because obviously I'm wearing long-sleeved, full trousers, crew socks to cover ankles, hijab, headscarf to cover my hair because I'm Muslim, visibly Muslim. So I thought, shall I retaliate and say something? Shall I, it was Islamophobic, sexist, race, everything combined in one human being. But the bit that I found sad was the friends that were sitting there and kind of one of them looked at him wanting to say something.

thing, but it only takes one human being to say, oh, what he did was absolutely wrong. Don't say that, but he kind of didn't, and I thought, hmm, how does that make you feel? But for me, it was like, no, don't retaliate, because it's five against one. I, what I remember doing was I ran an opposite direction to my house so that they don't know that that's, I could easily have done a you and gone back on myself. but I ran forward, I took a right, I left somehow, somewhere, because it was my area and I knew it very well, I went back home, I ended my run. I didn't want to run anymore.

It kind of left like a sour taste in my mouth, a experience that wasn't nice. Already time was kept being out. It was 30 minutes, I think, at the time. And I thought, you've just ruined my 30 minutes of exercise with that comment. Absolutely. Absolutely. An exercise, as you say, that's not just exercise for you. That is your time away. Away.

I imagine working for the NHS. It was a weekday, so it was my break time. Yeah. So I thought, hmm, you've just ruined this precious time that I actually enjoyed that gives me a break from the stresses of life. And during the pandemic, it was busy for everybody. I remember going back home thinking, I don't want to go out running again for a minute. So I went back home, had a shower, cooled down and back to work. But I kept on replaying it in my head.

What if I said something? What if I said something? But I'm thankful that I didn't say something because what if they retaliated in a way that I wasn't able to hand on on my own. But I was like, get home, be safe. Those are two things I kept on thinking. Get home, be safe, get home, be safe.

And I did get home and I was safe. And I know many women don't have that option. We've seen it happen over the past couple of years with so many incidences that happen to young women, girls out there, going home from work, coming back from the gym, the Sarah Everard story shook the UK and the world because it could happen to anybody. Absolutely.

It could happen to any woman girl out there, coming back home from work, the gym, going out with friends. Living their lives. Living their lives. I still text, if I'm going out in a long run, Tuesday, today, I'll let somebody know I'm out and I'll out. long run, especially if I'm alone. If I'm not running with my crew and I'm running by myself, I'm going to let somebody

know saying I'm out on a run, I'm potentially running around these areas. And if I'm not back by that time, look out for me, please. Did you always do that before this incident that we're talking to? No, not as much, no. Winter times, yeah, because obviously it was dark outside. But definitely after the incident that happened in 2020, I do it more. It's like, hey, I'm outrunning. I might run this loop.

This is my map, so I pre-plan it. I might grab a coffee on the way back, so just in case, because my phone is going to be on, not do another step, but like the fitness option when you put on your fitness watch, it comes up. So it doesn't have like the notifications peaking at you. Yeah, exactly, yeah.

So it's like if my phone, if I don't answer this because my phone is on that mode and I'm going to pick up my calls and messages after my run. It's like survival tips that women do, so like the things that we do in our heads, You know, you text your friend, oh, I got home, texting when you get home. Tell me a woman and a girl who doesn't do that.

Yep. And it's a very sad state of affairs that that is what has to happen. And I can just imagine it's so frustrating because, you know, we don't know for sure, but, you know, women get harassed for wearing two little clothes when they're running. They do. When women, that's the thing that came through really strongly for us in our survey, wearing shorts.

So you were in this real double bind where you could be harassed and called out for wearing too little clothes But oh no, this time it was This time because I was covered top to bottom, yeah This time it was because you were wearing too much And it was warm But I'm like, it doesn't bother me that it's warm

I'm very acclimatized, I'm okay Why does it bother you what I'm wearing? Intesar, thank you for sharing that How did that incident? I know you said instantly You're like, I just want to be safe And I just want to get home How did that incident change

the way that you perceive of yourself showing up kind of on the streets, whether you're running on your own or with your crew as a visibly Muslim woman. How has that changed the way that you think about that? Okay. So it's sparked fire in me to show up more. I'm definitely, yes, because I'm black, I'm wearing a headscarf, I look different to most runners, especially at start lines at races. I mean, till this day today, I would stand and I look to my right and my left,

and it's not many hijabie runners out there. So it's like, I want to be more visible to not just inspire the next person, but to say if she can do it, I could do it too, but to also break down the barriers that are there that sometimes some people might not understand when it comes to being the demographic where you live has an impact on your running habits, and your social class has an impact on your running habits.

habits. I mean, races are not cheap. Not everybody can sign up for and run races and world major marathons. It's expensive. When I say I'm privileged to run, this is why I say it. It's because of these things that I have, but also to make it more accessible for people to show up

to races and to diversify the start lines. And to also help future generations to say, if they can do it, I can do it. You don't know. That next person might be an Olympian. They might be the next Dean at Asher Smith out there.

So you don't know who you will inspire. I want to see more women and girls that look like me starting at lines. I mean, I'm looking forward to the Big London half in September. And hopefully it will be different to the one hour around pre-pendemic. I'm hopeful. Absolutely. And what do you think would help with that? Do you think, so you talk there about often the prices of things can be a bit prohibitive.

Do you think for hijabi Muslim female runners, do you think having running crews and running as a group is helpful for making it seem a bit more accessible? It's bringing people together in one place where it feels safe. You can learn and you can run, you can engage with like-minded people, you can learn. Again, learn. There's always learning.

Every Saturday when I show up to a practice, I'm learning something new. from different people. So it's definitely having run crews that are open to everybody. And also in different areas in the UK as well. We're lucky we live in London. London is very diverse. But then again, we can be quite sided in different boroughs in different areas.

So making running accessible, having run crews across London that are open to everybody. And also like, I also believe in inviting friends. I'm always telling my hijab with friends, Muslim friends. Show up Saturday, 8 o'clock, Mar-Bara. That's what we meet. So I'm hoping one of these days they actually show up. But it's like, you know, passing it along. And if it's not for you, then, you know, say to the next person,

oh, this is a crew that runs and this is what they do. And there's a girl that wears hijab. I think it would be good for you. Because it's passing the word along as well. And we do look after each other. All runners look after each other. We cater for everybody, every distance and every pace, every speed. So when I say we look up for each other, then I really do mean it.

do and that's what's needed. Absolutely. And what about those, as you're saying, on these, on the starting lines or in the running clubs that are majority white spaces? What can what can those people do? Because you're talking about, you know, you're representing as yourself and you're passing on these recommendations. But what could what could the majority white members be doing?

Look at the community around you and see why is it, why do you not have others? joining your crew. What is going on? Actively being open and saying we're open to everybody and welcoming people on board. Going out into these types of, going out into our communities as well to say, this is us and this is what we do and we welcome you to join us. It's a two-way street. And also learning about different communities and cultures that live in your area as well. And also saying, I can run.

I would like you to come and run with me as well. Invite one person and see the dominant effect that has. Amazing. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Wow, we have covered so much in this podcast. We have, yeah. And it has been a brilliant and really insightful chat. So thank you.

The title of this podcast is going for goal. Yeah. So I really want to know what goal are you shooting for at the moment. I think the big one is one of them, I would say, is earn my six stars for the world majors. New York would be four, my fourth I've mentioned there, but Boston and Turkey after that. but also to run for the long time

like to be here running all the time to enjoy running and to never fall out of love stay in love with running I think that's the one that I want to keep with me all the time because it's more than PBEs it's more than medals

it's more than how many races you've done it's you know it's part of my life so to have that part of my life for the long time for good yes keep that enduring love going and one more if I may what would you say to someone who someone has a long-term barrier

so maybe it could be a chronic condition or it could be a mental health condition it could be something that they feel is a barrier but they want to and they want to maybe get going with running but they feel like that something is standing in their way okay what would you what would your advice be for me it was getting advice from the medical professionals that helped but also like looking around me

and finding inspiration in the running world. So I was, I mean, there's all these amazing Olympians out there that I find so inspiring and the stories and how they got to the start line, but also your local heroes as well. Finding community around you, that would help. Having a friendship group that also loves what you do helps as well. But I always come back to community because that's the one that's closest to my heart and the most reachable, I think, as well.

So finding community around me. and now that's my family so my running community is my family and I'm glad I belong I have a space and also remembering because I think with non-runners it can seem people that run all the time

it can seem really intimidating can seem like another world with all this different lingo and stuff but what would you say to someone who's maybe would like the accountability and the community as you say of a group but doesn't really feel able to

approach them what would be yourself Why should they make that introduction? You don't know what you listen now. You'll fall in love with it. I'm hoping that I really, really like, this is like the one thing I want to see, like for people to actually love running for running, more than covering how many distance leaves on a week

and how fast you can run at 400 metres or a half or a four marathon. It's to love what you do. If it comes from a place of love, it will be there with you for life. So I try to like plant the seed of running in people around me all the time. My friends are like, I'll just give up. Like you're the runner in the friend in our group.

We're not going to run. But I'm not going to give up. Oh, I love that. Intesar, Abdul Qadir. Thank you. A very persistent woman and a woman who's not going to be told no. No, no, no, no. Thank you so much for your inspiring conversation.

Thank you very much. That's great. Oh, that woman is a force of nature. After our chat, Intazar called up Nike run coach Andy Kuchewa to get her advice on how to optimally prepare for her next big race, while, crucially, being respectful of her body's limits. Over to Intasar and Andy. Hi, Andy's Intersar. After Kadei, I'm from London and I'm preparing to run for New York City Marathon.

I'm here to learn and get coached in all things when it comes to preparing for a marathon. Some of the things I'm really passionate about and I want to learn more about our high. hydration, nutrition, and strength and conditioning for runners. Yeah, so first, hi. Hello. Super nice that you plan to render marathon, actually. And yeah, sure, let's maybe just dive directly into the topic of hydration. Of course, hydration is important for every person, not only for runners,

but maybe for runners especially because while doing long runs, usually like the most people don't really want to carry water bottles with them. So I think maybe if it's not too hot, 10K you can do without carrying any water, but everything above gets real tricky, so you kind of have to refuel again. The other component there is also that you sweat a lot during your run. So just refueling by drinking just water, I mean, it's better than nothing, but the best case scenario would be for you to refuel with some electrolytes. So you have salt in there and other nutrients.

lose during your sweat. And what you could do, they're like, thin, like ready powders of electrolytes. You can just take with water, so you just mix them with water. Me personally, I use them when I sweat a lot, when I train a lot. But sometimes I just don't really want to have this yeah, artificial flavor of whatever flavor that is. So I really love using just a pinch of salt in water and lemon juice. And there are a lot of studies that show that you recover way faster if you're well hydrated. So it's super, super important at least after you run to really, really hydrate properly. Thank you.

Thank you very much making a note of that. And then my next question will be around nutrition, nutrition for runners, especially preparing for long run and post long run, yeah. Yeah. So you have, of course, this pre-long-run nutrition and post-long-run nutrition. Let's maybe talk about this pre-long-run nutrition first. because this is super crucial because this will be also your pre-race meal. So don't ever try something new on your race day, ever, ever, ever,

talking of own experience, talking of experience of many people. So what I would, for example, me personally, I don't like to have a big breakfast before my run. So I usually eat one or two bananas with a lot of peanut butter on it. So you have like the carbohydrates from the bananas. You have the fatty acids from the peanut butter. as well, some protein from the peanut butter. And for example, two bananas with peanut butter, they get me through two hours of running.

So for each hour, I eat one banana, basically. Of course, during a long run, I also have like gals I use. And for me personally, the after long run meal is super important. So it's a lot of green, a lot of vegetables, a lot of good carbohydrates. So of course, I know this pasta thing is nice. And if your heart craves pasta, go for it. But what's also really nice is just some brown rice or canoa, so a bit of more nutrient carbohydrates and, of course, protein.

So of course you need protein after your run. And just to refill everything your body lost during the long run. My final question would be about strength and conditioning for runners. and specifically like adapting it to someone that lives with a chronic health condition. I live with multiple sclerosis MS and I tend to strength train once or twice a week alongside my running. So my question would be around advice when it comes to strength training for someone that lives with a chronic condition.

First of all, if you're living with a chronic condition, talk for every amount of training you want to do, you have to talk to your personal doctor because I'm not a doctor, I'm a coach. but I think everyone also people with chronical conditions can have a good training have a good workout I think the first rule is always to listen to your body so when your body tells yourself hey well this might have been too much you know for the next time okay I mean don't beat yourself up because you do too much but you will know okay this is like this is the border I can go to and for the next time I'll just do less or rest a bit more and in terms for strength training for runners, what's super crucial is to train a lot on one leg because as a runner you are never

with both legs down on the ground. So it wouldn't make sense to train everything only on both legs because you need this single leg stability and coordination. So you can do a single leg squads, single leg, remission bedlifts or also simply just single leg foot stabilization going on your toes. So all of that thing combined with a good core workout, so with a 360-d-year-old. degrees, core workout with some breathing exercises. I think this is the best way to go. Thank you. Thank you so much. Great advice.

Some real pearls of wisdom there. Always listen to your doctor. And when you need an energy boost, remember that peanut butter is your friend. If you enjoyed today's episode of the Women's Health Podcasts Going for Goal, remember to rate and review on Apple Podcasts. This really helps other people find the show.

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