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Running With MS: Nicky Edwards on Diagnosis, Ultras, Resilience & Big 2026 Goals
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A year after her first appearance on the podcast, physiotherapist Nicky Edwards returns to update us on a life-changing year. Since we last spoke, Nicky has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, but far from slowing down, Nicky has taken on some of the toughest challenges in UK ultra-running.
Nicky talks us through the emotional and chaotic lead-up to the Arc of Attrition, receiving her MRI results just days before the race, and how she battled reduced sensation, balance issues and overwhelming uncertainty to make the St Ives cutoff with minutes to spare. Nicky opens up about the identity shift that comes with chronic illness and the mixed reactions online.
We dig deep into how Nicky has adapted her training, from prioritising strength work to restructuring work and family life, and how she uses mindset, stubbornness and gratitude to fuel her racing. Nicky also shares highlights from her recent 8th-place finish at Wendover Woods 50, talks about managing symptoms under stress, and looks ahead to a huge 2026 including Tokyo, Boston, a possible London, Race to the Stones, and her dream: the UTMB 100-miler.
Nicky closes with a message for anyone facing obstacles: “Only you know your body. Don’t let others’ expectations manage your dreams.”
Follow Nicky on Instagram
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Transcript
00:00:00
UKRunChat
Today is a special catch-up show because just over a year ago I sat down with Nikki Edwards. Back then she was pushing hard on her marathon journey aiming for her six stars and preparing for an ultra. Since then life has thrown some big changes her way.
00:00:16
UKRunChat
I think Nikki's story goes far beyond running actually. It's about kind of grit, resilience, refusing to give up even when the odds change. Nikki thanks so much for being here and coming back onto the podcast. How are you?
00:00:29
Nicky Edwards
i'm good thank you thank you so much for having me back it's always lovely to come and have a have a chat to you um so for those that don't know me from before i'm nikki edwards i'm a physiotherapist and a run coach um and i specialize in running marathon training female specific training um And yeah, my journey has been a bit unconventional into running.
00:00:51
Nicky Edwards
um I wasn't always a runner. I've i've always loved sports, um played lots and lots of team sports growing up. you know, i was that kid in school that was in every team. I was kind of, you know, average at everything, not great at anything.
00:01:05
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:01:05
Nicky Edwards
um And I only got into running in in later life when I was kind of turning 40s.
00:01:10
Nicky Edwards
It's one of those big birthday things and you feel like you need to to market with something sort of big. So, um, I decided I would do 40 sports events in my 40th birthday year and the London marathon happened to fall in my 40th birthday year. So it was ah one of those, it's meant to be sort of things.
00:01:28
Nicky Edwards
And it was a, it was a one-off bucket list. I was fundraising for charity. Um, I was running for children with cancer UK because sadly my daughter's friend died of leukemia and it was supposed to be a one and done. Um,
00:01:40
Nicky Edwards
but COVID happened. So it became virtual. Um, and then we all got offered another place. And so then I did it again in 2021 for real in London. And I just got, ah I just got addicted to it. I, I fell in love with running with the community that comes with running, being part of a big charity organization.
00:01:59
Nicky Edwards
i just made so many good friends, even though I'm not personally part of a run club, like the online running community is, is fabulous. Um, And so, yeah, I've gone on to run 10 marathons now.
00:02:11
Nicky Edwards
And then as a lot of people will realize when you get into your running journey, you start with the shorter distances, like a 5k. And then you think, oh yeah, I can do a 5k now. So you step up to a 10k and like, oh yeah, i like that.
00:02:22
Nicky Edwards
And it just kind of escalates and it gets a bit out of hand and it's turned into ultra running.
00:02:26
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:02:28
Nicky Edwards
Um, so
00:02:28
UKRunChat
I don't know why that happens. It just, yeah, it kind of snowballs, doesn't it?
00:02:32
Nicky Edwards
it absolutely does. And then you think, All this road running business, that's fun, but how about those dirty trails? Let's have a look at those.
00:02:39
UKRunChat
And then before you know it, you're out kind of doing nighttime runs, aren't you, in the rain and the dark?
00:02:42
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:02:44
UKRunChat
Yeah. um Because you were you were working towards, it was the aquatrician, wasn't it, when we last spoke?
00:02:49
Nicky Edwards
Yes. Yeah. So when we last spoke, I was putting up to my first really scary ultra because there's lots of different ultras out there. There's like fantastic ones for like newbies to ultra running that have very generous cutoffs and and things like that, that are absolutely amazing. And then you have these other ones where due to like time restraints or just the nature of the race, do you have, um, quite strict cutoffs.
00:03:17
Nicky Edwards
And the arc of attrition is one of the UTMB races and it's for those that don't know, it's on the southwest coast path down in Cornwall. It's in January. So the weather, although it was kind to us in 2025, it is known for being pretty grim with the sideways rain off the sea.
00:03:33
UKRunChat
Yeah, can
00:03:35
Nicky Edwards
um It has a really high DNF rate. it's There's bits of it that are not runnable. You feel like you're climbing because you're going over boulders. Paths turn into rivers with the weather.
00:03:46
Nicky Edwards
Um, you go for long periods of time without any assistance. You're not allowed any crew on these races. And, um, and so, yeah, it was the first race that I was actually scared of failing.
00:04:00
Nicky Edwards
Um, even with the best preparation in the world on that sort of terrain, it's so easy to roll an ankle or if you get the admin wrong, if you don't make sure you get your layers on correctly with the weather changing, or if you don't make sure you eat enough or hydrate enough. your race can go very wrong very quickly.
00:04:17
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:04:17
Nicky Edwards
um And I had an additional challenge. So since we kind of last spoke, I've been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. And that has had a massive impact on my life, like not just with running, just with with everyday life that comes with that. And with the arc of attrition being such a big, scary goal, even without having multiple sclerosis, like when I signed up, I got my MRI results. I wasn't officially diagnosed, but i got the um MRI results that showed that i had lesions in my brain and in my spinal cord the week of the race.
00:04:52
UKRunChat
wow
00:04:54
Nicky Edwards
And it was like terrifying. And I'd been, I'd been gas lit so much. I had an awful journey to get a diagnosis. I've been sent away from A&E in tears like five times. that No one kind of believed there was anything wrong when there seriously was.
00:05:08
Nicky Edwards
And, um, And so I i didn't i only knew got these scan results because I kept pestering and phoning and complaining to the patient advice and liaison surface saying, I've had a scan in November, but I have no results and I've got all these new symptoms and I'm struggling to walk and my hands hurt and all sorts were going on.
00:05:25
Nicky Edwards
So they squeezed me in at the end of the day to give me these um and MRI results. And the consultant said, yeah, I can't officially diagnose um MS because that's, although I'm a neurologist, that's not my speciality and I'm not allowed to diagnose. It has to be somebody else, but that's what we think you have.
00:05:41
Nicky Edwards
And this was like on the Wednesday and the race was on the Saturday. And I was like, to my mind was just blown.
00:05:47
UKRunChat
Wow.
00:05:50
Nicky Edwards
So I went down to like the hardest race of my life with my head just in MS.
00:05:57
UKRunChat
Yeah, um that's not a good place, is it?
00:05:58
Nicky Edwards
MS, not MS.
00:06:00
UKRunChat
Yeah, that's not a good place to be on the start line of a huge
00:06:02
Nicky Edwards
I was in MS, but just felt like, I can't let this beat me. I can't, you know, this is my first scary race where I think I'm going to fail. And part my problem, my main symptoms with my multiple sclerosis is that I've got reduced sensation in my feet and my legs. There's times when I can't really feel my feet, but there's also times when they're like hypersensitive, like the tiniest bit of gravel feels like blades of like glass going into your foot. But at that point in time, I couldn't feel my feet very well. Everything kind of below the knees was very numb. So like, I just had to,
00:06:36
Nicky Edwards
pray that my feet were where I was putting them. So the risk of falling is significantly higher. and And I'd rolled my ankle on um there's a bit that way you kind of run through Xena on the Southwest coast path. That's really, really gnarly. It's really tricky. It's not runnable at all.
00:06:53
Nicky Edwards
And lots of people have struggled there and I'd rolled my ankle on a recce run. So I was a bit nervous about that point anyway. And you're trying to get to the St. Ives checkpoint and it's the biggest gap on the course without any support.
00:07:06
Nicky Edwards
which for 2026, if anyone's listening and they're running it, it's even bigger now. There's no support to all the land.
00:07:09
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:07:11
Nicky Edwards
You're about 30 kilometers unsupported on this race for 2026. So it's a long stretch and I was so close to getting timed out. I kept looking at my watch and thinking, I just need to get to St.
00:07:25
Nicky Edwards
Ives. And there were almost, know, like when you're going up a mountain, you get sort full summits and you think you're nearly there. And then you reach that bit and you're not. I had that with headlands. I could see a headland I think, I'll just get round that headland. I'll be at St. Ives.
00:07:40
Nicky Edwards
No. Okay. I'll just get round this next one. I'll be at St. Ives. No. St. Ives seemed to never arrive. And as I could see the town in the distance, I'm looking at my watch. i'm like, I've got nine minutes till I get cut off.
00:07:52
Nicky Edwards
And then there's a volunteer. They call them archangels. They are angels. They are amazing on this race. And this volunteer is going, Quick, quick, quick. You're nearly there. You're going to make it. and I'm like, I don't know if the aid station is at this end of the town or that end of the town. If it's this end, I might just make it. If it's that end of town, there is no way.
00:08:12
Nicky Edwards
And I ran so, so hard. Like that was the end of the race. Because if I got timed out, effectively, that was the end of my race.
00:08:20
UKRunChat
Yeah. Right.
00:08:22
Nicky Edwards
And in my head, because I'm worried about the MS and I didn't want to ruin myself like for life, I kept saying, Nikki, stay safe. Nothing stupid. stay safe, nothing stupid, looking every single footstep because I can't feel it had to visually see. So then you get like the brain fatigue from having to concentrate so hard on what you're doing.
00:08:40
Nicky Edwards
um And I scraped into St. Ives. it was with about six minutes to spare. And the the volunteers were amazing because they could see me coming. So they already had my drop bag out, which had all my food for the second half of the race. So if I didn't get to my bag, I had no no food, no fuel for the second half.
00:08:58
Nicky Edwards
They'd sort take your bottles out and ask you what you want. And then they would do this 10 second countdown for everybody to get out the aid station. And I just like scooped up all my stuff, like walked out the door and I'm like, am I clear? Am I safe? Can I continue? They're oh yeah, you're good now. Cause you're out. You're the other side. You're fine. And we just dropped everything in the street. All my stuff. It was just like, just this mess of my kit all over the floor. And it was getting dark by this point. So it was great. Cause I could sort out my layers, get my head torch on repack my bag.
00:09:30
Nicky Edwards
And one of the volunteers said to me, oh, did you get any food? Because it was the only like hot aid station.
00:09:34
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:09:36
Nicky Edwards
went, oh no, there's no chance for food. i was not getting timed out. And he was like, oh, what would you have liked? said, oh, I could kill a bit of pizza. And he went back in and he came out with this massive pepperoni pizza. And, um, I'm not a veggie, so it was all right. And he just got two bits and like folded it into a sandwich. I went, there you go. Like get a move on.
00:09:56
Nicky Edwards
And from that point in the race, they were like tail runners that were kind of like, would tell you if you're going to get timed out. And they were there from that point. and i said, can you just feed the pizza to those tail runners and just hold them for five minutes? Just let me get up the road and out of visual sight.
00:10:11
Nicky Edwards
um and let me get on my way. And, uh, it was a real. It was a real fight. And I ah did get round.
00:10:19
UKRunChat
Yeah. Well done. Yeah, that's amazing.
00:10:21
Nicky Edwards
i had 29 minutes to spare at the end, which was like a miracle. But every step was a battle. um How I got round, I don't really know. i do now have a run coach and I showed her my training my traininging for the arc. And she how did you get round on that training? She said, you just shouldn't be able to do it on that. But I think it's because mentally i was fighting the fact that I just kind of not officially being diagnosed, but just told I pretty much had MS.
00:10:51
Nicky Edwards
And I thought, oh my gosh, what if this is it? What if this is my only opportunity to ever have a crack at this race? What if like, I'm going to lose my but mobility and I never get to come back and try again. And some people might argue that's a bit dramatic and it's just a race, but when you've worked so hard for something, and that's been like a really big goal for you. And a big goal for me is to do the hundred mile UTMB and The arc is a stepping stone to that.
00:11:19
Nicky Edwards
I just felt like everything was being taken away from me.
00:11:21
UKRunChat
yeah.
00:11:22
Nicky Edwards
And I'm pretty sure i gave myself rhabdo in that race because I have never been in so much pain in my life after that race, but the next day I physically couldn't move. I had use my hands to move my legs. Like I was peeing blood, but I couldn't move my legs on the toilet. Like in the service stations on the way home, we had my little boy with us. And normally I would take him into the toilets because the ladies are clean.
00:11:44
UKRunChat
yeah
00:11:45
Nicky Edwards
But I said to my husband i said, you're goingnna have to take him because he can't see me like this because I couldn't bend my legs to sit on the toilet. So I had to like hold the walls and like go back with straight legs.
00:11:51
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:11:53
Nicky Edwards
and I couldn't get up. But the awful thing was, mean, I talk about it now, but I didn't at the time because I didn't want to tell anybody how much I'd hurt myself and how bad I felt because everyone would tell me to stop running.
00:12:07
Nicky Edwards
And that's what I've been so scared of this whole time is everyone to say, you can't do what you do with MS. Like it's bad for you or you know, you shouldn't do it. Like with MS, you only get a certain amount of energy for the day. There's like the spoon theory with chronic illnesses. You start the day with certain spoons and each task uses up a number of spoons and you have to decide what you want to do. And I'm like, I don't want people to say, Nikki, don't run.
00:12:33
Nicky Edwards
I'd rather people say, Nikki, I'll do the washing up for you.
00:12:35
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:12:35
Nicky Edwards
You go for a run. Like you do, it's true. You do only have a certain amount of energy as everybody does. But with a chronic illness, it's, it's, it is different. And I've just been so scared the whole time that people say don't run because it's part of who I am is part of my identity. you know On Instagram, it says Nikki Edwards running physio.
00:12:57
Nicky Edwards
And I'm still I'm still really struggling to get my head around the whole identity thing. um And people go running shouldn't be your identity. Running should be your hobby. It shouldn't be who you are. But we all have something about us that makes us who we are, whether that's We love running or we love cooking or we love crafting. Like we all have something that is part of who we are. So I think it's very hard to separate or maybe it's just because my head isn't and isn't in that right space yet. I find it very hard to separate who I am without running.
00:13:33
UKRunChat
yeah i understand that and i think yeah it is easy for people to say oh you can't get just caught up in running but we are aren't we i feel the same as you if it was if there was a risk of it being taken away from me ah yeah i would be horrified so and with you, I think you should fight for what you what you really enjoy doing. what What has the response been like from others? Because you're very open to sharing what's happening with you on social media. Has it been a largely positive response?
00:14:03
Nicky Edwards
Generally, yes. um I go through phases of talking about it lots and then going quite quiet about it because I've had like mixed response. And again, it's finding I guess it goes back to the identity and finding where you fit because I'll say things like, oh, you know, this race was hard or training was hard today because my balance is really bad or I'm falling over more or I'm just generally struggling.
00:14:26
UKRunChat
you
00:14:30
Nicky Edwards
And then you'll get lots of lovely comments, people saying, oh, that's really good. You're doing really well. It's really inspiring, which is not like go to get nice comments. I'm going to show people that even with an illness or a disability, you can still do really hard things.
00:14:46
Nicky Edwards
But then I have other people go, oh but you're still faster than me. What are you complaining about? And I'm like, if it's not about being faster than you or anybody else, it's about doing the best that I can do the best of my ability, which I fight with. Because I think if I didn't have MS, I'd be better than than I am. So then when I do a race and I do really well, and I did recently Wendover Woods race, I came eighth female, which is phenomenal. I never would have imagined I would come eighth in a race.
00:15:14
Nicky Edwards
But then I think, oh, if I didn't have MS, would I have come third? Would I have ever podiumed if I didn't have MS? um Because I train better now I have MS because I have to. And now I think, oh, did I waste time before I had MS? Did I not do everything that I could have done to be as good as I could be?
00:15:32
Nicky Edwards
And there's still so many what ifs. and But then I have the other side of that in the MS community, I kind of don't fit there either because in the MS world, I'm not normal. Like a lot of people with MS can't do what I do, but I was very fit and very able before I got MS. So I was at a higher starting point, but people with MS like, oh it's all right for you. I can't even walk. Oh, it's all right for you. You get the, you get the fancy drugs cause you're newly diagnosed and you know, you're not going to end up with a disability I have. And there can be, there can be a lot of negativity in the MS world or in the chronic illness disability world. And people saying, oh, you know, you're,
00:16:13
Nicky Edwards
You know, what's the right word? Ah, my brain, see, I get brain fog as well. It's probably very menopause as well. 45 and MS. It really does mess with your brain, but there's a word I can't think of it right now, but basically I'm almost kind of being disrespectful to people with disabilities by saying, if you try hard enough, you can do whatever you like.
00:16:33
Nicky Edwards
That is not what I'm saying. Cause people do try really hard and still can't do certain things. That's not what I'm saying. I'm not being disrespectful and saying you're not trying hard enough with your disability because that's not what i would ever, ever think of anybody.
00:16:47
Nicky Edwards
But that's sometimes what people say to me is that I'm, yeah, I can't think the right word. My brain.
00:16:54
UKRunChat
It'll come back to you later in the conversation and you'll just shout it out.
00:16:55
Nicky Edwards
It will. Yeah, but I'm not being disrespectful. I don't, I don't believe that if you try hard enough, you can do whatever you want because
00:16:58
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:17:01
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:17:02
Nicky Edwards
You could try as hard as you like Michelle, but if you haven't got the right genetics to sprint 10 seconds, it's not going to happen with all the training and all the best intention in the world. it has to be, you know, a whole variety of things to be successful.
00:17:14
Nicky Edwards
And it's not just down to effort and intention.
00:17:17
UKRunChat
yeah
00:17:18
Nicky Edwards
Um, so that's, yeah, I'm not saying that at all to the, the people with illnesses or, or disabilities.
00:17:24
UKRunChat
Yeah, that must it must be a lot to carry for you and kind of extra things to think about, though. like You kind of have to be careful not to upset people, don't you? and you've I mean, you've just got to go and live your own life. Of course you have and share things.
00:17:36
UKRunChat
But, yeah, it must be hard to think I've got this whole other community now that I don't want to to kind of upset.
00:17:36
Nicky Edwards
Yeah,
00:17:42
UKRunChat
and
00:17:43
Nicky Edwards
yeah
00:17:43
UKRunChat
How has your day-to-day life changed?
00:17:43
Nicky Edwards
it isn't
00:17:46
UKRunChat
And obviously you're taking your running more seriously now. you've You know, you've you're following a training ground and...
00:17:53
Nicky Edwards
yeah absolutely. So day to day now, before i had the diagnosis, my training was very kind of ad hoc. So obviously I know all the right things to do. I'm a physiotherapist and a run coach. I know exactly what you should be doing. I tell other people what they should be doing. I'm very much a do as I say, not as I do So a person pre MS, because I was very fortunate enough to have good enough genes that I could get away with the minimum training and still be able to run the distances and the events that I wanted to run. Now I have MS and my balance, the the big issue is the balance and the weakness and falling.
00:18:30
Nicky Edwards
Strength training has become a much bigger priority. Um, it always should be anyway. always promote that, but that's what would slip. If I had time to train twice a week or three times a week, I'd have gone for a run.
00:18:42
Nicky Edwards
Now strength training is non-negotiable. It makes such a difference to performance. Um, I'm running so faster and stronger, recovering quicker because of the strength training. And I have, I have coaches now. So although I am a coach, it's very difficult to write your own plan and hold yourself accountable. So I have coaches and they're a duo, Holly and Pete Stables, amazing. um And Holly does all my run training, Pete does all my strength training.
00:19:11
Nicky Edwards
And um it's just made a huge impact because now if I if i feel like I don't wanna do something, I'm like, Holly and Pete are gonna see I haven't done it. And obviously I've paid for it as well.
00:19:20
UKRunChat
Thank
00:19:24
Nicky Edwards
So that holds me accountable, but I'm like, oh no, obviously I'm not like trying very hard.
00:19:25
UKRunChat
you. and
00:19:29
Nicky Edwards
Um, so it, it does it. And I prioritize that now I've had to change the way I work. You know, I'm a physiotherapist. I'm now doing less hands on physiotherapy because like when my hands are playing up, it actually sounds dark, but it actually hurts me to treat people, which is a bit ironic. People come to me with pain and I'm taking away their pain, but in the process, giving myself pain.
00:19:50
Nicky Edwards
So I've cut back on that and doing more coaching instead, because apart from the brain fog and not being able to remember a word, generally my brain works. Um, So definitely doing like a lot more on the coaching side of things, but just changing life with, in terms of, you know, trying to get other family members to help out a little bit more with like some of the lifts and things like that with the kids club so that I can then train.
00:20:13
Nicky Edwards
So I was doing a lot of my running in the dark because, you know, it's like juggling family and things that though the training would be like at the end of the day.
00:20:17
UKRunChat
Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:21
Nicky Edwards
And I, I like running in the dark. Um, that, that doesn't bother me. I quite like the tranquility of being out in the dark with just my head torch. But physiologically, that's not a good time for me to train. So trying to prioritize doing my training in the morning, like in the school day, which is a real luxury and a privilege. I appreciate I've got that a lot of people haven't, you know, I am self-employed, but it still wasn't easy to change that it's it's taken.
00:20:47
Nicky Edwards
What the best part of a year for me to really try and change things around, I guess that comes with a bit more acceptance and not just ignoring it. There's a lot of like hiccups in the way. Um, to kind of get to this, this point, um, and rest and recovery, which I'm not very good at because of, again, having a young family and a business, there's never enough hours in the day. I'm often really bad at scrolling on Instagram late at night and thinking, I know I should go to sleep.
00:21:16
Nicky Edwards
scrollbble
00:21:17
UKRunChat
Yes, it's about managing fatigue, really, is it? Does does that help then when you're well rested, your symptoms better?
00:21:20
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:21:23
Nicky Edwards
Makes a big difference. Yeah. I can definitely tell. the difference when I'm tired in terms of like my symptoms. um You know, if I've had a busy day at work or like stress stress levels as well, i can just tell things like the pins and needles and the numbness will get worse. I was, I was sat doing some work on Sunday on my laptop and I'd been for a run. My ankle was sore. So I'd quit my run after four miles rather than 16. And I was really frustrated with that and annoyed. And I sat working, I could literally just feel at the side of my face going numb. And I'm like, oh,
00:21:54
Nicky Edwards
If I didn't have MS, I'd be thinking, oh my gosh, I'm having a stroke. It's just trying to to manage that really and be a bit more sensible about it, which can be tricky when you think, oh, I want to go and run 100 miles around Mont Blanc.
00:22:12
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:22:13
Nicky Edwards
Most people would think that's stupid even without an underlying condition, but that's that's still a big goal I want, hopefully, keep all my fingers crossed for the ballot in January.
00:22:13
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:22:23
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:22:23
Nicky Edwards
still really want to do that.
00:22:25
UKRunChat
That's kind of, is that the middle to end of January, the results come out for that?
00:22:29
Nicky Edwards
Yeah, I think it's mid January. So the arc of attrition I'm running again is the 24th of January, but I think the ballot results are before that. It's quite a quick, the nice thing about the UTMB is it's quite a quick turnaround. It's not like some, like some of the big marathons you put your entry in so early and have to wait, but this is, them this one's quite a quick turnaround.
00:22:52
Nicky Edwards
And it it causes some controversy amongst my MS team. Cause like my MS nurse, she's, she's so supportive. She's like, Nikki, do what you want. Your body will tell you when it's had enough. She said, at some point you're going to find the edge, try not to fall off.
00:23:06
Nicky Edwards
But if you do, that's fine. We'll pick up the pieces and you'll know that that's where the limit is. Um, but then I've had other people like, it again, it was a, it was a, it it's a fellow physio, but she's a neuro physio and, and,
00:23:20
Nicky Edwards
My husband said, remember Nikki, this lady was in her early sixties, isn't into exercise. He's just sitting waiting for retirement. Although she might be a neurophysio, she's not on your wavelength.
00:23:33
Nicky Edwards
She said to me, I don't think you should really be doing what you're doing. Um, what's wrong with running five k and I'm thinking I'm, I'm not fast. I'm a diesel engine. Like I like long and slow. Like that's where my comfort zone is.
00:23:48
Nicky Edwards
And then she said, you shouldn't be running in the dark. because you might fall over and you shouldn't run on trails because you might fall over. everyone falls over on the trails.
00:23:58
Nicky Edwards
Like that's normal. Yeah. yeah Well you have MS so you fall more and recovery takes longer. And if you hurt yourself, you'll be out for longer. I'm like, well, I can't wrap myself up in cotton wool.
00:24:11
Nicky Edwards
I would be miserable. Like that would be really bad for my mental health to not do those things.
00:24:14
UKRunChat
Yeah,
00:24:16
Nicky Edwards
And it's a bit ironic because that center is right by Wendover Woods. And one of the Centurion races is the Wendover Woods 50 race. And I said, oh, so 50 miles around Wendover Woods, like in November in the dark, you wouldn't recommend I do that?
00:24:31
Nicky Edwards
went, absolutely not. I went, oh, too late. i've already signed up.
00:24:36
UKRunChat
that was amazing.
00:24:38
Nicky Edwards
And I came eighth. I can't believe it. I came eighth. i was just like so, so shocked. I mean, I did a lot of training. Thankfully, I'm only half an hour away.
00:24:47
UKRunChat
It's a hilly one as well, that one, isn't it?
00:24:48
Nicky Edwards
It's really hilly.
00:24:49
UKRunChat
Like, really, yeah. Yeah.
00:24:51
Nicky Edwards
My coach said to me when she suggested it, she went, I said, I'm not doing that Holly. said, it's really hilly because she's won it. Like she's phenomenal. And she, oh no, it's not that bad. And I was rushing to see a patient and I just needed a race. Cause I've been dot watching the spine and I had race envy. And so I just signed up, didn't think anything of it. And then I went to recce it and I just sent her all these voice notes and videos going, you lied.
00:25:14
Nicky Edwards
It's really hilly. I renamed some of the hills after her because they just are really steep. Um, but it is actually it is actually a a brilliant race. And depending on kind of what I get into next year, I i would be tempted to go back, but I'd run this route so much. I knew it like the back of my hand. So on race day, the fog did not lift all day. Anyone that was there will know, like there were points when at night when it was dark and with the fog, you literally couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Like your torch would hit the light and you'd see nothing. So you hit, you had to have your torch pointing at your feet.
00:25:49
Nicky Edwards
Um, and you just, hoping that you didn't like trip over something. But I think because I'd run that route so many times in training and because I've been told I shouldn't do it and there was no expectation to achieve anything.
00:26:03
Nicky Edwards
I just went out and enjoyed myself and I had such a good time. And like the Holly had said to me that I should not see it as a 50 mile race. that I should just see it as 10, sorry, five, 10 mile loops.
00:26:14
UKRunChat
Yeah, because it it's lapped, isn't it?
00:26:15
Nicky Edwards
And I said, yeah, five laps.
00:26:16
UKRunChat
So you have to face the same hills over and over.
00:26:19
Nicky Edwards
Yeah. So she said, you should theme them. And I'm not very good at things like that. She said, yeah, something like, you know, the first run is just like you warm up, run out with your mates and like one in the middle of the day is like your lunch run or something like that. She said, just theme them and let me know. And I couldn't think of anything fun. i was trying think of something fun and i could share on Instagram and I couldn't, but the only one that I did theme, and I didn't tell anyone to afterwards, cause it sounds really awful.
00:26:46
Nicky Edwards
My last lap. was the um assassination victory lap because I wanted to see how many people I could overtake on the last lap. And I know that sounds really awful and really, really mean, but in my mind, I'm just like, the strength that I have personally, that I think some people lack in ultra running, and I've seen it a lot from coaching, but also just from being at ultras, people's head goes, that they have the physical ability to do those races and to keep going, but they lose the head space.
00:27:18
Nicky Edwards
And that's one thing I am really strong at. It doesn't matter how much pain I'm in or how much I'm suffering. I just can, I just have this ability to keep going. And so I just decided that I would just see torches in the distance. Right, right. You're next. going to have you, you're next. going to have you.
00:27:34
Nicky Edwards
So I overtook 18 people on that last lap.
00:27:36
UKRunChat
Wow. Yeah, that's some going in.
00:27:38
Nicky Edwards
Um, and and it's, it it sounds really mean, but it wasn't, it was just my way of keeping myself going. Um, and when I caught up people, be, come on, let's go. You can do this. Like, no, I'm done. I'm like, no no, you're on lap five. You're done now. And there were some people on lap four. Um, and they still had like loads of time for the cutoffs. Like, come on, you can do this. Like, no, I'm going to stop at that. I'm going to stop when I get back to the start. I'm no, you're not. No, you're not. You've done four laps. You've done four. Don't, don't give up now. You've only got one more lap to go. and I'm looking at the time. And if you just walked, you've still got time.
00:28:14
Nicky Edwards
Just walk it You're going to be fine. Um, but yeah, was, it was, it it was ah a really, really good race. So if anyone wants a hard hilly trail race with loops, that's very well supported and you're not isolated because it's so contained, you'll never really far from anyone in that race. It's a really nice, safe, hard ultra.
00:28:33
Nicky Edwards
If people are interested.
00:28:34
UKRunChat
Yeah, that it sounds brilliant actually. and How did you feel after that 50 miles compared to after Archipatrician?
00:28:42
Nicky Edwards
Really good. m Obviously I was tired. I took a whole week off. I felt like I could have run within a few days, but I didn't because recovery is so important. Even just without MS, i think everyone should take a week off after a marathon or an ultra, even if you feel good because your tissues, like your muscles, your ligaments, your tendons, they need time to recover. And even if you feel like you can run, your body isn't ready.
00:29:06
Nicky Edwards
Um, but I think the difference was all the strength training. and all the hill training, because I'd been to Wendover so many times. I'd been up and down those hills so, so much I didn't feel really bad when I was doing them. And it's all those hills. This sounds really daft.
00:29:22
Nicky Edwards
But when I was on my last lap, i I think one of the things as well with doing like these big races, and it's not just necessarily ultras, but just anything that is like pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
00:29:36
Nicky Edwards
And I've never done this before. And my husband laughed when I told him, I had such gratitude for the race. I thanked every hill. It sounds really tough because I've named them all on that last lap. i was like, thank you for not destroying me today. Thank you for not tripping me up.
00:29:52
Nicky Edwards
um And I actually said it out loud. Thank you, Holly Hill number two for not destroying my legs. um Because I was just really grateful to have been there, to have conquered it.
00:30:04
Nicky Edwards
And I think that that was a big turning point for me is is, is yeah, gratitude for still being able to do these things.
00:30:12
UKRunChat
Yeah, I think that's so important. And that the positivity that that brings, I think helps you in an ultra as well, doesn't it? How important do you think that ultra running mindset has been in helping you adjust to your MS diagnosis?
00:30:25
Nicky Edwards
Um, I think a lot really, I think is having that stubbornness when things are hard. Um, and trying to overcome things that you know life or society is telling you you shouldn't be able to do. Yeah,
00:30:47
Nicky Edwards
it's that faith in yourself that you can do hard things.
00:30:50
UKRunChat
yeah
00:30:51
Nicky Edwards
And I think that that comes from time. It comes from that exposure to hard things and surviving and then looking back and reflecting and yeah, in that moment, I was really hard and I wanted to give up, but I didn't.
00:31:02
Nicky Edwards
So now when I come across the next hard challenge, Yeah, I know it's going to be hard, but I know I can overcome it. And I think that graded exposure to hard things and overcoming them, you're training your brain that you are stronger than you realize because, you know, psychologically we're built for survival. We will always take the easy path. Like if, if our kind of chimp brain was allowed to get away with it, we would give up so, so easy, but it's trying to like override that in the moment and saying, yeah, this is hard.
00:31:34
Nicky Edwards
um But I will conquer and I will overcome.
00:31:38
UKRunChat
Yeah. has Has this year been different to how you'd imagined it? Like have have you had to kind of drop races that you perhaps wanted to do or has that not really changed?
00:31:48
Nicky Edwards
Yeah, no, I did. So i've normally I would like I love a race medal. I'm a bit of a race medal junkie and I would just like run anything for a medal and like back to back races. I was really sensible about what races I put into the calendar this year. So I did have some really hard races. So I had Archivitian in January, Ultra Trail Snow Donor, which is 50K, another UTMB race to get some race stones for the January ballot.
00:32:18
Nicky Edwards
um London Marathon. But then I had the big gap, which is why I was getting race envy and I entered like the Wendover Woods race. So i I did, normally I would do like lots of 10Ks and lots of halves just for fun with friends.
00:32:30
Nicky Edwards
I didn't. And I was supposed to Race to the Stones 100K nonstop in the summer.
00:32:31
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:32:38
Nicky Edwards
um But it was that heatwave weekend. It was really, really hot. And And MS and and heat are not friends. Like when it gets really hot, my core body temperature rises, my legs just turned to jelly. Like I was running on holiday um and literally I was running along quite happy and my legs just like started buckling and I had to go and sit under a tree um and kind of cool down and get some water on board before like I can run back again.
00:33:06
Nicky Edwards
So I was actually really sensible and I did defer that race. I've never done that before.
00:33:11
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:33:12
Nicky Edwards
never never deferred a race I've always done it no matter how good or bad I've felt um so I have been more sensible with race choices 2026 is probably not so sensible but only because I've got some amazing opportunities so I've been like chasing the the six stars with the world major marathons and I've got into Tokyo on a charity place running for the MS Society which I am so pleased about because they only had two places and one's gone to me and I'm really, really grateful for that place.
00:33:39
UKRunChat
yeah
00:33:43
Nicky Edwards
I'm busy fundraising and qualified for Boston.
00:33:47
UKRunChat
That's, that is fantastic. Yeah.
00:33:49
Nicky Edwards
Yeah. So I'm so, so excited about going to Boston.
00:33:50
UKRunChat
Wow.
00:33:53
Nicky Edwards
So mean, would I normally do archiviturian in January, Tokyo marathon, 1st of March, like six week gap, Boston marathon, like seven weeks later, London is six days later.
00:33:53
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:34:05
Nicky Edwards
I don't know if I'm doing London. I have, i have been offered a place because I coach, Brain Research UK and Children with Cancer UK London Marathon teams. So I could have a place.
00:34:17
Nicky Edwards
I'm waiting to see if I get into UTMB.
00:34:19
UKRunChat
yeah i guess that's the deciding factor is
00:34:21
Nicky Edwards
Because that would be my A race. And I'm also running the Race the Stones 100k nonstop next summer. um And I've been chosen as one of their future legends um for their races, which is really exciting.
00:34:33
Nicky Edwards
that's that's
00:34:33
UKRunChat
nice yeah
00:34:34
Nicky Edwards
That's a really nice thing to kind of to be picked as part the future legends team for that for next year.
00:34:36
UKRunChat
a him
00:34:40
Nicky Edwards
Because Again, it's about showing people again, that you can have an illness or a disability and still do like really cool adventures.
00:34:49
UKRunChat
Yeah, yeah. No, I think it's great that you can still go out and do what you want to do. And yeah, I think it's brilliant. What are you most looking forward to next year then?
00:35:00
Nicky Edwards
um Getting my six stars in Boston, because that was like a pre MS dream.
00:35:05
UKRunChat
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:06
Nicky Edwards
My little boy said to me, mommy, when you've run Boston, are you going to retire?
00:35:10
UKRunChat
What did you say?
00:35:10
Nicky Edwards
He's only A and all he can remember is he always comes to London Marathon. He loves the after party at Children of Cancer.
00:35:15
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:35:18
Nicky Edwards
They do a big after party. like and So all he's kind of known is mummy running marathons around the world. And so he he he knows that the six stars was the big thing. He knows I wanted to collect that in Boston. I mean, I know they're going to be doing nine in the future, but I have to be sensible with budget. um i mean in favor Don't just like achieve something and retire.
00:35:37
Nicky Edwards
You just find the new goal.
00:35:39
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:35:39
Nicky Edwards
So I'm really looking forward to that. But I really want to get into UTMB because who knows where MS is going to take me? Who knows? Am I going be able to run 100 miles in the mountains?
00:35:51
Nicky Edwards
I don't know. Is that an unachievable goal? I don't know until I try. Like nobody knows till they try.
00:35:57
UKRunChat
he's
00:35:58
Nicky Edwards
And I've been doing loads of like Googling and I can't find anyone with MS that's done the 100 mile UTMB. they might have done i don't know i can't find anything of it and i would absolutely love to do it even without being the first if i could be the first person with ms to do utmb amazing but even though i'm not the first just personally that's been a big goal of mine and i would love to do it so i'm coping hoping i get in on the ballot um utmb does have an adaptive athlete policy but i can't i can't quite figure it out yet but
00:36:33
Nicky Edwards
I don't know who's listening to this, but if any anyone at UTMB knows about the adaptive athlete policy and wants to give me a place, yes, please. I'd love to do a documentary about it. Like i I love watching like runners documentaries at the big races like the UTMB and Western States and Coco Dona. Like I love seeing how other athletes have challenged themselves and done some really cool things. Cause nobody has a smooth journey. Like it's hard for everybody.
00:37:03
Nicky Edwards
But I would love to put together like a documentary like following like basically my 2026, doing like the arc and doing the six stars because that in itself is really cool. But to be like someone with MS, like I'm a perimenopausal woman with MS, going and running the UTMB.
00:37:25
Nicky Edwards
I think that would be an interesting story. Yeah.
00:37:27
UKRunChat
It would.
00:37:27
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:37:27
UKRunChat
Yeah, if everyone anyone's listening out there that has a media team that would like follow Nikki to the Alps.
00:37:30
Nicky Edwards
yeah If anybody wants to make a documentary about the UTMB.
00:37:35
UKRunChat
Amazing.
00:37:35
Nicky Edwards
um Yeah, i just I just want to show people, like, yeah, things are hard, but you you you can do it.
00:37:45
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:37:45
Nicky Edwards
And it's not going to be straightforward. Like, just the whole the whole logistics. so Again, I talking to my coach about this, because this year at UTMB, they had, like, all weathers. but I know people that were out there that missed cutoffs by, like, seconds.
00:37:58
Nicky Edwards
And is it because they were putting in layers on layers off because the weather kept changing? They had is really hot and humid low down, but then when they got up high, it was like sideways rain and snow and people struggling to stay warm overnight.
00:38:11
Nicky Edwards
Um, so it's not just about running. It's about the, the admin as I call it, uh, with ultra running and the the extra challenges I have with their mess is, you know, the sensitivities with my feet.
00:38:16
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:38:23
Nicky Edwards
Like I don't always know that there's a problem. until it's too late and I've got circulation issues. So like, how am I going to keep my hands warm? And if my core body temperature gets too hot, my legs turn to jelly, but likewise, if I get too cold, I can't regulate. So it's, I could be the fittest person in the world, but fighting what the weather and MS throws at me is going to be like, yeah, really interesting, a really interesting thing to overcome. So I'm quite excited about that. Like there's been so much planning that goes in. It's got nothing to do with running.
00:38:55
Nicky Edwards
and crew, how am I going to get a crew round?
00:38:57
UKRunChat
Yeah, there's a lot to think about, isn't there? so So you're allowed crew on the UTMB?
00:39:02
Nicky Edwards
yes yeah. So as ah as a kind of just like an amateur though, apparently you're not allowed to take your own car.
00:39:06
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:39:08
Nicky Edwards
You have to kind of get on the buses and things like that. And it's quite hard for crew as well. And because I'm like, I'm like newish to ultra running. I don't have like lots of ultra running friends or anything like that. So it's not as though I've got friends that have done these things that can go, oh yeah, i'll come and crew you. So even kind of picking a crew would be hard. And my husband's yeah, I'll crew you. i'm like, yeah, but who's looking after the kids?
00:39:32
Nicky Edwards
um You can't, you know, you can't crew me unless we took someone to look after the kids, but also he's, He won't listen to this. It's fine. He's not a runner. So like he won't, he won't get it. So when I'm at a checkpoint and I'm sleep deprived and broken, I need someone to go, yeah, come on, crack on.
00:39:49
Nicky Edwards
Yeah. Here's some food. Here's a drink and push me out the door. I need someone that understands like ultra running that won't. be nice to me, if you know what mean? i need someone that just says, that helps with the practicalities. Have you got everything you need? Here's your gels, here's your fluid, here's your clean socks, here's your new shoes, here's your like here's everything you need.
00:40:09
Nicky Edwards
Basically, you're breathing, you're fine, get out the door.
00:40:12
UKRunChat
yeah someone who basically knows how much you want it and yeah
00:40:15
Nicky Edwards
Yeah, because when it's, i mean, I think I would be all right because I am, i feel psychologically strong and very stubborn. But everyone has down moments. Everyone's gonna have moments and they go, oh my gosh, it's too much. I need someone to go, think how much this means to you. Because in the moment you feel like you wanna give up and you can't go on. But the regret I would have if i'd give ah if I give up over something that I shouldn't give up for. Obviously if I'm unwell or I'm in danger to myself, someone's gonna have to be sensible and pull me off.
00:40:44
Nicky Edwards
But if I'm not, just push me out the door. Because I will be so disappointed. if I failed and you know DNFing is not a bad thing like absolutely not at all but I haven't DNFed yet and I know that when that happens I have to be able to get my head around that and I think having the MS is making it harder and I had a I had a meeting him with a neuropsychologist recently because people said look you don't accept your MS you're in denial um and she was like well you're not in complete denial because you are thinking about
00:41:19
Nicky Edwards
practicalities and logistics of how much harder these races are for you now. She's not in complete denial. She said, but at some point you will fail because everybody does. And it's how you cope with that failure that is going to determine kind of your mental state. Like, are you going to blame failure on, it wasn't my day.
00:41:38
Nicky Edwards
i had upset stomach just because I had too many jowls or the weather was bad or just like you fail just for a genuine reason why everybody else fails. Or are you going to blame MS? I said, going to blame MS. She said, well, then that's the problem.
00:41:52
Nicky Edwards
She said, because you will fail at some point just because you would have failed anyway.
00:41:52
UKRunChat
Yes.
00:41:56
Nicky Edwards
I said, well, you don't know me because I don't do failure. She said, no, but she said, you've just told she said, I'm not a runner. I don't understand. you You just told me these races are really hard and have a high failure rate. So statistically at some point you are going to fail, but you need to prepare yourself for what are you going to blame on the failure? Are you going to chalk it up to, it wasn't my day. I didn't do enough training. I didn't prepare. The weather was bad. And,
00:42:19
Nicky Edwards
30% of us didn't get round or are going blame MS? but think I'm going to blame MS. So yeah, I think I still have work to do there.
00:42:27
UKRunChat
But I guess you are putting your all into training as well, aren't you? So.
00:42:32
Nicky Edwards
Yeah. Yeah, I am. I'm trying to do everything within my ability, everything that I have the ability to control. and put effort into I'm trying to do. So I should, you know, that's where I have to get my head around. I should be able to go out on race day and go, I couldn't have prepared any better.
00:42:49
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:42:49
Nicky Edwards
So if I fail, I've still held my head high because I couldn't possibly have done any better. But if I go out there and I fail because ah can't feel my feet, Or I've got a foot drop, which happened at Snowdonia, where I couldn't actually lift my foot up from my ankle. So as I kind of picked my leg up, my toes kept pointing down, I couldn't lift them up. So I kept catching my feet.
00:43:11
Nicky Edwards
Then it's hard to not blame the MS, because if MS is behaving, so at Wendover Woods, MS behaved. I didn't have a single fall. And that's a miracle. um So if MS behaves, I can perform well. If MS decides to play up, I'm going to have a really bad day. And so it'd be hard to not blame the MS. And it'd be hard to not feel frustrated and angry that that's what's stopping me if I know I've done everything else possible that every other runner has done.
00:43:41
UKRunChat
Yeah. And is that just a lottery? Does that just vary according to, is is there anything you can do to help your MS symptoms b be less obvious?
00:43:51
Nicky Edwards
Yeah. so things that I can do to help are really good sleep, reduce my stress levels, eat really well.
00:43:56
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:43:57
Nicky Edwards
So for Wendover, I was so good that week before. I was going to bed early, i was eating well, I cut my diary back at work. So I i tried to do everything that I could.
00:44:08
Nicky Edwards
i mean, i remember one night getting cross at about 10 o'clock down to my husband, I just wanna to go to bed, I've worked really hard for this race, I don't want it go wrong, I just wanna go to bed. But like, we were like chatting and I like i just wanna stop this conversation, I just need to bed.
00:44:19
Nicky Edwards
Because often I'm not in bed before midnight and I know I should be.
00:44:20
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:44:22
Nicky Edwards
And I know that's something I can control, but life isn't always that straightforward. So things like if I do get into UTMB, it'll be trying to like figure out if like kind of financially and logistically, can I get out to Chamonix early?
00:44:36
Nicky Edwards
Like, can I get out there like a week or two before to get used to the altitude? Can I get a comfy bed? um Because when I went to Snowdonia, all the family came with me and it was lovely to have them with me, but we were in, for what our budget would allow, a really tatty, manky Airbnb with the shower that didn't work. After the race, it broke.
00:44:57
Nicky Edwards
So no shower. um And it was lovely having them. But then it became about almost like a family holiday. Oh, can we go and get ice cream? Can we do this?
00:45:06
UKRunChat
yeah yeah
00:45:06
Nicky Edwards
Can we do that? So then it's like midnight. I mean, I didn't get any dinner till gone nine o'clock the night before the race. I'm like, I'm just hungry. I just need some food. I need to go to bed. So my diet was really bad. My sleep was really bad.
00:45:17
Nicky Edwards
And then I woke up the next morning with the foot drop. And i I was so upset. i said to my husband, i said, this is why I can't, this is why I need to have better control over this. It's so lovely having you all here, but we came up at last. So we left late and things like that because of so like school and stuff. So we didn't go up till later than planned. I'm like, if I'm going to do something big and scary like this, I have to be slightly selfish and I have to do it on what works for me.
00:45:41
UKRunChat
yeah
00:45:41
Nicky Edwards
and and it seems really mean. And other people might listen to this and she's so selfish. She doesn't want to be with her children. I love my children. I love being with my children. But when you've worked so hard for a particular race to then mess it up because you haven't eaten early enough or you haven't gone to bed early enough, they're simple things or should be simple things, but they're not simple when you've youve got a house with kids in it.
00:46:01
UKRunChat
yeah it's busy isn't it you know yeah life is a mum who works
00:46:08
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:46:11
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:46:12
UKRunChat
self-employed, it's, yeah, it's going to busy.
00:46:14
Nicky Edwards
Yeah. And it was exciting. It was an adventure. We hadn't been back to land. Like we went to land various, like just after COVID. I mean, it's beautiful. That part of the country. I absolutely love it. And you know, we were in Betty's code probably pronounced that wrong. Sorry to the Welsh listeners. We're in Betsy code and there's the river where they were paddling and we had our dog and they were having a lovely time, but I'm looking at my watch again, it's three o'clock and I'm not having lunch and I need to go and register and I need to get off my feet.
00:46:40
Nicky Edwards
going, isn't this lovely? And I'm going, he's lovely. In the back of my mind, going, I need to eat and sleep.
00:46:48
Nicky Edwards
they They have no idea I felt like this because I would never let them know that. As far as they're concerned, we just had the most amazing weekend in Wales. And we did. but it did it it did impact the race.
00:46:58
UKRunChat
Yeah. oh well Well, hopefully and all is well and you can get a place in the ballot in January.
00:47:06
Nicky Edwards
Keep all my fingers crossed.
00:47:07
UKRunChat
Yeah, and hopefully you can come back in another year and tell us all about how it went. That would be amazing to hear.
00:47:12
Nicky Edwards
Yeah, in a year's time, hope I'll have that lovely six-star medal.
00:47:15
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:47:15
Nicky Edwards
I'll have run the UTMB and go all the way around 100 miles. And I'm sure there'll be like some real horror stories to tell from that.
00:47:22
UKRunChat
It'll certainly be an experience, won't it, whatever happens.
00:47:24
Nicky Edwards
Absolutely.
00:47:25
UKRunChat
Yeah. yeah Any final thoughts you'd like to leave our listeners with?
00:47:31
Nicky Edwards
Yeah, I think just the important thing I would say for people to to remember if they're having like challenges with their running and their health is... Stay true to yourself, like only you know your body and what you are capable of.
00:47:44
Nicky Edwards
um So don't let don't let others' expectations manage your dreams. um I think that's the important thing because nobody knows knows you and what you are capable of. Only you know that. So listen to your body and trust your heart.
00:48:02
UKRunChat
Oh, I love that. That's the perfect place to finish, isn't it? Thank you so much, Nikki. and we'll We'll pop all Nikki's links in the show notes so where you can follow her journey.
00:48:06
Nicky Edwards
Thank you.
00:48:11
UKRunChat
um And if you if you want to check out her her training and future aims, then do go in and have a look. Nikki, thank you so much. I'm already looking forward to hearing where you are in 12 months' time.
00:48:23
UKRunChat
And until then, everybody listening, and keep running, keep pushing, stay strong, and we'll see you on the next episode.
00:48:23
Nicky Edwards
Mm-hmm.