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Nicky Edwards
189 Plays1 month ago
Nicky Edwards is founder of The Physio Run Club and author of The Female Runner's Advantage. A keen runner herself, Nicky has overcome a lot of adversity as she chases the elusive 6-star finisher medal.
Michelle & Nicky chat about:
- Nicky's journey into running and her quest to become a 6-star finisher
- Completing the London Marathon after surgery (twice!)
- How Nicky's background as a physiotherapist influences her approach to running and recovery
- Advice for runners dealing with injuries, and tips for injury prevention
- Advice for female runners
Follow Nicky
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Transcript
Nikki's Running Journey
00:00:00
ukrunchat
Now, welcome to the UK Run Chat podcast, Nicky. Thank you so much for joining us today. Can you start just by giving our listeners an introduction to yourself, please?
00:00:09
Nicky Edwards
oh so So thank you so much for having me. So I'm Nikki. I'm a physiotherapist of about almost 20 years now and a keen runner. So I didn't take up running until later in life, but now I'm an absolute running addict. um So I work with lots of runners in my clinic, but I also just like supporting runners. So I do a lot of work for charity with Children with Cancer UK. So I support the London Marathon team for them. So we have like 1200 runners every year.
00:00:36
Nicky Edwards
um and sort of through that I've just become an absolute running addict. A huge convert from someone that never run. i've been I've always been very sporty so I played hockey by background um but I would never run unless it involved chasing a ball. I didn't understand and like years and years ago when I was a sort of newly qualified physiotherapist I volunteered for the London Marathon you know to be part of the medical team so I was at the side of the road I was one of those people if you got cramp I'd come and rub your legs down And I said to my friend at some like, why do people do this? Like, why? Why would you spend like hours and hours like training and then pounding the streets of London? Like, what is the point? I don't get it. And I thought as I like watching everyone go by and go, you're an idiot. You're an idiot. You're an idiot.
A Milestone Birthday Challenge
00:01:19
Nicky Edwards
I am now one of those idiots. I love it.
00:01:22
ukrunchat
So what what changed then?
00:01:22
Nicky Edwards
out like
00:01:24
ukrunchat
What got you into running?
00:01:26
Nicky Edwards
So. I was a little bit tipsy at my hockey end of season dinner, and I was 39, and you know what it's like when you get a big birthday, you're gonna have like a zero after the number, so I was turning 40, and I said to a friend, a little bit tipsy, I said, oh, I need something big to mark my big birthday.
00:01:35
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:01:43
Nicky Edwards
And she's like, well, what do you wanna do? Do a skydive or a bungee jump, and I'm like, I don't fancy those. And so I'd flown past Kilimanjaro years ago on a trip to Kenya, so I've always wanted to climb Kilimanjaro, that would be pre-epic.
00:01:56
Nicky Edwards
And that didn't seem like a big enough challenge. So I thought, I know, I'll do 40 sports events in my 40th birthday year. And I'm a bit of a medal junkie. So it had the rules I set for myself when I was a little bit tipsy was that it had to be a minimum of 5K. It had to have a medal. So park run didn't count. um But it could be a run or a duathlon or a triathlon.
00:02:20
Nicky Edwards
And I wanted to basically do these 40 events and I set up a website and I set up an Instagram account. And the very next day with my hangover, I entered my local 10K, which was the following week. Now, not being a runner, I had no idea how far 10K actually is. And I set off on this race and everyone's at the start line and there are people jostling at the front. And I thought, I don't really run, I'll go near the back.
00:02:46
Nicky Edwards
And again, not knowing that, not realizing that, you know, the the sort of range of paces is very vast and this is a big local 10K. So everyone was a little bit slow in front of me being like off my hockey background. It's the end of season, so I was quite fit. And so I'm overtaking people and i' and I'm good, I'm like, this is really good, I must be nearly there.
00:03:04
Nicky Edwards
And then I saw the 3K marker and I thought I was gonna die.
00:03:06
ukrunchat
ah one
00:03:07
Nicky Edwards
Like 10K was so than I realized. I was like, oh my gosh. It was like the hardest thing ever. And as I got near the finish, like I saw somebody, it's actually a patient of mine who's like a really good runner.
00:03:20
Nicky Edwards
And she's like, you did so well. And I was like, never again.
Running for a Cause
00:03:24
Nicky Edwards
But yeah, no, I caught the bug.
00:03:26
ukrunchat
Yeah, yeah, and obviously you went on to do lots more races.
00:03:29
Nicky Edwards
Absolutely, yeah. I'll do anything for a race medal.
00:03:35
ukrunchat
So you've been pursuing the six stars haven't you? The um the big ones.
00:03:38
Nicky Edwards
I have absolutely again because of because the big race battle that comes with it and so it started off with the London Marathon so in this 40 sports events with my 40th birthday the London Marathon's 40th anniversary was in my 40th birthday year
00:03:40
ukrunchat
about them
00:03:43
ukrunchat
yeah
00:03:55
Nicky Edwards
And so after thinking that everybody that ran marathons was an idiot, I thought, I'll do it as a one-off, as a bucket list, you know, you take it off. And also, um I did it for Children Recounts UK, because really sadly, my daughter's friend died of leukemia just before his eighth but eighth birthday. And this was around that time. So I thought, john I'm gonna do it in Sam's memory. I'm gonna do him proud, raise lots of money. And as you know, COVID hit that 40th year. So the London Marathon became virtual.
00:04:24
Nicky Edwards
and I really didn't want to do it. I was dressed up as a sunflower because this was Sam's favourite flower and I'm sat at home and I'd planned my route and put it on Facebook the day before but it was raining. I don't know if you remember that year but it rained the entire day across the UK. Everybody that went out virtually got soaked.
00:04:40
Nicky Edwards
and i didn't want to go and so i set off an hour late and then i did a facebook live to tell everybody because people were messaging me saying where are you and what i didn't realize which was really
Overcoming Health Challenges
00:04:49
Nicky Edwards
really sweet my daughter's friends had all kind of made signs and they were all outside their houses sort of socially distanced sort of selfies with pictures of sunflowers and cheering me on and various people joined me for parts of the route i wasn't expecting like all of a sudden this huge support came in and what i thought was gonna be a miserable day running around the streets on my own in the rain became like the best day ever and everybody that had a place virtually was offered a place to run in London over the next three years and so i thought right i'm gonna do it in 2021 to get it out of the way because i'm only doing this wretched race once so i'll do it in 2021 and my training did a golden terms to plan i was really excited and then
00:05:18
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:05:32
Nicky Edwards
Just before the London Marathon, I'd had like a routine smear test and it came back with quite severe abnormal cells. And so I had to have gynae surgery and this happened to fall 10 days before the London Marathon. And I didn't have a choice, I just kind of had to have it done. And you know, any ladies listening to this will probably understand I'm there in stirrups, very undignified. I can see my insides on the screen because they're talking me through the procedure. And again, because it was kind of end of the COVID era, they wouldn't let my husband in, so I was all on my own.
00:06:02
Nicky Edwards
And I'm crying my eyes out. And the medical team was so sweet. They're like, don't worry, Nikki. Like if it is cancer, we've caught it early, but we don't think it is. But if it is, we've caught it early, you're going to be fine. I'm like, I'm not crying about this. I've got the under marathon in 10 days. And they all looked at me and like, oh no, you can't exercise. Like you can't run for four weeks or until the bleeding has stopped.
00:06:24
Nicky Edwards
And I was just heartbroken. And then I don't know why, but this sort of kind of light bulb moment. And I'm like, oh, am I allowed to go for a walk? And they're like, oh yeah, you can walk. I was like, oh, cool. And they must've seen this wave of calm over me. Because then like the the so consultant looked at me and said, you can't walk a marathon. And I was like, mm, just you watch me. And so I went home and I spoke to my husband about it. And it sounds really dramatic.
00:06:52
Nicky Edwards
But because I was doing it in Sam's memory and he had died of cancer, and even though I knew my chances of cancer were very slim, it's still in the back of your mind because I'd been building up to this for a couple of years. I was like, but what if it is cancer? And what if I die and I've never run the London Marathon?
00:07:08
Nicky Edwards
which to a non-runner sounds really stupid. But for people that have worked really hard for this, people that know that if they've trained for a specific event, they've sacrificed so much, to then kind of have it all taken away from you is really, really upsetting. And I was quite blunt about it. I said to my husband, I'm not gonna argue you with you about it. You either support me or we just don't discuss it, because I'm going.
00:07:31
Nicky Edwards
And so I went and it was really, really sweet. My children were quite young and especially my little one. And so my husband didn't bring them in on the tube, but he did surprise me. He drove into London, found a parking spot, and they surprised me at like mile 25. And I wasn't expecting to see them. Bear in mind, I'm quite late by this point because I had to walk the entire thing.
00:07:51
Nicky Edwards
and and as I went through the start line it was the first year of the rolling starts and so the marshals were kind of telling everybody what to do and as I walked through the start line the marshal was like you've gone through the start you can start running I'm like no I'm not allowed which was really demoralizing when everybody's running I mean by about mile three other people were kind of doing like a jeffing they were doing like a run walk so a few other walkers but they were walk running
00:08:08
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:08:17
Nicky Edwards
Once I got further along the route there were lots of walkers it was fine but in that early stage it was actually really mentally really really tough to see everybody running around me also knowing that I had the physical fitness I'd trained so hard for that one But I had to i had to walk, so I had to think of my health, I had to think of my children. So when they were at mile 20, or 25, all heard was like, mommy, mommy. And for those that have children, you know your children's voice, even in a crowd like that. I was like, that sounds like my children. And I'm like, and they're there.
00:08:52
Nicky Edwards
And it was near Big Ben and i i so I ran a few steps because I was just so shocked and then my best photos from the day because they happened to be official photographers near there as well. And I'm running with my arms up because I was just ah just so pleased to see them because i'm like oh I thought they didn't really support me. like I don't mean that in a rude way.
00:09:08
Nicky Edwards
because obviously they felt like I was putting my health at risk but I was just ah so pleased to see them and then to get to the charities after party where so many of the team had waited until the very end of the day as I was the last person crawling through at the end of the day when really the after party had finished.
00:09:24
Nicky Edwards
but the team were waiting because you know the running community is like something I've never experienced before and I think that kind of helps with my addiction to running because when I found out about having to have the surgery I told my husband and my in-laws but I hadn't told anybody else because I didn't want to scare family and friends when we didn't know but there's a private Facebook group for the charity and I put it in there and I said, oh guys, this has happened to me and people say I shouldn't run it, but you'll understand because you're in my position. You've all trained really hard. You understand what it means. And I'm not asking for anybody's approval or disapproval, but I just needed to tell somebody.
Marathon Adventures and Aspirations
00:10:01
Nicky Edwards
And everyone was so supportive, everyone was like, you gotta do what works for you, listen to your body, follow medical advice was everybody's real opinion.
00:10:09
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:10:09
Nicky Edwards
um Which is exactly what I would say to somebody else, but me being stubborn. And I've made Friends For Life. Now there's people in that charity that since that day are just gonna be like my best friends for life.
00:10:22
Nicky Edwards
And I think that's what kind of running brings to you.
00:10:25
ukrunchat
Yeah. Oh, that's, that's such a lovely story that's given me goosebumps, Nikki.
00:10:28
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:10:30
ukrunchat
Was everything okay after your surgery then?
00:10:32
Nicky Edwards
and Everything fight came back clear and everything was fine um and then the following year I ran it again because I had to run it.
00:10:35
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:10:38
Nicky Edwards
I had unfinished business with a London Marathon so my my once turned into three because I wanted to run it and I ran in the charity's mascot which was this giant blue bell shaped costume which was to signify children ringing their end of treatment bell and so I did that for my third year and but by then the the addiction had stuck and now i've I've run it five years in a row for the charity and I'm going for so number six next year.
00:10:39
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:10:58
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:11:02
Nicky Edwards
um as well as obviously the majors because I've done Berlin, I've done New York, I've got Berlin in a few weeks time depending on when this airs, I've got Berlin this year and Chicago two weeks afterwards so it's going to be a busy few weeks coming up.
00:11:13
ukrunchat
Wow, it will, it will. how Just how hard is it running a marathon in a large cumbersome fancy dress costume? Because I've never done it in fancy dress, and but I can imagine it's very hard work.
00:11:27
Nicky Edwards
Yeah, it's quite interesting. Like, if anyone wants to run in fancy dress, you do need to practice in it. And I did practice a little bit, because I did have the costume in advance. But it's quite embarrassing, like, running around your local street, you swing your dress in this most bizarre costume.
00:11:42
Nicky Edwards
And I did have, like, random teenagers stop me. And, I mean, I guess I'm quite lucky, because people are very nice to me. I know people that have run in fancy dress that have got a bit of abuse, yeah especially from, like, teenagers.
00:11:53
Nicky Edwards
You know, they think they're funny, don't they?
00:11:54
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:11:55
Nicky Edwards
um but I met a bunch of teenagers out running who stopped me to ask me what I was doing and they were really sweet I had a QR code on my costume and they were about 15 and they clubbed together and donated 20 quid to the charity and I'm like you didn't you have no idea who I am you just met me and that's really sweet that they kind of clubbed together and sort of made a donation but you do need to practice because I hadn't actually practiced wearing the costume and opening my energy gels and because it was quite wide when I was on my training was I used two hands to open my gels but in the costume they did my hands didn't reach
00:12:30
Nicky Edwards
I couldn't get my hands together so then I'm trying to open it with my teeth and that wasn't really working you know like if you get you know those individual ketchup sachets and the more you try and open them the slipperier they get and you can't get them open I like that with my gels I was like and at one point I couldn't get this gel open and I'm plodding along and I'm rich from anything and this random lady was stood there with a glass of prosecco or something she said do you want this instead I went oh yes please
00:12:57
ukrunchat
Did he work?
00:12:59
Nicky Edwards
Probably not, but at the time it seemed quite funny, and I was like, it was in a few sips, you know, I wouldn't really like suggest that you run and drink, but this often happens at these big major marathons, there's people there with beer, I mean, I did it in New York, there was somebody in Central Park with a big sign saying beer here, it's like the little shots of beer, but I mean, I don't know about other people, but I run the, marot like the big major marathons, I run for the experience. Like I don't run them for time. Like those for me are just about soaking up the crowds and the atmosphere and the landmarks, high fiving all the kids. Like when you're struggling and you're like, Oh my gosh, I can't do this. It's amazing how high fiving a child puts a smile on your face and gives you that little boost of energy.
00:13:43
Nicky Edwards
and it makes their day and then you see their little face and they look at their parent going oh they high-fived me and you're not a famous you're just a nobody um but it's amazing the difference that you could make and the difference that makes to you when like you're tired and you're sore and you think oh I can't do this yeah high-five goes a long way I love London
00:14:01
ukrunchat
It does. So which has been your favourite marathon, would you say, out of the ones you've done so far? Yeah.
00:14:09
Nicky Edwards
I love, I mean, there's something about Tower Bridge. I love Tower Bridge more than the finish line. Tower Bridge is like my favorite bit. Every year I kind of, I turn that, do that right hand turn, and you don't almost realize you don't know it's coming.
00:14:20
Nicky Edwards
So if you're a first time London marathoner, it's there before you know it. And just the support on the bridge, it's just, it's just iconic. That is my favorite part. And you knew York and Berlin were also amazing, but I think nowhere beats London.
00:14:35
Nicky Edwards
Maybe it's because it feels like it's a home marathon.
00:14:37
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:14:38
Nicky Edwards
um But even when I've run it in the pouring rain, the crowds are still multiple people deep standing in the rain cheering on strangers. yeah It's amazing.
00:14:49
ukrunchat
Yeah, so what are you most looking forward to about Chicago then?
00:14:53
Nicky Edwards
um So Chicago, I'm going to do the 5K shakeout run the day before.
00:14:58
ukrunchat
Okay.
00:14:59
Nicky Edwards
um And I'm actually running that with somebody um who I've never met before. They run a big Facebook group. and And we chat and we message. And he heard me speak at the London Marathon meet our experts day.
00:15:10
Nicky Edwards
And we've just got chatting ever since. And he said, oh, Nicky, are you doing the shakeout run? And I'm like, yeah. He said, oh, could we run together? And I'm like, again, that's so nice. Again, the community, this is someone that I never would have met.
00:15:22
Nicky Edwards
They're online, I'm online. So that would be really nice to kind of run the 5K with him. I'm feeling very guilty because I'm missing my daughter's birthday.
00:15:31
ukrunchat
Oh.
00:15:33
Nicky Edwards
So she's like, make sure you take a photo of the bean.
00:15:35
ukrunchat
Oh yeah.
00:15:35
Nicky Edwards
There's a big bean thing in Chicago. But I'm looking forward to my bobble hat that comes with the 5K. It's a very famous bobble hat in Chicago marathon. So I think yeah, this is like things other than the marathon really, isn't it?
00:15:48
ukrunchat
Yeah, yeah!
00:15:51
Nicky Edwards
Also adding to that star, you know, it's so hard to get into these races and I feel very blessed and very lucky to have this opportunity. And with Chicago, and once you've got three stars, as if you're part of the Abbots group, there's like almost another little ballot competition and I think it was back in March, I had an email saying, oh, because you've got three stars already, here's a unique pin number, you can enter another ballot.
00:16:18
Nicky Edwards
and I did and I didn't think anything of it and they said if you don't get in you won't hear anything and I was actually at my son's sports day and I was just checking my emails at lunchtime and I saw this email from Abbott saying about oh congratulations you've got into Chicago and I looked at it and thought well that's two weeks after Berlin and Berlin's been booked for about eight or nine months there's lots of people from charity going out with rented and Airbnb it's a big party house So, oh my gosh, how do I tell my husband that I'm gonna fly to Berlin, come home a week and a half later, fly to Chicago? I'm like, hmm. So I just kind of wait. I thought, maybe this is a hoax. And then I checked the Facebook group and loads of other people in the Facebook group going, so excited, you know, I'm very lucky to have this place. And so I was a little bit strategic and so that my husband couldn't like, not that he doesn't support me, it sounds very awful. He really does support me in everything that I want to do.
00:17:07
Nicky Edwards
And so I just kind of like dropped it into conversation in front of lots of the other school parents going, oh, aren't I lucky I've got into Chicago? And he's just like, when is it? Two weeks after Berlin.
00:17:23
Nicky Edwards
So yes, but no, no, he's very supportive. My daughter, bless her, she said, yeah, take a photo in front of the bean and bring me back a really good book.
00:17:29
ukrunchat
Oh well but that's very generous of her isn't it yeah it that but it sounds like you've got a very exciting few weeks coming up soon then.
00:17:30
Nicky Edwards
So, yeah.
00:17:36
Nicky Edwards
Indeed, indeed.
00:17:37
ukrunchat
Yeah, so talk to us about kind of post marathons and what you've gone on to do because you've you've completed the Race to the King Ultra, haven't you?
00:17:45
Nicky Edwards
I have yeah so that was my first ultra that was this year um and I did race to the king because this year with London I seem to have these hiccups with the London marathon where something kind of always seems to go wrong health wise and this year um' they found a tumor in my lung right at the end of November
00:17:49
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:17:56
ukrunchat
Hmm.
00:18:06
Nicky Edwards
And I had various investigations and biopsies and they couldn't decide if it was cancerous or not so I had to have it removed and they'd scheduled to do the surgery in the January. But um I was working at the London Marathons Meet Our Expert Day in February.
00:18:22
Nicky Edwards
And I was like, oh, I've worked really hard to get this job at the London Marathon. I spoke to my consultant. I said, do you think it would impact my life if I delay my surgery by two weeks? He's like, why would you want to delay lung surgery? I was like, oh, I've got this really important talk to do. I said, and what do you think the recovery time is? I said, because I've got a bit of a run to do. He said, what do you mean a bit of a run? I said, the London Marathon in April.
00:18:45
Nicky Edwards
and He kind of shook his head at me and he's registrar when I planned for the surgery. I said, well, how long am I going to need off? And he said, oh, maybe three weeks. I said, I've got a very physical job. I'm a physiotherapist. He said, yeah, three weeks you'll be fine. So I was very conservative, booked the three weeks off, planned everything, who was working in the clinic, who was looking after my children, who was doing the school runs.
00:19:07
Nicky Edwards
No, three weeks turned into like three actual months off work. um And I ended up doing the London marathon kind of nine and a half weeks after lung surgery. And because I didn't think I could do it, I needed another challenge.
00:19:23
Nicky Edwards
And I was couldn't sleep one night because of the pain. And I'm like, we can't do the London Marathon. And Berlin is miles away. I need something else. And I've always looked at the Threshold Trail Series Ultras. They always look like really good fun. And I follow them on social media. And I know a few people have done the events. And everyone said it's really supportive. You don't have to be super fast. Lots of people actually walk the threshold events.
00:19:50
Nicky Edwards
And I was looking at her, here and I thought, oh yeah, that coastal route looks really nice. I'll be able to get some nice photos, and the coastal route of the event isn't um too hilly. But it was the middle of the night, and I thought, well, ultras, I think, are more fun with people. like I describe an ultramarathon like a picnic on the run. And it was the middle of the night, and I was just feeling a bit sorry for myself. I thought, no, I'm not gonna do it, because if I can't do it with someone, I'll be almost envious of the other people out there in groups, and I'll probably feel I'm quite lonely.
00:20:19
Nicky Edwards
And then the next day I was in my local village and I went into the coffee shop and this friend came running down the road and she said, oh, oh, I just wanted to catch up with you. How are you doing? Blah, blah, blah. And I explained how I'd been looking at this race and she said, oh, I'm doing that with a group of friends from a local running club. She said, why don't you come and join us? And I said, are you doing the coastal route? She said, oh, no, no, no, that's too easy. We're doing the castle route. We're doing the hilly one. And I was like, oh.
00:20:45
Nicky Edwards
But I'll go on then. I said, it's meant to be. I said, I was looking at it last night. I didn't want to do it on my own. You're doing it with a group of friends and you're welcome to take me. I said, I'm not very fit. Obviously the surgery, she knew all about that. She went, no, you'll be fine.
00:20:57
Nicky Edwards
And so I didn't really have long to prepare, but I just had the most fun. And we went out with the intention. We were always going to walk the hills and try and run the downs and the flats. And we we wouldn't have a, we wanted to do our best, but we wouldn't have a goal time. And then we were going to kind of just stick together.
00:21:18
Nicky Edwards
And I just had so much fun. Yeah. I mean, big shout out to Threshold. Their events are brilliant. I had most fun. I've actually signed up to do the one hundred K race to the stones next year.
00:21:30
Nicky Edwards
Like now it has to get bigger and further.
00:21:32
ukrunchat
yeah
00:21:33
Nicky Edwards
It always feels like you, you need to take the next step in your running. Like I've done marathons.
00:21:36
ukrunchat
and
00:21:37
Nicky Edwards
I love it. And they are hard. that I don't ever underestimate how hard they are. but I wanted to do something different and I love the trails. and like this is my This is my passion. now um I wanna get my six stars, but I also want to see where can I take trail running?
00:21:51
Nicky Edwards
What does that hold? you know There's so many adventures to be had.
Physiotherapy and Passion for Sports
00:21:55
ukrunchat
Yeah, there are, aren't there? Yeah, that sounds wonderful.
00:21:56
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:21:59
ukrunchat
and So can we talk a little bit then about um your background as a physiotherapist then? So tell us about how you got into that.
00:22:08
Nicky Edwards
So I didn't originally know I wanted to be a physiotherapist because although I've been like sporty I'd never been injured so I didn't even know what a physiotherapist was. So I actually started off as a background in sports science and because I went to university and shown my age because I didn't know what I wanted to study. that We had these really big thick UCAS books in our sixth form common room and I said to my friend in a break I'm gonna open the book, and whatever it says, I'm gonna study that at university, because I just wanted to go to university to play hockey for three years and not have to get a job. And so I opened this book, and randomly I opened it on sports science. I went, oh perfect, I'm good at sport, I'm good at science, I'll go and do that. My A levels were biology, chemistry, and maths. And then, so I did sports science as my undergraduate, and then i so I was into my third year, and I'm still like, oh my gosh, what am I gonna do with my life? Because back then when I qualified from that, so
00:23:02
Nicky Edwards
22, 23 years ago, sports science isn't where it is now. There weren't very many jobs in the sports science world. It was very much, you know, no disrespect, not necessarily what you know, but who you know, who you had connections with, where you could get in. And those jobs were so hard to get. um And we had a ah final module on sports injuries. um And our tutor for that was a guest tutor who was a physiotherapist.
00:23:27
Nicky Edwards
And I'm like, oh, what do you do? And so on. So I found out a lot more about it. So then I decided, right, and I need to do that. So I did a two year fast track program in a master's degree to become a physiotherapist. And in my naivety, when I went to my interview at university that, what do you think a physiotherapist does? as I was like, sports injuries? And they were like, anything else? I'm like, more sports injuries?
00:23:50
Nicky Edwards
had no idea kind of the kind of widespread area that physiotherapists work in, like respiratory and neurology, pediatrics, vascular, amputees, so, so much.
00:24:01
Nicky Edwards
um But they let me in anyway, thankfully.
00:24:03
ukrunchat
Okay.
00:24:03
Nicky Edwards
And but I've always been very fascinated in sport. I've done a lot of work with amputee rehab and it was in the private sector. So thankfully I i worked with quite a lot of young amputees that have gone on to become Paralympians, which is absolutely fine fantastic.
00:24:19
Nicky Edwards
And then I just love working with people who are training for something. I mean, I like working with all things, but sometimes for me personally, the routine day-to-day back pain, neck pain, it's nice to take people's pain away, but I like taking their pain away to then achieve a goal.
00:24:38
Nicky Edwards
So if someone comes into my clinic and says, right, I'm training for this 10K or this half marathon and I've got this niggle, I think being a runner myself, I understand that from a mental perspective. I know how important that race is to that person and how much it means. So to not only take away their pain, but to actually make them better than before they actually got injured. Like I see that as a huge sense of achievement because they come in and obviously get an injured. It's very rarely because of a fall. It's usually a training error.
00:25:08
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:25:08
Nicky Edwards
So to actually resolve the i injury but also help correct the training errors that they go on to not only achieve that the race most of the time, very few times we have to advise people not to do that particular event. Most of the time we can get people to that event but actually exceed their expectations because most people don't even realise what's possible.
00:25:29
Nicky Edwards
um And I love that. If i if people say to me, Oniki, I want to run 10k, and if I could get under 60 minutes, that would be a dream. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, I want to get them 55 minutes.
00:25:41
ukrunchat
ah Yeah.
00:25:42
Nicky Edwards
I don't tell them that, um because I don't want to set expectations. and i don't you know I always say to people, like run for the fun of it and i think that's why i love it so much because i i do have goals and ambitions but i don't i don't i don't fixate on that and i think that's why i haven't lost the love of it um so i try and say to people it's about completing the race is about having the most fun on race day because i i met somebody once who
00:25:59
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:26:12
Nicky Edwards
had run London Marathon lots of times and they'd always got in on a good for age and they'd always spent the entire time going around London looking at their watch and checking they were on target and they'd never actually enjoyed it. And I spoke to them, this was last year, and I was like, how can you tell me you have not enjoyed the London Marathon? You've run it this many times and you've never loved it once? No, I hate it, it's horrific, it's hard. I'm like, are we even running the same race?
00:26:38
Nicky Edwards
And they had a place for like for this year's race just gone because they had a good frame. And she was like, I'm not running it because it's miserable. And I haven't trained this year. And I'm like. Yeah, but do you, have you been running consistent? You know, I'm consistent, but I haven't followed a training block and there's only like eight weeks to go. I'm like, right. You, you run three times a week. Anyway, you've done it lots before you're a good runner. You've got a good foundation. I said, in eight weeks, you'll be ready, but run it for fun. Oh, I don't know. And then later she messaged me on Instagram. She went, I'm going to run it for fun. So I'm not, I'm not even going to wear a watch.
00:27:12
Nicky Edwards
And I was like, really? I'm not even going to wear a watch. I'm just going to run for fun. And then afterwards she messaged me. She went, that was the best race ever. I see why people love it now. I totally get it. yeah Because I wasn't looking at my watch. She said, I saw the sights. I saw Tower Bridge. I saw the Tower of London. I saw Big Ben. I waved at people. She said, that was my favorite London marathon of all time.
00:27:34
ukrunchat
It's funny, isn't it? Just a little tweak in perspective, that's all it takes sometimes, isn't it?
00:27:39
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:27:39
ukrunchat
Yeah. Yeah, I wonder if she's changed her kind of training philosophy now then, having done that.
00:27:46
Nicky Edwards
Yeah, it would be interesting because I think, especially if you are fast and you are a competitive runner, and I totally get that.
00:27:47
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:27:53
Nicky Edwards
I mean, in the back of my mind, I would love to have a training block where things don't go wrong because I would love to know how fast I could actually go if things went well. um Maybe it's because I'm a bit older now.
00:28:04
Nicky Edwards
I'm 43. Maybe if I was in my 20s and I had a bit more potential, I don't know. um But I think, yeah, having targets and having goals is good, but not having that take away the fun of it.
00:28:18
ukrunchat
Yeah. And they can also hold us back sometimes goals as well, don't you think? Because, you know, we never quite know what we're capable of achieving either, do we? So, yeah.
00:28:26
Nicky Edwards
Yeah I think sometimes people put too much pressure on themselves and then fail and then feel and fail is a hard word I don't think anyone really ever fails because doing these things is phenomenal um but that sense of failure when you've worked so hard for something and it's so demoralizing Whereas you should go, oh my gosh, I just ran my first 10K. Or, oh my gosh, I've done a half marathon and not very many people can actually do that. I think because when you're in the running world and you're looking at people on Facebook and Instagram, it's a almost as though everyone's a runner. Because that's what you're looking at, so that's what the algorithm is showing you. So it looks like everybody's doing it. But that's not the real world. That's not what's really going on. And actually what you're doing is phenomenal. And you should give yourself a pat on the back.
00:29:11
ukrunchat
yeah Yeah, very sensible advice there. So just talk me through then because you mentioned their training errors that people make. So what what common errors do you help people kind of get over really and
00:29:27
Nicky Edwards
one is is um training, like doing too much too soon. So people that are new to running will look at magazines or look online and think, oh, I need to run four or five times a week.
00:29:33
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:29:39
Nicky Edwards
Now, if you're a non-runner, trying to run that often is just madness. Your body isn't used to the impact. I don't think people realize like how high impact running actually is and the toll that it takes on your body when you're not prepared for it.
00:29:52
Nicky Edwards
um So running too frequently and going too far. And I thought we said to people, there is no shame in walking. And as a newbie, doing a walk-run technique is the best way to go. And I think the Couch to 5K programs are fabulous. um And if you're returning from injury, doing it slowly. So again, going back to Couch to 5K, which for someone that's used to running a lot, to go to a walk-run technique almost feels like you're not doing it properly, which isn't true at all.
00:30:21
Nicky Edwards
um So yeah, take it back a step. But there there's a bit of a trend sometimes on social media as well for people to do a run streak and people want to run every day. Now, if running every day was the best thing for you, that's what the elites would do, but they have rest days, because rest days are really, really important. Like the rest days are when your body is adapting to the demands of training. You need that time off and that rest and recovery to make the adaptations that you're working so hard for. So if you're pushing through hard day after day after day, it takes its toll. And that's when we get these sort of stress injuries, like stress fractures,
00:31:00
Nicky Edwards
um you know, shin splints and things like that, which are far too common in people. um The other big thing I see in runners is runners only run.
00:31:11
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:31:11
Nicky Edwards
And actually we need to do other things like, I mean, I am a massive advocate of strength training and that really is the key to success um is making sure that you've got good strong muscles throughout your legs and throughout your core and your arms. People forget in running, the arms are really important as well. you know So you need a good strong arms um and you don't have to have access to a gym. Like if you have got access to a gym, absolutely fantastic. But you know if you're thinking, well, I can't afford a gym,
00:31:40
Nicky Edwards
ah strength training is not for me. There are so many really good home exercises that you can do. I mean, even if you can't afford some dumbbells, you're getting some big four pints of milk, you know, drink the milk and fill it with water, you know, use those as weights or doing squats or lunges, you know, fill a backpack with a load of heavy books and do some squats or some lunges and some step ups. There are so many things that you can do to compliment your running that are completely free.
Training and Rehabilitation Insights
00:32:04
Nicky Edwards
um I don't want to see people people to think that cost is a barrier.
00:32:09
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:32:09
Nicky Edwards
to prevent an injury and improving running.
00:32:12
ukrunchat
Yeah. so So I've got a question for you. So something I see looks like that I'm, I'm a running coach and if, you know, people do pick up niggles from time to time, and I will always recommend they go and see a physio and the physio will undoubtedly give them some exercises to do. And they'll tell me they've got, we've got some exercises to do and they'll go, don't really like doing them. How, how can we impress upon people that this kind of regular,
00:32:36
ukrunchat
kind of strength training really and rehab work is important because people, is it because people find it boring? Is it because they don't see the value in it?
00:32:45
Nicky Edwards
I think a combination of those things, really happy is boring. Like I'm not gonna lie, you know, and I often say this to people, you know, some of these exercises are really dull. I said, but when you don't feel like doing them, try and remember how miserable you feel when you can't run.
00:33:00
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:33:02
Nicky Edwards
because this is gonna enable you to run. And it's really hard, it's that deferred gratification. It's a bit like with kids when they're going, oh, I want those sweets or I want that. And you're like, no, you gotta to wait till after your dinner. like They don't have that deferred gratification.
00:33:15
Nicky Edwards
And we don't really grow out of that often as adults. We we want it now. you know We live in a world where we can get onto Amazon, buy something and have it the very same day or the next day.
00:33:25
Nicky Edwards
you know We're used to instant gratification.
00:33:28
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:33:29
Nicky Edwards
And rehab isn't like that. Strength training and recovery isn't like that at all, unfortunately.
00:33:31
ukrunchat
No.
00:33:35
Nicky Edwards
So I say to people, when you're next feeling really miserable because you can't run, try and remember. And it sounds cruel, but try and remember that. Remember how low you feel.
00:33:44
ukrunchat
Hmm.
00:33:45
Nicky Edwards
Remember the sadness. So because then when you can't be bothered to do your exercises, just think, I don't want to feel like that. um and then think about the positive things. Do you know what I think?
00:33:56
Nicky Edwards
When I've completed a race, how phenomenal I feel. like Even when the race is really hard, when you cross that finish line, you just, even when still feel nauseated and your legs hurt, you've turned to jelly and you can barely walk and you're hanging off the rails, you still feel amazing emotionally because you've done it.
00:34:03
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:34:14
Nicky Edwards
I'm like, think about that. And that is why you're doing your boring exercises. But also I do try and make them not boring. And I do try and mix, I mean, part of my job is to make it not boring.
00:34:22
ukrunchat
but
00:34:25
Nicky Edwards
So coming up with new ideas and new ways of doing it um and trying to just incorporate it. So people are a obviously not running, they can't incorporate it in that, but people are are able to still run.
00:34:36
Nicky Edwards
I'm like, but all you need to do is five minutes before you run, include this in your warmup. So you don't, because people say, I don't have time. Like, well, if you've got time to go and run for half an hour, five minutes of that can be your strength training and you can run for 25 minutes and the outcome will be significantly better than not doing that strength training.
00:34:49
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:34:54
Nicky Edwards
And sadly, often people need a bit of heartbreak first. And and it's really sad because nobody wants to be injured, but you know, we're not very good at going down the preventative route.
00:35:05
ukrunchat
No, we're not, are we? Yeah.
00:35:07
Nicky Edwards
No.
00:35:07
ukrunchat
Yeah. It does need to change. You know, people would be so much more happy and be able to run for
Writing for Female Athletes
00:35:14
ukrunchat
longer, wouldn't they? If they just did it.
00:35:16
Nicky Edwards
Absolutely.
00:35:16
ukrunchat
Yeah, you're right. Often it takes an injury for us to realise how important it is.
00:35:21
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:35:23
ukrunchat
So tell us about your book then, Nikki, because you've you've got a book called The Female Runner's Advantage.
00:35:29
Nicky Edwards
Yeah.
00:35:29
ukrunchat
um So what's inspired you to write a book geared at female specific training then?
00:35:36
Nicky Edwards
So this all came about when I kind of started my marathon journey because being a non-runner, I had no idea what I was doing. And at the time, and I was trying to run the clinic. I had a young family. I didn't really have that much spare time. And I'm quite geeky ah yeah with the sports science background, being a physio. I've always been kind of, everything I do has been based on science. I'm like, right.
00:35:59
Nicky Edwards
how can I like be really efficient with this marathon training so then I'm googling and researching and there's lots of great books out there and then magazines but then I was getting conflicting advice like one magazine article would tell me to do one thing the next magazine article would say something completely different I'm like yeah who's right So then I started kind of researching and then ah because of hitting my 40s and you know menopause and perimenopause is a really big topic right now so I was kind of looking into that and I'm like oh yeah my hormones might be changing and how am I going to be efficient and so then I started looking up how I can use my hormones to my advantage.
00:36:34
Nicky Edwards
and how changes in our hormones actually make things more challenging for us in our 40s. And that's how it kind of all came about really. And then I started talking about it with a few friends and especially friends in their kind of mid to late 40s. They're like, yeah, like this training plan used to be perfect for me. I followed this every time and it really worked. And now I'm doing exactly the same as I always did, but I'm getting slower. i I'm going backwards and it makes no sense at all. And then I'm like, oh, actually.
00:37:02
Nicky Edwards
This does make sense when you understand what's going on in the female body and a lot of the information out there and and thankfully is starting to change now but a lot of the generic information out there is based on research that's been conducted on healthy young men.
00:37:17
Nicky Edwards
because men are an easy population to study. In science in general, because they're very homogenous and their hormones don't change, if you're trying to compare one group of people with another and implement you know a drug or a training strategy, you get a much better comparison than females whose hormones change.
00:37:20
ukrunchat
It.
00:37:33
Nicky Edwards
So I totally understand why science evolved that way. But if we're trying to apply those results to females, it doesn't work, because our body doesn't work in that way. And so I became absolutely fascinated by it all. And then now I just get on my soapbox all the time. And lots of people kept saying to me, Nikki, you give great advice, but like, you know, I need you like in my pocket. And I'm like, how can I do that? And then someone suggest me, why don't you write a book? I'm like, no one's going to read my book. like And i i and i do I do teach a course, like a little five module course about running. And I i spoke to somebody at a business event that I was at. And ah and she was a publisher. She's like, Nikki, your course, that's five chapters already.
00:38:13
Nicky Edwards
I was like, what? I said, well, my part of my thing was how am I gonna find time to write a book?
00:38:17
ukrunchat
Yeah?
00:38:17
Nicky Edwards
I'm trying to run a clinic, I've got the children, trying to like train these mothers. I don't have time. She went, you stay there, Nikki. She said, just five you've got five chapters written already. She said, and just record yourself talking.
00:38:28
Nicky Edwards
Like when you're having conversations with somebody, there there's your book. And I'm like, oh. And so I wanted to do it because people kept saying to me, oh, like Nikki, what you say is really interesting, it's inspiring.
00:38:39
Nicky Edwards
But when it's you, you think, really? um And because I do lots of talk for Children with Cancer UK as part of the ah the charity there, I do talks each month based on something to do with the marathon. Either what kit do you need, about your training, about your nutrition, um about injury prevention. And i do a I do a separate one that's about the female specific training. um And yeah, people just seem absolutely fascinated about it. So I just thought, yeah, I'll just put it all down in the book. And yeah, it's that kind of like,
00:39:11
Nicky Edwards
that thing where you think, yeah, who's listened to me? And then it just sold so well. And I've had, it's been so, been so lovely. So many people that I don't know, like obviously I expected family and friends to buy it. um But like complete strangers that I don't know have been messaging me on social media going, oh my gosh, like I never knew this and I'm now I'm going to do the gym or I've put hill sprints into my training. Someone messaged me the other day and went, I don't like you very much anymore. I thought, oh, I've got a hater.
00:39:40
Nicky Edwards
ah I've just done hill spins for the first time and I'm like, yes! So just making those little changes and I just, yeah, just it just to gives that like little warm tingly finger feeling that you're making that difference to somebody because it's so easy to get it so wrong.
00:39:58
Nicky Edwards
um And I just think, you know if people had the right information and trained well, like just to get that, um I mean, I'm addicted to that finish line buzz. If I can help one person do that and not get injured, then I've achieved something.
00:40:08
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:40:12
ukrunchat
Yeah. Oh, that's so good. So just give us a brief overview then of what's in the book then. What does it cover?
00:40:19
Nicky Edwards
Yeah, so in the book, I talk about finding your why, because especially if you're you're struggling with running, and especially if you're trying to go those longer distances, if you're kind of going half marathon and up, you need a good reason to get yourself out on those cold rainy days. So I talk about finding your why, and everybody's why is different, like your reason for running is as unique to you as your fingerprint, because when you're having a tough day, that's what's gonna get you out of bed. So I talk about that, but then I go into,
00:40:48
Nicky Edwards
looking at the female hormones at different stages of life because somebody said to me oh Nicki I'm not perimenopause or your book's no good for me. I'm like no no no I talk about what's happening from the minute you hit puberty and you start to have your periods all the way through to post-menopause when your hormones are flatlined and the influence of those hormones at different stages of life, how that ah impacts our cardiovascular system, how that impacts our bone density, our strength, and also our mental health, which is a massive thing you know in this day and age. And so then I talk about explain what the hormones are doing at different stages of life, and then why you potentially would want to modify your training at different stages. um For example, if you're at pre-menopausal, so you've got your regular monthly cycles,
00:41:35
Nicky Edwards
In the first two weeks of your cycle, estrogen is is going up into peak and estrogen is anabolic, it's like a natural steroid. So in that time, that is a great time to do your strength training, to do your hill sprints, do the really hard work to reap the benefits. um And then in the second half of your cycle, when kind of progesterone is peaking, that's when you get your PMS, that's when you feel a bit crabby and you might get cramps and you just have one of those days where you just think nothing's working.
00:42:02
Nicky Edwards
And that's why I say to people, be kind to yourself. Your hormones aren't doing you any favors today. This is when you want to just take it a little bit easier. um And so I think that definitely helps. I think sometimes we're too hard on ourselves with our training and we think, oh, but I should be hitting these times on this training run. Well, no, if you've got PMS, you know, you might not hit those times because, you know, estrogen enables you to make a really strong contraction. So when it's lower, you can't generate as much force, as much power. um So I think that kind of really helps if you're kind of pre menopause and got those cycles.
00:42:39
Nicky Edwards
the really hard stages in perimenopause because your hormones are all over the place you don't know what they're doing from one day to the next and so it's really really hard to plan your training and people say Nikki I'm like 46 I'm perimenopausal what's the best training plan for me and you can give suggestions but actually you need to listen to your body and and it's really hard because people want me to say the science says this but it's actually not that straightforward um It gets a little bit easier post menopause because your hormones have flat lines so they are steady so we can plan training a little bit better and kind of during perimenopause because inflammation and cortisol is higher in our body in that stage.
00:43:22
Nicky Edwards
we need to adapt our training because we need longer recovery time and that's what i think women well people in general aren't good at but at this stage of life women aren't very good at slowing down because theyre like but i used to train five times a week why can't i train five times a week now i'm like because you're 49 and you need longer to recover. And so like a typical training block kind of like pre-menopause where you might kind of have a building block where you're training harder and harder for over three weeks and then have a deload week kind of in perimenopause, you might drop that down to like a two week build and then a deload week, depending on how you're feeling. So, but then people feel like they're not gonna make those training gains. They feel like they're not training hard enough.
00:44:06
Nicky Edwards
But the problem is they end up over-training. And it's a really, I think perimenopause is a really tough stage for women because the changes in our hormones, instead of storing our fat around our hips, we store it around our belly. So then women starting to get self-conscious and they're like, oh, I've got belly fat. So then they start you know, cutting the calories. So they end up in a calorie deficit and trying to train so they're not fueling the activity. And then we end up with like energy deficiency problems. And then if they're not taking on enough nutrients, they start kind of leeching their bones. And then you've got problems with reducing bone density. And it really is a vicious cycle. And, you know, the kind of main aim of the book is yes, I cover all ages, but it's that kind of 40 to kind of 55 age range
00:44:53
Nicky Edwards
but I'm kind of really trying to get at because that's where we can really make a difference and I say to people there's so much you can do post menopause to really help yourself but actually if we can get to women as early as possible but while you've still got your hormones too laid down really good bone density get really good lean muscle mass so you're at a better starting point before those age-related changes kick in Because we can't defy aging, that's gonna happen. you It is inevitable, everybody male or female, we are going to lose muscle mass as we get older. We are going to lose bone density as we get older. But there's a lot that we can do to delay that. And if we can get ou ourselves to a really good point while we're young, we're at a better starting point before that decline hits.
00:45:39
ukrunchat
Yeah, but that is a really positive message to put
Key Advice for Runners
00:45:42
ukrunchat
out there. Thank you, Nikki. So it's it's been fascinating chatting to you today. and What message would you like to leave our listeners with, Bennett?
00:45:50
ukrunchat
There's one tip you could give people, and whether they're looking to tackle a first distance or or improve the training or not get injured.
00:45:52
Nicky Edwards
Thank My biggest tip is to definitely be consistent. um Consistency is key. Like even if you can't go for a long run, so sometimes people say, oh, I haven't got enough time. But even if you can get out for 15, 20 minutes, three times a week, that's good. Because some people think, well, if I can't go for an hour, there's no point going out at all. It's very defeatist, court sort of attitude. So try and be really, really consistent.
00:46:24
Nicky Edwards
um And I always say, we don't compare yourself to anybody else because you have no idea what's going on in someone else's life. That person you're looking at on Instagram may have been running for 10 years and you've been running for 10 days.
00:46:41
Nicky Edwards
OK, you know, you need to just go by what you're doing and listen to your body and don't think, oh, but so and so is the same age and they do the same training plan and they're faster than me. But you don't know what they've done before. And also people aren't always honest about what they're doing. They're doing a little bit of sneaky training in the background for going, oh, yeah, I haven't really done any training like I've just seen your Strava you blatantly have. It's all out there for us all to see.
00:47:06
Nicky Edwards
um But my biggest biggest message is to have fun. Like if you you're trying all the time to hit a PB and hit massive goals, it just becomes a chore and it takes away the fun of it. I think go out there with the intention of just having the best day ever when you're having a race.
00:47:27
Nicky Edwards
community is massive. Like i I definitely have found by being part of a community makes a big difference. So when I'm having a slump, when I'm having a bit of a period where I'm struggling, just having other people to talk to to say, I understand.
00:47:42
Nicky Edwards
Because non runners don't get it, like no disrespect. They don't understand. So by trying to talk to other runners, like, and I was really scared about joining like a, I'm not part of a running club at the minute, just because of life's craziness, but I was really scared thinking I won't be good enough. They'll be really fast.
00:47:58
Nicky Edwards
But actually, like my local area, there are the really competitive runners, which is fantastic, but there are also just the local sociable running groups that are meeting up that have like my local running group, the kind of non-racing one. They have different groups of different speeds. So they'll have like a, you know, a fast group, a middle speed group and a slower group. So you can go and depend on how you're feeling that night. Just pick a pace that works for you and nobody gets left behind in these run groups.
00:48:24
Nicky Edwards
you know no one No one gets like, the you know, everyone else has gone home and you're jogging back to the car park in the dark on your own. That never happens because the running community isn't like that at all. So I think definitely find your people and that will help.
00:48:38
ukrunchat
Yeah. Oh, that's fantastic. Thank you so much. Where can people find you on social media?
00:48:45
Nicky Edwards
So I'm on Instagram as Nicky Edwards Physio and on Facebook as Nicky Edwards 13.
00:48:51
ukrunchat
And your book, The Female Runner's Advantage, where can they get hold of that?
00:48:55
Nicky Edwards
So my book, you can get on Amazon. So it's the Female Runner's Advantage, and obviously just by me, Nicki up as a physio. um So you can grab it online there, um and also and the Physio Run Club, which depend on when this aired, it's launching soon, and which is full of like masterclasses and Q and A's and communities, so people can come there and check me out as well. So Physio Run Club, or my big one really is Instagram.
00:49:19
ukrunchat
Yeah. and And do keep tagging us on there, Nikki. We love seeing all your posts and your reels.
00:49:23
Nicky Edwards
I will do, thank you so much.
00:49:25
ukrunchat
Yeah. Well, we hope that everybody out there has enjoyed listening to this episode. Do let us know what you think and go and give Nikki a follow as well. And we'll see you on the next episode.