In this episode of the UKRunChat Podcast, Michelle is joined by Catherine and Pippa, co-founders of Trail & Bloom, a trail running retreat designed to support women navigating midlife.
Both share deeply personal journeys of how their relationships with movement evolved. From early experiences of feeling “not good enough” in sport, to running as punishment for eating, to rediscovering joy and confidence on the trails, this is an honest conversation about identity, body image, performance and self-worth.
Catherine talks about how perimenopause, injury and life pressures left her questioning her place in running, and how trail running helped her reconnect with movement in a way that felt freeing rather than pressured.
Pippa shares her path from disordered eating and overwhelm to becoming a GB age-group triathlete, and explains why midlife women need to understand their physiology — particularly the importance of maintaining muscle mass for long-term health, strength and confidence.
Together, they discuss:
Why so many women carry “baggage” into midlife running
How trails can remove pressure and reintroduce joy
The myths around weight loss, BMI and body composition
Why strength training is essential (and how to approach it safely)
How to rebuild confidence when performance plateaus
What women really need in midlife: community, compassion and evidence-based guidance
This episode is a powerful reminder that midlife can be a breakthrough, not a breaking point, and that running can still be joyful, empowering and deeply restorative at any age.
Listen here
You can find more about Trail & Bloom and their upcoming retreats at https://trailandbloom.co.uk/
