Mariam Kilpatrick is a Women's Health Physiotherapist and ultra-runner based in Glasgow, Scotland. She is an outdoor enthusiast and can usually be found up a hill in the Highlands of Scotland or travelling and exploring new places with her young family in their camper van.
It may come as a surprise to a lot of people, but Mariam only took up trail running after the birth of her daughter in 2017 when her husband decided to surprise her by entering her into an "ultra" six months after giving birth. As it happened, it turned out it was as part of a team relay with 3 other people and she was assigned to run 10 miles out of the total 50-mile race.
Nevertheless, Mariam stepped up to the challenge and worked hard to achieve her postpartum goal of running 10 hilly miles in the Ochils - her first experience running on the trails in Scotland. Since then, she has been bitten by the bug and to date has run several trail marathons, mountain and sky-running races and ultramarathons with her most recent achievement in 2021, running the full West Highland Way, Scotland's most famous long distance trail which is 96 miles (155km) long. Her goal was to run it in under-24 hours.
As a women's health physiotherapist and a mother herself, Mariam's biggest passion is helping new mums through their postpartum journey. She hopes that her own personal experience will inspire and empower other women to achieve their goals - whether it's returning to their sport such as running, or simply just feeling back to themselves again after giving birth.
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Show notes
Who is Mariam
Being based in Scotland
Her love of the outdoors and exploring Scotland
Wanting to help other women return to running and sport after having a baby
Her early years and where her accent comes from
Growing up in New Zealand and moving to Australia
Taking up trail running after having her daughter in 2017
Being entered into a 50 mile trail ultra marathon 6 months after giving birth…
Meeting her husband and moving to Scotland
Her pregnancy and birth story
Working what a PT and doing gym classes
Getting back to fitness after giving birth
Putting on 3 stone during pregnancy
Getting into running after pregnancy
Using the walk run strategy and trying to build up time on feet
Training for the final 10 miles of an ultra
Not feeling ready for the race
Being coached by Jonny @jonnykilpatrick
Starting to identify as a runner
Juggling training and childcare
How the running goals evolved over time
Thinking about running the West Highland Way (95 miles) in a day
Wanting to see what else she could do
Entering the WHW ballot
Following a training plan
Figuring out how to fit in running around her life and work
Not being able to race the WHW due to covid and restrictions
Going ahead with the challenge
Making the challenge work for her and her family
Doing the technical section in the pitch black
Coming off caffeine before the WHW
Having stomach issues
80s power ballads
Counting and keeping the legs moving
Getting the nutrition in
Feeling emotional and crying it all out
The final push - wanting to run the distance in 24 hrs
Wanting to get it done
The final 14 miles
4 miles downhill and giving everything she had left
The finish of the run
23 hrs and 57 mins
The picture from the finish line - www.instagram.com/p/CQWWl92rHXO/
Connect with Mariam
Final words of advice for runner and new mothers
Social Media
Instagram: @mariam_kilpatrick
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The Tough Girl Podcast is being sponsored by Inov-8 throughout March.
Get your exclusive 15% discount code for inov-8.com by signing up HERE
Website: www.inov-8.com
Instagram: @inov_8
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