Women’s Running Collective
Women’s Running Collective
Womens Running Collective
Are We Running for Fitness… or Running Away From Life? 10 Types of Runs Women Really Need
37 minutes Posted Sep 7, 2026 at 6:44 am.
Sponsor and Cold Open00:20 Meet the Hosts01:35 Weekly Training Recap03:28 Fitness or Running Away04:36 Ezra Window Escape Story07:06 Why We Started Running10:45 Running Brings Community11:23 Ten Types of Runs11:44 The Sanity Run15:11 The Rage Run18:09 Long Run Therapy Talks21:09 Dawn Run Vulnerability21:30 Running Friendship Trust22:11 Motherhood Identity Run23:26 Mum Guilt Research24:48 The Avoidance Run25:51 Confidence Through Running27:57 The Comeback Run29:48 When Running Stops Fun31:34 The Joy Run33:03 Quickfire Would You Rather34:17 Rise And Shine Ad Break35:26 Recommendations And Wrap
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Are We Running for Fitness… or Running Away? 10 Types of Runs Women Really Need
Are we running to get fitter… or are we secretly running away from everything else going on in our lives? 
In this episode of the Women’s Running Collective, Hayles and Jussie unpack the very real reasons women run and how those reasons can change throughout different seasons of life.
They kick things off with a catch-up on a tough training week, including 10 x 400m reps and a threshold/tempo session, plus weekend plans involving a 5K time trial, Parkrun and, of course, a very important hair appointment.
Then things get a little deeper.
We ask whether we're actually running for fitness… or whether sometimes we're running away from stress, motherhood, anxiety, responsibilities and the general chaos of life.
Jussie shares a particularly chaotic parenting story involving an escape through a window, and we chat about why we started running in the first place — from postpartum recovery and anxiety relief to reclaiming our identity, finding friendship and building community.
Because running isn't always about getting faster.
Sometimes, the run you need most has absolutely nothing to do with your training plan.
We break down 10 different types of runs women really need, including:
🏃‍♀️ The sanity run🔥 The rage run🧠 The long-run therapy conversation🌅 The dawn run👩‍👧 The motherhood identity run🙈 The avoidance run💪 The confidence run🔄 The comeback run😩 The “when running stops being fun” run❤️ The joy run
We also get into mum guilt, vulnerability, friendship, confidence and the weirdly powerful role running can play in helping us feel like ourselves again.
Plus, we finish with a quick-fire Would You Rather: Running Edition, an ASICS Rise & Shine collection ad break, and our weekly recommendations.
In this episode:
Why women really run
Fitness vs running away from life
How your reasons for running can change
Postpartum running and reclaiming your identity
Running as anxiety relief and stress release
Why running friendships are so special
The different types of runs we need throughout life
Mum guilt and making time for yourself
Finding confidence through running
Coming back after time away
What to do when running stops being fun
Why sometimes the best run is simply the one that makes you happy
Our Recommendations
LSKD Fusion 2.0 Sports Bra + Flow TankOlaplex No.6 Bond Smoother
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