Run Strong with Emma

So we may not have found Clare at the start line, so paved Louise round instead and SUPER SUPER happy with her time 🤩

A huge congratulations to all of the guys everyone PB'd 🏆

📢 Can a Running App Really Coach You? 🤔
🎯 Structured plans? ✅
📊 Progress tracking? ✅
❌ But can it adjust to your life?

Can a Running App Really Coach You? 🏃‍♂️📱 Training for a race? There’s an app for that... Actually, there are loads—

Common Gait Faults & Fixes 👣

Addressing gait issues can transform an injured runner’s rehab!
Here are two common faults we tackle:

1️⃣ Over-striding
Why it’s a problem: Increases braking forces, stressing knees, hips, and lower back.
Fix: Increase step rate by 5–10% with a metronome for reduced impact and better efficiency.

2️⃣ Medial Collapse (Knee dropping inwards) - (Pelvic Drop & Narrow Gait)
Why it’s a problem: Overloads hip adductors, IT band, and knees.
Fix: Use cues like “keep knees apart” to improve hip/knee alignment and load distribution.

Small changes make a BIG difference!

60m indoor champs England Athletics

Persistent Achilles Pain? It Might Be Something Else! 🏃‍♂️💥

If your Achilles pain just won't budge, it could be due to another muscle

👉 3 Signs It Might Not Be Your Achilles:
1️⃣ Pain on the inner side of your ankle.
2️⃣ Foot flexing worsens the pain.
3️⃣ No improvement with Proper Achilles Management & Loading Exercises.

Discover more about how to manage this pain and get back to your runs! 🏃‍♀️👟
https://lincs-injurys-roundup.beehiiv.com/p/achilles-pain-plantaris

Is Achilles Pain Slowing You Down? It Could Be Something Else! 🧐 Discover what might be behind stubborn Achilles pain and how to tackle it. 🏃‍♂️

IMPROVED LINK 👌

Unexplained Changes in Your Running? Is Menopause the Missing Piece? 🤔 Discover how menopause might be affecting your running, as we unpack key signs and symptoms—and learn how to adapt and keep moving strong! 🏃‍♀️

🚨 Are your runs feeling harder than they used to? 🚨

You’re not alone. Nearly half of female runners are in the menopausal age range—and many don’t realise how menopause can affect their performance!

In my latest blog, I’m unpacking the physical changes of menopause and sharing tips on how to adapt your training.

Ready to run smarter, not harder

Unexplained Changes in Your Running? Is Menopause the Missing Piece? 🤔 Discover how menopause might be affecting your running, as we unpack key signs and symptoms—and learn how to adapt and keep moving strong! 🏃‍♀️

Double Workouts & Cross-Training 🏋️‍♀️

Two hard workouts in one day. to increase the total volume of intensive training to achieve sufficient total training volume, while managing recovery cycles and stress load.

This can help reduce the risk of injury!

Mixing different exercises keeps training interesting and extremely effective. 🏊‍♀️🏃‍♂️

🏃‍♀️ Mix Hard and Easy Workouts 🏃‍♂️

Also known as "Hard-easy rhythmicity"

🗓️ Alternating hard and easy training days helps build strength without overdoing it! Aim for 2-3 hard workouts each week. 💪

As much as we congratulate those Para Athletes who have been selected and deserve to have their place.

Gutted is for us is an understatement, after the hard work, successes and the MOST PBs over the last 2 years compared to other athletes.

40 spaces are LEFT for para athletes, and yet British Athletics have left these vacant despite athletes having the qualification standards for the national as well as Paralympic qualifing time... I would love to know why... If it's financial, it's a shame that there isn't a way to raise funds/athletes to self fund.

We can hold our heads high and be proud of what we have achieved.

We have done all we can do, and it simply just came down to selection!

SELECTION......I wanted to share with you all that I have NOT been selected for the Paralympics. I am very saddened and disappointed by this outcome. I feel as though I have let down my friends, family, and my Coach, who have always believed in me and supported me wholeheartedly.

Equally I couldn't have done any more....I met and excelled in all the criteria and times asked of me, Achieving;
World Para Athletics Qualifying Times in 400m (by over 4secs) and 200m
National Qualifying Times in 400m and 200m

I would have received an invite to compete at the Paralympics from World Para Athletics but that can only be accepted by your home Nation and a broken system within British Athletics, coupled with a lack of funds, has led to me being overlooked.

I have dedicated two years of my life, made significant financial investments in my training and competitions, and sacrificed so much in my personal and family life.

Throughout this journey, I never received any sponsorship or support from England or British Athletics. If I sound bitter about this rejection, it is because I am and I am angry that the professional world of athletics is no longer just about athletic ability but money and a popularity contest.

The poor business management and lack of funding means that athletes like me are let down. This impacts not just me, but Para Sport as a whole, leaving a void in representation and role models for others like me.
With 73 slots available they are only taking 33 athletes!

I want to Thank you all for your unwavering support, I am grateful for each one of you and for following my journey. Fortunately this is not the end of the road for me, I have been fortunate enough to find CrossFit and although I don't yet have a high skill level my fitness from Sprinting and my Coach has carried across and enabled me to qualify for the Adaptive CrossFit Games, taking place in Texas Sept 19th-22nd.
CrossFit is a purely self-funded sport so if your good enough and fit enough you qualify....long may that continue!

Double medal 🤩
England Athletics Championship

Who knew after qualifying for the 100m for the first time she'd medal?! Great work 👏💪🏃‍♀️

Thank you Amy Premier Inn Birmingham for the good luck Free Pastries 🤩😋

Follow Debbie O'Connell Para Athlete journey with live on BBC Lincolnshire today on the breakfast show today.