<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<p>In the sport of track and field, Team USA is widely recognized as the world&rsquo;s number one team. At the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, the U.S. took home 29 medals &ndash; 14 gold, 11 silver, and four bronze &ndash; to top the global medal count. Team Jamaica was second with 12 medals. Just imagine what Team USA will be able to achieve in 2022&hellip; when the World Championships are contested on U.S. soil, in front of a home crowd, for the first time ever!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022

Team USA | World Athletics Championships Oregon 22

TEAM USA COMPETES ON HOME SOIL IN 2022

<p>Finding the perfect gift for friends and family can be tricky.</p>
<p>It helps, of course, if they have a hobby or pastime, but even that can bring its own challenges &ndash; especially if it seems your loved ones already have all they need.</p>
<p>Worry not &ndash; If you still don't know what to buy, here&rsquo;s a selection of ideas across a range of categories that suit all budgets.</p>
<p>And whether you celebrate Christmas or not, this list can offer some inspiration for any gifts you may need to purchase in the near future. Or you could even order some of these items for yourself &ndash; we all deserve a little treat from time to time!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Books and publications<br /><br /></h2>
<h3>Good For A Girl</h3>
<p><img style="width: 160px; height: 245px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91AQZUHT5XL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /><em><strong>Lauren Fleshman</strong></em></p>
<p>Lauren Fleshman was of the most decorated collegiate athletes of all time and a national champion as a pro, before becoming a coach for elite young female runners. Every step of the way, she has seen how our sports systems fail young women and girls as much as empower them.</p>
<p>Part memoir, part manifesto, Good for a Girl is Fleshman's story of falling in love with running as a girl, battling devastating injuries and self-doubt, and daring to fight for a better way for female athletes.</p>
<p>This book was also winner of the 2023 William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.virago.co.uk/titles/lauren-fleshman/good-for-a-girl/9780349014425/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available via Virago</a><br /></strong></span></p>
<h3><br />We Share The Sun</h3>
<p><img style="width: 160px; height: 235px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71pUu2s767L._SL1500_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /><em><strong>Sarah Gearhart</strong></em></p>
<p>At a secluded training camp in Kaptagat, Kenya, a small town about 2500m above sea level in the Great Rift Valley, three-dozen world-class runners, including Olympic champions, world record-holders and the fastest marathoner of all time, share simple dormitory-style rooms and endure grueling workouts six days a week.</p>
<p>These determined, devoted, and selfless runners are who they are because of a man named Patrick Sang. One of the greatest - and least-heralded coaches in the sport - Sang is described by his athletes as a &ldquo;life coach.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In <em>We Share the Sun</em>, Sarah Gearhart takes the reader inside this high-octane world of elite athletes of which few are even aware of and even fewer have ever seen. It tells Sang&rsquo;s remarkable story, from his college days in the US to winning an Olympic medal in the steeplechase, and his journey to become a man who redefines what coaching means. There is no singular secret to sporting success, but Sang&rsquo;s holistic philosophy is like no other approach in the world. It is rooted in developing athletes who can navigate the pressures of elite competition - and life itself.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://pegasusbooks.com/books/we-share-the-sun-9781639363551-hardcover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available from Pegasus Books</a><br /></strong></span></p>
<h3><br />Jesse Owens</h3>
<p><img style="width: 160px; height: 196px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61DQbzxrNQL._SL1395_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /><em><strong>Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara</strong></em></p>
<p>Meet Jesse Owens, the historic and barrier-breaking track and field star.</p>
<p>The youngest of ten children, Jesse grew up working in the cotton fields of Alabama. Discovered by his high school track and field coach, Jesse quickly rose to fame as an athlete. He went on the challenge racism on the world stage at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and made new world records. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the athlete and activist's life.</p>
<p>This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://littlepeoplebigdreams.com/book/jesse-owens/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available from Little People Big Dreams</a></strong></span></p>
<h3><br />How She Did It</h3>
<p><img style="width: 160px; height: 198px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81IFb5jmDPL._SL1500_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /><em><strong>Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery</strong></em></p>
<p>How She Did It begins with the kind of prescriptive information that any athlete needs to be healthy and successful in the world of competitive running, with advice and findings from the nation's top bone health experts, sports endocrinologists, nutritionists, sports psychologists, and more.</p>
<p>The book then moves into the payload: unflinching and intimate interviews with 50 well-known female runners who reveal their deepest fears, their worst choices, and their greatest achievements.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.randomhousebooks.com/books/673032/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available via Random House</a><br /></strong></span></p>
<h3><br />Puddings To Podiums: From Fast Food Fat Man To Ultra Marathon Champion</h3>
<p><img style="width: 160px; height: 240px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61YRcE+31oL._SL1499_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /><em><strong>Nathan Flear</strong></em></p>
<p>In 'Puddings to Podiums', follow the captivating story of an ordinary man's extraordinary quest to rise from a life of indulgence to the pinnacle of ultra running and his dream of running for his country.</p>
<p>Nathan embarks on an awe-inspiring adventure that takes him from his sedentary lifestyle to the world of ultra running. From tackling his first 10km run to conquering gruelling 24-hour races, Nathan's journey is as much about conquering his own doubts and limitations as it is about crossing finish lines.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://amzn.eu/d/fBhYWBG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available from Amazon</a><br /></strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr />
<h2>Gear and kit<br /><br /></h2>
<h3>Metaspeed collection, Asics</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6569a220ad5f2b1311192e3c.jpg" alt="Asics Metaspeed" /></div>
<p>Each shoe in the Asics Metaspeed range is designed with a distinct type of running style in mind, helping athletes reach the top of their game and potentially reducing the number of steps a runner needs to take during a race.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.asics.com/us/en-us/metaspeed/c/aa50124800/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available at Asics.com</a></strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Street Fighter collection, Onitsuka Tiger</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6569a235ad5f2b1311192e3f.jpg" alt="Onitsuka Tiger Street Fighter collection" /></div>
<p>You probably wouldn't run a marathon wearing any of this gear, but if you like your casual lounge wear to have a novel and gaming twist, then this range is perfect.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.onitsukatiger.com/gb/en-gb/new-arrivals/onitsuka-tiger-x-street-fighter-6/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available at OnitsukaTiger.com</a></strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr />
<h2>Games<br /><br /></h2>
<h3><img style="width: 200px; height: 248px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6569a4fa164b0f6686e0f1fb.jpg" alt="Tokyo 2020" align="right" />Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games</h3>
<p>There is an official Paris 2024 video game in the pipeline, but it won't be released until next year. So in the meantime, relive the joy and excitement of the most recent Olympics with the Tokyo 2020 video game. Engage in a wide variety of arcade-style sports as you compete to win the gold.</p>
<p>Available on the Playstation, X-Box, Nintendo Switch and Steam.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.olympicvideogames.com/tokyo2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available from various sellers</a></strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr />
<h2>Art<br /><br /></h2>
<h3>Like The Wind illustrations</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6569a45bad5f2b1311192e46.jpg" alt="Like The Wind illustrations" /></div>
<p><em>Like the Wind</em> is a magazine that features a collection of running stories, from personal anecdotes to inspirational tales. A selection of illustrations used in LtW's storytelling is available to purchase from their online shop, along with back issues of the magazine itself, plus a whole range of other goodies.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.likethewindmagazine.com/shop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available from Like The Wind</a></strong></span></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Retro video game artwork</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6569ab7a752c1c6f2def1173.jpg" alt="Retro illustrations" /></div>
<p>Officially licensed by Konami, these pieces of artwork from Artovision 3D capture the essence of the classic Track &amp; Field arcade game.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Artovision3D?search_query=track+field" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available from Artovision 3D, via Etsy</a></strong></span><br /><br /></p>
<h3>Athletics track poster</h3>
<p><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5fcfaf8dc157b99a1fc12507.png" alt="" width="950" height="496" /></p>
<p>Understated and stylish. Is there anything more beautiful than an athletics track?!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://swedishstamp.club/collections/sports/products/sport-running-poster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available from Swedish Stamp Club</a></strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr />
<h2>Stocking fillers</h2>
<h3><br />Art Of Your Success</h3>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6569a253ad5f2b1311192e42.jpg" alt="Art of your Success cards" /></div>
<p>A one-stop shop for all types of gifts, Art Of Your Success offers products that motivate, organise and celebrate training and racing - whether it&rsquo;s recording and reflecting on your training in a journal, drinking a post session coffee out of a mug, or wearing a marathon t shirt to collect your race number.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://artofyoursuccess.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Available at Art Of Your Success</a></strong></span></p>

Gift guide for athletics fans

<p>As part of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/pbpersonalbest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@PBPersonalBest</a></strong></span>&rsquo;s Remarkable Runners series, we introduce Siobhan Coleman, a 21-time Scottish junior champion, whose life took a challenging turn when she faced a cervical cancer diagnosis and life-changing surgery.</p>
<p>In this interview, Siobhan shares her journey of resilience and determination to continue running in the face of adversity. She hopes to raise awareness and encourage others to pursue their passions post-illness.<br /><br /></p>
<p><strong>Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?</strong></p>
<p>Sport, especially running, has always played a big part in our family. My Dad was a great club runner (2:30 for a marathon back in the 1980s) and I&rsquo;ve always been a runner. I&rsquo;m a 21-time Scottish junior champion &ndash; I think my last title was the U20 road in 2009 &ndash; over a variety of distances and terrains.</p>
<p>In mid-2009, I began to feel rubbish. I was at university, working part-time, trying to run, trying to have a life, and feeling tired all the time. Of course, you're bound to be tired but I didn&rsquo;t understand why I couldn't run properly anymore.</p>
<p>Things came to head in 2018 when I collapsed out running. That set off alarm bells so I went to the doctor and multiple other people for advice. I had lots of hospital respiratory and exercise tests; I knew going into the tests that I&rsquo;d have to collapse to prove how bad it was. However, the doctors responded, &ldquo;Oh! I don't know what to do about this. All your numbers are fine. Better not exercise so hard.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Things got worse. I couldn't run below a six-minute mile without gasping and wheezing, even collapsing, unable to breathe. Eventually, I actually collapsed during a race. This needed to be addressed: I was collapsing in races I used to win.</p>
<p>And then came lockdown, so you couldn't see anybody. I was unable to sleep from the all-consuming pain in my back, abdomen and ribs. Eventually, in the spring and summer of 2021, I started having unusual bleeds in between my periods. When the bleeding went off the charts, I was sent to hospital. After three years of being told there was nothing wrong with me, the doctors finally agreed I was very unwell.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What do you think is wrong with me?&rdquo; I asked.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We think you've got cancer,&rdquo; they replied. Surely, I thought, I can't have cancer. I'm self-employed and in the middle of buying a house. Not only did I have to deal with my cancer diagnosis, I had to pull out of the house sale. It was extremely traumatic.<br /><br /></p>
<p><strong>During that period, did you get any support from your fellow runners or was it mostly from your family and friends?</strong></p>
<p>I got my official stage three cervical cancer diagnosis in July 2021 although I kept it to myself initially. I didn&rsquo;t tell anybody because I needed to protect my business. I'm a one-woman band; I must keep working until I can't work anymore. That was the headspace I was in. But it went out of the door pretty quickly at the end of August 2021: I had a 90-minute haemorrhage which almost killed me before I&rsquo;d even had any treatment. I was desperately ill, hospitalised, in need of blood transfusions. At that point, I had to close my business. For the first part of my treatment, I wouldn't say there wasn't support, it's more that I wasn't looking for it. I wanted to distract my mind from what was happening.<br /><br /></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>During this traumatic time, what happened with your running?</strong></p>
<p>I went through the chemo followed by three sessions of brachytherapy. I wasn&rsquo;t given a great deal of advice so I took the decision to run for my sanity, to normalise my life. If women who have given birth can run after 6&ndash;12 weeks, so could I. If it works, great. If not, that's okay.</p>
<p>In November 2021, my initial chemo, radio and brachy finished and I started doing a one-minute walk. At the end of December, I was managing a one-minute jog. I built this up to run one minute on, one minute off. I was absolutely delighted to complete a 5k parkrun (21:18) in the middle of April 2022 &ndash; pretty good going for someone who had almost died eight months earlier!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, around the time of that parkrun, I wasn't feeling so good. I went for a biopsy and was told my tumour was still there, bigger than they had originally reckoned. I&rsquo;d need surgery to save my life. I thought this meant something like a radical hysterectomy, but no, it meant a total pelvic exenteration (TPE). I was like, &ldquo;No, I'm not having that,&rdquo; and left the appointment.</p>
<p>I soon realised how stark the options were: have the surgery and probably die; don&rsquo;t have the surgery and die. They didn&rsquo;t seem much like options. Even if the surgery was successful, the medics reckoned there was potential risk of paralysis which, in my eyes, meant not having life.</p>
<p>Luckily, my eyes were opened to the worldwide online community. I was already on a Facebook group for cervical cancer so I wrote a post asking people if they&rsquo;d had the intended surgery or knew anyone who had. During the next 12&ndash;18 hours, my phone kept flashing like the Blackpool Illuminations. People from Australia, America, Wales, others in Scotland, reached out to me. They all said the same: Do the surgery. Don't be a statistic. It's going to change your life. I decided to go ahead.</p>
<p>I found an athlete-specific ostomy support group (for anyone with either one or two stomas). It was absolutely incredible! People were completing triathlons, cycling, running, hiking, doing yoga and Pilates &ndash; basically, everything I&rsquo;d been told I&rsquo;d never be able to do.</p>
<p>Three weeks later, in June 2022, I had nine organs removed and two stomas fitted. The surgery and recovery were the hardest things I&rsquo;ve ever gone through. But again, within 12 weeks, I thought, If you&rsquo;d had a Caesarean, you'd be running by now. Why not give it a go? By the end of September I was able to do a 30-second run followed by a one-minute walk. At the end of January I did a cross country race, then in February I competed at the Scottish Cross Country Championships over 10km. I got halfway around. I hadn&rsquo;t collapsed. I felt fine, so kept going.</p>
<p>From then on, loads of people in the running community had heard I&rsquo;d been quite unwell (a bit of an understatement!) They couldn&rsquo;t believe what I was doing. And yet, I was only being me. I'd run since I was nine. Why stop now? If I&rsquo;m able, I'll carry on. Nevertheless, once you've had cancer treatment, you continue having bad days that come out the blue, when you're desperately tired and unable to get out of bed. I sleep all day and that's no problem. It's probably making me a better runner as I'm taking a bit more rest than previously.<br /><br /></p>
<p><strong>Do you feel like running is a source of strength for you both physically and emotionally?</strong></p>
<p>Definitely. I think running gives you that headspace to get away from everybody. I do struggle with other people not coping with me. Even when they&rsquo;re genuinely well-intended, well-meaning, and say things like, &ldquo;I couldn't do what you've done, you're amazing.&rdquo; I tell them, &ldquo;No, I'm not. I'm just a normal person.&rdquo;</p>
<p>I used running to escape all that and because I had been in such a lot of pain. I&rsquo;ve always worn a stress patch because, although I didn&rsquo;t always realise it, my body was under duress. As I'm no longer suffering with any of that, it&rsquo;s fantastic. I want to run more because it&rsquo;s so much more enjoyable. To go out for a run, even on a difficult day, is better than being in all that pain and not understanding why. When I think I'm having a bad day, I look forward to the next month. Now I&rsquo;m trying to run two 10km races &ndash; this time last year, I was running for a mere 30 seconds &ndash; which massively encourages me to keep going and see what other people in the stoma community are achieving. There&rsquo;s a huge misconception that if you've got a stoma, you're probably old. The reality is so many active young people have stomas, too.<br /><br /></p>
<p><strong>You speak there about misconceptions. Is that what motivated you to get the awareness out there by sharing your journey?</strong></p>
<p>I don&rsquo;t want to be known as the girl who runs after cancer, because I used to run before. I'm being me and there's no reason why you can't be you. I totally appreciate that everyone's journey is vastly different; it&rsquo;s also relative. Their TPE is different, depending on where their cancer started, where it has spread, what their previous treatment was.</p>
<p>I was extremely fit and active but dying and didn't know it. I wondered what I could manage when fit, active and not dying. For me, to go back and race a 10km seemed normal. If you weren&rsquo;t into that distance before, I don't expect everyone to run a 10km. Nevertheless, there's no reason why you shouldn&rsquo;t at least get involved in what you enjoy. I love seeing someone doing really well, whether it's fishing, boxing, cycling or running. I think, Oh, my gosh, that&rsquo;s amazing, wonderful! You couldn&rsquo;t get out of bed six months ago.</p>
<p>It's all about encouraging others, not only within the stoma community but in the athletics and cancer communities as well. I'm here for those people right now which is especially nice since they were there for me. If people hadn't reached out to me last June, I would be dead because I probably would have chosen not to have surgery. There are those with cervical cancer who aren&rsquo;t offered surgery; I feel privileged to have been offered it and glad to have all those messages telling me to go ahead. I want to show other people that it&rsquo;s possible to do all sorts of things after a cancer diagnosis.<br /><br /></p>
<p><strong>Is there any specific advice that you'd give for people trying to pursue their running post cancer or illness?</strong></p>
<p>If your doctors don't have a medical reason why you can't do something, why not at least try? If you don't try, you won&rsquo;t know. As I mentioned, that first 30 seconds on, one minute off made me feel really sick. I thought, Maybe I shouldn't have done that.</p>
<p>But I wanted to see how I felt over the rest of the week. Literally two days later, I felt fine. I built on this and suddenly I was running four miles. I didn't feel any different from how I did after the initial part of my treatment. The only difference is that I wear support pants to keep everything together. I run and you wouldn't know. It's great.<br /><br /></p>
<p><strong>Do you have any future goals or aspirations?</strong></p>
<p>It would be awesome to run 18 minutes for 5km by the end of the year. I won&rsquo;t say it's definitely going to happen as I'm running out of time to find a 5km to do. Even if it means going down to the local park near Christmas time, I'd quite like to try to break 18 minutes. If there&rsquo;s anyone out there who wants to help pace me reach sub-18 &hellip; I&rsquo;d really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Next year, I&rsquo;d like to do a marathon. I&rsquo;d spoken to my team who had said to give it two years post-surgery. That&rsquo;s fine as it&rsquo;s given me time to get fit enough to handle marathon training. I&rsquo;ve connected with an amazing girl in the ostomy community. She&rsquo;s run a 2:55 or a 2:57 marathon. Wow! I thought, &lsquo;she's running sub three! If she can do that with an ileostomy, I need to speak to her!&rsquo;</p>
<p>So I reached out for some ideas about training and what to eat for someone with an ostomy. She sent me her marathon training plan &ndash; it was unbelievable! I'm so grateful to the number of people who have reached out and given me support. I just want to give something similar back.</p>

Siobhan Coleman's life took a challenging turn when she faced a cervical cancer diagnosis and life-changing surgery

Remarkable Runners: Siobhan Coleman

<p>As part of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pbpersonalbest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@PBPersonalBest</a>&rsquo;s Remarkable Runners series, Lindsay Walter shares her passion for the sport and how she went from a basketball player to an ultramarathon runner.</p>
<p>What sets Walter apart is her journey as an athlete with alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. Here, Walter &ndash; who is based in Charlotte in North Carolina, USA &ndash; talks about her experiences: from discovering her love for running to finding unwavering support within the running community.</p>
<p><strong>How did you get into running?</strong></p>
<p>Actually, I had been a basketball player my whole life. I played in college up in Duluth, Minnesota, and it was just always my sport. Duluth has a high-profile marathon called Grandma&rsquo;s Marathon, which I&rsquo;d go out with my friends to watch every summer. Then, in my senior year, I thought I&rsquo;d like to run it so I could cross it off my bucket list and be able to say, &lsquo;I&rsquo;ve run a marathon!&rsquo; I&rsquo;d never done track or cross country but I went on a few longish runs to train. So, that's kind of how it started. And, man, I loved it. It was incredible. The people, everything about the race, was so much fun.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Is running something you hold dear? Is it something that you do on a daily or weekly basis to find peace and confidence?</strong></p>
<p>My running has really evolved from something that I initially did because it was fun. It's still fun, but it also makes me feel my truest self &ndash; it provides my &lsquo;me&rsquo; time. I feel so confident when I'm out running &ndash; even with my bald head. When I started running, that wasn't me at all. I didn't feel self-assured. It&rsquo;s through running that I&rsquo;ve gained confidence and continued to enjoy it.</p>
<p>I can set goals for myself. I really enjoy competing with myself, too. Competition, training, setting different goals &ndash; whether it's a 100-miler or a marathon, I love the variety and challenges. I feel like I&rsquo;ve always got more to learn and accomplish. I'm never satisfied and am constantly looking for the next challenge. &nbsp;</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/653cff524b5bf2d6a8cd8658.jpg" alt="Lindsay Walter" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Lindsay Walter</p>
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<p><strong>Since you started running, you have grown your social media profile. How did you begin to build yourself as this inspirational ultra runner?&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>To be honest, social media was never a goal of mine initially. I ran because I enjoyed it. The more&nbsp;I ran, the more I enjoyed it; I became more self-assured, eventually accepting my alopecia. Not running with my wig anymore and going through the associated emotions is when I started to properly connect with more people. We all have our differences; we all have something that makes us feel self-conscious. And because I did have an obvious difference, I gained attention that way. Sometimes it isn&rsquo;t easy to relive hard moments, but if my story helps one person &ndash; not necessarily someone with alopecia, but anyone who's having a difficult time &ndash; then I think it&rsquo;s all totally worthwhile. I see alopecia as a gift. I didn't always and I didn't always like it, but now I see it as something special. So, it's my mission to give back and to inspire and encourage others.</p>
<p><strong>Is there anything else about the running community that makes you love it so much?</strong></p>
<p>For sure. Running can be an individual sport, but it can also be a team or community sport. After you finish a race, everyone says congratulations, even if you didn't have the race you wanted, and that feels great. No one says: &lsquo;That was a terrible time.&rsquo; They're so encouraging, which is why I feel so accepted. Everyone might look different, train differently, have different goals, but we all come together at the start line for one common goal: to finish the race.</p>
<p><strong>You've moved into doing more ultramarathons. Have you had to change your training and your goals?</strong></p>
<p>I have always been intrigued by the 100-miler and ran my first one in spring 2021 after they cancelled the Boston Marathon. I felt I had to do ultras. I knew I would thrive because I&rsquo;m mentally very strong. The training was different, though. You're not really doing tempo runs or speedwork, but rather long runs at a slower pace. I have to run 30 miles today and then 20 tomorrow &ndash; but I love that and look forward to it. My first experience in 2021 was great. In the same year, I did more 100 milers and then did my first 48-hour ultra &ndash; in the same place as I&rsquo;d done my first 100! It was amazing to be back there this past April and I ended up winning overall, which was incredible. I love it. I thrive in that environment.</p>
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<p><strong>Do you think what you&rsquo;ve been through with your alopecia has built up this mental toughness that helps you run these long distances when it's quiet and you're on your own?</strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>For sure, it&rsquo;s made me tough mentally. I have to believe in myself. That carries over to running. You have to believe that you're going to hit your goal.</p>
<p><strong>What would your running tips be for novice runners, for someone training for their first marathon or ultramarathon?</strong></p>
<p>Overall, I&rsquo;d say make it your own. Don't run anyone else's pace, don't run anyone else's race, and don't compare yourself to others. Social media can be great, but sometimes it&rsquo;s easy to be discouraged. You might say, &lsquo;I did a 10-mile run, it was easy, and I ran it at this pace,&rsquo; and someone responds, &lsquo;Okay, 10 miles, well I ran it at a 6:30 pace.&rsquo; But there's lots of factors involved. Where are they in their training cycle? What experience do they have? What&rsquo;s their heart rate?</p>
<p>Don't get caught up in the numbers game, but remember you have to work hard, and you have to be committed. And enjoy yourself! There will be hard runs, of course, but keep your goals in mind. Knowing what my goals are keeps me inspired and motivated on days where maybe I&rsquo;m tired or don't feel like running. No goal is ever too big, so don't be afraid of them. If someone says, &lsquo;Oh, you could never run a marathon&rsquo;, don't listen to them &ndash; have a go, nonetheless! &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>What's next? Do you have any goals or ambitions for the next year, or for the next five years?</strong></p>
<p>Completing a 200-miler is a huge goal of mine and there's a lot of these cool races on my bucket list.</p>
<p><strong>Our channel is Personal Best. What does that mean to you?</strong></p>
<p>I love the term &lsquo;personal best&rsquo; because it&rsquo;s so meaningful on a personal level. It helps make you feel the most confident, super proud. No one can take away your PB &ndash; for me, it's always going to be time based and about competing with myself. It's not just to finish. Whereas early on in my marathon journey, I was like, &lsquo;Hey, I just want to finish this&rsquo; and I didn't really have a time goal.</p>

As part of @PBPersonalBest’s Remarkable Runners series, Lindsay Walter shares her passion for the sport and how she went from a basketball player to an ultramarathon runner

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