Let's Do This Team's Top 2025 Event Picks

With the mass participation event schedule coming to a grinding halt due to the Coronavirus crisis, businesses and event organizers globally have been partnering with Let’s Do This to set up virtual events to keep your training on track and the community spirit high.

The Let’s Do This Virtual Events tool allows you to see a live leaderboard, and feel connected to your fellow participants with our image gallery, where you can upload your epic finisher’s photo. To keep you up to date on events, we will be releasing our Top 5 Upcoming Virtual Events each week: 

1. The (No Stress) Loch Ness Virtual 5K/10K/Half & Running Challenge: May 4 - July 12 -

Event Perks: Awesome race swag including medal, shirt and virtual goodie bag with great local offerings.

If you love receiving race swag and are up for a challenge, this running challenge hosted by Sasquatch Racing is the one for you. Starting May 4th, times can be submitted every weekend leading up to July 12, and participants will receive a handcrafted race woodallion from Elevation Culture, an awesome lifestyle friendly race shirt, a virtual goodie bag with great deals/offerings from Hill City, A Runner's Mind, Taft Street Winery, Nuun, and more. If you complete the Triple Nessie Challenge - a 5K, 10K, and Half - by the end of the challenge, you will receive a Sasquatch Racing technical running trucker hat and a Sasquatch Racing buff. 

2. Quarantine Survival Series: April 25th - May 16th -

Event Perks: Fundraise for a community memorial hospital, series event, discount for 4 week series entry 

Test yourself with this race series run by Elite Sports California that sees participants race between 3 miles and 4.5 miles over the course of a month. 20% of all proceeds will go to ESA's local community memorial hospital, allowing you to support frontline healthcare workers whilst racing through the weekend. Plus, series finishers will receive an epic medal in the mail 3 weeks after the event.

3. PTEN Foundation A Worldwide Race to Stay Ahead of Cancer: May 9th - May 31st -

Event Perks: Raise money for PTEN Foundation, race in a series, prizes for fastest times and best selfies

Raise money and awareness for PTEN Foundation by racing in this month-long series, starting Saturday 9th May. The fastest 5k, 10k, and 5k hike times, as well as the most popular sweaty selfie, will win a $50 Amazon gift voucher - so make sure to get creative! Participants can enter every week so make sure to lace up your sneakers and aim for PBs and 4 weeks of epic racing in what's set to be a highly competitive series.

4. San Diego Beach & Bay Half Marathon: April 25 - June 22 -

Event Perks: Iconic event with large participant pool, unique licence plate themed finisher’s medal, long submission window. 

This iconic half marathon around San Diego has gone virtual for 2020, and is allowing existing registrants and new participants to take part in the action. Those who sign up can submit their times as many or as few times as they would like every weekend from April 25th through June 22nd, and will receive an awesome finisher’s medal in the mail. Be sure to keep an eye on the leaderboard each week to see how you’re stacking up against fellow runners! 

5. MBV Foundation Challenge: May 9th - May 25th -

Event Perks: Race in a series, mixture of free and paid events, race for charity

Race to raise funds for University of Southern California Veteran Association with this three-part series, finishing on Memorial Day Weekend! This weekend's 7k event is free, with the chance to give an optional donation to the MBV Foundation - supporting veterans pursuing business education. Those who take on the Memorial Day Weekend 5k will also receive a bespoke finishers' medal in the mail after the race!

For those of us that had spent a large percentage of time playing team sports, the sense of loss that accompanies the ending of that career can be overwhelming and confusing. Not only are you losing an activity that took up many of your free hours and free mental space, but often you are also left without structure, without a training plan, and without at least a couple of guaranteed training buddies.

In the blink of an eye it is all over, and suddenly you are free to enjoy your mornings, afternoons, and weekends however you please. For some, this may sound like a dream come true, but for those who thrive in a team environment and who love their sport dearly, it can be an uncomfortable reality to face.

Like me, many former team athletes look to running as their new athletic pursuit - as a sporting transition it initially seems fairly logical; after all, in sports like rugby or field hockey the average player will run between 5km - 7.5km if they play a full match. Elite teams are chock full of dizzyingly fast and talented athletes - USA Rugby 7s star Carlin Isles has a 20.90s 200m time.

However, there are two major bumps in the road for any team sport athlete branching out into endurance sports: your engine, and your pride. 

One of the biggest challenges is returning to a ‘beginner’ level of skill, especially if you’re transitioning from a high standard; the temptation to run before you can walk is enormous. Switching from relatively soft surfaces of grass fields or artificial 3G and 4G pitches to immediately pounding on pavement can wreak havoc on your body, and is almost a surefire way to end up miserable with shin splints. 

As frustrating as it seems, start out by keeping the mileage relatively low and only increasing it by around 10% per week. If you absolutely have to push yourself, consider cycling as a way to cross-train for running - it’ll force you to improve your steady-state aerobic endurance and minimises the risk of an overuse injury.

The other major issue is often your engine. Coming from sports with a heavy focus on anaerobic fitness, or short bursts of high speed, there is a strong temptation to absolutely ruin yourself straight out of the gate - and it is tempting as you’ll likely feel pretty great initially and record a blistering mile time.

However, the likelihood of you burning out after that first mile is pretty high as your body can only tolerate running above your lactate threshold for so long. You forget that when you were playing games you had plenty of periods for recovery in between the moments of extreme exertion. There’s little point constantly training way above your lactate threshold when you’re looking to complete a half marathon. Instead focus on tempo runs, sticking at around 70% of your max heart rate and utilise the grit and self discipline hours worth of training in adverse conditions has given you. Consistently training at tempo raises your anaerobic threshold (which is a touch lower than your lactate threshold), eventually allowing you to run both further and faster. Whilst it may seem frustrating initially to run at what feels like a relatively slow pace, the benefits consistent tempo runs will have on overall performance in endurance events is remarkable. 

While that is all quite technical, the bottom line is that it will take time to make the transition, and it might not always be enjoyable. However, there are a few top tips to make those initial miles fly by: 

1. Find a training buddy - making the transition to running with someone to keep you motivated and accountable can make a world of difference as you adapt to the monotony of running.
2. Start slow - as mentioned earlier, flying out of the gate leads to a higher chance of injury and burnout. While going slow may seem boring compared to the intensity and excitement of games and training, you will reap the benefits in the long run.
3. Smile - remember why you are running and be proud and thankful that your body is able to make the transition.
4. Give yourself something to work towards - this might be an event or a certain distance or time milestone you are looking to hit, but setting achievable goals for yourself is a great way to keep you motivated and your training on track.
5. Get a coach or spend time creating a solid training plan - the right training plan will make sure you stay injury free and help you ease your body into this new way of exercising.

Given the current climate, many of us who previously played on teams are increasingly turning to solo endurance sports to stay fit and motivated. Whilst this might initially seem like an impossible challenge, with the right mindset, training, and goals you can turn your hand to any endurance discipline you choose.

Let’s Do This, Together.

In December 2019, London-based but Scottish-born Steph Davis finished the Valencia Marathon with a blistering time of 2:27:40. In March 2021, Steph beat her personal best by 24 seconds and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a time of 2:27:16 at the Great British marathon trials. This remains the 9th fastest marathon ever run by a British woman and it’s hard to believe that she only ran her first marathon in 2018, bursting onto the scene with a staggering 2:41:16 at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. Steph not only runs an incredible marathon, but also manages to balance her training schedule with a job at Lazard Asset Management, which helps her maintain balance and focus.

1. What is your background and how or why did you get into running?

Name: Steph Davis

Age: 29

Born: Glasgow, Scotland

Living: London, England

5 words to describe me: enthusiastic, motivated, perfectionist, organised, loyal 

How I got into running: I joined a new school when I was 13 where we had to run in the school cross country race. I was determined not to make a fool of myself so gave it my all (and coughed up my guts!) to do well. I ended up coming first and surprised myself how much I enjoyed it. This secured me a spot on the school running team, and I’ve been into running and keeping fit ever since. 

2. What are your top 5 tips for someone looking to get seriously into running?

1. Join a club or get a running buddy: training with others helps to keep you motivated and push you during sessions 
2. Be patient: don’t jump in at the deep end, enjoy the process and take your time; this is important to avoid injury 
3. Find a training plan: do your research or join a club to follow a training plan. This will provide you with structure and balance in your training load
4. Set goals: small and big goals; the small ones are just as important in order to reach the end goal!
5. Be positive: there will be bad days, but don’t give up as these will make you stronger

3. Other than conventional training, what do you do to help yourself be the best athlete you can be?

1. Balance: I ensure I have balance in my life so it is not all consumed by running and I can keep motivation levels high. I work part-time at Lazard Asset Management, which gives me a change in focus, routine and social interaction away from training. 
2. Injury prevention: General strength and conditioning is important to reduce your chance of injury but I spend a lot of time working on my weaknesses that have linked to injuries and niggles. I am a very diligent person so if the physio tells me to do something 3 times a day, I won’t skip it! 
3. Swimming: This is something I am really missing at the moment! I used to avoid swimming at all costs but I suffered from a hip injury in 2018 and this was one of the sports I could do pain free. Since then I go to the pool 2-3 times a week for an easy recovery swim. I find it really therapeutic and relaxing on my muscles. A lot of runners aren’t a fan of swimming but it is good to keep options open so you’ve always got something to fall back on if you have to take time out of running.  
4. Recovery: this is just as important as the running sessions to get the best out of yourself. A proper night’s sleep (8-9 hours) and a balanced diet (this includes treats in moderation), is key! 

4. What are you doing during COVID-19?

1. Started a 30-day yoga program (‘Yoga with Adriene’ on YouTube) and have got the family involved. Yoga is usually the first thing to go when life is busy but at the moment I have no excuse!
2. Whilst all races have been cancelled or postponed, I’m focusing on building a stronger base. 
3. Got on board the Go Zwift trend to replace my usual cross training on the elliptical.  
4. Baking more and trying not to eat it all in one sitting!

5. What are your top 5 race highlights or lowlights?

1. My top highlight and achievement so far is running the Olympic qualifying standard at the Valencia Marathon in December 2019 (2:27:40). My best friend also completed her first marathon on the same day so it was great to share this together. 
2. I absolutely loved running in my hometown at the London Marathon. The crowds were incredible! 
3. Finishing 3rd place at the British Half Marathon Championships (Vitality Big Half) and earning my first GB vest for the World Half Marathon Championships (which has since been postponed because of COVID-19). 
4. Crying my eyes out whilst crossing the finish line in 1st place at Oxford Half Marathon was a lowlight!  I didn’t get the time I was on track for because of the torrential conditions but the tears were definitely a tad dramatic! 
5. I ran my first track 10,000m race at the Night of the 10k PBs last June, a top class field and the atmosphere is like one giant party! But I learnt that fajitas are not a great pre-race meal…

Big thanks to Steph for sharing her insights and inspiration with the Let's Do This community. We wish her all the best for the upcoming season (whenever that may be!) and hope to see her at the Olympics sometime soon! You can find out more and follow Steph's journey here on Instagram. 

For many of us, warming up before a run has long fallen by the wayside; most days find us racing out the door trying to fit a 40 minute run into a 30 minute lunch break. However, incorporating an effective warm up routine before you set off - including muscle activation for just 5-10 minutes - can help improve running economy and prevent injury.

Often, when people hear the words ‘warm up’ they picture a long session of stretching. However, research on the benefits of stretching have been inconclusive at best and studies have shown that for running in particular, static stretching before a run may not actually improve your running performance or decrease your risk of injury. Increased flexibility increases the need for muscle-stabilization activity, as well as decreased storage and return of elastic energy. 

To put it simply, the more flexible you are, the more energy your body uses to stabilize that range of motion, rather than putting that energy into maintaining speed. All this being said, I’m not saying that you should never stretch again - on the contrary, stretching is fantastic as a cool down and recovery tool. 

So, What Is the Right Way to Warm Up?

As is undoubtedly obvious, running uses a lot of muscles, especially in our lower body. However, with current work schedules resulting in people sitting down for large amounts of the day, the big muscles in the posterior chain that we need to engage for optimal performance and decreasing risk of injury are often lazy and forget how to wake up. When these muscles forget how to fire properly our quads and hip flexors have to work extra hard to pull up our legs - a job they shouldn’t be doing alone. 

The Posterior Chain: As the name suggests, it is all the muscles that make up the back side of your body, running from your head, all the way down to your feet. Composed of some of the largest and strongest muscles in the body, the posterior chain includes our calves, hamstrings, glutes, and back muscles. It’s responsible for controlling our gait, acceleration and deceleration, and keeping us upright. 

Doing 5 simple exercises that activate the posterior chain before you head out for your run can help improve your running economy, prevent injury and bring your heart rate up slowly so that you are ready to rumble at the start of your run. 

Perform 1-3 rounds of 8-10 reps of each exercise (on each side if necessary): 

1. Lunges with Front Heel Raise: Starting with your feet shoulder distance apart, step forward into a lunge position, making sure that your front knee does not extend past your toes, or point inwards. At the bottom of your lunge, lift your front heel off the ground and slowly return it to the ground, with control. From there, push through your heel to return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. This exercise activates your calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quads all in one go.
2. Glute Bridge: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet firmly planted on the floor. Pressing into your heels, lift your hips off the ground, making a straight line with your body from your shoulders to your knees. Squeeze your glutes at the top for a count of 3, before lowering your hips with control back to the ground. Once you get stronger, try adding resistance with a band or weights.
3. Hip Hinge: Start with your feet shoulder width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Engaging your core muscles, shift the weight onto your heels and begin to hinge at the hips, pushing your hips and butt back. Make sure your spine remains in a straight line with a neutral gaze forward, and ensure you are hinging at your hips rather than your lower back. Keeping a slight bend in your knees, hinge until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings - this will be somewhere between vertical and parallel to the floor - before engaging your glutes and hamstrings to bring your torso back to the upright position. Ensuring that your core is engaged throughout the entire movement is essential.
4. Lateral Lunge with Knee Drive: Starting with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing forward, step out to one side as far as you can. Shift your weight onto that heel, drop your hips and bend the knee, keeping your other leg straight and foot flat on the floor. Push into the heel of the bent knee and return to the starting position, bringing that same knee up to 90 degrees in front of you. This exercise should activate your inner and outer thigh muscles, core, glutes, and hamstrings.
5. Single Leg Calf Raises: Standing on one leg with the other brought up to 90 degrees in front of you, push up quickly onto the ball of the standing foot, engaging your calf muscle. Hold at the top for a single count, before lowering your heel back onto the floor slowly for a count of 3, working on the eccentric strengthening of the muscle. Complete all the reps on one leg before switching to the other leg. If you find yourself losing your balance, you may need something to hold on to or a wall to support yourself.

These exercises are not prescriptive and are part of a large number of exercises that can activate your posterior chain so feel free to mix it up! This warm up only takes about 10 minutes, but the right routine will give your muscles a chance to prepare for the work ahead, making it easier to get into the rhythm you want to sustain during your run, and have you feeling good and ready to hit the road again.

Let's Do This, Together 

Here at Let's Do This, we know how scary it is to be a small business during the Coronavirus pandemic, especially when your revenue streams are put under immense pressure. That's why we built our Virtual Event solution, where we will work completely at cost to help you set up a new way of fundraising for your business and keep you connected with your community during the Coronavirus pandemic.

''This event provided funding for a pandemic-related charity as well as vital income to support my business in a time when our normal revenue streams had gone to zero."

Gavin McKiernan, Mercury Events

What is a Virtual Run?

A Virtual Run is a run or walk organized by your business that participants can complete in their own time, at their own pace. Participants can take part from all over the world; start and finish lines can be their front door, the local park, a treadmill or even their balcony.

Once they complete the run, they instantly become part of a community by submitting both a finishing time, and a selfie if they wish! They can see how they stack up against others in our virtual leaderboard. Uploading photos offers a true sense of community for all participants.

See our Virtual Event Handbook, which explains the concept to runners.

Benefits for a Small Business of Hosting a Virtual Run:

• Revenue: Revenue is hard to come by right now, but by asking for a small donation from your loyal customer base, this is a great source of temporary income.
• Community: People are desperate for a sense of community right now, and what better way to do so then promoting your brand to like-minded people, and giving them a goal to work towards?

Virtual Run Case Study

Last week we hosted the 'Social Distancing 6k'.

• Sold 1200+ tickets in a week
• The event generated $30k+ revenue

Testimonial

"Let’s Do This was integral to the success of the Virtual run/walk I put on. They managed the registration page, where more than 1200 people signed up in less than 10 days. They set up an excellent system for reporting and verification of results that participants were able to easily use. This event provided funding for a pandemic-related charity as well as vital income to support my business in a time when our normal revenue streams had gone to zero.

The entire event took five minutes to set up and required barely any input from me after that, leaving me more time to concentrate on marketing and interacting with my participants. I highly recommend Let’s Do This to other event organizers."

 Gavin McKiernan, Mercury Events

How to Host A Virtual Run with Let's Do This:

• Get in touch with us if you're interested in putting on a Virtual Event
• We create an event for you, making sure it has the look and feel you need to best promote your brand
• You use your distribution channels to promote the event to your user base
• That's it! We do absolutely everything else, from registrations to result submissions and everything in between.

Contact

If you wish to find out more about setting up your own Virtual Run, please email virtualevents@letsdothis.com

A turbo trainer allows you to complete a focused static training session on your own bike in the comfort and safety of your home; a saviour for cyclists during the Coronavirus pandemic. Simply clip your own bike onto a static device, start pedalling, and let the fun begin.

As with any piece of fitness equipment, there is a mass of choice out there so we’ve decided to condense it down to 2 of our favourites to help you find the best cycling turbo trainer for you.

2019 / 2020 retail sales indicate that the best cycling turbo trainers have been ‘smart’ trainers. The difference between a smart and regular trainer is that the former hooks up to laptops and smart devices via Bluetooth to help you get more from your workout. This allows you to access specific apps (for example Strava and Zwift the best turbo trainer apps), that help to create the most realistic indoor ride possible while displaying real-time performance data.

Since smart turbo trainers are all the rage at the moment we’re going to have a look at 2 of varying prices, one at the top end of the spectrum and one at the lower end.

THE MORE AFFORDABLE OPTION: TACX SATORI SMART TURBO TRAINER £259.99

Positives: The tacx satori smart turbo trainer does everything you need to hook up with the latest training software or to just tech up your sessions – and it does it all simply and intuitively. With this trainer, you keep your back wheel on your bike and adjust a metal-skinned roller at the back of the turbo until the tension is such that the wheel will not slip.

Other than coming with an affordable price tag for this level of technology, the tacx Satori Smart is super light and flat-packs down easily, making it easy to store and to take with you on your travels when lockdown guidance eventually eases.

The tacx Satori smart turbo trainer offers a resistance of up to 950 watts which should be ample for most cyclists.

Downsides: One downside to this smart turbo trainer is that the roller will eventually lead to a worn down back tyre, which will need replacing once the tread has worn down: this could be anywhere between six months and six years depending on how hard and frequently you are training. That being said, new tyres don’t break the bank coming in at about £30 – a small hit to take on a turbo sold at such a good price.

Buyers should also be aware of the decent amount of noise the machine makes when you’re training, which during lockdown might lead to some angry neighbours. The whirring whine can be distracting but is easily drowned out by pumping tunes playing in the background for motivation.

TACX NEO 2T SMART TURBO TRAINER £1,199

The main difference here – other than the significant jump up in price – is that the Neo is a direct drive smart turbo trainer.

Positives: Direct Drive turbos require you to remove the rear wheel of your bike and fit a cassette to the turbo which your bike sits onto directly, so there’s no need to worry about tyre-wear.

They’re incredibly quiet and offer the most ‘road realistic’ feel of any type of indoor cycling training aid, simulating a wide range of surfaces including regular roads, cobblestones, gravel and dirt roads; pretty incredible stuff.

Through its powerful motor you are able to apply a resistance of 2200w and simulate slopes of up to 25% – which is surely more than anybody could ever want – and it can even simulate a descent of -5%.

Downsides: Aside from the high price, the only niggle is that the Flux 2 is heavy and bulky making it difficult to transport and store. But, provided you have some dedicated space to store it, it really is one of the best smart turbo trainers out there.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SMART TURBO TRAINER

After getting your smart turbo trainer you are going to want to put some sort of plan in place. There’s nothing worse than flogging yourself sporadically for an hour without much in the way of structure or purpose, especially as it will not really improve your cycling. There are plenty of easy turbo workouts that you can follow and will offer excellent sessions aimed at improving certain aspects of your riding. You can find the five best sessions you can do at home, put together by Cycling Weekly here.

For those of you who like a bit of competition your go-to app is Zwift and these are to of the best smart turbo trainers for Zwift. The app is an online, interactive training and racing platform and costs around £12 per month. You can join group rides and races and even get a draft from other riders or just join the rest of the quarantined world and jump on with other riders when you want to. You can even virtually ride some of the world’s most famous cycling courses e.g. the ‘London Loop’  mimics the distance (but not the full course) of the real Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100. It takes you on eleven virtual circuits of the London Loop, then turns around at the Surrey roundabout and heads towards the sprint and finish banner on The Mall.

You can also look the part by kitting yourself out with an epic super fast bike, helmet, shoes, and lycra to match; all purchased from the in-app ‘Drop-Shop’. The more you pedal, the more ‘sweat points’ you have to spend in the shop. Zwift will cost you a monthly subscription, however it comes preset with a host of training programmes that you can follow depending on your goals and available time.

There we have it, a short overview of two of the best smart turbo trainers that will ensure you can keep fit in your home come wind, rain or shine.

LET’S DO THIS, TOGETHER

‍

On 17 September 2017, Mark Beaumont rose to acclaim as he completed a record breaking cycle around the world; covering over 18,000 miles in 78 days, 14 hours, and 40 minutes. Prior to this, Mark embarked on a number of other notable adventures: in 2010 he cycled the Americas, in 2011 he rowed from Resolute Bay to Nunavut Territory as part of a team of 8, and in 2015 he cycled from Cairo to Cape Town – again breaking the world-record for the fastest solo ride across the length of Africa. Beaumont can be aptly characterised as an adventurer, cyclist, documentary maker, author, and broadcaster. But, above all his accolades and achievements, he cites the importance of human connection in the making of any great experience.

1. WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO CYCLING?

My name is Mark Beaumont, I am 37 years old and I live in Edinburgh with my wife Nicci and 2 young daughters. I currently hold the Circumnavigation World Record by bicycle, covering 18,000 miles in 78 days and 14 hours. I was homeschooled and lived on a farm, so in that regard, sport and adventure were there right from the start. When I was 12 years old I cycled across Scotland and since then, the journeys have just got bigger and bigger.

2. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR JOINING THE ENDURANCE SPORTS WORLD?

We can’t all be sprint or power athletes, but we can all endure – endurance is about nutrition, planning and mindset, the physical aspect is far less important and comes after all of the above. Endurance is also a great leveller between men and women, and also across ages – the only thing stopping you enduring is your preparation and your resolve.

3. OTHER THAN CONVENTIONAL TRAINING, WHAT DO YOU DO TO HELP YOURSELF BE THE BEST ATHLETE YOU CAN BE?

A lot of endurance athletes focus on big miles and big hours, whereas I commit a lot of time both cross-training and core strength workouts. Being an endurance athlete is not about being the strongest athlete, but about not injuring yourself, not breaking down – so the more versatile of an athlete you are, the better conditioned you will be for long hours during the events. Unlike most cyclists, I spend time fell-running, which builds up all the small muscle balances around my ankles and knees – purely for injury prevention. I also focus on a fat adapted diet.

4. WHAT ARE YOU DOING DURING COVID-19?

During this time, I am taking full advantage of our daily exercise. Given we are only allowed out once a day for about an hour, I am running instead of cycling and my 6 year old daughter comes with me on her bike. Our mission is to have run/cycled every single street in Edinburgh by the time she goes back to school after the summer. It is important to have projects like this and routines, to keep the fitness discipline. This is also a great time to build her confidence and skill-set as a young athlete.

5. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF YOUR TIME IN ENDURANCE SPORTS?

Over the past 15 years, my expeditions have taken me to about 130 countries. Whilst I have mainly been pushing firsts and fastests, the aspect which motivates me most is not the athletic ambitions, it is the people, places and cultures that I get to experience.  Whilst I am not an adrenaline junkie, there is certainly a level of risk taking on these journeys and the highs and lows are almost always aspects that you can’t plan for. You will also notice that my high points are not the World Records or the accolades, they are the human connections and money-can’t-buy experiences made along the way.

Here are some low points which have stuck with me. Capsizing mid-Atlantic while attempting to break the record of a 30 day Atlantic crossing and subsequently spent 14 hours fighting for our lives; seeing climbers fall to their death on Denali in Alaska; filming the changing sea levels on the Kiribati Islands; rowing through the high Arctic in Canada to show how the ice is melting; and losing my great friend David Peat, to myeloma. David was the man who got me into filmmaking.

But for every low point, there have been some truly amazing highlights. To name a few: cycling alongside a giraffe at full canter in Botswana; rowing through a pod of beluga whales in the Arctic; the friendship of strangers, for example, staying at a truck stop in the middle of the Sahara desert; free riding the world’s highest volcano in Chile; and, when finishing my latest cycle around the World, seeing my family for the first time in a few months.

‍

Lucy Bartholomew burst onto the ultra running scene by running her first 100km race with her dad when she was just 15 years old. Since then, the Melbourne, Australia native has continued on her upward trajectory, tucking a number of accomplishments under her belt, including winning the Ultra-trail Cape Town and Ultra-trail Australia, and coming 3rd in her first ever Western States 100. The plant-based athlete loves cooking up new recipes, and when she’s not running you can find her in the kitchen, spending quality time with family and friends, or practicing yoga in the sun. Here she gives us her '5 from 5' - 5 questions with 5 tips, answers or ideas.

--

Hi Everyone! I hope you are doing well, safe and making the best of a difficult time that we are all in together. Remember that you are not alone, you are worthy and all those emotions within you are totally valid. Let’s Do This asked me to write a blog to introduce myself, and maybe share some light in these darker days. I decided to call this blog my ‘5 from 5’. 5 questions with 5 tips, answers or ideas.  The hope is that we can get more people to do their 5 from 5 and start a positive chain reaction of good ideas.

1. What is your background and how did you get into running? 

Name: Lucy Bartholomew 

Age: 23, born 20th May 1996

Country: Australia, Melbourne 

How I got into running: My Dad was always a runner. I watched him complete marathons and run as his commute to work, but was never really interested in it myself. When he wanted to try something new and entered a 100km race in 2011 held in the Blue Mountains, Sydney, I became more interested; not so much about the running, but the scenery, the challenge and the people that this sort of race drew. Once I watched the whole event take place I knew I wanted to do it. Then, at 15 years old, I ran side by side with my Dad for 100km along the Victorian coast line and haven’t looked back since. 

5 words to describe you? Stubborn, mindful, passionate, consistent and motivated.

2. What are your top tips for joining the Ultra running world?

1. Don’t do it alone: There are so many good social running groups that are suitable for everyone, and are more about enjoying the process and finding the best pub/cafe after!
2. Get the right gear: If you’re really going to give running (at any distance) a chance, you need to invest a little bit. For women, the right sports bra will change the feeling of running. For guys, the right shorts can help everything fall into place. 
3. Fuel your activities: Eating and running go hand in hand, energy in-energy out. Make sure you are eating enough the days you are training, and enough of the right foods; I opt for a plant-based diet but any diet filled with unprocessed and colourful foods will help a lot. If you’re looking to step into the ultra world, eating ON the run is your next challenge; find things that sit well with you and don’t just listen to the gel ads. Try alternatives until you find what works best for you. 
4. Research: Social media and media in general is amazing, you can find the answer to anything you want. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, read reports or articles. The trail running community that I know are some of the friendliest people and the most giving of their time. I still remember writing to my heroes and being gobsmacked they wrote back.
5. Make it fun: Consistency is the key to success in the running game. Of course it’s not going to feel great if you just go out and run hard, rest for two weeks and then go again. Just a little something every day to help you achieve your goals will help build that ‘base’. “Brick by brick” is what I like to say. By making a strong foundation, your bones and muscles have time to get strong with you.

3. Other than running, what do you do to help yourself be the best athlete you can be?

1. Sleep: This is a huge part of your body’s ability to recover. When we get into a routine, sleep tends to fall to the bottom of priorities. If you find yourself always pushing off sleep to get an extra run in, be careful as that can often be counterproductive to your performance. I aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
2. Nutrition: Take the time and energy to meal-prep nutritious, healthy meals and snacks as much as you can. Nowadays, it really is so easy to eat well; things come already chopped and prepared for you, and all you have to do is whack it in a bowl and put it in your mouth. I love making things like bliss balls for after runs, smoothie bowls for breakfast and hummus ready for a wrap or crackers whenever I need.
3. Strength: I don’t mean you need to get a gym membership, some protein powder and to start squatting 3x your body weight. You can do most things with just your body weight and a mat. Including some core work, squats and single leg/balance exercises into your routine will help you a lot with your form and muscle activation in the long run.
4. Blood tests:  I am a huge believer in knowing what’s going on inside your body. Being intuitive is great, but I think we all too often just get used to feeling tired, and call it “life/ work/ training”. Finding out about your hormone and vitamin levels (e.g. Iron, Vitamin D etc) at least twice a year can help you understand your body and treat and train it optimally. 
5. Breathe: It might sound lame, but taking the time to sit, breathe and relax is one of the hardest things to do these days. Take some time to centre yourself each day or each week to understand your ‘why’; the why you are doing what you are doing, and let go of the doubt.

4. What are you doing during COVID-19?

1. In Australia we are still allowed outside so I am still doing my training runs but keeping them closer to home to reduce the risk of needing help that can come with running in more remote areas. I am also doing a lot of my runs solo, to reduce my contact with others. 
2. Taking the time to cook my meals and really enjoy the process of creating and eating them.
3. Finding that yoga routine that got lost sometime in 2019.
4. Colouring in. I’m a huge fan of sitting down and being a kid again and forgetting the problems!
5. Sleeping in, taking the mornings slow and listening to the body; not trying to be a hero.

5. What are your top 5 running highlights or lowlights?

1. Winning the Ultra Trail Australia 100km on my 21st birthday with my brother crewing me and my Dad behind me.
2. Coming 3rd at the Western States 100 in 2018. It was my first 100 mile event and I ran it blissfully unaware of how far 160km actually is.
3. My first 100km with my Dad. Running side by side for 12:30:00 and finishing knowing it wouldn’t be my last.
4. Running the Oxfam 100km with 3 of my best mates, 1 who had never run more than a marathon before. Seeing that process and being a part of every step (and every vomit stop) was something truly special. 
5. Throwing up for 50km of a 120km race in Europe and wanting to quit. After walking up a hill and dropping all expectations and fears, as night descended I found myself catching headlamp after headlamp and ended up finishing 5th. 

Thanks Let’s Do This for creating a space to escape the constant talk of the world right now. Running will never leave us and the community will only be stronger after this. We got this, one step at a time!