Show Notes
Every runner eventually asks the same question: Should I push through the pain? The answer could determine whether you make it to the start line—or spend race day watching from the sidelines. In Episode 6 of the SLAY Stronger Runner Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel explains why the best runners aren't the ones who train the hardest. They're the ones who stay healthy long enough to keep training. This episode teaches you how to recognize the difference between normal training discomfort and the warning signs of injury, why recovery is one of the biggest performance tools available, and how to think like an elite athlete when something doesn't feel right.
In this episode you'll learn: • The difference between soreness and injury • Why pain is information—not weakness • The warning signs you should never ignore • The most common running injuries and what causes them • Why total life stress matters just as much as training mileage • Why the famous "10% Rule" isn't enough • The importance of dynamic warm-ups • Why recovery begins the night before your run • How Olympians manage injuries before they become serious • The SLAY Recovery Pyramid
This Week's Challenge Every evening ask yourself four questions: ✅ Did I sleep enough? ✅ Did I eat enough? ✅ Did I hydrate? ✅ Did I move well today? Your next personal best may begin long before your next run.
Coming Next Week: The Runner's Mind We'll dive into confidence, race anxiety, visualization, negative self-talk and the mental skills that separate good runners from great runners. Subscribe and train with us every week as we build stronger women—physically, mentally and emotionally.
🎧 LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/35UovsfJZfat5xU6r6i55b?si=a54a6454c06445c4&nd=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slay/id1393889958 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX5I8e0HAZxB-SEvp4oLCCA📩
JOIN THE COMMUNITY Slay 10K: https://slay.myflodesk.com/slay10k Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@slayathletic/?sub_confirmation=1 Shop www.slayathletic.com Slay Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/emails/6907a431cef52dfcb87b55f9Slay App Waitlist: https://slay.myflodesk.com/nhkxhv00tg Slay: Your Strongest Year Yet Free Training: https://www.louisehazel.com/blank-5 Slay Meetups & IRL Community: https://stan.store/slayathletic?fbclid=PAdGRleARCYI9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAafeUDQD0ickXhd39FFC3Mf9yb8wP9i_yUvaUzpgBP7CcxuScV_dqMudyAT5aw_aem_mbFvFU--n6e5nSf9Kt9J3w
✨ IF THIS EPISODE SPOKE TO YOU… Please like, comment, and subscribe — it helps this community of strong women grow. Share it with another woman who deserves to rise in 2026.
More from SLAY
This is it. Twelve weeks of training. Long runs. Strength sessions. Early mornings. Fuel. Recovery. Self-doubt. Progress. And now there is only one thing left to do: Race.
You're TWO WEEKS away from your half marathon. And suddenly you're questioning everything. Did I train enough? Was my longest run long enough? Why do my legs feel terrible? Should I run this week? Should I carb load? How many gels do I need? Can I walk? What if I can't sleep? What if everyone starts faster than me? And the biggest question of all... What if I can't finish?
You've spent weeks training for your half marathon. And now that race day is getting closer... Your training plan is telling you to do less.
You’ve been training for weeks. You’re running further. You’re lifting weights. You’re fueling properly. You’re recovering better. So why aren’t you getting faster every week? And if your pace hasn’t changed… is your training actually working? In Episode 10 of the SLAY Stronger Runner Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel explains why pace is only one measure of running progress, and why you could be becoming a significantly better runner without seeing a dramatic change on your watch.
You’re training for 13.1 miles. But does that mean you actually need to run 13.1 miles before race day? And if you haven't… how can you possibly know you'll finish?