SLAY

Latest Episodes:

How to Measure Running Progress When Your Pace Isn’t Improving | Slay Stronger Runner | Episode 188 Sep 26, 2026

Show notes

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.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why running progress is never perfectly linear

• Why the same pace can represent completely different levels of fitness

• The SLAY Performance Triangle: Pace, Effort & Recovery

• How to use heart rate without becoming obsessed with it

• What Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) can tell you

• Why your easy runs can reveal improvements in aerobic fitness• How running economy improves

• Why being able to run further is progress

• Why recovering faster is a performance improvement

• Why accumulated fatigue can temporarily hide your fitness

• Why constantly testing yourself can actually interfere with training

• The six metrics in the SLAY Progress Scorecard

This week's challenge:

Repeat. Don't race. Repeat an easy run you've completed previously at a similar perceived effort and compare how it feels. Not just how fast you ran.

Because your watch can measure your pace. It can't measure the entire athlete you're becoming.

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How Far Should Your Longest Run Be Before Race Day? | Slay Stronger Runner | Episode 187 Sep 19, 2026

Show notes

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?

In Episode 9 of the SLAY Performance Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel breaks down one of the most important - and misunderstood - sessions in half-marathon training: The long run.

Because your long run isn't an exam. It’s a rehearsal. And its purpose isn't to prove that you can run a half marathon. It's to prepare your body to.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Whether you need to run 13.1 miles before your race

• How far your longest training run should be

• Why time on your feet can matter as much as mileage

• How fast your long runs should actually be

• Whether walking during a long run “counts”

• Why racing your long runs could sabotage the rest of your week

• How to practice race-day fueling and hydration

• What to do when a long run goes badly

• Whether you should make up a missed long run

• Why strength becomes increasingly important as fatigue sets in

• How to recover after your longest sessions

• The six-part SLAY Long Run Checklist

This week, Louise challenges you to stop simply completing your long run and start rehearsing race day. Practice your breakfast. Wear your race-day kit. Carry your fuel. Control your pace. Pay attention to what happens when you get tired.

Then ask: What worked? What didn’t? And what will I change next time?

The goal isn’t to arrive at race day having proved you can survive 13.1 miles. It’s to arrive healthy, prepared and confident enough to execute them.

Subscribe to the SLAY Podcast and join us each week as we build stronger runners—physically, mentally and emotionally.

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How to Design Your Race Day Strategy | Slay Stronger Runner | Episode 186 Sep 12, 2026

Show notes

You’ve done the training. Now you need to execute it.

Because getting fit enough to run a half marathon and knowing how to race a half marathon are two completely different things.

Go out too fast and you could pay for it at mile ten. Try something new on race morning and your stomach could have other plans. Panic when your watch shows the wrong pace and months of preparation can suddenly feel irrelevant.

In Episode 8 of the SLAY Stronger Runner Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel gives you the complete Race Day Blueprint: how to prepare, pace, fuel and mentally execute your half marathon from the night before to the finish line.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why race day actually starts the night before

• The biggest mistake runners make in the opening miles

• Why adrenaline can sabotage your pacing

• The SLAY Control → Settle → Compete strategy

• Whether walking during a half marathon is okay

• How to approach race-day fueling and hydration

• What to do when your race plan goes wrong

• How to use A, B and C goals

• Why you should never try anything new on race day

• The RESET framework for recovering when things don’t go to plan

This Week’s Challenge:

Create your personal Race Day Blueprint with your A, B and C goals, breakfast, fueling strategy, opening effort, mental cues and race-day mantra.

Because race day isn’t the day to become confident.

It’s the day to cash in the confidence you’ve spent weeks building.

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The Runner's Mind | Slay Stronger Runner | Episode 185 Sep 05, 2026

Show notes

By now you've trained your body. You've built strength. You've learned how to fuel. You've recovered better. You've logged the miles.

But race day isn't won by your legs alone. It's won by your mind.

In Episode 7 of the SLAY Stronger Runner Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel shares the mindset tools she used throughout her Olympic career to perform under pressure, manage nerves and silence self-doubt.

Because confidence isn't something you're born with. It's something you train.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why confidence comes from evidence—not motivation

• How Olympians prepare mentally for competition

• How to stop believing every thought in your head

• Why race nerves are normal—and how to use them

• The power of visualization before race day

• Why discipline beats motivation every time

• How to stop negotiating with yourself

• Why confidence is built from collecting "receipts"

• How positive self-talk changes performance

• The Olympic mindset that helps you stay calm under pressure

This Week's Challenge

Spend five minutes every evening visualizing race day.

Picture yourself:

🏃 Walking to the start

💥 Feeling nervous

😊 Staying calm

🏁 Crossing the finish line

Then write down one piece of evidence that proves you're becoming a stronger runner.

Confidence is built one promise at a time.

Coming Next Week: Race Day Blueprint

We'll cover pacing, nerves, warm-ups, fueling, race strategy and exactly how to execute your best half marathon.

Subscribe and train with us every week as we build stronger women—physically, mentally and emotionally.

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How to Avoid Running Injuries | Slay Stronger Runner | Episode 184 Aug 29, 2026

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.

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX5I8e0HAZxB-SEvp4oLCCA📩

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What Runners Should Eat Before, During and After a Run | Slay Stronger Runner | Episode 183 Aug 22, 2026

Show notes

You can have the perfect training plan, running shoes and recovery routine. But if you are consistently under-fueled, eventually your body will collect the debt.

Heavy legs.

Poor recovery.

Declining performance.

Disrupted sleep.

Persistent fatigue.

Loss of motivation.

And an increased risk of injury.

In Episode 5 of the SLAY Performance Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel explains how to stop treating food as something you must earn and start using it as a tool for performance.

Because athletes do not eat as a reward for training. Athletes eat so they can train.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What to eat before a run

• Whether you should run fasted

• When runners need fuel during training

• How to use gels, chews and sports drinks

• Why carbohydrates are essential for endurance performance

• Why protein matters for runners—not only weightlifters

• How hydration and electrolytes affect your training

• What to eat after a run to support recovery

• Whether you should pursue weight loss during half-marathon training

• Why female runners may need to pay attention to iron

• The warning signs that you may be under-fueling

• How Olympic athletes plan nutrition around performance

Louise also introduces the SLAY Fuel Pyramid:

1. Enough energy

2. Daily nutrition

3. Training fuel

4. Race strategy

This Week’s Challenge

Create and test the first version of your race-fueling strategy. Write down:

What you will eat before your long run

How long before the run you will eat

What fuel you will carry

When you will consume it

What you will eat afterwards

Then record how your energy, stomach and recovery responded. Race-day nutrition should not be based on theory. It should be based on evidence gathered from your own body.

Coming Next Week: The Injury-Free Runner

We’ll explore the difference between discomfort and pain, why injuries happen, which warning signs you should never ignore and why missing one run can sometimes save your entire training block.

Subscribe and join the SLAY community as we train towards race day together.

Do you currently eat to support your training—or are you still trying to earn your food through exercise? Tell us in the comments.

#RunningNutrition #HalfMarathonTraining #WomenWhoRun #SportsNutrition #RunningFuel #Carbohydrates #ProteinForRunners #NikeAfterDark #SLAYPodcast #LouiseHazel

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Why Running Slower Makes You Faster | Slay Stronger Runner | Episode 182 Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

What if the fastest way to become a better runner was to slow down?

Most recreational runners make the same mistake: they run every session at a moderately hard pace. Too hard to recover from properly. Too easy to create the benefits of a true speed session.

The result? They feel tired, frustrated and confused about why their pace is no longer improving.

In Episode 4 of the SLAY Stronger Runner Series, Olympian, coach and SLAY founder Louise Hazel explains why easy running is one of the most powerful tools in your half-marathon training program.

This episode breaks down Zone 2 training, conversational pace, the 80/20 approach and the difference between training hard and training intelligently.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why running faster every day does not necessarily make you faster

• What Zone 2 training actually means

• How to use the conversation test during an easy run

• Whether you should train by heart rate, pace or perceived effort

• How slower running builds your aerobic engine

• Why so many recreational runners become trapped in the “grey zone”

• Why Olympic athletes do not train at maximum intensity every day

• How to use the SLAY Traffic Light System to structure your training

• Why becoming dependent on your running watch can disconnect you from your body

• Why holding yourself back sometimes requires more discipline than pushing harder

The SLAY Traffic Light System

🟢 Green sessions: Easy runs, recovery and conversational effort

🟠 Amber sessions: Strength training and controlled steady work

🔴 Red sessions: Intervals, race pace and high-intensity training

Your week should contain far more green than red.

This Week’s Challenge

Complete one easy run without looking at your watch. Do not chase a pace. Do not obsess over distance.

Run at a conversational effort, pay attention to your breathing and finish feeling as though you could have continued.

Then ask yourself: Did I enjoy the run more? Did I recover faster? Did I finish feeling better than usual?

Coming Next Week: Fuel Like an Athlete

We’ll cover what to eat before and after running, protein, carbohydrates, hydration, electrolytes and whether trying to lose weight during half-marathon training could compromise your performance.

Subscribe and train with us every week as we build towards race day.

What do you find harder: running fast or allowing yourself to slow down? Tell us in the comments.

#Zone2Training #HalfMarathonTraining #EasyRunning #RunningTips #BeginnerRunner #WomenWhoRun #RunningCoach #NikeAfterDark #SLAYPodcast #LouiseHazel

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The Runner's Gym | Slay Stronger Runner | Episode 181 Aug 08, 2026

Show notes

Most runners believe the best way to improve is to run more.

But what happens when your heart is ready to keep going—and your muscles, joints and tendons are not?

In Episode 3 of the SLAY Performance Series, Olympian and SLAY founder Louise Hazel explains why running is not just an endurance sport.

Running is a strength sport.

During a half marathon, your body may need to absorb tens of thousands of impacts. Strength training helps prepare your muscles to tolerate those forces, maintain efficient technique under fatigue and continue moving well when the miles become difficult.

This episode takes you inside The Runner’s Gym and shows you how to train for performance rather than appearance.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why stronger women make better runners

• Whether lifting weights will make you bulky or slow

• The difference between strength, power and muscular endurance

• The four physical qualities every runner needs

• The five exercises every runner should master

• How heavy runners should lift

• How to progress your weights safely

• When to schedule strength training around your runs

• Why plyometrics help develop more elastic and efficient runners

• How Olympic athletes use the gym to solve weaknesses before competition exposes them

Louise also breaks down the Four Pillars of Running Strength:

Stability
Force
Elasticity
Control

This Week's Challenge

Complete two total-body strength sessions.

Record the exercises, repetitions and weights you use. The following week, improve by one repetition or a small increase in load.

You are not lifting to punish your body.

You are lifting to make it harder to break.

Why Running Slower Is the Easiest Way to Improve

We’ll explain conversational pace, Zone 2 training, heart rate and why easy running may be the most important part of your program.

Subscribe and join us every week as we build stronger runners—physically, mentally and emotionally.

What exercise do you avoid in the gym? Tell us in the comments.

🎧 LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slay/id1393889958Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX5I8e0HAZxB-SEvp4oLCCA

📩 JOIN THE COMMUNITY

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Stop Guessing and Start Training Like An Athlete | Slay Stronger Runner | Episode 2 Aug 01, 2026

Show notes

Everyone wants to become a better runner...

But very few people actually know how to structure their training week.

Should you run every day? How many strength sessions should you do? Is the treadmill okay? How do elite athletes balance running, recovery, and the gym?

In Episode 2 of our 12-week SLAY Performance Series, Olympian Louise Hazel breaks down the exact framework she recommends for beginner and intermediate runners preparing for the Nike After Dark Half Marathon.

By the end of this episode, you'll understand why every run has a purpose, how to stop wasting energy on the wrong workouts, and how to train smarter—not harder.

In this episode:

🏃 Why every run has a different job

🏋️ The five sessions every runner needs each week

💨 How VO₂ max training improves your speed

💪 The best strength exercises for runners

🏃‍♀️ Treadmill vs outdoor running—which is better?

😴 Why recovery is where fitness is actually built

📅 Beginner and intermediate weekly training plans

If you've ever wondered, "Am I training correctly?"—this episode is for you.

This Week's Challenge

Open your calendar. Schedule every run. Schedule your strength sessions. Schedule your recovery.

Athletes don't find time. They make time.

Next Week: The Runner's Gym—exactly what to do in the gym (and what to avoid) to become stronger, faster, and more injury-resistant.

Subscribe and train with us every week as we count down to race day.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slay/id1393889958Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX5I8e0HAZxB-SEvp4oLCCA

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How to Train for Your First Half Marathon (Without Feeling Overwhelmed) | SLAY Stronger Runner | Episode 1 Jul 25, 2026

Show notes

You signed up for the half marathon…Now what?

If you're feeling excited, nervous, intimidated—or wondering if 12 weeks is really enough time to prepare—you are not alone.

In this first episode of our 14-week Stronger Runner Series on the Slay Podcast, Olympian Louise Hazel is taking you back to where every great race begins: the starting line.

Whether you're running your very first half marathon or returning to racing after time away, this series is designed to coach you every step of the way. Each week, we'll break down exactly what to focus on, answer your biggest questions, and help you arrive at race day feeling stronger, healthier, and more confident than ever before.

This isn't just another running podcast.

It's your weekly coaching session.

In this episode you'll learn:

🏃 Is 12 weeks enough to train for a half marathon?

🏃 Why you don't need to be "fit enough" before you start

🏃 The biggest mindset shift every new runner needs

🏃 How to stop comparing yourself to everyone else

🏃 Why consistency beats perfection every time

🏃 What Olympians understand about building confidence

🏃 The difference between motivation and commitment

You'll also hear Louise share one of the most defining moments of her Olympic journey and the lesson that carried her from heartbreak to becoming a Commonwealth Champion.

If you've ever thought..."I'm not really a runner." This episode is for you.

This Week's Challenge:

Forget pace. Forget distance. Forget perfection. Your only goal this week is simple: Show up.

Because you don't become a runner when you cross the finish line. You become a runner the moment you decide not to turn back.

Join the Conversation👇

We'd love to hear from you in the comments. What made you sign up for your next race? Was it to challenge yourself? Start over? Honour someone? Improve your health? Or simply prove that you could? Your story might inspire someone else to take their first step.

Coming Next Week

Episode 2: The Perfect Training Week

We'll show you exactly how to structure your week like an athlete, including:

✔️ How many days you should run

✔️ What every type of run is actually for

✔️ What you should be doing in the gym

✔️ How to balance running, strength, recovery, and a busy life

If you've ever wondered whether you're training the right way, don't miss it. Subscribe for new episodes every week as we count down to race day.

Together, we're building stronger runners.

Physically.

Mentally.

And emotionally.

Welcome to the Stronger Runner series on the Slay Podcast.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slay/id1393889958Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX5I8e0HAZxB-SEvp4oLCCA📩

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