Training

An Interview with Ultra-Runner Holly Page

SportsShoes recently spoke with adidas Terrex athlete and one of the best ultra trail runners in the UK, Holly Page, to find out more about what makes her the athlete that she is.

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HOW DID YOU GET INTO TRAIL RUNNING?

I’ve been running on the trails all my life. I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors; camping, climbing, hiking, cycling. My dad was a fell runner, so I spent most of my childhood stood on the top of windy, misty mountains watching him race. As soon as I got old enough, I started entering races myself.

My first race was as an eight-year-old in a local fell race, then it has just carried on from there. I did lots of fell running but also did a little bit on the roads, the track and some cross country – so a bit of everything. I was not particularly good, but I really enjoyed simply being outside and that was part of my life, I guess. With my brother and my parents, we spent pretty much every family holiday going off camping and being outside, and that has been an integral part of my life. As I grew up, I started to do more races, not just in the UK but overseas and have done lots of trail running and sky running but I still love coming back to the UK and competing in local fell races and going for runs over the moors.

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WHAT DOES TRAIL RUNNING GIVE YOU, THAT NO OTHER SPORT CAN OFFER?

There’s something really simple about trail running. It’s just the case of putting on some shoes and getting outside no matter the weather. Even if you don’t feel like you want to go out, you get such a buzz from just being outside with the elements and when you come back you feel great.

I love the simplicity of it too. You can just go for a run in twenty minutes and you feel good. Most of us spend most of the day sat inside behind a desk so there’s nothing better than to just take some time to get outside. And it makes you feel great afterwards! Even if it’s raining or windy, I’d rather not be stuck on a treadmill in a gym.

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HOW HAS ULTRA RUNNING CHANGED YOUR LIFE?

I don’t think it has changed my life as such, just because it has always been a part of my life. I absolutely love the community aspect of it though. Going to a race, you’re seeing the same faces each time and everybody is so friendly. Also, I love meeting up with friends to go out for a run.

I can’t really imagine having my life without being able to go outside, whether that be hiking or running. It’s a very important part of life for me.

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WHAT ROLE DOES ULTRA RUNNING PLAY IN YOUR LIFE?

For me trail running is not all-consuming, I like to think of it as one part of my life. I think it’s important to be doing other things as well and not just focusing solely on sport. That said, I absolutely love going to races in different places – I don’t like to just turn up to a race and run the race and go home. I think it’s great to use running as an opportunity to go and explore new places, and meet new people. You can learn so much from meeting different people around the world.

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WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THE NEXT STEP FROM GOING FROM SHORTER TRAIL RACES TO LONGER DISTANCE RUNNING?

As a junior I was doing fell races around the UK but they were mostly short and steep. I wasn’t particularly fast but I was always quite strong, so I think it was just natural to make that step up to some of the longer distances – that’s where my strength really lies.

Over the years, I’ve gained quite a lot of mental toughness, that’s where it really comes to play when things get longer and you get tired but your mind tells you to just keep going on. I guess I have family holidays cycling across the UK to thank for that.

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WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN RUNNING?

I’ve had a few challenges over the years. A couple of years ago I had an accident on Mont Blanc and tore various ligaments in my knee, then earlier on this year I broke my foot. It’s usually frustrating when you put in all of that work, going out when it’s dark and rainy and miserable to get yourself really fit and ready for a season and then for it all to just disappear because of one small accident. The challenge has been to stay motivated and still wanting to come back and race again and take those risks again. But, that’s part of my life and I can’t imagine not running, even if I’m not at full fitness it’s just what I enjoy doing.

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WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET BACK TO THE TRAIL RUNNING WHEN YOU WERE INJURED? WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU MISSED?

What I really missed was the camaraderie and the community. I’ve got friends who are racing all over the place and I love going to races and meeting up with them. The beauty of trail running is that it’s done in fantastic places, you are not confined to swimming lengths in a swimming pool for example. You are out in the hills, up and out in the mountains. For me, it was just the case of “I planned to do all those races, so I’m still going to try and do them even not at full fitness”. I just love being out and amongst those people in such fantastic landscapes.

Follow Holly Page on Instagram here.

Holly runs in the adidas Terrex Agravic Flow and Agravic Boa, explore the whole range on SportsShoes.

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