Hanny Allston

We’ve switched things around and today are interviewing Hanny for the podcast! I’m sure that most of you are at the very least familiar with the name ‘Hanny Allston’ and know that she is a phenomenal athlete. There is a lot more to Hanny than just running though as you will see with this conversation. 

I hope this podcast shows someone with an incredible character and drive that has led to multiple outstanding achievements, while maintaining a humble and grounded personality. Our conversation dives into turning 30, Find Your Feet and the many aspects of running; from training to racing to avoiding injury.
 
We hope you enjoy this conversation.

#05: Running with new insights with Hanny Allston

Hanny Allston has accomplished her final 'competitive dream' after many years of racing at an elite level - completing the 100km distance at the Ultra Trail Australia. In her words, 'It was an emotional celebration of everything my mind and body has done for me over my running journey, and the lessons I learnt along the way'.

In this podcast we cover all things UTA: from the days before, to the actual race and into recovery. We also discuss Hanny's tips and tricks for trail runners entering UTA next year (which are also applicable to other races!)         

She now can hang her race shoes up and hand the baton to the the new ranks after competing at the pointy end of the field for many years. Hanny might be finished at elite level racing but her experience, knowledge and love of trails continues.

We hope you enjoy this conversation.

#10: Ultra Trail Australia Reflections with Hanny Allston

In this podcast, we go deep into the psychology and foundations of sustainable training, trying to uncover some of the important truths associated with mastering our crafts, be them play or performance.

We delve into:
- The humble beginnings of Hanny Allston
- Hanny’s writing process for her new trail running guidebook and training resources
- How Hanny developed her style of coaching and ethos
- Extra-ordinary benefits of taking time to develop a strong sense of self
- Sustainable training mindsets

#17 Psychological Foundations of Performance With Hanny Allston

I have decided to create this podcast series based upon my newly released Ultra Trail Australia Training Programs and Trail Running Guidebook. Whilst each episode targets athletes using these resources, they should provide informative listening for all athletes or individuals keen to embark on a more active lifestyle. A new episode will be released monthly on Thursdays up until the Ultra Trail Australia event hosted in May 2018!  My aim with this series is to support your unique journey, playing to the start line and beyond!
 
Throughout the duration of this series I will be talking with Jess- my friend, colleague and fellow trail runner – specifically with tips to tackle the most common challenges I see amongst the athletes I work with or have trained alongside. I will be sharing stories from my own experiences and busting myths about nutrition & hydration, overtraining and holistic health.
 
I would strongly recommend (if you haven’t already) listening to #17 The Psychological Foundations of Performance. Establishing a clear understanding of why we want to strive for our peak performance is crucial for sustainable training. Are our motives internally or externally driven? Are we nurturing all areas of holistic health whilst working towards our goals? These are important questions that we need to address to reduce the risk of epic burnouts, injury through overtraining and building our sense of self.
  
So, base training! It is the first aspect of physical training that I have included in the guidebook and for very good reason. The term ‘base training’ feels like a bit of an overkill signpost as to what I am suggesting to build your fitness foundations. 
 
 Take Home Points:  
- Periodising training is crucial: In order to improve, we do not have to push our bodies to the limits every training session
- Playing in the base training phase for a longer period of time will help lower our risk of stress injuries and overtraining
- Athletes can reach 80-90% of their maximum ability just from base training alone
- Identifying some of the various symptoms of overtraining that we might be overlooking
- Base training is the perfect place to come back to for recovery, and sustainable exercising

“I have no doubt that someone could get off the couch now and in 6 months time, run 100km. But it’s to the expense at what that is going to do in the long term – and that’s physically and psychologically. I think you can have a much better experience if you try and pick goals in keeping with where you are at and you allow yourself to just enjoy the beauty of base training.” ​

#19 Base Training With Hanny Allston

“If there was one element I could retain in my training and I had to get rid of all the others, the one element I would retain is hills.”

Main Points
- Recap of Hanny's epic mission to Federation Peak
- Why run hills? The importance of hill training for injury prevention
- How hill training can actually reduce the likelihood common running injuries such as ITB syndrome and Achilles injuries.
- Uphill and Downhill Running Techniques
-- Cadence
-- Stair Running
-- Technical Trails
- Advice for improving our psychological approach to hills
- Glute Activation for injury prevention – tips for strengthening our deep gluteal muscles.
- How to start hill training
- Hanny’s advice for hill training without hills
- The importance of nutrition for uphill and downhill running – caffeine = life saver 

Trail runners have to accept that the ground isn’t always flat and on almost every run we will encounter some kind of hill. So, what happens now?
 
Behind every step that we take when we hit the trails or brave the bush lands is an intricate series of energy ‘ins & outs’. The alterations in surfaces and slopes change the way our muscles need to respond. Sometimes they will be contracting strongly to propel us forward and other times they will be eccentrically contracting to slow us down. Sometimes gravity will be working in our favour, and sometimes completely against us.
 
Therefore, it is important to begin thinking about the way you catch, create and utilize the energy that you have available to you. This might be the difference between having enough energy to think clearly to the end of your run, and bonking out before you have truly reached your peak performance.
 
I get a lot of questions regarding how to incorporate hill training into race preparations – especially for those looking to compete in the UTA. I hope this podcast can answer some of these questions and help to bring a greater feeling of confidence and efficiency to your running practise.
 
I have a plethora of free resources available online, so take some time to explore all the links below if this topic interests you

Videos
Hanny’s Federation Peak Mission - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32pgo3YRGR0
 
Podcast Recommendations
Find Your Feet Podcast Episode #19 Base Training Podcast –
http://www.hannyallston.com.au/base-training.html
 
Find Your Feet Podcast Episode #15 UTMB with Brook Martin –
http://www.hannyallston.com.au/brook-martin.html
 
Blog Posts
Training for Mountains without Hills- http://www.hannyallston.com.au/blog/training-for-mountains-without-hills
 
Uphill & Downhill Running Technique –
http://www.hannyallston.com.au/blog/uphill-downhill-running-technique

Hanny Allston
Website – www.hannyallston.com.au
Blog - www.hannyallston.com.au/blog/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/hanny.allston/
 
Hanny Allston Training Resources
Guidebook – http://www.hannyallston.com.au/trail-running-guidebook.html
UTA Training Packages - http://www.hannyallston.com.au/ultra-trail-australia.html
 
Contact Me – hanny@findyourfeet.com.au
 
Find Your Feet Retail Store – www.findyourfeet.com.au

#25 Hill Training & Running Technique With Hanny Allston

DISCLAIMER: The following podcast could contain triggering content for anyone currently experiencing an eating disorder or disordered eating behaviour. Please contact the Butterfly Foundation Support Helpline on 1800 33 4673 (1800 ED HOPE) if you become aware of any distressing symptoms. 
 
Over 1 million Australians (about 1 in 20) currently have a clinically diagnosed eating disorder, and approximately 10% of Australians (15% for females) will have an eating disorder at some point in their life. I was shocked to find out these statistics from Juliette Thomson, the resident psychologist at The Butterfly Foundation. 
 
The conversation today dives deeper into the unspoken reality of eating disorders - from my own personal experience and the perspective of a clinical professional. I facilitated this conversation, wanting to open a window of understanding on the development of eating disorders and how we can best identify and support loved ones who may be grappling with this mental illness. As it happened, this podcast taught me far more about the complexities of identifying and understanding this highly prevalent mental illness.
 
Juliette and the Butterfly Foundation, passionately advocate that everyone’s experiences with eating disorders are different. There are also some shocking statistics regarding eating disorders that are worth being aware of​ For example, on average, Anorexia affects an individual for around 7 years! However, for some the experience can extend for decades whilst for others this could be only two years.
 
I hope this conversation can assimilate with the Butterfly Foundation’s mission of being a catalyst for change and increase the awareness of eating disorders in our society. Certainly,​ there are high-risk groups, but anyone and everyone can be affected by an eating disorder. I strongly urge you to reach out to the services of the Butterfly Foundation should you wish for additional support.

#27 Opening Up About Eating Disorders with The Butterfly Foundation

I planned to take a different approach to this topic, but it naturally evolved into this conversation that I am incredibly excited to share with you. The process of creating podcasts is, in some ways, very similar to the journey we take in preparing for and executing adventures. We will only ever reach a certain level of preparedness, so learning how to manage our expectations, define success and checking in with reality becomes increasingly important. If we do not take the time to recognise what success means to us and understand why we value the adventure, and even when we are physically strong enough, our fears and doubts can overcome our positive psychology to derail our performance.

This conversation will be incredibly useful to anyone interested in adventures, embarking on an upcoming race, or simply wanting to get the most out of their physical passions. It is also strongly relevant to individuals who are currently following my training programs, preparing for the Ultra Trail Australia or if you are the supporter of a loved one who is embarking on something wild. 

I hope you enjoy this episode and let me, or the team at Find Your Feet know if you would like any further help towards your preparations for races or missions.

Here are some extra resources I would highly recommend you check out: 
•	The earlier podcasts I did with Clive Stack - #03 Driven by Emotions and #11 Listening to Your Emotions
•	#07 Psychology of Potential  with Sports Psychologist Jeremy Adams
•	#10 Reflections on my UTA100 Experience in 2017 
•	Also, and just for fun, the video from Dale and I on our epic mission on Federation Peak.

Main Points
•	Define YOUR ‘success’
•	Define YOUR ‘readiness’ 
•	Setting expectations and intentions 
•	Purpose of fear
– Show you what is meaningful and also that you really care 
•	Missions 
–	Why they are important 
–	Just start… but also when to not do a mission
•	‘What If’ Scenarios 
•	Check- in with realism 
•	Get out of your own shoes
-	Imagine how others are feeling
-	Elite athletes but don’t experience any less ‘holes’, just get out of them quicker 
•	Make it FUN! 
•	Race Day 
-	Support Crews 
-	Setting your ½ way mark at 75% 
-	Music? 
-	Bubble Mode

#28 Adventure & Race Psychology with Hanny Allston

I know what you must be thinking… How does Hanny have anymore to say on the topic of psychology? Haha! Well hear me out for a moment… 

This episode is very different to previous Find Your Feet Podcast episodes and actually one of the topics that I get asked the most about. In this episode Jess and I discuss the physical, mental and emotional strategies around tapering before a peak performance and psychologically how to maximise your enjoyment on the day itself. 

A positive mindset and outlook on the day should not be overlooked. For those of you who have been building towards Ultra Trail Australia for the past 6 months, you have done the hard work. When you find your feet on the start line, you need to know that you are emotionally ‘checked-in’ for this event and thinking, ‘how enjoyable can I make this for myself?’  My biggest tip for this is to smile at everyone you see, smile through your low points of suffering and especially through your high points! 

The Main Points Are:
-	Tapering – how to navigate the unusual sensations 
-	The physical benefits of rest and recovery before race day
-	Working through ‘what if…’ scenarios
-	How to understand the lessons from ‘missions’ & practice runs
-	Simulate running with a full vest pack of mandatory gear, nutrition and hydration. 
-	Adapting nutrition & hydration for tapering
-	The importance of briefing your support crew
-	Race day mentality
-	Tips to minimise your time spent at aid stations
-	Setting process goals – be realistic 
-	Starting the race with purpose - not ‘slow’ 
-	Avoid chewing up crucial mental energy worrying and comparing yourself to others or your past capabilities 
-	SMILE! Enjoy yourself. Inevitably you will have points of suffering but if you asked yourself, ‘where else would I rather be?’, the likely answer would be ‘nowhere’.

I hope you find this episode a valuable resource towards your own journey with performance. If you would like to support the continuation of this resource, I would encourage you to check out my trail running and outdoor retail store- Find Your Feet. I would like to offer you 20% off your first online order with the discount code – FindingMyFeet. Once you have proceeded to the online check out there will be the option to enter the code, please be aware this discount does not apply to watches, electronics and some other products.  Also after your first order, you will be eligible to receive 10% off every time you shop as a part of your new Find Your Feet membership!

Thank you so much for listening! I love hearing from you, so if you have any questions or feedback, please send me an email hanny@findyourfeet.com.au or message me on Facebook. 

As always, the team at Find Your Feet are so excited to help with gear and offer their wealth of knowledge to assist you in playing wilder. So please feel free to contact them at info@findyourfeet.com.au or visit in store whenever you're in Hobart, Tasmania! :)

#31 Tapering & Race Day Psychology with Hanny Allston

This Injury podcast has been on our minds since we started the UTA mini-series this year (full playlist available here). Now a month after UTA, and we are super excited to share this episode. Jess and I went in with an intention to talk about common trail running injuries, specifically overuse injuries and my own personal experience with Achilles tendonitis, however the conversation evolved to discuss injuries on a more holistic scale. How dealing with injuries can catalyse internal personal growth beyond just dealing with the physical pain.
 
I get a lot of questions about running with injuries so I hope you can find some valuable information in here that could help you to troubleshoot your own situation. That being said, I am a massive advocate for seeking professional help at any stage of your journey as an athlete. I have a great list of recommended health service providers on my website, that I would encourage you to check out. 
 
My biggest take away from having an injured Achilles for the past seven months, is that without a strong sense of self beyond the gratification your physical body can give you, injuries can be an incredibly difficult time. They also have a healing timeframe that often you cannot rush. Take the time to incorporate preventative practices into your everyday activities and if you do get injured, relish in that time to re-evaluate your life, goals and see where you can make the next step.  
 
Topics we covered:
Overuse injuries 
ITB issues 
Knee injuries
Achillies tendonitis 
Maintaining growth through sustainable loading to prevent overdoing
Hanny’s experience with injuries, specifically Achilles tendonitis 
Injuries: Men vs. Women 
Mentally and emotionally dealing with injury 
Prevention exercises and practices 
How to realign our mindset after not being able to run - finding your 'normal'
Treating yourself like an athlete – supportive networks and services

I hope you enjoy this one!

​I really value your feedback. If you have any thoughts about the podcast or any of our resources/services with Find Your Feet, you can let me know via email hanny@findyourfeet.com.au, Facebook or Instagram :)

#33 Growing From the Common Trail Running Injuries with Hanny Allston

This raw little audio nugget with Hanny Allston dives into her writing process of The Trail Running Guidebook and explores some intriguing insights into what is on the horizon for Hanny in the coming years. We recorded this just before the Guidebook launch on November 1st 2018 and go into more depth about Hanny’s evolving philosophies and the unexpected successes since the book launch. We hope you enjoy this mini episode! 

Main Points:
-	What is the Trail Running Guidebook? 
-	How did it evolve? 
-	How Hanny designed the book to be read 
-	The unexpected challenges of writing books 
-	Evolving personal philosophies 
-	Wave training theory translating to other areas of life 
-	How we can support the Trail Running Guidebook to continue growing 

To learn more about the Trail Running Guidebook Visit -  http://www.hannyallston.com.au/trail-running-guidebook.html

To purchase your copy online visit - https://findyourfeet.com.au/products/hanny-allston-trail-running-guidebook

“I wrote the book because I saw it as a collaborative way between me as someone who had knowledge, and the reader who I see as having knowledge and experience, that when our brains and experiences collide, there could be that light bulb moment where someone goes ‘ohhh I had that experience and maybe it wasn’t the experience I wanted, and now I feel like…I think I need to make a change.’ And I know that the book has definitely got stuff in there where people can go ‘and that’s how I make the change.’”

#38 Writing Process & Evolving Philosophies with Hanny Allston

Professional coach and world champion athlete, Hanny Allston, dives deep into her new understanding of self-identity and the powerful role that it plays in our well-being and ability to perform with excellence. She also discusses the difference between self-compassion and self-acceptance, and how one must precede the other. This episode is essential listening for anyone striving for optimal well-being, vitality and performance.

For more information visit: https://www.hannyallston.com.au/hanny-allston.html

#44 Self-Identity, Self-Compassion & Self-Acceptance with Hanny Allston

In July 2019 I embarked on a dream to run the French Pyrenees Mountains, predominantly following the GR10 hiking trail from Hendaye on the Atlantic coastline of France to Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean Sea. This is a conversation of how I overcame injury, setbacks and the occasional doubts to run 700km through the mountains of France. It is how I leant on both my closest relationships but also my own strength mastered through years of pursuing my athleticism to the very highest levels, as well as more recent 'deep inner work', to find absolute confidence in my ability to complete this expedition. This conversation is a ramble with myself for my listeners in the hope that it will help you to also play wilder and listen to when your toes are tingling.

Topics covered in this podcast:
- The importance of self- discovery, -empowerment and -acceptance
- When you know the goal is the right goal for you
- The transitions that occurred during the 19-day adventure
- Overcoming guilt
- How to turn spontaneous and impromptu into a strength
- Leaning into the challenge and anxieties associated with it
- How it has challenged and strengthened me as an individual
- Using injury to shed new light on our growth potential
You can read the full transcript of this episode on my website - www.hannyallston.com.au

The Pyrenees Traverse with Hanny Allston - 700km running

“ The greater the repertoire you have and understanding of your archetypes and what you need  in your world to execute to peak performance, the more you’re going to rule your world.”

Our recent podcast episodes have had a real focus on climate change, meditation and really exploring our place in the world. But today I wanted to bring in my recent studies of neurolinguistic reprogramming. Specifically the role Archetypes and the Hero’s Journey plays in our lives. Before you think, ‘that’s a bit out there for me’, I promise we keep the conversation very rooted in the practical implications for having a deeper understanding of these metaphorical stories.

We welcome Jess back in this episode, after took the year off to explore her passions for the arts and focus on her degree in psychology. She helps me to dig us deeper into the psyche to unravel the details of how these topics are applied to our daily lives and performance goals.  

​I really hope this conversation is are able to help you recognise where each of the archetypes are showing up in your life. Also how cultivating an awareness of when each one is active in our mind, can help us to lean into life even more. Asking ourselves things like, 'Am I being in Warrior mode?' 'Does this serve me right now?' 'Yes' or 'No'. Now I have the choice to keep thinking and acting into this archetype or choose a new one.  Also to notice the patterns in a heroes journey, see that we are all on it at different stages, and develop a greater level of compassion for ourselves and those around us.

That’s all from me! Enjoy!​

“ The reason I ‘retired’… is because I thought Hanny was an athlete… only an athlete... and I thought that there had to be a point that athleticism needed to end and the next evolution of Hanny needed to begin. Because all I thought, was that there was one archetype ‘athlete Hanny’ and ‘athlete Hanny’ needed to mature… so she needed to die…but I realise that underneath that... are all these other other archetypes… and I’ve walked away a richer person…”

#52 Archetypes & The Hero's Journey with Hanny Allston

There are so many extraordinary people achieving outside of the ordinary.  From athletes to artists, adventurers to entrepreneurs, scientists to everyday people embarking on huge adventures.  However, it is not what they achieve that fascinates me, but rather, how they achieve such excellence.   

Through my Find Your Feet Podcast, I want to pull back layer upon layer to find out what drives these members of our community who are striving hard to find their feet & live a rich, purposeful life.  I want to help their powerful messages and stories to be heard so that they can continue to make a ripple… or potentially even a splash!  

I hope that through sharing their journeys and an insight into what makes them tick, we can provide an avenue for your own self-exploration for a meaningful life filled with excellence, in whatever that field may be.  Because ultimately, I just hope that these inspiring individuals can help us all to progress one step closer to finding our feet as people, and in whatever dreams we dare to dream.
Visit www.hannyallston.com.au