I’m back with another “5 Minutes With” and today I’m chatting to Bethan from A Pretty Place To Play, I’ve followed Bethan for several years now and always find myself in awe of her eloquent writing and continually impressed by her commitment to sport. Bethan’s Instagram stories are full of beautiful quotes and “Oh, me too” posts about mental health and she’s well worth a follow. If that’s not enough, this week she’s over on the BBC talking about her love of running crazy distances.
Enough with the “Fan Girl” intro, let’s dig a little deeper…
I never tire of hearing about people’s morning routines, can you tell me about yours?
So my morning routine is very much dictated by Loki who likes to start his day with a walk! I literally roll out of bed, pull on whatever clothes are closest and head out to the park with a coffee, and I love it. It’s also a way for Mike and I to squeeze in a bit of time together in our otherwise very busy lives and chat about things other than life admin and puppy care.
I’ve been trying to get into the habit of going to the gym every morning as well, so on the way home Mike and Loki drop me off so that I can go and work out for a bit before heading home for a shower and breakfast before starting my work for the day.
As you’re a woman who’s always on the move, please share with me your favorite place to buy sportswear?
I have a massive soft spot for Lululemon because their stuff lasts so well (literally, I’ve had tights from there that have kept going for years), but at the more affordable end of the market Fabletics produce great quality gear (although I don’t like their subscription model and I’ve not always found their customer service that good) and Gap Fit’s gear is really good quality, although I have noticed their price point has crept up a bit recently – so worth keeping an eye out for sales!
In March this year, you took on “The Speed Project” (The Speed Project is a 340 mile (550K) relay from the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles to Las Vegas). I amongst many others, watched in awe, what did you learn from that experience?
It was such a crazy, epic experience, I honestly can’t quite believe I was there! I think my biggest take away was quite how resilient I can be in difficult circumstances, the whole race was physically and emotionally brutal (particularly because I got injured early on), but I kept going in a way I never thought I’d be able to. That still blows my mind a bit.
If you could make one change for women in sport, what would that be?
Oh boy this is a biggy! I spend my life overthinking sport for a living and I am brutally aware of all the things that work against women getting involved and how difficult it is to change some of those factors. If I could do just one thing though it would be separating cosmetic beauty from physical fitness. So many women have grown up with the idea that movement is something you do to look a particular way, and I’d really love for more women to be able to truly enjoy movement for what it is and how it feels, rather than doing it because they were told they had to look attractive.
Finally, I know you’ve recently introduced Loki into your life, would you kindly share a picture and tell us about this gorgeous little chap?
Haha, so Loki is a smooth haired Brussels Griffon puppy and I am insanely in love with him! He is absolutely weeny but is brimming with personality and big stick energy. He is super social (which is just as well because he gets stopped wherever he goes) and most of the time either wanted to run around like a loon or cuddle up on your lap. He has only been with us for a short while, but he has already brought so much to our lives and I love having my little sidekick!
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Please make sure that you go follow Bethan to keep up with her adventures – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter
Katie
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