TRISHA GODDARD

THE TALK SHOW HOST, 63, ON STRESS RELIEF, PLAYLISTS AND RUNNING IN THE RAIN

‘I ran all the way through my treatment, and it kept my head

together’

I STARTED RUNNING AT 41. I’d moved to Norwich to film Trisha, and I started working with Darrell, a PT who did a lot [of exercise] outside. He said, ‘I’m going to get you running!’ I said, ‘No, I don’t run.’ But he had me doing Scout’s pace: walking 100 steps, then jogging 100 steps. There are apps for that now, but I had to count, which was good, because I concentrated on counting rather than doing it. Before I knew it, I was running. The first time I walked up Gas Hill in Norwich, I was out of breath. Darrell said, ‘One day you’ll run up there!’ Eventually I did, and it felt like a huge achievement.

NO MUSIC, NO RUN. I have to have music. I have different playlists depending on how I’m feeling. I love Doja Cat, Duckwrth, Tom Misch and Jacob Collier. Other times, it’s the Eagles and The Doobie Brothers. An app called TrailMix mixes my music to my pace – if I slow down or speed up, so does the music. I also use Podrunner. A DJ puts tracks together, and you choose the speed you want, from 120bpm to 185bpm. The beat stays the same, so it keeps me at that pace. It’s good for what I call my ‘running meditation’.

RUNNING MANAGES MY MOOD. When I saw it as exercise, I hated it. But somewhere along the line, I realised what it was doing for my head. That’s what got me into it. It’s an opportunity to see nature and discover places. I love running on my own because it relieves stress and clears my head. I can go out with a problem and come back with a solution, without having consciously thought about it. I’ll always run on holiday, because I do the things I love then. People say, ‘Holidays are for relaxing!’ Well, that’s how I relax.

I RAN TO RADIOTHERAPY. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and had a year of chemo, radiotherapy and operations. My default was to run every day, so I’d park my car, then run 20 minutes to the hospital, on the other side of the park. When I ran there for my first session, the radiotherapy technician said, ‘You won’t be doing that any more. Most people can barely walk through the door. Don’t get any ideas about running every day, just rest.’ I was so angry with him that I made sure I did run every day.

Now I remember him with fondness because I need people like that. I only need to be told I can’t and then I do.

RUNNING HELPED MY RECOVERY from breast cancer. I ran all the way through my treatment, and it was bloody hard, but it kept my head together, and because the doctors were constantly checking on me, they could see the physical benefits. Chemotherapy and cancer drugs leach the calcium from you, so your bone density is checked before and after treatment. Mine was optimum at the start, and a year later, I’d only lost half a per cent. That’s

Trisha’s TalkRADIO show is Saturdays 1-4pm. Follow her on Instagram @thereal trishagoddard why I was asked to be an ambassador for the Royal Osteoporosis Society, to show people that bone density loss isn’t something that just happens to you – there are lifestyle changes that can prevent it.

I’M OBSESSED WITH MY HOKAS. They’ve changed my life. I was getting injuries, and people were telling me, ‘That’s just getting older!’ I thought I’d have to give up running, then I discovered these trainers and I’ve had a new lease of life. I’ve been wearing them since 2013, and I’m addicted to them. They’re ultra-comfortable, and they have the cushioning and foot support that I need, especially as an older runner. I can run further, and not get the aches and pains.

HOT FLUSHES KEPT ME WARM on cold runs. I was running in

Boston when I was going through the menopause, and the hot flushes were great because the temperature was -11°C. I’ll run in snow, sleet, rain. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was terrified. I went for a run, and it was sleeting, and I remember holding my head up, letting it sting my face, thinking, ‘I may never feel this again.’ I’d never felt so alive. Before, I would have gone back to the car, but since then, I’ve run in all weather. It’s life. It’s Mother Nature.