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Ruth Ashton | Run & Strength Coach for Mums

@rapt.runs

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Want to run a half but too busy, too unfit, no idea where to start?
I get mums from zero to 13.1 on 2–3 runs a week
Mum+Marathoner

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There is a lot of advice handed to postpartum women. Some of it is well-meaning. Some of it is genuinely harmful. Here are 5 things I would never say:

1. “You can start running again at 6 weeks.”
Six weeks is a general medical clearance. It is not a green light for high-impact exercise. Your pelvic floor, your core, and your connective tissue need more time than that. Starting too soon sets you back further.

2. “Just do kegels.”
Some women have a pelvic floor that is too tight, not too weak. Doing more kegels in that case makes things worse. You need a proper assessment before you assume what the problem is.

3. “Listen to your body.”
I know this sounds like good advice. But postpartum women are exhausted, sleep-deprived, and often completely disconnected from what their body is telling them. You need guidance, not just permission.

4. “You’ll bounce back.”
You are not bouncing back. You are moving forward. Into a body that has done something extraordinary. The goal is not to go back. The goal is to build something better.

5. “You just need to want it enough.”
Motivation is not the problem. Time, support, information, and a plan that actually fits your life — that is what is missing. Wanting it is never the issue.

You deserve better advice than this. That is why I am here.

#postpartumrunning #postpartumfitness #runcoach #motherrunner #pelvicfloor

Follow for the honest version of returning to running after kids. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @rapt.runs

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5 months ago

You’re smashing it at work. Your kids aren’t totally feral. You probably still have time to make a cake for the school fete. You remember your best mate’s kid’s birthday. You make big decisions all day that other people depend on.

And somehow, getting back to running4 the thing that finally got work out of your head, that let you channel your competitiveness into something other than your next promotion…feels completely out of reach now kids are in the equation.

Not because you’re not capable. You’re a type-A woman. Everyone knows it. You know it. Getting shit done is basically your personality.

The problem is the plans aren’t designed for you.

Generic training plans weren’t built for someone whose day is mapped to the minute around train times, client meetings and making it to pickup without a fine. “

“Just start slow” doesn’t account for the 2:05 half you ran before kids that you’d secretly love to beat.

And it’s hard to trust the process when you’ve missed another week because your kid is sick again.

And if you’re honest, you don’t have the mental capacity to design something yourself right now either. That’s not weakness. That’s just life being fill.

You need something that actually fits your life. Not a version of your life that doesn’t exist.

Here’s what working with me looks like.
A training plan built around your actual week, not a random template with your name on it.

Real-time adjustments when life goes sideways, because it will.

Someone who understands postpartum physiology, not just running.

Check-ins that keep you accountable without adding to your mental load, because you’ve already got enough to think about.

My clients are women who are serious about getting back to running and done with figuring it out alone. They run their first postpartum 5K and immediately want more. They sign up for the 10K, the half, maybe even the marathon. And they decide that despite the million things on their list, the time is right now.

I take a small number of 1:1 clients at a time. If you’ve been reading this thinking finally, someone gets it, that’s your sign.

DM me READY and I’ll send you the details. taken in Toronto, Ontario by @rapt.runs

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5 months ago

1. Set the MVP. Your minimum viable run. If your plan says four, can you make one, or even two? That's enough to keep the habit alive.
2. Go shorter. If you've got a sprint session that's meant to be 45 minutes, drop a couple of sets and call it 25 or 30. Time saved. Still a run.
3. Top or tail your day with a run. I've been working from home this week, so I've been faking a run commute, and I think there's a lot to be said for splitting up your work day and just getting a breather. Doing pick-up? Run there.
4. Stop telling yourself you've failed. You haven't. Life's just bloody busy when you're a working mum with run goals on top.
5. When you do manage to run, enjoy it. Celebrate it. It's a really positive thing, and you made it happen in a week that gave you every reason not to.

Save this for your next savage week.

How many of the runs on your plan actually happened this week?

#runningmum #mumswhorun #runcoach #mumrunner #halfmarathontraining taken in London, United Kingdom by @rapt.runs

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10 days ago

1. Tattoos of their PB. You’ve probably told anyone who will listen anyway, so there’s no point having it on your body.
2. Nose tape. There’s probably a logic but I’m not here for it.
3. Talking about how high mileage is the only way to get a decent time. Not everyone has time for 80km weeks (me included).
4. Wearing the race t-shirt to the race. You haven’t earned it yet. Wear it tomorrow like the rest of us.
5. Pausing their Garmin at every traffic light. Your average pace isn’t that fragile. (Okay, fine, I do this. No judgement.)

What’s yours? Drop it below 👇

Follow @rapt.runs for running advice that fits around real life.

#halfmarathon2027 #halfmarathontraining #firsthalfmarathon #runningmum #ukrunning taken in London, United Kingdom by @rapt.runs

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19 days ago

If you want a 2-hour half in 2027, this is the session that builds your speed. And the best bit is that it's short enough to fit in a lunch hour.

So what's it actually doing? It helps to build the pace you can comfortably hold before your legs start whinging like your five year old on a hill. And by building up your ability to run a faster pace, your slower long run pace is going to feel easier (so much easier that you might try - and succeed - in running it quicker). And then suddenly a half marathon pace that is going to hit your goal time feels less like a pipe dream…

So if 2 hours is your goal, start here: 3 x 5 minutes at around 5:30 a kilometre with 2 minutes easy between, and build to 20 minutes in one go over the block. Comfortably hard, not flat out. You should be able to get a sentence out.

And if 5:30 feels like a fantasy right now, don't stress it.Start at a pace that feels comfortably hard to YOU, track it and then start shifting it faster when it starts to feel easier (or ping me and we can have a chat)..

Follow along for Part 3, the long run, on Friday. And if you want a coach to set your paces for a spring half, I'm taking on new clients. Comment SPOTS and I'll send you the details.

#halfmarathontraining #tempo #sub2halfmarathon #mumrunner #runfaster by @rapt.runs

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18 days ago

When you’re getting back to running, I promise you that you don't need five runs a week to get faster. You JUST need two good ones: one quick, one long. Everything else is a win.
This is part 1 of 3. Follow along for more on the quick run on Wednesday and the long run on Friday. And if you want a half marathon plan built around your life, I'm taking on new clients for spring. Comment SPOTS and I'll send you the details.
How many runs are you fitting in each week right now?
#halfmarathontraining #mumrunner #runfaster #runningmum #runcoach by @rapt.runs

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21 days ago

1. Get to bed early. And not just Saturday night, because that one’s often rubbish with nerves. Friday night is the one that counts.
2. Cut back on fat, fibre and fruit. You want your gut calm and light on race morning, not busy.
3. Up your carbs. Simple ones. White rice, potatoes, bagels, pasta. This isn’t the week for a big salad.
4. Do a shakeout run on Saturday. 15–20 minutes easy with a few strides. It wakes your legs up so they don’t feel flat on the day.
5. Get your head in the game. You’ve done the training. Pick your pace, trust it, and stick to it for the first 5k even when everyone flies past you.

Oh and keep sipping water through the week. Little and often, not chugging litres the night before.

Who’s racing this weekend? Tell me what you’re running and I’ll cheer you on.

#halfmarathon #halfmarathontraining #racedayprep #runningmum #mumswhorun by @rapt.runs

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24 days ago

If you're in half marathon training, you know this one. You've got a race time in your head, you check your running pace every 30 seconds, and a few seconds either way can make or break your week. Me included, and I'm a run coach.

Here's what I've learned about how to run faster without letting the numbers run you. Set the time and chase it properly. A clear goal gets more out of you than "just do your best". But judge the day too: the sleep you had, the week you had, and whether you gave what you had in you.

That's a good run. Even at 6:14.

Send this to the mum runner who checks her watch every 30 seconds, and save it for race week.

Follow along for more tips on getting faster as a mum runner, without making it your whole life.

#halfmarathontraining #mumrunner #runningmum #runcoach #runfaster by @rapt.runs

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25 days ago

Not usually a half marathon gal, but @runshoreditch was a good one.

Tough after a week of a nursery bug, and even on Saturday I wasn’t sure I’d even make the start line. Got round in 1:33 - which feels like a miracle given I had to nap on Saturday - and then straight back to the job of mumming - which was pretty special this weekend as my baby turned 2!

Racing doesn’t stop the mum bit, it just slots in.

Follow along for more on running, racing, and actually making it fit around the kids. taken in London, United Kingdom by @rapt.runs

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a month ago

There’s always a reason not to sign up. You’re a busy working mum, the idea of a comeback half sounds amazing, and you know plenty of women like you somehow make it work — but “somehow” never quite becomes “this week.”

So here’s what I’d actually start with:

1. Just running. No plan yet — just getting my legs and my head used to it again.
2. Strength training twice a week. So my body can actually take the mileage when it counts.
3. Getting that niggle looked at. See a physio now, while it’s a small fix, not a six-week setback.
4. Booking the race. Terrifying. Also the only thing that makes it real.
5. Putting it in the family diary. Not just your calendar — everyone else’s too, so it’s not a secret you’re quietly trying to keep.

None of it waits for calm. It just needs you to stop waiting for permission.

👉 Follow for more tips from a run mum and coach. taken in London, United Kingdom by @rapt.runs

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a month ago

Most of my clients are busy mums. And if you’re a busy mum, you’re knackered about 75% of the time.

Which makes motivating yourself to run feel impossible. Especially when life is busy and the sofa is right there.

Here’s what actually helps:

1. Kit out the night before. Or first thing in the morning if you’re working out later. Just put it on. Don’t think about it.
2. Have a snack ready before you go. Banana on the counter. Coffee on a timer. Remove every excuse before it shows up.
3. Know your reward. A good breakfast. A nice coffee. Something that makes the after feel worth the before.
4. Write down how you felt after your last run. Read it back when you can’t face this one.
5. And the most important one — remind yourself that the version of you that went always feels better than the version that didn’t. Always.

You don’t need a perfect week. You need one run today.

Comment RUN if you’re trying to get back to it and I’ll send you my free return to run tool. 👇

#runningmum #runningmotivation #mumswhorun #returntorun #runcoach taken in London, United Kingdom by @rapt.runs

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2 months ago

I’m a run coach. I coach mums to run half marathons. I talk about consistency and structure and showing up even when life gets in the way.

And I have stopped on a long run for every single one of these reasons.

1. I was stopping in between sprint intervals
2. I fell over, twisted my ankle and got covered in mud
3. I got completely lost and had to check the map
4. I got stuck at a three-way traffic light.
5. I felt really emotional and couldn’t push through it
6. I got a call from my son’s new nursery about settling in
7. I dropped my AirPod case and had to try find it
8. I got a message from a client worrying about their run and wanted to respond straight up
9. I got a call from my husband that we’d run out of milk (and I needed to get some)
10. I wanted to stop and enjoy the view. So I did.

Running as a mum is never going to be perfect. The plan will go wrong. The run will get cut short. And sometimes you’ll want to just cut it short because today isn’t the day.

If you’re trying to get back to running after having a baby, comment RUN below and I’ll send you my free return to run tool. Because getting the foundation right matters more than the perfect run. 👇

#runningmum #mumswhorun #longrun #returntorun #runcoach by @rapt.runs

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2 months ago