Allie cares about the people she runs with.  She wanted me to love running, and I do - she gave me an amazing gift.

I decided to run my first marathon and spoke to Allie about it, as she has run quite a lot of them!  She gave me some really solid and practical advice about my training and nutrition.  Which was useful.  What was way more than useful was when I had some setbacks.  I managed to get an injury and she was amazing.  She got me to the start line, taught me that my training didn't have to be perfect, that I could still do the distance based on what I had already done and my determination.  And then she got me to the finish line.  Allie ran my first marathon with me.  The whole way.  I'm a lot slower than she is, but she never once zoomed off into the distance, never once made me feel bad for slowing her down.  We chatted a lot, about all kinds of things and I kept my head up.  My first marathon was lovely.  I really enjoyed it.  It wasn't the slog and painfest I had expected.  Allie helped me appreciate and value the whole experience.  I can't imagine a better person to have with you on a journey like this.  Allie knows her stuff and she cares about the people she runs with.  She wanted me to love running, and I do - she gave me an amazing gift. SC

I used to hate life. Now I absolutely love running and it's down to you.

Before I found your FB page, I'd maybe done a few 10ks/half marathons but never felt I was good enough, life was a struggle for one reason or another and I hated myself! I was trying to control life in any way that I could, then I found your page and everything changed. You had the strength to keep going! So I thought I'd give the further distances a go and the Ox 50 was the start of it! More recently I completed the 12 hour Cider Frolic as my last long run before the Ridgeway 86 in August this year! I used to hate life. Now I absolutely love running and it's down to you. Your positivity and can do attitude is truly inspirational and, on a shit day, that's what I hang onto! I don't belong to a running club (still fight demons of doubt when running with others) but somehow find myself on the start line of races. So a massive thank you to you. EA

Somehow, she seems to tap into each and every one of us, reach deep, deep down into our souls and find our fears, our troubles and our darkest demons. 

It’s hard to put into words what Allie does, or how she does it. Somehow, she seems to tap into each and every one of us, reach deep, deep down into our souls and find our fears, our troubles and our darkest demons. 
She then takes them as her own, squares up to them, says ‘fuck it!’ and tackles them head-on, in a down-to-earth, gloves-off way that the rest of us can only aspire to.  The way she’s dealt with life-changing issues and made fundamental changes in her own life, always with so much humility and complete authenticity speaks to people and encourages them to stand up and do what they need to do to live their best life. 

Couple all of that with a unique and witty sense of humour, which seems to improve the further she gets into an ultra (or is that just the sadistic ultra-runner in me perceiving it that way?!), and it’s no wonder people find Allie’s adventures and her accounts of everything from her doggo walks to Bucket List firsts so encapsulating and inspiring. She’s ok 👊🏻 PF

You have taught me to ignore the parts of the running universe that inadvertently deter me from something I actually truly enjoy.

I'm not competitive, which is just as well because let's face it, I possess neither the genetics nor inclination to train to be a winner. But because of this, in the past, I have struggled to see the point running. It can be bloody hard. My times would fluctuate due to my fluctuating attitude which, in turn, would make me question why I bothered. Running clubs, elitism, striving, training, goals and ambition: I recognise are all perfectly valuable to the right-minded person, but when you're invested in these it's easy to feel like a failure and give up. You have taught me to ignore the parts of the running universe that inadvertently deter me from something I actually truly enjoy. When I strip away the competition (with other people, and myself), do what I want to do, where I want to do it, on the days that I want to do it (fuck the rain) at the pace I feel comfortable with, it’s bloody lush. You've taught me that, and ironically it's probably made me a "better runner". So cheers for the empowerment, and for teaching me that tasty snacks of my choosing are significantly more mentally nutritious than rabbit foods! #squares ES

Without wishing to blow smoke up your arse, you have made it seem doable

I have never heard anyone talk so honestly about how shit it sometimes (often) feels mid run. I thought it was just me. I am a slow plodder and will never run a sub 4 hour marathon (having just about scraped a sub 5), but the way you talk about running and mental health, and struggling and achieving and swearing has inspired me to give it a go. What's the worst that could happen? DNF. Fuck it. So I did, and thanks to you and the running community I've realised ultra-distances are really quite delightful, no gels and throwing cups at volunteers, more cheese sandwiches and beer.  Without wishing to blow smoke up your arse, you have made it seem doable, despite sometimes hating every step.  I'm up to 100km now (very slowly) and have set my sights on doing a 100 miler, maybe in my 50th year, maybe sooner. Thanks for making it seem possible despite the demons. DH

[Your blOg] gave us both the hope that it was possible and the realization that it could be possible for us mere mortals. 

We have never met or spoken, but reading your blog on the Rat Race Panama event was most definitely inspirational.  Your writing was the final seal on us signing up for the event - it gave us both the hope that it was possible and the realization that it could be possible for us mere mortals.  I love the honesty, the realism, the highs and the lows, the enjoyment and the pain - but you don't preach, you don’t claim to know all the tricks, you just describe the experience in a great way.  Since reading that blog a few months ago, I have been keeping up with your blog, FB etc.  Your writing is both inspirational and enjoyable. My wife and I have signed up for Panama having never done anything quite like this before - a few marathons each, a Kilimanjaro climb for our honeymoon, travelled round the world for a year in our late twenties on $20 a day, moved us and the kids (when they were 2&4) to Ohio 4 years ago having lived in England all our lives and a few other things - but NEVER a multi  stage event through the Jungle! JS

I'm inspired by how much mental strength you seem to have to get through the journeys you make.

I love how open and honest you are with how things are going in your running. I've been running seriously since 2014 and I for one know it's not all arms in the air crossing finish lines with a big beaming smile on your face as a lot of other Instagram accounts would have you believe. You post very honestly - even about the runs that don't go so well. It helps me get through the days when things don't go so well for me. I was mortified when the dogs ate your hat! I'm also inspired by how much mental strength you seem to have to get through the journeys you make. Physical pain I can tolerate, but I was coming to the end of only a 15-mile run last week and was hit with an overwhelming sense of loneliness which I wasn't expecting - that was after only 15 miles! One thing you did that springs to mind is earlier in the year when you ran the full London marathon backwards in time to start it again forwards! Gearing your mind towards thinking of that as one continuous distance as opposed to going "back on yourself", only to run the same distance again must have been tough, but you did it. I like to think that with enough hard work and exposure to such conditions I can do it too! I will get to "ultra-level" one day, and when I see you on Instagram of a morning (usually at the top of my feed!) and the amazing things you achieve it really pushes me towards believing that. SR

Her help to prepare me with the right kit and mental attitude had a significant impact on my successful completion of the race.

I was looking for an adventure, a race, something to push myself outside my comfort zone. To be honest I was looking at trail half marathons, until I stumbled across a Facebook post by Allie sharing her experience of being a test pilot for the Mongol 100 and encouraging females to enter the inaugural race. I sent Allie a DM, just to find out more, not expecting a reply, but she responded quickly and within 2 weeks we had chatted on the phone and met in a pub to talk about the challenge.  Having not raced further than a 5km Parkrun in recent times, largely due to a combination of work and 3 young children, I found myself on the phone trying to persuade the race organiser that I could complete a 4 day, 100 mile race cross a frozen lake in outer Mongolia with temperatures down to -40. Throughout my training, Allie was on the end of a text or call to talk about kit, nutrition and generally believing that I could achieve the challenge.  Allie had 100% faith in me despite only having met me twice, she was thoroughly down to earth (which is amazing even her epic achievements in the ultra-running world) and endlessly positive. The 2 things that I remember most from our first chat over a pint were “I was so cold I thought I was going to die one night” and “it was a life changing experience”. Those 2 statements sold the race to me, but her help to prepare me with the right kit and mental attitude had a significant impact on my successful completion of the race. Thanks Allie: knowledgeable supportive and hugely positive! RF

I really, really love hearing your stories and getting emails like the ones above because it makes me feel all warm on the insides. They also REALLY help inspire and motivate others, so keep them coming! You can send them over to me here or by hitting the letter below!