EBR Women

Clare

EBR Women is a podcast from Endurance Bike & Run exploring the relationship between endurance sport, wellbeing and the wider journey of life. Hosted by coach Clare Pearson, the podcast shares conversations with women from across the endurance community. From scholarship athletes to experienced competitors, each episode explores the realities of training, resilience, recovery and personal growth through sport. Endurance sport is rarely just about physiology. It is about how we manage effort, balance stress and recovery, and navigate the challenges that appear both in training and in life. Through thoughtful conversations and real experiences, EBR Women looks at how endurance sport can shape not only performance but also wellbeing and self-understanding.

Episodes

  1. Jul 20 ·  Video

    Alli Holland - Still winning at 52: knee replacements, ultra cycling and staying active for life

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Clare talks with Alli Holland, ultra cyclist, former road racer, adventure racer, nurse, and long-time Endurance Bike & Run athlete. Since recording, Alli has finished first female in the Pan Celtic Short Race, adding another remarkable result to a cycling story that already includes winning the Pan Celtic long race, returning from two knee replacements, and continuing to compete at a high level in her 50s. Alli talks about finding cycling as a teenager, moving into running, adventure racing and road racing, then later discovering ultra-distance bikepacking. She also speaks openly about low energy availability, stress fractures, bone density, recovery, fuelling, strength training, and what it takes to stay active for life. Clare and Alli discuss: using the bike for freedom, adventure and escapemoving from road racing back into outdoor endurance eventsthe culture of weight, leanness and under-fuelling in endurance sportrecovering from low energy availability and rebuilding healthcoming back from two knee replacementswhy strength training matters, especially as we get olderthe appeal of ultra cycling and bikepackingcompetitiveness, curiosity and “making a nuisance” of yourselfconsistency, movement and staying active for the long termThis is a conversation about performance, health, ageing, resilience and the joy of still being able to ask: “I wonder if I can do that?” You can find out more about Endurance Bike & Run coaching and clubs here: https://endurancebikeandrun.com/ You can sign up for our Friday Focus newsletter here: https://endurancebikeandrun.com/friday-focus-insights Thanks for listening.

  2. Jul 8 ·  Video

    Karen Ekman - Racing Without Losing Yourself

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of EBR Women, Clare Pearson talks with Karen Ekman after her outstanding ride at the Trans Balkan Race. Karen is from Finland, and has spent many years living in Norway and Austria. Her route into adventure cycling has been long and winding: team sports, snowboarding, freeride competition, mountain biking, gravel riding, bikepacking, and now ultra-distance racing. Clare and Karen talk about her transition from long solo bikepacking journeys to ultra racing, including a 2,500km ride through Norway and Finland, and a four-month, 7,000km solo trip from Athens to Porto. Karen reflects on what she learned from freeride snowboarding, why she once stepped away from competition, and how ultra cycling has helped her rebuild a healthier relationship with racing. She talks openly about self-worth, pressure, curiosity, uncertainty, and learning to compete without losing sight of herself. The conversation also explores the Trans Balkan Race: the surprise of finding herself at the front, the mental effect of being described as “chasing”, the importance of food, sleep and self-care, and why taking care of yourself can be the fastest way forward in a multi-day race. This is a thoughtful conversation about bikepacking, racing, trust, uncertainty, mindset, and listening to the curious voice that asks what else might be possible. You can follow Karen on social media and also learn about her work as a cycling guide via the link: https://www.instagram.com/karenemiliae?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

  3. May 6 ·  Video

    Dilara Tuna - Running Towards Adventure

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of EBR Women, Clare Pearson talks with ultra cyclist, trail runner and EBR Scholar Dilara Tuna. Originally from Germany and now based in Brussels, Dilara’s route into endurance sport has been anything but conventional. Before long-distance cycling and ultrarunning, there was a childhood shaped by horse riding, responsibility, bad weather, and learning to keep going because the job still had to be done. That attitude now carries into bikepacking races, mountain trails and long unsupported adventures. Dilara has recently finished first female at ACT3 in Belgium and is preparing for the Trans Balkan Race, a demanding off-road bikepacking race across the Balkans. Last year she was also the second female finisher and 8th overall at GranGuanche. But this conversation is not about results. Clare and Dilara talk about curiosity, confidence, learning through experience, the cost and complexity of endurance sport, and what it means to stop keeping yourself small. Dilara reflects on why she is drawn to new places and unfamiliar routes, how she approaches big challenges without over-controlling every detail, and why structured support through the EBR Scholarship felt like the right next step. It is a thoughtful conversation about adventure, self-belief, and the quiet work of becoming a more capable athlete. Listen if you are interested in: ultra cycling, trail running, bikepacking, women in endurance sport, confidence, coaching, and long-distance adventure.

About

EBR Women is a podcast from Endurance Bike & Run exploring the relationship between endurance sport, wellbeing and the wider journey of life. Hosted by coach Clare Pearson, the podcast shares conversations with women from across the endurance community. From scholarship athletes to experienced competitors, each episode explores the realities of training, resilience, recovery and personal growth through sport. Endurance sport is rarely just about physiology. It is about how we manage effort, balance stress and recovery, and navigate the challenges that appear both in training and in life. Through thoughtful conversations and real experiences, EBR Women looks at how endurance sport can shape not only performance but also wellbeing and self-understanding.