In this episode of the ZenRUN Podcast, I chat with the wonderfully energetic, endlessly entertaining and slightly foot-obsessed Kat Booth. If you have been anywhere near the Delirious W.E.S.T. events, you may already know Kat as the nurse who appears when your feet have stopped resembling feet. She is the calm, capable and very funny person runners trust with their blisters, wounds, mysterious swelling, chafing, exhaustion, hallucinations and occasionally very questionable toes. But there is so much more to Kat than feet. Kat grew up in Western Australia and loved running and cross-country from an early age. Sprinting was never her thing, but give her about a kilometre to warm up and she was ready to keep going. Her nursing career began with a slightly rocky start when she failed her first haematology exam and was promptly removed from nursing school. Rather than giving up, Kat went away, worked in aged care, reapplied the following year and returned determined to prove she belonged there. She worked her backside off, passed the same subject with an excellent result and went on to build a fascinating career across orthopaedics, plastics, skin grafting, wound care, education and health program management. Along the way, Kat also somehow found herself running errands through Airtasker, chasing an escaped chicken down the street, delivering hundreds of plants, building furniture, creating grazing boards inspired by trails, finding a stranger’s passport hidden inside socks and helping her mum darn a collection of expensive flamingo socks for a very grateful burly bloke. As you do. Behind Kat’s humour and huge personality is also an extraordinary story of survival. After experiencing serious violence in a relationship, Kat was left with an acquired traumatic brain injury. She had to relearn how to walk, write, speak and navigate everyday life. There is a period of around two years that she still cannot remember. Her recovery involved jumbo pencils, repeating the same songs until she could find words again, artwork, ballroom dancing, handstands, walking enormous distances and slowly learning to trust her body and brain. Running became an important part of that recovery. After experiencing panic attacks and feeling afraid to return to the community, Kat began attending parkrun and later volunteered at a Light Horse event. There, she discovered Ultra Series, trail running and a community where she felt safe. Naturally, after a major brain injury and problems with balance, Kat decided that running over rocks in the dark with a head torch sounded like an excellent idea. And remarkably, it helped. Trail running improved her balance, strength and confidence. It also reduced her parkrun time from around 33 minutes to approximately 27:30. Kat eventually stepped onto the other side of the event herself at Light Horse, where she completed an incredible 62.7 kilometres without a watch, a distance goal or even a blister. Unfortunately, a serious sesamoid injury and the return of foot-drop symptoms have now brought Kat’s running to an unexpected end. She speaks honestly about the sadness of losing something that helped her so deeply, while also finding new ways to remain part of the trails she loves. Kat is now preparing to walk the 21-kilometre event at Tarawera with friends and is determined to keep moving, exploring and contributing to the running community. We also talk about Kat’s incredible travels, including Oktoberfest, living in Whistler, meeting Kevin Costner, surfing in Bali, eating twice-daily gelato in Florence and being stalked by a cougar during her very first multi-day hike on Canada’s West Coast Trail. And, of course, we hear some classic stories from her time as a Delirious medic, including sleep-deprived hallucinations, seriously battered feet and the memorable day a nearly 70-year-old runner tried caffeine for the first time during a 200-mile race. This episode is funny, honest, moving and full of reminders that life does not always go to plan, but it can still be fascinating, adventurous and full of beautiful moments. Kat's Tips for Runners Kat encourages runners to occasionally leave the watch, pace goals and headphones behind. Take your phone for safety, but allow yourself to run without worrying about distance, speed or what the session is supposed to achieve. Listen to the birds, notice the trail and allow your body to tell you what it needs that day. It does not have to be part of a training plan. Sometimes, the best run is simply the one where you head outside, explore and have fun. Kat also reminds us to appreciate the small moments. A city view from the trail, adding a rock to a cairn, leaving a tiny surprise for another runner or even successfully cooking the perfect soft-boiled egg can all become moments worth celebrating. And if you are running a very long event, look after your feet early. Do not wait until the blister, rubbing or swelling becomes a major problem before asking for help. Pass the Baton Kat answers Sally Pymer’s question: What makes you smile the most on your runs? Her answer includes birds, beautiful city views, rock piles and tiny fruit characters secretly left beside the trail to make other people smile. Kat also leaves a very fitting question for the next ZenRUN Podcast guest. You will need to listen to the episode to hear what it is. This is a conversation about running, recovery, adventure, community, brains, feet, flamingo socks and making the most of your 4,000 weeks. Enjoy! 💛 Want to feel like a runner again? If this conversation resonated, Feel Like a Runner Again is a simple, practical program designed to help you rediscover the joy of running. You'll learn how to quiet the mental noise, let go of the pressure, and make running feel like your escape again, not another thing on your to-do list. 👉 https://www.zenrun.app/courses/feel-like-a-runner-again 🙏 A couple of big favours If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the podcast. It helps more runners discover these conversations. I'm always looking for runners to interview. If you (or someone you know) has a running story to share, I'd love to hear from you. Find me on Facebook or Instagram @ZenRUN.club or email hello@zenrun.club 🎧 Don't miss an episode Subscribe to the ZenRUN Podcast in your favourite podcast app so new conversations land straight in your ears.
