YourActiveNutritionist

My first blog post of 2026 — and what better way to start the year than with something fun, inspiring, and movement-filled?

On January 31st–February 1st, I headed to the 8th National Running Show at the NEC in Birmingham, and this marked my second year attending. Safe to say: it’s officially becoming a tradition.

If you’ve never been, the Running Show is a brilliant mix of:

• discounted running gear
• discovering new brands
• meeting fellow runners
• chatting with physiotherapists
• free massages (a runner’s dream!)
• testing recovery tools (because yes… we’re often injured)
• listening to expert talks
• and best of all — meeting inspirational, world-record-breaking elite athletes

Sadly, I did miss the after-event Rave Run with @fordy_run, @sportsshoes, and @asicsrunning on Instagram — totally gutted about that one!

The Journey There (and Those Extra Steps)

Travel from London was a little tricky thanks to engineering works (déjà vu from last year — Clapham this time!). So instead, we opted for the electric car.

We set off at 7am and arrived around 11am — including parkrun and parking in the electric bay (which also happens to be the furthest possible car park from the venue!). All in all, not too bad.

According to my friend’s Strava (she logs everything), we clocked about 3 miles of walking just between the car park and wandering around the venue on Saturday.

Food can sometimes be a challenge — especially when you’re trying to eat well and one of you is veggie. In the end, she went for a sandwich and I chose a bean wrap. Slightly cold… but it hit the spot. After a very food-focused Christmas, we were both trying to rein things in a little (even though I’m never fully opposed to the occasional fries or burger!).

What Did I Learn as a Runner?

Quite a lot, actually:

• Running up a travelator is surprisingly difficult.
• Foot mobility is very much a thing — and something I should be working on.
• Runners love confessing their “running sins”… but are less keen on changing their habits.
• Multi-race challenges are hugely popular.

One that really caught my attention was the Altra 13 Valleys Ultra in the Lake District. With options ranging from 22km to a whopping 180km (and the chance to combine races over the weekend), it drew plenty of interest. Fellow runners warned us it’s a tough course — but it’s now firmly on my radar. https://www.13valleysultra.com/

I also added a new marathon to my bucket list: Athens. A challenging, hilly, and wonderfully authentic route that commemorates the origins of marathon running — tracing back to 490BC when the messenger Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to announce victory (we’ll quietly gloss over the part where he died at the end!).

What Did I Learn as a Nutritionist?

Ultra-running confirmed something important:

Calories are king.

Freddos, pizza, sandwiches, bananas — whatever you can tolerate while moving, eat it. During ultra events, the goal is simply to maintain energy and keep going.

The healthy, balanced diet comes in between races.

And What About Training?

A few consistent themes came up from the experts and elite athletes:

• Consistency and persistence in appropriate training matter most.
• Don’t skip stretching, strengthening, and cross-training — they massively improve performance.
• Practice in race conditions and terrain whenever possible.
• Reccie your course if you can.
• Do your hill workouts (of varying intensities).
• Keep those very easy, long slow runs.
• Nose breathing for VO₂ max.
• Prioritise recovery — especially as we age.

But ultimately?

If you could choose your parents, that might be the biggest performance upgrade of all.

Genetics plays a huge role — whether it’s Dean Karnazes’ ability to clear lactate efficiently or Paula Radcliffe’s extraordinary VO₂max. A real game changer!

Could Anything Be Improved?

A few small things:

• The ladies’ toilets were busy. There are plenty across the NEC, but clearer signage might help ease queues.
• I’d love to see more veggie and vegan food options — surely we could invite some great plant-based vendors next time?
• And I can’t help thinking Zwift might be missing a trick here. Cross-training for injured runners feels like a huge opportunity!

Will I Be Going Again?

Absolutely.

It’s already in the calendar — and in my world, that’s as definite as things get.

I love the Running Show. The talks are delivered by an amazing mix of experts, and everyone is so approachable and happy to chat. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn, connect, and feel inspired.

But next year… I will remember the after-show run!

Save the date: 30th–31st January 2027

If you’re a runner (or thinking about becoming one), I’d highly recommend putting it in your diary too.

Here’s to a movement-filled 2026 — and thanks for joining me for my very first blog post.

https://nationalrunningshow.com/