Jenni Falconer In Workout Gear Tells London Marathon Runners “Good Luck!”

Radio and TV presenter Jenni Falconer is gearing up for the London Marathon, and sharing worlds of encouragement for her fellow runners. Falconer, 48, posted a picture of herself wearing black running gear, smiling for her selfie. “I bloomin’ love running. 💙 It can be hard, it can be challenging, I’m certainly not going to breeze round the London Marathon course next weekend but I do know that at the end, I will feel an overwhelming sense of pride and achievement. If you are running any race, whether Manchester tomorrow, London next week or another, remember the fact that doing it is enough. Good luck. If you’re running London on April 21st, I’ll see you on the course! Happy running,” she captioned the inspiring post. Here’s what Falconer’s diet, exercise, and training looks like.

1. Light Breakfast

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Falconer prefers a light breakfast during the week. “Getting up so early for work means I’m not usually very hungry so I don't have a large breakfast,” she told Top Santé. “I may only have a banana and toasted bagel, then perhaps a protein shake after a run, followed by eggs or a chicken salad for lunch. If I am out and about, it can be quite difficult to sit down to eat during the day, but I try to always make sure we have plenty of protein-rich meals at home as I feel that it is good for recovery. I do love carbs, though – I adore bread but try not to buy it too much.”

2. Runner’s High

Falconer swears by both the mental and physical benefits of running. Running has always enhanced my mood and lifted my energy levels,” she told Top Santé. “Getting up at the crack of dawn can be tough but I am a morning person so I quickly feel awake. Then, I love to run early. I am on the radio every morning hosting the Smooth Radio breakfast show, so once I finish work, I run my commute home to southwest London. It really energizes me and I love that part of my morning. In fact, I just love the feeling I get after a run. For me, the runner’s high is the closest you’ll get to feeling like a superhero. You feel invincible, like nothing can take the shine away from your happy mood.”

3. Weight Training

Falconer added weight training to her fitness regimen. “I'm in my mid-forties and with that, things change in your body as a female,” she told Runner’s World. “I’ve been told the ideal thing to do is lift heavy weights – so I’ve started working with a trainer twice a week, focusing on running moves with heavy weights, such as lunges, squats and deadlifts. It’s really benefiting me.”

4. She Plays Golf

Falconer loves to play golf with her parents. “Three years ago, I developed a new sporting passion for golf and am now obsessed!” she told Top Santé. “I come from a family of golfers, so I now get to spend time with my parents doing something they love. Golf is such a great way to keep fit as you can get in so many steps going around the course. It’s also led to me having a new social group of friends, too. I don’t find it too difficult to keep fit in my 40s. I actually feel so much stronger and confident in my body at this age. I also know where I am in terms of work and family life, so keeping up with exercise is vital for my well being, too.”

5. Friendly Runner

Falconer loves running with similar-minded people, especially along the coast. “Every time I run I have a big cheesy grin on my face,” she told Runner’s World. “If you see me out running, please smile back because I smile at everyone, but no one else smiles! My favorite place to run is the south of Spain – there’s a stretch near Marbella that goes on for 10 miles along the coast. If you go out in the morning, you see the sunrise, and in the evening, you see the sunset – there are loads of people out there running and walking.”

Elite long distance runner Kara Goucher may not be competing in the Olympics, but she’s still training as if she is. Goucher, 45, shared a picture of herself wearing shorts and a blue sports bra, smiling her way through an intense workout. “Y’ALL- I am having a case of the Mondays!! One bright light today- got to workout with @kinesisintegrated. Had to switch gears with my sore knee but still got some work in- and thankfully some laughs. Good grief- I need more laughs!!! Hang in there people! ❤️” she captioned the post. Here’s how Goucher is living her best life in her 40s.

1. Happy Place

Goucher is still passionate about running, even after being diagnosed with dystonia. “It’s still my happy place, meditation; I feel so happy in movement,” she told The Washington Post. “I have this rare neurological movement disorder, so I can’t run as much as I want. But I am in a pretty good place right now where I’m running most days. And I still love running so much. Some people would call it an obsession. But truly, it’s not a chore for me.”

2. Eggs and Avocado

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Goucher loves eggs, any style. "My stomach isn't usually ready for hardcore food right after a workout, which is why protein shakes are good for me," she told Well+Good. "But after 30 minutes or an hour, my stomach starts waking up and is ready to eat—and that's when I go to brunch. I love eggs and avocado, plus some toast and potatoes on the side. And I'm not discriminatory about my eggs—I'll take a good omelet, I'll eat them over veggies, or I'll have them scrambled."

3. Running Coach

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Goucher has good advice for anyone looking for a running coach. “It’s just someone who’s invested with you, respects you, understands you as an athlete, understands what motivates you,” she told The Washington Post. “Some people need that challenge of, “So and so is going to beat you." And some people need, “You just need to be focused on yourself.” A coach that is flexible between athletes doesn’t necessarily treat each athlete the same way. If you have a bad day, everybody should be taking ownership, not just you.”

4. Stretching and Foam Rolling

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Goucher uses a foam roller before bed. "My routine is all dynamic stretching," she told Well+Good. "I do lots of leg swings, walking and pulling my knees into my chest, or pulling my foot up to my butt, and I finish with some balance work to remind my tired body what it needs to remember as it gets fatigued at the end of a workout or race."

5. Take Your Time

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Goucher wants women to take their time bouncing back from pregnancy and giving birth. “I would certainly tell women coming back from pregnancy that there is no timeline and that you should not feel pressured to return to any sort of space,” she told The Washington Post. “I like to say like, yeah, I ran [a 2 hour 24 minute marathon] less than seven months after I gave birth to my son, but then I spent the next rest of my career really being injured, healthy, injured, healthy. Faith Kipyegon, [the Kenyan middle distance runner] took a year before she started training. And she’s a world champion and the Olympic champion. So I would say really take your time and don’t feel like there’s this timeline that has to be met.”

Track and field star Parker Valby got through the Olympic trials and is thrilled to be heading to Paris to compete in the women’s 10,000 meters race. Valby, 21, shared pictures of the experience, including one of her wearing shorts and a blue Nike cropped jacket, blowing a kiss. “Can’t spell Paris without Parker🤌🏼🕺🏼💅🏼 (ok maybe you can without the k e r). Anyhoots it’s officially official I’m an Olympian😮 this past week has been quiteee a journey full of some of my highest highs and lowest lows.” Here’s how Valby trains and lives her best life.

1. Running 25-40 Miles a Week

Valby runs between 25-40 miles a week, depending on her training schedule. “It’s not like I’m jogging on those days [that I’m running] or that I’m cross training easily,” she told Citius. “I think people underestimate what I’m doing. When I cross-train, there are puddles of sweat on the floor...Workout days are quality miles. That’s where all the miles come in–workout days.”

2. Cross-Training All Week

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Valby does cross-training twice on Wednesdays and takes one day a week off for active recovery. “I’ll do a cross-train double on Monday,” she told Citius. “Tuesday is typically a track workout or a grass workout depending on whatever we have coming up. So that’ll be running on the ground that day. Thursday, some weeks we have workouts, some weeks we don’t depending on if we’re working out on Saturday. And then Friday will be a cross-train double. Sunday is cross-training.”

3. She’s a Graduate

Valby just graduated from the University of Florida, which is perfect timing for the Olympics. “Some graduate with honors, I’m honored to graduate 💅🏼 (all jokes guys I actually did graduate with honors). Thank you @uflorida and @gatorstf for the best 4 years 🥲 *swipe to see my mood abt leaving #gogators5ever 🤍,” she captioned an Instagram post.

4. Recovering From Injury

Valby knows what it’s like to recover from injury after fracturing her foot. The athlete was forced to try different methods of working out while her foot healed. “I learned how to cross-train for the first time and actually cross-trained really hard for three months while I was on crutches and in a boot, mostly in a pool. You’re still getting the aerobic fitness,” she told Track & Field News. “It’s just a little bit of a shock to the legs when you come back.”

5. Big Dreams

Valby still can’t believe how much her world is changing, and says she never planned on becoming an Olympian. “If you would have asked me two years ago, I wanted to be in business or an orthodontist,” she told Runner’s World. “For a while, I wanted to be a vet. I’ve been all over the place. I never once said I wanted to be an Olympic athlete.”

Long distance runner Dakotah Lindwurm is in full training mode for Paris 2024. Lindwurm, 29, shared a picture of herself wearing black athletic pants and a white long-sleeved shirt, going for a run outside. “Back home and back to work. 📸: @ben_sathre who was also my personal crossing guard this morning 🙏,” she captioned the post. Lindwurm also had her trusty Puma Nitro shoes on for the run. Here’s what the athlete’s health and wellness regimen looks like.

1. Racing the Boys

Lindwurm is used to healthy competition. “I’ve always been somebody who runs fast,” she told The Lap Count. “When I joined the cross country and track team in high school, I was just somebody who just ran with the boys. My girl teammates would always skip out on runs and hide behind the school. So I just got in the habit of running with the guys and they just ran a little bit faster and made it a hard effort. I know that when you’re in a 130 mile week, that you’ve got to take at least your doubles as slow as possible – for me, that’s like 7:10 pace.”

2. Thrilled To Compete

Lindwurm is beyond excited to travel to Europe. “It's insane. It's almost something that's too big to wrap my head around," she told WESH. "I think I'm most excited to see the Eiffel Tower. It's just so iconic and I just have to imagine it's so beautiful. I am also just really excited to experience their food and their coffee. I've heard just incredible things about the coffee and I'm a big connoisseur.”

3. Hockey Background

Lindwurm’s athletic goals once veered in a different direction. “When I was in high school, I was still playing hockey and for sure had Olympic dreams there. But that obviously didn’t pan out,” she told The Lap Count. “But by no means did I think I was going to be an Olympian in running during high school. I ended up walking onto my Division II team because like, I wanted to keep running and I enjoy the community behind it. I was getting better through high school, but I knew that I wasn’t the best in the country or even close to the best in my state.”

4. Ready For Paris

Lindwurm is ready for Paris 2024. “Similar to Orlando, [Paris] leaves a lot of space for an underdog, somebody who isn’t necessarily the fastest to place well,” she told Runner’s World. “And I plan to prepare well. It seems so daunting to be on the starting line with these women who were running amazing times all the way back in high school and college,” Lindwurm said. “But there’s space for people who are willing to work really hard.”

5. Belief In Herself

Lindwurm has firm faith in herself and the future. “If you love something, I just can’t imagine thinking you couldn’t do it,” she told Runner’s World. “I have this thing in my heart that says, ‘I can be the best at this sport.’ I don’t know where that comes from, but I’m thankful for it.”

Track and Field star, Emma Oosterwegel, works hard towards her fitness goals and remains grateful. “Off season has started! I am proud to look back at my completed competitions, even though the year started a bit rough due to medical issues. Thanks to everyone who came all the way to France to cheer for me! And can't forget to thank my coach Ronald, my physio Luc, my doctor Petra and the best teammates @sofiedokter and @anoukvetter for all the hard work and laughter🧡 Also a big thanks to @adidasrunning @starolbv @qandaretail and @atletiekunienl for the support. I am grateful for the journey and the people around me😇 Time to recharge and on to next season,” she said on Instagram. Here’s how she stays healthy, strong, and feeling her best.

1. She lifts weights

Weight lifting is a part of her workout routine to build muscle. Seen in this video on Instagram, captioned “clean pb 🤩 #100kg,” or again here, in a series of clips of her working out and lifting in various ways captioned “Monday weights 🏋‍♀️,” she has incredible form.

2. She’s positive and supportive

Even if she has a setback, she wishes her teammates luck and remains positive. “Unfortunately I wont be able to start the @hypomeeting_goetzis this weekend. Due to a minor injury I will have to delay my first heptathlon of the season. I wish my teammates and all the contestants good luck,” she said on Instagram, disappointed, but still supportive.

3. She celebrates

She celebrates her milestones and achievements. “Second best score ever and 7th of the WORLD!!🤩 Enjoyed this heptathlon so so much 🧡 Really proud of my teammate @anoukvetter for smashing her national record and winning the silver medal! 📷: @erki67,” she said on Instagram.

4. She’s proud

She’s proud of what she can do, and is there to lift up others. “Still can't believe we actually did this🥺 I am so happy we could share these moments together. I am very proud of you, @femke_bol . On to many more adventures together🧡📷: @coopsrun,” she said on Instagram photos of her celebrating.

5. She runs

She spends time in nature, running and getting fresh air. On a beautiful video following her running, Emma said “fall run 🍂🍁,” while fitting in some cardio. According to Better Health, “regular running or jogging offers many health benefits. Running can help to build strong bones, as it is a weight bearing exercise, strengthen muscles, improve cardiovascular fitness, [and] burn plenty of kilojoules.”