In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we speak with Dena Lewis, a dedicated runner and advocate for women's safety based in Florida, USA. Dena shares her 20-year journey in running, which began as a way to manage stress after college and evolved into a lifelong passion. Dena's dedication to running is evident in her meticulous planning and commitment, including her morning routine of fasted runs, coffee, and early starts. Where she runs between 10 and 12 miles per day, 6 days a week. Safety has been a significant concern for Dena, who often runs in the early hours of the morning. She has faced harassment and assault while running, leading her to create Running Mate—an innovative app designed to pair runners with companions for safer runs. Launching in April 2024, Running Mate aims to make running safer for women across the U.S., with plans to expand globally. Dena’s experience with violence has driven her to become an advocate for women's safety, culminating in the creation of the Female Runner Safety Summit. Through her advocacy, Dena hopes to bring awareness to the dangers women face and foster a safer environment for her daughters and all women. Join us as Dena shares her story of resilience, empowerment, and her mission to make the world a safer place for female runners. Learn about her journey, the creation of Running Mate, and her advice for women looking to start their running journey. This episode has been marked as explicit. Please be aware that the topic of assault comes up during this conversation; while we don't discuss it in detail, some listeners may find it triggering. *** Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women. By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. Thank you for your invaluable support! *** Show notes Being based in Florida, USA Being a runner for over 20 yearsMarried to her best friend and having 2 older daughter Looking for ways to deal with her stress and picking up running after college Getting into cycling after runningHow her fitness journey has progressed over the yearsRunning for health, fitness and wellbeing Learning what works for her with regards to runningNot being able to fit in run clubs Running all distances from 5k to ultra marathonsRunning between 10 to 12 miles per day, 6 days per weekHer favourite distance being a half marathonWear and tear, trainers, recovery, fuelling… Why 10/12 miles per day!Living with a certain level of pain at all timesBeing a consistent runnerNot liking to run on a treadmill and preferring to run outsideThe morning routineBeing a fasted runner and drinking coffeeLeaving at 5am and being gone for approx 2 hoursPlanning her day around her run Getting her blood checked on a regular basisEnding up in the ER with chest painsSeeing a heart doctor once a year to have a check upRunning in the early morning and experiences fearAm I safe - what’s around meBeing harassed while running on a regular basis and being assaulted twiceCreating Running Mate —an on demand running app (think of Uber for runners) How running mate worksHaving no experience in tech, finding a developer and starting to work on the project in April 2021Launching in April 2024 in 3 very specific cities in the USBeta testing since January 2024Running with other peopleFemale runner safety summit The running mates get paid Bringing awareness to the violence against womenWanting to make it a safer world for her daughterBrining companies together which has a mission to improve women’s safetyWanting to expand the app world wide within a yearFollowing and support running mate onlineFinal words of advice for other women who want to get out there and get runningTalk to someone and get help if you need supportOnly talking about the first assault recentlyChoosing not to report it Having the perpetrator show up on her door stepStopping runningLiving in fear and how it impacted her day to day life with her familyMoving away from the area and starting to feel safe againSharing her story to let other women know that they are not aloneBeing in denial for a whileWorking through PTSD, the trauma, the event and start seeing the other side Not becoming an advocate straight awayTaking time to focus on herself and her family Connecting with other women who had been through a similar thingGetting back to running again and feeling a sense of empowermentGetting angry when it happened a second time Why we need advocacy and change Social Media Website: www.getrunningmate.com Instagram: @getrunningmate ...
