Mental and Physical: Irene’s Ultra Journey 

Ever wonder how a brain science student ends up as an ultrarunner and coach? For Irene Molina-Gonzalez, it all started with a simple goal: blow off some steam during her PhD studies. “I just started to run and compete in short events to raise money for charity, for neurological conditions, in 2017” Irene explains. “And then I used to run a lot as a way of, like, yeah, and a stress strategy just to relax and not think of all the work and everything without any goal.” Irene’s journey into coaching and ultrarunning highlights the mental and physical parts of life.

Longer Distances

Little did she know, those stress-busting runs would lead her down a path that would change her life. As her PhD work intensified, so did her running. Soon, she found herself tackling longer distances. “I went for a half marathon and, yeah, I jumped from the half marathon to ultra all in the same year in 2021” she recalls. “I was like, yeah, I just, it got so addictive and then, I just loved it.”

Without Much Knowledge

But the transition wasn’t smooth sailing. Like many new runners, Irene dove in headfirst without much knowledge about training or nutrition. Her first ultramarathon, a 50k race, was a wake-up call. “It was really hard because obviously I didn’t know what I was doing,” Irene admits. “I was mostly training on roads, just doing very long runs without any sort of plant training, any nutritional strategy, anything, just running.”

Connect with Something

Despite the struggles, that first ultra sparked something in Irene. “During that run, it made me connect with something I never connected with before,” she says. “It’s weird to explain, but then it was like, yeah, that’s my thing.” Balancing intense PhD work with ultramarathon training wasn’t easy. Irene doesn’t sugarcoat it: “I didn’t have a life, actually. During my PhD, I worked crazy hours. It was very intense.”

Running Became Her Lifeline

But running became her lifeline, a way to disconnect from the pressures of academia. As she delved deeper into the sport, Irene realized she needed help. She started working with a physiotherapist and a personal trainer, experiences that would shape her future in unexpected ways.

World of Sports

“Suddenly, you know, not thinking about all the PhD, all the postdoc and everything,” Irene says of her time with these professionals. “And so then is how I started to get more interested in myself and, like, sports and maybe in another side of medicine.” Inspired by her physiotherapist, Irene began exploring the world of sports medicine and coaching. She took courses to become a running coach, initially just to improve her own training. But a seed had been planted.

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At a Crossroads

As her love for the sport grew, Irene found herself at a crossroads. Despite her passion for neurobiology, the stress of academia was taking its toll. “I was depressed; I was very unhappy with my life,” she admits. In a bold move, Irene decided to pivot her career. She and her partner founded Train4 Body&Mind, a coaching business that combines physical training with mental preparation. “We think that you can’t train the body without training the mind,” Irene explains.

Joy in Helping Others

Now, as a coach and sports therapist, Irene finds joy in helping others achieve their running goals. She particularly loves working with injured runners, guiding them back to health and watching them set new personal records. “I think it’s great when you make them – well, you help them because you don’t make that, you just help them,” Irene clarifies. “You guide them to get these well, to achieve these goals, and I think it’s really cool to be part of that journey with the people.”

Connect with Her Clients

Her own struggles as a beginner runner help Irene connect with her clients. “From experience, I can guide them better, I guess,” she says. I can really understand them. And I think the key to helping someone is being able to understand the position of that person.”

Not Slowing Down

As for her own running, Irene’s not slowing down. She’s training for the Ultra-Trail du Saint Jacques, a grueling 130 km race in France. “I’m very excited about doing this race because I think my training is going well,” she says, knocking on wood. For those looking to dip their toes into the world of running or ultrarunning, Irene offers simple but powerful advice: “Believe you can do it because you can.”

Trust the Process

She encourages beginners to trust the process and be patient. “Start, obviously increase gradually because a lot of people suddenly increase their load significantly, so they get injured,” Irene warns. Do things very slowly, especially because our cardiovascular system adapts quicker than our tissues, our muscles, our tendons and everything.”

Love for the Sport 

Irene’s journey from stressed-out PhD student and postdoc to accomplished ultrarunner and coach is a testament to the transformative power of running. Through all the miles, injuries, and career changes, one thing has remained constant: her love for the sport and her desire to help others find their path on the trails by showing them the mental and physical side of training.

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