Running has never been about distances or speeds for Aurelie. It’s a lifeline – something that gets her up and out every day, connecting her to a community and reminding her of what humans can achieve when faced with diversity.
The 43-year-old, who was born in France and now lives in London, works as an Operations Director in the telecoms industry. She wasn’t a runner as a kid; rather, she found the form of movement later in life, leaning on the workout during lockdown to boost her mental health. Cooped up at home, she, like so many of us, decided to give virtual workouts a go, keen to feel a part of something and move in a way that brought her joy.
Her first port of call? The guided sessions from the Onetrack team, a team of anti-AI coaches, personal trainers and physios who she still works with years later. Onetrack’s approach is simple – they value human coaching above generated copy-and-paste plans, and firmly believe that tailoring your training is the only way to see true, risk-free progress.
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Yet it hasn’t been an easy road for Aurelie, despite all the support from Onetrack. Shortly after the pandemic, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and has also faced several hip fractures.
This year, she’s determined to complete her first marathon – her fourth attempt at tackling the distance, with previous training blocks plagued by her underlying health conditions. “More than once, I’ve been told that running just isn’t for me and that I should consider giving it up. But I’m not ready to let go – running gives me too much joy and purpose. Completing those 42.2 kilometres has become a deeply personal goal: it’s no longer just a race, but a test of my own limitations.”
She’s been on a huge personal journey and is a shining example of someone finding a sport later in life that shapes who you are. To read Aurelie’s story – of running through a brain tumour, hip fractures, and more – keep scrolling.
“Running isn’t about the race – it’s a test of my own limitations.”
“I was late to the party when it came to running and didn’t start until I was in my early 30s. I was a chubby pre-teen and suffered from asthma from a very young age. I was told early on that I had to be careful when running, as it could trigger an attack.”
“I played volleyball as a teen, but I guess I latched onto the idea that exercise was not for me and that I was not good at it, and I dropped out of sports completely. Even at school, I tried to avoid PE as best as I could, through sick notes, etc. Ironically, despite the asthma, I also started smoking and, like many young people, decided that partying was more fun than exercising.”
“That said, I lost someone close to me when I turned 30 because of their unhealthy lifestyle, and, in the back of my head, I knew my life needed to change. I met my now-partner around that time, and he gave me the push I needed to take the plunge. He encouraged me to start going to the gym (I remember my first HIIT class – my face stayed bright red and hot to the touch for a couple of hours after!) and to embark on the Couch to 5K journey. He would patiently run-walk with me at the start, bearing with me every time I moaned and complained about how much I hated it and how running sucks!”
“And so my running journey began. Journey feels like the perfect word to describe my relationship with fitness – because something that was non-existent in my life at first, and that I felt “bad at” growing up, now takes up so much space and has become part of my identity.”
“Over time, I’ve taken up running, CrossFit, yoga, Pilates, climbing, weightlifting, and I’m thinking of boxing next. I’ve (obviously) quit smoking, but I’ve also stopped drinking and become vegan. My asthma has pretty much disappeared, and with the help of my GP, I’ve weaned myself off all the asthma medication I used to take daily. I’m not only healthier physically, but mentally too. It’s given me purpose and confidence, and the realisation that I can do hard things.”
Falling in love with running
“I found Onetrack through their online guided runs during lockdown. It was a strange time, and I felt like I was in a bit of a rut with my running. I had no real motivation to go out, run the same lap as usual, at the same pace as usual. The live audio-guided runs sounded cool, so I got a free trial. I really enjoyed that first run. Having someone in your ear and telling you what to do turns running alone into a fun, social experience.”
“No two runs were ever the same, even if my route never changed! This is when I really fell in love with running, and it became a passion rather than something you do to burn calories. I’m also a bit of a nerd and love understanding the science behind running, and the metabolic changes that happen when we run. The Onetrack coaches are so knowledgeable and, unlike other experts, don’t gatekeep knowledge. I’ve learnt so much on those long Sunday morning runs.”
The make or break, and deciding whether the sport was really for me
“They’ve been there for me through some really tough times. For a very long time, I had what I would describe as “erratic periods.” I consulted a GP but was met with, “You’re young, you’re healthy, there’s nothing wrong with you,” and was sent home.”
“A year later, I saw another GP who didn’t seem too concerned. He ordered STI screening tests and a pelvic ultrasound, but as I was waiting for my ultrasound appointment, lockdown happened, so my appointment fell into a black hole.”
“A few months later, my first injury happened as I started running more during lockdown: pain in the hip flexor and groin when walking and lifting my leg. Knowing what I know now, this was likely my first hip fracture, or at least a stress injury to the bone.”
“Lockdown carried on, so did my irregular periods, and that’s when I decided to train for my first official marathon in Richmond. Training was going well, but soon the familiar pain in my groin and leg started again. I went back to my physio, who tried to patch me up the best he could, but eventually had to admit defeat and told me to call it off. My injuries were puzzling, and he asked about my periods and hormonal health. Were my periods regular? Well… After a long chat about my symptoms, he told me he thought something wasn’t right and encouraged me to re-engage with my doctor for blood tests. I also arranged for an MRI through my physio.”
“A couple of days later, I got double whammy news – my MRI came back showing signs of stress on the femoral neck, likely the remnants of an earlier hip fracture and my blood test results showed high prolactin level, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, which could indicate a tumour on the pituitary gland. I needed an urgent MRI to confirm it and begin treatment as soon as possible. I remember the shock I felt after that phone call. Trying to sound reassuring, the GP advised me to “Google it” and assured me that people can live with it (though my mind went straight to “What about those who can’t?”). She warned me about headaches, vision problems and nosebleeds.”
“The second MRI confirmed the presence of a benign, non-cancerous tumour called a prolactinoma, and finally, the pieces of the puzzle started coming together. My injuries and bone issues were likely the result of years of untreated hormonal disruption caused by this undiagnosed prolactinoma, leading to symptoms similar to REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), despite fuelling and eating properly.”
“Since my diagnosis, I’ve had another stress fracture, this time in the other hip. One doctor told me I was very unlucky and that I needed to consider whether running really was for me. Another told me to stop running, full stop. I could have thrown in the towel and given up. Instead, I started educating myself on hormonal health, particularly its effects on bones. I relentlessly asked for referrals to specialist doctors who could shed more light on what might be happening. I now have a brilliant endocrinologist through the wonderful NHS and am under treatment for my prolactinoma. The tumour is shrinking.”
“Onetrack got me running safely again. I’m ensuring my diet is good, my calcium intake is adequate, and I’ve started a bone-strengthening jumping programme. I’m being disciplined to give myself the best chance of running for a long time – I’m going to try to run the Manchester Marathon this April. I’ve been told I’m crazy, but I know I can do it if my body allows it. I felt so betrayed by my body with the last fracture. But now it’s become a challenge, me versus me. I’ve got to try again, one last time. And while I’m curious and excited to see if I can do it, I’ve also learned to accept that it might not happen, and I’ve made peace with that too.”
“Another thing that has changed is that I’ve become more vocal about period and hormonal health. Irregular periods are not normal, regardless of what some doctors say. If my story helps someone avoid the pitfalls I’ve had to navigate, then all the better.”
Thinking outside the box to make it to the start line
“I’ll be honest – when I found out about my tumour and my injuries, I panicked and thought that I was going to have to stop running for good. That thought hit me hard, and many tears were shed. I have a huge amount of respect for the Onetrack team, and a lot of trust in them and their experience. Doctors are great, but can be quite conservative, and not many understand that the benefits of running sometimes outweigh the risks. Once I got the all clear and started running again, I met with Anthony Fletcher, one of the co-founders of Onetrack, for a coffee. We discussed my idea to give the 42.2km another go, and he was supportive of the idea, but explained we would have to think outside the box to get me there, and that my training would be a bit unorthodox. I was on board with that.”
“He paired me with George as my coach. George is an amazing athlete in his own right, but also an expert in sports physiology, who fully understands the metabolic challenges I’m dealing with and is fully qualified to help me work with them.”
“The ability to message George, a running professional who knows me and my needs with any question I have, whether related to a particular session (“I’m thinking of running there, that’ll add an extra 5k to the session, is that ok?” or “instead of running that, is it ok if I do a track session with the running club”?) or running in general (“shall I train in zone 2, are super shoes worth it?”) has been invaluable.”
“Now, if I don’t exercise, I get moody, tired, and the world seems less bright. I took a bit of time off to rest with the last fracture, but luckily, I was told I could carry on cycling, which was a godsend.”
“I would put my crutches in a large backpack and cycle to the gym with them. The routine of going to the gym, seeing the people I usually work out with, enduring the endless sarcasm of my strength coach (all in good humour, of course), all really helped me cope with the injury mentally. Even injured, there’s always something you could work on, whether that’s improving mobility or training a part of your body you don’t normally focus on so much.”
“Keeping active during my recovery also meant it was easier for me to ease back into my usual training program once the doctors gave me the green light. There’s also a much-needed spirit of community that comes with fitness – I got shown so much love and support by everyone involved in my fitness journey. I think everyone felt a bit sorry for me! All this made me want to give something back, so as soon as the crutches came off, I started volunteering at Parkrun, which I absolutely love doing and still do at least once a month nowadays.”
The importance of a personalised plan
“I can’t stress enough how important it’s been having a totally tailored, unique and personalised to me training plan. As an example, I sadly lost my cat early this year after a period of illness. It was a really stressful and sad time for me, and I was unable to run for a while. Had I been following a template training plan, the missed runs would have been piling up, adding to the stress and mental burden. George reassured me that my training would be fine and just hit pause for me. I wanted to run, as I knew it would help me, so George started putting some light, optional runs in my program. I never felt like I had to run. Instead, the runs were there to support me through the grief if I wanted to do them. They brought some structure back in my life and helped me move on.”
“I’m now back on track with my training, and enjoying the process, regardless of the outcome. We’re now two months away from the starting line… I’ve never been so close before.”
“The marathon distance has become a personal battle, but one I know I might not win. But even if I don’t make it to the start line in April, I know that I’ll carry on running. It just means long distances aren’t for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try to improve my 5k or 10k times.”
“I love appreciating what humans can achieve when faced with adversity. If, like me, you were always amongst the last one picked from the bench at school, or you knew your friends only picked you up because of a sense of loyalty, it doesn’t matter. Things are different now, you’re different. It might take time to find something you enjoy doing. It does take time to build a habit in the first place.”
“Try to stick with it, but don’t be afraid to try different things. You might surprise yourself! When I did my first Parkrun, I was adamant I was going to hate it. Now, as soon as Sunday comes, I start thinking about where I’ll be parkrunning next weekend! Also, find your tribe. This doesn’t even have to be in person. Online communities like Onetrack are a great starting point. Whomever you are, I hope you find what makes you tick and find your joy in movement.”
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Sweaty Betty Power Leggings
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