Nanna Barlby

Sunday, September 21, 2014

She was one of the forces that pushed me to start this blog, when I was still contemplating if I should. It is such a pleasure to finally interview her.



Q. Could you please tell us who you are and what you do
A. My Name is Nanna I am 39 years old live in Copenhagen, Denmark with my two boys. I work at the management consultancy ReD Associates as a Communication director, my basis is in visual communication and I work daily with the translation of words into visuals.

Q. What do you love about running? 
A. Running is the one thing I have all by my self - its where I feel completely free - it's a barometer for my wellbeing and testing ground for my mental and physical strength.


Q. What do you hate about running?
A. Well overall I would say that even the tough stuff are great learning points and ultimately positive. I am hard on myself, so when life as it does takes up my time I get mad at myself for not making the time to train. Less now than earlier - I don't have time for being mad at something I love.

Q. What gives you the confidence to run in the streets?
A. Funny question. I just talked to a friend who has been very critical of my running - now after 5 years she started herself. Caught the bug. Ive been patiently waiting for it to happen of course. She told me she finally feels confident to run without being embarrassed - and I remembered that time where I felt I had to hide. I felt I was not good enough to roam the streets - it so silly, but very real and I think it blocks a lot of women from starting running.


Q. What was your best running experience?
A. Hmm theres been a few - running Marseilles-Cassis last year a 20K race - 10K up a mountain and 10K down. I never ran downhill before and I absolutely love it. When we founded Voltwomen we set some goals for 2014 and on the day of New years eve I wanted to shoot the year off to a good start and ended up running in my goal for the year, a half marathon in 1:45 that was a great run and I was super proud too. And we just ran Hood to coast. I had the pleasure of ending the race and that last leg downhill from rough trails to the beautiful Oregon beach was quite unique. I passed Superman haha


Q. What was your worst running experience?
A. Well running two days after having a tooth surgically removed was stupid - and I paid with a dizzy slow run and passing out in a bathroom after the race. Worst running often becomes markers of learning to run clever - or sometimes choosing not to run. When I had major issues with bronchitis in Berlin at the half I walked out, had a coffee by Mies van der Rohe's Neue national Gallerie and that was a good ending to a messy run.

Q. How do you push through the pain? 
A. For me its very physical what happens when I push for real. I get so dizzy and nauseous. Track work helps me learn both the pain points and how to not be afraid. When I ran my first marathon I kind of danced until 27k then faded a bit and hit the wall at 30K (Where I also passed my front door twice and my body wanted to go home and sleep) I had the same dizziness. So I train that mentally and physically - a steady pace helps.


Q. What is your favourite shoe to run in? 
A. I try different shoes all the time. I don't have one favourite model I change it around a lot. love trying out new models. And I don't run in shoes where I dent like the colour or proportions. Style is definitely a factor too. The flyknit racer is my one model I keep returning to.


Q. What can you not run without?
A. Oxygen.

Q. What advice can you give somebody who wants to start running?
A. You are stronger than you think! so move don't think too much.


Q. Which Social media sites are you on and how can one follow you? 
A. Instagram @nannabarlby and our @voltwomen


You Might Also Like

2 comments