A running app for the bit nobody tracks: your mind.
Free private beta · Share feedback on what works · No obligation
This app is for you.
— Katie McDonald, founder of Life of a MissFit
Free to test. No obligation.
The bit I know personally
My brain could always find a reason not to go.
Before a run, my brain can produce a very convincing argument for staying exactly where I am.
It’s cold.
I’ll go tomorrow.
I’m too slow.
I’m not really a runner.
What’s the point?
Then I go.
And quite often I come home happier, calmer, clearer and proud of myself—sometimes absolutely buzzing.
The strange part? A few days later, my brain can forget all of that and start the argument again.
The evidence is in the running.
Based on the book Just Start
The beginner running pep talk I needed.
Just Start is the book I wrote for people who felt running might be for somebody else: too slow, too unfit, too self-conscious, or simply not the sort of person who gets to call themselves a runner.
It’s about removing the pressure, quietening the comparison and making running feel like something ordinary people are allowed to do.
Mind Your Run grew from the question that came next:
Once you’ve started, how do you stop your own head talking you out of going again?
From readers of Just Start
What readers are saying
These are reviews of Just Start, the book that inspired Mind Your Run. They are not reviews of the app; beta feedback is still being gathered.
★★★★★“This felt less like reading and more like a conversation with your best friend—no pressure and fully supportive.”
Verified Amazon purchase · UK
★★★★★“This book encouraged me to start again without the mental pressure and do something just for myself.”
Verified Amazon purchase · UK
★★★★★“Down to earth, realistic, humorous and naturally motivational… It’s all so doable, one lamp post at a time.”
Verified Amazon purchase · UK
★★★★★“By the end I felt properly encouraged to just get out the door.”
Verified Amazon purchase · UK
Swipe to read more →
Why I’m the person building it
I’m not building this as a running coach. I’m building it as me.
I’ve been running for more than ten years and I still have days when I don’t want to go.
I’m not an elite athlete. I’m not a coach. I’m a woman from the West Midlands who caught the running bug from her dad, has completed two half marathons, goes crimson within minutes and still sometimes has to argue with her own brain before getting out of the door.
I’m building Mind Your Run as one ordinary runner talking to another.
You are allowed to be a beginner.
And every time you go counts.
Built on real experience
From a runner, not an elite.
10+ years of running, including two half marathons—and plenty of difficult runs too.
Inspired by a Top 10 Kindle running book.
Just Start grew from the same beginner-running problem Mind Your Run is tackling.
Built for real life.
For the runs that feel brilliant, the runs that feel hard, and the days when getting out of the door is the win.
Testing FAQs
Questions about joining the test
Will it cost anything to test?
No. Mind Your Run will be completely free to test.
Do I need to download an app?
No. The first beta will run as a web app through a link on your phone, so you won’t need to download anything from an app store.
Do I need to be an experienced runner?
Absolutely not. New, nervous and returning runners are exactly who Mind Your Run is being made for.
How will I give feedback?
I’ll send a simple feedback form after you’ve had a chance to try the beta. An optional quick chat may also be offered if you’d like to tell me more, but there’s no pressure.
Can I stop testing whenever I want?
Yes. There’s no fixed commitment and no obligation to continue.
What information will the app record?
During testing, Mind Your Run may record information you choose to add in the app, plus run and location information needed for tracking. Testers will be given the privacy information before using the beta.
Private beta
Think Mind Your Run sounds like you?
I’m inviting new, nervous and returning runners to be some of the first to try it when the private beta opens.
Free to test. No running experience needed.
I’ll only email you with occasional important beta updates.
It takes about 10 seconds — just your name and email.