Podcast: Katie and Hannah Francis, 857 miles, 26 days and making time for yourself

Hannah Francis had an ambitious idea. She wanted to run the length of Britain, from John o' Groats to Land's End.

What she hadn't necessarily planned was for her mum to come along too.

But when Katie Francis, who farms near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders, decided to join her daughter, the pair embarked on an extraordinary adventure. Together, they covered 857 miles in just 26 days, averaging 33 miles a day and raising money for charity, including Farmstrong Scotland.

In the November episode of Blether Together, Katie and Hannah join Sarah Stephen to share the highs and lows of their journey, from busy roads and aching legs to second breakfasts, Selkirk Bannock and rather more mother-daughter bonding than either had bargained for.

But beyond the running, their conversation explores something many farmers and crofters will recognise: the challenge of making time for yourself, knowing when to slow down and learning not to feel guilty about doing something you enjoy.

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Katie Francis runs a 400-acre organic livestock farm between Selkirk and St Boswells, with 550 breeding ewes and 25 suckler cows. Having previously worked as a land agent, she loves the freedom that farming gives her, even if balancing livestock, family and everything else that comes with running a farm can be demanding.

Her daughter Hannah is studying chiropractic in Edinburgh and first discovered running while looking for ways to improve her concentration at school.

What started as a way to help her focus quickly became a passion. Inspired by others who had completed the John o' Groats to Land's End challenge, Hannah began planning her own attempt.

Katie, meanwhile, had been playing hockey for Scotland Masters for the previous decade. When she wasn't selected for the team that year, she found herself looking for another challenge.

By Christmas, she had decided to join Hannah, and in January, the training began.

857 miles and a lot of Selkirk Bannock

Running 33 miles a day for 26 consecutive days is no small undertaking, but Katie and Hannah quickly learned that completing the challenge wasn't about how fast they could go.

They needed to pace themselves, taking the opportunity to walk uphill, eat, chat and regroup before setting off running again.

Their daily routine involved an early start, around 12 miles of running before second breakfast, another stretch before lunch and sometimes a 20-minute power nap before tackling the final miles.

And the food? Croissants, chocolate spread, cake and plenty of Selkirk Bannock all featured heavily.

The biggest surprise wasn't necessarily the physical challenge, but the mental strain of running alongside busy roads, with traffic passing at speed and little opportunity to escape the noise.

For Hannah, completing the challenge has changed how she approaches other difficulties in life. Having achieved something she once could only imagine, she now feels much more confident about what she can accomplish.

Learning when to slow down

Although running has brought Hannah enormous enjoyment, preparing for the challenge also taught her a difficult lesson about doing too much.

Trying to balance university studies, a social life, lambing on the family farm and marathon training eventually left her physically and mentally exhausted.

During the Edinburgh Marathon, she became unwell and realised she had pushed herself too far.

It was the moment she knew she needed to stop.

Hannah took two weeks away from training and began paying closer attention to the warning signs her body was giving her.

She explains that stress and tiredness often show themselves physically first, and recognising those signals has helped her understand when she needs to rest.

She's also grateful for a close group of friends who aren't afraid to tell her when it's time for an early night or a day off.

It's a useful reminder that determination and hard work have their place, but so does knowing when you've reached your limits.

Listen to the November episode of Blether Together to hear Katie and Hannah's full story, including their extraordinary journey from John o' Groats to Land's End, the lessons they learned and why looking after yourself deserves a place alongside everything else on the farming calendar.