Ultra-marathoner and author Natalie Dau on overcoming her darkest moments
We hear from super-achiever and multi-hyphenate Natalie Dau on her journey to ticking off her bucket list one by one and continuing to surpass herself everyday.
Striking a balance in life may be as simple as carving out time regularly to indulge in an activity of your choice. Yahoo Shopping chats with personalities who share their passion for a sport or wellness activity they enjoy, which helps them take on the world with zeal. We hope this monthly series will inspire you to find an interest that will add that sparkle to your life.
Multi-hyphenate Australian-born Singaporean Natalie Dau, who is a media creator-author-athlete, has won multiple Ultra Races and represented Asia at the Spartan Race World Championships. A qualified trainer with accreditation in Sports Nutrition, she also holds a Post Graduate Degree in Marketing Science. A woman of many talents, Natalie has also produced and hosted the Facebook lifestyle programme "Keeping It Real” with over 30 million viewers, the "Zero to Hero" series and the travel programme “No Limits” for Business Insider.
She is also the co-author of Run Like a Woman, a bestselling book on Amazon, founder of the Rockstar Fit App and an Asics-sponsored athlete ambassador and spokesperson for brands including Garmin, Maurten, UltrAspire and Soneva Resorts. Natalie puts her strong influence to good use as a World Health Organisation Facebook Ambassador generating over 60 million views on her posts. Every week, Natalie chats on the radio about health and fitness. Her core belief is giving back to the local community, which sees her participating in various charity initiatives. She is mum to 14-year-old Lilliana.
Top achievements
Overall Winner SG Ultra 100km 2019 (her first ultra-marathon)
Overall Winner Taman Jaya Ultra 12 Hour 2023
Overall Winner Highland Ultra 24 Hour 2022
1st Woman, 3rd Overall Titi Ultra 200km 2023
1st Woman Pearl of the Orient Ultra 80km 2022
1st Woman, 2nd Overall Kuching Ultra 100km 2020
Yahoo Life Singapore: What is one sport, fitness or wellness activity you love, and how did you get started?
Natalie Dau: It has to be running! Initially, I ran in my 20s to try and keep fit while balancing some long work hours and going out to clubs with friends. It was easy to put on my shoes and run in the morning. In my 30s I started to take running more seriously and combined it with triathlons. From there, I progressed to 10km races and some short-distance track events, and eventually, I fell in love with ultra-running.
What are its benefits, and what do you love about it?
It has a very low barrier of entry – all you need is a pair of good shoes, and off you go. You can go fast, slow, and run for as long as you want, with friends or without. It's a great way to destress and spend time outside. Of course, it’s the best way to explore a city while travelling.
Many people don't understand that you have to give up certain things to reach the goals you set for yourself.Natalie on life priorities.
How often do you indulge in it, and with whom?
I run 6 days a week, and usually, I do it alone as it's my “me-time”. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t social. Sometimes I'll run with friends, and there are always people to say hi to.
What's your biggest sacrifice to be where you are now?
I feel lucky that I have the choice to make a sacrifice. I say no to many things that don't fit into my lifestyle, goals or impact on family time. There are many events, dinners or even trips that I have turned down simply because they did not align with my chosen lifestyle. Many people don't understand that you have to give up certain things to reach the goals you set for yourself.
Have you regretted a decision, envied your peers, or felt let down at any point in your life?
I don't envy anyone, as we are all on our paths, doing the best we can. There are many "what if's" when I think back to my younger years that if I had focused on running back then, I may have burnt out early and not be doing or achieving what I am today.
Can you share the darkest moments in your life? What happened, were you tempted to give up, and how did you bounce back?
I hit a shallow point while I was pregnant. I had been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and then closely followed by Deep Vein Thrombosis (10 blood clots), and the latter meant wearing those awful compression medical stockings 24/7 for two years straight. Suddenly, I couldn't run, and my left leg was constantly swollen and in pain. I wasn’t allowed to cycle due to any potential accidents being on blood thinners. Not just that, I had awful morning sickness during my pregnancy. I didn't feel like "me" and was constantly frustrated and horrible about myself. It wasn't until a few months after Lilliana was born that I could return to running and started to feel normal again.
Be uncommon amongst uncommon people.Natalie Dau on her maxim
Bringing that physicality back into my life made all the difference, as it was a way for me to release stress and have something about me that was just for me. Of course, she (daughter Lilliana) was worth that and so much more. I was thankful to be pregnant, but it wasn't a perfect time. I still think there is pressure on females to portray a happy mum-to-be persona, but many times, there are struggles that no one sees, and we are too embarrassed or ashamed to discuss.
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Asics Novablast 3 running shoes, hype or winner? Here's our review.
Run with Asics Gel-Kayano 29 shoes at the Asics World Ekiden
What gear or attire do you need or wear when engaging in the sport or wellness activity?
I have my go-to gear dialled in, which is the same every day! Asics running shoes, shorts, and sports bra; Garmin Enduro 2 watch; UltrAspire race belt to put phone and keys in; Apple AirPods; Sunday Shades sunglasses; Maurten gels to fuel.
Latest launch: ASICS Women's Gel-Kayano 30th Anniversary Shoes
ASICS Women's Gel-Nimbus 25 Running Shoes
ASICS Men's Japan S Shoes
ASICS Women's Performance Run Crossback Bra
ASICS Women's 2-N-1 Woven Shorts (3-Inch)
Garmin Instinct 2X Solar
UltrAspire race belt
PowerBar PowerGel Original – Energy Gels for Endurance Athletes – Science-Based Nutrition
Apple AirPods
TOREGE Polarized Sports Sunglasses for Men Women Cycling Running
Please share one thing you learnt from running and what you wish others to discover.
There is never an end to running, as there is something else you can always do. Go further, go faster, get better at hills – the list is endless. And the best bit is the community that you meet and the friends that you make.
I still think there is pressure on females to portray a happy mum-to-be persona, but many times, there are struggles that no one sees, and we are too embarrassed or ashamed to discuss.Natalie on pressures of being a woman
As a well-known figure, how do you inject positivity into the public?
I am keeping everything honest and relatable. By sharing my struggles, I want to convey that we are all just trying to do our best. Humour goes a long way too, as I never take myself too seriously.
Could you share with us your life philosophy that you have gained thanks to running?
Every day, running teaches me that I can push myself further than I ever thought possible – physically and mentally. I have learnt to embrace being uncomfortable and constantly expect the unexpected.
What advice would you give to those who would like to kickstart running?
Put on your shoes and walk out the door! It can be overwhelming, so start with something small and achievable – you are not running a marathon! It might be a 5-minute run where you walk half of it; that's ok. What’s important is to start. From there, be consistent and build it into your routine. In no time, you’ll be lapping me!
Is there a maxim you live by?
Be uncommon amongst uncommon people.
What does your self-care routine like?
For me, I count running as self-care, but apart from that, I try and look after myself as much as possible to feel good. My self-care routine looks like this: my daily coffee and breakfast post-run, bed before 10pm every night, regular massages and physio visits, clean food during the week, and some downtime and indulging with family over the weekend.
What do you love most about yourself?
I'm comfortable with who I am – I'm not worried about what anyone else thinks of me, so this attitude allows me to try new things, push myself out of my comfort zone, fail, and look funny. And, of course, my never-give-up perspective!
What have you been up to recently?
I've spent the last six months working on my first book with my good friend Dr Jason Karp titled "Run Like a Woman". I want to help teens and women better understand their bodies and how they can train smarter and perform at their best. Also, training around our Menstrual Cycle is still sadly not a topic that is openly discussed even though it affects half of the world's population, so I wanted to normalise it and remove any shame or embarrassment.
Run Like a Woman: Menstrual Cycle-Based Training For Optimal Performance by Natalie Dau and Jason R. Karp
Asics is available on Amazon | Shopee | Lazada
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