William Goodge on Running, Resilience, and Mind Energy
William Goodge is a British ultra runner and endurance athlete. He embarked on the monumental journey of running across America in 55 days in 2018 to cope with the grief of losing his mother. We spoke to William during our ‘Feel the Scent’ fragrance campaign on the topics of clarity, mental health and running.
What does running mean to you?
Running is my everything. It's my escape. It's what I turn to in tough times but elated good times. It's something I'll constantly do forever and it brings so much to my life. I find it extremely special.
When and how did you fall in love with running?
It's actually quite ironic how I fell in love with running because back in the day when I was playing rugby running was a punishment. If you messed up or talked back to a coach, you were told to go and do laps. So for me running was punishment, but then when I went through personal loss and I lost my mom to cancer I found myself running to get over the pain of that. Whilst it would never fix the overriding loss of my mother, every time I would go on a run I'd feel just that a little bit better when I got back. It was my version of therapy and I continue to do it to this day.
What gives you energy?
I get energy from so many things but mostly for me it's exploration and adventure. When I'm somewhere new, I'm inspired by the landscape I'm in and I just want to get out there and explore the best way that I know how, which is through running.
How does your body follow your mind?
The body has to follow the mind because the mind has to be the one instructing the body. When things get tough, it doesn't matter how much you've prepared. Things are always gonna be tough if you're pushing the limits, whether that be in a marathon or an ultra marathon. There's gonna be times when your body's saying no, I can't do this anymore, but your mind has to be there to be like no, we are doing it.
What’s your first memory of scent?
Two things specifically. Lavender was one of them. We always had it growing outside of our house as a kid. My mom made a little pillow with the dry lavender leaves that she'd put in the microwave and leave under my pillow before I went to bed. That's a really strong memory and that's why I have it tattooed on my hand.
The second thing is baking: cakes, brownies, cookies. My mom did that a lot as a kid and I'd go in the kitchen and help her lick the bowl out after it was done. I really do remember being at home and just having that amazing beautiful baking smell.
How does scent make you feel?
The beautiful thing about scent is that it’s almost like music in a way. When you smell a certain thing it can take you back to a particular memory, a particular place in time. I think that's a really beautiful thing within the human condition. So you can be somewhere totally random or foreign and smell something that reminds you of home. There's that direct link for me between fragrances and beautiful periods of time.
How would you describe the scent of Mind Energy?
The scent of Mind Energy is beautifully floral and balanced. It's sweet without being too sweet. What I love about it most is it has a presence without being overpowering.It's fresh and alive, like the rush of that clarity you get at the start of a run.
Speak to why finding clarity & focus is important for your practice?
Clarity and focus is extremely important in life. Everywhere now is busy. Everything is attainable with the click of a button. But that doesn't bring about any kind of calmness and we need to take moments in life where we can have calmness and a focus. So it is important to have those times where you are attentive to a task. It's about being present with your surroundings and taking it all in and expressing love.
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Mind Energy
Focus in a spritz, with energizing notes of juniper and pink peppercorn.