Good to go. All right, Hello and welcome to
another exciting episode of Run to Done.
Today. I am joined by somebody who I
had the pleasure of meeting for the first time last weekend at
the Highlander Backyard Ultra where she was the assist to the
winner Thoma, who was previous guest welcome Rebecca Horman.
Thanks for having me. Yeah, not a problem at all,
right? We're obviously talking about
your your recent assist, but we'll start off with how did you
get into running? How did I get into running?
I've always been, I've always been athletic.
I've always done sports. I grew up in the States mainly
and I played soccer growing up. And then in 2019 I found myself
travelling around Asia and for some reason I was like, oh,
let's run, let's do a half marathon.
Just, you know, one time thing. We'll do a half marathon and
that will be it. And I'll be the end of my
running career and I'll be able to say I've run 1/2 and that's
going to be it. So I signed up for 1/2 marathon
in Bangkok in 2019. So it was horrific, honestly.
It was, it was, it was at 3:00 in the morning, it was December.
So it was like really, really hot.
Have you travelled much to Asia? I think.
I've been to Sri Lanka. I think that's the only place in
Asia that I've been technically Turkey.
OK, fair enough. Yeah, well, I mean, you know,
like the the weather is. Oh, it's, yeah.
It's warm. It's very warm.
It's humid. Yes.
And so I was, I was in Asia for most of most of 2019 and I was
preparing for this half marathon.
So I was, I was traveling around.
I actually did a lot of my training in Sri Lanka, you know,
3-4 in the morning, trying to avoid the crazy buses on the
road and stuff. And obviously I'm blonde and I'm
white, so get all these people shouting at you.
And anyway, so I trained up for that.
I did some of my training in Abu Dhabi as well.
And so I ran the Bangkok half marathon and it was a horrible
experience. I didn't ever want to do
anything like it again. But like most people, it's kind
of like you want to, you want to do it, you want to do half
marathon, you want to do a marathon and then you took it
off and then that's it. So that's when I like started
running. And then I ended up, Long story
short, I ended up in Northern Ireland when COVID hit.
So I ended up evacuating Asia, ended up in Northern Ireland,
and I was living in Hollywood at the time.
So it's, do you know Northern Ireland at all?
Bits. I've raced there once.
So I was living on the coastline and I would just run like every
day I'd run a little bit further up the coast because I had
nothing else to do. And like I didn't, I didn't want
to keep running. I was just like, oh, you know,
you know how you had your hour to go outside and like do a bit
of exercise and stuff. So, so I wake up in the morning
and, you know, run a mile up the coastline, mile back.
And then the next day, you know, 2 miles up the coastline, 2
miles back. And I just kept, kept going
basically. And then one day I remember I
ran 4 miles up the coastline and four miles back.
And I was like, Oh my gosh, I ran 8 miles again.
And it was the most exciting thing.
And I was completely battered. I was just sitting on the floor
like, I'm dead, I'm done. And then I just, I just kept
going. And then we kind of got out of
COVID and then I ran my first marathon by myself in Belfast.
I think it was New Year's Eve and just went out.
I had a rain jacket. I had some Jelly beans in one
hand and put them in my pocket. I think I had like a leukozade
in the other hand. I just went round, round Belfast
around my marathon. And that that's kind of how it
all started, to be honest with you.
And then it's kind of gotten out of control from there, to be
honest. How has it gotten out of
control? Well, now, now I'm out there
looking at these insane races, essentially when I thought, oh,
I'll just run the half and I'll be done with it.
So I don't know. I think I'm one of those runners
who was always like, I didn't want to go fast.
I was like, I just want to, I just want to go a little bit
further, you know? So, yeah.
And here we are. And have you done?
You've obviously started with your half marathon there and you
ended up in Scotland last weekend.
What's the the story in between? It's it's, it's quite a complex
story. Like I said, I kind of so I was
an age I used to live in Spain. I lived in Spain for five years,
left the States, lived in Spain for five years and I left Spain.
I went to Asia. I bought a one way flight to
Jakarta, which culture shock, let me tell you, insane culture
shock. I was an agent for about a year.
I was on an island in Malaysia doing my dive master for scuba
diving. Ended up having to evacuate
Malaysia because of COVID. End up in Northern Ireland
quarantining with a friend. Did my master's degree over
there and then moved over to England.
And during that time when I moved to Northern Ireland, I was
kind of running a bit more here and there.
Raced a couple times in Northern Ireland and in in Ireland as
well. Moved over to England and just,
you know, here, here I am. So it's kind of that's like a
whistle stop tour of my life for the past 10 or 10 or seven
years. Yeah.
And then and then. I got into the backyards, yeah.
Was all the travel through education work or what made you
move around? A mixture of things.
I grew up in a very, very like diverse households.
So as you know, people seem to know now I've got a Swiss
passport and AUS passport. I'm also Chilean and my mom is
Swiss, Chilean. So we grew up all over the
place. We grew up partly in the States,
partly in Switzerland, partly in Chile.
And when I was 18, I just decided I don't really want to
live in America anymore. I'm going to move to Spain.
So, and I just kind of following my nose a bit through work, a
bit through like education, like I did my master's degree in
Northern Ireland, just kind of here and there.
Yeah. Like, I look back and I think, I
mean, you make decisions in the moment, right in your life and
whatnot. And I think, oh, maybe I would
have made a different choice, but I don't know.
I've just landed myself where I am now, but I'm happy with it.
And what was your master's degree in?
Sport and exercise psychology, which that's, I mean, I don't, I
think. So pretty pretty apartment for
backyard ultras. Well, you say that, but I should
probably apply college a bit a bit more.
So would you say that you could apply?
Wait, do you think there was anything that you learned in
your masters that you could apply to backyards?
It's, it's a tricky 1 because I mean, I've, I've been a masters
a couple of years ago and I don't, I touch on it a little
bit and stuff here and there, but it's still a really niche
field. So sport and I said psychology
it it's still a tiny little field that really normally only
you're like elite athletes are going to have sports
psychologists and whatnot. But a lot of the concepts,
things that like you do without even thinking about it, like
visualization or like self talk, you know, things like that that
you teach yourself how to do naturally in a sense.
So yeah, like I'll apply that type of thing here and there or
I'll try, I'll try to. When you're applying them, do
you think that you are more adapt to it because you've done
the masters in it, or do you think you'd be doing it anyway?
Oh, I don't know. I know I definitely, because
I've, I have been asked this question before and I think that
when I started running ultras, I was more likely to be like,
right, let me learn this stuff, like let me apply these concepts
like it's an endurance sport. It's perfect for this.
So I would like consciously apply things, but at the same
time, if I'm not open to like a tactic or a strategy that then
I'm just going to throw it out the window.
For example, like if I'm running a race and I'm in a shit mood
and I'm telling myself, right, you should you should really
visualize the finish And I'm going, no, I'm not in the mood
for it. Like whatever.
Like then, then it doesn't matter because I'm pretty
stubborn. But I think definitely
previously I was kind of like more into let me try and apply
these more purposefully. Whereas now I'm like, yeah, you
know, if it happens, it happens. If if my brain's in the right
place, then then great. But I'm not sure anymore.
Do you think you could go back to not Nestle where you are
studying but back in education and sort of tell them how it's
done? They say it's done this way, but
your research says otherwise. I would have to.
I would have to really, I have a purpose.
I would have to really think about like when I'm running, you
know, you know what they do at Suffolk Backyard in 2023 there
was a university there and they were doing some type of
projects, but. You were.
You were not that race, were you?
I was at the race, yeah. In 2023. 23 are.
You. You're.
Not going to tell me you were there.
I was in the film that they made about it.
Oh, were you running it? Yeah.
Oh, I. Don't know it what did.
What did you run to? 100 and yeah, 104 or 108, I
can't remember that that was my first ever backyard.
That's. What you need to buy yourself.
Yeah, I crew. I didn't have a crew.
Oh, I, I ran at that backyard, right?
OK, small world. Yeah, well, you know how I think
it was. I forget at the university, but
they were, they miked people up and they were having them like
talk out loud and stuff so they could, you know, track people's
thoughts throughout the event. I would have to do something
like that and then like listen back and kind of see my own
process and, you know, and then report back to the, the
researchers of the sport and exercise psychology world.
OK, off the top of my head I think it was Liz Mahone was the
main researcher but I could be totally wrong.
They they've recently published a paper on it.
How? Did they?
I would like to do that. Actually, I'll try and get a
hold of it for you going back. Where about in America are you
from? I'm from Philadelphia, so like,
you know, cream cheese, Fresh Prince.
Cheese steak sandwiches and Rocky.
Yes, that's the one, yeah. Yeah, I've been.
I've been there once. OK, in the airport?
No, I was visiting somebody in New York and we took a day trip
up to Philly. Yes, very.
Good. Yeah, it's a it's a good city.
It's a great city. I'm not from the city, from a
suburb, but you know, I'll make it easier to Philly.
Yeah, somebody who I went to uni with stays just outside Philly,
but I can't remember a Oh, My Name is Earl.
Where about was that film? Which one?
My name is Earl. I don't know that.
Yeah, it's ATV program. I'm pretty sure he stays in the
same village or town as that was filmed.
So that's just outside Philadelphia.
So there you go. Random knowledge, right?
The other thing that you said you did, you played soccer a
lot. How was that?
What kind of level was that? So yeah, so I agree, it's really
popular in the States. Soccer, and we're going to call
it soccer. It's always really popular in
the States. I agree.
That was like my main sport growing up.
I did all the sports. I swam a lot as well, but that
was like my main one, like my whole world really.
So I played Stevie Pro for a year in New York and then when I
moved over to Spain, I played Division One with them for a
while, but I played 5A side over in Spain.
So a bit of a faster game, more technical.
And then when I moved to Asia, I was planning on just taking a
year off essentially because I just needed a break, a lot of
ankle injuries and stuff. And and then I never went back
to it really. I tried picking it back up again
in Northern Ireland, but I just had this amazing team in Spain
and it I just, I couldn't, there was nothing that would compare.
So I kind of gave it up. Plus I started running a bit
more and I thought, you know what, let's let's try something
different because you can kind of age out of soccer and yeah,
you kind of age into running in a sense.
And plus. Most professional footballers
like 30, you're getting old, whereas running 30 is young.
Exactly. Yeah.
And I and I love that because I I'm 28 right now and I'm like
just chilling like Register hit my 40s and we'll be, you know,
we'll be getting somewhere. But yeah, it was my it was my
whole world for the longest time.
And then I kind of fell out of love with it in a sense.
And but now all my time is occupied by running anywhere I
wouldn't have time to play. So I getting back to while
you're on here, the backyard, it's just been over a week.
How are you feeling? I'm all right.
Yeah. I I'm amazed at how fast I've
kind of recovered from it. Asleep was a bit funky for a
while. I mean, you know how it is.
It's it's you're sleep deprived so you kind of conk out, but
then your body wakes you up in a sense.
Yeah. So that was a bit, you know,
touch and go as it as it is. But it's crazy because I compare
Highlander more 150 miles to beginning of June around
Scotland, 100. He's got 110 miles and my, my
Scotland recovery was really, really tough compared to where
I'm at with Highlander now. So a week, a week out and I've
ran 1/2 marathon yesterday and you know, like it's, it's
physically I'm fine. It's, my feet are a bit, you
know, sensitive from being on them so much.
But honestly, it's back to a bit of a better sleep schedule.
Never have a problem eating. I will always eat absolutely
everything. So yeah, I'm quite happy with
with the way recovery has been. To be honest.
You're quite surprised. And I had no blisters because my
crew is an absolute, you know, legend Scotty, I don't know what
he did with my feet, but there no, no blisters, nothing at all.
It was incredible. So yeah, we'll be back at it
soon. Yeah, well, just to to big up
who, who was your coach? Not your coach, your your crew.
Have you got anything you want to say about him?
Yeah, I mean like he I've I've thanked him loads, but Scotty, I
know Scotty threw GB ultras and he I was I was looking for you
find him on the ground. On the ground, Scotty or has he
he off the cuff comment was like, I was like, oh, I've got a
backyard. He was like, oh, I'm free that
weekend. I was like, you know, maybe crew
me because I was planning on going up just by myself, which
would have really limited my miles.
And he was like, yeah, go on. And I had no idea.
I thought, you know, I'd be, you know, kind of teaching someone
how to crew me out of backyard. So I wrote him this, like, Bible
essentially with like all these different notes.
I don't know if you saw it sat there on the chair, but all
these different notes and like what to do, you know, which loop
and whatnot and different things about me.
And you know, lo and behold, a couple loops in, you know, he's
got it all sorted. He's got his his own plan.
He's got this foot care regime going on.
So he was absolutely amazing. So honestly, I do not think 36
hours would have been possible without him.
Or if they were, my feet would have been suffering a lot more
than they were, honestly. And it's, it's that connect,
it's that crew that you come into and you literally just sit
and you get your foods handed to you.
All you got to do is eat. You know, it, it was just, he
was absolutely incredible. Like absolutely incredible.
I was hoping to take him with me to Switzerland in October, so
fingers crossed. Yeah, because you're 36 yards
that you did and that's qualified you for the Swiss team
in the what what we're calling it nowadays, the world's team
championship for backyard ultras.
It's. From the world champs it sounds
really cool. Yeah, but and you, you've
already said you, you've got a Swiss passport, that's what's
qualified you for the team. And 36 yards?
How far up the at large list does that get you?
So I think I'm eight right now. So kind of right in the middle,
which is a lot higher than I planned on being.
I kind of just wanted the the plan was because going into
Highlander, I wasn't even sure like I was getting for it, but I
wasn't like not kind of like you where you're more like I'm, I'm,
I'm going to run, you know, you know, at World Champs in
October, like, you know, that's it for you.
I know you want to, you want to go on, you want to probably want
to go to bags and whatnot. But for me it was kind of like,
yeah, if I can get a spot, you know, cool.
If it doesn't happen, it's all right.
But kind of telling myself I didn't want it in the way that I
did want it to save myself from disappointment.
And because I was, I ran 27 yards at Devon and Cornwall last
year and that put me on on the on the top 15.
And obviously, you know, that was quite early on.
So I dropped down to 17 and then I was, I was going to run a cow
shed. And that was my plan.
I was like, right, I'll try to hit 30 at cow shed and we'll
see. We'll see how we go from there.
And then cow shed got cancelled and I realized I was like, oh,
crap. You know what?
I do actually kind of want to give like the fact that I can't
stop cancelled. I was like.
You know, like I don't just want to sit on it.
So so I went for, I really only needed 30 to kind of push myself
over the edge, But I kind of realized as Highlander was going
on, I was like, maybe I do want this a little bit more than I'm
letting myself think I do. And I mean, I guess that just
comes with I had to be there and experience that change of
emotion and that understanding of, well, I actually want to let
myself let myself want it in a sense, because I do a lot of
that where I'm like, Oh no, I don't actually care, but I do
care. So, well, I, I think there was
several people, including myself that were not letting you stop
you. You might have thought that you
were doing 30, but you weren't getting.
You were earning that place on the team just like Tom was
earning his place. It was really funny because I, I
was so excited to meet you because I think you posted
something on the Highlander group the morning of being like,
oh, you're marshalling. And I remember looking at me
like, Oh my gosh, like I'm so excited.
I'm such a huge fan. Like I was so excited.
And then I rock up and I'm like, I'm like, where is he?
Like he's here somewhere. And I was speaking to Richard
Goldsworthy is it got on 100 because he won the men's race
and I won the females race. And I was chatting to him and
you walked by and I was like, Oh my gosh.
And then we took a picture and I was like, I was, I was like
fangirling hardcore. And then I was like 30 hours
later, I hate this man. I hate about him.
I hate his guts. Like he's just making me run and
run and run as it was. It was so funny to me
afterwards, just looking back on it.
I was like how the how the things have changed over the
course of what? Or 36 hours.
There you go. But by 36 hours, all right,
well, I was all right with you for for a little while back.
It was touching go for a bit. Yeah, I'll, I'll accept that
You, you you earned your place. Thank you.
Thank. You so you were saying that you
did the Scotland 100, you've won the female race and that you've
won other races as well. You've you've won back at least
one backyard that I know of. Big question You, you like to
travel around. So what are you going to do with
all these trophies? You move.
Yeah, I've actually just had put a new shelf up in my room for
them. But yeah, like to be honest, the
last time I packaged them all up when I moved to England, I
packaged them all up and put them in a box and chipped them
over. But hopefully I'll, I'll be here
for a while. So we'll just, we'll think about
that maybe later on in life. So what's what's keeping you in
England at the moment? Are you working?
Yeah, yeah, I'm. Working race is just loving
life. I yeah, to be honest with you,
I'm, I'm like I work, I've got a full time job and whatnot, but
really I, I think I've got a really good thing going in
England right now and I like where I live.
I live in like Manchester area in Stockport so it's a really
good location. I've got the peaks literally 30
minutes, lakes two hours, Snowdonia 2 hours.
I think I've recently just over the past, especially the past
year, I've kind of fell in love with my own life in a sense.
Sorry the cat, we've got a three legged cat.
So good fun. I've got 2 cats at home so.
But I think especially with with running and I never, I never
really thought it would, it would kind of get, I didn't
think I'd be as good at it as things are going for me in a
sense. And it kind of just I'm so
sorry. It's kind of just, it's become
my whole world, it's become my life and I just love being out
and about. And so for now, I just feel like
I've got so much good going in England.
I've got so many like races that I want to do.
I've got such an incredible support system.
I mean, after Highlander, I just, I was overwhelmed with the
messages and the posts and everyone just, you know,
encouraging me and cheering me on and they don't even know me.
And, you know, just this amazing support system of people that
just for whatever reason, believe in me and, you know,
think I can do cool things. And it just makes me feel like,
right, it gives me the confidence to give these races a
go that terrify me. And the more that happens, I'm
like, right, well, there, I want to do that one now.
I want to try to do that one. I want to try to do that 1.
So it's, I've got too many reasons to stick around right
now and too many things I want to try and too many places
within the UK that I want to go. So yeah, that's kind of what's
keeping me here for the time being.
Good in in the Highlander, the talk talking about people that
knew what you were doing, blah, blah, blah, etcetera.
Every lap you walked out of the corral and probably for at least
half a mile where we could see you, you were walking.
And people kept on saying to me that you're going slow.
And I told them, no, it's OK, she knows what she's doing.
And obviously I showed that you did.
Was that a conscious I'm walking to show people that, or is that
just your your thing that that's how you do it?
Yeah, it's, it's just my way of running backyards now.
And it's not only mine, like a lot, a lot of people do it as
you, as you know from running with some really good
backyarders. I so I ran, I ran Wrestle Block
with my first backyard, their first event and I ran 40 fives
at Russell Block and I wiped myself out.
I ran 20 hours and I just destroyed my legs.
And obviously the weather was really cold that year.
That's the year Kaz set the, the GB, the female GB record.
But I just, I hit a wall and that was it.
And my legs just seized up. And then I ran over in Suffolk
and I slowed it down quite a bit and I was taking from, you know,
Hendrick and Oriole and and John Stocker and whatnot, kind of
observing the way they're running and just a lot of slow
stuff. So I gave it a bit more of a go
and I DNF at 28 at Suffolk. So it worked quite a bit more.
And then I just applied that at Devon, Cornwall.
And it's just, it just works for me, to be honest with you.
And especially of course like Highlander, I think it really
works because the fast part of the course is the second-half of
the course. And I don't like running on flat
when it comes to backyards. I feel like it takes up so much
energy. And then as well at Highlander,
the first chunk is grass. Why would you want to run on the
grass? It just zaps your energy.
Like I don't like running on grass.
So it's just, it just works through me.
It really does. And yeah, I just find that it
helps me not get caught up in like the hustle and bustle of
the race as well. Because when you run with
people, you know, you're you're getting the energy from
everybody else. And for for a backyard, you just
need to stay calm. But you need to just relax.
An hour is a long time to get through four, 4.16 miles.
And I find that keeping myself away from people, it helps me
just, you know, stick to my plan, stay calm.
Don't get me wrong, I like talking to people, but you know,
especially the beginning of a loop, I don't want to rush off.
And yes, I just, it just, it works to me.
I'll stick to it. Yeah, John, John Stalker has
just done the Lakeland 100 this weekend.
So as different than a backyard, I've done backyards, I've done
the Lakeland 100. Look, looking at that with your,
you've just done the Scotland 100 and backyard.
How does your training differ between them?
It used to when I started running backyards.
Around five of them now. Don't know why it's horrible.
What a waste of my time. When I I've done 9 so I can't
say anything but. Just that wait which?
Ones. Have you ran a Suffolk
Lionsgate? Cowsheds.
A Lionsgate Twice. Actually a Castle Ward
Highlander twice. How many is that?
Yeah. Is that 9 out there?
A lot of backyards. That's a lot of circles.
Yeah. So yeah, training differences.
I when I started running backyards, the first couple ones
I did, I did train in loops, you know, consciously to kind of get
myself used to that. It's so boring.
It's so boring running like it's just, I just find it so
upgrading to run in circles training and I found that the
only parts that I really struggled with is backyards was
running into the morning. So coming through the sunrise
and into the day and being able to hold on to that motivation
because I think with the sunrise, and you can agree or
disagree with me on this, with the sunrise, you get this hope
in a sense, and it's like new energy.
But then suddenly the sun's up and you've got this like, right,
it's going to get back. And then and then it's not and
your body still hurts and you're still tired and you know, I
mean, it's like a little bit of hope and then you get over the
sunrise and you still have to keep going.
So I found that that's really what I struggled with.
So it wasn't, it wasn't the monotony of running in circles
because I can keep running. I can just keep going.
That's fine. And I can occupy my mind with
things to distract me from where I'm running, but it's the going
through the night that I strolled with.
And the best way to work on that was to run races that I had to
go through the night. And so I stopped training in
circles and I just trained as I normally would and just trained
by field and train, you know, go places I love to run and
whatnot. And that's kind of what it's
really been this whole year. It's been going out to the
peaks. I was bagging all the ethos
since like October, which was such good fun.
I was on a mission just like, right, got to get that one, got
to get that one. It was such a good way to train
because it was just, it just had me out and out for hours in
whatever weather. And so yet now the way on my
method behind training is just whatever, whatever is going to
make me happy, really wherever is going to make me happy,
That's what that's what I'll go do.
And I know loops works for lots of people, but it's not for me
anymore. Not the training in in circles.
I run enough of those. So you're happy racing loops,
but not necessarily training loops?
Yes, yes. Well, I mean, I'm not, I don't,
you know. How much do you love running in
circles? But.
There's other ways to train for backyards.
You can if you want to do the circles as it were.
You don't have to do circles. You can run, run for four miles
and then take a 5 minute rest and then run for four miles.
So it's different ways for different people.
Exactly. Yeah.
You just got to find what works best for you.
Yeah. You you were saying about
running into the dawn. I always think that it's it's
almost Lord of the Rings ask when you're you're running into
the dawn or the the the 2nd mornings type thing.
I absolutely like now I love it. Like it's one of my favorite
things. I want to get to the sunrise.
I was really annoyed at how short the night was at Highland.
I was like, I've just put my headlamp on.
I could do with a couple more hours of darkness because the
sunrises and then there's still like a bajillion hours till
midday and it's just the long. It was the longest 100 miles of
my life, but I love it. I love running into this, into
the sunrise. There's something about it feels
like you're on some quest. It's like it's so cool.
Like I cannot recommend it enough to people.
There's just something about it. Gossipy.
That was another backyard that I've done and that's in November
in Scotland, so I think it was 16 hours of darkness.
If you're after, if you're after darkness, there you go.
There's. A little bit much for me.
I mean, I say that and then you'll see me there next year or
something. Yeah.
So you're saying that you're surprised at how your recovery
is gone, How compared to straight point, point race?
How do you recover on that? How do you compare it to this?
For me, the as you said, it's the tiredness, getting into the
circadian rhythm. So getting your body, it's
almost like jet lag. Is that how you feel?
Yeah, yeah, definitely. And it's like one minute I feel
fine and I'm, you know, eating, and the next minute I'm like, I
need it later, which, you know, it's that that's what jet lag is
really like. You're like, I'm all right, all
right. And then suddenly you go to
sleep and you're you're out for three hours and you just, that's
just how it is. And I just approach it by
whatever my body is telling me it needs to do.
We're just going to go with that, you know, permitting life
commitments, obviously, because can't just, you know, fall
asleep wherever if I'm out. Yeah, I think in like the main
difference that I see is physically like aches and pains
and niggles. Again, like Scotland 100, I took
a toenail off after the right, maybe two or three toenails off,
just had to take them off because they were just, you
know, blisters and, you know, no fun.
But that's because I was, my feet were wet the whole time and
different terrains and whatnot. But like with the backyard, you
know what you're, you know what you're doing each lap, you know
what's happening. And we didn't get too much.
We got a little bit of rain, but it wasn't too bad.
So I think the main differences for me are obviously sleep is
always going to be a thing, but even for like a shorter like A50
mile or 100K, I'll have more like random niggles because of
the terrain differences and the, you know, the elevation gain and
stuff that I will on a, on a backyard, I think.
A lot of people say that toenails coming off, that's just
a badge of honor to say that you've done it.
I mean I I've never have 10 toenails at one given time
anymore. I know some people from America
actually that's they paint their toenails, but they whether
they've got toenails or not, they just paint the the toenail
bed. Is that what you call it?
So just to pretend that they're there.
They paint them black. I've heard that before.
People like. I'm not sure that they were
trying to convince me to do. It was like, Nah, it's all
right. Maybe you should.
Maybe one day, but other than
toenails and not necessarily this race, but have you had any
major injuries? No, not since I started running
ultras. I think what I'll get here and
there and less now, more when I started like really ramping up
my mileage, it was like kind of overtraining injuries because
I've started running more essentially, which you're bound
to get things as your body adapts to it.
And so things like that. I get like some tendonitis flare
ups here and there. Depends.
Like normally in like colder weather.
So yeah. But a lot of it is they're more
things I know are my weaknesses. And if, and we all do this, if,
you know, you have a weakness and then you neglect to work on
it in the gym, for example, because we all love the gym,
then it's going to bite you back, isn't it?
So there are things that when I do get these, like niggle, I
don't want to call them injuries, but like, little
niggles, I'll be like, yeah, well, you know, that's my fault.
I haven't been focusing on that. So I knew it was going to come,
but I've never had, like, never had a break or anything like
that in my life. Yeah, it's so far.
Thank goodness. Long may continue.
You say you go to the gym. You, you muttered that there do
do you do any other cross training other than, well,
you've you've stopped football? With feet, I used to cycle a lot
more, but I don't anymore. You know, I, I don't really have
an excuse. Well, my bikes are a flat tire
right now, so that's my excuse. And there are no brake pads, so
I can't really cycle. So that's my excuse for that.
I try to swim every so often, but it's more like a, I'm going
to go swimming this week and I'm it happens maybe once a month.
It's a lot of running. It's a lot of running and then
gym, probably like three to five days a week.
OK, well, my my introduction today was going to be somebody
that epitomizes a strong, independent woman, and that was
going to be you. So I'd say that you've got no
excuse for fixing your bike. No you are 100% correct I and I,
I really need to do it because actually the other day I had a
friend and he was training with a good friend of mine.
He was training for 100K Liverpool to Blackpool I think
it was. I think it was and I was like,
right, I'll go on a training ride with you.
We'll do like 30 miles in the morning.
Night before I was like, and I was like, this will be a good
reason to fix my bike. It'll get me, it'll get me to,
you know, sort it out, be like head sorted out.
I know how to sort it out. Night before I was like I
haven't fixed it yet but I can't I can't go with you tomorrow But
I know it's on my To Do List. But my To Do List is lengthy and
I ignore it most days. Fair enough, you got runs to do
exactly. Exactly, Yeah.
So Scotty was crewing for you. What was he making you eat?
Well, I right, so I don't eat any of, and I told you this, I
don't eat any gels, any, anything that's really like
artificially tasting. I can't do it.
I used to do it. I used to eat like goose and sis
and stuff like that or whatever the appropriate pronunciations
are for these things. But one day I was running in the
Cotswolds and I had a goo gel and it came right back out and
that was the end. So I, I eat a lot of pretzels
and like, I don't know if you've seen them, but like they're,
they're from ALDI. They're like these jalapeno
pretzel chunks or like mustard and honey pretzel chunks and
they're amazing. And I probably a pack a day
they'll lie or just like regular pretzels.
So that's a lot of what I eat. I'll eat like shop locks, a lot
of soup at backyards, Nothing dairy like that will just that
will just destroy me. I'll just vomit that right back
up. Yeah.
So like soup, pot noodles, things like that.
Potatoes. But I didn't have any potatoes.
I didn't bring any potatoes. But I love it when a race
checkpoint has like just boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes as
well. Those are really good.
Yeah, I eat a lot of pretzels. So you said no, no dairy.
Is that a dietary thing, environmental, moral, or just it
doesn't agree with you? I just can't take it when I'm
running it. It will just it just flips my
stomach. That's just from experience.
So I would love to like, you know how sometimes they have
like little, you know, races, they'll have cheese chunks or
something. No, just can't do it.
And for some, I always crave milk when it's like a really hot
day and I've been running and I could quite literally go on a
run and heat and then come home and chug, you know, a gallon of
milk a gallon. But yeah, that it just, I can't
do it. And it's just from experience.
So yeah. So I just stick to the simple
things I do. It is something I need to work
on with backyards is getting hardier food.
And because also when when when you started chatting to me, I
was like, I'm starving. I forget what loop it was, but I
was absolutely starving. And for some reason it had hit
me right there. And I've been eating really,
really well, but just not enough.
Yeah. So yeah, no, it's, it's
something I need to, I do need to work on.
Yeah, during a race once I had milk at one checkpoint and then
not that long after, it might have even been the same
checkpoint. I had orange juice and it it was
the 5 minutes later, the least unpleasant vomiting I've ever
had. It was it it.
It didn't. I was still being sick.
It was horrible, don't get me wrong, but it didn't taste that
unpleasant. It's.
Coming out. Yeah, so, but yeah, milk and
orange juice, don't recommend it.
No, I'm all right. I'll no, I'll I'll take your.
Word all right and moving on your daily diet, how how's that?
What? What kind of things do you?
Is it a normal sort of standard diet?
Is do you follow any particular gimmick?
No, I, I mean, if you ask my friends, they're like, Oh my
gosh, Rebecca eats so healthy. But in my mind, it's not in my
mind, it's normal. It's, it's a lot of chicken,
it's a lot of rice, it's a lot of salad, veggies like falafel
wraps, lot of eggs, lot of toast, lots of fruits.
And like, you know, I love dark chocolate, like, you know, a
cappuccino or flat white and some dark chocolate.
That's it. I know it makes me sound a lot
older than I am, but I love it. Yeah, but I'd like, I won't, you
won't really see me eating take out or whatever.
Just not because I have an issue with it or I'm like purposely
not trying to eat it. It's just I don't like the way
it makes my stomach feel and then I feel just gross
afterwards. So I think I've just just the
food I like is healthier foods and and I think that's kind of
what happens when you start. We implement that in your diet
and your lifestyle. It becomes what you prefer.
And I've just done that for so many years that it's, you know,
that's kind of that's kind of what it is.
But then, you know, I'll run an ultra and I'll chug a gallon of
Coke and then I'll apologize to my dentist ages.
But. I think if you're having that as
a one off compared to most people, it's probably fine.
Yeah, that's what I tell myself. What kind of shoes kits were you
wearing or do you normally wear? Were you wearing during the
race? What protected you from you?
You said it wasn't raining. What what helps with that?
But it, it was a little bit, but I am, I'm a hardcore innovate
fan. Like I know Thomas is the same.
We we were wearing the same shoes for a lot of it, a trail
fly, but like the old trail fly, the one that you can't really
get on the Internet anymore, which I'm trying to buy them all
out basically. So 7 1/2 I'll have it.
So like any innovate shoe really, I'll wear it.
I love it. I wore so I was kind of, I had
my trail flies and then I had a pair of speed goats as well.
And then I had a pair of a pair of ultras.
Now I am really bad with kit. I kind of wear whatever.
I don't take care of my kit either.
So Scotty saw my shoes and he was like, do you still have dirt
on them from the southern up way?
Like yeah, but you'll most of the time you see me in a trail
fly. Yeah, I'm, I'm pretty much the
same with my kit as well. That's that's what the washing
machines for. And then if it doesn't come off
then yeah, you'll wear again. It's going to get dirty anyway.
That's. Exactly it.
That's why what's the point if it's going to get dirty?
And so yeah, that that's my thought.
But other people are different and they like to take care of
the kit and. Who does that?
That's that's what makes this all individual.
So you, you mentioned a few different brands there.
So that suggests to me that you've not got any sponsorship.
No, I don't. Maybe someday.
Yeah, if someday wants to pass on some free kit, then feel free
to either of us. My dream would be would be to be
an innovative ambassador. I would.
I'd be loving my life even more
than I already do. But for now, I'll just keep
plodding along. Good deep, deep question for
you. What do you think about when
you're running? Yeah, like day-to-day, if I'm if
I'm going for a slow run, I'll put a podcast on and that will
occupy my mind. Pretty standard run.
I'll have music on and that will occupy my mind when I race.
I don't listen to music unless I need it.
So like out of backyard. Obviously you have a lot of time
to just be with your own mind. And sometimes I'll just phase
out. Sometimes I'll talk out loud to
myself, which is fun to run with me when that happens.
And that's normally a lot of like positive self talk.
So that will normally happen when I'm kind of not loving
everything or something's bothering me or I just, you
know, everything just really grating on me and it, I feel
like it's taking ages to get from mile 10 to 70.
Do you know what I mean? Although it obviously does take
ages, but especially in backyards.
I I hate I hate the 1st 50 miles because I feel like it.
It's so boring. Can we just not start a day in?
Yeah, like it like I don't, yeah, I don't know, it just,
it's just so boring. You're not, it's you're not in
the fun bit yet, you know, I mean like, so I don't know,
nothing hurts yet. So you're kind of like you've
got, you've got nothing to push you along.
A lot of the time. I I'll do, I'll do a bit of
visualization here and there, but that's normally like a
latter half of a race. I kind of tug at old memories
and just things that have happened in the past, and I like
to replay them in my mind. Good things, bad things, just
experiences, and that will kind of occupy my brain quite a bit.
Just replaying like scenes from my life almost.
I know that sounds a bit strange.
I don't know if you do that. I'm, I'm not sure because I I
don't know what I think about. So not nothing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. What I always say is to be good
at a backyard, you need to be comfortable with your own
company. Yeah, yeah, you really do.
People say it's the the most interactive with other people
that you can in a race, but sometimes when you're getting
into the like 30 hours, the the course is actually spread out so
you're you're on your own. Yeah, or you don't feel like
talking to people. There was one loop where Thomas
hung back and started the loop with me, and he's lovely,
absolutely lovely. But I just didn't feel like
chatting that loop. And he was trying to have a bit
of a conversation with me and I was just like, I kind of just
want to be in my own head here. But yeah, I don't know, like it.
I guess it really depends. Anything to help me kind of pass
the time really. And the music if, if I really,
if I really need it. But you say that about
backyards. It is really social, but at the
same time I find that it drains me.
So you have this huge opportunity to chat to all these
people. But especially in the early
hours, if I'm chatting too much with the people, I'm giving so
much of my energy because I, I, I get like really socially
drained really quickly. So I find that I have to hold
myself back and not talk to everybody.
OK, what tell tell me about before races, do you get
nervous? Oh my gosh you're shit.
I'm shitting shitting myself every time.
I I hate start lines so much. I hate start lines not as much
as I hated you the other day. I, I can tell how much I care
about a race by how terrified I am of it because I've rocked up
start lines before where I'm like, whatever, We'll see how it
go. And then especially like
Highlander and Scotland 100. I, I was, I did not want the
start line. I was terrified of the start
line. Like Scotland 100 at every
single checkpoint. I was basically telling all the
Marshalls I was like, I just want to finish the race.
I just want to finish the race. I was like close to tears so
early on the race being like so emotional about like, I just
want to finish the race. I don't know if I can.
I just want to finish the race. I was terrified of that, of that
start line. Same with the Islander.
I was just like dreading the start line because I cared more
than I realized I cared. So normally I'm shitting myself
on a start line. I may not like it, but.
Do you think that's because you're excited about it?
That's why you're almost terrified of it, because you
want, you really want to do it. Maybe maybe sometimes I'm just
scared of the course, but it's just so much unknown, especially
in your longer distances. And I get scared of like, what's
going to happen? How am I going to handle this?
How's my body going to react to this?
You know, am I going to be mentally tough enough to, you
know, get through certain bits or get through a night or
whatnot? So it's just so much of the
unknown that really scares me. And and that's why in most
races, I really don't like the first chunk of the race because
it's kind of like it's this build up to me getting to the
point where I'm like, am I going to be good this time?
Am I going to be able to push through?
Because normally the first chunk of chunk of miles is fine
because my body can handle it. It knows what it's doing.
But and I find that really grading that first chunk of, you
know, let's just build up to the good stuff.
And I don't know what's going to happen or where I'll be mentally
when I get there or whatnot. So yeah, it's a lot of it.
It's probably like excitement because I care a little bit of
genuine fear. That's just kind of how how it
goes for me and I just have to deal with it.
And going back to Highlander, you did 36 yards.
Your aim was 30. You weren't getting to stop.
But you, you put a post on Facebook saying that you, you
had made a deal with Thoma. Care to explain that?
Yeah, so we, so it's pretty early on in the race like you,
you meet people and I, I kind of just when you chat to people and
I was chatting to Joe, the one who proposed to his girlfriend
at the end of the race, another really, really lovely guy.
And he, I think he, he, I forget which one it was, but he had won
a backyard couple weeks beforehand, I think with like 26
hours. And I know he, I knew he had big
goals. And then there was Thomas, who
he made, he made it clear from the get go what his goals were
and what he wanted. You know, backyards a bit of a
game in that sense. Like, you know, are you going to
tell people what you want? Are you going to tell people
what you've done? You know, are you going to, what
information are you going to give about yourself, Which it's
a whole mind game as as you know, and Thomas made it really,
really, really clear early on and just seeing the way he was
running, I can tell he's really, really strong.
Like he was everything super chill.
His attitude was great. And again, you know how it is,
you see people kind of decay a little bit, you know, just by
the way they're running or their attitude or whatnot.
He was chilling. So I think thinking about like
26 or 27 hours, I think, I think it was past 24 hours.
We had a chat. We were going up that hill
because we had our rhythm basically, you know, we would,
you know, do a little bit up the hill together and then he'd
leave me. And then, you know, and he was
telling me what, you know, what he wanted, what his goals were
here. And I was thinking to myself,
right, well, I want 30 hours. And I'm not here.
I'm not here to prove loads of things.
Essentially after Scotland 100, I, I had, I just had this, this,
I don't know, this mentality of nobody can take that from me
because I was in shock that that race went the way it did.
And I was like, I don't, I don't have anything to prove right now
because I'm in all the fact that that race happened the way it
did and I was like 30 hours. I don't need anything else that
would get me on the Swiss team. I can make a decision from
there. And here's this guy who really
clearly wants this spot and you can see how much he wanted it.
And another thing that he was saying was, you know, he's never
won a race before, which like what he races is fun.
And you know, like, as you know, it's good fun.
And I just I was like, well, you know, I don't need to be selfish
about this race here. Plus I can't even have the
silver ticket. Like, you know, I think because
I've been running out of the Swiss flag under the Swiss flag
sounds really sounds really legit.
I can't I can't even have the silver ticket if I wanted it.
And I didn't think I was on the live stream last night with Eric
and and Jonathan with Russell Block and and I I saw that if I
had taken the win, then Julie would have gotten on the list.
And I was like, Oh, I didn't know that.
But well, I'm sorry, Julie, but yeah, I just had this moment.
I was like, you know what? Like if he can get me to my 30
yards, because you don't know what's going to happen.
Like we might feel strong at 27 yards and then everything blows
up. So like, if he can get me to my
30 yards, get me on that team, I will.
I will happily. If it comes down to me and him,
which I think we both had a feeling it would, then he can
have it because I win in so many ways.
You know, I get my spot on the team.
I get the female Swiss records, you know, final female in the
event. Like it like so many wins for
me, like I don't have to be selfish about it.
And he gets his spot on the on the squad.
And then we'll you know, we're running out in October against
each other essentially. So yeah, it was a conversation
that we had and I was I just didn't feel like I need it.
I didn't, I didn't feel like I had much to prove or, you know,
I didn't. I why should I try and take that
from him if if I've got everything that I came for and
more? It sounds justified to me.
Has anybody from the Swiss team acknowledged your achievements,
your your record? So the the record is a bit of a
weird one because we were trying to figure it out if it was
actually a thing at first. And, and I've spoken to Eric
Rastlebach again. He kind of does a lot of the
backyard stuff. And he was like, yeah, it's
confirmed. I'm in contact with the guy who
organized the Swiss team because he messaged me a while back,
back when I ran Devin and Cornwall.
And just to be like, are you actually Swiss?
Because it was kind of all over the place.
But yeah, so basically Eric has confirmed it, Laz has confirmed
it. That's all I got.
OK. When you're in Switzerland doing
the race will be virtually racing.
I'll be in Suffolk and you'll be in somewhere in Switzerland.
I don't know where you're. Do you speak German?
I used to growing up because my mom spoke, but not anymore.
No, no, no, no, it's all gone. I'll understand quite a bit, but
Nope. So it'll be it'll be great fun
with that. So so you'll be Google
translating everything that people say to you gonna.
Be honest with you, I lot of the time a lot of twists.
First of all, they speak really good English.
They as a point, everybody over there will speak English, so
there's nothing to worry about and.
I think you get, I think you get a lot, a lot of people similar
to myself who like they have a Swiss passport, but they're not
solely Swiss. You get a whole mixture of
things. But I will make it a point to
you know better my Swiss German. I think is it French as well
maybe, I'm not sure. Yeah, depending on where you are
in Italian, yeah, yeah. But I have no idea where the
race is, to be honest with you. I need to figure that out at
some point in the next. Few months, I think technically
I've raced in Switzerland, UTMB, starting in Chamonix in France,
going into Switzerland, in Italy and back into France again.
So yeah, there you go. Beautiful.
Beautiful part of the world. Yeah, beautiful part.
Of the world, I can't remember much of it, but there you go.
A few questions to wrap up what's what's your preferred
race distance? I always say A50 Miller.
I love A50 Miller. It's like I, I don't know, it's
just such a good distance because it's, and people are
going to really hate me for saying this almost.
It's short enough that you can race it, but long enough that
you can feel the pain of an ultra in a sense, obviously
depending on the elevation gain. And then you can be home for
dinner and sleep in your own bed most of the time.
So I really enjoy A50 Miller, but recently I've especially
this year and if you look at like my race history and stuff,
you'll see that this year I've really been pushing to longer
distances and like I really enjoyed Scotland 100.
I, you know, there was so much to it that I loved and I just
see myself liking the 100 mile distance more and more and more
and just like stuff that I'm looking at for the future.
A lot of them are just longer, but I think I will always love
A50 Miller. You just, you can't.
You can't go wrong with a 50 Miller.
I'd probably say 70 for me. Well, how many races are 70
miles along the? Well, Greg Glenn, I've done it
four times and won at 3:00. So the time that I came that I
then I didn't win it. I came second and I was a minute
and a half behind the leader. 35 miles in I was an hour behind
the leader because I wasn't supposed to be racing it so.
That's what happens though. You're not supposed to be racing
it. And then you get get out there
and they're like, maybe, yeah. Is it?
Would you recommend? I would recommend it, yes and
rocket events, same people that organize the Highlander as them
that organize a great plan. So what time are you?
Can't say about A Midsummer, I think it's start of July, 1st
weekend of July normally. OK.
So midges. Well the thing about midges, if
you run fast enough they they won't keep up.
It's only when you stop. I'm surprised I had there were
there were like none at the Highlander I was.
All like I. Was all prepped.
I was like, right Scottish summer, this is like my
Scotland. I'm going to be all prepared for
it. I wasn't.
And then they didn't even show up.
I was like what is this? But were you hoping that they
would? No, yes and no.
I was like, I was ready to battle him.
I was like OG Scottish experience, got to get out
there, they've got to be there and then they.
Yeah, and nobody wins against the Mitch.
They're the winner. It doesn't matter what you do.
Don't wait and not get better. It's not fair enough.
So a dream races, have you got any?
I've yeah, sort of a lot of them are kind of in the UK at this
point in time because that's where my what, that's what I'm
kind of looking at. That's on my scope.
Races that scare me are my dream races.
The spine terrifies me. I'm running Challenger North in
January, which scares me shitless, but like, the more I
up the distance, the more I feel like, right, OK, you know, maybe
I could do it, Maybe not. So those types of races, like
I'd love to do Dragons back just as kind of like a bucket list
race. I'd love to race more abroad.
I've raced a couple of times in Spain and Portugal.
Yeah, like race. Yeah.
I don't know, really, really long races essentially.
But there are no like names that are like big on my list.
It's kind of like I'll see something and if it terrifies
me, I'll be like, I kind of want to do that.
But right now it's kind of spine that really, really scares,
scares me quite a bit. I find it funny that you say
you'd like to race abroad more when you're you're probably the
most multicultural person that I've had on the show.
So there you go. But it's funny, I don't, you
know, obviously we've got like Hard Rock and bad water and all
those races in the States. I don't have an interest in
racing in the States right now and for some reason I am.
This is going to be good fun. I am headed over to Malaysia in
November and I'm doing the, there's a new by UTMB Malaysia
race, which don't ask me about my thoughts on UTMB, but I'm
going and I'm running the 50K and I'm going to absolutely die
in that heat. But it's going to be a fun
experience. So there you go, racing abroad
more Rod from the. UK, have you got any running
idols that you would want to it can be alive or not that you
would want to go for a run with? I really read, and I think
people will notice this just from from Highlander.
Karen Nipple's a huge role model of mine in as a human and as a
runner, and I obviously I got to run with her at Backyard a
couple of years ago. So yeah, she's one of those
people who I would love to run with her any day.
I think. I think Courtney Dewalter would
be just such good fun to run with, but she seems like a riot
kick my ass because she's a legend.
But she seems like she'd just be fun on the trails, just like
have a great time. But yeah, there's just like a
lot of like local people who I'm like, I think they're great.
So when I lived in Northern Ireland, I don't know if you
know, Ricky Win. He's a really, he's an
incredible Irish runner. She looked him up.
He's great. Went running in the mornings
with him and I was like fangirling the whole time.
I was like, Oh my gosh, he like, you know, he was, he was up and
down the Moore Mountains like, like nothing.
And I was like, Oh my gosh. So, yeah, just like a lot of
local kind of people, but you know, they'll ditch me in 2
seconds. But like, even like, like you,
like I love to run with you do, you know, I mean like you're
amazing to me and like, yeah. So I just, I think it's the
people that are like tangible in my world to like they live a
couple hours away or, you know, I can run into them on the
trails and stuff like that. Who I think I want to run with
them because I can learn the most from them because they
understand my world. They understand the world that I
run in and yeah, if that makes any sense.
Yeah, no, it's a valid answer to me.
You mentioned Karen there. Worth reiterating what your your
aim was for 35. Yeah, right.
So you were like, you were like, right, you need to run, you need
to run 32. And I was like, right, OK.
And I I texted Taz on that loop, I think it was the thirty 30th
or 31st loop. And I was actually really
annoyed at you because you were like, you know, Swiss records 32
And I was like, I don't think it is 32.
And so I was texting cast and I was like, is it 32?
Can you please look this up? I don't know.
She must have spoken to you and and anyway, and and she was
like, oh, well, you should probably just run 32 just just
just in case, just to, you know, keep it solid.
And I was like, right, OK, whatever, Kaz is telling me to
run that, I'll run that. And I was in a really shit mood
at this time and like, you know, shit mood, but also still happy
as it normally goes with me. And then I roll back around end
of 32 and you kind of look at me and you go has his record is 35.
I wanted to punch you in the face quite genuinely.
I was just like this man. I hate him because I was like,
you've got something on me here. You're just, you've got
something pushing my buttons in the right way.
That is it. You know, I'm not trying to go,
yeah, whatever. I don't care.
I'm going to go, right. Well, he knows what to say for
some reason. He knows what to say to get me
to be like, oh, fine, whatever. So, so when I did 32, I was
like, I have to be 35. And I, I was walking up the hill
with Thomas and obviously I, I was, I made this deal with him
and I was going to stand by it because that the type person I
am. And, and I looked at him and I
went, Mike is making me run 35. And he just looked at me like,
you don't have to do everything Mike says.
And I was like, no, I have to run 35.
And then I ran 35. And then I was like, oh, wait,
35 is not 150 miles. So I guess I got to run 36.
And that 36, I went on the 35th. And you're like, just don't tell
yourself it's over yet. No, I went off the 34th or
something. You said that to me.
And then I came in the 35 and I had already decided I was
running 36. But yeah, it was, it was a lot
of back and forth that I felt like I was you guys playing mind
games with me and like texting one another being like, how can
we trick her into, you know, running?
Like what are they all about? Like it was funny.
You came in and you were trying to say one thing to me.
It's like, it's all right. I've already talked to Karen, so
we knew what we had to say to you.
Yeah, yeah. And you were like, you were
like, it doesn't matter what you say.
Whatever happens, we know what's being said.
Like we communicate like with one.
Another I know that you had fed back to Karen that oh, Mike's,
Mike said this. Mike said that.
It's like, yeah, I know. Karen told me it.
Was really funny. It was like me in the middle and
I was like, so I was tired obviously, and I was like, I
feel like I'm getting played here.
Oh, you were. It worked out well for
everybody, so it. Worked out well.
And if, you know, if I, if I hadn't, you know, felt the way I
felt about those 36 yards, and if things have been different,
then, you know, we might have cracked on, to be honest with
you. I mean, you saw the way Thomas
was. You saw the way I was.
We were not in bad shape. No, I I think you were both more
than capable of doing a lot more than what you did.
Yeah, yeah. Which is good because then see
what we'll see what happens in October, which is the exciting
part. Yes, it is virtually in person
and yeah, all of that. So is that I was going to say
what's next, but is it, is it October?
No no, I have an issue where I like to run too much so I've got
Ring of Fire end of August. I've been wanting to run it for
years and it finally sorted itself out.
Do you know Ring of Fire? Yeah, I know.
Yeah. Yes, sorry.
Yes, yes, apologize for the show so far and we're almost at the
end, but there's a technical problem somewhere that we've
struggled through. Yeah, we're making, we're
making, we're making it work. Yes, I've got Bring a Fire end
of August, which will be good fun and probably dot some
shorter races in here and there because that's what I like to do
kind of last minute stuff just for the fun of it.
And then, yeah, it'll mainly be October.
That will be kind of the focus. Backyards are really mentally
draining as you know. So I kind of need to like reset
mentally because if you go into your backyard again, you'll know
and you're not mentally there. It's, it's, it's a shit show.
It can be horrible. But yeah, so ring a fire, couple
couple shorter stuff here and there.
But after Ring a Fire, it'll be all on for for October, really.
Yeah, What you mentioned there, I heard something the other day
about backyard fatigue. You think that's a thing for you
For in general, I, I at the moment I can't see me needing to
take a time out, but how do you feel about that?
I think, I think so, but that might just be me because I the
way I am as a person and the way I live my life and that's just
how I am. I put a lot of emotion into the
things that I do. So I will have, I give like a
backyard. It just takes so much from me
emotionally and mentally, obviously physically, but so I
find I find it really, really, really draining.
And so for example, even cow shed.
So I raised the backyard in January down in South Wales,
pouring rain. Like, you know, the whole time I
was in full waterproof kit the whole time and I really had the
pool a lot for myself to kind of keep going in that because just
because of the weather mainly. And when Cowshed was meant to
roll around, I I was ready for it, but I felt a bit like, oof,
I can't completely switch on mentally for it.
So yeah, I definitely feel like it's it's a thing for me.
So I do have to take the time to kind of reset and recharge for
October if it's going to, if it's going to go well.
OK. Well, I think we're going to
wrap it up there and all I can say is good luck.
I'll be racing you in October. Thank you.
Thank you very much for tonight and thanks everybody for
listening. And goodbye, Rebecca.