1 00:00:20,670 --> 00:00:24,470 Hello and welcome to another episode of Run Till You're Done. 2 00:00:24,830 --> 00:00:29,510 Today we are joined by a man who make and I both have the 3 00:00:29,510 --> 00:00:33,190 privilege of calling a friend. He's taken on some of the 4 00:00:33,190 --> 00:00:35,990 toughest UK ultras and further afield. 5 00:00:36,150 --> 00:00:40,800 And even better, finish them Lakeland 100 W, Highland Way 6 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:47,720 twice, CCC S, Downs Way, 24 hour races and more recently the full 7 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,440 Spain. Every single one of them has 8 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,120 pushed him to his limits, and every time he's found a way 9 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,960 through grit, heart and a stubborn streak you could see 10 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,480 from space. He's also a coach with 11 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:04,120 Headspace, offering the kind of steady belief and quiet guidance 12 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,800 that stays with you long after a run is over in the Scottish 13 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,680 running community. And as mentioned, for Mike and 14 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,160 I, he's been more than a runner. He's been a really good friend 15 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:19,680 to us both, the kind who shows up, he lifts others, makes the 16 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,240 hard nails feel possible and he just keeps pushing you and 17 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,280 encouraging you. And he's one of the best 18 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,960 supporters. Welcome to the show, Dos 19 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:28,680 Beveridge. Thank. 20 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,960 You very much. I was just cut it in. 21 00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:33,760 It's probably going to be downhill from there after that 22 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,480 introduction, but thank you. Well, you've just done a long 23 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:44,080 race, so it had to be a long introduction, but we'll get 24 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,960 straight into it. You're fresh off the spine. 25 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:54,080 I am not so fresh, but yeah. Hours, Days. 26 00:01:54,160 --> 00:02:00,520 Not long ago it took you 163 hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds 27 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:08,680 of the 168 hour 7 day cut off. They were chasing you. 28 00:02:09,479 --> 00:02:10,840 Yeah, they were. You were. 29 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,520 You just got there in time. How? 30 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:15,960 How does it feel that it's now settled? 31 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,360 I'm still, well, yeah, I'm still, I'm still kind of in it, 32 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,040 I think. I mean, I've not, I've had the 33 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,680 last couple of days off work and so I'm not really back into real 34 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:32,400 life yet. But yeah, it's still a bit, it's 35 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,840 still a bit up in the air. I don't really know how I feel 36 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:36,840 about it. It's been winter spines kind of 37 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,720 some one of these races I've looked at for years and a full 38 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,800 of dots and you've kind of think and I can never do something 39 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,240 like that. That just looks wild and haven't 40 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:51,600 actually kind of got on the start line and then been kind of 41 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,320 obsessed about it for the last year. 42 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,520 And then to turn up on the actual start line and and cross 43 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,920 it and get going was all very surreal. 44 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,200 Even even back last Sunday when it when it started 8:00 in the 45 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:08,560 morning, it was it was just very surreal. 46 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,280 It kind of felt like any other race to start with. 47 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,360 And then it's only after you kind of fully get into it that 48 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,080 you start to realise kind of the magnitude of it and the, how 49 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:23,400 long it's going to go and just the, the size and the scale of 50 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,120 the epicness and, and all that of it. 51 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,040 And I don't even seven days later, when you cross the line, 52 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,320 you still don't really believe that you've done it. 53 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,040 It's, it's just, it's kind of a whirlwind week, but it went on 54 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,200 for a long time. At the same time, it's really 55 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,600 hard to describe. I I guess the. 56 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,640 Beforehand and feeling like it's just another race as probably 57 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,720 helps with the nerves because you knew it was going to be a 58 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,200 big task so. Yeah, I mean it's, it's, I think 59 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,960 a lot of it because it's quite low key in terms of there's no 60 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,800 like big fanfare at the start. You know that you obviously got 61 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,000 the just a big archway in the middle of a field at the start 62 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,440 and it's kind of half dark and everybody just milling about a 63 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,720 car park. And then you line up with a 64 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,080 minute to go and someone blows a whistle and you're off. 65 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,040 And, you know, there's no big fanfare. 66 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:17,640 There's no like male voice choir. 67 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,160 There's no fireworks. There's no, none of that big 68 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,520 stuff. You know, just 321 off you go. 69 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,920 And then you're out into the into the hills. 70 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,040 And that's yeah. So it's kind of a low key, low 71 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,280 key start. But obviously it's, it's not a 72 00:04:30,280 --> 00:04:32,600 low key race. It's quite, it's quite an epic 73 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,440 affair. Well, I think we'll we'll get on 74 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,440 to the the spine, the main event in a minute. 75 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,040 But back to formalities over unity. 76 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,240 Yeah. So for those that as mentioned 77 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,480 in the introduction may know you really well and Scottish running 78 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,280 community and I would imagine that you've gained quite a few 79 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:55,960 more fans and dot watchers and new friends along your spine 80 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,640 course. So for those, how did your 81 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:04,040 running journey start? Seems like a while ago now, but 82 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:09,040 started way back when. When I got married, I wasn't a 83 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:13,520 runner at all, Wasn't a runner in high school or anything like 84 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,320 that. I didn't do athletics, didn't 85 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,520 really do that much sport. I did a bit of swimming, did 86 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:23,880 about ice hockey, just general general sporty stuff, but 87 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:25,920 nothing I wasn't totally good at anything. 88 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,360 I started running just after we got married and a previous 89 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:35,920 podcast, Alice has probably mentioned this story where we 90 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:39,280 were on honeymoon and we decided to use the gym facilities in the 91 00:05:39,280 --> 00:05:43,040 hotel and I'd never run before. So I went on a treadmill for a 92 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,360 couple of minutes and was absolutely dying. 93 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,320 And I thought that was horrible. I don't understand why people 94 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,680 run. And then when we got back home 95 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,200 after honeymoon, it was just kind of like, I really need to 96 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,160 do something to take off a bit of weight of of put up with the 97 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,040 stress eating in the run up to the wedding. 98 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:03,320 So I started going out running and because running was cheap 99 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,040 and, and easy and you could just, oh, you need a pair of 100 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,680 trainers, right? You know, So yeah, you put your 101 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,080 pair of trainers on and you go to the end of the road and then 102 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,520 you go a wee bit further and a wee bit further and a bit 103 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:15,400 further and just kind of went from there. 104 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:20,520 So ended up doing first race was a 5K in Edinburgh British Heart 105 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:25,280 Foundation 5K and I don't, I don't think he raised any money 106 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:27,600 rather than it was just them. It was just because it was a 107 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:32,440 charity event. And then did a couple of I kind 108 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,920 of 10K in Edinburgh as well, graduated up to half marathon 109 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,400 and then went and did Edmund marathon. 110 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,640 And you kind of think, OK, marathons like a once in a 111 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,640 lifetime thing. You're not going to go any 112 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:47,160 further than that. And for some reason I decided 113 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,760 that I wanted to do something else. 114 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:55,880 So I found trail running and did the Glencoe Marathon gathering, 115 00:06:55,880 --> 00:07:00,720 which was my first trail run. I think that was that must have 116 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:05,720 been 2014 I think. So that was my first trail run 117 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,840 and I absolutely loved it compared to the the road running 118 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:12,000 of everything I've done before, because every previous race was 119 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:17,040 road and I just love the trail and getting muddy and just the 120 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,800 views and all that kind of stuff into the vibe was a lot better 121 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,040 and I just enjoyed it a lot more. 122 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,000 So after that I was kind of looking for for more trail 123 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,120 stuff. So I probably ended up doing a 124 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,360 couple of 10 KS and things on trail, but the first big one was 125 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:36,400 Jedbra in 2015. I signed up for that not really 126 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:41,160 knowing if I could do the distance and it nearly broke me 127 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,280 at the time I was, I really hurt my knee coming down the third 128 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:48,080 peak in the Jedbra three peaks. And I had to basically just 129 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,360 hobble back to the back to the finish line start line. 130 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,560 And I was the slowest finisher on the day. 131 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:57,560 So I've got a special prize for being slowest finisher on the 132 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,920 day. And then I thought I was done 133 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:02,360 with that. I was, I was in bits and I 134 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:04,480 didn't want to do anything ever again. 135 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,400 And then we were later I decided I was going to go back and do 136 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,960 that one again because I didn't want it to end on such a low 137 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,320 note. So I went back next year and it 138 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,520 took two hours of my time and felt a lot better and it just 139 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,360 kind of snowed world from there. I've gone a bit wild since. 140 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:25,280 And you've obviously gotten a lot longer and you've done some 141 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,440 proper races like backyard ultras as well. 142 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,080 Yeah, well, some people would say proper, proper ultras like 143 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:32,039 that. Yeah. 144 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:35,120 So I mean, I've just kind of gotten into the whole Scottish 145 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,919 scene and the whole British scene eventually as well. 146 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,000 You know, there's always another race that sounds longer, better, 147 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,000 faster, harder. You know, there's always 148 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,320 something else knocking at your door as soon as you do 1. 149 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,880 So, you know, you end up from Jedbra. 150 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,280 You hear about things like the fling the devil from there, you 151 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:53,520 hear about the West Highland way from there you hear about the 152 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:55,560 Western States and and whatever else, you know. 153 00:08:55,560 --> 00:08:59,000 So everything just all of a sudden falls into your falls 154 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,880 into your radar and you start thinking, oh, could I do that 155 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:04,400 and could I do this? Yeah. 156 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,120 So yeah, I've done backyard as well. 157 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:11,320 Obviously backyards kind of suit my skill set in the sense that 158 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,200 they don't, you don't need to be particularly fast. 159 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,760 You just need to be able to go for a long time, which is what I 160 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,480 think I'm better at because I'm not, I'm never going to be 161 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:24,720 podiuming a point to point race. So I do enjoy the the attrition 162 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,480 factor of backyard and just grinding yourself down and 163 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,640 seeing who who you can outlast. So I've been doing that for the 164 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,880 last couple of years. So Spain has been a bit of a 165 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,320 blip in that in the sense that it's back to point to point 166 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:40,600 racing. So it's been the first point to 167 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:44,600 point I've done in a while. And when you look back at all 168 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:48,960 the races that you have done from start to current day, does 169 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,000 it feel like you've went in a straight line or has it just 170 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,520 been a series of chaotic decisions? 171 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:02,240 I think it's been, it's been kind of organised chaos. 172 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,400 I've got, I've got things, I'm like, oh, I want to do that. 173 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:06,920 And I press the button before I know what I'm doing. 174 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:11,120 And then you think, oh, I should really have done something else 175 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:12,880 before that. And so I'll go back, I'll 176 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,360 retrace my steps and I'll go back and I'll do some truck 177 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,720 something else in there before it just to ease up. 178 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,760 And it's like all of a sudden I'm doing 2 races instead of the 179 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:21,720 one that was supposed to be doing. 180 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,520 And then you add something else and you add something else. 181 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,720 And then when I wasn't being coached, that was easy to go a 182 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:32,280 bit overboard with and just sign up for everything that was 183 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,840 going. And you find yourself racing 184 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:38,760 every weekend, racing every weekend or doing an event every 185 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:42,840 weekend and it's all very expensive, saying they've all 186 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,120 very tiring and you're not really putting in any kind of 187 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:47,600 performance. You're just kind of hovering 188 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,440 around mid back to the back of the pack and having a great 189 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:53,400 time, which is absolutely, I'm absolutely there for. 190 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:57,680 But I think if you want to kind of be pushing yourself a little 191 00:10:57,680 --> 00:11:00,800 bit and you want to be doing yourself justice performance 192 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:02,640 wise, I think you need to pick and choose your races a bit 193 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:04,560 better. So that's kind of where I'm at 194 00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:07,320 just now and that's kind of what I've learned from and being 195 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:11,240 coached and doing the coaching is that if it's absolutely fine 196 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,400 to meander about and just have a great time with your friends and 197 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,160 have nothing against that. But if you want to push yourself 198 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,880 a little bit, I think you need more structure and control in 199 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:23,160 what you what you sign up for. And are you still coached? 200 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,160 I am, yes. I'm coached by the the wonderful 201 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:30,920 John Connolly, who I've been with now for God knows how long. 202 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,840 Four years maybe. So, yeah. 203 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,160 So I think I've got a good, good working relationship with John. 204 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:42,400 And we've, he's been keeping me on a short leash for for a 205 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,280 while. He kind of knows what float from 206 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,680 a boat and he knows what I don't like to do and what I need to 207 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:50,840 do. And we've got a really good 208 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:52,960 working relationship, so. So yeah. 209 00:11:55,200 --> 00:12:00,400 That's been a whistle stop tour in comparison to what we're just 210 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,200 about to talk about, but we'll get on to the main event, which 211 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:09,480 is the spine. You're probably not slept much 212 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:13,480 since it didn't sleep much during it, but we'll get on to 213 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:18,400 that later, right? Starting right at the start, 214 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:22,320 you're on the start line. What's going through your head? 215 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,080 It was all a bit chaotic actually. 216 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:30,000 Then because we had, we were staying about 20 minutes drive 217 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:35,240 outside of Edale because I basically got to put the 218 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,720 accommodation in advance because there's it gets snapped up 219 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:40,600 quick. Edale is not a big place, so 220 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,360 there's very little available. So we ended up and then this, we 221 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,440 placed 20 minutes outside so I had to drive to the start line 222 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:49,680 from there and the roads were horrific. 223 00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:55,120 And we kind of got stuck driving to ideal down this really ropey 224 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,520 hill on ice. And there was a big truck that 225 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,040 had kind of come up the hill and then got stuck and at the back 226 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,360 all the way down. And it was one of those really 227 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,520 windy on a Cliff type roads that was going down. 228 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:08,640 And it took us a while to get there. 229 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:14,160 So well, we got there eventually and got into the car park and 230 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,920 parked up and did all our bits and pieces. 231 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,280 And then we were kind of hanging about a bit. 232 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:23,160 And then it was kind of like, oh God, right, It's another time to 233 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,200 go. I better get my stuff on and and 234 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:27,800 get get going. So put my stuff on And I was 235 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:29,400 like, I've got too many jackets on. 236 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:30,640 I'm too hot. I'm going to take this one off 237 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,400 and then put on another one on and pack this away. 238 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:35,880 I'm just going to check that I've got that and my bottles are 239 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:37,760 filled. And you start panicking that you 240 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,440 don't have everything, everything because you think I'm 241 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,000 going to be out here for a week now. 242 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,760 I can't leave anything or I'm going to be really screwed. 243 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:49,440 So I was just starting to, it went from being OK to be like, 244 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,520 right, I need to check I've got everything and make sure 245 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:53,440 everything I know where everything is in my pack. 246 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:57,040 And then everyone starts heading over to the start line and I 247 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,200 couldn't get my pack on. I couldn't get it fastened 248 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,600 because I put an extra jacket on which had made me wider around 249 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:04,480 the belly. So I couldn't get it fastened 250 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:06,360 and it's in the dark and I couldn't see what I was doing. 251 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:08,760 And Alice is trying to adjust the adjust it. 252 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:15,400 And then I was stomping over to the start line and I was trying 253 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,680 to meet up with my my friends who had done Ricky's with. 254 00:14:18,680 --> 00:14:23,240 So Leon's Proctor was there and Craig Stokes, who were both 255 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,120 doing the full. And we did a little WhatsApp 256 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:30,360 chat going on in the months running up and we're trying to 257 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,880 find them in the dark, which I eventually did and we can hug 258 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,400 each other and said good luck. And then all of a sudden it was 259 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,120 321 go and everyone started running and I was like, oh, 260 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:43,600 shit, here we go. So it was all very chaotic at 261 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,600 the start, which isn't really like me, but I think that's just 262 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:49,720 a sign of the kind of nerves that you have with these things. 263 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:55,560 So yeah, it was, it was just it was just a bit chaotic and but 264 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,920 once it got going, it was fine. You just, you start and you're 265 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:03,640 just following the people in front and you have to remember 266 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:07,240 to start your watch, which I eventually did and all that kind 267 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,640 of stuff. And you start making sure the 268 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:12,480 tracker is working properly and that you're going the right way. 269 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,400 And the roots, the roots, roots loaded properly and everyone's 270 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,920 going the right way. And all of a sudden you're up 271 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:21,000 into the snow in the hills and you're on your way and everyone 272 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,360 just settles into their their own little rhythm. 273 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,520 You you said that you were double checking, checking your 274 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,480 list and checking it twice. And yeah, you're not in Nice. 275 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:36,320 Did you have a list? Or more important, did you have 276 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,760 everything? I did have everything, yeah. 277 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:40,760 I mean, I knew I had everything, but it's just one of these 278 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,240 things that you, you're always panicking about it. 279 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,360 I've been panicking about not having things for nine months. 280 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,760 And you always think I've got this thing, but is it going to 281 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,680 pass kit check, I've got this thing, but is it going to be 282 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,840 good enough? Or is that do I need something 283 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,280 better, small or lighter, whatever. 284 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:58,840 And I think it was just part of that. 285 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,680 You know, you just until you actually get going, it's just 286 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,680 stress and panic. And I think anyone who's ever 287 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,480 been on like the spine start list will completely understand 288 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,520 that the the kit list itself is essential. 289 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,920 I won't have, I won't have anything kind of bad said about 290 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:19,640 the kit list, but it is very intimidating and stress inducing 291 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,760 for someone who's not done a race like this before. 292 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,560 I mean, it's like it's like 31 pages long. 293 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:31,000 It's very specific. So it's it's the the most 294 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,600 stressful part of this kind of race process was getting through 295 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,040 kit check on the Saturday. Is there anything that you 296 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,280 brought extra that you now think that should have been on the kit 297 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,520 list? No, I think the man of study kit 298 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:49,040 list is, is pretty good. I think Lindley Chambers, who, 299 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:53,280 who does it, knows his stuff and he he puts it together well. 300 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,440 And the the other guys who put it together. 301 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:58,880 So all the mandatory stuff is on there. 302 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,880 But they do say to you, this is this is the mandatory minimum. 303 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,240 You should be taking other things with you. 304 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:10,680 I mean, I had an extra jacket in there and I opted for a larger 305 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,960 bag than some. And I think that was one of the 306 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:17,640 better decisions that I made just because I had room, I had 307 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:22,280 rummage room and it meant that I was confident that I could pack 308 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,040 extra stuff at the last minute if I needed to, if the weather 309 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:29,200 was going to be totally bad or wet or I wanted an extra pair of 310 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,120 eggs in case something broke or tore or or whatever. 311 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:38,560 And I think I, I don't think I noticed any difference between 312 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,560 having a larger pack than anyone that didn't, it didn't slow me 313 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:46,120 down in any way possible. So I'd, I'd recommend anyone, if 314 00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:49,200 you're thinking about going, going on the spine and taking a, 315 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,840 a larger pack. I took a 32 litre pack and I'd 316 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:54,560 go for the larger one. There were some people there who 317 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,640 had a 12 litre pack, which I think is wild. 318 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:03,600 I've got a Salomon Eslab 12 litre and I couldn't imagine 319 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:05,920 having a week's worth of kit in that bag. 320 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,720 Yeah, but there's a guy who did it on, did a YouTube before the 321 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:11,720 start list and you put all this mandatory kit in it. 322 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,640 So I mean, it proves that you can get all your mandatory kit 323 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:19,760 in it, but that's not going to be enough for you should the 324 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,280 weather go bad. And as we'll probably hear 325 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,080 later, the getting, getting stuff, even though you've got 326 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:29,400 the stuff with you doesn't mean it's staying dry or intact or 327 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:31,160 during the week. You know, if you if you lose it 328 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,000 and you can't replace it, then that's a problem. 329 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:37,520 Do you have things like in your bag? 330 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,400 Were the inside plastic bags dry bags? 331 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:46,520 Yeah, so I had it's like a big rucksack liner. 332 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:50,080 It's like it's basically a glorified bin bag and it's more 333 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:51,960 heavy duty. So I had that inside the full 334 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:55,520 main main section of my bag. And then inside that it was 335 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,080 individual dry bags. So I had my sleeping system in 336 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:01,320 one dry bag. I had my changes of base layer 337 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:03,560 and socks and things in another dry bag. 338 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:05,520 I had my electricals in another dry bag. 339 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:10,200 I had a spare and insulated jacket and another dry bag so 340 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,360 when I needed those things I didn't have to unpack 341 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:13,960 everything. I just took out the bag that had 342 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:18,440 that in it and it was sorted. And did you know to do that from 343 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,400 advice from the groups prior to the race? 344 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,800 Yeah, I mean, you get advice on all of these things. 345 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,520 I mean, there's, there's sometimes too much advice on 346 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:28,800 these things. You know, everyone's got their 347 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,440 own way of doing things. It's like asking someone which 348 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,920 trainers they should wear. You'll get 1000 different 349 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:40,280 suggestions and you know they they 1000 people will be right 350 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:43,880 for them. But yeah, I think you can take 351 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:45,880 the advice that's in the group. The group is very helpful for a 352 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:49,280 lot of things. A lot of the things I learned 353 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:52,800 was just out doing recce and speaking to people like Craig 354 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:57,280 and the other guys on the recce and seeing what they were doing. 355 00:19:57,680 --> 00:19:59,680 If I had found something on the record, it wasn't working for 356 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:01,440 me. I could look at them and say, 357 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:02,520 oh, what have they done different? 358 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:04,720 And. It was good to see in action, 359 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,520 you know, so that I got a lot of good tips there. 360 00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:12,760 Was that from people that had done the race before and they 361 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:14,800 told you or were they? Yeah, not Was you? 362 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:16,560 They were kind of in the same boat. 363 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:21,240 I mean, Craig has done the challenger SI think before. 364 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:23,480 So he had done one of the spine races before. 365 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:29,360 Not, not the big one, but it's obviously you, you know, the, 366 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:32,280 the lay of the land by doing one of the one of the smaller races. 367 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,000 So it's people who have done it before, Yeah. 368 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,160 I think the kit list is the same for the. 369 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,800 I don't know about the Sprint races, but definitely the the 370 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,120 challenger ones, yeah. Yeah, they are the same. 371 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:48,120 And. It's slightly reduced this year 372 00:20:48,120 --> 00:20:50,120 as well. I mean they, they reduced it to 373 00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:53,560 take away you didn't need a camping stove or gas and things 374 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:55,280 this year. You you could take it if you 375 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,440 wanted, but it wasn't part of the mandatory kit this year. 376 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:03,320 So it has been slightly reduced on years gone by, which is which 377 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:08,400 is good. So for USDOT watchers getting 378 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:13,600 all the dots lined up, a good few of us had noticed that you 379 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,800 had buddied up with Llenos Procter early on from day one. 380 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:23,360 Was this in your plan between you or did it just happen? 381 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:25,640 Yeah, absolutely wasn't in the plan. 382 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:29,640 And me and you know, I've never actually met in person until we 383 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:31,840 stood on the start line. We've been chatting away for 384 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:35,480 months in the WhatsApp group, but and obviously we've got like 385 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:41,680 40 mutual friends on on Facebook and instead of whatever else and 386 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,240 we've probably been at the same races and all this kind of 387 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:46,640 stuff, but we've never actually had a conversation before. 388 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:51,640 So we're just going to met each other at start line and same 389 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,040 same with Craig and the three of us just headed off at our own 390 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,000 paces and we didn't see each other. 391 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,520 I literally didn't see Craig again in the race after we 392 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,800 crossed the start line. Clint also, I kind of saw 393 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:08,360 slightly up ahead in the first mile and I started speaking to 394 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:12,440 her for a wee bit and then I got too hot and I made the decision 395 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,440 to stop and take off one of the jackets I was wearing. 396 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:20,080 And obviously she was. She was off by then and I didn't 397 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:24,400 see her again until later that day when we just caught up with 398 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:26,480 each other again. But it was completely 399 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:30,880 unintentional to to hang in with each other even even for the 400 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:32,200 full day, never mind a full week. 401 00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:37,360 And we just, we were just fell in stride wise with each other. 402 00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:39,120 We were chatting away. We're having a good time. 403 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:42,920 It kind of passed the miles and you kind of have those awkward 404 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,880 little moments where you come to a natural stop, play at an aid 405 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,720 station or whatever and you're like, or are they going to push 406 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,760 on or are they going to wait? But we pretended just to just to 407 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,320 stick together. And it wasn't, it wasn't really 408 00:22:55,320 --> 00:23:00,120 a spoken thing. We didn't ever really say like, 409 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:02,280 can can you wait on me or whatever. 410 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:03,520 It was just like, are you going now? 411 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,640 And like, yeah, I'm ready to go and off we went. 412 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:10,640 So yeah, but I mean, definitely, definitely helped the the bad 413 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:15,000 parts pass easier. And yeah, just, I haven't having 414 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:16,840 someone there to talk to and having someone there to pass the 415 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:18,760 miles. And you guys are know what it's 416 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,880 like when you're running with someone, you know, sometimes you 417 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:25,040 can have good, good points and bad points at different times. 418 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,360 So if they're having a bit of a slump, you can drag them along 419 00:23:27,360 --> 00:23:30,600 if they're and if you're having a bad time, you just hang on to 420 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,000 the back of them. So I. 421 00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:36,480 Think there was a point where even like in the first day or 422 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:40,200 whatever that you thought right, we are sticking together now 423 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,320 where you were waiting for her, she was waiting for you because 424 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:48,760 she knew you needed it. It wasn't wasn't so much needed 425 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:50,040 it. I think we were just enjoying 426 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,120 the race more together than we were apart. 427 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:57,480 And there was a few kind of dodgy bits that were just like, 428 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:00,320 I'd rather have someone with me going over this river crossing 429 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,080 or whatever. So it was a case of I'm not 430 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:05,080 going to, we're not going to leave each other now, you know, 431 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:09,480 And we were perfectly happy for later on in the race on day 234 432 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,120 or whatever to just feel like one of us needs to move on when 433 00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:15,000 the other one needs a rest type thing. 434 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:16,960 And then we just naturally part ways then. 435 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,800 But it never really happened. But it was, it was just the kind 436 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:25,200 of kind of the safety and in company, you know, you've got 437 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:29,200 someone that you get on with and that you, you can trust and, and 438 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,520 you're not, you're not struggling to keep up with and 439 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:33,560 they're not, you're not dragging them along either. 440 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,720 So it was just quite natural that we, that we hung out 441 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:39,360 together for as long as we did. And then eventually we've got to 442 00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:42,880 a point on kind of probably day 5 or, or whatever, it's like, 443 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:44,640 right, we just have to see this out together now. 444 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,200 There's no point in going through all we've gone through 445 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:49,680 and then go in our separate ways in the last day. 446 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:53,400 So yeah. And how do you think the team 447 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,360 relationship changed throughout the week from going from never 448 00:24:57,360 --> 00:25:01,000 meeting each other in person to then spending your week's 449 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,360 holiday on the PEN 9 Wed together? 450 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:09,040 Well, holidays are stretch. That's not what I was just 451 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:15,040 telling us. I mean, there's, I thought 452 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:19,400 there's definitely something that comes out of spending that 453 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,840 long together, especially in such a hard environment. 454 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,120 And we've, we've both obviously had their ups and their downs. 455 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:31,400 I'd say I probably had more downs than she did. 456 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:34,040 She maybe had deeper downs than I did. 457 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:41,880 So it's, it's a strange thing because you can just, you can 458 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,520 kind of share things and open up to people and in such a short 459 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:50,240 period of time that you wouldn't normally be able to do in, in 460 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:56,600 real life, you know, and the, the kind of boundaries that you 461 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:01,200 have go away quite quickly when you're in that kind of 462 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,680 environment because you just, you kind of, you don't let any 463 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:05,800 of the, the bullshit get in the way. 464 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,760 You just need to do what you need to do. 465 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:13,440 And there's no pretence about anything like when you were to 466 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:15,800 be flippant about it, you know, we're just peeing beside each 467 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,240 other and stuff, you know, because it's like we're not 468 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:20,920 going to, we're not going to go half a mile away just to get out 469 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,320 of each other's sight, you know, and we're just just turn our 470 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:24,640 back and we'll be, we'll be fine. 471 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:26,280 On we go. And then you're, you're sitting 472 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:28,560 there sleeping at the side of the road together and things 473 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:30,400 like that. It's just, it's such a bizarre 474 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:32,840 thing for someone you met 48 hours ago, you know? 475 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:35,720 But then. I think there's somebody 476 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,440 psychologically about running when you're like, you lose your 477 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,640 inhibitions because you're not looking at somebody. 478 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,000 They're, they're right next to you, but you, you're looking 479 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,280 ahead and they're, I think you're, you're more likely to 480 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:53,080 open up to somebody and that's probably has something to do 481 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,040 with it. Yeah, it's that side to side, 482 00:26:55,120 --> 00:26:58,160 side by side thing I think is is quite equalizing and it's quite 483 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:01,640 yeah, picture on a level playing field with each other. 484 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:05,920 I think it's Yeah, it's good. It's good, it's good. 485 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:07,960 It's like a very intense relationship, though, you know, 486 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,080 it's a, I think because you know, it's, it's finite as well. 487 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:14,120 You know, it's, it's going to, you're not going to be this 488 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:16,280 intimately close with this person once the race ends. 489 00:27:16,360 --> 00:27:20,560 You know, it's very like the, the relationship has, or the 490 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,280 intensity of relationship anyway, has, has a shelf life. 491 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:27,320 And then we're going to go back to what we're normally like. 492 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,840 You mentioned about the downs for each other. 493 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:35,080 You had more downs, but she had deeper downs. 494 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,920 I'm intrigued to know when you don't know each other and then 495 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,120 you spend those first couple of days together. 496 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:45,160 How do you help each other through that if you don't know? 497 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,600 Let's say, for instance, somebody's not a hugger and you 498 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,880 say, oh, come on, you know how? How do you help each other? 499 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:54,400 Yeah, I mean, it's, it's like any other relationship. 500 00:27:54,400 --> 00:28:00,080 You just have to work out as as you go, you know, you, you if it 501 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:02,000 was all very organic and natural and stuff. 502 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:07,400 So having issues like that didn't, didn't really happen. 503 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:10,280 And I think it wouldn't have been the relationship it was had 504 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,200 we been different. Like let you see if one of us 505 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:16,440 had had been really diva behaviour and just dropping out 506 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:19,200 and, and someone else had been really kind of emotional and 507 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:24,880 crying all the time. And, and if it was annoying to 508 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:27,080 the other person. You know, I think you get to the 509 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:28,800 stage, you're like, I'm going to try and ditch this person 510 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:32,040 because I'm, I'm, I'm having to carry a bit of, a bit too much 511 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:36,840 of their load. So yeah, I think again, that 512 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:38,760 just has to happen naturally when you're out there. 513 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:42,560 You can't really control how, how well you get on out there 514 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:45,040 and how and how much you're willing to put up with from the 515 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,160 other person. If it's, if it's manageable, 516 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,240 then it's manageable. If it's not, then you probably 517 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:51,680 have to go your your separate ways. 518 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,760 I just realized that we've been talking about Alice and for any 519 00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:59,760 listener that doesn't know, Alice is the sports psychologist 520 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:03,400 that we had on in previous episodes and just happens to be 521 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:09,400 coaching partner with Ross in Headspace Coaching and they 522 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:11,320 happen to be married. Yes. 523 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:15,560 So, so very coincidental. And and to add on to that, she's 524 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,520 now there until you're done. Sports Psychologist. 525 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:26,280 So next question is what surprised? 526 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:28,440 You. Once you're actually out there, 527 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:38,600 is there anything well in, in terms of your capabilities, in 528 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:44,600 terms of what the route was like, you interpret that how you 529 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:48,080 will? OK, Well, I mean, I reckoned 530 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:50,040 pretty much the whole second-half of the route. 531 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:52,240 So the whole first half of the route was brand new to me. 532 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,960 So I didn't really know what to expect in the first half. 533 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,280 It was tough going and there's no getting away from it. 534 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,640 But the biggest issue with with the race isn't, isn't the 535 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,240 mileage necessarily. I mean, you look at it and you 536 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:14,400 think 268 miles in in January up the pen and weight sounds hard, 537 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,000 you know? And it is. 538 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:17,960 But that's not the hardest part of it. 539 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:21,920 The hardest part of it is managing yourself for the 540 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:26,200 duration and for in between the checkpoints. 541 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,840 And it's such slow going. The terrain is really bad and 542 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:32,760 the way marking is really bad. The terrain is really bad, the 543 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:38,640 weather's really bad and getting from one point to the next is 544 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:43,080 really hard. And you have to manage yourself. 545 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:48,840 And it's not, it's difficult to go as slow as you are, I think 546 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:50,880 because you, you look at and you think, OK, the, the next 547 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:53,120 checkpoint or whatever is 5 miles away, though, I'll be able 548 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:54,760 to do that in an hour. But you won't. 549 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,400 That's, that's taking you like 2 1/2, three hours. 550 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:02,080 And being, being accepting that you're going that slow is really 551 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:06,280 hard because it just feels like it's never ending. 552 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:11,640 So you, you have to adjust your expectations as to what's what's 553 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,400 available out there to you. And even when you get to the 554 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,160 checkpoint, it's not like you get there and you rest, you 555 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,640 know, you get there and you're immediately on it again. 556 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:24,360 You're physically stopped, but you're mentally going 100 miles 557 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:25,600 an hour. You have to get your devices 558 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:27,280 charged. You have to get your wet kit off 559 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:28,640 and dry. You have to change your kit. 560 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:31,440 You have to deal with any blisters and if anything's 561 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,800 broken, you need to replace it from your drop bag. 562 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:38,840 You need to fuel, you need to sleep, you need to get all your 563 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,120 devices charged. If you're going to go, if you're 564 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,240 going to stay there for a couple of hours and then go out and 565 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:46,040 it's going to be dark for 16 hours after that, you need to 566 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:48,880 make sure you've got more than like 1 head torch charged. 567 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:54,600 You know you need to there's just so much that goes on in in 568 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:57,080 the checkpoint that takes up all your energy. 569 00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:00,120 It's it's a very kind of frenetic time. 570 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:03,200 The only, the only time you're actually relaxing is when you're 571 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:04,840 sleeping and you're not sleeping much. 572 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:09,120 And you might spend 6 hours in a checkpoint, but you're only 573 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,280 sleeping an hour and a half of that or 90 minutes of that. 574 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,800 You know, there's, there's it just because you see that little 575 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:17,600 bed icon, you think, oh, they're just having a wee sleep for six 576 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:20,280 hours, but they're really not. It's, it's so hard going and the 577 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,720 checkpoints are busy. You know, they're, there's a lot 578 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:24,400 of people coming and going, there's noise, there's 579 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:29,680 cluttering, there's banging and it's hard to sleep and the 580 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:31,800 people are coming. It's a lot of the places are 581 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:33,240 bunks. So there's people who are coming 582 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:35,400 out and into the bunks. You're having to climb up and 583 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,880 down off the top bunk, which is horrendous. 584 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,440 You know, you've got a toilet you can get, you can get a 585 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,280 shower and stuff as well. But I mean, if you're having a 586 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:47,280 shower, you're having to peel off every layer of clothing and 587 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:52,480 do chafing and take all your blister stuff off and and make 588 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:54,760 sure you're properly dry re dressing it again, Putting all 589 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:58,000 your creams on all this stuff just takes so much time. 590 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,840 And then you've got to be really honoured as to how long you 591 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:03,480 think the next session is going to take. 592 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:06,320 So you have to be really stripped with, OK, this is how 593 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:07,600 long we've got in this checkpoint. 594 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,240 We have to get out of here by this time and then we're on our 595 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,240 way. So I think the big the most 596 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:18,560 surprising thing about the whole race was how little the actual 597 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:23,880 running made-up of the whole headspace of it all. 598 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:27,200 Where's the wheel displaced? You fell asleep. 599 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:33,880 A few share them all. Share them all. 600 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,760 Well, there was. I mean, I fell fell asleep. 601 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,600 On the. Trail several times, but it was 602 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:43,200 like it was a completely planned nap. 603 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:46,040 So you'd be going along and you're completely falling asleep 604 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,640 on your feet and we're just like, OK, well, we'll have a 605 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:49,560 nap. OK. 606 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:51,840 It's like right, 5 minute nap, 5 minute nap. 607 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:54,440 OK, so you set an alarm on your phone and then it's like the 608 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:57,680 scene in Toy Story where the kids come into the room and toys 609 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,200 will just go flomp like that down on the ground. 610 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,600 And we just went flomp down into the Heather and that was us for 611 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:04,920 5 minutes. And then baby beam, your phone 612 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,040 would go off and right up again and just you just start marching 613 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:09,280 again. And it's really weird. 614 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:15,320 Slats on the toilet like on an actual toilet pan. 615 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:18,080 Obviously and. Not. 616 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:19,639 Having the one night sleep I've had. 617 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:24,040 And so I think I was there for 45 minutes maybe, maybe not even 618 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:31,080 that toilet floor and Duffton was horrendously cold. 619 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:34,360 But we didn't have any choice because you were only allowed to 620 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:38,080 stay in the checkpoint for 30 minutes and you got kicked out. 621 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:42,159 So the only other choice was to go into either the bus stop or 622 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:44,600 the public toilet and the bus stop was taken. 623 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,159 So probably thought it was. And it was so cold. 624 00:34:49,159 --> 00:34:53,280 And every time you moved slightly, it was like automatic 625 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:54,440 lighting. So it came on. 626 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:57,200 So it was like daylight as soon as you shuffled about in your 627 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:01,520 sleep on me, me or my, my running friend Johnny Pepier. 628 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:04,600 And we were sleeping there together. 629 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:08,560 And I mean, when you get the chance to sleep with another 630 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:10,800 man, a strange man in the toilet, you know, I've never met 631 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:12,960 this man before in my life, but I've slept in two toilets with 632 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:18,120 him now. And the tent, yeah. 633 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,640 So you just, it's just. Horrendously uncomfortable when 634 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:26,680 broken sleep and and I slept on a stage in the highest pub in 635 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:30,040 England. For some reason. 636 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,520 One of the checkpoints is Tan Hill in which is apparently the 637 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:37,640 highest pub in England, so we had to claim all the way up 638 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:40,240 there and then we were exhausted and got told we could sleep on 639 00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:42,560 the stage in the pub, so I slept there. 640 00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:48,320 Pub I. Think was the checkpoint for the 641 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:50,760 original hill. Yeah, I see. 642 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:56,080 It's a very weird pub. After you've been 20 hours. 643 00:35:56,080 --> 00:36:00,160 Climbing a hill. Yeah, I think that's. 644 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:03,960 Probably the the weirdest places that we that we slept out of all 645 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,440 of them. I might be wrong, it might be. 646 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:08,720 Something else but I'm sure they said at the time it was the 647 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:12,360 highest pub, but that one closed down and reopened so I don't 648 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,440 know whether it's the same one or not I. 649 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:17,920 Actually love that checkpoint. To be fair, it was it was just a 650 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:21,600 nice little break from the the heaviest conditions outside. 651 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:27,320 And how? Did the Spain race compare to 652 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,000 see your other big events that you've done such as Lakeland, 653 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,360 West Highland, W, CCC? Because I would imagine even 654 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:37,880 those three named ones are all different again to each other. 655 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:41,920 How does the Spain compare to even the three of those? 656 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:44,600 I mean, it's definitely the toughest. 657 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:46,760 There's there's no. There's no question it's the 658 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:52,480 toughest, obviously the longest, the others. 659 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:55,120 Are kind of summer races. So the weather is genuinely 660 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:56,640 better. I mean, not always in the lakes, 661 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:01,080 it can, it can be changeable in the lakes, but I don't know the 662 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:04,920 other, the other races are kind of they feel more like, they 663 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:10,480 feel more like races, whereas the Spain just feels like you 664 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:13,240 don't you're not looking any further ahead than the next 665 00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:16,360 checkpoint. It's like a series of of events 666 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:21,040 within a big event. So with Lakeland, you can focus 667 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:23,760 on the next checkpoint, but you know it's part of a longer race. 668 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:27,800 Whereas with the spine, you cannot look any further than the 669 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:31,800 next place you're getting to, whether that's an honesty box or 670 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:37,120 a cafe or a pub or just whatever little breadcrumb you've put out 671 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:39,560 for yourself on that next section to get to. 672 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:42,880 You can't afford to look any further past that because you 673 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:46,480 just it's such slow going and such hard going that you I don't 674 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:48,920 think you'll make it if you if you're looking any further 675 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:51,400 ahead. And I've got no idea how the 676 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:55,920 likes of Jack Scott and that cover that distance in the times 677 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:57,600 they do because it's so unrunnable. 678 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:04,160 It's so horrendous and ice and bog and just hideous, overgrown, 679 00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:08,400 unmarked non trail. And I don't understand how they 680 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:11,920 move on at any speed whatsoever. Great, the course. 681 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:13,680 Records what, 70? Two hours? 682 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:17,120 Yeah, that's wild. I can't understand that. 683 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:18,600 I just I haven't haven't done it now. 684 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:20,840 I just, I don't understand how that's possible. 685 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:28,440 That's why he's the best and. You. 686 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:32,240 Mentioned you had. Lows between you and Linnaeus, 687 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:38,280 But thinking about yourself, what was the lowest low that you 688 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:40,480 had? How did you pull? 689 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:45,200 Yourself out of it. And last part of the question 690 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:50,120 was, was there a point that you genuinely thought I can't do 691 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:54,160 this? Yes. 692 00:38:55,680 --> 00:39:01,120 Night night 2 or day 2 of night 2 was one of the laws really 693 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:03,440 really bad laws for the lowest of of been. 694 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:11,080 Yeah. There was just a section on day 695 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,200 2 I found really difficult. I'm not sure why I found it so 696 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:15,280 difficult. I don't. 697 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:19,840 Really know why I found it so. Hard, but it was just. 698 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,040 It was awful and it's. It's the worst I've ever felt 699 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:28,760 and I really didn't think I was going to get to the end of that 700 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:33,160 it. Was just the worst place. 701 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:36,600 In the world and I felt it was just complete. 702 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:38,440 Like desolation, there was. Nothing there. 703 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,080 There was. It's like where I'd honestly 704 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:47,080 felt like I was in at the end of the world and there was no it 705 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,200 was hopeless. It never came to an end. 706 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:59,520 The terrain was awful, fog came down, couldn't see anything and. 707 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:02,000 We just we. Just didn't seem to, to get 708 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:03,240 anywhere. It was later on and on a 709 00:40:03,240 --> 00:40:06,520 treadmill and the numbers wouldn't take over, you know, 710 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:11,200 and it was just horrible. It was really, really just got 711 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:14,520 me really down and I could not drag myself out of it. 712 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,640 I was trying every kind of trick in the book to try and pull 713 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,160 myself out of of kind of the pet I'd put myself in. 714 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:27,480 And I was really low then and I don't know how I got through it 715 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:30,920 really. I just had to keep following 716 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:34,600 like, you know, I was in front and and. 717 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:37,000 That was aged sometimes. She would go up ahead and leave 718 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:40,680 me and I'd have to kind of push it to get to bring her back into 719 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:42,640 sight because the visibility was so bad. 720 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:47,520 And then there was another guy joined us at one point we found, 721 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:50,920 we found him on the road and he just hooked in with us at one 722 00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:52,320 point. And I was, I was really 723 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:56,960 struggling with blisters on the soles on my feet, which was just 724 00:40:56,960 --> 00:40:59,080 making the going slow because it was a really rocky path. 725 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:03,120 And they two were just, I don't know, a quarter, quarter or half 726 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:04,880 a step quicker than me. So they were just pulling away 727 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:07,640 into the distance and I was just felt like I was getting left 728 00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:12,000 behind and isolated. And yeah, it was a really, a 729 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:16,080 really bad night that night. And I don't the answer to the 730 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,360 did I get out of it? I obviously did get out of it 731 00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:21,240 where we eventually got to where we were going, but that's the 732 00:41:21,240 --> 00:41:23,760 lowest I've felt in in running or in life. 733 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:26,080 That was really bad. And yeah. 734 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:30,000 So you get to the next point after feeling. 735 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:34,800 Like that what got you out of the checkpoint yet it was that 736 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:38,840 bad a night and it was that horrendous what what clicked in 737 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:43,280 your brain and thought no, I'm going to keep going here Well, 738 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:45,720 once you got. To the checkpoint I just felt, I 739 00:41:45,720 --> 00:41:48,040 mean, it's the the relief of getting to the checkpoint 740 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:52,840 completely clears it. You get into the checkpoint, you 741 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,360 get fed, you get looked after, you get all your wet clothes 742 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:59,800 off, you get warmed up, you can have a sleep, you know, you can 743 00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:04,160 just had a shower and you just feel so much better. 744 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:07,440 You're just ready to go again. And it's like you just fully 745 00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:10,400 power yourself up and then spend the next section gradually 746 00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:11,920 breaking yourself down. That's what happened. 747 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:16,680 I'd broken myself down so low. I just need the building back up 748 00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:18,320 again. So getting into the checkpoint 749 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:23,400 was, was just like a restart. So that's kind of what got you 750 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:26,520 out again. And I felt like that session is 751 00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:29,440 done, that's over, I got through that, that's finished and we're 752 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:32,360 on to something else. So it wasn't like a continuation 753 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:34,360 of what had come before. It was it was something new. 754 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:37,480 So that's kind of what I didn't have any issues getting back out 755 00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:38,760 again. Once I got to the checkpoint, I 756 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:40,600 was fine. But that getting to the 757 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:43,160 checkpoint was real really tough. 758 00:42:44,240 --> 00:42:47,720 And did you have any? Mantras or anything, just was it 759 00:42:47,720 --> 00:42:49,440 just a focus? Just keep going, keep going, 760 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:51,000 keep going. I know. 761 00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:53,280 I mean I tried to pull out. Loads of things you've got, 762 00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:56,040 obviously you've got mind tricks and mantras that you can try and 763 00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:58,520 pull on yourself and you're trying to think about the 764 00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:02,560 positives and think about like what you're doing and that 765 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:05,360 you've, you, you want to be out here doing this and this, this 766 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:08,920 is what you've paid for and and this is the this is what's going 767 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:12,200 to make it worthwhile when you look back and try to think about 768 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:14,840 other things that you could be doing now that are you'd much 769 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:17,160 rather be doing this and all these things. 770 00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:20,440 But nothing was working. It was just such such hard going 771 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:25,000 and it was the, the kind of endlessness of it. 772 00:43:25,240 --> 00:43:29,320 It was very, it's very seamy. You know, there was nothing to 773 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:32,240 to see on the horizon. There was nothing to see all 774 00:43:32,240 --> 00:43:33,360 around us. There was nothing. 775 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:36,000 You couldn't see anything. Just what was in front of your 776 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:37,920 feet and and what was in front of your feet was horrible. 777 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:40,640 So there there was no getting away from it and there was no 778 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:43,320 focusing on a point up ahead because there was nothing up 779 00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:45,560 ahead. So it was just that that's what 780 00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:48,200 was hard, I think. And. 781 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:51,720 That's sort of. Isolation that you're feeling. 782 00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:55,720 It probably didn't help that you were so tired. 783 00:43:55,960 --> 00:44:00,280 How did you deal with fatigue? Did you have hallucinations? 784 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:03,120 Yeah, not. Not then. 785 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:07,560 That was day. 2 So not not by then, I think I was just tired. 786 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:09,960 I mean day one we got absolutely battered with the weather. 787 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:12,480 So I think I was tired. I think I was just physically 788 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:17,360 beaten up on day one because it was, it was snowy and windy and 789 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:19,600 we could barely stand up coming over the hills. 790 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:23,760 So I'd taken a physical beating on day one and then a mental 791 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:29,080 beating on day 2. And then it was just a case of 792 00:44:30,360 --> 00:44:33,320 eating like whenever you could, it was just getting some food in 793 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:34,920 and you always felt better after you ate. 794 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:37,280 So you go in and you have as much food as you can get in 795 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:42,440 India and stodgy carby stuff. I'd had snacks with me as well. 796 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:45,080 So that was the snacks were kind of keeping me going in between 797 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:48,600 checkpoints and things. But getting a full feed in the 798 00:44:48,600 --> 00:44:51,560 checkpoints was absolutely essential and getting sleep, 799 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,400 even even if it's an hour and a half, you know, it's and 800 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:56,280 obviously you'll know this from backyards, Mike. 801 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:59,800 It's like in backyards, you have to make do with a couple of 802 00:44:59,800 --> 00:45:04,360 minutes sleep if anything, because so this was like a 803 00:45:04,360 --> 00:45:07,480 luxury for me to be able to stop for an hour and a half and get a 804 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:12,480 sleep, you know, in it's not 8 hours as you normally as normal 805 00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:16,880 people get, but that's totally enough to, to fill your your cup 806 00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:19,600 and get you going again. So that's kind of what got you 807 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:21,640 going and got you out of the checkpoint was just the, the 808 00:45:21,640 --> 00:45:23,800 full belly and the, and the bit of sleep. 809 00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:29,160 It's amazing. But what I can do for you and on 810 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:30,600 some more happier. Thoughts. 811 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:33,520 At what point did you think that's it? 812 00:45:33,600 --> 00:45:35,880 I'm going to finish? I'm going to touch that wall. 813 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:39,240 I don't. Think that ever really occurs? 814 00:45:39,240 --> 00:45:40,840 To you until you're in the Cheviots. 815 00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:44,960 Yeah, I. Mean I I don't know. 816 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:48,200 How it looked from from home. I know you said earlier it was 817 00:45:48,200 --> 00:45:50,560 kind of chasing cut offs and stuff, but we never felt like we 818 00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:54,080 were getting chased by cut offs and it was all quite controlled. 819 00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:57,200 We knew roughly how long it was going to take to do the next 820 00:45:57,200 --> 00:46:01,000 session, even though it was a horrendously long time and we 821 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:03,680 knew we had we had enough time and if we left the checkpoint by 822 00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:07,040 this time we'd be OK. The way it works is that the 823 00:46:07,040 --> 00:46:09,480 first checkpoint is really tight. 824 00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:12,280 So getting into checkpoint 1 is, is really tough. 825 00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:17,280 And if you get in there and get out again, it's then 62 miles 826 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:20,160 until the next checkpoint, something like that, which is a 827 00:46:20,520 --> 00:46:23,000 fucking long day, really long day. 828 00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:28,320 And especially when you've had a hard like getting beat up in the 829 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:31,520 first day. So second is such a long slog 830 00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:37,280 and you just have to get in to the checkpoint under the cut off 831 00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:40,160 then and then it really eases off and you have a lot of time. 832 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:43,280 So we spent a lot, quite a lot of time in between those 833 00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:47,280 checkpoints and we had, we had the time from that point 834 00:46:47,280 --> 00:46:48,480 onwards. I think so. 835 00:46:49,400 --> 00:46:53,680 So yeah, it was once we got into Cheviots and through that, that 836 00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:57,440 checkpoint and Burness, we did have a bit of a nightmare around 837 00:46:57,440 --> 00:47:00,240 Burness. But once we got out of that and 838 00:47:00,240 --> 00:47:03,160 on our way, it was possible after that. 839 00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:08,320 So yeah, what was the? Nightmare and bun this well. 840 00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:15,200 Like I said, I'd wreck it. All of the northern half, apart 841 00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:19,880 from I think it's like 30. Yeah, I don't think it's even as 842 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:22,160 much as 30. It's maybe 7/17/18 mile stretch 843 00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:27,800 between Belinger and Burness. And everyone had just kind of 844 00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:30,400 said, Oh, yeah, that's just a wee, a wee bit through the woods 845 00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:32,280 and then a dirt track and you'll be fine. 846 00:47:33,440 --> 00:47:35,600 It was horrific. It was so bad. 847 00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:38,960 It was just this, this bit through the woods that never 848 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:40,920 ended. And the, the, the terrain was 849 00:47:40,920 --> 00:47:42,880 horrible. It was just rocky and it was 850 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:47,520 boggy and it was muddy and it was like jungle and there was no 851 00:47:47,520 --> 00:47:53,360 path and the fog was so thick and it was all slightly uphill. 852 00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:56,600 It was really tiring and slow going and we were really 853 00:47:56,600 --> 00:47:58,640 fatigued by then. And we just, we just weren't 854 00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:01,880 having a good time and both of us were having a bad time. 855 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:07,760 About halfway through, we found another runner that was really 856 00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:10,000 disorientated and wandering about in the woods. 857 00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:14,720 And he had turned his head torch off and he was wandering about 858 00:48:14,720 --> 00:48:17,880 in the woods. And he, he was claiming that he 859 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:23,480 had been running with other other runners and he was seeing 860 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:28,320 things in the woods. But these things were invisible 861 00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:30,600 if you had your head torch on. So he turned his head torch off 862 00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:33,480 so that you could see them and he was in quite a bad way. 863 00:48:35,560 --> 00:48:39,520 And so we decided to split the race. 864 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:41,160 You know, you can't just leave him out in the woods. 865 00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:45,560 So we decided to take him with us and he was, he was in a bit 866 00:48:45,600 --> 00:48:49,920 of a bad way and he was convinced he was seeing. 867 00:48:49,920 --> 00:48:52,520 Little like black animals. Running alongside us and things 868 00:48:52,520 --> 00:48:54,720 while while we're running, which was really freaking us out 869 00:48:54,720 --> 00:48:58,720 because we were pretty depleted ourselves and we just weren't 870 00:48:58,720 --> 00:49:00,800 convinced what was going on. We were at a point where we 871 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:04,880 didn't even know if he was there and it was it was just a bit 872 00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:08,040 horrible. And eventually we met a safety 873 00:49:08,040 --> 00:49:11,920 team up at the top of the hill. They had driven up to try and 874 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:14,600 find us because the conditions were quite bad. 875 00:49:15,360 --> 00:49:19,680 And we kind of relayed this all to them and they, we're kind of 876 00:49:19,680 --> 00:49:22,800 like, do you guys want to hold on to him until the next 877 00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:26,720 checkpoint? And we were like, well, I don't 878 00:49:26,720 --> 00:49:28,400 know. And they're like, because 879 00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:30,480 there's very little we can do for him other than like pull him 880 00:49:30,480 --> 00:49:32,920 out the race. And he was like, I don't want to 881 00:49:32,920 --> 00:49:35,200 get pulled out the race. And all right, OK, fine. 882 00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:37,720 So I think they were delighted that we decided we'd continue to 883 00:49:37,720 --> 00:49:42,080 hold on to him and I. Was absolutely falling asleep on 884 00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:43,960 my feet. I could not keep my eyes open. 885 00:49:43,960 --> 00:49:48,080 I mean, every 10 steps my eyes were closing and I was stumbling 886 00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:53,000 and falling. And this went on for hours, 887 00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:55,600 hours and hours and I was just falling asleep and falling 888 00:49:55,600 --> 00:49:56,720 asleep. There's nothing I can do about 889 00:49:56,720 --> 00:49:57,680 it. You know, the only thing that I 890 00:49:57,680 --> 00:50:03,680 can do stop that is go to sleep. But we're kind of running. 891 00:50:04,560 --> 00:50:08,480 If you're stopped and going to sleep, I wouldn't have been 892 00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:10,880 confident of getting into the checkpoints and stuff in time. 893 00:50:11,280 --> 00:50:14,040 So we had to just keep pushing on in the dark. 894 00:50:14,040 --> 00:50:19,680 And then we got close to Burness and we couldn't find the turn 895 00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:23,240 off the main road and there was no signs, there was nothing. 896 00:50:23,960 --> 00:50:26,800 The tracker on our watch was saying that we had to take a 897 00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:29,000 left and there was just no left turn to take. 898 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:31,760 And we had gone past it and watched that and beeping saying 899 00:50:31,760 --> 00:50:34,320 we've gone past the turn and we went back and there was no turn. 900 00:50:34,320 --> 00:50:39,160 And we did that a few times and then we called race support and 901 00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:42,360 they said that we had to go back the way we had come. 902 00:50:43,080 --> 00:50:46,320 And we did. And then we phoned them again 903 00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:48,200 and they said, Oh no, we've gone past it again. 904 00:50:48,560 --> 00:50:51,320 And so we phoned them again and we just went on and on like 905 00:50:51,320 --> 00:50:52,840 that. And then eventually someone, 906 00:50:52,920 --> 00:50:55,880 they sent out a support team to come and find us and we had gone 907 00:50:55,880 --> 00:50:58,440 massively wrong somehow. We've gone miles along the road 908 00:51:00,360 --> 00:51:03,040 and they brought us back round to the checkpoint. 909 00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:09,320 But by this time we were just really pissed off and tired and 910 00:51:10,320 --> 00:51:14,280 angry that we couldn't find the, the, the turn off. 911 00:51:14,320 --> 00:51:17,080 And I felt like everyone was speaking to us like we were 912 00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:20,600 children. They were just saying, OK, you 913 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:22,760 need to go along here. It's 200 yards. 914 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:23,760 Are you going to be able to make it? 915 00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:27,560 And I was like, yes, absolutely. Just show me where to go and OK, 916 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:29,440 just walk beside me. I'll keep you right. 917 00:51:29,440 --> 00:51:34,240 And I was just feeling really babied and we were just really 918 00:51:34,240 --> 00:51:38,000 tired and grumpy. And but in that checkpoint, you 919 00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:39,880 can only spend 30 minutes once you arrive because they 920 00:51:39,880 --> 00:51:42,400 literally start a stopwatch when you get in the door and and kick 921 00:51:42,400 --> 00:51:44,760 you out after 30 minutes, they just hand you your shoes at the 922 00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:47,840 door and push you at the door. So something that. 923 00:51:47,840 --> 00:51:48,880 I said to Alice. I. 924 00:51:48,960 --> 00:51:54,040 I I kind of disagree with that 30 minutes because it encourages 925 00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:58,000 people to go and sleep out in the trail rather than in a safe 926 00:51:58,000 --> 00:51:59,320 place. Yeah. 927 00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:01,520 What's your viewpoint on? That and what's. 928 00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:04,000 The is there a general consensus on that? 929 00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:07,240 And well there. The one in Burness. 930 00:52:07,480 --> 00:52:11,080 Wasn't so bothered about because we had the ice church along the 931 00:52:11,080 --> 00:52:16,000 road, so that that was OK. So the yeah, the one in Burness, 932 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:17,160 we got kicked out after 30 minutes. 933 00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:21,840 Selenos had to stay there a bit longer because she had medical 934 00:52:21,840 --> 00:52:24,120 issues that she was getting seen to so she could stay a bit 935 00:52:24,120 --> 00:52:27,440 later. I got kicked out before her and 936 00:52:27,800 --> 00:52:30,640 our friend who's seeing things in the woods had to stay there 937 00:52:30,640 --> 00:52:34,080 for medical assessment as well. So I went along the road and 938 00:52:34,080 --> 00:52:37,720 stayed in the church, which was absolutely parish and cold. 939 00:52:40,120 --> 00:52:41,960 The other one. That we came into was the. 940 00:52:41,960 --> 00:52:46,880 Checkpoint at Duffton which is again is a 30 minute stop over. 941 00:52:46,920 --> 00:52:52,600 So we came off of Hike up Neck, which is one of the big areas up 942 00:52:52,840 --> 00:52:56,920 up there, a big high ravine with a huge drop off. 943 00:52:56,920 --> 00:53:00,880 That was one of the scariest points of the race for me as 944 00:53:00,880 --> 00:53:03,840 well. We had a very, very ropy 945 00:53:04,680 --> 00:53:11,400 experience up there in the fog again, and quite traumatic up 946 00:53:11,400 --> 00:53:13,480 there for both of us. And we came down into the 947 00:53:13,480 --> 00:53:16,320 checkpoint after having been up there and the checkpoint team 948 00:53:16,320 --> 00:53:19,200 kind of looked at us and they were like, are you guys OK? 949 00:53:19,240 --> 00:53:22,000 We're like, no, we're really not. 950 00:53:23,160 --> 00:53:26,840 And we don't think people should be up there on their own because 951 00:53:26,840 --> 00:53:30,200 it's just so it's so dangerous and so scary because if you've 952 00:53:30,200 --> 00:53:33,480 not, we we wrecked the area. I mean, you have the massive 953 00:53:33,480 --> 00:53:36,200 drop, but if people from other countries and stuff had come, 954 00:53:36,200 --> 00:53:39,320 don't know that that's there because the trail takes you 955 00:53:39,320 --> 00:53:40,720 right along the edge of the drop. 956 00:53:42,320 --> 00:53:46,600 It's so scary. And yeah, so we asked them to 957 00:53:46,600 --> 00:53:49,560 send out a safety team from from that checkpoint to make sure 958 00:53:49,560 --> 00:53:50,880 people were coming down. OK. 959 00:53:51,760 --> 00:53:55,520 And but yeah, they kicked us out after 30 minutes from from 960 00:53:55,520 --> 00:53:57,720 there. And as well, they allowed us to 961 00:53:57,720 --> 00:54:00,040 stay a little bit longer because we were traumatized and probably 962 00:54:00,040 --> 00:54:02,960 got their team together. But I think we were just about 963 00:54:02,960 --> 00:54:04,760 an hour. We got kicked out, kicked out of 964 00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:06,800 there. And you're going from a heated 965 00:54:06,880 --> 00:54:09,560 like village hall there. I mean, you're soaking wet and 966 00:54:09,560 --> 00:54:12,040 you're cold and you're exhausted and you're in a heated village 967 00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:14,880 hall and then they kick you out and you have to go and sleep on 968 00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:18,560 a freezing cold toilet floor and you're soaking wet, you know, 969 00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:22,640 and you're it's it's not great. But I mean, it's not that you 970 00:54:22,640 --> 00:54:24,320 have a choice. You know, you can't, you can't 971 00:54:24,320 --> 00:54:26,680 like, say I'm not happy about that. 972 00:54:26,760 --> 00:54:28,680 It's just, it's part of the race, you know, you just have to 973 00:54:28,680 --> 00:54:30,760 get on with it and, and do what you do. 974 00:54:32,160 --> 00:54:32,920 So, yeah, sorry. I've. 975 00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:37,440 Forgotten the question. But the 30 minute, the 30 minute 976 00:54:38,040 --> 00:54:40,000 cut off thing is stated upfront. You know what, what you're 977 00:54:40,000 --> 00:54:41,600 doing, you know, you've only got 30 minutes there. 978 00:54:41,600 --> 00:54:44,720 I mean, if you're getting there in in daylight and it's, it's 979 00:54:44,720 --> 00:54:46,360 nice and sunny, there's no, there's no issue. 980 00:54:47,600 --> 00:54:51,760 The problem we had with that, that one after high Cup Nick was 981 00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:54,560 that we had to go up another one of the big claims, which is 982 00:54:54,560 --> 00:54:58,000 which is cross fell, which is one of the most notorious areas 983 00:54:58,000 --> 00:55:01,840 on on the course. And I think it was about one or 984 00:55:01,840 --> 00:55:04,040 two in the morning. We got in there and we just 985 00:55:04,040 --> 00:55:06,360 after what we had been through, we didn't want to go up. 986 00:55:06,600 --> 00:55:10,720 Cross fell in in the dark and and the weather like that. 987 00:55:10,720 --> 00:55:12,920 So we decided that's why we went to the toilet instead. 988 00:55:13,440 --> 00:55:15,560 And that was one of the better decisions we've made in the 989 00:55:15,560 --> 00:55:18,080 whole race. I think we had a great, great 990 00:55:18,080 --> 00:55:21,320 day up. Cross felt it was beautiful and 991 00:55:21,320 --> 00:55:22,880 other people. Had the most horrendous. 992 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:24,760 Time the night before up cross fell. 993 00:55:24,760 --> 00:55:28,520 So swings and roundabouts, you know, I think if you just have 994 00:55:28,520 --> 00:55:31,480 to make these decisions on the fly and that's what that's what 995 00:55:31,480 --> 00:55:34,080 makes your race. I I. 996 00:55:34,200 --> 00:55:37,360 I managed to look up. The The Hill Ultra, the original 997 00:55:37,400 --> 00:55:39,840 course and it was on Shining Tor. 998 00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:42,760 So that's on the West side of the Peak District. 999 00:55:42,760 --> 00:55:50,440 So it's not the same pub. So later on in the race you, 1000 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:55,760 you're the Lynn Ross train as we were team Lynn Ross. 1001 00:55:56,800 --> 00:55:59,920 It got longer, it got bigger. You, you gather people you found 1002 00:55:59,920 --> 00:56:03,360 people lost in. Lost in the woods. 1003 00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:06,000 Did you feel? That. 1004 00:56:06,200 --> 00:56:10,000 Everybody was that part of the race that everybody stuck 1005 00:56:10,000 --> 00:56:13,960 together. Again, it wasn't really 1006 00:56:13,960 --> 00:56:16,640 intentional. We, we picked up, I think his 1007 00:56:16,640 --> 00:56:20,240 name was Ian in the woods, but we offloaded him at the medical 1008 00:56:21,080 --> 00:56:25,760 team at Verness and that was just doing our Good Samaritan. 1009 00:56:25,760 --> 00:56:28,160 But that wasn't any kind of teaming up business. 1010 00:56:28,160 --> 00:56:36,200 Whereas we had been to and fro in with Johnny and Petra for a 1011 00:56:36,200 --> 00:56:37,920 couple of days. You know, we, we've been in at 1012 00:56:37,920 --> 00:56:39,840 checkpoints at the same time. So we've been speaking to each 1013 00:56:39,840 --> 00:56:42,320 other in the checkpoints and we kind of passed each other out on 1014 00:56:42,320 --> 00:56:43,240 the trail. They passed us. 1015 00:56:43,240 --> 00:56:47,080 Sometimes we'd passed them. So we'd been hanging about a 1016 00:56:47,080 --> 00:56:50,080 couple of days with each other just off and on inadvertently. 1017 00:56:50,520 --> 00:56:51,920 And they'd been slightly behind us. 1018 00:56:51,920 --> 00:56:53,160 We'd been slightly ahead of them. 1019 00:56:53,160 --> 00:56:58,480 And the last day or so, we decided to team up with them 1020 00:57:00,160 --> 00:57:02,800 just because we were all together all the time. 1021 00:57:02,800 --> 00:57:04,720 And we just, we were, we got on quite well. 1022 00:57:04,720 --> 00:57:08,440 And we, we decided that just in numbers, it was good to get the 1023 00:57:08,440 --> 00:57:10,800 four of us, get the four of us over the line. 1024 00:57:10,920 --> 00:57:13,360 So that's, that's when those guys joined us. 1025 00:57:13,360 --> 00:57:17,280 And it was, it makes the, the males pass quicker. 1026 00:57:17,280 --> 00:57:19,280 You know, you just, you just have a bit of an injection of 1027 00:57:19,280 --> 00:57:21,680 new vibe into the, into the group. 1028 00:57:21,680 --> 00:57:24,840 And yeah, it's good. And Ian's name is not Ian. 1029 00:57:25,040 --> 00:57:28,040 In the woods, it's Ian Evans. Ian Evans. 1030 00:57:28,040 --> 00:57:31,720 OK, I was going so sorry. Ian, did he did he finish or 1031 00:57:31,720 --> 00:57:34,880 did? He get medically pulled, I 1032 00:57:34,880 --> 00:57:35,840 don't. He finished. 1033 00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:40,920 Did he finished? Yeah, finished. 1034 00:57:40,920 --> 00:57:44,360 Or there was an Ian Evans. Finished in 164 hours and 5 1035 00:57:44,360 --> 00:57:47,760 minutes and 51 seconds, so I'm guessing that that's him. 1036 00:57:49,880 --> 00:57:54,400 Hold on. Ian pulled himself together and 1037 00:57:54,600 --> 00:57:57,880 we previously as Mike. Mentioned have had your wife 1038 00:57:57,880 --> 00:58:01,720 Alice on the podcast talking about positive attitudes and 1039 00:58:01,720 --> 00:58:05,560 everything that you need to get through not just the Spain, but 1040 00:58:05,640 --> 00:58:10,480 you know, tough races. How has Headspace, your coaching 1041 00:58:10,480 --> 00:58:13,080 company, helped you throughout this journey? 1042 00:58:15,840 --> 00:58:23,760 It's a tough one. I think you obviously you're 1043 00:58:23,760 --> 00:58:26,240 always learning. I think so I, I learn as much 1044 00:58:26,240 --> 00:58:30,160 from the people I coach as they do from from us. 1045 00:58:30,160 --> 00:58:32,720 You know, they, they have ways of doing things and that rubs 1046 00:58:32,720 --> 00:58:36,280 off on me and hopefully I can bring some knowledge then as 1047 00:58:36,280 --> 00:58:39,400 well. So you just, you can pick up 1048 00:58:39,400 --> 00:58:41,240 things and it's it's also nice to have. 1049 00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:47,480 It can be a kind of pressure. And you know, if you guys were 1050 00:58:47,480 --> 00:58:49,880 talking about imposter syndrome with Alice from previous 1051 00:58:49,880 --> 00:58:54,360 podcast, it's the same with us. You know, you feel like, how can 1052 00:58:54,360 --> 00:58:58,360 I coach anyone if I don't have all the answers? 1053 00:59:00,120 --> 00:59:04,720 So there's a bit of motivation in that and that I have to, I 1054 00:59:04,720 --> 00:59:09,120 have to find a way to do this in order to justify. 1055 00:59:09,120 --> 00:59:12,320 Myself as a as. A coach or as an expert or or 1056 00:59:12,320 --> 00:59:17,320 something in this field so that that kind of that kind of 1057 00:59:18,040 --> 00:59:21,000 pressure as it was kind of gets you through and makes you dig a 1058 00:59:21,000 --> 00:59:24,240 bit harder in I think and and look for answers that you might 1059 00:59:24,240 --> 00:59:28,800 not look for otherwise. So yeah, it's an interesting, 1060 00:59:28,800 --> 00:59:31,160 it's an interesting point I've not really not really thought 1061 00:59:31,160 --> 00:59:35,000 about well. You are accountable. 1062 00:59:35,000 --> 00:59:36,640 To your. Clients just like they are 1063 00:59:36,640 --> 00:59:39,080 accountable to you and that's it, yeah. 1064 00:59:40,200 --> 00:59:42,200 Yeah. So yeah, it's not accountability 1065 00:59:42,200 --> 00:59:43,880 thing. You know, you want to, you want 1066 00:59:43,880 --> 00:59:47,360 to do the best for yourself obviously, but if you have that, 1067 00:59:47,840 --> 00:59:50,520 that other, other eyes on you as well, you know, it makes it a 1068 00:59:50,520 --> 00:59:53,920 bit, gives you a bit more impetus to push on through. 1069 00:59:53,920 --> 00:59:58,200 I think that's why there was. One interaction that you had 1070 00:59:58,200 --> 01:00:01,360 with me in the race and I just made sure that you knew we were 1071 01:00:01,360 --> 01:00:02,880 watching you. Yeah. 1072 01:00:04,800 --> 01:00:11,840 Stalking me and. You're coming down the hill very 1073 01:00:11,840 --> 01:00:15,720 early on Sunday morning. You get sight of the finish 1074 01:00:15,720 --> 01:00:20,400 line, you're with your 3 pals and you can hear the chairs. 1075 01:00:20,400 --> 01:00:26,040 Very quiet chairs. But coming through and you get 1076 01:00:26,040 --> 01:00:27,880 to the wall. How does it feel? 1077 01:00:32,720 --> 01:00:35,120 If I'm honest, it's it's a bit. Underwhelming. 1078 01:00:35,800 --> 01:00:39,640 I don't really want to say that because it's it's not it 1079 01:00:39,640 --> 01:00:44,480 shouldn't be, but I think because you know you've got 1080 01:00:44,480 --> 01:00:49,960 there miles before that you know there's nothing between kind of 1081 01:00:49,960 --> 01:00:53,440 hot to and the end. There's nothing going to stop 1082 01:00:53,440 --> 01:00:57,280 you really. So you kind of accept your fee 1083 01:00:57,280 --> 01:01:00,720 and we talked about it as a group in the last few miles that 1084 01:01:03,720 --> 01:01:05,160 this was. The this was it coming to an 1085 01:01:05,160 --> 01:01:07,040 end, you know? We'd, we'd spent a lot of time 1086 01:01:07,040 --> 01:01:09,920 with each other and we'd had this adventure and we'd, we'd 1087 01:01:09,920 --> 01:01:12,480 gotten through these, these times and it was all about to 1088 01:01:12,480 --> 01:01:14,600 finish now. And we were very focused on. 1089 01:01:14,600 --> 01:01:17,560 We really want to just enjoy these last couple of hours 1090 01:01:17,880 --> 01:01:21,800 because after this, after this couple of hours, yes, this 1091 01:01:21,960 --> 01:01:25,600 horrendous pain and everything is going to be an exhaustion and 1092 01:01:25,600 --> 01:01:28,440 and trauma is going to be over. But we're going to be back to 1093 01:01:28,440 --> 01:01:31,360 our lives and, you know, we're going to be back to just the 1094 01:01:31,360 --> 01:01:36,360 daily humdrum of, of existence back at home doing chores and 1095 01:01:36,360 --> 01:01:39,000 putting washing on and, and ferrying the kids back and 1096 01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:40,560 forward and all that kind of stuff. 1097 01:01:40,560 --> 01:01:45,920 So we wanted to make the most of the last couple of hours so we 1098 01:01:45,920 --> 01:01:49,240 weren't in a huge rush to get over that line. 1099 01:01:49,720 --> 01:01:53,240 And then when we got there, it was obviously a ridiculous time 1100 01:01:53,240 --> 01:01:57,000 in the morning. I didn't even see Alice and the 1101 01:01:57,000 --> 01:01:59,120 kids as we went down the hill because we were just really 1102 01:01:59,120 --> 01:02:02,560 paranoid about falling on the ice as we came down the hill. 1103 01:02:02,920 --> 01:02:04,880 And so it was just taking it really easy. 1104 01:02:05,200 --> 01:02:07,120 And then we were having discussions about are we all 1105 01:02:07,120 --> 01:02:09,280 going to touch the wall together? 1106 01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:12,720 Are we going to make a break for it at the top of the hill and 1107 01:02:12,720 --> 01:02:15,040 see who gets there first? Are we going to Sprint finish? 1108 01:02:15,120 --> 01:02:17,440 Yeah, we're going to trip each other up for what we're going to 1109 01:02:17,440 --> 01:02:19,760 do. We're going to go to to a time. 1110 01:02:21,520 --> 01:02:25,160 So yeah, it just ended up being a bit of 1/2 of 1 and something 1111 01:02:25,160 --> 01:02:27,200 of another, you know, we're just going to go there and did it. 1112 01:02:27,200 --> 01:02:30,960 And then we got our our kind of wee mini interview. 1113 01:02:31,120 --> 01:02:34,760 And then we all just kind of went our separate ways and went, 1114 01:02:34,760 --> 01:02:37,560 went and sat down and got our feet soaked and got a wee bowl 1115 01:02:37,560 --> 01:02:42,720 of chili and that kind of thing. So I didn't expect it to be huge 1116 01:02:42,720 --> 01:02:44,640 fanfare and stuff. You know, I mean, obviously you 1117 01:02:44,640 --> 01:02:46,400 get in the back of the pack yet it's the middle of the night. 1118 01:02:46,400 --> 01:02:49,400 There's not going to be all the bells and whistles going for 1119 01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:51,160 you. But I don't really know what I 1120 01:02:51,160 --> 01:02:53,760 expected. The actual touching of the wall 1121 01:02:53,760 --> 01:02:59,480 was quite special, but the the the whole finish line thing was 1122 01:02:59,480 --> 01:03:04,720 kind of a just a quiet affair. I think one of the things that. 1123 01:03:05,080 --> 01:03:09,840 Made me really happy is the daft thing, but it's not really. 1124 01:03:10,440 --> 01:03:14,240 I was gutted to miss you. I did go down and for personal 1125 01:03:14,240 --> 01:03:18,280 reasons I had to be back home. But in the morning when I seen 1126 01:03:18,280 --> 01:03:22,760 the pictures, you had previous Spain winner Debbie Martin 1127 01:03:22,760 --> 01:03:24,640 Gonzani at the finish line as well. 1128 01:03:24,640 --> 01:03:27,240 Did you, did you notice Debbie at all or? 1129 01:03:27,560 --> 01:03:29,440 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dave, Debbie, Joe. 1130 01:03:29,480 --> 01:03:33,720 Came and there's this car came screeching along the the track 1131 01:03:33,720 --> 01:03:36,680 and pulled in the car park as we were pulling our way into get 1132 01:03:36,680 --> 01:03:39,640 them and these two lunatics go out, got out and it was Debbie 1133 01:03:39,640 --> 01:03:42,520 and Joan came running up and grabbed us and cheered in her 1134 01:03:42,520 --> 01:03:43,720 face. And then they got back in the 1135 01:03:43,720 --> 01:03:45,120 car and zoomed along the finish line. 1136 01:03:45,120 --> 01:03:47,480 So yeah, so we we saw them, which was quite funny. 1137 01:03:48,280 --> 01:03:50,760 And again, that was one of these things where we were just like 1138 01:03:50,760 --> 01:03:53,120 we knew we were done before we were actually done. 1139 01:03:53,560 --> 01:03:56,760 And you know, because you're it's like every checkpoint on 1140 01:03:56,760 --> 01:04:00,360 the spine, you get into town, but you've still got an hour and 1141 01:04:00,360 --> 01:04:02,400 a half to go before you get to the checkpoint because it seems 1142 01:04:02,400 --> 01:04:05,720 they seem to have got a building the opposite end of town. 1143 01:04:06,280 --> 01:04:08,600 And so it was the same with the finish line. 1144 01:04:08,600 --> 01:04:11,720 We felt like we got into and then we heard like, Jesus, we've 1145 01:04:11,720 --> 01:04:13,920 got stuck with the war around here and along this river and 1146 01:04:13,920 --> 01:04:16,400 along this path and up this hill and then down this hill and then 1147 01:04:16,440 --> 01:04:18,880 we'll get to the finish. So it was just a long time 1148 01:04:18,880 --> 01:04:22,240 coming. But yeah, we saw, we saw Deb's 1149 01:04:22,240 --> 01:04:23,880 and all that. And they were obviously there 1150 01:04:23,880 --> 01:04:28,480 for for the nice more than me. But it was nice to see you and. 1151 01:04:28,760 --> 01:04:31,480 You mentioned at. Each checkpoint there was 1152 01:04:31,480 --> 01:04:37,520 obviously people there trail angels that might have been out 1153 01:04:37,560 --> 01:04:40,320 on course, I don't know. You'll maybe explain this. 1154 01:04:41,360 --> 01:04:44,360 How important were these small interactions? 1155 01:04:44,360 --> 01:04:47,680 Because some of the checkpoints you only saw them for half an 1156 01:04:47,680 --> 01:04:53,320 hour or even less probably. How? 1157 01:04:53,360 --> 01:04:54,560 How? Important were were. 1158 01:04:54,560 --> 01:04:58,640 Those interactions and was there anybody that you would want to 1159 01:04:58,640 --> 01:05:01,320 shout out that went above and beyond to help you? 1160 01:05:02,360 --> 01:05:04,160 I mean there. There's. 1161 01:05:04,720 --> 01:05:07,920 There's lots of people, it's, it's such a, it's such a weird 1162 01:05:07,920 --> 01:05:09,200 thing. And obviously I don't know any 1163 01:05:09,200 --> 01:05:11,400 of their names. They're they're just these 1164 01:05:11,600 --> 01:05:15,440 random people who who appear and, and random strangers who do 1165 01:05:15,440 --> 01:05:20,360 things for you on the course. There's, there's various trail 1166 01:05:20,360 --> 01:05:23,320 angels, as they're called, that open their doors to, to you or 1167 01:05:23,320 --> 01:05:27,360 they'll, they'll put out a little honesty box or, or a box 1168 01:05:27,360 --> 01:05:29,880 of snacks or whatever for you just on on the trail. 1169 01:05:30,440 --> 01:05:34,840 And I can't remember the name of the place, but there's a lovely 1170 01:05:34,840 --> 01:05:39,000 lady who opened up her barn for us and she had like 4 mattresses 1171 01:05:39,000 --> 01:05:42,120 in there and like tables and stuff set out with snacks. 1172 01:05:42,120 --> 01:05:44,840 And she had a microwave and a fridge and a big bowl of soup 1173 01:05:45,160 --> 01:05:46,240 that you could just heat up from. 1174 01:05:46,240 --> 01:05:47,920 Have as much as you want. There's tea, coffee, hot 1175 01:05:47,920 --> 01:05:51,000 chocolate and all these kind of things just sitting out. 1176 01:05:51,000 --> 01:05:54,560 And you were just, you just went in and helped yourself and slept 1177 01:05:54,560 --> 01:05:57,720 as long as you want. And the cat's name was Mr. 1178 01:05:57,720 --> 01:06:00,080 Nibbles. And because Mr. Nibbles was 1179 01:06:00,080 --> 01:06:04,800 climbing all over me while I was trying to eat my soup, there was 1180 01:06:04,840 --> 01:06:10,240 this amazing just wheel, sweetest wheel couple that were 1181 01:06:10,240 --> 01:06:14,080 coming through just shy of land and Beck And they they were just 1182 01:06:14,080 --> 01:06:16,600 shuffling along the road and they set, they set up their, 1183 01:06:16,600 --> 01:06:22,560 their we like mini aid station just on this kind of log by a 1184 01:06:22,560 --> 01:06:24,520 gate. And they just had wee tins, 1185 01:06:24,520 --> 01:06:27,640 apple ties and wee biscuits and stuff that they brought along. 1186 01:06:27,640 --> 01:06:28,800 And they were just there with their dog. 1187 01:06:28,800 --> 01:06:31,320 And, you know, they were just they were just wanting to they 1188 01:06:31,320 --> 01:06:33,360 just thought it was kind of amazing what people were doing 1189 01:06:33,360 --> 01:06:35,720 and they just wanted to help in a a really small way. 1190 01:06:36,080 --> 01:06:38,920 And that kind of that kind of thing is amazing. 1191 01:06:38,920 --> 01:06:40,400 You know, it's just a sweet old couple. 1192 01:06:40,400 --> 01:06:43,280 You know, they're obviously in their don't know 80s probably, 1193 01:06:43,280 --> 01:06:45,320 you know, and they're just they're just getting involved 1194 01:06:45,320 --> 01:06:49,360 and and doing this wee thing that doesn't doesn't mean much, 1195 01:06:49,640 --> 01:06:51,960 but means a huge thing at the time. 1196 01:06:53,240 --> 01:06:58,760 There's also trailing Joe Annie, who is and Gary Girl. 1197 01:06:59,400 --> 01:07:03,000 And after after you come off Cross Fell, you come into this 1198 01:07:03,000 --> 01:07:06,440 return and she literally opens her front door to Spain runners. 1199 01:07:06,480 --> 01:07:11,960 And so you're coming up off these snowy, wintry, bleak 1200 01:07:11,960 --> 01:07:14,680 conditions up in Cross Fell and you come down at the town and 1201 01:07:14,680 --> 01:07:16,880 all of a sudden you're getting ushered into this wee woman's 1202 01:07:17,640 --> 01:07:20,040 kitchenette. And you're just sitting there at 1203 01:07:20,040 --> 01:07:24,880 our table and she's feeding you coffee and tea and biscuits and 1204 01:07:24,880 --> 01:07:27,480 flapjacks and stuff. And she's got 5 or 6 monitors 1205 01:07:27,480 --> 01:07:29,160 around. She's showing you where people 1206 01:07:29,160 --> 01:07:31,720 are and how long it's going to take to get there and just 1207 01:07:31,720 --> 01:07:34,080 telling you there's 31 styles to the next checkpoint. 1208 01:07:34,080 --> 01:07:37,040 And she, she does it every year. So she knows it all inside out. 1209 01:07:37,040 --> 01:07:42,000 And, and she's, she's, she's bonkers, but in the best way. 1210 01:07:43,280 --> 01:07:46,520 And it's just surreal. You're just sitting there like a 1211 01:07:46,520 --> 01:07:49,080 kitchen stool all of a sudden, and then all, and then you're 1212 01:07:49,080 --> 01:07:53,160 out and away. Away you go again, and there's 1213 01:07:53,160 --> 01:07:54,320 just various. People like that all the way. 1214 01:07:54,320 --> 01:07:58,400 Along some of the some of the medics and and stuff that that 1215 01:07:58,400 --> 01:08:01,920 can help me deal with blisters and stuff were just just 1216 01:08:01,920 --> 01:08:03,760 amazing. You know, they're just so, so 1217 01:08:03,760 --> 01:08:09,880 kind and so helpful with you and just told you what to do and 1218 01:08:09,880 --> 01:08:13,400 what like how to do this and how to do that and give you good 1219 01:08:13,400 --> 01:08:18,279 advice and just kind of went. Above and beyond checkpoint 1220 01:08:18,279 --> 01:08:19,439 volunteers. Brilliant. 1221 01:08:19,520 --> 01:08:23,640 And couldn't do enough for you. And Hannah Rickman took my 1222 01:08:23,920 --> 01:08:27,680 sweaty, stinking socks and hung them with the dry, which is 1223 01:08:28,240 --> 01:08:33,040 surreal moment. And it's just, yeah. 1224 01:08:33,040 --> 01:08:35,200 And the volunteers, just brilliant, you know, And they're 1225 01:08:35,200 --> 01:08:37,359 just, they're just people, you know, some of them are amazing 1226 01:08:37,359 --> 01:08:40,640 off runners and some of them are just people who have turned up. 1227 01:08:41,479 --> 01:08:44,120 And they're all equally, equally wonderful. 1228 01:08:44,680 --> 01:08:46,760 And Hannah recommend definitely. Happened. 1229 01:08:46,760 --> 01:08:49,000 That wasn't a hallucinate. No, that was that was that was 1230 01:08:49,000 --> 01:08:51,120 definitely happened to you. We we were in that checkpoint 1231 01:08:51,120 --> 01:08:52,880 for a long time. So we we got a bit of chat. 1232 01:08:54,880 --> 01:08:56,560 Yeah, she, she was quite intrumental in getting, you 1233 01:08:56,560 --> 01:08:58,160 know, out the door again. As well when she was having her 1234 01:08:58,160 --> 01:09:01,200 waffles. So thanks, Hannah and 1235 01:09:01,720 --> 01:09:04,279 throughout. The course like that sounds like 1236 01:09:04,319 --> 01:09:06,240 really nice moments that you had. 1237 01:09:06,240 --> 01:09:09,680 Was there anything along the course that you ate and you 1238 01:09:09,680 --> 01:09:12,800 thought, Oh my God, this is the best thing I've ever had. 1239 01:09:13,120 --> 01:09:18,359 Like, was there anything The Yeah, the the there's nothing 1240 01:09:18,359 --> 01:09:19,760 that. Nothing like that I mean. 1241 01:09:19,760 --> 01:09:22,560 Everyone raves about the awesome lasagna. 1242 01:09:23,840 --> 01:09:25,960 I only had a disappointing 4 portions of that. 1243 01:09:26,960 --> 01:09:29,000 I had two as soon as I walked in because I was starving. 1244 01:09:29,000 --> 01:09:31,680 And then I went for sleep and I came back and I had another one 1245 01:09:32,200 --> 01:09:35,840 and I shoveled a vegan version down my throat as I was leaving. 1246 01:09:38,080 --> 01:09:39,359 But I just don't. I don't have time. 1247 01:09:39,359 --> 01:09:41,800 I have no idea how Katherine Kerry managed to have enough 1248 01:09:41,800 --> 01:09:44,920 time to put away 12 portions in that checkpoint, because I 1249 01:09:44,920 --> 01:09:48,880 didn't. And then the size portions I. 1250 01:09:49,319 --> 01:09:53,960 Mean. That size very they're not, 1251 01:09:53,960 --> 01:09:56,000 they're not huge, but they're enough. 1252 01:09:57,120 --> 01:09:58,800 But it was it was good. Don't get me wrong, it was, it 1253 01:09:58,800 --> 01:10:00,880 was good. But I mean everything, 1254 01:10:00,880 --> 01:10:04,560 everything in the checkpoints was good, but it barely touches 1255 01:10:04,560 --> 01:10:06,480 the sides. You're just shovelling it down. 1256 01:10:08,160 --> 01:10:12,560 The thing that I really enjoyed the most was it was like a 1257 01:10:12,560 --> 01:10:15,520 chicken Curry and went into the checkpoint and we saw it was 1258 01:10:15,520 --> 01:10:18,000 like chicken Curry on the menu. And I was like, I'm not sure 1259 01:10:18,000 --> 01:10:21,000 about that. But I mean that's that's that's 1260 01:10:21,000 --> 01:10:24,760 a risky that's a risky option when you're there running about. 1261 01:10:25,240 --> 01:10:28,760 And but it really it was kind of a karma, but it was mostly like 1262 01:10:28,760 --> 01:10:32,400 a coconut chicken type thing. So it wasn't very Curry ish and 1263 01:10:32,440 --> 01:10:35,520 it was it was amazing. It had potatoes in it and check 1264 01:10:35,520 --> 01:10:39,240 big chunks of chicken and rice it keep got a big nan with it 1265 01:10:39,240 --> 01:10:40,600 and stuff. So that was really good. 1266 01:10:40,600 --> 01:10:44,920 I had a good few portions of that and they had a rice pudding 1267 01:10:44,920 --> 01:10:52,400 and Swiss roll and all that kind of stuff as well. 1268 01:10:52,400 --> 01:10:56,000 Just all this good kind of stodgy, hearty stuff and broth 1269 01:10:56,000 --> 01:11:01,560 at various places. The horny Horny side, Horny Side 1270 01:11:01,560 --> 01:11:06,560 Farm, Honeystead Farm. Yeah, the broth there was 1271 01:11:06,560 --> 01:11:08,000 amazing. And I got to be cuddled with the 1272 01:11:08,000 --> 01:11:11,760 dog, which was nice. And yeah, the. 1273 01:11:12,000 --> 01:11:14,840 The food was all good, but. Nothing, nothing to complain 1274 01:11:14,840 --> 01:11:17,240 about. And was that was that your 1275 01:11:17,240 --> 01:11:19,360 fuelling? Strategy just to kind of pick up 1276 01:11:19,360 --> 01:11:23,000 stuff as you went along or did you even go with a fuelling 1277 01:11:23,000 --> 01:11:25,800 plan? Was a was a jails involved 1278 01:11:25,880 --> 01:11:30,480 tailwind, anything like that? Kind of give myself options the. 1279 01:11:30,720 --> 01:11:35,280 The main fueling strategy was to just completely load up on carby 1280 01:11:35,280 --> 01:11:38,000 stodgy stuff at checkpoints because it was late, limitless 1281 01:11:38,000 --> 01:11:42,880 and on offer. And then I had like you had to 1282 01:11:42,880 --> 01:11:49,640 carry 1500 calories worth of food on you and in between 1283 01:11:49,640 --> 01:11:51,800 checkpoints. So you had to leave the 1284 01:11:51,800 --> 01:11:54,680 checkpoint with 1500 calories worth on you every time. 1285 01:11:55,360 --> 01:11:58,720 So obviously how they zip lock bags with about two and a half 1286 01:11:58,720 --> 01:12:05,920 1000 calories worth of sweets. And I had like real, real meal 1287 01:12:05,920 --> 01:12:09,200 bars which have got like 600 calories in them, which are kind 1288 01:12:09,280 --> 01:12:12,920 of kind of flapjacky type things, which are they're OK, 1289 01:12:12,920 --> 01:12:14,920 they're not the tastiest thing in the world, but they get the 1290 01:12:14,920 --> 01:12:17,840 calories in. So I kind of had a mixture of 1291 01:12:17,840 --> 01:12:22,160 them and I had Morton gels with me and Precision hydration gels, 1292 01:12:22,160 --> 01:12:27,080 but I didn't touch them once and the whole thing, it was mostly 1293 01:12:27,080 --> 01:12:28,480 just food. I was just snacking on. 1294 01:12:28,680 --> 01:12:31,760 Snacking on that kind of thing. And did you lose any weight? 1295 01:12:33,480 --> 01:12:35,480 Surprisingly no. I weighed myself today. 1296 01:12:35,480 --> 01:12:38,560 And I think I'm only a couple of kilograms down, so I think I 1297 01:12:38,560 --> 01:12:41,240 probably just replaced for anything I lost with the food 1298 01:12:41,240 --> 01:12:44,520 that I put on. So I ate quite well, have to 1299 01:12:44,520 --> 01:12:47,200 say. But again, it's a timing thing. 1300 01:12:47,200 --> 01:12:49,320 I think I would have probably eaten more had I had more time 1301 01:12:49,320 --> 01:12:53,400 in the checkpoints, and I think having had I done it again, I 1302 01:12:53,400 --> 01:12:56,880 would have taken more savoury stuff for in between checkpoints 1303 01:12:56,880 --> 01:13:01,000 rather than mostly sweets. Speaking about your time at the 1304 01:13:01,000 --> 01:13:04,720 checkpoints. Although you took 163 hours to 1305 01:13:04,720 --> 01:13:09,480 get from A to B with 35. Hours. 1306 01:13:09,600 --> 01:13:15,120 Of FAFF admin sleep, what is known as dwell time, dwell 1307 01:13:15,120 --> 01:13:19,840 thing, So what? Works out you were doing. 36 1/2 1308 01:13:19,840 --> 01:13:22,640 minute miles, less than two mile an hour out. 1309 01:13:22,640 --> 01:13:27,640 Out of context, anybody would say that slow, slower. 1310 01:13:29,720 --> 01:13:34,120 But is there anything that you think? 1311 01:13:34,120 --> 01:13:37,000 You could have done to. Speed up a bit. 1312 01:13:37,960 --> 01:13:41,120 I mean, obviously. From this point onward, they're 1313 01:13:41,120 --> 01:13:45,400 taking 12 hours off the off the time that you're allowed to do 1314 01:13:45,400 --> 01:13:47,280 it now and from this point forward. 1315 01:13:47,680 --> 01:13:53,000 So I think had I had 12 hours less, obviously the numbers 1316 01:13:53,000 --> 01:13:54,520 would say I wouldn't make it round. 1317 01:13:55,400 --> 01:13:57,840 But I think had I got into it knowing I had 12 hours less, I 1318 01:13:57,840 --> 01:14:00,320 would have made it round. So I think I could have, I could 1319 01:14:00,320 --> 01:14:02,160 have pushed it harder. And I think it's one of these 1320 01:14:02,160 --> 01:14:04,960 things that any big race you go into, the first time, it's all 1321 01:14:04,960 --> 01:14:06,920 about the learning experience and it's about completing. 1322 01:14:09,480 --> 01:14:12,440 The second time you go back you can put in a bit more of a 1323 01:14:12,440 --> 01:14:17,600 performance and I've definitely learned places that I would be 1324 01:14:17,600 --> 01:14:21,720 able to push on a bit and places that I could pick up time. 1325 01:14:22,880 --> 01:14:26,760 I think a lot of time was sacrificed at Langdon Beck, 1326 01:14:28,160 --> 01:14:31,560 getting cleaners out the door again, which won't make me 1327 01:14:31,560 --> 01:14:35,240 saying that, but we had the time to do it. 1328 01:14:35,360 --> 01:14:38,840 I think it was worth spending that time getting it out then 1329 01:14:39,000 --> 01:14:42,800 pushing on myself. And I'm I'm glad I sacrificed 1330 01:14:42,800 --> 01:14:47,200 that time there in order to continue the the journey with 1331 01:14:47,200 --> 01:14:50,600 her. So yeah, there are definitely 1332 01:14:50,600 --> 01:14:53,200 places I could have gone faster. But I mean, the terrain is just 1333 01:14:53,200 --> 01:14:54,960 so bad. It's it's so bad. 1334 01:14:54,960 --> 01:14:59,400 It's really hard to describe how unrunnable it is. 1335 01:14:59,560 --> 01:15:03,520 It's just not in any way. I don't understand how the 1336 01:15:03,520 --> 01:15:07,880 faster guys do it because it's so it's so treacherous. 1337 01:15:07,880 --> 01:15:13,880 It's like, it's like ice under snow underwater on a, in a bog 1338 01:15:14,160 --> 01:15:16,600 that's got half a stone to stand on. 1339 01:15:16,600 --> 01:15:19,440 I mean, I had a pretty bad fall on the TV and I broke my, my 1340 01:15:19,440 --> 01:15:21,800 walking pole. And it's 'cause I was walking 1341 01:15:21,800 --> 01:15:26,200 along and you're following the path of a flagstones and a 1342 01:15:26,200 --> 01:15:30,160 couple of them disappear under the water and then reappear at 1343 01:15:30,160 --> 01:15:32,040 the other side of the water and you're just following it along. 1344 01:15:32,040 --> 01:15:34,360 But unfortunately one of the ones that was under the water 1345 01:15:34,360 --> 01:15:37,800 had broken in half and there was like a six foot drop underneath 1346 01:15:37,800 --> 01:15:40,280 it into nothingness. So I went straight down there, 1347 01:15:40,280 --> 01:15:42,160 snapped like fell on the pole, snapped it. 1348 01:15:42,520 --> 01:15:44,760 I mean, I could have easily like broken my leg there. 1349 01:15:45,280 --> 01:15:48,080 And it's just so treacherous. And there's stuff like that all 1350 01:15:48,080 --> 01:15:50,400 over the place and there's there's some really scrambly 1351 01:15:50,400 --> 01:15:54,000 bits and there's some really kind of ropey descents that are 1352 01:15:54,000 --> 01:15:57,840 just kind of scree and but they've got ice on top of them 1353 01:15:57,960 --> 01:15:59,920 and it's it's just such hard going. 1354 01:16:00,200 --> 01:16:03,480 And yet obviously all that kind of difficult terrain takes 1355 01:16:03,480 --> 01:16:06,280 concentration, which tires you, which makes you go slower and 1356 01:16:07,320 --> 01:16:09,280 yeah, all of that. So I mean, a lot of it's 1357 01:16:09,280 --> 01:16:11,760 dependent on weather, a lot of it's dependent on just your 1358 01:16:12,080 --> 01:16:13,040 general speed. Anyway. 1359 01:16:13,040 --> 01:16:14,720 I think if you're a faster runner, you're obviously going 1360 01:16:14,720 --> 01:16:19,960 to be faster over any distance. But yeah, I was, I was happy 1361 01:16:19,960 --> 01:16:22,960 with what with what we did at the time. 1362 01:16:22,960 --> 01:16:26,880 And I don't think we were pushing the cut offs enough to 1363 01:16:26,880 --> 01:16:30,480 warn pushing significantly harder at any point. 1364 01:16:30,880 --> 01:16:33,320 So. But you talk about as well the 1365 01:16:33,320 --> 01:16:34,720 faster. Runners, you don't know how they 1366 01:16:34,720 --> 01:16:36,960 do it. Bear in mind, the year Jack 1367 01:16:36,960 --> 01:16:39,800 Scott broke the record, those were the conditions. 1368 01:16:40,280 --> 01:16:44,240 And even Jack Scott himself this year mentioned how treacherous 1369 01:16:44,240 --> 01:16:46,600 the conditions were. I think it was one of the worst 1370 01:16:46,600 --> 01:16:50,240 starts the Spain's had in a long, long time, was it not? 1371 01:16:51,240 --> 01:16:53,120 Yeah, Well, you know the. The the. 1372 01:16:53,120 --> 01:16:56,280 Runners who did the Challenger S started on the Saturday. 1373 01:16:57,400 --> 01:16:59,760 They they got such a nicer first day than we did. 1374 01:16:59,760 --> 01:17:05,760 We we got absolutely battered on that first day and I think there 1375 01:17:05,760 --> 01:17:09,160 was hardly any runners had their numbers still attached after the 1376 01:17:09,160 --> 01:17:12,120 first day because they all just got whipped off in the wind. 1377 01:17:12,400 --> 01:17:15,160 And you can barely stand up on top of any of the hills. 1378 01:17:15,160 --> 01:17:20,200 And there's a few people got swept away in the river and 1379 01:17:20,240 --> 01:17:22,160 there's just so much ice about the place. 1380 01:17:22,160 --> 01:17:23,760 There's so many people falling over. 1381 01:17:23,760 --> 01:17:26,520 And I think in the first day they were speaking to the medic 1382 01:17:26,520 --> 01:17:30,400 at the 1st checkpoint and he said there was a broken wrist, a 1383 01:17:30,720 --> 01:17:34,360 dislocated shoulder, a couple of broken toes and a concussion. 1384 01:17:34,720 --> 01:17:36,960 It was just all people falling. And because it was just so 1385 01:17:36,960 --> 01:17:40,440 treacherous and and so windy. And it's really hard to to stay 1386 01:17:40,440 --> 01:17:42,720 upright when you're getting battered with the wind and 1387 01:17:43,440 --> 01:17:47,280 standing on ice. So yeah, it's that that was that 1388 01:17:47,280 --> 01:17:50,160 was a tough day. And it was real baptism of fire 1389 01:17:50,160 --> 01:17:53,840 on on day one. And it just, it did really take 1390 01:17:54,080 --> 01:17:56,200 the energy out of you. And then obviously you know that 1391 01:17:56,200 --> 01:18:01,440 you're going into day 2, which is a 60 odd mile slog and didn't 1392 01:18:01,440 --> 01:18:03,400 quite know how bad that was actually going to be. 1393 01:18:04,400 --> 01:18:06,920 But yeah, the 60 miles was was bad enough. 1394 01:18:06,920 --> 01:18:09,680 The the conditions were made it significantly worse. 1395 01:18:09,680 --> 01:18:12,040 So. So did you lose your number in 1396 01:18:12,040 --> 01:18:12,960 the? Wind as well. 1397 01:18:13,040 --> 01:18:14,600 Oh yeah, my mine was gone within. 1398 01:18:15,160 --> 01:18:18,840 Two hours I think, but I've got to got 4 of it because it's the 1399 01:18:18,840 --> 01:18:23,560 last assault. And not wanting to put. 1400 01:18:23,560 --> 01:18:27,840 Ideas into Coach John's head, but has the spine shifted? 1401 01:18:27,840 --> 01:18:29,480 What you think you're now capable of? 1402 01:18:32,360 --> 01:18:34,200 I mean, I don't think it cannot I. 1403 01:18:34,200 --> 01:18:38,400 Think if you go into something like this, like I said, I've 1404 01:18:38,400 --> 01:18:41,000 been like everyone else watching these dots for for years 1405 01:18:41,000 --> 01:18:44,040 thinking that that's right. The kind of edge of anything 1406 01:18:44,040 --> 01:18:48,480 that I think I'd be capable of. And I think I'm right. 1407 01:18:48,480 --> 01:18:51,920 I think that that is right at the edge of what I'm capable of, 1408 01:18:51,920 --> 01:18:57,040 but having now done it, it does push. 1409 01:18:57,040 --> 01:19:00,960 Your boundaries a little bit. But I don't know what, I don't 1410 01:19:00,960 --> 01:19:03,360 know what's out there that that I would consider more difficult 1411 01:19:03,360 --> 01:19:05,840 than that at the moment, at this moment in time. 1412 01:19:06,600 --> 01:19:09,600 Would you go back? Not just now. 1413 01:19:12,040 --> 01:19:15,800 No, I mean. It's, I don't think I could do 1414 01:19:15,800 --> 01:19:19,520 that to myself again, I think. I think that was just really 1415 01:19:19,520 --> 01:19:26,920 hard and I might go back one day and do one of the shorter ones 1416 01:19:26,920 --> 01:19:29,200 just because it's a, it's a brilliant event and I'd like to 1417 01:19:29,200 --> 01:19:34,160 be involved and I'd love to, to go back and have a good time. 1418 01:19:36,760 --> 01:19:41,640 But I think the fool is probably a step too far to go back. 1419 01:19:41,640 --> 01:19:43,520 Again and I. Think I'm probably 1 and done 1420 01:19:43,520 --> 01:19:45,960 with that. Well, I got a chance to. 1421 01:19:45,960 --> 01:19:49,680 Speak to Doctor Nikki Ligo at Cochietum and she's always on 1422 01:19:49,680 --> 01:19:53,360 the hump for volunteers. Yeah, I mean, I'd. 1423 01:19:53,680 --> 01:19:56,520 Probably go back and volunteer. I think that would be fun. 1424 01:19:58,360 --> 01:20:00,800 And I think having having done the race, you're, you're in a 1425 01:20:00,800 --> 01:20:04,960 good position to understand what people will want and need when 1426 01:20:04,960 --> 01:20:09,080 they come in and. Yeah. 1427 01:20:09,080 --> 01:20:10,800 But yeah, in terms of. Running the race again? 1428 01:20:10,800 --> 01:20:13,760 I don't think so. I mean never, never say never 1429 01:20:13,760 --> 01:20:17,800 because I've, I've said this before, but I don't think so. 1430 01:20:17,800 --> 01:20:20,000 I think this. I think, I think I've picked up 1431 01:20:20,000 --> 01:20:22,040 too much trauma to what to go back again. 1432 01:20:25,320 --> 01:20:28,960 The next question seems. A bit of a stupid question to 1433 01:20:28,960 --> 01:20:33,240 ask. Biggest running achievement is. 1434 01:20:33,240 --> 01:20:36,560 This by far. What What comes second? 1435 01:20:38,000 --> 01:20:39,600 It depends. If you if you call us the 1436 01:20:39,600 --> 01:20:40,880 running. Achievement or not, there wasn't 1437 01:20:40,880 --> 01:20:43,720 much running involved, but two mile an hour. 1438 01:20:44,160 --> 01:20:47,040 Yeah, yeah, definitely. Endurance. 1439 01:20:47,520 --> 01:20:49,200 Yeah, I mean, this is the biggest. 1440 01:20:49,560 --> 01:20:52,240 If you're calling this a running event, this is definitely by far 1441 01:20:52,240 --> 01:20:56,880 the biggest running achievement. Yeah, I don't know what my 1442 01:20:56,880 --> 01:21:02,480 second would be, I think. I mean, get inside for Scotland 1443 01:21:02,480 --> 01:21:04,720 in the backyard. Is always going to is always 1444 01:21:04,720 --> 01:21:08,200 going to be up there, you know yeah, I don't know how much more 1445 01:21:08,200 --> 01:21:11,280 I can do with the backyard of injuries and all that. 1446 01:21:11,280 --> 01:21:17,080 Hold hold up and I'll get I'll get some good training in and I 1447 01:21:17,080 --> 01:21:22,880 fix my sleep deprivation stuff. We'll see, but that's. 1448 01:21:23,200 --> 01:21:25,560 Probably something. That I'm going to go back to 1449 01:21:25,560 --> 01:21:30,160 rather than anything else like this that was. 1450 01:21:30,400 --> 01:21:32,960 You've kind of. Answered my I was going to ask a 1451 01:21:32,960 --> 01:21:35,880 question there and still with point to points. 1452 01:21:35,880 --> 01:21:38,880 Do you think you would go back now to West Highland way in 1453 01:21:38,880 --> 01:21:42,440 Lakeland and places like that? And do you feel that doing 1454 01:21:42,440 --> 01:21:46,600 something like this would set you up better for doing a short, 1455 01:21:46,760 --> 01:21:49,840 say that flippantly, because there's still nearly 100 miles, 1456 01:21:49,840 --> 01:21:52,600 100 miles. Do you feel you could go back to 1457 01:21:52,600 --> 01:21:57,920 those places and with a bit not so much confidence, but knowing 1458 01:21:57,960 --> 01:22:01,520 really you can properly do it? Yeah, I think so. 1459 01:22:01,560 --> 01:22:06,120 I mean, I've. I've never been wanting to not 1460 01:22:06,120 --> 01:22:08,240 do things like W Highway and Lakeland again. 1461 01:22:08,240 --> 01:22:11,120 I mean, I love those races. The the the point to point races 1462 01:22:11,120 --> 01:22:14,680 are great. And I think I think this. 1463 01:22:14,680 --> 01:22:18,520 This probably. Gives you some kind of 1464 01:22:19,000 --> 01:22:21,360 experience that you can take into those races and improve on 1465 01:22:21,360 --> 01:22:23,560 past performances. Absolutely. 1466 01:22:23,560 --> 01:22:27,440 So yeah, I'd. Absolutely be up. 1467 01:22:27,440 --> 01:22:28,640 For going back to those races again. 1468 01:22:28,640 --> 01:22:31,720 But I mean, there's a lot of stuff I want to do out there. 1469 01:22:31,720 --> 01:22:37,000 You know, there's other bucket list races and this was 1470 01:22:37,000 --> 01:22:39,280 definitely one of them. So now that I've take this one 1471 01:22:39,280 --> 01:22:42,480 off, I just have to go go back to the list and see what else is 1472 01:22:42,480 --> 01:22:47,960 on there and. And this might be a hard 1473 01:22:47,960 --> 01:22:52,200 question for you to answer with this having been so recent, but 1474 01:22:52,320 --> 01:22:55,840 why do you run? Why do I run? 1475 01:22:59,880 --> 01:23:02,880 It's. It's just a simple sport. 1476 01:23:03,080 --> 01:23:05,960 Just oh, he needs a pair. Of trainers cheap. 1477 01:23:06,680 --> 01:23:11,240 Cheap doesn't take. Much time, OK, I thought, I 1478 01:23:11,280 --> 01:23:14,880 mean, it gives me it just gives me space and freedom and 1479 01:23:16,400 --> 01:23:21,760 headspace to, to just process life, I think. 1480 01:23:21,760 --> 01:23:25,200 And yeah, yeah, that's just just my time. 1481 01:23:25,200 --> 01:23:28,640 You know, you guys have got families and and significant 1482 01:23:28,640 --> 01:23:31,480 others and jobs and things. So it's, it's just time for you. 1483 01:23:31,480 --> 01:23:34,560 And amongst all that and that's that's still going to be the 1484 01:23:34,560 --> 01:23:37,920 case. I'm going to be doing much this 1485 01:23:37,920 --> 01:23:41,440 week. But yeah, that's that's why. 1486 01:23:43,440 --> 01:23:52,120 And you had a lot of time. To think and you said running 1487 01:23:52,120 --> 01:23:54,800 just give you your headspace, but what? 1488 01:23:54,800 --> 01:23:57,280 What do you normally think about when you're running? 1489 01:24:00,920 --> 01:24:03,200 It depends what's going on in my head at times. 1490 01:24:03,200 --> 01:24:09,440 Sometimes it's a good time to work out problems and try and 1491 01:24:09,440 --> 01:24:12,560 find the answers to things that you just don't have time to 1492 01:24:12,560 --> 01:24:14,920 process. Other times you just want to 1493 01:24:15,080 --> 01:24:20,440 quiet the noise and just think about nothing and you just take 1494 01:24:20,440 --> 01:24:21,920 some blink 1. 82 On and away you go. 1495 01:24:21,920 --> 01:24:25,080 For a couple of hours and think about nothing except lyrics and 1496 01:24:27,200 --> 01:24:31,440 other times you just you you just want to be out out in the 1497 01:24:31,440 --> 01:24:35,360 quiet and and not think about anything so it. 1498 01:24:35,480 --> 01:24:36,440 It varies. It depends. 1499 01:24:36,440 --> 01:24:39,120 It depends on what's going on your on your head as you lift 1500 01:24:39,240 --> 01:24:43,240 your shoes up. And you say you have. 1501 01:24:43,840 --> 01:24:47,640 A bucket list of races is the many left on it. 1502 01:24:49,080 --> 01:24:53,160 Yeah, there's loads. It's just all all the all the 1503 01:24:53,160 --> 01:24:55,240 usual big hitters. You know, you want to go out and 1504 01:24:55,240 --> 01:24:57,080 see these places and do these things. 1505 01:24:58,040 --> 01:25:02,920 I'd love to go back to Shamani one day and do the full UTMB 1506 01:25:02,920 --> 01:25:05,600 there. I don't have any immediate plans 1507 01:25:05,600 --> 01:25:07,040 to do that, but I'd like to do it one day. 1508 01:25:07,040 --> 01:25:08,840 I'd like to go do Western States. 1509 01:25:08,840 --> 01:25:10,640 I'd like to go and do Tour de genre. 1510 01:25:10,640 --> 01:25:16,120 I'd like to go and do all these kind of big, all these kind of 1511 01:25:16,120 --> 01:25:19,440 big ones, couple of big American ones. 1512 01:25:20,120 --> 01:25:22,600 Alice's Bill lives in the States, so I'd like to maybe go 1513 01:25:22,600 --> 01:25:24,840 out there and see them and do do one of them. 1514 01:25:24,840 --> 01:25:29,600 But we're out there adventure race, like spine and stuff. 1515 01:25:29,600 --> 01:25:35,880 I'm not sure if I do any more of them, but it's, it's possible 1516 01:25:35,880 --> 01:25:39,160 I'm going to start looking into something that if, if there's 1517 01:25:39,160 --> 01:25:41,960 something similar out there to that, I might go and do that. 1518 01:25:42,560 --> 01:25:44,440 But I'll get right enough. So I might as well go and use 1519 01:25:44,440 --> 01:25:47,600 it. And so, yeah, there's, there's 1520 01:25:47,600 --> 01:25:49,360 lots of things that I can, there's always going to be 1521 01:25:49,360 --> 01:25:50,920 something that's that's going to pique your interest. 1522 01:25:50,920 --> 01:25:54,960 So I'm not doing one in the Arctic. 1523 01:25:54,960 --> 01:25:57,680 Spine or something like that. Yeah, that's that doesn't, 1524 01:25:57,880 --> 01:25:59,000 doesn't. Really do Foggy. 1525 01:26:00,680 --> 01:26:02,520 I know too many people that have lost their fingers. 1526 01:26:02,840 --> 01:26:05,280 Back, yeah, I mean. Dragons. 1527 01:26:05,280 --> 01:26:09,680 Back's on there, I mean. It's a funny one because I'm not 1528 01:26:09,680 --> 01:26:12,320 sure I'm fast enough for Dragons back, but I think I'd probably 1529 01:26:12,320 --> 01:26:17,280 like to have have a go at being 1/4 Welsh and all that. 1530 01:26:17,280 --> 01:26:20,920 I should probably set foot in Wales at some point so. 1531 01:26:21,360 --> 01:26:24,280 Yeah, I'd like to have a go. At Dragons back, but maybe not 1532 01:26:24,280 --> 01:26:26,480 anytime soon. I think I think for the next 1533 01:26:26,480 --> 01:26:29,080 little while I'm going to take a wee bit of a step back from from 1534 01:26:29,080 --> 01:26:33,280 running, not from running, but I'm training, training for 1535 01:26:33,280 --> 01:26:35,880 anything specific. I think they've just been 1536 01:26:35,880 --> 01:26:38,440 there's been a lot in the last couple of years and especially 1537 01:26:38,440 --> 01:26:40,760 this last year with the spine and everything that's going on 1538 01:26:40,760 --> 01:26:43,000 with it. And I think I just need a bit of 1539 01:26:43,560 --> 01:26:45,600 time to myself. It's there's been a lot of kind 1540 01:26:45,600 --> 01:26:47,440 of recurring injuries. There's been a lot of fatigue 1541 01:26:47,440 --> 01:26:50,960 and I think a few just maybe fallen out of love a wee bit 1542 01:26:50,960 --> 01:26:52,840 with just running for running's sake. 1543 01:26:53,200 --> 01:26:57,160 So I think I'm probably going to step back a wee bit over the 1544 01:26:57,160 --> 01:27:01,840 next six months and just take a bit of time and see what's see 1545 01:27:01,840 --> 01:27:03,080 what I'll actually want to do next. 1546 01:27:04,720 --> 01:27:07,160 Next question it might be. The answer might be your 1547 01:27:07,160 --> 01:27:10,880 imaginary friend that you found on the in the woods, on the 1548 01:27:10,880 --> 01:27:14,040 spine. It might be Lenos. 1549 01:27:15,400 --> 01:27:19,360 Is there anybody fictional, real, alive, not that you would 1550 01:27:19,360 --> 01:27:23,880 like to go for a run with? This is a difficult one. 1551 01:27:27,040 --> 01:27:28,960 I had a little think about this and I. 1552 01:27:29,080 --> 01:27:33,320 Kind of wanted to do something of something profound or 1553 01:27:33,520 --> 01:27:35,400 interesting, but I couldn't really come up with anything. 1554 01:27:37,920 --> 01:27:42,560 So I think the best I could come up with is I'd like to go out 1555 01:27:42,560 --> 01:27:48,360 for a run with my younger self just so that I could tell him 1556 01:27:48,360 --> 01:27:49,920 that everything's going to be OK. 1557 01:27:51,680 --> 01:27:53,680 And that's. Kind of the best I could come. 1558 01:27:53,680 --> 01:27:57,360 Up with because I was a very different person probably 20 1559 01:27:57,360 --> 01:28:00,920 years ago and a bit lost and stuff. 1560 01:28:00,960 --> 01:28:07,280 So I think if we could take that guy out and on a run and share 1561 01:28:07,280 --> 01:28:10,600 some of my gained knowledge with him, whether he'd listen to me 1562 01:28:10,600 --> 01:28:13,320 or not, I don't know. But I think that would probably 1563 01:28:13,320 --> 01:28:17,160 be the the one I'd go for. That's very profound. 1564 01:28:20,120 --> 01:28:21,600 This sounds self indulgent to me. 1565 01:28:24,160 --> 01:28:26,040 And you might have. Answered this. 1566 01:28:26,040 --> 01:28:31,200 One just the other now as well. We will understand if you never 1567 01:28:31,200 --> 01:28:37,160 want to run again ever. Did you have anything booked or 1568 01:28:37,160 --> 01:28:41,880 do you plan on doing anything at all that over the next? 1569 01:28:42,000 --> 01:28:44,560 Year. Well, I'm. 1570 01:28:44,560 --> 01:28:48,000 In for a. Couple of backyards over the 1571 01:28:48,000 --> 01:28:53,760 next year, so I've got B Craig's in April, which I'm in for and 1572 01:28:53,760 --> 01:28:57,280 I've got Russell Block, Hardwick Hall which is in September. 1573 01:28:57,280 --> 01:29:01,280 I think those are only two that are in for the rest of the year. 1574 01:29:02,040 --> 01:29:05,760 And backyard wise I would, I kind of had an eye on trying to 1575 01:29:06,000 --> 01:29:08,680 get back into the Scotland team for the Four Nations again this 1576 01:29:08,680 --> 01:29:10,600 year. But the way logistics are with 1577 01:29:10,600 --> 01:29:14,000 it isn't going to work for me. And because Alice and I are we 1578 01:29:14,440 --> 01:29:17,240 in Thailand over the summer. So we're going to miss that. 1579 01:29:18,240 --> 01:29:24,200 So I think the main priority is just going to be on like family 1580 01:29:24,200 --> 01:29:26,480 and just calming life down and stuff for the next week while 1581 01:29:26,640 --> 01:29:30,200 then the backyard to be Craig's is fairly local to me. 1582 01:29:30,200 --> 01:29:33,160 So and it's obviously run by Kayleigh Webster, who's a friend 1583 01:29:33,160 --> 01:29:36,080 of mine. And it's not really, I'm not 1584 01:29:36,160 --> 01:29:39,520 taking it that seriously in terms of an event. 1585 01:29:39,840 --> 01:29:43,720 And I'm, I'm just going to go in there for, for a jolly and then 1586 01:29:43,720 --> 01:29:47,480 for support my friend and, and see a lot of people that I know. 1587 01:29:47,480 --> 01:29:50,600 So that will, that will just be a nice, a nice little come down 1588 01:29:50,600 --> 01:29:54,040 from the spine, I think, and just getting back to running 1589 01:29:54,040 --> 01:29:58,760 without pressure to perform. So because I was kind of 1590 01:29:58,760 --> 01:30:00,640 thinking that I could maybe use that as a qualifier for 1591 01:30:00,640 --> 01:30:02,120 Scotland. But if, if I'm not going to be 1592 01:30:02,120 --> 01:30:05,000 make make the Scotland team and there's that takes all pressure 1593 01:30:05,000 --> 01:30:07,520 off of that. So, so yeah. 1594 01:30:07,520 --> 01:30:10,400 So that's all I've really got in in the diary and I'm not really 1595 01:30:10,400 --> 01:30:16,800 planning to add anything else in Sonya well myself and. 1596 01:30:17,120 --> 01:30:20,440 One of your coaching clients, Steph, I hope she doesn't mind 1597 01:30:20,440 --> 01:30:23,280 me mentioning this. We were going to invite you out 1598 01:30:23,280 --> 01:30:25,960 onto the Pentlands in a couple of weekends time because we 1599 01:30:25,960 --> 01:30:28,360 think it's the only time we could probably outrun you. 1600 01:30:31,520 --> 01:30:32,760 I wouldn't make it to the car. Park. 1601 01:30:32,840 --> 01:30:35,840 Judging by the way I'm walking just now, I've got to go back to 1602 01:30:35,840 --> 01:30:37,800 work tomorrow and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to manage 1603 01:30:37,800 --> 01:30:43,120 it in my Crocs. The last question that we've got 1604 01:30:43,120 --> 01:30:46,800 written down. But you've not seen, so take 1605 01:30:46,800 --> 01:30:49,400 your time. What advice would you? 1606 01:30:49,400 --> 01:30:54,160 Give to any other. Runners either doing the the 1607 01:30:54,160 --> 01:30:59,400 spine or just as runners in general from what you've learned 1608 01:31:02,440 --> 01:31:07,880 to runners doing the. Spine definitely I've got a lot 1609 01:31:07,880 --> 01:31:11,000 of advice for those that have been in Spain because obviously 1610 01:31:11,000 --> 01:31:15,400 I've I've come into the Spain having not done any of those 1611 01:31:15,480 --> 01:31:18,560 data events before and having gone straight into just doing 1612 01:31:18,760 --> 01:31:21,720 the big one. So there's been quite a steep 1613 01:31:21,720 --> 01:31:25,080 learning curve. So for one of them in Spain, I'd 1614 01:31:25,080 --> 01:31:27,320 say don't get overwhelmed by the kit list. 1615 01:31:29,720 --> 01:31:36,680 Find kit that you know works and don't. 1616 01:31:36,920 --> 01:31:40,400 Try and. Have everything for every 1617 01:31:40,400 --> 01:31:43,520 eventuality and find a combination of things that are 1618 01:31:43,520 --> 01:31:47,280 going to work for you and stick with what you stick with what 1619 01:31:47,280 --> 01:31:48,240 you know. Use them. 1620 01:31:48,640 --> 01:31:51,760 Use the kit well in advance so that you know it works. 1621 01:31:54,280 --> 01:31:59,640 Also, your admin is more important, vastly more important 1622 01:31:59,640 --> 01:32:03,160 than your running, your fitness and stuff. 1623 01:32:03,160 --> 01:32:05,880 You obviously need to be fit enough to cover the course, but 1624 01:32:05,880 --> 01:32:10,680 it is way secondary to the way you manage yourself out on the 1625 01:32:10,680 --> 01:32:12,840 course. It's the way you manage yourself 1626 01:32:12,840 --> 01:32:15,760 is going to get you through more than the the running. 1627 01:32:16,360 --> 01:32:21,040 And I think that's probably true of all running in life really. 1628 01:32:21,040 --> 01:32:24,960 You know you have to. It's not about being super fit 1629 01:32:24,960 --> 01:32:26,800 and ready to go. I think you need to be able to 1630 01:32:27,120 --> 01:32:32,760 handle what's what the the askings of the course are more 1631 01:32:32,760 --> 01:32:36,320 than just be able to to run it as as fit as you possibly can. 1632 01:32:37,160 --> 01:32:39,760 You need to, you need to have your head in the game to know 1633 01:32:39,760 --> 01:32:41,840 what what you what's a reasonable expectation for 1634 01:32:41,840 --> 01:32:44,480 yourself. You need to not compare yourself 1635 01:32:44,480 --> 01:32:47,040 to others. You need to not compare yourself 1636 01:32:47,040 --> 01:32:50,040 to past performances and you need to just do the best that 1637 01:32:50,040 --> 01:32:52,960 you can on the day in the given circumstances. 1638 01:32:55,160 --> 01:32:59,880 And for those just getting. Out of the door and not doing 1639 01:32:59,880 --> 01:33:04,040 the Spain for normal people. Have you got any good? 1640 01:33:04,360 --> 01:33:08,000 Like small piece of advice, but to get yourself out the door. 1641 01:33:08,920 --> 01:33:12,840 Just running in general. Yeah, for those that are just 1642 01:33:12,840 --> 01:33:15,920 training for anything, yeah. I mean, well, you've you've. 1643 01:33:15,920 --> 01:33:18,200 Got to, you've got to enjoy it. And that's, that's what I'm 1644 01:33:18,200 --> 01:33:20,440 saying when I'm thinking about just having this bit of bit of 1645 01:33:20,440 --> 01:33:23,880 time off. I think you, you can't, you have 1646 01:33:23,880 --> 01:33:28,120 to enjoy it and you have to be doing it for the right reasons. 1647 01:33:28,680 --> 01:33:32,000 If you're going out hating, hating every session and not 1648 01:33:32,000 --> 01:33:36,840 enjoying the process of it, then you're not going to get anything 1649 01:33:36,840 --> 01:33:38,440 from it. You have to enjoy the process. 1650 01:33:39,800 --> 01:33:46,200 You have to not outrun your love of, of running and you have to, 1651 01:33:47,760 --> 01:33:49,840 yeah, I'm not saying you're going to love every second of 1652 01:33:49,840 --> 01:33:56,320 it. But if, if, if the end goal is, 1653 01:33:56,520 --> 01:34:00,360 is the only thing that you're going for, you might find out 1654 01:34:00,360 --> 01:34:02,080 that when you get there, it's a bit disappointing. 1655 01:34:02,960 --> 01:34:06,320 And so I think loving, loving the process and enjoying the 1656 01:34:06,320 --> 01:34:09,480 process of getting there is the bigger part of the journey. 1657 01:34:11,680 --> 01:34:17,320 And it's only been. Two 2 1/2 months since she did 1658 01:34:17,320 --> 01:34:22,760 backyard up in Gosby. I was your your marvellous crew. 1659 01:34:23,360 --> 01:34:28,240 You did a stellar job. You had an. 1660 01:34:28,240 --> 01:34:32,520 Injury at the top of your foot and we taped it up and that let 1661 01:34:32,520 --> 01:34:33,960 you ignore it and you continue going. 1662 01:34:34,400 --> 01:34:36,520 How did that hold up during the spine? 1663 01:34:38,680 --> 01:34:42,200 I had a fairly. Similar issue, it seems to be 1664 01:34:42,200 --> 01:34:44,320 reducing. It was definitely lesser than it 1665 01:34:44,560 --> 01:34:47,320 was at Golfsby, and at Golfs way it was less than it had been 1666 01:34:47,800 --> 01:34:50,920 Highlander. So it seems to be reducing 1667 01:34:50,920 --> 01:34:56,160 although it's still there. Resting is something that gets 1668 01:34:56,160 --> 01:34:59,520 rid of it fairly quickly, but the problem being at backyard, 1669 01:34:59,800 --> 01:35:05,120 there's not enough time to rest. So I had strapping on it before 1670 01:35:05,120 --> 01:35:08,200 I went and I kept strapping up at each checkpoint and it it 1671 01:35:08,200 --> 01:35:10,760 lasted OK. I'm not sure whether that's 1672 01:35:10,760 --> 01:35:13,680 because other things were hurting more during the spine 1673 01:35:14,120 --> 01:35:16,240 and it felt it faded in the background a bit. 1674 01:35:16,240 --> 01:35:20,040 But yeah, the, the chafing and the blisters were definitely the 1675 01:35:20,160 --> 01:35:23,520 the higher priorities. So does it really? 1676 01:35:23,520 --> 01:35:26,080 Mean that I want to ask. Who occurred you better at 1677 01:35:26,080 --> 01:35:28,440 Goldsby, whether it was Alice or Mike? 1678 01:35:30,560 --> 01:35:31,920 I couldn't possibly comment on that. 1679 01:35:33,200 --> 01:35:38,440 There's only one right answer. In that row I'll I'll quite. 1680 01:35:38,440 --> 01:35:39,680 Happily say it was. Ours. 1681 01:35:40,920 --> 01:35:44,320 That's the right answer. Well, Mike also had the crew 1682 01:35:44,320 --> 01:35:47,920 Ivor, so he was he. Was doing a double job so he can 1683 01:35:47,920 --> 01:35:51,640 handle it's cool. I could touch his feet well. 1684 01:35:52,360 --> 01:35:53,600 That's what I mean. That's that's. 1685 01:35:53,840 --> 01:35:55,560 That's going above and beyond because Alice never touched my 1686 01:35:55,600 --> 01:36:00,360 feet. And last question. 1687 01:36:00,360 --> 01:36:03,640 Which from me, unless Mike's got anything else, should be a 1688 01:36:03,640 --> 01:36:06,440 relatively simple one. Hopefully for you, Ross, our 1689 01:36:06,440 --> 01:36:10,360 headspace taking on any clients. Yeah, we have a couple. 1690 01:36:10,360 --> 01:36:13,080 Of Spaces just now I've got a couple of inquiries that are 1691 01:36:13,080 --> 01:36:15,120 still sitting in my inbox that I've not got to because they 1692 01:36:15,120 --> 01:36:18,800 came through the week. But yeah, there's still a couple 1693 01:36:18,800 --> 01:36:22,080 of Spaces there for for anyone who's who's interested. 1694 01:36:22,320 --> 01:36:25,640 Even if you just want to get in touch and ask for some advice, 1695 01:36:25,640 --> 01:36:27,360 we can certainly help you with that. 1696 01:36:28,440 --> 01:36:31,280 So yeah, just get in touch on the website and and we'll see 1697 01:36:31,280 --> 01:36:36,120 what we can do. Well, Ross, that takes us to. 1698 01:36:36,440 --> 01:36:41,840 A close. It has been fantastic Chan, just 1699 01:36:42,000 --> 01:36:44,760 for me to say thank you Ross for coming on. 1700 01:36:44,880 --> 01:36:47,880 Thank you Nikki for being Nikki and it's goodbye for me. 1701 01:36:48,360 --> 01:36:49,200 Thanks Ross. Thanks. 1702 01:36:49,800 --> 01:36:50,360 Yeah. Thanks so much. 1703 01:36:50,360 --> 01:36:52,600 For having me, I'm. Hope always coherent enough 1704 01:36:53,840 --> 01:36:56,560 after lot less sleep than I'm used to. 1705 01:36:57,040 --> 01:37:00,720 You stayed awake. Thanks very much guys.