This week's guest came first came to our attention on
Socials, not only because he's just a great runner, but also
for his love of Disney and Tattoos Incorporated.
He is definitely the most inked runner that I know.
Welcome to the podcast, Ian Garnett.
Thank you very much. That's quite an intro.
I appreciate that. Thank you.
Yeah. I'm disappointed that Nikki
didn't use my line, the cats and tats.
We may be seeing the cats. There's one under me actually
just now. But yeah, he just, he as soon as
he hears people speaking on calls, he has to barge in and
protect us. So that's what he's doing now.
He's protecting me. That's cats for you, right?
Getting to it? How did you get into running?
Yeah, so it kind of came about while, while I was living up
here, I moved in with my fiance Vika, and I was really
unhealthy. Like I just ate a lot, played
Xbox Live all the time. That was the only thing I did as
a hobby was play Xbox Live, Halo and things.
So I was quite overweight. So yeah, I joined the gym and I
was doing the cross trainer five days a week for 45 minutes a
day. This is in 2012, I think 2013.
And it was my fiance at the time, but her, her mother, my
mother-in-law now she, she worked at a gym and she said
there's a, there's a social community run, run group sort of
thing. And why don't you join that?
And I was like, I've never run at all.
So I need to try this. So I tried it on the treadmill
that one one day at the gym for 30 minutes and it it nearly, it
genuinely nearly killed me. Like I thought I was going to
die after that I that was insane.
Where was it you? You said you moved up.
Where? Where were you and where are you
now? Oh, sorry, Yeah.
So originally I, I was born and raised in Burnley, if you guys
have heard of that in Lancashire.
Yeah, I. Heard of it.
I don't know where it is because my geography is atrocious.
If I haven't rushed through there then I don't know where it
is. You may well pass.
In spite of the accent, Ian, I'm actually born and raised in
Manchester for 22 years. Geez, I want to guess that.
To be fair, I but yeah, I moved up here.
But yeah, I was working down in Burnley and then I thankfully
got voluntary redundancy. So I moved up here in 2011 to
live with my girlfriend at the time or, and then fiance and
wife thinks so. Yeah, I just moved up and just,
yeah, that was where. So this is where I call home
now. I've been up here for 14 years
and I live in Mulgai just now, so just at the start of the West
Highland where. But when I first moved up, I
lived in Annie's Land, which is just outside Glasgow, and that's
where the club is. So it's a David Lloyd's club.
We weren't members of that by the way, but it was the
community. The sweatshop running community
was used to wear. We used to wear yellow T-shirts.
It was a thing back then, if you guys might remember that.
But yeah, it was that that I joined as my first foray into
running and. When you got off the treadmill
and out into the big wide world of social running, did you what
prompted you to start doing races?
Did you do? Did you start small or did you
just dive right in there? I started really small.
Well, I said yeah, I started really small.
I started with a 10K. That was my first race.
I'd say other people in there in the group were probably bad
influences on that because there was, there was at least one
ultra runner who was who'd done the fling a few times.
And yeah, he was kind of an influence in saying about what's
out there. Then you should do a half
marathon. You should do a marathon.
You know, it always gets a bit out of hand and silly, doesn't
it? But the first 10 Ki did was in
2013 and it was in Burnley, my hometown.
So I went back down to do a 10K and it was very difficult.
It was in June and I wore tights.
So how things change. Yeah, so rather hot you you've
done probably your bad influences have taken you to
lots of races abroad. How how did you get into them?
Was it a bad influence? Was it somebody talking to you
in the pub? I think it, yeah.
So it kind of the whole ultra, ultra thing came about when I
was training for my first marathon and I was listening to
Born to Run and that was kind of, I was listening to that.
And then one of the guys in the club said why don't we put in
for the fling relay because he used to do a relay for runners
and that was in 2013. I think I did that and I chose
the second leg. So I did from Baumohar to
Rawdon, and so I could go over Conic that I've never done.
And then, yeah, things kind of took a turn when I discovered
UTMB and YouTube and then the whole, it used to be called the
Ultra Trail World Tour. It used to be like this, this
series of races. It doesn't exist anymore, but it
was, it was great races. Transgran Canaria is one of them
in there, and UTMB, Madeira, there was loads of them.
So it was just ticking off these, ticking out, doing as
many as I can. Yeah.
But it was slow progress. I didn't just jump straight in.
Admittedly, I did do my marathon.
I'm I'm my ultra the same year, which I probably shouldn't have
done, but you get guider when when you.
Yeah, your story really resonates.
Like I'm nowhere near as experienced as yourself.
You've been doing it a lot longer than what I have.
But from hearing how you started and you listen to something, I
was very similar in the sense of I listen to another podcast and
training for Edinburgh Marathon and that's what inspired me for
the ultra run. And so when you were listening
to Bouncer Run, I've got a couple of questions off of the
back of this one. Did you do the marathon 1st and
then decides you just wanted to go into ultras and trails?
And was it that that just after the first ultra was that you're
bitten by the buck then? Absolutely.
I foolishly signed up for Glenn Ogle before I'd even done
Edinburgh Marathon. It was, it was, it was, it was
like you said, Nick, you're listening to on your long
training runs, training for Edinburgh.
You know, I they were, they were talking about it was Scott
Durrick and everyone, wasn't it Anton Kapitchka and things and
the Tara Marra. And do you know what?
I need to read that book again. That's my plan to read it this
year. Yeah.
So that is it. Yeah.
It was really good. It's a great book.
And I, I enjoyed the first marathon.
It was Edinburgh's not the best marathon, Rd. marathon to do.
It's kind of not really Edinburgh really, is it?
You're starting Edinburgh. But how was your weather that
year as well? I can't remember.
It was, it was, it was overcast. It wasn't the hot, the really
hot year, it was overcast and it's still my PB.
Is that Edinburgh Marathon, even though I walked a little bit in
it and I was a bit annoyed in myself, but I've only ever done
1 fast Rd. marathon since then and I didn't beat it.
Well, it was actually that same year it was Loch Ness and then
it was All Trails and yeah. I've only done 2 Rd. marathons.
I've done Loch Ness three times and Edinburgh once, so you're in
good company. Loch Ness was the second one.
I did that, yeah. It was good.
Yeah. Loch Ness is the the better one,
isn't it? I guess.
But I don't know, I don't think I'd do Edinburgh again.
No, I don't. I don't think I would either.
I did it in a year where they run out of water and then they
blame somebody for stealing it. Whether that happened or not is
not my place to see. That was the year before me that
that was. I remember that.
As well. It's just it's getting so
expensive now as well, isn't it? So, but you, as Mike says,
talking about expensive races, you go abroad.
So there must be so many logistics with that going
abroad. Can you talk about that a little
bit? Yeah, sorry, it, it is bloody
expensive, but the, the way we see it and the way my wife's the
same like she'll like when we choose these races, it's good if
they've got different distances. So I, I'll, I'll like Trans
Grand Canaria, for example, my wife did do the marathon.
I'd try and do one of the other ultra ones.
So we, we just kind of, it seems that ever since doing running
and ultras, every one of our holidays has been revolving
around an ultra, which is good. But yeah, it is pretty
expensive. Some of them, as you know, with
the UTMB ones, it's getting a bit out of control, the prices.
So it is pretty, pretty difficult.
Logistically, it's not too bad. If it's if it's easy to get to
the place, you're fine. But we had trouble one year in
Madeira because the plane couldn't land.
And that kind of threw me into a bit of a yeah, I was quite
stressed out about that. There's a few of us on that
plane as well. Kim Collision was on it that
year. He was going out to do it and we
just couldn't land. Previous guest Kim Carlson.
I was just looking up and I've also done the fling really like
you did, but I did like 1. Did you, Was it like one?
Yeah, that's the flat fast leg, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah. I, we were actually shorter
person and somebody stepped in at the last minute and he got to
choose which like he did. So I was, they didn't get much
choice and just did what I was told.
So, but I was at the time happy with it.
I I was the first person into the checkpoint so I can't
complain. That's pretty quick.
It was really good the relay. So I I get why they don't do it
anymore because obviously it's become so big, hasn't it?
But I think for someone who hasn't done an ultra before is a
good introduction to kind of the the atmosphere and the vibe,
isn't it as to what ultras are all about.
So I that kind of helped me. Yeah, that definitely did.
I was trying to chat with people.
They did a relay for the full W Allen way as well, but it was
just too much, too many people on the course at once.
They were trying to get people like the winner of the race.
There's nobody there to celebrate with them, so they're
trying to get the relay to do the celebrations with them.
But it just wasn't practical to have that many people on the
course. I remember that I did that as
well actually. I can't remember what year it
was. Did it only happen once though?
I'm not not sure. I can't remember.
It was good. I did Glenn.
I did over the devil staircase again because I wanted to go
over the the big hilly, but it was Glencoe to came out leaving.
It was only three legs that one, I think, right?
Well, before Nikki steps in with her questions back to Born to
Run, have you done any barefoot running?
Not really, no. I tried.
I tried in my very early career of ultra running, you know, as
soon as Yeah, because it, it made me want to try it.
And then I quickly realized that it absolutely is not for me.
No, I for years I've run in minimal shoes and I think, I
don't think it's for me, but I do think it taught me how to
run. So it teaches you to run more
forefoot. I wouldn't say I would want to
do it the whole like all the time, but it it's definitely a
useful tool. And the other thing was chia
seeds, and I can't remember the other food that they have in the
book. Chia seeds was a big one, wasn't
it? Yeah.
So do you have anything with
cheer seats in it? I used to have the cheer charge
bars. I was trying the cheer charge
bars, but they're so dense, so I don't, I don't have them
anymore. But that was the only cheer I
was having was yeah. So TGC Trans Grand Canaria you
were talking about, you've been out there a few times and right
at the moment, as we're recording, it's going on just
now, the events have all started and the big ones are starting
over the weekend, I believe. Which ones have you done?
So I'm living vicariously through everyone that's doing it
this weekend because it is, it is amazing.
It's really, really good. So I've done the I said I've
done, I've attempted the full 1 twice, finished it once.
And then I've done the shorter ultra once as well, the advanced
it's called. So yeah, the first time it was
125 kilometres and I finished it.
And then the second time I went out there, they changed the
route to a different start and I didn't finish it that year.
And then we went out again and I did the 80K and finished that.
And I don't know why it keeps drawing me back.
Even though the final 8 kilometres of that is
horrendous, it's still a good race.
Why would you say they're horrendous?
I mean, it's so it's like a it's just a riverbed for a couple of,
it's a beautiful descent down and then you're running in this
dried riverbed and it's just boulders of stones, all
different sizes. And when I get there, it's pitch
black. So, you know, I'm running in the
dark, I'm tired, the feet are sore and you're kicking these
boulders and trying to. Yeah, it's difficult to get a
good pace, but it's a nightmare that it.
Sounds horribly attractive. It's one part of the list, Mike.
And what's it like here in running at this time of year in
a country like that? Is it absolutely sweltering or
is it not as bad as what you would think?
How would you go about training for that and winter conditions
here? It's very difficult actually.
Yeah. So when I was training to do the
125 Ki was doing, my longest run was 33 reps of Ben Lormand in
with bad full snow conditions. It was a bad year that year as
well. I was doing a lot of training
with my mate Stuart because he was going over to do it.
And I remember once we even had ice axes going up.
So it was total opposite. We didn't use them, but it was a
total opposite of what you're actually going out to do, you
know. But yeah, it was reps of Ben
Lomond in in the winter and snow, and then you're going into
like 25° sweltering. Oh yeah.
People say you should train specificity of like basically
training what the conditions. How did you find training in the
opposite? Did it hinder you?
Did it? Did the Hill reps help?
Absolutely, yeah. The hill reps definitely helped
that that was that was the whole, yeah, because I knew I
wasn't going to be able to get the heat unless I got into a
sauna and, and the gym I was with at the time didn't have a
sauna. So yeah, the hill reps
definitely help the legs, especially on the descents
because trans Gran Canaria, the the final marathon, it's a big
neck downhill. So yeah, it's your quads are
just absolutely shot by the end of that one.
So yeah, but I like running in the heat.
Running in the heat is quite good.
I don't know why, but yeah, it's it's fun.
I tried it last year in Spain because that was my first year
where I was really into the running and I really wanted to
run and I still couldn't get on board with it.
It was so, so hot. Like, I don't, I was just dying
to get back home just for the milder, colder conditions.
I didn't ever think I'd say that, but for me it was just too
hot because I had a friend that had just signed up to TGC for
this year and I just kept thinking about how going, Oh my
God, I couldn't do this. Think you could.
It's. Well, sometimes they have bad
weather years, so you never know, you might get looker, I
guess. It's cold and wet, just like
here. But most of the time, yeah, it's
pretty warm, yeah. Yeah, you're not choosing to go
out there to get rain. You're choosing to go out there
to sit in the sun and relax and run up a mountain.
Pretty much, isn't it? Yeah, we call inclusive holiday
with Jet 2 and then you've got got the race at the end of it.
That's that's how we've done it. I think that's the best way from
the sounds of it. Go out and do your running,
enjoy it, and then there you go. There's your holiday right there
as well. Go and chill.
That's a good recovery week. Pretty much, yeah.
We've done that a few times with races and it seems to work
really well for us. Yeah, a few different races
abroad and yeah, that's worked really well.
One of the ones that I'm selfishly dying to ask you about
that came up on your social media, The Dopey Challenge.
Can you talk about that? Yeah, the Dopey.
So the Dopey Challenge is in Walt Disney World, Florida, and
it is four races over four days. So it's it's part of the Walt
Disney World Marathon weekend. So they've got the 5K the next
day. It's 10K, half marathon, full
marathon. And if you sign up to all four,
it's called the Dopey Challenge because who would be dopey
enough to do all four? And you get 6 medals by the way
for it and six long sleeve technical T-shirts.
So we've done that twice and it was absolutely fantastic.
Like it was possibly the best marathon I've ever done.
I set a personal best in how many characters I met along the
way, which was a highlight. So like every half mile or every
kilometre, maybe they've got a certain Disney character or two
Disney characters to meet and you don't have to meet them.
It just kind of keeps it fun. So yeah, we one year we just
went crazy and met pretty much everyone along the route.
But it is amazing. And it starts so early in the
morning, so it's not even hot. It starts at, I think the
marathon starts at 4:30 AM. So they do it, they do it really
early. So they get the majority of the
people through the parks before the parks open to the public,
which makes sense. But yeah, see you running down
Main Street the first time, honestly, we were bowling pretty
much. It was.
It's quite a special moment. It sounds really sad, but it was
special. My useless fact about Disney and
let me get this straight it's if a Disney character has clothes
on he is he or she or they are allowed to be an owner of a pet.
If they don't wear clothes they're they are the pet.
That makes sense it. Doesn't make sense but I'm
trying to think now. And the only time it doesn't
apply is if Disney bought the character.
They didn't invent them. So, like, Winnie the Pooh isn't
our original Disney character. Oh man, I'm looking around the
room. That's probably the show, I'm
sure. All right, as is a useless fact,
right? Getting back to you, if
anybody's watching the video, they can see the tattoos
creeping over your T-shirt. What?
What's the story with the tattoos?
I'm not sure actually, that's a good question.
But why do I get them? I don't know.
I hate the pain, but certain that's not the certainly not the
reason. But I don't know actually.
I just like the artwork. And initially, initially I got
one to fit in with the whole cool alternate sort of scene
heavy metal. And I got a band logo on my arm
that's since long since been lasered off and covered up.
But I just like the idea of getting different things from
different people in different places that tell different
stories of, I guess, my life. Like I've got Disney ones.
I don't know. For the video.
Yeah, that was the most painful one, by the way.
That was that. Was that I'm watching the
podcast Ian's just showed us a hand tattoo of Mickey Mouse logo
on the palm of his hand. That's quite and it's you should
get that on your Instagram. That was unbelievable.
The guy was literally holding my hand down and he was stabbing it
and that was the worst pain I've ever been in.
Getting a tattoo that in my chest have been the worst by
far. But I'm a bit of a coward now
when it comes to tattoos. I've got to be honest.
I do use numbing cream over the last two years, I think it was
since it came out on the scene. And it doesn't mean it's
painless, by the way, it's just it takes the edge off.
Have you got any running ones? Two.
Well, actually, yeah, I guess 2. So I've got a 100 that is the
logo for my first 100 mile. And then what I've decided to do
for some reason is get a tally under that every time I finish
100 mile. So that's on 6.
And then the other running 1 is from a hallucination.
I had ones which is the only ever hallucination I had.
So I got that tattoo because it I thought it was really funny
and. What was the hallucination?
It was a Beaver on a like working a stone wheel and he has
like the the wood. So like it's a Beaver.
So he's making a dam and he's grinding this.
So he's, he's, he's spinning the stone wheel with his fork and
he's sharpening this, this wood spike thing to make his dam.
So I got that and it, it's a very good representation of what
it was like. But for some reason that seemed
so real at the time and I've never had that before.
One in the Pyrenees, Ultra Pyrenees, it was, it wasn't, it
was 110 kilometres, but it took me ages to do it.
And it was towards the end. The field was so spread out,
there was hardly anyone around and who were going through like
this forest at night. And I don't know, my mind was
playing tricks on me I guess. Never happened since though,
unfortunately. So questions about how many
tattoos have you got? Do you know?
Have you counted? And too many.
I can get back to you on that. I'd say one, one whole cohesive
interconnected piece. Yeah.
More buffs than you and I have together mate with me.
Maybe. Yeah, maybe.
I still want more though. You said the one on your palm of
your hands, probably the sorest. What's the sorest race that
you've done? Oh man, definitely either Ultra
perineum or Madeira. Probably Madeira maybe.
Yeah, that was so hard. And follow up question, was the
tattoo sorer than the race? Yes, but it's all the quicker.
The tattoos are all the quicker the race.
Well for me the race is all the longer, especially when I'm
going slower. So that's a long drawn out pain
rather than a fast short pain. I actually thought I thought
tattoos would help me deal with the pain in an ultra, but it
doesn't doesn't translate as easy as that.
It doesn't get. You used to it.
It certainly doesn't. You mentioned that you had
numbing cream for your tattoos. Have you tried that for running?
I have not, no. You could, I suppose you could
put it on your feet, couldn't you?
I don't know what your feet would be like, but.
Depends what sore. That's true.
That's a good shout. No, I haven't.
I don't think I'm going to try, but it's it could be a market
for it out there. Yeah, it.
Depends. Depends what's in them and
cream. If it's well, non steroidal anti
inflammatories, I'm guessing it's something like that because
it's taking the swelling down in the tattoos apparently.
And I'm no medical professional. Cream is OK to use for NSAIDs
but tablets are not. So yeah, there could be a
market. I'm to a winner there, Mike, I'm
doing. You've had so many running
adventures round the world from the sounds of it, and in the UK.
Do you have any favourites that stick out?
Probably a bit too hard to choose.
No, no, no, no. Favorite, favorite races?
I think, yeah, the Dolby Challenge is definitely one of
them because that's like that for me and my wife.
That was a proper bucket list thing.
I think in the UK, I'd say Lakeland for me is a proper
standout race. That that was my first 100
Miller. I chose to do that was I
absolutely love that race. But then right now as well,
because I've done the West Highland where I've done the
race once, but I've done it three times and I do obviously
love that. I mean, we we bought a house in
Milgar because we enjoyed running on the West Island where
so I do like that. But another one actually last
year we went to Trump's on in in winter and ran a marathon.
I'd recommend that. It was a road marathon, but the
roads sheet high. So it's, I guess it's an ice
marathon. And that was a really good one.
Really good. And doing the research
beforehand, your website, which I'll let you say it is.
Incometrails.com. Is about coaching.
Tell us how you got into coaching.
How I got into coaching. So it was kind of on my radar
for a while. I'd always wanted to do and I'd
always help a few friends who just got into running by giving
them an Excel sort of thing. And I never thought I was fast
enough to do it. That was just my perception that
you is you have to be fast to be a coach, which is obviously not
true. And it all came about through
work. Actually.
I was struggling at work with my mental health and I went to a
therapist and I had a quite a lot of sessions with a therapist
and we're discussing like my core values.
It's a bit, it's a bit like inside out that that Pixar
movie, but you're finding your core values.
And I found out that mine was slightly different to what I do
as a job. So my therapist was kind of
influencing me to do something with that to put my focus on
something else than my values of trying to help others.
Came the whole coaching thing. Why that's, you know, that's the
kick up the bum. I actually needed to do
something about it. So I, yeah, it kind of came
through that really she, she really helped me with the math
therapist and yeah, she gave me a kick up the bum and I did math
studying while I, while I was commuting on the train.
And so it was time well spent. And yeah, just kicked it off
recently. I was absolutely terrified to go
live with it and kick it off because it's, you're putting
yourself out there sort of thing, isn't it?
You know, it's, it's scary. And I think we all feel a bit of
that like impostor syndrome as well, sort of thing.
Like, should I be doing this? You know, it's, it's difficult.
Apparently, and I don't know how true this is, most people that
are good at something have gotten posture syndrome because
they don't believe that they're good enough.
So, but I'm not the psychoanalyst person.
So is it running coaching that you do?
Yeah, Yeah, it is, yeah. So it's specifically ultra
running coaching, but I'm not invest taking people on if they
want to train for shorter distances.
Yeah, it was the the US ultra running certification that I
know a few guys in Scotland have have done and that's how they
did the training. But it was good.
It was really good. Yeah, it was, it was a good
solid foundation that to to build from.
I guess like obviously it's better with experience, isn't
it? And actually coaching people.
But it was really good to get the insight and and learn the
different modules and things like that and techniques.
Do do you have space at the moment and how would somebody
get in touch? Yes, I do have space, not much
space, but people want to get in touch.
They could go on the website, go on the YouTube, go on the
Instagram and just just give us a shout.
Aye, I'm quite easygoing and and open, to be honest.
I'm yeah, we're all about fun and adventure, I think.
And you see with your therapist going into the core values and
having discussions with you, was it it was that that gave you the
shove. But did you have friends as well
before that said, oh, you're really good at that, You should
do it. And you just had that impostor
syndrome and just said, oh, no. And how how did that come about?
What what I'm trying to say is was that everybody that was just
saying go for it as well. Yeah, my friends have been
really good and it is in my own head and my wife Vicky's been
really supportive. My friends have been really
supportive. Yeah, everyone has been, which
has been brilliant. But it's just getting out of my
own head and therapy has helped a lot with that.
I know, I know some people do say running is their therapy,
but I probably used to think that at the time until I
actually went and realised how good it actually is just to
bounce ideas. Well, just to chat to someone
neutral and just lay it all out there for them.
Yeah, it was definitely helped and.
Do you feel that's helped you're running as well?
Yeah, yeah, I think it has. We'll find out later in the year
when I did start doing some ultras and longer things.
But she's kind of helped with my mindset.
But I know there's other therapists out there that can
can help with that who do outdoor therapy that can help
with mindset and things like that.
So yeah. And with the coach, how do you?
You must get a lot of questions about fuelling and, as we all
know, as very individual. How do you feel for your
different adventures and distances and events?
Oh man, I've totally changed what I do.
You know, like I, I started using gels when I first got into
running because that was the thing you're training for a
marathon you're having, you're trying all the different gels.
I remember I had a spreadsheet when I was trying to analyse
them all and give them all ratings, what I thought of them.
But and then when I started getting into ultras, I remember
it was a West Highland where training weekend in Tindrum, I
can't remember what year, maybe 2015, sixteen and I met a guy
there who I've never met him before.
We since became good friends and he fuelled almost exclusively on
Mars bars and Coca-Cola. And I mean it, it worked for
him. So I was like, I'm going to try
that. So I had that for years and
years and years, like that's all I'd have.
But as you know, when, when you've run with a Mars bar in
the hot weather, it's, it's just like molten, isn't it?
So I came a cropper a few times having Mars bars in hot races,
and that's probably what didn't help, leading to a few DNFS.
But I've changed now and I'm trying to have, yeah, yeah, the
real food, but also trying to have gels and really 90 grams
carbs an hour. A lot of the elites are trying
that. So I'm trying to get up to that
grain, the gut to get up to that.
So I'm having gels at the minute, yeah.
And what gels are you trying? I've actually tried a few
recently. So I had Morton.
I've got to say they are by far the most expensive, but they're
they're fine. I mean, Morton's fine.
It was the drinks actually, as I was trying and I had a lot of
active route since 2020, I started taking active route.
I've gone off that now because you know when you have it too
much and you just sit get sick of it, don't you?
And just that's all I was having for a while was active route.
And then I've tried mountain Fuel and right now, yes, I'm on
precision fuel and hydration. That's kind of like the main
one. I think to be honest, it is
because it's easier because you get the three in one pouch, so
it's less waste as well. So I've been having that and in
my bottles I am having that as well.
I was having mountain fuel, but I kind of mix it up between
mountain fuel and precision and to try and get to that sweet
spot of nine to 90 grams seems better than Mars bars.
Do do you think the 90 grams works for you?
As a lot of people say for slower runners you shouldn't
have as much. For faster runners is up to 120
but some people just can't take in more than 40.
So does it work for you? So I guess since I started this
year doing like fast training, it's working like it's working
fine. I've got it up to like 878587 an
hour, but that's flat fast running on the canal sort of
thing. You know, I don't, I don't know
how that's going to transition to like running over the going
over the devil staircase because that's for me, that's a lot of
hiking. You know, it's not, I'm not
going to be running up that toilet.
It's hiking up that and yeah, running down.
So I don't know how that I think it will be difficult, but I'm
excited to try. I need, I definitely need to
start. I'm going to be trying it soon
once I get off these these roads, but that's another month
away. But it's working for my stomach
now. Yeah, thank thankfully.
Touch wood. We have no issues with the
stomach. It doesn't go South.
I think it must be brilliant when you find something that
does actually work for you. I'm still, I'm still finding out
and I would imagine I'm always still going to be learning about
fueling. It's just something I can't seem
to nail at the moment. You said that in one of the
other podcasts, I said you. You said that you've taken
everyone's recommendations for fuel and trying them all.
Yeah. Maybe that's what the problem
is. Maybe you're changing too soon,
You're not getting used to something.
Exactly, I just can't make my mind up.
You said, yeah, you said earlier about your favorite races, but
what about achievements, whether it's it might be a race, maybe
finishing a race or just what, what is your biggest running
achievement? I think, yeah, within races it's
probably got to be for me when I finished 100 mile or the first
time, Lateland 2017, that was my first first one.
That was probably the biggest race running achievement I've
got, but that was crazy. I didn't, obviously, I didn't
think I was going to do it. I could have chose a different
one from my first one, but I chose Lakeland because of the
YouTube video and it's such a good video I watch every now and
again. But it's from the Lakeland 2016
and it just looked amazing. And I'd only ever been to the
Lakes the year before that. That was my first ever time in
the Lakes was for an ultra called Ultimate Trails 110K.
And then yeah, I was like I need to go back.
I need to do a racing the lyrics.
So I enjoyed the whole navigation aspect as well.
And you'll be pleased here. I didn't get lost.
So that was positive. I followed the road book.
I think that's my biggest race achievement is probably yeah,
finishing my first 100 mile. But I think for running
achievements, I don't know actually, just generally I love
doing the the Munroes as well. I've done quite a few of them
and last year I did all the Sky Monroes and I think that was for
me that was an achievement because I don't really like
exposure, so that doesn't help. But that was absolutely
incredible. I'd highly recommend them.
They would. That was so good.
I saw on your YouTube that you hiked, so not just running, but
you were hiking with Big Derek Fish doing his final Monroe.
Yeah. That's right.
We've got history of me and Derek.
He's a good lad. He's he's coming out with me.
We've been abroad a few times together.
I think we've been to UT MB a few times and call my A for Tour
de Johns and he's coming out with me this year to Western
States. So he's a good lad.
He's Derek. We've done quite a lot of
Monroes together. And yeah, I did his final one
with him and his dad was there as well.
So that was, that was a good moment.
I really was. He he joined me.
I was in Jelly Baby Hill and he joined me there for an hour or
so last year. I think it was so good for the
company. Definitely.
And you mentioned, you mentioned the tour there going, going out
there with Derek. Any plans to go back?
Nope at all. I quickly realized that Tour de
Jaan's in 200 miles is not for me.
I I like that. I got to try it and I gave it a
shot. I didn't get on well with it,
didn't like it. It's not for me.
Well, I never. Said never.
That was a question from previous guest Joe Wilson.
And she says that she tried to talk you into keeping on going
at a checkpoint, and she was disappointed that that didn't
work. Well, Joe was amazing, by the
way, trying to. Yeah.
So I didn't even expect to see Joe that first life there.
So I thought she'd be long gone because.
Because Derek started. I think it's two hours before
me. There's two waves.
Or is it an hour? I can't remember.
So I didn't expect to see her there, but when I saw her I'd
already made-up my mind that I wasn't going to carry on.
I was like, Oh no, I'm going to have to say no to her and she's
not going to take it. But she was great.
She was brilliant. She she was on the ball like I
need to get some food, I need to get some sleep.
Get I'll get you up at this time.
We'll get everything sorted. She was really good and then she
accepted my decision to pull out, which was good.
She was lovely. Would you ever crew anyone if
they will do it if they wanted to do the tour?
Yeah, I think so, yeah. I think crew.
Crew is difficult, by the way. I've done it, done it for like 3
W Highland wares and things. It's hard.
It's it's tiring. So.
But I think it's probably more fun.
I don't. Say that, Ian, that's my first
crewing. I'm crewing one of my friends
from the West Highland Way for the first time and this year and
I'm really, really excited about it.
But I've heard lots of people say, by the way, you'll be tired
but. Not wrong.
You'll be fine. It's a great day out for you
guys, It really is. I do enjoy, I enjoy Korean.
So what? What do you think about when
you're out in the hills on your own?
My mind just going 1000 miles an hour.
There's a lot of noise in my head.
I don't know they are they used to be prior to therapy.
But for training I listen to music like 100% of the runs.
Probably 90% runs. I listen to music in training,
but in races I never listen to music.
If it's an if it's an ultra, I won't listen to music.
If it's if it's the road ones I've been doing this year, I do,
yeah. But for training, man, I always
listen to music. Yeah.
Is that? Particular music that you listen
to. I'd say no, but I know, I know
you're getting out of the metal, but recently I've been listening
to Peeling Flesh, which is like death metal.
They're really good, but I guess generally it's a mix of euro
pop, so like Eurovision sort of stuff, Avicii, heavy metal and
maybe some Disney music if I'm feeling gooder.
Yes, I hope you are going to say that I.
Thought that the end count. Do you know what?
Actually, I've been listening to the Wicked soundtrack.
I watched Wicked for the first time like last month and I'm
obsessed with it. The soundtrack's brilliant, so
I've been really listening to that.
Defying Gravity is the Best Song, but it's just odd when you
go from Defying Gravity to a peeling flash song.
It just doesn't. It's good for, it's good for
like interval workouts, isn't it?
Because you're kind of going slow and then you just want to
run fast. But I listen, I've listened to
audio books and podcasts as well, and yeah, music's my sweet
spot. But never for Ultras, always
just like to try and chat to people.
Whoever wants to chat lately? I've used music during races and
I've got a playlist made-up and Oracle on the playlist.
The only thing is it can't be depressing because you don't
want that in a race. It can be any sort of genre
music as long as it's not depressing.
Yeah. So no Coldplay then, is that
right? Yeah, pretty much.
On everybody, hearts at their own moment.
No, you don't want that. You don't want that.
You need to be strategic on your playlist, I think.
Yeah. As you know Nick, I've been very
strategic on my recent half marathon playlist.
Absolutely, that's absolutely that's going on on my next drum.
By the way, Ian sent me his half marathon playlist and it sounds
quite eclectic going from as a corner shop and then to angry an
angry band. Yeah, so the corner Shop, that's
I just remembered about that band Bring Full of Ashes.
You you. Yeah, It's a good song, isn't
it? I haven't heard it for 40 years,
but I thought about that's a good pump up tune.
I don't know why, but yeah, I made the playlist.
I wanted to make it under 140 or under 1:30, so it forced me to
get APB. So I knew by the end, the final
track, if I got to the finish, I'd got APB or not.
But I bottled it and made it one hour 40 I think.
But then I ended up getting a PB anyway so it was fine.
It was a good playlist it it worked.
And what was the final track you wanted to cross the finish line
with? It was, I think it was a German
techno song, but it's so fast-paced, you just can't help
yourself. Etched, it's called.
Yeah. It's a good song.
You'll you'll soon get to it. You've done so many adventures
already and you mentioned the Dolby Challenge being on your
bucket list and haven't done it twice.
What else, apart from Western states, that we know, you've
mentioned you're going out to do that.
Aside from Western states, Is that anything else that is an an
ultimate dream? The Bob Graham's probably a big
dream again, that was another thing when I kind of got into
running, reading books on audio books, there was a few about the
Bob Graham and just visiting the Lake District.
So that's, that's a big goal of mine.
But the bucket list still has races on that I've never done
like Laverado in Italy, the Eiger Ultra Trail in
Switzerland, Leadville in America.
There's I like to try out. Yeah, but not just ultras.
Like for some reason I'd like to do Dura fell race.
I don't know why. It's just a it sounds really
appealing. I've never been to Juror.
I like the idea about the distillery.
The whiskey's nice. Running over the paps.
Yeah. And, and even some marathons as
well, Big city marathons. Venice is meant to be a good
one. I'd love to do that.
And there's an ultra in South Korea I'd like to do, but I
don't know if I'll end up doing that.
That's. I think we've realised that
going to Asia is best to do it for a holiday rather than a race
because otherwise, yeah, that's what happened recently.
But yeah. The next question was, is there
anybody that you can think of that you would want to go for a
run with? It might be one of your friends
and and meaning it could be a Disney character, actually a
live, not real, not who? Who would you most like to run
with? Probably want to run with Scott
Jurich and Andreessen so they can just give me the lowdown on
Western States and their techniques.
Not that I'm going to be running it in their times, but I think
it'd be good shot. And maybe it wouldn't, maybe
there'd be a bit of tension between them, but I feel that
I'd be the bridge between that to, to bring them together.
So they they'd come and maybe we'd get Walt Disney with with
resurrect him and bring him. He might keep it light hearted.
We could learn about the multiplaying camera and things.
I don't know. Yeah, I think it'd be a strange
bunch. But I'm sure Scott and Ann had
probably get on with Walt as well.
Maybe, but not won't know now. But yeah, maybe with Ann and
Scott I can run with Wanda. Yeah.
And talking about Western states, is there anything that
you're doing to prepare for Western states?
Yeah, man, this whole year, it's kind of changed all my year, to
be honest. So I kind of started the doing,
trying to build my own fitness and speed up.
So I've been, that's why I've been just talking about running
on the roads. That's all I've been doing just
now is trying to do that to get faster and it's working so far,
which is really good news. It's finishing next month with a
marathon. Hopefully I get APB at that.
And then that I've got no races between then and Western states.
So yeah, after then it's, it's going to be primarily running
on, on the West Highland where I've, I wanted to get into, I
wanted to do the devil actually. But I've decided I'm going to do
like a training weekend myself, training camp sort of thing, you
know, over three days, do it and replicate like how the race
would be. And in May I'm going to start
using the sauna. I'm going to do a 10 day stint
in the sauna because I read that.
So it worked really well last year going in the sauna before
we went to Hong Kong. So I'm going to do that for
Western states. But it's looking good, like it's
really good. The accommodations all booked,
I've got the crew all ready to come out with me.
We've all booked flights, which is insane that people have
agreed to come out to America for two weeks for my own selfish
thing. But it'll be a great holiday
with the guys. Looking forward to that, yeah.
I just want to ask as well, Ian, It came into my head as you were
chatting there. What was that like when your
name got drawn? I was jumping up and down.
We're watching it live. And it was the fifth name as
well. Like we'd ordered Pizza Hut
ready for a 2 1/2 hour live stream and my name came fifth
and I was jumping up and down. I did my back and my back was
sore. And then Derek Fish is on the
phone straight away chatting about it.
And I want obviously I watched it to the end because I wanted
to see who else got in. But yeah, it was just so
exciting and absolutely buzzing about it.
Like it's been 9 years I've wanted to get in.
I won the COVID year. Obviously I had to skip and I
had to skip ADNF year. But so 7, seven years, I've
already qualified for this thing and applied and finally got in.
So yeah, I just, I think the crew are buzzing as well to just
be out there and experience it as well.
I think for them it hopefully they'll have an amazing time.
Yeah. So you.
Had applied in the past and you weren't one of these people that
just entered once and just got in.
No, I'm not like John Connolly. Yeah, but it was good that he
brought the belt buckle. He let me see the belt buckle at
one of the pylon training training weekends, wasn't it?
So that was, that was really good.
But yeah, a lot, a lot of years, a lot of dedication, I guess.
But I don't know. So it's going to be over soon,
isn't it? And then not going to have to
apply it again or maybe carry on applying because I loved it so
much. I want to do it again.
If you get into western states, does that qualify you for Hard
Rock? No, but it qualifies you for
Western states right again, even though you I'll be back at 1
ticket and it also gives you UTMB stones, but that's a whole
of the ball game that is now isn't it?
And do you have a coach or are you self coaching?
Yeah, yeah, I've got a coach, Ali Bevan.
So he, he wrote that book Broken, Yeah, about all the FKTS
in 2020. I've worked with Ali since Tour
de genre, so four years. I think now he's great.
We're getting really well together.
He knows me inside out and he knows my motivations and what
works for me. So yeah, Ali's absolutely
buzzing. He's he's really excited about
the whole Western states thing. He's not coming out right
enough, but he's he's helping me get the fittest I can be for it.
Yeah, that'll. Be a fantastic trap.
I think so, yeah. We're really excited.
There's it's me, Victoria, Gav Buser.
You guys will know Derek Fish and his partner Zara.
So the fight, yeah, 12345 of us, five of us going out.
What? A crew.
Anna, it's a good crew. How many crew are you allowed in
the race? Is there a limit?
No, I mean, you see some of the videos on YouTube and they've
got everyone in the kitchen sinks there.
You know, there's hundreds of them.
No, you're not allowed. But I think, I think in terms of
runners, you are allowed people to run with you from mile 62.
Don't quote me on the names because I haven't, I haven't
learned them yet. But I think it's maybe Forest
Hill or Michigan Bluff or something.
But they can swap in and out. So yeah, my plan is to have Gav
and Derek do two big stints with me, like almost 20 miles each
almost. And then get Vicky for the very
final bit. And because that'll be like
more, hopefully I won't be running fast.
Then it'll be more like a euphoric sort of feeling.
Who knows what it'll be like. It might be a death March.
And that'll be some that will be something really special for the
two of you, you know, to share at the end of that what you
know, what an end to an amazing trip that would be.
Absolutely, yeah. I think Vicky will appreciate
the fact that I'm tired and she isn't, and she's kicking my ass
to run faster. So I think she'll be, yeah,
she'll be living a best life doing that.
And you'll be appreciative of the support that should be
dishing out to you. Absolutely.
So I think that I think you've already answered our last
question, which is what's next. And we know what's next.
It's what you just said. Western States and everything
leading up to it. Yeah, yeah.
So that pretty much. So hopefully the marathon will
be a PB and then yeah, western States and then after western
states, I have no plans, which is amazing.
So hopefully just going to do some super low key fell races,
hill races, the total opposite of the Western states bubble.
Just and what Madison are you doing, Ian?
It's, it's called the Great Welsh Marathon.
It's near Cardiff and I chose it because it fits in well with
training and it's meant to be flat and fast.
So I'll, I'll let you know if it is flat and fast, it could,
there's a potential that it could be just a headwind because
it's on the coast. So I'd hope not, but you never
know, do you? I can't wait to see the year
ahead for you, not just with the running but with the coaching as
well and everything that lies ahead for you.
Thank you. I really appreciate that.
Yeah, I'm excited as well. Absolutely love the idea of the
coaching and that logo is. I love the logo as well.
I'm going to get some merch as well.
Yeah. Going to ask, are you going to
do a bus? Yes, because I well, I know that
you've both had a competition on who's got the most books of it.
Yeah, I'm, I'm going to do both. So I'll, I'll send you guys one.
So the question is exactly. I have AI was thinking this when
I was listening to it. I have a one Carlax square full.
I haven't counted them. I was thinking should I count
them but I didn't so I'm just going to say I have over 50 then
so I'm beating Mike I. I I didn't know how many I had
when I counted them, so the only reason I counted them is because
Nikki and Kaylee thought that they were going to be the
champion and I had to outdo them they.
Did, didn't they? I know I got that impression as
well, yeah. Right.
That I think draws an end to this episode.
And I just like to say thanks for Nikki, for being Nikki and
thanks Ian for coming on and talking to us.
And it's goodbye from me. Goodbye from me.
Thank you guys. Cheers.
Bye.