Today's guest is could be a rather fruity with his language,
so trigger warning, if you're listening with kids, you might
want to put headphones on. But today we're joined by a
social media celebrity Someday that I've had the the pleasure
of doing quite a number of hours on the trail, but we'll find out
about that later. Mr. Wendy Wilson.
Great, guys. How's it going?
Yeah. Thank you.
Hi. Hi, Nick.
Hi, Mike. Thanks for having me on guys.
Brilliant. So we'll get off to a flyer.
We know who you are, but some of the listeners might not.
Who is Wendy Wilson? Well, first of all, he's an
alter ego, you know, he doesn't really exist, it's just me.
But no, he is self-proclaimed Scotland's greatest ever amateur
weatherman. Amateur because I don't get
paid. So it's just a bit of fun.
It's something I've been doing for since 2009.
So we're that we were almost 15 years away.
It's just about fun. It kind of snowballed probably
the fun from a few hundred few 100 followers.
Then we heard some bad snow 2000 and nine 2010.
Then it kind of grew again said to the wife, I said gusty.
I said, you know what, if we get any more bad snow, if this kind
of takes off, I'm going to set up a separate page.
I live just off the E9 between Perth and Sterling, Oxford and
Blackford. Brico Green Loading as quite a
notorious stretch when we get bad weather, especially between
the roundabouts at Perth and Dunblane.
So yeah, we did have some bad weather for 2010, two, 1012.
So let's say I set it up and it's just going to snowball from
there, really. And have you always had an
interest in the weather before setting the page up?
Not really, no. It kind of initially came about
because I used to play a lot of golf and King Golf I used to
play 3-4 times a week, maybe touching that later on when I
started running. But I've not played golf for
years. But I used to be not
responsible, but sometimes I used to book the key times for
US playing golf. When I did me, I mean Matt
Mackenzie and he gave me a couple of weather apps, rain
reader apps just to have a look at.
We used to play a maid on a Wednesday and then there was
some league in that. So yeah, let you know what to
expect over the next four or five, six hours.
And around the golf is usually four or five hours.
So always used to kind of check that.
And I don't know where it came from exactly, but I'd maybe put
a few posts up on my own personal page just to say that
it was going to be a nice day, a windy day, a good drying day.
And without being stereotypical, I suppose a few female friends
would maybe message me and say, oh, what's the weather going to
be like today and we're going to get the washing out.
Not that men don't do the washing as well, but you know
what I mean? And I think that's where the
windy came from, the windy Wilson, just that being a good
drying day because that's what a lot of people in Scotland look
for really, as long as it's dry, sunny, but you need the wind to
try your clothes when they're outside in the line.
So I think that's where the Wendy Wilson came from, and that
goes back to 2009. But are we in?
Thanks for answering, Mike. And leading on from the your
weather, you do a lot of charity work.
Do you want to say how you? Going to right.
Well, obviously as we went through the years and my number
of followers increased, I did, I'll be brutally honest with
you. I did initially think I could
monetize it for myself. I don't, I didn't know how
exactly. I was thinking about brand.
You know, I've got hoodies and T-shirts and stuff that I sell.
But initially I thought I could monetize that money for myself.
But nothing, nothing came of it really.
So I said to the White Frontier, I said, you know what, let's
just do stuff for charity. So the exact same stuff that was
doing the day before, like for personal gain.
The day after, as soon as I mentioned charity and everything
we're doing for charity, people started buying stuff and it kind
of just took off from there. So I used the platform and well,
all my social media platforms because I'm a following, so I've
got a massive audience. So I, I basically use that for
charity work. So everything I do really do for
charity and, and we've been fundraising for about 10 years
now all in. You got any particular charities
you want to shout out? Yeah, well there's, there's
quite a few big ones I've worked with over the years.
We'll start with maybe some of them first and then we can
finish off with the one I'm working with just now.
I'm diabetic, so Diabetes UK is a big one for me, an important
one for me. I got to run my first London
Marathon in 2019 through Diabetes UK.
I've ran it twice for them. And so the diabetes, yeah,
there's been some H so mental health and RNLI prostate cancer.
I've got any Berlin through prostate cancer and obviously
most people are aware of circus hoist situation with that.
So so that was a good one. Chaz children's hospices across
Scotland and in particular Rachel House and Kinross.
I've been across here a few times Ronald McDonald House down
in Glasgow. I'm scared the kids to forget
anybody. British Art Foundation.
So yeah, these are some of the the the bigger ones, the
Scottish charity and ambulance. But just recently on the last
2-3 years, my my main charity has been cardiac risking the
young they'll cry and my wife organizes up screening every
year. Our son watched something
because I get triggered when I when I talk about it.
But he had open heart surgery when he was 14.
In general heart defect, a large hole in his heart.
So underwent surgery December 2020 and just after that I
wasn't aware a cry at the time. So that's how we did some
fundraising for British Art Foundation in Scotland.
We did about 20,000 for them. They do a lot of the research,
the CPR, the defence and stuff like that.
And then later on we kind of discovered that that cry do more
of the heart screening. So we screen young adults, 14 to
35 year olds. They we do about 200 every
weekend. We have that once a year.
So yeah, we hope to try and pick up any undiagnosed heart
conditions so they can then go on and, and, and get treated
rather than them not knowing. And then maybe go out one day or
maybe I'll play football or, or whatever, you know, and the,
the, the drop down dead we are, we are half conditioned.
So there's been a few we charities in between but my my
main charity now and the one that I'm doing most of my work
for over the last 3-4 years is can't be at risk in the young.
It was about 3 or 4 years ago that mean you, well, you were
running the Great Glen and I was sweeping it and it was this
through this, the heart charities that we got talking.
I, I'd, I had opened heart surgery in 20.
It started 2020. So about the same time as your
son, I think. Well, I had the start of the
year, he had the end of the year.
Yeah, he was, he was December, December 21st, obviously been in
the weather on that and that was that particular day.
It was the longest day and it literally quite was the longest
day I was doing then in Glasgow. I remember I'm going into
surgery, Royal Hospital for Children and there's a park
about half a mile down the road. So I spent about 5 or 6 hours
just walking round and round and that waiting to get a a text
message. There was a WhatsApp group had
been set up and me, my wife and the Anita test.
So we would get not loads of updates but basically we went
down to surgery with them. Waited until he fell asleep,
then he got taken through in the theater.
So we got 3 or 4 updates just to say that, you know, that was
almost sleep and that's kind of opened up He's on the heart pump
and that's the subject then starting to work on the heart.
That's everything been done and still on the machine and that's
some closed up blah, blah, blah. Everything's went OK.
That's some backup in the ward and then, you know, come up and
see him at like 2O clock type thing.
But waiting for these text messages coming in was it was it
was mental. And like Mike said, that's the
first time I met I met Mike doing the great Glen Ultra.
He was sweeping. I met three guys that day who
running buddies. Well, it was Mike, obviously
then there was Terry, Terry Addison is it and then
Christian, Christian Delacour. So I'm still friends with these
guys just so I see all, all three of them really depending
on what ultras were doing. But last time I saw Christian
was just up at Glenmore there in September.
I'm not too sure if Terry was there.
I usually see Terry at those events, Rocket events.
I think Terry was that when line earlier this year, that was 1st
of June. But yeah, that's when I first
met Mike. He was sweeping, spent a lot of
time together, probably the last, I don't know, 8-10 hours
of that, that that was quite, quite kind of ironic as well,
because I think at the time, and you might still be, Mike was the
current record holder from the Great Glen.
I think it was a bit about 11 hours and it took me about 20
hours. And I just couldn't, you know,
that was one of my earlier altars and I just couldn't, you
know, compute how this guy here could almost run around twice,
you know, to me running. And here he was at the back of
the pack and with Terry and Christian sweeping for me.
So that was the first thing I met Mike.
And then I've obviously seen quite a lot of those events and
I followed them and I've run him a couple of times as well up in
the backyard, that Highlander. And obviously I've followed them
this year as well when he was doing his backyard stuff for 14,
but in that. So yeah.
And then obviously might cut open hearts on today as well.
Just not this year, but year before.
Just quickly we were up at with Apple setting up the tent on the
Friday. And I don't know if you know
many people who have had open hearts on today, but it's July
hot day so they've got the T-shirts off.
So, you know, mates walking about with the with the set and
then young Wendy was up helping me put up the tent and that I'm
like, that's when he first met Mike, I think, but he'd known
Mike. You knew of them like because
I'd spoken about him. So young Wendy web says T-shirt
office off as well. You know, see, he's got the
scarves so that the two of them are walking about the the field
Blair Arco with their T-shirts off, you know, proudest punch
with our with our with our scars, with our heart surgery
scars. So stuff like that kind of
sticks in my mind. And quite regularly so and with
that, that was going to you've just answered my next question.
How is we one day now? Is he good?
I I know he's good. I am.
He's 100% fit. He's been signed off everything,
no medication, no nothing. He's saying it to be a
commercial pilot or, or he was. He's not been flying for a wee
while. He's got a full time job now, so
that kind of gets in the way. But he's got his Class 2 medical
for flying. So yeah, he's fully fit Paul,
he's maybe about 6162 still needs to maybe bulk up a wee bit
because one of the one of the the kind of not not side
effects, but due to his condition, he wasn't getting any
nutrients out of his blood. So muscle mass is, is is missing
and bone density, just before he got his surgery, he's had broken
leg, dislocated knees, dislocated shoulder.
So he's quite brittle. So that was like a byproduct to
the, the heart condition. And obviously, as I said, he
wasn't getting any nutrients out of his blood.
So yeah, muscle mass. But he's, he's spoken up now.
He likes his food. So hopefully in the next few
years he'll be, you'll be back to normal.
You wouldn't. You wouldn't even know anything
was wrong. Covered an awful lot of
charities and that question there do you the running, how
did that come about? Was it the charity work first
and then the running or did you run and then decide to run for
charity? What?
What happened? Well, the, the charity work,
like you say, I said I used to be a keen golfer and then it was
running about the same time as we, we set up one day's page.
So we're just looking at fundraise.
I think back then one of my my main charities then was the
Diabetes Charles and RNLI used to choose a different charity
every year. I think I had three golf days.
So it would have been, it would have been Diabetes Charles.
And they are in LA. So yeah, to be honest with you,
they were quite a lot of work. You know, it's set up to take
over the golf course as much the same as setting up a race, I
suppose. You know, you have to have all
your everything in place, you know, toilets and stuff and,
and, and just like that. And so we had the two or three
golf days, then kind of went off a few years and then I fell out
a lovely golf started running. So the charity stuff had kind of
been done previously, but can I maybe put in there, put in the
back shelf just for a week? Well, so when I started running
again, that's when I started running for charity again, just
using their, well, not using per SE, but you know, because the
amount of followers I've got, it was an ideal situation.
I'm doing the weather. I do that for your charge.
It's something I enjoy. But in return I thought to
myself, you know, we can continue the charity work and
and get donations in. So we did a wee back charity, we
did the golf, then we stopped and then we started off again
when I started running. You ever thought about mixing
the two hobbies and doing speed golf?
No, definitely not. I'm I'm, I'm, I'm bad enough
doing normal golf. But yeah, I do see, I do see
some of the charity stuff. I think it's the longest day as
well, usually right about June the 21st.
I think there's a lot of charities they they try and get
out and play 456 games a golf on that day to raise money.
But I enjoy the golf now. I just play holiday golf.
I'm out a couple of times a year.
But no, I was I was never a great golfer.
So that I'm probably not like, no, I'm not a great runner
either. But we'll stick to the running.
I think running in golf would be a would be a terrible
combination. It gives you an excuse for not
being good either. I know that I'm saying that
you're not good. Come back to how you started
out. What?
What was your first running race?
But OK, well my first running race was the 1st 10K and that
was August 2018. But prior to that, inspiration
for the running was my wife Gusty.
She ran the London Marathon in 2018, the hottest ever London
Marathon in 2018. That was the year they ran out
of war, so she wanted to get that done.
She ran for them. Make a wish, make a wish
foundation or something. Yeah.
She's also a scout leader. I think at that time she was
looking after the Beavers. Just now she looks after the
squirrels. So there must have been
something happening in class at the scouts.
So it was kinda the dream, believe, achieve kind of
situation, you know? So he just wanted to let our
Beavers know that, you know, no matter who you wear or what you
wear, you know, if you decided to do something, put your mind
to it and you could get it done. So she ran one the marathon in
2018. Few funny stories with that as
well. I wasn't a runner then, so and I
didn't know at the time marathon plans were like 12 weeks, 14
weeks, 16 weeks or whatever. So I remember her going out one
weekend and I was like, oh, I what you up to?
Oh, that's the marathon block starting.
I'm away from a run, eh? So she, she's out 1520 minutes,
but she comes blown out and I say I'm like what you did.
I said I thought you were offended from London.
She's like, aye, aye, aye. It's a block.
It's 16 weeks, you know, you take it easy.
I'm like take it easy, take it easy.
Fuck all it says I'll get them all up, I'm going to run 10
miles, I'll show you how it's done.
It's like right on you go, on you go.
So anyway on the Sunday I get sort of the gear.
I'm like I was away and then I live in Oxford so people have
been in the running festival and I don't know but there's a loads
of you lips around about me. There's a couple of only like
few miles long. I think I only got out to the
mini roundabout and then headed back up.
I was back in 5 minutes absolutely dying and I was like,
I maybe you're right, maybe you're right, maybe maybe we
need to build it up, maybe we need to build it up.
So being young, one day we were down and 1:00 then supporting
her when she ran the marathon in April.
And it was just, it was absolutely amazing.
You know, I've watched it on the telly loads of time.
One day is quite good because it doesn't just really focus on the
elites, it it does, you know, other runners as well, charity
runners and you can see a bit of the crowd, but until you're
actually down there and and amongst it, oh, it's mental.
It's like fifty 100 deep. There's parties and there's just
music, the atmosphere, just the crowd, the buzz, just
everything. So the way he's got that
completed and once we got back up the road, like you say, it
was just it was absolutely amazing.
I'm like, right? Right, I'm going on the London
Marathon as well and I didn't think it would get in, but at
that time I'd been doing some bits and bobs for Diabetes
Scotland. So I say sorry, I'll have a word
with my fundraiser wifey and see if she can get me a place
thinking actually, or get me a place because it's like
prestigious, you know what, be sold.
So anyway, I spoke to her and a couple of weeks later I got a
place from London Air. So I'm like oh fuck, I better
start training. So, yeah, I got in in 2019, so
and I've got the medals hanging up in the living room.
Mr. and Mrs. She's done it in 2018, I did that in 2019.
Every time we talk about it, she'll mention it was the
hottest ever London Marathon. But I'll say I've got the gold
medal, she's got the silver medal.
And I don't know if you guys know that the London Marathon,
they changed the design every few years.
So it's just the colour it changes.
So if you run it one year and it's bronze, you'll run it the
next year, same medal, but it'll be silver.
Then if you run it the next year, it's the same medal and
then it's gold. And then they change the design.
So she's got the, she's got the silver medal, but I've got the
gold medal. So every time she mentions how
hot it was, I'll say Abbott, go and look at the medals.
I've got the I've got the gold medal, but no, that's I've got
these, I've got these hanging up underneath my 5 majors.
But these two medals together, obviously Mr. and Mrs. the
London Marathon 2018 two 1019. So these two are quite special
as well. But my first way, sorry about
that Mike, was August 2018. It's Perth 10K and there was
working at a time K play company through in Perth.
So I think some of the guys had signed up for it and they were
just kind of going round there, the factory in the office just
to say, oh, look who wants to sign up for the 1st 10K, you
know, we'll go down team, team, team, take play.
So there was about six or seven of us from take play ran it that
day. And that was my first ever
official race and I managed to get a sub 60.
So I think I was 59 and a wee bitty.
And you've got your medal and just like the buzz as well.
So, you know, that's the kind of, that's the kind of journey
started. And then so that was my first
ever, my first ever race, the Perth 10K, and I go back and do
that, sorry. I went to no.
Not at all, no, Obviously back then you know, 10K quite a big
deal if you're, if you're not a runner, but no.
And like you say, it's, it's the buzz, you know, the, the
adrenaline and everything, just the whole day.
Then afterwards, you know, getting the medal, you know,
being on a runner's high for a few days, your treats, your run
rewards. There's no many for a 10K, but
you know, you treat yourself to a few beers and a take away or
something. So no, got the bug and and that
was kind of the the start of the journey I suppose.
And as you say, when you're not a runner or when you don't class
yourself as a runner, 10K, it's a huge distance.
That was my first race back in 2015, but The thing is I ended
up parking it for a few years, which is why I asked, did it not
put you off at all? But clearly not when you're in
London in 2019. But you mentioned Octerarda and
I have run the Chile recently and the running Festival and it
is a beautiful area and a good mix of terrain.
What do you prefer to run on? Do you prefer roads or trails?
I prefer the trails, although a lot of the running I do is on
roads. But I like the trails and I've
done I've only been running for six years, 6 1/2 now.
Suppose so. I've done 13 ultras and seven
marathons build half. So still mostly Rd. but I do
prefer the trails. Sometimes when I'm out my travel
stories on my post, there's a there's a meme I use quite a lot
and it's like something like out out to the hills or out to the
forest. I go to lose my to lose my mind
and find my soul. And so it's just like Michael
knows. Well, you maybe know as well,
you know, just when you know, if you've got a nice day, summer or
winter, put your vest on couple of bottles or whatever, some
fuel, and then you just head up into the hills.
You know, you could be away for 2345 hours just lost in your
own. We were old up there, so yeah, I
do prefer the trails. I don't mind running on the
road, racing on the road, but if I had a choice, it would be the
trails. Yeah, definitely.
You you've done, you said 12 ultras and I'm not sure how many
you said marathons, races, 30 marathons.
Which races stand out for you? It's.
It's hard to pick up a favorite because obviously there's,
there's quite a few of them have sentimental value.
They were special. Like London was my first ever
marathon major. So you know, I've run that
twice. I'm running it again in April
next year. So London has a, a special place
in my heart. And my first ever race,
obviously the 1st 10K, the ones I've done enough that are the
some of my ultras, the Great Glen, you know, the big one, the
backyards, the Highlander, then they've all kind of got special
things. But I think London has a special
place in my heart just because it was my first major and 1st
marathon. But you know, to be honest with
you, most races, you know, just get into the start line, whether
it is just a 10 KA 50K and 100 mile or whatever.
You know, doing the training, being fit and getting to the
start line and just being grateful, getting it done,
getting it done injury free and getting your getting your medal.
But that's one or two that they're all, they're all kind of
special, but there's one or two that are maybe a wee bit more
special than others there. How many matters and majors have
you done? Marathon majors, I've done five.
I've done 7 marathons all together it was $30.00, so I've
done five of the the majors. I've ran London twice.
As I said, I've got a guaranteed place for for London next year,
April 2025 for Cry. But since we spoke just a couple
of weeks ago, I got an e-mail from Abbott.
It's another draw. So it's a five star draw.
I think it might be 4 stars as well.
So if you had four stars or five stars, there was an additional
ballot. So I've got five stars.
So I've talked to myself. Well, you might as well reply
and then the draw. So I think we find out next
week, sometime 26th of November. I'm hoping obviously people have
got four stars are just, you know, as entitled as me to go
into the draw with five stars. But I'm hoping I bet maybe look
at the people who have maybe got the five stars.
Yes, come on, let's try and get these guys into the the draw to
get their six stars because I'm I'm sure it's more publicity for
for Rabbit and that if somebody goes to Boston and gets the six
stars. But yeah, fingers crossed.
That's me just trying to convince myself.
So yeah, I've done that. I've done five of the majors so
far, London twice and I'm in a five star draw for Boston just
now and I think I should find out next week sometime.
And if I do get in, I'll need to go back and speak to cry and see
if I can get London to fair. Because I think if you're a
marathon runner and if you have any of the majors, I'm sitting
on five. I'm just waiting on one to get
their original 6 star. If I get the chance to run
Boston, I've got to go and get it done.
Absolutely. So yeah.
So fingers crossed for that guys.
We'll see how we go on. Sorry, Mike, let me go.
Before Nikki asks her question, Important question about London.
Yeah. Did you?
Were you faster? Than.
Your. Wife a gentleman, a gentleman
never kisses and tells if if you go in, if I go in the corner and
look at the wall, the the two medals are hanging up there
together. So we've both got there, we both
got the same medal. It was a hot year.
It was a hot year that year. And they did run out of war.
And I'll tell you this again, a wee story about the war.
And I hadn't really being young when they would go down.
So we had the course map and we'd be like, right, we'll see
you here, we'll see you there, we'll get you here, we'll get
you there. So I had like 8 or 9 wee kind of
viewpoints where we would see her.
I think we only saw three places.
That's just how busy it was. Totally underestimated the
crowds and the underground, the DLR and moving about.
So me and young Wendy saw it about mail eight.
Then he was getting sore legs. He was only like about 12 at the
time and so take him back to the hotel.
He was just on his computer not he had his phone and that so
everything was OK. Hotel room was locked up.
Then I went out, I think I caught my wife around a bit,
Canadian Wharf or something and male 16, male 17.
I had a couple of couple of bottles of water with me.
I was on the app and it said that she was still a couple of
miles away and I just got off the train, went downstairs and
the app refreshed and she was right in front of me.
You know, if I'd been another another minute, 2 minutes later
I would have messed up and she wouldn't have any water.
But no, no, she managed to get it completed.
I've completed that and we've each got the medal.
So no kissing and telling Mickey Boy.
We know what that means. Happy wife, happy life.
Aye aye for. Sure.
So 5 majors, that is huge. Congratulations on even just
getting the fight and congratulations on even just
getting one because that is huge.
But the crowds, obviously they're not majors, you know,
for being quiet. So I've got 2 questions. 1 is
how do you cope with the crowds you come across as you sound so
you come across pretty well with the crowds but my second one or
for this as well as which one was the busiest did you find?
Right. OK.
The crowds obviously, it's crazy.
My wife actually is kind of claustrophobic.
So she, she might have struggled and a few of them, probably New
York runners. New York I think had about
55,000 runners and the biggest crowds, 2,000,000.
So for noise and craziness, New York was off the scale.
And it was, it was actually, it was overwhelming at some point,
like literally bonkers. Again, without being
stereotypical, you know what the Americans are like when they're
putting on a show, putting on an event, you know, it's just
totally bonkers. So you get the ferry across the
Staten Island, then you run over the bridge.
So it's a wee bit quiet and on the on the bridge the first
couple of miles. But from from there on and every
single inch of the course, 2 hours spells screaming noise,
55,000 runners. It's just New York was like, you
know, when I finished, not only was like knackered, but I was
like mentally broken down. Just my head was pounding my
ears. But amazing.
It was, it was great. It was a great experience, you
know, just to scream in and not just everything that keeps you
going. So, so that was New York for
like the craziest. And then I ran Tokyo as well.
So that's just a complete flip. You know, Japanese are probably
a little bit more modest, shall we say, quiet, but there was a,
there was a fair bit of noise. I think there was about 30,000
runners and maybe about 300,000 out watching it.
They're just starting to get into the canal, you know, the
noise and the cheerleaders and stuff like that.
So I didn't really know what to expect with Tokyo.
I knew it was going to be smaller.
I knew it was going to be quieter.
But you know, there were still a lot of people out there was a
lot of maybe the younger generation, some of the older
ones were maybe just a little, a little app, but there.
But the younger ones, obviously now, you know, they had up the
boards and the bells and the the the shouting.
So that was the the two flips. But I think the friendliest
major like for, for overall, just atmosphere and just
everything Chicago, the cargo was amazing, absolutely amazing,
just like the whole city can embrace that.
Just everywhere you went, the shops, the hotels, even the
people walking about. It's maybe I don't know
population size, but New York's absolutely massive.
So when you're out on on Med or Monday, you know, there's a lot
of people in New York would kind of look at you and think, you
know, what's that what you up to?
There's a lot of people not that know like the marathon was on
and semi Tokyo, we took you being that big.
It's just run through certain districts.
So there's a lot of people in Tokyo didn't know the marathon
was on, but Chicago just seemed to be everywhere you went.
That's all they were speaking about that weekend, the
marathon. So New York for crazy noise and
just fewer bonkers. Tokyo a little bit more subdued,
but still nice. Pleasant in its own way, but
overall friendliest, I think for me, Chicago.
That 2 million people, it's a bit different than what you get
the, say, the Great Glen or Blair Athol from the Highlander.
Absolutely, yeah. But you know, whenever you're
you're running, what you say, whether it's a local 10 KA half
marathon or whatever, or one of the the majors or even a big
city marathon. You know, even if anybody comes
out, even when we do the offer of the running festival, when
you're running around there, it's a 10K and 1/2 marathon and
you know, you're maybe struggling.
You maybe see some mums and dads out, there's people out, there's
young kids out, you know, with sweets are sweets and Jelly
babies and stuff. So, you know, whether there's
two or three of them or two or 300,000, you know, you still get
that, that we can buzz and they always get a clap and I thank
you know, well done. You know, because they've taken
their painting, come out and then cheer you on.
You know, they've written some boards.
They've got the children have got suites.
They've usually got the boards pushed for tower and let you see
whether there's only two or three of them standing there or
two or 300,000. You know, everybody gets a a
clap and a thank you as well for for making the effort.
So you said about which marathon you you you like them all, but
give a race distance that you prefer to run.
Probably the the trails, the ultra trails, maybe A50 Ki think
it's not too long, not too short.
And I kind of class myself as a an ultra runner, although I do
the matter. It's I'm not quite there yet.
You know, I think there's, there's a few people that or
maybe just stick to the trails and they'll maybe they maybe
just do, you know, 50 K, 50 miles, 100 miles and then
they're never on road and vice versa.
I'm quite fortunate that I'm able to jump between the two
disciplines. But yeah, I think the 50K for
me, but you see, 3132 miles is relatively speaking, you know,
it's not too long. Depending on whether I'm
running, I can usually get them done 6 1/2, seven hours, maybe 8
hours Max. So it's a, it's a good day out.
It's a good challenge. So I would probably say that the
50K is my my my favorite if I had to pick one.
You're saying six or seven hours, but I know that you've
got a desire to stay for 24 hours in a backyard because you
want to do the 100 miles. I absolutely.
So that's my, that's one of my running goals, although I've
only been running for six years. You know, I believe my goals are
realistic. And I've heard you speaking
before, Mike, and I'm sure I have them that and nickel as
well when we were at the workshop and not, you know, to
set goals, set goals that are realistic but challenging.
You know, the point having, having easy goals because
you'll, you'll do them. So yeah.
So most of the long distances are, are kind of based on the
100 miles in the 24 hours. So I'm, I'm thinking I'll put
myself in amongst that lot, maybe a bit ambitious or maybe
should have went for the 100 miles and 30 hours, but we'll
wait and see. But I enjoy the, the, the, the
backyard format, but I probably prefer the 24 hour format.
The like the the Glenn Moore. I'm OK with the distance.
What I've done so far, I think a great Glen like is that is that
72? Yeah, it depends on the course.
So so I did that one in in 20 hours.
My 24 hour PB is 78.15 from there are there are boats and
there's still a lot of work to get done.
But the the backyard that's that's a brutal format.
And for me, the distance is here, but it's a distance and
the time, yeah, you know, getting, getting the yard done
within the 60 minutes. And, you know, because running
the 4.167 miles on paper, you know, a 12 minute mile gets you
around in like under 50 minutes, you know, so on paper you're
like, yeah, hey, bother, I can do that.
But obviously, you know, the longer you run, the more tired
that you get. And even if you lose a minute
and a couple of minutes, you know, that's a big deal.
And then you're out maybe yard 4, yard 5, yard 6.
I'm just speaking about us, me and molars here when Mike, I
know you guys have have done some crazy numbers, you know,
but you're chasing your tail. And then, you know, you're
getting more tired and you just, you just kind of know your,
your, your backyard is coming to an end in the next couple of
yards they saw. It's crazy.
But yeah, my ambition before they get too old is to try and
get the 100 miles done in 24 hours.
And the 78 miles, the furthest distance you've ever ran like
and or out of the event. Yeah, yeah.
That, that, that's, that's my, that's my, that's my PB
regardless of it was 20. That's the longest I've ever
went and and won go 78.15. So that was last year at
Glenmore. This year there was only about a
mile behind it. We had a kind of different
strategy, trying some different things with the fuel, but I had
a really, really tough year this year.
I had a lot of bigger events and I don't think I was fully
recovered even going into the high, the Highlander in July and
then even when we went to Glenmore in September.
So next year I've only got 1 big event and then I'm saving myself
for Glenmore because I want to go into Glenmore and with fresh
legs because I did. I really hammered my body
earlier this year and I don't even think I'm fully recovered
just now, if you know what I mean.
Nikki hasn't admitted it to herself yet, but she'll be
signing up to the backyard soon enough, so maybe.
You'll both both. Get to the 100 together.
I maybe you never know. So I'm going to next year, I'm
going to go Highland that I missed this time.
I'll probably be up for the weekend cheering people on.
But at the moment I think it's got to get into Boston by the
moment. I'm running London in April and
then that's me. There's nothing four months.
I'm just going to dedicate to Glenn Moore, 24 and just focus
on that because I think this year I had, I think I had 66
massive events, 4. Then I went into the Highlander,
that was five and then I went into Glenn Moore and that was 6
and I was just, I was done. And to be honest with you, I
need to remember I'm 58 and No 28, and I can't even recover as
quickly as some of the some of the young guys can.
I think you find that as well, though, when you do start coming
into running, I mean, you say Wendy, you've only been running
for six years. I mean, I've only been running
three years and this year was my first year and ultras and it is
easy to get carried away. So it is a really good idea to
pick one event that you want to do really, really well and and
just try and not enter everything because hopefully
they will be there in the future.
Still I'm. I'm kind of like that and I
don't know if it's a create of some sort.
You know, like you say, I've only been running six years and
you know, it takes some people years, you know, to, to get up.
And, and that's I quickly went up through the distances like I
did the 10K in August, then I did my half marathon in the
September, then I ran London in the April.
So that was only like after being running for six or seven
months or something. And then after London and April,
I went and booked into the from the blades, the 50K.
So that was my first ultra. So I think that was only like a
couple of months after London, just because you have you're,
you're, you're, you're chasing the buzz, you know, the
adrenaline and you're like, you just, you just need to keep
going. So I'm actually scared sometimes
because if I do get the 100 or if I get something big, it's
going to be what next? You know, no disrespect to any
distance, I respect every distance.
I'm busy training for a 10K just now.
Maybe we can talk about that later on, but a 10K training
just now compared to some of my ultra training, but 10K training
has been brutal. You know, all that speed, but
you know, I'd rather go out and do a 25 mile ultra train and run
where I can just plod along, walk the house, drink my juice,
keep my sandwiches. You know, when I'm doing 10K
speed work, it's absolutely savage.
So you know, regardless of what distance of that, always chasing
there, chasing the high and then just one done.
You know where we go after that. But this year I kind of thought
my main goal was getting APB at Manchester and then doing well
at Glenmore. And these events just kind of
happened to align with my plan. So I thought, you know, if I'm
doing big miles, I might as well run an event.
But I didn't really understand how much running an event takes
a year compared to just running the same distance.
But a training run. I don't know if that makes
sense. But you know, if you've maybe
got 25 miles to do, I'll just do a marathon instead.
It's only an extra mile. But just the whole, the
adrenaline, the build up and what have you.
And once you finish, you can crash.
Whereas if you were just doing a clean and run, you would do that
on the Saturday, then you'd be back out at 1 club on on the
Tuesday you're able to go. So that's something I learned
this year from having all these events close together.
Running an event, it's completely different because
doing a training run, although it could be the same distance
and, and the same time apart, just doing an event just takes
so much more out of you, like physically and and mentally.
So that's something I've learned from from this year.
We're having all my events together.
That's really good advice for me as well.
So thank you and probably for a lot of the listeners, it's not
just the bar with the majors as well that you've mentioned
throughout the conversation that you've done, you've done quite a
lot of the well known Ultra events as well.
Do you ever get nervous before any of them?
I, I, I get nervous before I before any race.
I don't know if it's like nerves per SE, but you know, obviously
the, the morning race morning, you know, you're up, you have
your breakfast, your porridge, your banana, you're getting all
your stuff ready. So I, I, I don't know if it's
like they are sad, but it's more anticipation and just what's the
come, the butterflies. And then you can kind of try and
any nerve you've got going to try and channel any positive
energy and, you know, just keep reminding yourself and what
you're doing, why you're doing it, you know who you're doing it
for. So yeah, always nervous just in
case it doesn't go a plan, you maybe get injured again.
We're doing a lot of fundraising.
You know, I'm always worried might let people down, let the
charity down, sort of stuff like that.
But at the same time, I kind of like having a wee bit of
pressure on me as well because it just kind of keeps you on
your toes, stops you getting complacent.
I think you know for me like. And part of this nervous you
also got people to back you up. Probably applies more for ultras
rather than marathons. But do you take a crew with you?
Yeah, not on the the road races. Like if it's a 10K half, I'm
doing Inverness Half Marathon again in March.
So like so that I'll just go up to that myself and my wife and
my son have been a few marathon swimming and some of the bigger
races, but he's older now and working Maurice a teacher.
So unfortunately she can only get off during the holidays, not
Tenham time. But I've learned for some of the
the bigger ultras, I've learned to use the drop bags.
But she does crew for me when we do the the longer endurance
events, the backyard and Glenn Moore.
She prefers these ones actually because we just picked up the
gazebo. She's in the one place with the
dogs and it's me. It's kind of go now running that
time we ran the great Glenn Mike.
I had two crew there with me, my wife and one of my good running
buddies from T play guy from Perth called Robbie, Robbie
Lyle. And there's a lot more pressure
on your crew. You're not one a point to point
because they have to pack up, move on to the next checkpoint,
make sure that they are just in time for you coming in, having
all your stuff ready. And that's the same day they had
the horrendous rain and the flooding at from the rocket.
I think it was the mile 54. It was flooded out.
They had to move there to checkpoint and stuff like like
that and like at the last minute.
So stuff like that kind of doesn't freak it out.
But she's, again, she's scared in case she's not there for me
and lets me down. But yeah, we both certainly
prefer the ones where you kind of rock up, pick up the gazebo,
she's there for the weekend. She's got her boots, she's got
her work, she looks after the dogs and it's me, it's out
running. So she just makes sure
everything's there for me coming in.
So I think both of us prefer these ones.
And how do you feel for all the different distances and races?
What have you. Right.
Still can I working on that even even to this day.
I mentioned to you before I'm diabetic, so I'm actually
speaking to a couple of people just now to see if I can get a a
metabolic efficiency test just to see how my my body reacts to
taking in fuel. I've kind of convinced myself
that my body is then efficiently converting fuel into usable
energy rather than I'm just a slow run on them and we need to
train a bit harder. So, but no, we've been
diabetics. So I see on some of the charts
in the forums and that, you know, when people have come into
the last stages of a race, they'll maybe take a jail or
something and they get a wee burst, you know, and that kind
of drives them on for the last 10 miles, 15 miles.
I never really get that kick. And I've often wondered if the
fuel I'm taken, like I said, it's getting efficiently
converted than a usable energy going into my, my, my muscles is
glycogen. So I can, so I can use it as
energy. Can I test my blood survey now
and again? So you can usually tell if
you've got high blood sugars. So that's the fuel that you're
consuming isn't going into your muscles to be used as energy
stain in your blood and it's spiking your sugars.
So I'm hoping to get that sorted.
But if I'm doing Rd. races, I'll usually want fuel for the 10K if
I'm doing 1/2 or maybe just use the water station and carry a
gel. The marathons I'll use gels, the
ultras, a kind of mixture, solid food, the gels and I quite like
the because in hydration they've got the choose little pack of
choose. I think the fruit.
There's a few other companies do them as well and they've started
using supernatural fuel, their pouches, squeezy pouches.
It's a bit like the baby food, but for for ultra runners, just
easier to digest. So I've been working on that,
but depending on the distance, it's a mixture.
But gels for the shorter Rd. races, then the ultras will be a
mixture but they're solid through the near as well as well
as the gels. And when you get to a certain
stage you'll know yourself, you get flavour fatigue, sometimes
you just can't stomach anything. So sometimes I'll mix up
tailwind that. So at least you're getting some
kind of carbohydrate, you know, liquid or whatever.
So it's a combination depending on the distance really.
And what gel brand do you use? At the moment I have been using
Torque and Fitness. I like the flavours.
Some people are not keen on them, they're a bit sickly.
I use the Prison Engineer possessing hydration, sorry,
their gels little small 130 grams and being diabetic as
well. I need to keep an eye on the
ingredients. There's not a lot of gels.
There is a few one of the ingredients I try and stay away
from as much as I can as maltodextrin.
So I try and use some of the natural ones and the the drinks
as well add the fruit and and tailwind.
Yeah, I know. I know some diabetics that where
the continuous glucose monitor on the arm.
Have you, have you looked into that?
No, yes and no. There's, there's quite a good
one just now. The Dexcom.
I think it's a Dexcom. I think it may be a six.
They're quite expensive though, so I need to be able to justify
the cost of it. But it will be something I
probably will do eventually if I do ever manage to get this
metabolic efficiency test done. I think that's on the treadmill
with a, with a mask and that and obviously I'm taking in
different fuel sources and they're able to monitor my
bloods, which I'll tell them which fuel source is giving me
the most energy. So I forget that sorted out.
Then the continuous glucose monarch would be a good one as
well. I think for the longer
distances, because obviously it's connected to your phone and
I think some of the new ones can be connected to my wife back at
the gazebo. So she's able to keep an eye on
my bloods as well. Because obviously when your
blood's go low, you know, you start to get tired and fatigued.
So I might not know, you know, if you're 5060 miles in a run.
And when we do the Ultra's, we've got everything kind of
written down. She keeps a note of everything
that's eating because if you have been running for 12/14/15
hours, you start to get a bit dual alley and she's like, if
you take that last bottle, did you drink it?
Did you eat this? Did you eat that?
You lose track of what you're taking in.
So having the monitor would be good as well, you know, to let
you know what your bloods are dropping.
So you need something just to pick them back up.
So it has, I have kind of looked at it briefly, but it will be
something I'll probably do in the next couple of years.
I think I might want to try and get that 100 miles.
Once you've got all your nutrition sorted out and you're
running, what about injuries? Is there injuries right?
You say that you've done a lot of races in a short period of
time. Have you had injuries to do that
or? No, not really.
I've really only had one one major injury as when I kind of
first started post Tib. They call it posterior to be to
be Alice or something. I, I posted, yeah.
So I think that's really when I first started running and I was
really just maybe going from two runs a week, maybe up to three
runs, up to four runs. Then obviously the the distance
was increasing as well. So I think obviously just we're
putting the extra load on it. I had that and that's really
about the same time I found out that I used to over pronate and
I needed orthotics. So there's a good podiatrist in
the turn and off the other. So I went to see him.
We got that kind of established. I was out for probably about six
weeks maybe, but that was a good few years ago.
So I wear orthotics now and also I run and support shoes usually
breaks the GTS, but I think I need to go and get my feet done
again. I'm going to get my date done
again because I think just over the last 3-4 years, combination
of doing big males and maybe cross training, getting
stronger, I think my gait has maybe changed a little bit.
But that's really the only major issue, you know, apart from the
odd kind of aches and pains and, and niggles, you know, maybe
tight ham, sling state, glutes, calves.
But you know, most people, most people get that.
So I'm quite fortunate actually. You mentioned there about cross
training, aside from the running and the golf, what what kind of
cross training do you do? Yeah, well, I usually go to
there. I could do more.
I could, I could be better. Suppose 21 coaching we Fiona
from 5 Star, so he's obviously a coach at the club, but we've
been doing 21 for a couple of years now.
We we use training peaks. So we use the the art training
peaks. So all my structured stuff, it
gets done through that. So usually I've got one club on
a Tuesday, Thursday and one club on a Saturday, a long run on a
Saturday and maybe a recovery run on a Sunday.
But I usually go to the gym on a Monday and a Wednesday.
So just depending where we are, maybe the Monday will be upper
body and the Wednesday will be legs in cooler or, or, or just
whatever. So yeah, I do go to the gym
twice a week. I could probably do a bit more
work, a bit harder during the summer.
I'll go out my bike. But I've only really just
started going to the gym since I started working with Fiona.
Before that, I didn't do any cross training at all.
It was just kind of running, stretching again, not very well,
just the usual lean against the wall, maybe stretch your car for
20 seconds, put your leg up on a table, stretch your harmony.
That's, that's kind of that was kind of it.
And I wasn't really getting anywhere, if you know what I
mean. So since I've had the the one to
one coaching, the structure training went to the gym more
and I do spend more time stretching now 10/15/20 minutes,
whereas before it was probably just stretching your calves in
the shower, you know, and that was the extent of it.
But gym twice a week depending on what's on.
Definitely almost always once a week and and the good weather
out on the bike as well. And it's Fiona Watt.
Fiona Watt at 5 star, Yeah, yeah.
So she does the one in one coach and she works for a few runners.
But yeah, depending on the event, like just now, I'd said
it's not open yet. So I've not got a guaranteed
place, but I'm busy training for the the Tilly 10K because I'm
looking to get a sub fifty. I'm hoping again, I've been in
the last few years, but yeah, it's just been, it's, it's been
a tough one moving from the ultra running like the first
nine months of this year to come to the shorter distances to
speed. But the first few weeks I've
kind of had the main set. It's only a 10K, it's only a
10K. But as I said, some of the
sessions have been doing for the 10K have felt tougher than some
of the stuff, you know, moving from the slow pods.
You're trying to open up your legs, your straight and get
some, get some speed work done in there.
So that's what we're working on just now.
And yeah, I've been with her a couple of years and I've noticed
a big improvement. Just with the structure of
training and the diet, the recovery and the cross training
and the selection, just combination of everything I
think. You said earlier you didn't know
what you do once you achieve your 100 miles and 24 hours that
you're going to do this year. Is there any?
Next year. Next year, hopefully, is.
There any other achievements like your your 10K time there
that you think that that is the biggest thing I've achieved so
far? I've got PBS this year and last
year and, and, and most of the distances.
So every time, you know, I get something like that personal
achievement for me, the marathon, I'm sitting at 4:25.
I'm not even going to get a Boston qualifier.
I think I need to be about 84
for the time so I want to try and get my marathon distance.
Also a four hours of a can again before I was not a serious
runner, but like my my 10K just now I'm sitting at 51 O 5 but
it's only just over a minute. So that doesn't seem a lot of
time and I didn't really used to think about that before.
I kind of but into the coaching and got into the kind of more
serious side of things. You know, if you're running a
10K, it's only 6 miles. If you're flat out a minute and
six 7 seconds, it's quite a big deal.
You know, you're looking at another 1213 seconds a mile or 6
miles, you know, flat out as hard as you can go.
So it's a big ask. Again with the marathon, I'm
sitting at 4:25. I'm thinking, I wonder if I
could get a sub 4, but again, that's 26 minutes I'd need to
take off my marathon time. That's another minute a mile,
you know, 26 miles. That's a big ask.
I can liken it to when you're on diet and you're losing weight.
So, you know, the first couple of months you've come down
really quickly and then you're just kind of stuck at that, that
that kind of fire tool. And it does, you know, just to
get that a little bit further just takes that a little bit
more, but an effort. So yeah, just I just always
trying to work on everything. And every time I go out trying,
I used to do a lot of comparison on Strava, you know, looking at
other people and that. But no, it's just it's me
against me. And that's all I do.
If I go and do a race again, just try and do better than what
I did in it last year and the year before and and that's all I
can ask for really. Yeah, because comparison, it's,
it's apples and oranges. Everyone's so different that.
Will completely destroy you. And again, you know, you just
need to take everything in a in a consideration.
You know, you've only been running for so many years and
you're older. You know, these guys might have
been running for 20-30 years. They might have been running
since school and different makeup, different physique, just
different genetics. So yeah, I used to look at Slav
and be like, oh, look at this one.
He's running this fast and he's running that fast and wondering
why you could never get there or be there.
And let you say it just kind of eats away at you.
So now it's just it's me against me.
And then what you say we're all, everybody's different.
Everybody's doing it for their own particular reason, you know,
And as long as I can do better or trying to do better than what
I did before, if, you know, I'm happy with that.
And is that your why you do run to try and get your own
potential out? I suppose but to try and stay
healthy and fit and mentally as well.
I'm quite fortunate I retired John, so I don't think if I
never had the run in the weather, I've got two dogs so
I'm out quite a lot with them. You know, if I never had that
retired young and you know, I don't know what I'd be doing,
you know, I'd probably be in the pub and you know, you just, you
know, you you'd be bored shitless during the day.
So I've got the running, something I really enjoy, part
of the run club, part of the running community.
I like training for events, going the events, so you've got
that kind of stuff to keep you going.
So yeah, there's the health, the fitness, the mental side of it,
then obviously the kind of social side, the camaraderie,
you know, again, you know, the stuff you see on Strava and on
the Facebook pages. So just just a combination of
everything really, I think. And when you're out doing a long
run or in a race, when you're gabbing away to me 70 miles into
your Greg Glenn, what is it you think about?
I probably couldn't say I probably, I'm, I'm probably, and
I think, well, I hope a lot of us are.
If we aren't, then there's something obviously wrong with
me. But I'm, I'm probably a bit of
a, a Walt or Mitty character, you know, if you're some of my,
my, my long training runs, time on feet, you know, I'm up in the
house 678 hours. And then when you come to do
your event, 24 hours, you know you're through the night.
Or if you're running a point to point out ultra, whether it's
six hours or whatever, 8 or 10. If you're doing the shorter
distances, you've not really got much time to think about things.
Like if I'm reaching a 10K and a half marathon, I'm trying to go
for APD. So I'm probably keeping an eye
on my watch. I'm trying to do kind of mental
arithmetic about my pace, where I need to be, stuff like that.
But when you're up in the house, you're doing an ultra and you've
been up there for 12/14/16 hours, just all sorts.
So crazy, crazy shit goes through your head when you're
you're out there running it like two 3:00 in the morning.
But like I said, a bit of a wall or mate.
So just daydreaming mad kind of, I don't know, heroic adventures,
romantic escapades with a wife, obviously just just loads of
stuff. Thinking about why you're
running, who you're running for. And then, you know, you could go
off at a tangent. You know, you might be dreaming
that you're running UT MB or you're doing this, so you're
doing that. Just just all sorts.
Sometimes you talk to yourself. I don't worry too much about
that. It's when you start answering
yourself, but that's when you've got a problem.
But no, just there's loads of stuff, just crazy thoughts, good
thoughts, bad thoughts, just keeping an eye on things, your
body, your Legos, your fueling home are getting on.
I just and then you'll bump into someday you'll maybe got a few
miles done with them and a few hours done with them.
So that's cold about a time. So I just have a great big
mixture. I think you have to be a little
bit a little bit unstable probably to be a, an ultra
runner. I can help, you know, if you can
control the head and the mind and the pain, you know, that's
that's a good bet. The battle won already.
Like, you know, your, your your head or your mind.
I'll give up long before your, your body does.
Yeah, so. Is this crazy club?
Is that what the Wendy's run club is?
No, we bet. Yeah, I don't know why I never
thought about that before, because obviously I'm.
I'm trying to not exploit, you know, in a bad way, but I'm
trying to use as much I'm a following as I can to raise
money for charity. So you know that it's, it's all
good. And, and I've got a few
followers on Strava again through the weather page because
there's a lot of runners on the weather page.
And, and then just the other day I was like, I didn't ever think
about this before. So I set up a virtual run club
and when they run club, so that's just going to be running
and charity stuff, you know, though it's totally away from
Facebook and and and Twitter and stuff about the weather.
So yeah, I set that up and we've got quite a decent following
just now. And it's just, it's just really
for followers that are on my weather page that maybe just
want to do more running things. So we set it up and I thought
about getting some merch in some bufferoos because I think buffs
are registered trademark some car stickers.
And then I spoke to Mike a few months ago about the medals.
So Mike is going to be doing some medals for me when we get
into 2025 from the big challenge.
But just recently, well, last night, I think so I've just
launched my first virtual all, all the events will be virtual.
I, I don't have the, the time, the money, the patience of the
organizational skills to to hold a real life event and just be,
it'd be too much, I think. So everything I do will be
virtual. It's nice and easy.
It's simple. So yeah, we just set up a we
Wendy's run club Santa Dash last night.
It's just a 5K gets done anytime in December.
Most people are doing Mark Athon anyway.
So, you know, if you're, if you're doing a 5K, you might as
well enter Wendy's cheapest chips and with no medal, just
tight because it was a bit short notice.
But everybody runs it and completes it gets one of the
Wendy's buffs. But all the money, every single
penny, all the profits go to the charity.
So yeah. And I don't know.
I don't know. It was like a couple of weeks
ago, I was just sitting thinking I should have a run club because
I've got a lot of followers there.
And, you know, I think after the chilly this year, talk to
another. And when I'm out running, you
always get, all right, Wendy, how's it going?
Or, you know, you, you get the products now it's everybody
contributes to the fundraising, you know, But when you're
running a race, you know, people come up and say, oh, thanks for
the fundraising. And this time the next thing you
know, you do get a good feeling any.
So I, so I'm like, I should have a run club.
So we set up the run club. We've got it up and running.
And then we've got our first virtual event open just now, the
the Santa Dash 5K, just to get everybody up and running.
So you you say you've set it up, but how do you people actually
find out about it? All right.
OK. Well, I suppose you would
probably only find out about it if you were on Strava.
I haven't shared it on any of the socials yet, so I need to do
that. I was just wanting to try and
kind of again, just, it's the first time I've ever done
anything less. So just going to keep it low key
and just kind of build it up gradually.
But yeah, it's on Strava. So if you're on Strava and
you're listening and just search for a Wendy's run club
structural, just join it. And it's a running community, so
we're just there help each other support.
And let you say I'm going to be doing virtual events to
fundraise for charity because at the moment it's me.
It's doing all the running, which is OK.
And we sell some windy stuff which generates additional
income. But this is just going to be the
run club. So no weather stuff.
So it'll just be the running. So it'll mostly be virtual
events. Maybe you missed the ball and
during lockdown in COVID because obviously the virtual events
were were big then. But again, because it's all for
charity and it's not crazy places, you know, it's not like
30, forty, £50 to end up a virtual event.
You know, we're keeping it down reasonable.
You're getting medals, you're getting buffs.
And if you're again, if you're running anyway, you know, you
might as well take part in it. So yeah, if you're on Strava and
look us up, Wendy's one club. So we're just stuck in a
friendly running community. Bunch of people.
And as part of that run club as well, I think it's important to
mention that there's been a topic of discussion.
You don't even have to run the whole thing.
A lot of people feel pressure that, you know, they have to run
and go all out to get the bufferoo or the medal.
And you've said no. It's just a bit of fun.
Yeah, yeah, I saw when I spoke to Mike about the challenge.
I'm going to do another one as well, Challenge 2025 that will
be coming. So there'll be options to sign
up for monthly distance, like 50 miles a month, 100 miles a
month, 75 or whatever. And it's run, walk, cycle, hike,
climb. You know, you can go with your
granny, you know, you can go where your children, you can
just, you can go for a dondo around the park.
And there's not going to be the rules and regulations per SE.
You know, if you say not to do 50 miles a month or 100 miles a
month and you only get to 49 or you only get to 99, you know,
you're not going to lose out like the Santa dash, the 5K run
job walk. You know, you can even get with
your mate and, and, and do a walk.
So yeah, I, it's not, it's all for charity.
You know, we're not going to be too harsh, you know, and clamp
down on you. You know, if you sign up and,
and complete it, whatever way, you know, you'll, you'll get
your bufferoo, you'll get your medal, but most importantly,
almost every single penny, All profits go to charity.
Yeah. So with all the events that
you've done so far in your six years, if you had a dream race
that you just had automatic entry into, what would that be?
It need to be the western states, I think.
But I was over again, another funny story.
So I was over in America 2017 before there was a run up at my
cousin's wedding. And it was actually up near
Auburn in Grass Valley. So we went up there, we stayed
for the weekend, had the wedding that blah, blah, blah.
And then obviously I've came home.
I've started running in 2018. It was one of my running buddies
from after after Drew Summit in he's big into the ultras in the
backyard. I used to talk to him about
stuff mostly me asking him questions about his running in
that so he mentioned Jim Wilmsley a few times.
Western states found on 49. So I watched a lot of YouTube
videos and then this year we were over and back over in
California and my family's and my wife and my son went down to
Los Angeles for a couple of days.
So I said, you know what, I'm just going to drive north to
Auburn and I'm going to stay Monday, Tuesday.
And I'm going to run a section at the Western States and, you
know, and just get a wall. I met here again, you know, this
is me. I started at Forest Hill and
they rock a Chucky. I couldn't get across the river.
I went and wrecked it the afternoon before and it looked
OK. It was kind of one of these
deceiving rivers. So we had all the rocks and the
Rapids at this side and we had the Cam stuff here and it looked
OK. I could see the bottom and I
thought that's only maybe just waist deep, chest deep.
I could probably get out and get across.
But when I went up on the Tuesday morning to run, I don't
even out a few steps and it was already, you know, I put my
waist up at my belly button and I'm like, you know, if I get
caught here or slept, I'm going to get swept away.
And it's no worth risking my life, you know, for some extra
kudos on Slava. So I had to run, oh, I think
about 3 or 4 miles down parallel or whatever before I crossed
over. But I managed to catch the
Western States Trail and I got in A and towards the end Hwy.
49, the bridge up to Robbie Point, then down in a Auburn and
a place of high school. So it's about 2324 miles in that
section. But as I was coming down, I was
obviously acting then I'd ran from Squaw Valley and I was
already like 8090 miles in here. And this is me finishing Western
States. But no, if I could go into any
race, it would be Western states.
But I thought I'd do the ballot every year just to see if I was
ever going to get in. But being over this year was
probably, I don't know what you want to call it, but maybe I
read Awakening perhaps, shall we say it was absolutely roasted.
It was, it was fantastic. It was amazing, you know, seeing
the river, the hills, been on the same trails as all these
great ultra runners had run. Fuck me, I was it was close to
40°. You know, it was roasting and
some of the some of the holes were crazy.
And I only ran a short section and I just couldn't imagine
running 100 miles just for the heat, just everything energy
sapping. So I came away from that.
And can you know what Western states are probably couldn't
same as over here just now, our West Island way.
I don't think at this particular moment in time I'm fat enough to
run the West Highland way just now having done the the fling
earlier this year and getting to syndrome, you know, 1516 hours,
53 miles. I don't think there was another
40 odd miles inmate. So you know, it was a bit like
the western states here, you know, I dreamed about running
it. But until you're actually done a
bit of it and thought, yeah, wait a minute, This is this is
just a wee bit a tougher than than than what we'd thought.
So, but no western states for me.
If I could get any, any, any race and maybe big dogs backyard
day. But I would.
I wouldn't want to embarrass myself.
And would doing Western States with Jim Walmsley, would that be
your dream person to run with? Yeah, I was going to go with two
people, so I was going to go with Courtney and Jim.
So just running western states or a section of Western states,
a social run obviously because these guys are running at like
536 minute mails. You know I can't even I can't
even do that in Oxford Adder. So yeah, so West, Western States
and I think running way Courtney and Jim Walmsley.
I think if you think Western states, you think Jim Walmsley
and obviously. Caught me far for Western
states, but she's done so much more as well.
I think she got when did she get the triple that last year?
I Western states, Hard Rock and UTMB.
So yeah. But I I watch a lot of videos on
YouTube, on the social media. As you know, there's a lot of
great outdoor runners out. There are a lot of American
ones, some of the European ones. Kelly and as well Sally Mccrae I
too many to mention, but I think if I had to pick, I probably
will be to Courtney and Jim some social meals along the western
states I think would be ideal and then maybe go to a dinner,
few beers, something to eat. So that would that would be a
perfect day for me like. I think Courtney would enjoy the
pizza and the beer. The.
Pizza and the beer. Hi, They guys can do the big
meals, but I tell you once I've done an ultra can they eat an 18
inch spicy chicken and beef pizza?
We have about 20 bottles of beer.
Probably not so. Aside from the challenge that
you've set up virtually for keeping you busy in 2025, what
else have we got on running Wise?
Right. OK, well, we spoke a little bit
about London and Glenn Moore. So the virtual challenge for
Wendy's Run Club. So that's just going to be
challenge 2025. That's the whole year.
And you'll get your your medal probably sometime in January 26.
So that's going to be trying. It's just a challenge you, you
know, we're not going to be too strict.
Fifty 7500 miles a month or whatever you can put your own
distance in and it's a run, walk, jog, hike, cycle even you
know, if you're a mum or a dad, a parent, if you're with the V1
in the pram, if you're doing some miles in the park, just
just whatever you know, it's just to have something to push
you as an annual thing for me though, I've got 1 then in
April, so we'll start to send for that in January.
I really want to do I really want to run for cry, but I'm
also really hoping I'm successful in this last ballot
draw for Boston because that that would be a dream come true.
You know, I'm, I'm so grateful and appreciative for everything
I've managed to do. There's some people been running
for years and I've maybe only managed a few majors.
You know, I've done quite a lot in such a short distance.
So there's that. And then in April, I'm we're
going to stop there with the big events and then just focus.
I'm taking a year off the the Highlander at Blair.
I thought I'm just going to focus on Glenn Moore.
I think that format suits me more just now the 24 hours you
can come and come and go. I should please.
This year we had a one stop strategy that when didn't go
horrendously wrong, but I basically just ran until the
tank was completely empty. The tyres were bold and there
was no more left, no more left at all.
I broke down 16 hours, I think it was 55 miles.
I tapped out because we said last year I spent too much time
in the chair and also had a sleep last year.
So I never had a sleep this year and I was only in the chair a
couple of times and and the plan this year was there's no point
sitting in the chair for 20 minutes or going for a sleep if
you are tired. Just stop and walk, get some
fuel rank at least you're still getting the miles.
So that's what we did this year and we went for the one stop
strategy, but I completely blew up 55 miles in 16 hours, fell
asleep for 45 minutes, got up and then kind of finished it.
But this year or next year it'll be a two stop.
I think I'm going to try and catch my body before a breakdown
completely, maybe one o'clock 2:00 in the morning and then
maybe six or seven. So.
So that's the strategy for Glenn Moore and I've also just signed
up for Goldsby Backyard as well. So a couple of friends ran it
this year and obviously I was keeping an eye on Kelly and you
guys had that on in a couple of weeks as well.
So I thought, right, we'll try something different.
Both the Highlanders have been in July this year.
It wasn't as warm as Glenn Moore.
Glenn Moore was roasting this year, sunshine and blue skies.
But I thought the Highlanders last year was more muggy, more
kind of humid though Gold Sphere I think end of October or
November. So we bet it cold out something
different. And I don't know if Michael like
this because he might think it all sound negative, but I think
Goldsby, I've said to myself this will be my last backyard
unless I get any double figures. So make me think that's kind of
you're thinking you're nobody do it or you're quitting.
But that's me. Can I put in positive pressure
on myself? I should be getting double
figures. You know, I can run for 67
emails, but it's, it's the distance and the time That's,
that's, that's, that's the, that's the crazy thing for me.
So I'm going to do this last backyard, the ghost Bay.
I want to get any double figures.
I want to get to 12. I really think I'm capable of
doing 1617. So we'll see how we got on.
We're working on the fuel and we're working on this later on
in the year. Not so warm, hopefully the
weather's as good as it was this year, but obviously it's a
little bit darker, longer, so there's that as well.
So the wet, you know, is probably going to go on a lot
longer. But that's the two main things
next year for me, London and Glenmore.
And I really need to to see how we got on at Glenmore.
I need to be up in the high 80's, the low 90s, and then I'll
know I'm close to the 100 mile of the backyard, gold space.
Just and after thought, my first backyard attained out an 8.
My backyard this year attained out in five.
But you say if I don't get any double figures, it goes.
It's just know the format. For me, it's the time is killing
me and that's just the way it is.
Some people can get around in 50 minutes like Mike around in 45
and sleep for 15 and then just keep going.
Other people can't. Some people are great at 10 KS
and half marathons, marathons. Some people can start running
ultras and just run forever. But there's no a lot of people
can do both, you know. But when I watch the backyard
ultras, you know, I was watching the Belgium team this year at
the World Championships, even all the runners, even seeing a
Perry, you guys in the British team, just crazy, absolutely
crazy. Conker's mind blowing, you know,
so that that's a special kind of runner that they can do and pay
my distance. So for me it might just have to
be the distance and we'll try and get there, the 100 Miller
and and the 24 hours. So that could be the next time I
appear. Yeah, rather than 262728 maybe
before I pick up my bus pass. But other than it being
negative, I think that's you being realistic.
So getting a target that is realistic to you that you can
achieve. So that'll because if you can't
achieve it then then it is negative because you can't,
you'll never get to it. And there's no point.
There's no point continuing to do it and putting myself through
it. You know, I've spoken to make a
lot about the backyard, the mentality you need.
And you know, a big thing that that makes this hammered home to
me is when you come to run a backyard, no, no kind of
distance targets and or lap targets.
You know, if you get into the main set where you're like,
right, I'm only going to do 10 and I'm only going to do 12 and
I'm only going to do this. And I can't remember who
mentioned that. Maybe Kelly mentioned it as
well. I get like that as well when I'm
running. If I'm not only going out to run
for say 4 miles or 8 miles, then that's all I'll go and run.
And when I get into 3 1/2, I get into 3 1/2, my body starts to
close down and I start to think about a cup of tea, a hot
shower, a bacon roll. But at the same time, if I have
to run 20 miles or 25 miles, I'll go and run that.
And when I get to when I get to 19 or 24 miles, then I start to,
to wind down. So that's one thing that I've
learned from me with the backyard to the distance, you
know, there's no markers there for you.
Because if you say to yourself, although I have said I'm just
contradicting myself, but I've said this year I need to get any
double figures. So I need to, I need to get to
12. I should be up at 1617.
I've tried twice. This is my third time.
So it's a different approach. But yeah, I'm, I'm hoping I can
go beyond that because, yeah, your mind and your body, if you
see a number and you get to that number, you know, your body
goes, I've got it. And then it just kind of, it
packs up and it's harder to get it going again.
So yeah, we'll give it. We'll give it one more crack and
we'll see how we go on. Top time lucky.
I thought time lucky. Would you be tempted by a track
race to get you 100? Yes and no.
I was going to, I came down Jordan Cassidy just done the the
100 mile thing there as well. It was the one down in England.
Yeah, it's back to 100 time. Hours.
Yeah, I think he's died because it's done when he changed the
clocks. I think he's done the Berlin one
as well possibly, but I'd rather, I'd rather do it on a
trail. I'm not saying it one of them's
harder or easier because they both bring I think a track, an
800 meter track. I think it was like 400 laps or
something, you know, I think that could bring its own mental
issues. You know, I think I'd, I'd
prefer to do it on the trails. I think I don't want to thingy
diminish anybody that's done one or the other.
I haven't been on a track, I've been on the trails.
I just think for me, I would have a better sense of
achievement if I'd done it over the trails and managed to get it
at Glenmore or one of the the backyards.
A track would be hard as well though.
But no, I think I'd I'd prefer to to do it on the trails.
You're going to get me any trouble, Mike.
I don't think I could do it. It looks psychologically, it
looks so, so hard, which is why I can understand it's a Mark
Cobain event. I so I, I did do the Anglo
Celtic plate earlier this year and the North engine Perth.
So that was bad enough. I do a lot of training runs
there, but that's a mile and a half and it was only 2122 loops
so that was OK. But there's no place to hide.
And I'm guessing that would be the same as track 100.
There's no place to hide. And you know yourself, if you're
doing a trail ultra, you can hide up in the hills or you can
hide in the woods. You know you can walk the hills
and recover then bomb the downs. That's what you're meant to do
anyway. But when you're on a track or
when you're in the north edge, it's just non-stop.
You know, there's no way and you're just going round and
round and round and round. I don't know if they change
direction, but there's all sorts of hip problems, knee problems,
ankle problems, boredom. 1 1/2 miles is bad enough.
I I just couldn't begin to imagine 800 meters, like 400
laps. You've been a bit generous.
There's 4400 meter track normally. 400 meters, Yeah.
Is that right? OK.
Oh yeah, probably not. You need to be you need to be
crazy to get involved in that one, eh all.
Right. Last question from me, if
somebody's got a race coming up in say two weeks time, what
would your response be on social media if they said what's the
weather going to be like in two weeks time?
I've got my little meme when this crystal ball, there'd be a
few a few sweaties. I'd probably tell them, no, you
worry about it. I used to worry a lot about the
weather and and stuff and just whatever.
But both Fiona and Steve and Steven Watt.
I'm John Cassidy. I remember him speaking about
when he went to the Manchester Marathon a few years ago.
I think his number then turn off, but he's lost his number,
you know, and he was up to high door and stuff like that,
weather and stuff, you know? Now me, because I'm obviously I
like to be fidgeting about the stuff, but I don't worry about
stuff I have no control over now.
Yeah, You know, if it's hot, it's sunny, it's hot and sunny.
If it's cold, wet and windy, it's cold, wet and windy.
You know, you train in all weather.
If you get up, you're looking for nice conditions, you know,
you want a nice run. I'd rather run than pleasant
conditions than it being roasted in hot or freezing cold, blowing
a hooley, you know. But you know, as well as turn up
to your race in two weeks and freak out because of the
weather. You know you can't control that.
Just focus on the stuff that you can control.
You know you're trained in it. You're OK.
You've got your shoes. I'd have my waterproof socks on
a lot of people. Then they're likely talking
about my waterproof socks. You know, you'd have your
thought depending if it was hot or cold, you'd have a waterproof
jacket. Maybe you wouldn't because she
sweat inside them as well. Depending on what race it was.
10K, half marathon. If it's wet and windy, key shirt
and shorts and just crack on. You know you're going to get wet
anyway. You're going to stay warm and
that's it really. I don't don't worry about stuff
you have no control over because I'll just kind of drain you and
just focus on what you can control and just, you know, get
to the start line and just believe and your training and
what you've been doing and just crack on and and then enjoy your
race. That's what I would say it's.
Fantastic advice, thank you. Yeah.
Well, I think we're going to wrap it up there.
And from me, I just say thank you, Wendy for being
entertaining. You were gentle on the the
squaring. I I love you and thank you Nikki
for being Nikki. Thank you.
Goodbye. Everybody.
OK. Thanks a lot guys.