1 00:00:21,460 --> 00:00:26,340 Hello and welcome to a special episode of Run Till You're Done 2 00:00:26,340 --> 00:00:29,660 with myself, Nikki Sheridan and Mike Raffan. 3 00:00:30,180 --> 00:00:34,620 This episode we have no guests. We are just going to be talking 4 00:00:34,980 --> 00:00:39,680 about the West Highland Way race and the roles within it, Mike's 5 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:44,120 upcoming Highlander Backyard Ultra and my flame training. 6 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,040 How you doing, Mike? I'm pretty good just to say to 7 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,960 everybody, this is the first time we've done this. 8 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,880 I am not 100% convinced that people want to hear about us, 9 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:01,200 but if it works and you like it, please give us feedback because 10 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:03,920 the only way we know is if you talk to us. 11 00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:09,800 Absolutely, and we do get great feedback on all of the episodes. 12 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,240 Whenever Mike and I are at events, it's really nice that 13 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,200 people come up and say they're enjoying the podcast, so thank 14 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,360 you very much for that. We'll just jump right and make 15 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,480 and West Highland Way race. What were you doing at? 16 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:30,600 At the start I was wondering about in the car park, like a 17 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:35,960 lot of people, they were getting ready for the race. 18 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,640 I was getting ready to go and get some sleep. 19 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,520 Lucky you. I think I was that excited that 20 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:52,160 definitely there was no way I was sleeping until it was a 21 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,320 while before the tiredness kicked in for myself. 22 00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:00,520 I was there crewing Stevie McKenna and had committed to the 23 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,760 entire weekend. I think everybody and the 24 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,759 running circles knew how excited I was about this event, but it 25 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:10,680 was good to see you at registration. 26 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,080 And then just walking into the registration hall, meeting 27 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,000 Sandra for the first time and getting a big hug from her. 28 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,320 Sandra Beatty, who is she's brilliant on the West Highland 29 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:26,080 Way Socials account. And I got quite starstruck when 30 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,080 I seen Jarliff McKenna in a high vis vest. 31 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,800 That was quite cool. Well, Speaking of Jarlath, one 32 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,400 one of our Jarlath said previous guest and the winner of the West 33 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:44,840 Island way of the female race was Rebecca Horman, who is our 34 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:53,960 just our last guest. So I helped Rebecca set up her 35 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,840 her timing, give her some motivation. 36 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,760 I I had the key role. Don't let her tell you 37 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:06,320 otherwise. And she clearly so, yeah. 38 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:12,560 I anything that I've done for her, I enjoyed doing it. 39 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,960 I can see that she was committed. 40 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,840 She was, she was there to win, even if she didn't know it. 41 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:27,000 So I, I like to think that I can identify talent and she's got 42 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,040 it. So I, I was happy to help her. 43 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,440 So I came down, met her, met yourself. 44 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:39,160 I wandered around and Jarleth, who was, as you said, on 45 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,080 registration, was also in her crew. 46 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,640 And that was really, really nice because as, as we've found out 47 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,160 from the last episode that as I found out, you probably would 48 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,920 have known beforehand that Rebecca had a bit of a struggle 49 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,440 with her crew. And as if, you know, the West 50 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,400 Highland way race, the it's mandatory to have two crew. 51 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:03,560 So that was really, really good that he stepped up and was just 52 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:08,320 willing to help out. Yeah, I think as part of the the 53 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,960 ethos of that race and a lot of races are the same as people are 54 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:17,240 there to help each other. So it's great for him to do 55 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,360 that. And that's what I love about 56 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,360 that side of the London as, as you're saying, the ethos. 57 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,600 I think road running because the events seem to be road running 58 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:28,480 in general. The longest event I feel as 59 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:33,000 marathon, is it not? That are 100K. 60 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:41,120 I've done 253 mile more or less road race from the north of 61 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:45,160 Wales to South of Wales. So no, it's that's what, 10 62 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,760 marathons? And that sounds absolutely 63 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:50,800 disgusting. Was that a conveying event 64 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,960 perchance? Well, I'll let you guess that 65 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:59,800 one. So did you manage to get a sleep 66 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,400 on the Friday night once you had left the finish line, even 67 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:04,760 though you said you weren't staying? 68 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:07,160 You ended up staying to see them all off. 69 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,040 I didn't leave the finish line, I left the start line. 70 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,680 Start line of. Course The race started at 1:00 71 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:23,640 AM then I drove up to Quinlarich and stayed there and got a 72 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:29,960 possibly 3 or 4 hours sleep. Woke up and went to see George 73 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:35,680 Reed and Karen and Robin Womble etcetera at the Octo Tire 74 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:40,920 checkpoint. So I waited around there until 75 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:47,120 the 1st 1st 2 runners I think it was came through and I I know 76 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:54,640 from experience when they come through that's my queue to go up 77 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,280 to Bridge of Orky around Victoria Bridge. 78 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,720 Start walking up the hill. Once I'm up the hill they are 79 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:07,040 Jelly baby hill that is get everything set up and I'll be 80 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:08,920 ready for the the first runner coming through. 81 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,080 Oh. Well, that sounds cool. 82 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,720 And then does it take a lot to because you've got a tent up 83 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:19,600 there and all those Jelly babies does it is it is the pack heavy? 84 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,480 Does it take you long to get up to that bat? 85 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,920 It's just over a mile and uphill. 86 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:29,760 They I've got a big tent and this year one of my tent pole 87 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:34,880 snapped, so I had to do the. The last few runners may have 88 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,000 seen that there wasn't a tent there because I had an emergency 89 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:44,560 take the tent down and do my baby Jelly baby hill job at the 90 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,160 same time. But I think I managed to cope. 91 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:55,520 I usually take about 7 packets of Jelly babies and for all you 92 00:06:55,600 --> 00:07:01,200 support crew out there that have not earned a Jelly baby, some of 93 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,040 them are really demanding and they they think that they can 94 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,160 get it. For your reference, that Jelly 95 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,520 baby, I've just paid for it in my pocket. 96 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:14,320 The race does not pay for it, so the the runners, they earn it. 97 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,480 So I'm happy to give them one. But support crew, unless you're 98 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:19,600 nice to me, you're not getting one. 99 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:24,440 I think get 1 and I was support crew but I had only started my 100 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,960 leg at bridge of OK so there was no way I was even asking for. 101 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,720 But with weather wise you'd really lucked out on it. 102 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:34,960 How did that compare to previous years? 103 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,240 Was it the best year weather wise you had? 104 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,560 I think it was, yeah, it's pretty good. 105 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:46,120 There was a little bit of wind. Everybody down at the bottom was 106 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,040 saying it was absolutely rushed and I didn't get that. 107 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,360 I don't know why, because you got the same cloud. 108 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,520 It just seemed to be clouded over the whole time, but warm. 109 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:01,800 So I was not uncomfortable, not too hot, not too cold, wasn't 110 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:07,240 too windy and no midges. So I was keeping there was there 111 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:13,560 was some biting Cleggs, but not not that many. 112 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,000 It was. It was probably one of the tamer 113 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,560 years. Well, that's good because down 114 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:24,160 at Balmaha and River Denon they were pretty bad at that point. 115 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,040 I don't think there was many runners hanging about at those 116 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,520 checkpoints for that reason. With the mid G's, I mean, with 117 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:35,000 us, we, myself and Karen, Stevie's other crew, one of the 118 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,520 six of us were there over the weekend. 119 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:42,320 She and I had like mudgy spray, mudgy Nets, everything, you 120 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:46,440 know, that you could do. But again, we didn't hang about 121 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,080 outside too long. We just waited in the car and 122 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:52,520 then got Stevie's role until he's gone. 123 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,080 And sausage. We headed up to the river then 124 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:58,520 and once we'd seen that he was OK, gave him his bits and bobs 125 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:01,640 and fell asleep in the car and I almost missed him. 126 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:06,640 Like the good crew member that you do, because by that point, 127 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,120 as somebody as high as a kid, the way I was at the start line, 128 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,320 I'm going to crash at some point so. 129 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:19,720 Like a toddler with being filled with sugar and then suddenly go 130 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,800 to your bed, Nikki. I don't even need one then. 131 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:28,080 And I'm just I've got Karen and said I've got myself into such a 132 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,280 conflict. I must have just adapted in the 133 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:34,240 car to such a good position in the dry robe and just cosied up. 134 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,320 And the next thing I've shot my eyes and I was in a really nice 135 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:42,640 rest and the next thing I heard was Stevie and said an expletive 136 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,920 and got up and out the car. I was like where is he and 137 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:48,280 thankfully we hadn't missed them. 138 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:49,920 He was just walking up to the car. 139 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,160 So thank God we didn't gave him his role. 140 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,360 Sorted them out, socks and everything like that and managed 141 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:01,160 to get them sorted out and headed on our way up to and 142 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:06,240 managed to acquire a runner that had sadly DNF. 143 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:11,520 They had real bad stomach issues so we'd offered to take them up 144 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:15,920 to Tain Drum because that's where they were meeting the crew 145 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:17,800 and we were heading up there anyway. 146 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:22,120 So as per the ethos of the race, we're not going to say no. 147 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,760 We're not taking your phone there anyway and Trap couldn't 148 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:29,920 have been more thankful. But there was a lot of DNFS this 149 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,720 year, wasn't there? I think it's just there's so hot 150 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,200 to begin with. It was, it was hot at the start. 151 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,440 It was hotter than most days at 1:00 in the morning. 152 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:46,320 So it was, I'm not surprised. I don't know whether dehydration 153 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:51,160 or just heat. It was just, no, I, I I was 154 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:53,880 standing about at the top of the jail, baby hill. 155 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:58,520 And I wish it was hotter than it was, even though it wasn't cold. 156 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,360 Yeah, just comfortable. So. 157 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:06,920 But for it being, for it being my first crew in my first entire 158 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:11,680 weekend on the West Highland where I absolutely loved it, I 159 00:11:11,680 --> 00:11:17,360 just, I can't wait to go again next year and see what happens 160 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:20,080 and. The fact that you're wanting to 161 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:25,040 go back says it all. So, but part of the if you're 162 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:27,360 wanting to do the West Island way, and I don't mean you, I 163 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:31,320 mean everybody out there, get involved, get be part of some of 164 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,840 the support crew because you get the experience of knowing it 165 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:37,400 from that side. Oh, definitely. 166 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,280 When I volunteered at flying for the first time last year when it 167 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:46,200 was in the April, honestly. And from me starting running and 168 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,720 doing volunteering things like I've volunteered a park run a 169 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,440 couple of times, I've not done, I hadn't done any huge 170 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,400 volunteering roles. That was my first big one. 171 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:01,840 But that in all honesty, was one of the best weekends that I've 172 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:06,320 ever had running and I didn't even run and I was exhausted at 173 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,760 the end of it that day. That weekend, myself and Lee 174 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:13,040 Campbell, we'd actually planned, Lee was volunteering as well and 175 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:17,320 we were staying by the way, that evening. 176 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,680 So the Sunday morning the plan was going to be because I was 177 00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:24,560 doing the devil to do an out and back to Bridge of all came back 178 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:27,640 again as a long run. No way that happened. 179 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:33,400 We were absolutely knackered the next day but it promised me. 180 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,400 It got me really excited for The Devil because it was the same 181 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:40,400 team or similar, same race director and organisers. 182 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:44,880 But it just gave me a feel for the event and I couldn't wait to 183 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,920 be involved either way through the running of volunteer and 184 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:50,360 either way I was going to be there. 185 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:55,160 But subsequently I've entered and have that coming up in 186 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,640 September when the dates have changed. 187 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:06,760 So you said that you were Robert Dennen. 188 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:08,880 There was lots of midges. Bamaha. 189 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,360 There was lots of midges after tire. 190 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:14,320 Where did you say you almost missed them? 191 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:16,920 Robert Dennen? Robert Dennen. 192 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:22,760 So you get sleep after that as you drove all the way round to 193 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:28,400 wait wait time drum. Yeah, that actually didn't. 194 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:33,080 That was one thing I had learned over the weekend because I don't 195 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,640 know why, but I was so like I've had a really nice sleep after 196 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:41,400 hour then and the by the time I was like even like nodding off 197 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,720 on the way up there. But as it turned out, sadly, A 198 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:50,120 tanker had went off the road on a 2 And straight away that put 199 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,640 us on high alert because I was on the social pages everything 200 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:55,280 because we were on my way up there. 201 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,480 And it's thinking as that's another repeat of what happened 202 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,480 at Glencoe last year, are we going to get diverted? 203 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:08,000 Thankfully the driver came out unscathed but and the road was 204 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:11,040 open. But having news like that, it's 205 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:14,400 like, oh, and then just like for the whole rest of the day, it 206 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,120 was just, it was kind of like sitting waiting for Stevie. 207 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,320 And I don't know why I didn't take the opportunity to go back 208 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,200 and have a sleep, which I really should have done. 209 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,160 I think it's because I didn't really want to leave Karen on 210 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:30,560 their own as well because it was just the two of us at that 211 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:34,400 point. And then Donna, Gemma, Stu and 212 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:39,040 Sketch all joined us later on, who was the rest of Stevie's 213 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:40,800 crew. So it was. 214 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:47,320 Yeah, it was good. So you left Doctor Tyre? 215 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,280 How many? I think it's only two. 216 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,520 No, it's one car. That's the thing at Oxford Tyre, 217 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,240 isn't it? It's one car at Octa Tyre, so 218 00:14:56,240 --> 00:15:01,000 the plan for us. Stevie had a really good as a 219 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,440 crew and a team. We did have a good plan. 220 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:11,440 So Stu was running from Octotyre to Tandrum and Sketch was 221 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:15,680 running from Octotyre to Fort William, which was Sketch's 222 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:19,400 longest ever run, which was absolutely phenomenal in the end 223 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,960 up. And then myself, Donna, and 224 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:27,040 Gemma all headed up to Bridge of Orky while Karen took Sketch and 225 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,600 Stu to Octotyre, if that makes sense. 226 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:34,200 And then Karen headed back up to Tainedrum to pick Stu up. 227 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:38,600 And the plan there was. They met us at Bridge of Orkie. 228 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:44,080 And then once we'd left Bridge of Orkie, myself, Karen, no, not 229 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:50,120 Karen, myself, Gemma and Sketch, we all headed up to Glencoe and 230 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:55,280 Karen and Stu did in the car. I'm sure that made perfect sense 231 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:58,840 to every listener out there, but to me it was just a load of 232 00:15:58,840 --> 00:15:59,440 words. So. 233 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,160 Oh, I'm so. Sorry. 234 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,080 No, I'm I'm sure you had the plan and to. 235 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,320 Achieve put it this way, the plan worked, we all had were 236 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:14,160 roles and it it walked out really really well. 237 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:19,400 Yeah, as long as you knew what you were doing and that as it 238 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:23,720 counts, being there for Stevie. So I. 239 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:25,840 Was yeah. And that's what it's about. 240 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,680 I was really worried about support running Stevie because 241 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:33,320 he had had such a phenomenal training block that he was PB in 242 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,680 a 50K weeks out before this event. 243 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:40,440 And I did think to myself, I'm going to be slowing this guy 244 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:42,200 down. And I was really, really 245 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,040 worried. And everybody told me like all 246 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,880 the experienced West Highland Way runners crews, like he's got 247 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,360 60 miles in his legs. There's no way. 248 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:55,040 But it's slowing down. And I'm thinking, I don't know. 249 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,760 Because then I had in my mind drop Sinclair and I'm like, 250 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:07,240 well, Rob, negative splat. Well, I somebody who I when I 251 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:14,200 was at the finish, I ran to Braveheart and as I say, run 252 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:18,760 back with them. I MM Gennetta from my running 253 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:23,359 club. I abused them to get back, get 254 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:25,520 move on. He, he was getting a bit slow at 255 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:31,120 the point. We, we got to next to the, the 256 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:35,040 train station in Fort William. So you, you probably got 400 257 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:36,520 meters to go. Yeah. 258 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,200 And I told them he would go and overtake the person in front of 259 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,120 him. He he was doing 6 minute miles. 260 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,640 That's brilliant. He had 95 miles in his legs. 261 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:52,560 He couldn't move once. He once he had a reason because 262 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,080 he could finish, he could just crawl to the finish and finish. 263 00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:02,640 Once he has some of the A target to go for he there's a mentality 264 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:06,520 changed and it was just six minute miles to the finish. 265 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,240 And did Mike have? Was he blessed with the storm on 266 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,800 the hills as well? Oh, he was, yes. 267 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:20,920 So I'm not sure he had the same enthusiasm about it as you guys 268 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,080 did, which I'm sure you'll you'll talk about. 269 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:29,120 Well, sketch that. Send us a video of how far away 270 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:33,440 away and Donna shouts 9 kilometres and sketch then ends 271 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,920 the video saying we're all going to die, which I think Stevie 272 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:39,920 took literally because it's thundering and lightning and 273 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,760 pouring on these hills and Stevie speed up. 274 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,600 But it turned out that Donna was quite competitive as well 275 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,440 because after they'd left, I think it was Lindavra. 276 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,400 I'm sure one of them will correct me. 277 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,600 I may have even been Ken Luck leaving or something. 278 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,720 Probably Ken Luck leaving. Donald looked behind and seen 9 279 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,520 head torches and she said to Stevie. 280 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:03,840 We're not letting them overtake us. 281 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,960 Quite right? Which Stevie was saying. 282 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,360 I'm just here to finish. She's like, no, you're not, 283 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:16,200 we're going to move which? He was there to finish, but it's 284 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,640 not just about him, it's about the whole crew. 285 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:22,320 Yeah, so. They they had their motives so. 286 00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:27,920 But they the everybody in our support team and the crew had 287 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,920 the role as I'm sure with everybody on that start lines, 288 00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:35,960 Cruz, everybody. You know, if it's one thing that 289 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:40,640 I did learn from Stevie and that weekend, the crew is so, so 290 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:45,360 important even for mindset. I got the chance, obviously to 291 00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:49,400 run from Bridge of Orchid to Glencoe and running with Sketch 292 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:53,800 even who it was the first time I've met him, he's he was a 293 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,400 phenomenal runner. I don't think he's actually 294 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:00,400 taking part in to if he has taken part in any ultras, I 295 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,280 don't I'm not aware of them, but I don't think he has sketched 296 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:08,360 those other sports. But man, that guy is fat and he 297 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:12,240 was just bouncing along that Anak Murray, even keeping me 298 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:17,560 going because the way we worked it when we were running, because 299 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:21,400 there was four of us, including Stevie, we would take tons 300 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,760 about. To talk to Stevie. 301 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:29,200 So a couple of us would run ahead pacing as such and one 302 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:33,320 would kind of go back and chat to Stevie and run with Stevie. 303 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,680 But we were keeping on going and just do it on a rotation and 304 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:40,920 that works really, really well. So if anybody is considering 305 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:45,160 doing this in the future, although to as the mandatory 306 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,920 number, I would definitely recommend having more than that 307 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:54,000 because if you have crew members that have life events and have 308 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,960 to drop out at the last minute, you're not completely stuck. 309 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:06,800 Yeah, I think it it depends on the person because my first West 310 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:11,720 Island way I had people join me and people who I wasn't 311 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:15,280 expecting join me. And at one point I think I, I 312 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:20,440 had three or four runners and it was great having them there and 313 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:28,320 I, I outrun some of them. So that was, that was one thing. 314 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:34,760 But the following, I think my goal that year was to finish 315 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:40,240 within the, the day or the, the 24 hours. 316 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:46,160 And I, I think it was 23 1/2 hours. 317 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:50,280 I finished the first one, but that I was allowed support crew. 318 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:56,480 The next year I said to myself that I wasn't having running 319 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:03,000 crew and my crew was made-up of people that could come and run 320 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,880 and get me. That that was the requirement of 321 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:07,880 the the race. They came and get me. 322 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:12,520 But even if I was going slow, I was doing this on my own steam. 323 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:17,520 I was doing it for me, so they had their role to play, but that 324 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:21,240 was driving the car, feeding me, keeping me going at the 325 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:25,440 checkpoints. But I wanted to do the the race, 326 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:27,360 do the running part on my own steam. 327 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:31,040 So it just depends what you're wanting at that time. 328 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:33,840 Yeah. And I think if you're at the 329 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:39,320 shop, it ends sub 24 river. And I think, you know, as you 330 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:43,240 say, it depends on the person. I was aware of her Honor that 331 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:48,200 was going for sub 24 hours. And they did have running crew 332 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,760 as Pacers with them, which I think really helped them because 333 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:57,560 by the time he had got to Brad Javarki, he wanted to sit down. 334 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,600 And his crew member, who is a good friend of mine, said, why 335 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:03,800 do you want to sit down? And he says, because I'm tired. 336 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,680 He's like, yeah, you're tired. You've ran 60 miles, now get up 337 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:11,080 and get out of the check pocket, which I found quite harsh. 338 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,520 But upon speaking to the other crew members, I was like, no, 339 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,160 there was a tactic in that. We were just being mean. 340 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,280 And it's like, right, OK, well, if you've got a set goal, then 341 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:23,520 fair enough. I completely appreciate that. 342 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:28,840 Yeah, there was one female that came past Jelly Baby Hill and 343 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:34,160 she must have been on for about 28 to 30 hours and she was on 344 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:35,880 her own. She didn't have any crew or 345 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,160 anything like that. And I actually told her that it 346 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:42,600 was quite refreshing to see somebody doing it on their own 347 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,640 steam. It's like there there is a place 348 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:50,040 for having a crew to help you, but she was doing it on her own 349 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,560 merit. Yeah, definitely. 350 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,480 So I think it just depends as you say on the person. 351 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,240 If it was me, I will people with me. 352 00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:06,920 That's 'cause you like to talk. What gives that so we've if we 353 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:10,920 move on from West Highland Way, the two of us have since been on 354 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:16,080 holiday, hence recording this episode tonight and we can we 355 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,400 move on to your upcoming event next weekend. 356 00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:23,120 Yeah, but some of us were on holiday. 357 00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:26,880 Some of us were racing, just not running. 358 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:32,320 So what did you get up to on your holiday hike? 359 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:36,880 I was taking part in the World Skiffy, which is a type of 360 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,280 rowing boat championship in Stranraer. 361 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:44,160 The the exotic climes of Stranraer because the it's been 362 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:48,120 held in Holland, Ireland and various other places and I get 363 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:51,720 to go to it when it's in Stranraer in Scotland. 364 00:24:52,240 --> 00:25:00,480 So, but it was 29° we I had four races to take part in, three for 365 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:05,520 my club and one other club was short a person for a certain 366 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,160 race. So I I took part in that because 367 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:10,800 the, the type of ruin that we do, it's all about sort of 368 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:13,560 community. You help each other out just 369 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,520 like what we're talking about with the we're running. 370 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,920 Yeah. So if if they needed a an extra 371 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,280 roar, I was happy to do it because it meant that I got the 372 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,600 row so. And that's quite a cool fact 373 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,400 about you because I'm sure that quite a lot of people don't even 374 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,960 know that, you know, like anybody that sends into this 375 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,560 podcast a bit and obviously run until you're done, you know, 376 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:39,520 they don't realise you do that as well, which is pretty cool. 377 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:46,880 So that I would say it's taken away from my training, is 378 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,720 running for the last however long, but it hasn't, it's cross 379 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:54,200 training, it just adds to it. Yeah, absolutely. 380 00:25:54,400 --> 00:26:00,760 Not as much as when you had to go for an air operation during 381 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:03,840 this block as well. Which how long did that take you 382 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:07,600 out for? Well, going going back even 383 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:15,720 further, last October I took part in the World backyard team 384 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:23,080 event and I had to stop after 133 miles because I, I, I 385 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:27,600 thought my quad was hurting but it turns out that my Achilles 386 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:31,800 was hurting and I was compensating by going to the 387 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:36,400 other side and the pain was just deferred. 388 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:43,400 So I, I stopped to prevent me causing permanent damage and I'm 389 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,560 glad I did. I made the right choice because 390 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:53,720 I had been sore in my Achilles pretty much every day for the 391 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,800 last eight months. Yes, it's getting better now. 392 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:01,840 I can manage it. It doesn't hurt when it runs, so 393 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,320 that's OK. And did you go and see? 394 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,440 Imagine you went to see a physio and they would have gave you 395 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:12,640 exercises to be good. Yeah, I've been to see physio at 396 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:17,080 least eight times and yeah, it it does help. 397 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,040 But as I said, the taught me how to manage it. 398 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:24,360 I wouldn't say it's fixed, but it's manageable. 399 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:30,840 So, well, that's good, but. Yeah, and then I just said the I 400 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:36,560 burst my eardrum in February, I think it was, and went to see 401 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,440 the doctor and told them to. It's not the first time I've 402 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,360 done it. I just wanted it fixed. 403 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:51,120 I keep getting hearing problems. My left ear I've I think it's 404 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,600 possibly since birth, definitely since I was a teenager. 405 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:59,040 I it comes and goes. I can't hear properly in my left 406 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,520 ear. I put up with it. 407 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:08,760 I think I my my hearing's fine in the right ear and I 408 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,560 compensate for it so I don't notice it as much. 409 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:17,000 But it's when I told the doctor this time just get sorted out. 410 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:22,120 I'm fed up of it coming back. They did an MRI scan and I had a 411 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,320 clue stoma, which for those that don't know, because I didn't 412 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:30,000 know, is the only stoma that isn't cancerous. 413 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:35,640 So it was a growth on the inside of my eardrum, but it wasn't 414 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,160 cancer. So thumbs up for that. 415 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:46,720 So I two or three months ago, no two months ago, I had a 416 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:50,880 operation. They basically cut my ear off, 417 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:57,640 drains the extra fluid, cut out the extra skin growth. 418 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:02,480 It was damaging the mastoid bone and they stopped it. 419 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:08,480 Hopefully ever since then my I wake up every morning and my ear 420 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:13,480 is leaking brown gunk. Whether that's blood or ear wax 421 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:21,120 or whatever it is, it happens. My hearing isn't isn't back to, 422 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:25,520 it's not 100%. It's I think it's better than it 423 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:31,880 was, but only ever so slightly. But when I wear bone conductive 424 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:38,520 headphones, my hearing is fine. So the actual mechanical part of 425 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:41,760 your ear works. It's just the sound doesn't get 426 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,360 into me here. So yeah, that's taken me out of 427 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:48,080 training for a while. I I. 428 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:51,720 And what the listeners are dying to know as the busting of the 429 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:54,920 eardrum is February has nothing to do with me joining this 430 00:29:54,920 --> 00:30:00,080 podcast, is it? I can't confirm or deny that, 431 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:08,600 but yeah, that's, that's how my training's been going. 432 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,360 Achilles problems, hearing problems. 433 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:21,600 I would say that my training, it's not as good as it was for 434 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:28,520 the October race, but that was probably I was in the best shape 435 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:34,960 I've ever been in my life. It is as good as it's been for 436 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:40,080 previous races which I've won. So I'm not. 437 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,280 I think I'm in a big, pretty good place. 438 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:47,440 And that's all you can ask for because aside from when you've 439 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,640 been recovering from those things, you haven't actually 440 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,440 stopped Like you did take a rest and you did tell me that you'd 441 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:59,640 bust your 10,000 step streak that you'd had for however long, 442 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,280 which must have been really frustrating. 443 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,720 But you've still been doing something, whether it be 444 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:09,120 strength training or. Yeah, well, it's let me 445 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:12,680 concentrate on the rowing. So yeah, it's you got to do 446 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,400 something. And that has surely got to have 447 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:19,000 a benefit as well with your core strength and upper body which 448 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:20,960 can it can only help with the running. 449 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,520 Yeah, I, I, I think everything complements it. 450 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:28,400 So that's as I say, I, I'm in a comfortable place. 451 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:36,080 But yes, the, the race coming up next weekend, Yep, is Highlander 452 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:40,560 and I have been selected for the Scotland squad. 453 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:44,880 I am the team captain, we don't normally have one, but because 454 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:50,400 the team manager is the race director, he's not going to have 455 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:54,440 time to deal with everything. So the people in the team, if 456 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,040 they've got any questions that come to me, I've been in the 457 00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:00,120 team before, I know what it's about. 458 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:07,040 So yeah, if go Scotland the best. 459 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:11,760 And Team Scotland, what a what a strong team it is this year. 460 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:15,520 Yeah, for for those that don't know, it is part of the Four 461 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:21,160 Nations Championship, which is teams of 10 from Scotland, 462 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:25,800 England, Ireland and Wales. I have been lucky enough to be 463 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:30,280 selected five times previously and we have not won the 464 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:34,560 championship, unfortunately. Is that me? 465 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:37,720 I don't know. No, it's not but. 466 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:40,760 They not won last year as well though and you weren't on the 467 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:42,840 team. They won it when I was not in 468 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:47,560 the team so this year they have got to work extra hard and win 469 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,680 it for me, if not for themselves, if not for Scotland. 470 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:54,200 And as part of Team Scotland, for people that don't know, is 471 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:57,960 there anyone on the team from last year rejoining again? 472 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:09,200 Ross Beveridge is. I'm not sure who else was in the 473 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,200 team last year. Right. 474 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:15,000 So I can't, I know who's in it this year, but I don't know who 475 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,320 was in it last year. So I'm not not 100% sure. 476 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:22,600 I think anyone that springs to mind for me that I would know 477 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:24,440 through speaking to. I don't. 478 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:27,680 I'm not aware of people that were on the team last year 479 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,160 either. We could be wrong, but yeah. 480 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:34,600 Well, what happened last year is it was supposed to be a race in 481 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:37,240 April, March time and I was going to be in. 482 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:42,280 It had been selected for the team but the there was flash 483 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:46,320 flooding and the race got postponed until I think 484 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:51,280 September, which was too close to the team championship in 485 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,640 October. So a lot of the people like 486 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:59,840 myself, the Bethune's and I'm not sure who else was selected. 487 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:05,200 Was Karen on that as well? I can't remember if Karen was 488 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,120 selected, but I'm not sure that she would have wanted to do 489 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:11,960 Cowshed because that's quite a rough course and she doesn't 490 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:15,040 like sort of rough terrain, right. 491 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:24,159 So, but anyway, the we decided to pull out of the team and let 492 00:34:24,159 --> 00:34:30,280 others go in because we had the, the world, the GB event, well 493 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:34,960 the GB team for the world event in October, so. 494 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:40,000 And with your competition, are you aware of anyone out with 495 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:44,480 Team Scotland that are going to give you all a decent number of 496 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:47,520 yards this year at Highlander? We don't need them. 497 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:52,120 Team Scotland are going to. We're going to have 10 runners 498 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:57,440 completing at least 40 yards. It doesn't matter what anybody 499 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,680 else is doing, we're all going to work together and we're going 500 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:03,160 to win. That's that's the speed up, 501 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:05,480 that's the way the Belgians do it, is it not? 502 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,280 Yeah, 1 mentality. We are a team and we're going to 503 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,040 stick to it. Yeah, I think that's that's a 504 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:13,840 great way. It's a great mindset to have and 505 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:18,120 you all keep each other going, like I'm going up to support for 506 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,760 a couple of yards minimum hopefully. 507 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:24,840 So I can't wait to see you all and I really hope that it's 508 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:27,000 going to be decent weather for you all as well. 509 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:30,520 I think it's going to be a hot 1. 510 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:35,000 Yeah. It's maybe not as hot as it is 511 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:38,160 right now. I'm sitting here and it is 28° 512 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:41,520 in my office. I've got 2 fans open, the doors 513 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:45,720 open, 2 windows open. It is roasted toasty. 514 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:50,200 If I, if I had a choice, I probably would be joining you on 515 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:52,560 the Sunday. But unfortunately, 516 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,400 unfortunately, fortunately for me, unfortunately for you guys, 517 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,240 I have run the Blades half marathon because Run the Blades 518 00:35:58,240 --> 00:36:07,920 weekend is next weekend as well. So how does that you're doing 519 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:10,760 that? Is that the start of your fling 520 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:12,840 training? No, no, no, no. 521 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:17,600 I've been flying, training for a wee while now I think tomorrow 522 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:22,360 in fact, I know tomorrow we are on week 12 mentally and for me 523 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:26,520 because at the start of the year there's a few people all know 524 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,320 that follow me. I've changed jobs and was in the 525 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:34,920 middle of doing the module at uni and the balance to try and 526 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:38,520 include the running as well as the family and all that. 527 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:42,080 It was really, really really difficult to the point that 528 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:48,080 March and April, I think April I had totalled 53 kilometres for 529 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:52,120 the entire month. March wasn't much better and I 530 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:56,640 looked at the stats and thought right once this essay is done 531 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,240 May that's it. I'm throwing myself back into it 532 00:37:00,240 --> 00:37:08,320 and managed to clock up 155 K for me and about 130 K for June. 533 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:14,000 So consistency has been really, really good apart from being in 534 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,360 Spain for like 10 days the last couple of weeks. 535 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:24,360 Spain when we landed two weeks ago today was 40°, so training 536 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:28,080 definitely had to be adapted. I had a couple of swims in the 537 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:32,000 pool where I could because it's a communal pool for the complex, 538 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:34,120 so I had to get up a bit earlier. 539 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:37,520 While I had to pull to myself, do a few laps up and down that. 540 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:42,040 I did manage a couple of runs. I managed an interval session 541 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:48,440 which then ended up like a coach to 5K so to speak, and ended up 542 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:50,240 pretty much walking and then jogging. 543 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:54,600 The jogging, the efforts because it was just too hot. 544 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:59,960 And then what I ended up doing as well for Spain was I included 545 00:37:59,960 --> 00:38:03,880 a lot of the walks that I would go from place to place and 546 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:06,000 managed to get quite a lot of walking done. 547 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:13,040 So I done what I could. Well, I, I guess heat training 548 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:18,120 because, well, the, the, the fling has now moved to dates, 549 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:23,920 but he used to be able to guarantee that that was going to 550 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,640 be a nice weekend because the fling's on, it's going to be 551 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:30,160 roasting hot. But maybe when it's moved, what 552 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:33,320 day is it moved to now? 20th of September, so the 553 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,640 weekend before September weekend, which I always think is 554 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:39,360 always roasting. We always seem to get a really 555 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:42,920 nice September weekend every year so we'll just wait and see 556 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:48,200 what happens as what it is. But yesterday I managed to get 557 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:52,520 out with a couple of friends and Recky, the notorious lock side, 558 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:55,480 that was that was fun. It was not. 559 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:58,560 I've heard a lot of stories about it and I was a bit anxious 560 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,480 about going on to it, but I really, really enjoyed that 561 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:05,080 section. See the scrambling and the just 562 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:08,680 there are runnable parts and that it's just you just have to 563 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,960 be really careful. So where where did you go from 564 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,560 we? Went from Ben Glass to 565 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:18,600 Inversnade and back again. So you didn't go past inversnade 566 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,920 or the the worst bit is about a mile after I went inversnade. 567 00:39:22,240 --> 00:39:25,680 So you you missed out. Am I afraid you'll just have to 568 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:30,120 go back and do it again? Well, I'm definitely doing from. 569 00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:34,400 I've got the bet just before River Denon to Recky and River 570 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:39,560 Denon to and that will have been me and just a tiny bit before 571 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,360 darkness. But aside from that, that will 572 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:46,320 have been me covered the entire West Highland Way and fling 573 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:49,160 route. So I'm really happy that I've 574 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:53,880 managed to do that and get Saints on the whole route 575 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:55,760 because I think that's half of the battle. 576 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:58,480 If you can go and wreck it, go and do it. 577 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:05,280 Of course. Well, I I think particularly 578 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:10,240 later on in the race, if you know what is coming then you 579 00:40:10,240 --> 00:40:13,080 know what to expect. Well, just before I went on 580 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:16,760 holiday I wrecked it from being glass to Tandrum and that took 581 00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:20,640 me by surprise because I did not expect that to be as hilly as 582 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:22,560 what it was. Yeah. 583 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:26,640 Like, I understand now, that's why the caller, a few people 584 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:28,560 have said, Oh no, that's the roller coaster part. 585 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:33,200 And I'm like, yeah, I get that now, but I'll just need to wait 586 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:36,360 and see how how we go on event day. 587 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:40,840 And having that in my mind, knowing the course and mentally 588 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:44,240 for me, I'm just going to keep trying to go down to Milguide 589 00:40:44,240 --> 00:40:47,760 train station and just keep running from there just for the 590 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:53,760 familiarity of it. Yeah, well, if you think about 591 00:40:53,760 --> 00:41:03,120 it, going through Mud Rock Park, Rob Sinclair was chatting to, I 592 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:07,480 think it was Lee Camp and they they got lost. 593 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:11,520 He ended up having to overtake the whole race. 594 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:17,000 And the one. And still won by a significant 595 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:20,080 margin. So if you can get through that 596 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:22,280 park without getting lost, you've got an advantage. 597 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:25,720 Oh, for sure. I just need, I just need Rob's 598 00:41:25,720 --> 00:41:27,400 legs. That would that would be 599 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,640 marvelous. You know, on that record as 600 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:32,400 well. Yesterday I did think to myself, 601 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:36,680 how did, like, I think everyone that's done the West Highland 602 00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:40,280 Way race and fling has said to themselves, how did he get that 603 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:44,720 course record navigating that? And upon speaking to his partner 604 00:41:44,720 --> 00:41:48,440 Joe, she's obviously been out with him multiple times. 605 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:53,760 She says it just skips rocks. Yeah, never seen anything like 606 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:55,920 it. No Fear, that's. 607 00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:00,840 Yeah, if I had that, I would definitely either snap an ankle 608 00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:03,000 or end up on the lock. One way or another. 609 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:05,760 I'd end up in a speedboat back on the A 82. 610 00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:11,080 Well, we don't want that. Absolutely not. 611 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:13,600 But it'll be, yeah, it'll be good. 612 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:15,880 I'm really looking forward to doing the event. 613 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:21,360 I'm still pretty terrified about doing it, but I do have a 614 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:26,920 strategy and my strategy for the day will be when I get to that 615 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:30,040 start line, I'm not going to taint room. 616 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:32,360 I'm going for a run to the Beech tree. 617 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:35,760 And then when I get to the Beech tree, I'm going for a run to 618 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:37,920 Drummond and I'm just going to keep doing that. 619 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:43,320 And I think I probably will segment my watch for that so 620 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:46,640 that I walk in kilometres. Obviously you're walking miles, 621 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:49,720 but it'll be however many K to the beach tree. 622 00:42:49,720 --> 00:42:52,160 It'll countdown on my watch. I go, all right, OK, that's 623 00:42:52,160 --> 00:42:53,600 good. That's that section done. 624 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:56,560 Yeah. The one thing I remember doing 625 00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:59,960 was not on the West sideway, on the space sideway, on the 626 00:42:59,960 --> 00:43:04,200 original space sideway before Kyle and that and Debbie took it 627 00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:10,040 over. It used to only be, Sarah said 628 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:13,960 that it was a 36 1/2 mile race, but it was never that 629 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:15,360 measurement. It always seemed to be. 630 00:43:15,720 --> 00:43:16,960 I think. I think it was slightly more 631 00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:20,960 than that. I can't remember, but I remember 632 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:24,680 you run a marathon and then after you did the marathon, it's 633 00:43:24,680 --> 00:43:27,200 10 miles to go. And that's what I used to do 634 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:30,080 every Friday without fail. That was that was. 635 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:31,960 So I just had a Friday run to do. 636 00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:35,920 Yeah, it was easy. You just did a Friday run, so 637 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:40,120 chunking it like that is it does break it down. 638 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:43,280 I think I'm going to need to have that because if I do have 639 00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:46,360 that main set on the start lane, I'm running stage room and it's 640 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:50,320 54 my I won't cope. It'll just be you. 641 00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:55,960 Just you have to do it because even now like speaking to people 642 00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:58,360 that don't run. I was having this chat with 643 00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:03,160 someone else the other day, people that obviously 10K is a 644 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:07,320 big distance, 5K is a big distance for even a mile for 645 00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:10,680 people that don't run like 54 miles. 646 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:14,040 It still blows my mind. Like I don't think I've quite 647 00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:17,840 normalized that yet. So obviously there's people out 648 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:20,360 there that oh, it's 54 miles, it'll be fine. 649 00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:25,000 But no, for me that's it's like, Oh my God, that's like too mad 650 00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:26,720 at things pretty much. Well. 651 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:29,040 Put it into perspective what you're just saying there. 652 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:31,640 The T-shirt that I'm wearing right now, and yes it is a 653 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:36,720 Copain events, it was for finishing the hill. 654 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:42,400 The race was 160 miles, but rather than 160 miles is too 655 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:44,840 much. So I was counting in double 656 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:47,880 marathons. How many double marathons have 657 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:50,400 you done? Do you remember the first event 658 00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:54,200 that you thought, Oh my God, that's a huge distance? 659 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:57,760 Because mine's obvious. It was like a marathon, 1/2 660 00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:00,520 marathon was huge. And then it was a marathon and 661 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:03,400 then the, I don't know, it spirals out of control, doesn't 662 00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:05,320 it? So when was do you remember 663 00:45:05,320 --> 00:45:07,720 thinking, Oh my God, that's a big distance? 664 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:15,680 I my first ultra was the D33, my second one was the Fling and I 665 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:22,240 remember going to Mugai car park and being not scared but 666 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:28,600 excited, nervous about it. I think that was at the time 667 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:31,200 that that was a big thing. I'd never done anything that big 668 00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:35,200 before. It was almost double the D33. 669 00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:39,000 It's not quite. And then, well, it is AA 670 00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:40,920 marathon. So that was what I'd done 671 00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:46,160 before. So yes, I think I was excited 672 00:45:46,160 --> 00:45:48,600 about it. Yeah, I think that's the way I 673 00:45:48,600 --> 00:45:51,400 feel for the flag as well, because definitely completing 674 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:54,160 the devil was a huge confidence booster. 675 00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:59,080 I mean, I think I think had I not completed the devil, I'll be 676 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:01,040 totally that wouldn't be doing this. 677 00:46:01,280 --> 00:46:05,640 There's no way. But no learning so much from the 678 00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:08,880 devil. And my race time was very much 679 00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:12,080 reflective of my mental state that day because it was 680 00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:15,920 shocking. I had an absolutely terrible 681 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:18,320 race like got asked. I don't know to this day how I 682 00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:23,360 finished that race, but I did. And that was me probably one of 683 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:28,320 my worst. So I'll just go into the event 684 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:32,960 and hope that I can feel well, have a better mindset, and just 685 00:46:33,240 --> 00:46:38,440 as I say, chunk up. Yeah, well, I the the Fling as 686 00:46:38,440 --> 00:46:42,840 well. I've been in that race and I 687 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:48,280 think it was some point after Balmaha and I was getting cramp. 688 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:51,360 There's various reasons why you get cramp. 689 00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:56,320 It's like a salt, dehydration, not moving the muscle enough, 690 00:46:57,040 --> 00:46:59,240 moving it too much, whatever it is. 691 00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:02,920 I, I have cramp. But rather than saying right, 692 00:47:02,920 --> 00:47:06,280 I'm going to give up, I just sort of changed the mindset and 693 00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:09,360 said I'm going to finish and I'm going to enjoy it. 694 00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:14,800 So I ended up like running along with somebody else who was, they 695 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:18,640 knew that they were slower than me and they were appreciative of 696 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:20,640 the company. I was appreciative if they were 697 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:25,240 pulling me along. So just sort of do what you need 698 00:47:25,240 --> 00:47:27,840 to do to get to the finish. Yeah, for sure. 699 00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:30,480 And I've said that to a lot of people have actually changed my 700 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:32,400 world into when I finish the fling. 701 00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:37,880 It's not if I finish and and that's not through arrogance and 702 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:42,160 the slightest, that's just I'm trying to be positive. 703 00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:44,800 So if I'm speaking to people in the future, I'll say when I 704 00:47:44,800 --> 00:47:48,360 finish flying, it's not like, Oh well, I'm not good, I'm going to 705 00:47:48,360 --> 00:47:50,040 finish. It's not that at all. 706 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:52,920 It's I need that in my head. Yeah, I know you're. 707 00:47:53,240 --> 00:47:55,440 Determined. Yeah, absolutely. 708 00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:59,600 And Bahuka, Bahuka, I will be getting and also back to myself 709 00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:03,640 because we had the opportunity to have the 5:00 start, which 710 00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:06,680 has caused a bit of conversation throughout the community, which 711 00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:09,120 is great because I love a debate. 712 00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:14,320 But, and it did say on the entry form if you completed the Devil 713 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:19,320 and 11 hours or longer, you are strongly advised to do this 5:00 714 00:48:19,320 --> 00:48:22,000 start time. My time for the devil was 12 715 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:25,800 hours and 20 minutes. So naturally I signed up to the 716 00:48:25,800 --> 00:48:30,240 6:00 start because I'm backing myself. 717 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:34,360 Yeah, well, you, you will have improved since you did the 718 00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:39,200 devil. So it's I can understand why you 719 00:48:39,960 --> 00:48:43,120 won't do that. And in a way, you're forcing 720 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:46,120 yourself to be better. Yeah, definitely. 721 00:48:46,280 --> 00:48:50,640 There's no way and fair play to people that do do the 5:00 722 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:52,640 start. That is not a slight against 723 00:48:52,640 --> 00:48:55,240 them at all. You know more respect to 724 00:48:55,280 --> 00:48:57,480 everybody that toes that flying line. 725 00:48:57,800 --> 00:49:01,640 But for me and probably people listening will be thinking 726 00:49:01,640 --> 00:49:03,880 Christ, why is she not starting at 5:00? 727 00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:05,600 She should because she's dead slow. 728 00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:08,480 But you know what? See if be. 729 00:49:08,520 --> 00:49:10,720 Gone with you. We we don't want any of your 730 00:49:10,720 --> 00:49:14,160 negative round here. You you need to improve and be 731 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:17,760 like Nikki. You know what they'll see if I 732 00:49:17,760 --> 00:49:20,720 do get signed out at any checkpoints or what have you. 733 00:49:21,320 --> 00:49:22,560 That's me. I've got to push. 734 00:49:22,560 --> 00:49:24,920 I'm not going to quit running or anything like that. 735 00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:29,200 That's I'm pushing myself. So we'll just wait and see what 736 00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:35,640 happens and we'll see me on that red carpet and have my moment, 737 00:49:35,640 --> 00:49:39,600 hopefully. If you don't have any races or 738 00:49:39,600 --> 00:49:41,520 family commitments, will you be there? 739 00:49:43,920 --> 00:49:49,200 I you're saying it's the. 20th of September to Saturday. 740 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:55,680 I am doing a backyard one week before and I have every 741 00:49:55,680 --> 00:49:57,920 intentions of still be running on that Saturday. 742 00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:02,680 Fantastic. There you go. 743 00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:05,960 Well that'll be something to keep me updated along the way 744 00:50:05,960 --> 00:50:08,720 then. Take my mind off the pancake 745 00:50:10,080 --> 00:50:11,760 when I get to the other day then. 746 00:50:12,920 --> 00:50:19,840 But like, how's mate doing? So yeah, I, well, I might be, I 747 00:50:19,840 --> 00:50:22,200 might head up that way on the way up the road because I'll 748 00:50:22,200 --> 00:50:25,520 have just finished when the other people all give up. 749 00:50:26,560 --> 00:50:28,880 There we go then. So that's something to look 750 00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:35,360 forward to. So I think we've had a chat, 751 00:50:36,040 --> 00:50:38,680 we've had a just a random blur about things. 752 00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:45,240 If there is anything that people want us to chat about, I'm open 753 00:50:45,240 --> 00:50:48,360 to telling people all my secrets. 754 00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:52,520 Apparently it's I've got a food strategy that Nikki was going to 755 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:54,240 ask about. She hasn't yet. 756 00:50:54,760 --> 00:50:59,680 Yes, we've not got on to that. So yeah, amidst the injury and 757 00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:03,320 the cross training and what have you, you have been more 758 00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:08,760 prevalent on the socials with your absolutely disgustingly 759 00:51:08,760 --> 00:51:13,720 weird cold can of soup. Why? 760 00:51:15,960 --> 00:51:19,800 The way the way I see it is I I don't have a problem with 761 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:22,480 drinking cold soup. I've absolutely no problem at 762 00:51:22,480 --> 00:51:27,560 all. But for me, if I can pull the 763 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:32,000 lid off a tin of soup and down, it has 250 calories right there. 764 00:51:32,480 --> 00:51:38,080 I need about 300, three, 150 calories per hour to keep going. 765 00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:43,440 So that's 2/3 of them. If I can do that, then perfect. 766 00:51:44,040 --> 00:51:47,160 And if somebody else in the race thinks that's disgusting, well 767 00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:50,920 mentally that's an advantage for me as well. 768 00:51:51,160 --> 00:51:52,720 So I've got no problem with doing it. 769 00:51:53,240 --> 00:51:56,840 And it also, it's part of the training. 770 00:51:57,560 --> 00:52:00,800 If that trains my stomach. You think it's disgusting, but I 771 00:52:00,800 --> 00:52:04,920 think I can eat it. I can eat pretty much anything 772 00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:09,480 within reason. So if I can do that then I've 773 00:52:09,480 --> 00:52:12,160 got no problem doing that and then sort of running straight 774 00:52:12,160 --> 00:52:13,840 away. So it's all part of the 775 00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:16,040 training. And you mentioned calories 776 00:52:16,040 --> 00:52:22,200 rather than calves though. Yes, my belief and it might not 777 00:52:22,200 --> 00:52:28,680 go with common not very common because ultras are not common 778 00:52:29,720 --> 00:52:35,840 convention. I think carbohydrates are your 779 00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:43,360 fuel for your your muscles. But when they say that you can 780 00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:50,680 take in 120 carbs, 90 or 60 or whichever the number is, because 781 00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:57,200 I don't know, most of my races in the past we've been, I can 782 00:52:57,200 --> 00:53:00,200 tell you when Rob set the West Alleyway record, he was going 783 00:53:00,200 --> 00:53:06,720 for 60 grams of carbs an hour. So if he was on 120, just to 784 00:53:06,720 --> 00:53:08,120 think of how much better it would have been. 785 00:53:09,520 --> 00:53:15,200 But anyway, when you're doing a backyard, you're going at at 786 00:53:15,200 --> 00:53:19,000 least 12 minute miles. I'm not sure what that is in 787 00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:22,960 kilometers. Was that 8 minute kilometers, 788 00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:27,440 something like that. You're not burning as much carbs 789 00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:32,920 as you would be if you were doing a threshold run and that 790 00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:38,320 running a marathon, you're burning your glycogen stores and 791 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:41,600 you're carbs are topping that up. 792 00:53:43,040 --> 00:53:49,640 When you're doing was a zone 2 heart rate, you're you're 793 00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:53,600 burning your fat stores and not necessarily your glycogen 794 00:53:53,600 --> 00:53:56,040 stores. So you just need to concentrate 795 00:53:56,040 --> 00:53:58,560 more on calories rather than carbohydrates. 796 00:53:59,160 --> 00:54:03,520 Carbohydrates make up a massive chunk of it, but fats and 797 00:54:04,120 --> 00:54:07,080 protein have also got a role to play. 798 00:54:08,480 --> 00:54:10,680 And that's a really, that's a really good piece of advice. 799 00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:14,240 That is something that I'll definitely look to take forward. 800 00:54:14,240 --> 00:54:18,760 I'm still 10 weeks out and still desperately need them to train 801 00:54:18,760 --> 00:54:22,160 my cuts. So I don't know if I will carry 802 00:54:22,160 --> 00:54:26,080 a can of soup on my training runs but never say that. 803 00:54:26,960 --> 00:54:30,000 But just think, at a checkpoint, you could look forward to your 804 00:54:30,000 --> 00:54:32,840 favorite flavour and you don't need to take it with you. 805 00:54:32,840 --> 00:54:35,520 You drink it at the checkpoint and then leave the can. 806 00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:40,040 There are bins there. I know that Johnny Fling has his 807 00:54:40,040 --> 00:54:41,880 Fling bins as he used to call them. 808 00:54:41,880 --> 00:54:43,480 I don't know whether he still does or not. 809 00:54:43,760 --> 00:54:47,960 They're usually sets them just after the checkpoint. 810 00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:51,000 So you can, you can drink your soup and then when you're about 811 00:54:51,000 --> 00:54:53,640 20 meters down the road, you can put them in the Fling bin. 812 00:54:55,360 --> 00:54:59,120 So there you go. What's your favorite? 813 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:03,240 Well, I thought it was going to be tomato, but tomato is too 814 00:55:03,240 --> 00:55:06,280 acidic. And that's exactly why you need 815 00:55:06,280 --> 00:55:08,200 to train because you find out these things. 816 00:55:08,520 --> 00:55:13,320 So I can, I can drink a can of tomato soup, but I can't imagine 817 00:55:13,320 --> 00:55:18,640 running afterwards. But my favorite, I've got a few 818 00:55:19,760 --> 00:55:21,480 actually. No, I've just thought of my 819 00:55:21,480 --> 00:55:23,920 favorite one. There's a few good ones, Scotch 820 00:55:24,000 --> 00:55:26,520 broth, minestrone, chicken noodle. 821 00:55:26,960 --> 00:55:32,200 But you might find this weird, but French onion soup is my 822 00:55:32,200 --> 00:55:35,120 favorite and I wouldn't say that's I wouldn't say that's my 823 00:55:35,120 --> 00:55:38,920 favorite tennis soup, but for Downing, that is the favorite. 824 00:55:39,160 --> 00:55:44,280 Has it got chunks in it? It's got sort of, yeah, chunks, 825 00:55:44,280 --> 00:55:47,320 chunks of onion. I can actually imagine someone 826 00:55:47,320 --> 00:55:55,400 listening to this. So apologies if I've made you 827 00:55:55,720 --> 00:55:59,120 walk into a Bush there. If you're suffering during your 828 00:55:59,120 --> 00:56:04,960 run, apologies. But I'm hoping that this chat, 829 00:56:04,960 --> 00:56:08,560 if you have put it on on your long run or in the car or 830 00:56:08,560 --> 00:56:12,400 whatever, I hope it's entertained you somewhat because 831 00:56:12,400 --> 00:56:14,680 as Mike says, it's the first time that we've done it. 832 00:56:14,680 --> 00:56:17,880 It's not something we tend to do when we do have the guest on, 833 00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:23,880 but I thought it would be quite a nice change just because Mike 834 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:27,600 has a significant event coming up, you know, pulling on a Team 835 00:56:27,600 --> 00:56:32,240 Scotland vest and being the captain, it's not a small thing 836 00:56:32,240 --> 00:56:35,160 to do. So good luck for next weekend. 837 00:56:35,200 --> 00:56:40,080 And for myself, I'm about to take on for the civil distance 838 00:56:40,080 --> 00:56:46,000 that I've ever run and through this podcast and Instagram I've 839 00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:48,320 had the opportunity to chat about the training, which is 840 00:56:48,320 --> 00:56:50,200 good. So thanks for agreeing to do it, 841 00:56:50,200 --> 00:56:51,840 Mike. That's no problem. 842 00:56:51,880 --> 00:56:54,320 And like like I said at the start, if there's anything that 843 00:56:54,320 --> 00:56:58,880 anybody wants to know about, we'll probably give you the 844 00:56:58,880 --> 00:57:04,360 wrong information, but we'll we'll give our opinion on it and 845 00:57:04,440 --> 00:57:06,440 that's what counts I would experience. 846 00:57:06,640 --> 00:57:09,720 So hopefully that counts for something. 847 00:57:10,240 --> 00:57:13,880 And we are also open to if there's any guests people would 848 00:57:13,880 --> 00:57:17,880 like to hear to come on. We always like chatting to new 849 00:57:17,880 --> 00:57:21,560 people so. And, and as I said to Nikki 850 00:57:21,560 --> 00:57:25,640 before, and I was reluctant to do just us chatting because to 851 00:57:25,640 --> 00:57:29,920 me, the, the podcast is about the guests and everybody's got a 852 00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:31,840 story to tell. Even if they think that they 853 00:57:31,840 --> 00:57:36,920 don't, they, they do. So anybody that a listener 854 00:57:36,920 --> 00:57:39,360 thinks that we should get on, please let us know. 855 00:57:40,240 --> 00:57:43,240 And we do have a good couple of guests lined up. 856 00:57:43,240 --> 00:57:45,680 We've got one this week which we're really looking forward to 857 00:57:45,680 --> 00:57:50,040 speaking to, and we do have a couple more than the pipeline 858 00:57:50,040 --> 00:57:56,280 which we're excited to chat to and get arranged and add to your 859 00:57:56,280 --> 00:57:59,040 podcast playlist. Right. 860 00:57:59,600 --> 00:58:03,400 I would say that's it from me. Thank you for Nikki, for being 861 00:58:03,400 --> 00:58:04,960 Nikki. Thank you. 862 00:58:05,680 --> 00:58:06,960 Goodbye from both of us.