1 00:00:21,250 --> 00:00:24,410 Hi and welcome back to Run through Done podcast. 2 00:00:24,970 --> 00:00:28,930 Today's guest was a competitor at the recent Biggs backyard 3 00:00:28,930 --> 00:00:31,090 ultra. For those that don't know, Biggs 4 00:00:31,090 --> 00:00:33,810 is like the world championship for backyard running. 5 00:00:34,370 --> 00:00:37,530 He qualified by winning Singapore team championship in 6 00:00:37,610 --> 00:00:40,650 2024. He soon became a fan favorite, 7 00:00:40,690 --> 00:00:45,360 not only for being a really nice guy, but we found out he grew up 8 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:52,480 in Scotland, so how could we not like him now living in Bali? 9 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,240 He tells us. Just a minute ago we thought he 10 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,640 was somewhere else. We'll we'll find out that he is 11 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:05,360 a bit of a globetrotter, but if you follow him on social media, 12 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:13,800 you'll see that he had a A poetry race report which was 13 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,200 great to listen to. So here, here's my little 14 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:23,600 tribute to Ned. I call it on the hour in 15 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,200 Backyard Ultra. There is no roaring crowd, no 16 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:32,080 maps, no finish line, just a loop, a yard, a lap, the same 17 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:36,160 one over and over. How long do you take? 18 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:43,720 One hour is what you get. The blows of the whistle 3 21 19 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,880 The ring of the bell. How long before it becomes your 20 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,240 personal hell? Most runners fear that place, 21 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:53,640 but in backyard, it's inevitable. 22 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,600 Sometimes welcomed for all except one. 23 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,240 This is run till you're done. And tonight we welcome Ned 24 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,400 Phillips. Welcome to the show. 25 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,120 Mike at well, first up, Mike and Nikki. 26 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,880 Great to see you Mike. What an intro Wow, let first of 27 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,080 all the poetry. You know, I do write it and I 28 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:16,360 read it to hear someone else do it. 29 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:17,880 That was lovely man, that was really cool. 30 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,960 Thank you for doing that. You said I'm a nice guy, but you 31 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:22,920 only just met me. Who knows, like let's say we'll, 32 00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:25,880 we'll we'll, we'll we'll find out together. 33 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,680 But I you know, at in backyard, it's last calls it a family. 34 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,000 You know, almost everybody you meet at backyard of great 35 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,680 people. I think it is inevitable when 36 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,240 people are doing this type of thing that they are good people. 37 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,400 But yeah, thank you, Mike. Thank you, Nikki, for having me 38 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:42,160 on. I appreciate it. 39 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,880 Thanks for coming on, Ned. No worries. 40 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:54,800 Or anyone who hasn't heard of you yet outside the starting 41 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,800 corral at Biggs, which is probably most of us. 42 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,960 How did you end up in Bali now? I was going to say Singapore, 43 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,680 but you, you decide where you are and tell us what happened. 44 00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:12,080 Well, you know, physics decides where I am because I am where I 45 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,440 am. But yes, I did represent 46 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,160 Singapore, but you know, just because, you know, you're both 47 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,520 in Scotland and, and I'm not saying this is a Scottish show, 48 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:21,400 but it's where it kind of comes from. 49 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,280 I grew up in Scotland, so a bit of globe fighting. 50 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,360 Born in Australia, grew up in Scotland, so in central 51 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,160 Scotland. You guys know central Scotland 52 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,000 well. Near Sterling, a small town 53 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,720 called Mucket. I grew up there. 54 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,960 Like a pretty idyllic childhood honestly. 55 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,600 In a cottage outside a small town called Dollar. 56 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,280 Went to school when, funnily enough, someone asked me when I 57 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:45,120 started endurance training and we lived about two miles from 58 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:49,800 school and from the age of four, I walked two miles there and two 59 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,400 miles back every day. Not a long way, but that's six 60 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,560 KA day from the age of four. So, you know, a wee bit of base 61 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,800 training and you know, went to university in Scotland left and 62 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,880 I found myself in Hong Kong in the in 19. 63 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:07,440 I'm 58, so 1990. And so my career just ended up 64 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,360 being out in Asia. So, you know, happenstance ended 65 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:13,920 up here and my running started in Hong Kong. 66 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:15,920 I don't know if you know, but Hong Kong's one of the great 67 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,079 running cities of the world with the most amazing hills. 68 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,360 So I spent time in Hong Kong, moved to Singapore 20 something 69 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,720 years ago, had a life there, two kids, kid moved to America and 70 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,800 with the, you know, invention of video calls like we are, and I 71 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,320 work online a lot. I live in Bali, moved just about 72 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,840 a year ago, just after I won the Singapore satellite Champs. 73 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:44,760 I'm a Singapore resident, so I I represented Singapore because I 74 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,440 was living there. I go backwards and forth between 75 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,000 Bali and Singapore, so I hope to represent Singapore again. 76 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,920 But yes, that's why you find me in Bali today, which I feel 77 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,600 super grateful for. And you say you had the 78 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,440 endurance training since you were four years old. 79 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,200 What was it? How, first of all, how did 80 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,560 backyards come to your attention? 81 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:10,560 And then did the want to go to bags come soon after that? 82 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,600 So actually you made me think what I thought Is there 83 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,560 something in Scotland called the Oak Hills Challenge Hike? 84 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:22,480 Does that still exist? The Oak Hills Ultra 50 and the 85 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:26,600 hundreds exist might do you know anything else I'm. 86 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,560 Not sure about the the other one that you mentioned but. 87 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,440 So in the, let me get this right, in the, in the 70s and 88 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,840 80s, there was a 24 hour hiking competition, teams of three 89 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,880 starting from either Sterling or Tilakutri on the foot of the Oak 90 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,680 Hills. And at the age of 16, we, we a 91 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,960 team of three of us, we won it, but it was walking just like the 92 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,000 long distance walking. So I suppose I started ultra 93 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,280 then how did I get to how about bigs? 94 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,120 If you're familiar with something called trail Walker, 95 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,200 it's quite a well known Mackelhouse Trail or trail 96 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,280 Walker. It's 100 kilometre run teams of 97 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:04,640 four that started in Hong Kong. And when I lived in Hong Kong, 98 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,680 Hong Kong's known as this big city, but it's got the most 99 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,880 amazing hills coming right out of the city. 100 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,040 And trail running's been there since the 90s. 101 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,680 So I started running back then. And the reason I knew Biggs 102 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:24,640 early, I mean, I've been ultra geek for 30 years now, 35 years. 103 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,360 I started when I was 26 in Hong Kong. 104 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,800 And I used to get Ultra Running magazine posted to me like 105 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,440 before the Internet and back then when Barclay was a thing, 106 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:37,040 you know, before the Netflix and before people. 107 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:42,400 I knew lads when he was Gary didn't know him, but I had the 108 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,280 magazine because he is Gary Cantrell. 109 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:49,120 And so I followed Barclay before, you know, kind of before 110 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:50,800 Internet. Then it got more well known. 111 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:55,360 Then the Netflix documentary came and you know Biggs has been 112 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:59,960 going for I think since 2014 or 15 or maybe 13. 113 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,720 Just to let you know guys, if you went to Biggs the first 114 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:06,760 year, 18 Luke's won it better one. 115 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:12,960 Biggs didn't get there in time. Add an extra 100 no. 116 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:16,200 Exactly. I mean, even 5, four years ago, 117 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:17,720 it was 60. But to answer your question, 118 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,560 Nikki, it was locked down in Singapore. 119 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,520 You know, everyone had their own version of lockdown. 120 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,960 We weren't allowed to run more than one kilometer from our 121 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,360 houses. I may or may not have broken 122 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:30,560 that rule, but let's not get into that. 123 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:38,240 And I saw on Facebook quarantine Backyard Ultra, which was 124 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:42,040 basically on the treadmills in your bedroom, 2000 people rocked 125 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:43,680 up to it. So we're all going to zoom. 126 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,720 You've got to point it towards your treadmill. 127 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,360 And I'm like, Oh my God, we get to run. 128 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,920 And I ran 21 loops on my treadmill. 129 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:56,560 So 140 ish KA13040K in my bedroom. 130 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:01,720 I came I think 38th out of 2000. And I they had 20 people on each 131 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:03,120 screen. And I got to the last two 132 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,280 screens. I'm like, Oh my God, look at 133 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,960 this. So I I found it then and was and 134 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,920 I knew it was Las so that's how I found it. 135 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,800 Nikki did I think I could get. I didn't think I could get to 136 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,880 bigs honestly. But then the satellite champs 137 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,800 came and Singapore's not a deep nation. 138 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,920 We don't have we have a couple of superstars, one guy who's 139 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:31,320 done 72, but I've been in the team. 3 * 2020 I came 6th. 2022 140 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:36,679 I came third and then 2024 even though we had a guy who had done 141 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,000 70 I, I heard he was a bit injured. 142 00:08:39,919 --> 00:08:45,640 I had an inkling, so I would say Biggs percolated my mind from 24 143 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,160 onwards. And what's your winning that 144 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,520 team championships? How many yards did you win it 145 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,680 on? Skin of my teeth. 146 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,440 Not because it was skin of my teeth, it was skin of Laz's 147 00:08:58,440 --> 00:08:59,400 teeth. If I can explain. 148 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:04,360 I won it on 26. I my best before that was 28. 149 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,360 I know 26 is very low On the 26th lap. 150 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:11,080 Joshua who was our king of backyard in Singapore, he's done 151 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:15,680 72 at Biggs in the 23 champs. He did 72 loops at big 152 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,240 incredibly good. But he said, look, Ned, I'm I 153 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,160 don't want to go back to Biggs in 25. 154 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:22,880 I am injured. There was only me and him left. 155 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:26,880 And he said on you go on 26. And honestly, I think I probably 156 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,960 on that day I had 303540. Remember it's 30° and hot there. 157 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:37,240 So I ran 26, finished one. I thought I'm going to bigs. 158 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:38,680 This is amazing because I'm the champ. 159 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,160 Las only let's 50 countries come. 160 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,560 There were 67 countries, so it's only the top 50 countries. 161 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:50,640 We were 49th. Oh, doesn't matter if it's by an 162 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:55,080 insurer Mile, you're in. We'd add to that if you'd only 163 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:59,280 done 24, well 23, you wouldn't have been allowed either because 164 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:03,640 you have to done 24. 25 I think was just about the the cut off 165 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:06,120 and there was a few people in 25 and it came down to, I don't 166 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,560 know, time or whatever. But if Joshua hadn't done that 167 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:11,760 one more loop sent me on my way. I could have thought I was going 168 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,960 to Biggs only to find out I was the 51st nation. 169 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:17,280 I don't even want to think how much I would have cried in my 170 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:23,240 bedroom if that would be true. Would that have hurt more than 171 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:24,840 doing bigs? And yes. 172 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:28,440 Yes, yes. I mean, look, I'm a just by 173 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,920 nature, I'm a fanboy. I, you know, again because I'm 174 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:34,160 old. Back when Scott Durek won seven 175 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:38,320 Western states, when Andreessen won, you know, Scott Durek came 176 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:42,200 to Hong Kong to race a race. And I'm I'm so I really, I could 177 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,200 be naive. I was a fanboy of Lance until 178 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:45,960 turned out it wasn't quite Lance. 179 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:50,280 So, but I've been a Laz, you know, the idea that I would, 180 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,160 that I won Singapore and then didn't get to go and see lads, 181 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:58,280 yeah, that would have broken my little heart for a while for 182 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:02,480 sure. And going in like you've just 183 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,840 won you, you've, you know that you're going. 184 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:09,240 Were you curious? What was the mindset? 185 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:13,280 Were you curious, fearful, confident? 186 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:15,480 How did you feel about going to it? 187 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:19,000 I I've, I've, I've made a lifestyle of being delusional. 188 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,600 So I go there believing I can win. 189 00:11:21,680 --> 00:11:24,200 Of course I don't win, you know, bar toss and fail and, you know, 190 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:26,240 but, but, but I also have a goal. 191 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,440 It's weird. I know I can't do 100. 192 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,960 Like, let's be clear, you know, I'm, I wasn't the oldest person 193 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:33,960 there. I was the oldest man there. 194 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:39,680 The oldest person is Jennifer Russo, who is 59 and at 59 years 195 00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:42,400 old, she did 74 loops at Dead Cal Gully. 196 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:48,320 So Jennifer Russo did 74. So but what was my mindset when 197 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,960 I won the race? Just Christmas. 198 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:52,400 I'm going to go and meet Santa Claus. 199 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:54,960 I've even written a poem about Laz being Santa Claus. 200 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:59,320 Like it was this is Christmas and it's Christmas everyday for 201 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,280 the next year. So I would say Mike, when I won, 202 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,000 it was utter joy. Like like, Oh my God, like this 203 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:10,080 is amazing. I'm not part of my story is I 204 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:12,520 then you know, I don't drink, but I eat crap. 205 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:17,640 So I one of my Scottish DNA is I like cake, sugar, tablet, fudge, 206 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,000 all the stuff I shouldn't eat. And so I let myself up till 207 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:26,720 Christmas glow in the fact I'm going to see last And then I got 208 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:29,600 injured January, February, March, April, May didn't barely 209 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:32,240 ran. I got, I have sciatica, so I had 210 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,760 a numb leg and I'm like Mike, I was really disappointed. 211 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,480 I thought I wasn't going because up until May I hadn't really 212 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,760 run. I'm barely running 2030 KA 213 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,880 month. I was running in a pool really 214 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,280 quite despondent. So I had exhilaration, 215 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,280 despondence. And then I got four months of 216 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:55,640 maybe 500 KA month, 120 KA week, 100 and 10120 KA week. 217 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,120 And then I was believing. So excitement. 218 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:02,560 Despondent belief. I, I did you go over things like 219 00:13:02,560 --> 00:13:08,240 sciatica or just the, the thinking that you're not going 220 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:09,320 to make it. How do you get over that? 221 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:17,240 I, I, I'm, I in the moment. I didn't get over it. 222 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:20,160 I was just sad, you know, I, I'm quite good at living in the 223 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,240 moment, but I'm also either happy in the moment or sad in 224 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,280 the moment. So I was quite sad in the 225 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:26,200 moment. I have a little LinkedIn 226 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,680 following that I've built being a start up sales guy, but I 227 00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:31,320 built around ultra running. So every week I gave my running 228 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:32,960 thoughts and I was doing a video. 229 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,000 I do these videos of me and I'm running in a pool. 230 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:36,600 I'm literally running up and down a pool. 231 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,760 I'm like, I I don't want to tell you guys, I'm running up and 232 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:40,760 down a pool. This sucks. 233 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:45,160 I suck, Everything sucks. And I was going, I had a back 234 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:51,240 operation 15 years ago to cure sciatica and it worked, but it 235 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,240 comes back. So how did I cure it? 236 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:57,960 I swam a lot. I did some exercises. 237 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,520 I had belief I was about to get an steroid injection to stop. 238 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,640 But it, it just, I don't know if the magic Pixies at the bottom 239 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,720 of the garden allowed it to get a bit better cuz sciatica's 240 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,720 quite delicate, the nerves either touching or it's not. 241 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:14,880 But as I ran in the pool and as I was patient, come June, July, 242 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:17,960 I started doing 50 KA week and the leg wasn't numb. 243 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,200 So then I did 60 KA week and the leg wasn't numb. 244 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:23,160 And I'm like, oh, and then I'm like, you know what? 245 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,360 I'm not going to swear on your shirt, but I'm like, F it. 246 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:27,600 I'm just going for this now. I've got July, August, 247 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:29,880 September. Let's just go straight to 120 KA 248 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:31,480 week. I got up at 4:00 AM every 249 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:32,920 morning. I swam first. 250 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:37,160 I ran 20K, average 25 a day, weekends 50 or 100K. 251 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,040 I'm lucky in Bali because there's a lot of digital nomad 252 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,920 and Jim Bros here. There's sauna ice bath 253 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,560 everywhere. So I have a sauna ice bath right 254 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,960 next to me. I think I pay £70 a month for as 255 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,120 much as I like. It's like total killer. 256 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:56,600 And so I saw the ice and then I also dropped 10% body weight. 257 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:58,720 So I did not eat cake or biscuits. 258 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,400 I went from 80K to 72 in four months. 259 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:05,720 I went all in for a 58 year old dude. 260 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:07,920 I went all in on what I could do while still working. 261 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:09,800 And yeah, that's how I got ready. 262 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,000 And with the physical side of you getting ready and getting 263 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,560 rid of your sciatica for the psychological side of it, how 264 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:24,640 did you train for that? Nikki, I'm so this being my 30, 265 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,920 whatever year in ultra 30, I think my brain's pretty good. 266 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:32,400 I really do this. Nothing's going to stop me at 267 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:34,760 bigs. I mean, I when I run, I mean, I 268 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,440 truly, truly, truly tell myself I'm going to win bigs. 269 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:43,320 Like I, I don't, I don't if you follow Courtney, you know, 270 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,760 Courtney Dawater, she talks about this privilege of being in 271 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,360 the pen cave. There's no, there's no herd in 272 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,120 the pen cave. But for Courtney, it takes so 273 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,600 far to get in there. And I, and I subscribe to that. 274 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,880 So I always believe it's such a deep privilege to be in there. 275 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,280 So my psychological hurt is when I can't run. 276 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:03,000 Nikita, the hardest thing was January, the May. 277 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:04,520 Yeah. You know what? 278 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:06,560 You know when you're injured guys and you drive down the 279 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:09,000 street and you see another runner and you look out the car 280 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,440 window at them despondently because they're running and 281 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:13,080 you're not? That's what kills me. 282 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:14,760 You know, watching backyard videos. 283 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,000 That's what kills me, the mental preparation. 284 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,880 I of course, at some point your brain will let you down, and 285 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:25,880 we'll talk about it at Biggs. I'm still replaying whether I 286 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:30,680 had some mental let down there. But no, as soon as I'm running 287 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,840 again and I feel strong, I don't need to trade my I need, you 288 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:34,800 know what, I need to prepare, Nick. 289 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,080 I need to calm myself down. I'm so excited. 290 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,600 I I I get overworked up and that's the issue. 291 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:43,040 I think that wastes a lot of energy. 292 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:48,000 You know, Mike, maybe, maybe. But I tell you a funny thing. 293 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,080 I was at a doctor a while ago because about 6, I don't know, 294 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:54,720 10 years ago I had some other issues and she she looked at me 295 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,880 and said, and I talk like this, she says, which ADHD medicine do 296 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:03,840 you take? I said, oh, I don't and she 297 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,839 talked to me for a bit and then she said would you like some? 298 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:11,880 And I said no, I like who I am. I understand it can be a lot for 299 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,280 other people. And Mike, to your point, does 300 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,240 that energy, and again at Biggs, and I'll tell you, I actually 301 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:22,760 think about it at Biggs, you know, you can't change who you 302 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:24,920 are. Do I think I lose some of that? 303 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,720 Yeah, Mike, I think I do. I think there is a more focused 304 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,960 version of Ned that probably could be a little bit better. 305 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:35,880 But you know, it's I'll take it for what it is. 306 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:37,720 Yeah, Yeah. I think you might, you might 307 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,960 lose the energy going into it, but the excitement that you're 308 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:46,280 bringing to yourself, I, I think that adds to getting over the, 309 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:51,080 the pain, the suffering because you are being smiling, being 310 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,680 happy gets you through it. I, I think so. 311 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:56,560 I think so. And you know, we all approach it 312 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:01,320 with different points of view. And actually at Biggs I, I have 313 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,840 to seems weird. I, I'd love, I spoke to Harvey 314 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,400 and Phil and Mishi Bagman and Evo and love it. 315 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:13,320 But I also, when I race, I try not to speak to people as much 316 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:17,360 as I want to because I realize they do have to be focused. 317 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:20,120 And focus is a weakness. You know, maybe the lady with 318 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:21,400 the medicine and the doctor was right. 319 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,120 But anyway, focus is a weakness for me. 320 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:26,760 You know what though, Ned, I like the excitement and it 321 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,720 sounds like you're channeling it and the best way that you can. 322 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:32,960 So I'm just going to need to find a bit of that off you 323 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:37,760 because my excitement gets to the point as detrimental so. 324 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:43,760 I think it, you know, it's my dad is very he's 90s very 325 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,720 excitable. Dude was a professor at Sterling 326 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:50,120 University of the brain, so a neuro neural network scientist. 327 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:53,640 So he studied the brain and in his words, because he he's even 328 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,000 more excitable than me, which is hard to and he still runs. 329 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:02,400 He's actually the park run champion in Sterling info until 330 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,600 let's not get into it until Parkron took away, took away age 331 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,680 graded record. So let's not, let's not stumble 332 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,680 down that path, which is lunacy. But anyway, different point. 333 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,480 He was the champion. But my dad has this word that he 334 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:19,320 believes he is over adrenalized. So the part of his brain that 335 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:23,040 puts adrenaline is works overtime, which genetically 336 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:26,160 maybe come to me different phrases of what that is. 337 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,680 And it's just part of who I am. So yeah, I don't need to work up 338 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,840 the mental excitement and think about not stopping. 339 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:36,440 I have to try to figure out how to how to allocate it in the 340 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:41,120 right places maybe. So then when you got to bags and 341 00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:43,840 you ran, did you have a low loop? 342 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,000 And if you did have a low loop, how did you get out of it? 343 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:53,800 Good question. Loop 17 or 18? 344 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,320 I couldn't get calories in for a while and I'm good at getting 345 00:19:58,320 --> 00:19:59,840 calories in so I don't know if you've. 346 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,400 I, I assume you know David Roche, you follow his high high 347 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,240 carb, high calorie stuff. I've, I've always been a good 348 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:08,040 eater. Like I can eat quite a lot. 349 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,440 And I also I often think about ultra running as a eating 350 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,200 competition with running thrown in. 351 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:18,400 As we know, backyard, particularly Luke 16/17/18. 352 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:23,120 I was trying to get calories in and my brain started to not 353 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:25,400 spiral, but get a bit of despondent. 354 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:29,880 You know, you go imagine you go the way the bigs and I don't 355 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:31,840 want to say only do 18 because I don't want to be respectful, 356 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:34,280 disrespectful to that. And look, my 28, I was the 357 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,000 second lowest ranked guy there. So you know, I'm not putting up 358 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,480 big numbers. But I knew in my head that like 359 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:43,520 if something had happened on loop 18, first world problems 360 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,400 being sad or big, you know, in the big world, you know, Boo 361 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:49,400 Hoo, but I would have been sad. And you know, Nikki, I was like, 362 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:53,600 oh, I was out on the road loop and it was night. 363 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,160 I don't care about the night. It's raining, but I was feeling 364 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,520 pretty weak and I was like, crap, man, if I don't get some 365 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:02,480 calories in soon, I'm good at being in the moment. 366 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:05,960 I've slightly different story. I had a start up that blew up 367 00:21:06,120 --> 00:21:09,840 massively lost everything was a, it was a, it was a storm. 368 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,680 And I learned to disassociate from your effort and in the 369 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:15,520 moment, just do your best in the moment. 370 00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:19,960 So I managed to refocus and when I got back, a magical tin of 371 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,680 rice pudding appeared and that rice pudding, you know, 372 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,520 sometimes when you run backyard, some food appears to you and 373 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:29,680 you're like, you hadn't thought of it before. 374 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:34,360 I, I gobbled down an entire tin of rice pudding in like I only 375 00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:37,120 had 4 minutes. That loop all down felt like 376 00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:41,480 gold. So and then apart from and maybe 377 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,240 we can talk when we come to the end, talk about how big's ended. 378 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,840 For me, obviously the low moments came towards the end, 379 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:49,840 but that was from a different point of view. 380 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,680 I totally get that because when I had the biggest race I've done 381 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,680 so far, I had a magic banana and it helped. 382 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:06,000 I was going to say I, I relate to you for the you're not saying 383 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:10,600 that somebody else's achievement of 18 yards is not good. 384 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:16,480 It's you expected more from yourself for the team 385 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,520 championships? I was in the UK team and I 386 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,280 stopped at 33 yards because I was injured. 387 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:26,880 But I I'd went into that expecting to do 3 times that. 388 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:32,560 So it was just the, I think part of the preparation for it. 389 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:37,040 You've got to convince yourself that you are capable of more so 390 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:40,160 you're disappointed in yourself. You're not worried about what 391 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:43,840 anybody else thinks that you're capable of or what you're 392 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:45,800 disappointed. You're disappointed in yourself. 393 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:48,960 And Mike, I don't know if I mentioned this, but I'm and now 394 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:50,400 you say it. I watched the documentary. 395 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:52,840 You were in a documentary right about that. 396 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,760 And I remember seeing you talking about it and you know, I 397 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,440 can even though we didn't know each other then obviously you're 398 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,400 capable of more. I can see that, you can see that 399 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,720 and I can feel it. I, you know, but, and this is, 400 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,760 we talked about football just before this, you know, Ultra, if 401 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:08,240 it was easy, they'd call it football, right? 402 00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:11,200 You don't know what you're going to get on the day. 403 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,480 And that's the beauty, you know, if you turned up and knew what 404 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:15,680 you were going to get. But yeah, now you mention it, 405 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,520 Mike, I recollect watching that and I felt that little bit of 406 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,040 heartbreak for you as well, because we've all had races 407 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:24,960 where we know there's more and for whatever. 408 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:28,040 Hey, look at Biggs. I saw Bartos get disqualified. 409 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,880 I saw, I saw Sam Harvey drop out. 410 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,880 I saw Lucas. And I, I mean, I literally 411 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,040 passed Lucas, you know, as he was having the issues. 412 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:42,600 And, you know, Lucas has done 116 and he's dropping out at 18. 413 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,480 So we know one race doesn't define you. 414 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,480 But does that it still means in the moment? 415 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:49,120 Yeah. Yeah. 416 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:51,440 You you feel sad in the moment. Yeah. 417 00:23:52,320 --> 00:24:00,320 And at begs, most people don't get to experience bigs because 418 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,800 you have to qualify, you have to be the best to get there. 419 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:11,080 What is there a a defining thing that you would say about bigs 420 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:15,320 that people just don't get, don't understand? 421 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:22,400 How can I can I make it two things, Mike? 422 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,160 Because I you. Can make it as much as you want. 423 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:31,840 How absolutely compact Biggs is, You know, it's obviously we know 424 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,640 it's not Western States or UTMB where the parking lot is at 425 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,720 Biggs where his, where the tents are. 426 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:39,400 It's tiny. It's tiny. 427 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,000 I thought it would like it would be a lot of stadium. 428 00:24:42,120 --> 00:24:44,920 You come around the corner and it genuinely is the driveway of 429 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,960 Lazer's house, but genuinely straight up, it's the driveway 430 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:50,200 of Laz's house. His house is a bit further up 431 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:52,200 and it's, you know, slightly bigger than the driveway. 432 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,040 You can't park there, nothing by the road. 433 00:24:54,360 --> 00:24:57,040 So I think what you don't get about, I mean a lot of people 434 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:00,840 don't get about bigs, is that of course it's the heartbeat of our 435 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:02,320 sport and where it all came from. 436 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,160 But it really is so grassroots. Like it really is just a little 437 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:11,040 road off a Tennessee Rd. I'm not religious, but it felt 438 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:12,520 spiritual. And I think if you're in 439 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:16,080 backyard, the feeling and the and the reason I say that is 440 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,920 once you get there, you know, Laz talks about backyard family. 441 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:21,840 I mean, there's no prima donnas here. 442 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:28,000 Like the kindness is outrageous. The the reality that for most of 443 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:29,680 us, we can't believe we're there. 444 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,840 Of course Phil believes he's there and Sam and Lucas and 445 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:36,120 Batos and Harvey. But I was in the tent next to 446 00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:38,920 Harvey right there. You know, I don't get to play 447 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,320 football with Messi or or tennis with Federer. 448 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:43,960 Like and I get it. Our sport is tiny and that's the 449 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,320 other thing about Biggs is there's no prima Donna, there's 450 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:50,280 no somebody's over there. You, if you can get to Biggs, 451 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,880 which I know and I say I got lucky, you know, 26 was lucky. 452 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:04,800 It's a really moving experience beyond just the physical effort 453 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:12,000 being on that hallowed turf. And we can talk about the 454 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:13,160 course. I have some thoughts about the 455 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:17,120 course, but separately, well, just these people are just 456 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:19,120 outrageously nice. That was so cool. 457 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:24,720 I think in most sports the closest people will get is being 458 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,720 in the crowd. They they don't get to be part 459 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,720 of the same sport as what the professionals, the the elite are 460 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,600 doing. And and also because it's 461 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,160 backyard, you know, if this was UTMB, you know, I could go to 462 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:43,720 Chamonix, but then, you know, Killian and Francois and Jim 463 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:45,840 would run off into the distance obviously because they're 464 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:48,560 faster. But here so far, like nobody 465 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:50,280 runs off into the distance because we all go in loop. 466 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:52,960 I get back to the tent with Harvey on the 1st loop. 467 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:57,400 Phil, you know, or go, he runs a slow loop. 468 00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,400 And on the day loop, I was doing 56. 469 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:04,960 I came in with Phil on the 1st loop and I said to my crew, holy 470 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,520 crap, I came in with Phil. Maybe we're going to win this 471 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:14,680 clearly not true. So. 472 00:27:15,120 --> 00:27:20,000 When I'm not too familiar with the backyard scene, this is more 473 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:26,200 Mike's thing, but it's something I've I've done 5 loops of my own 474 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:30,640 so far, which was it was a gathering of friends where wild 475 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,320 heart runners and it's quite tough I found. 476 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:39,000 But I know that when I've been to watch my carton event at 477 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:42,720 Highlander, does the whistle Does begs not have that? 478 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:45,600 Is it a bell? No, no, we have. 479 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:50,240 So we have the whistle. So it is 3 and three minute 480 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,760 whistle. Yeah, 3 whistles with three to 481 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:57,000 go, 2 whistles with two minutes to go, one minute and then the 482 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:03,080 bell rings and Laz 2 Things about Laz, rules are the rules. 483 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,240 That's another thing with begs and you maybe saw some of the 484 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:10,400 DQ, but last tells us at the beginning, I do not want to 485 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:14,600 disqualify you, but I will. There's no Gray line here. 486 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,480 You're not either in the corral or you're not. 487 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:21,520 And not means 1 foot out. Once the bell goes, you start 488 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:23,800 moving, you don't move, you're out. 489 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:29,000 And as you saw with Bartos, he came and Bartos Fudali, who was 490 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:33,680 the Polish runner who on Loop 61, came back, went to his tent, 491 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,120 sat down before he crossed the line, came back out, crossed the 492 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:39,240 line, got no aid. Laz disqualified him because the 493 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,640 rule is once you start a loop, you must finish the loop before 494 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:46,720 you do anything else. So yeah, Nikki, the the three 495 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:51,640 whistles, 21, then the bell and the other thing, 114 hours. 496 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,400 Laz rings the bell every hour. He doesn't go anywhere else. 497 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:57,160 He might have a sleep in between. 498 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:00,440 He rings the bell, dude, it's 71. 499 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:05,200 He rings the bell every hour while smoking a cigarette. 500 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,440 I mean, he's a legend. I mean, that's a lot of packets 501 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:14,120 of cigarettes, I would imagine. You know, last today, and I 502 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,600 don't know if you know he walked across America when he was 70. 503 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:21,760 He's about to walk from Utah, Colorado, San Fran. 504 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:26,920 He was a 119 half marathoner in back in his 20s, so he was a 505 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,600 genuine quality runner back in the day. 506 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,080 He's got endurance. But yes, I don't know how many 507 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,880 cigarette packets he gets through Nikki, but he rings the 508 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:41,280 bell every hour. I put on a backyard for my 509 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,080 running club where I, I'm the race director people. 510 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:46,880 Oh you, you can't be running it because you'll just win it as 511 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:48,560 I'm not running it. I'm race directing it. 512 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,280 Don't worry about it. I put it on to encourage them to 513 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:55,120 get involved and somebody went on and became part of the 514 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,200 Scotland team this year. So it it works. 515 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:05,000 But two things that I noticed you said about Laz's the the 516 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:09,040 race was small. It was almost like home grown. 517 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:10,960 That's exactly what it feels like here. 518 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:12,800 The the race starts in my back garden. 519 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:16,200 So it's that sort of feel about it. 520 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:21,400 And the the other thing was I this year, I think it was one in 521 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,080 17 or 18 hours and I run bail every hour. 522 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:26,560 And that was hard enough just getting up for the ever. 523 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:31,720 So I would rather be running it. Las does say that because 524 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:35,440 there's a lot of pressure, you know, he oh, the other thing to 525 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:39,440 say what you don't expect, even though it's small, Las has this 526 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:44,240 incredibly committed team behind him doing tech, doing media. 527 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:46,040 I'm sure you guys watch some of it. 528 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:50,160 I mean, how good was the YouTube streaming quality of bigs, the 529 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,960 race results? So here's a guy called Naresh on 530 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,240 tech. He has Stephanie, who actually 531 00:30:55,240 --> 00:31:00,160 we just interviewed on our own podcast doing media, had a guy 532 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,560 called Tracy Outlaw who does it. He has a good and bad Mike who 533 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,320 do the timing and interestingly, bad Mike. 534 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,040 I don't know why they're called good and bad Mike, but bad Mike, 535 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:15,720 he tells Laz, Laz 30 seconds until the three minute whistle. 536 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,720 So people make sure and Sandra, Laz's wife. 537 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:22,960 So while obviously Laz is that figurehead and he rings the 538 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:24,880 bell. Yeah, Mike, you, you know the 539 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:28,120 other thing people don't expect. I don't know if it's 10/15/20 540 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:32,520 people behind to make bigs because even though it's small, 541 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,240 you know it is the world champs and we've got to put on a great 542 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,240 show and there's a lot of people making that happen. 543 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:42,320 Yeah, one of the people that was doing the commentary was Eric 544 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:44,600 from Russellbach. I'm wearing a Russellbach 545 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:48,400 T-shirt right now, so. He he, he was indeed. 546 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,480 He was in the media tent with Stephanie making all of that 547 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,960 happen. So with the whistles and the 548 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:58,840 bell, when I visited Mike, I've seen two or three loops and the 549 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:01,160 whistle done my head in after the second look. 550 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:04,880 So how did you cope with the whistles and the bell? 551 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,960 Was they get any trauma after that? 552 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:13,600 You know, PTSD, Yeah, I love backyard. 553 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:17,520 I actually. So the answer is no. 554 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:21,000 And the answer is I miss it. So I don't get PTSDI, get the 555 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:22,040 opposite. I miss it. 556 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,080 Why? I love reality. 557 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,360 I love my life, love my family, my wife, my everything. 558 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:31,160 But when I'm in that, let's call it alternate reality, I don't 559 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:33,440 want it to end. So when the whistles stop, it's 560 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:35,360 the end of that adventure, that journey. 561 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,960 And I think it was, I can't remember, the camera came to see 562 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:40,880 me. I actually didn't know that the 563 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:43,080 camera was like live streaming. I thought they were recording 564 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:46,240 things for later, but it was going out on YouTube and they, 565 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:48,760 and you know, I said to them, I don't want this to end ever. 566 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:50,440 Like I I'll just keep doing this forever. 567 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:52,440 Like you can ring though, you can blow those whistles and ring 568 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:53,560 that bell and I'll get up and run. 569 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:55,840 It's not that I didn't want to go back to reality, even though 570 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:57,160 I said I didn't want to go back to reality. 571 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:59,960 It's not that I dislike reality. I just like this alternate 572 00:32:59,960 --> 00:33:03,840 reality. So no, I I'm looking forward to 573 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:05,040 hear those whistles and bell again. 574 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:13,400 And thinking about your race strategy, did you have a, a loop 575 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,440 by loop? You know Phil Gore, he, he has 576 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:17,880 everything written down and I try to do the same thing. 577 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:20,880 Did you have a I'm going to do this on this loop. 578 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:23,520 I'm going to be fast loops, slow loops. 579 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:25,480 How did it? How did it work out? 580 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:29,640 I am not AI am. So the answer is I'm going to 581 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:35,640 say not really, no to a degree. I had certain times and you 582 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:37,880 know, I'm certain what I'm going to eat. 583 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:42,440 But you're right, when you look at Phil Gorsten or Harvey 584 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,920 Lewis's, it looks like a permanent dwelling. 585 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,240 They've got beds and cupboards and not fridges, but larders, 586 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:51,640 staff and there's spreadsheets and I've got like a table and a 587 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:57,800 chair and a bit of chaos. So but day loops, 56, the day 588 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,320 loop, I don't think it's hilly. I'm going to get crapped on for 589 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:03,520 this because it's hilly. It is a hilly course, but it's 590 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:07,840 very trippy and technical. 56 for the sorry yeah, the day, the 591 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:13,800 trail course and then 5253 for the road night, which became the 592 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:15,639 day course. As people know it rained and we 593 00:34:15,639 --> 00:34:19,840 didn't go back to the trail. I'm trying to eat 400 calories 594 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:23,800 an hour. I drink Tailwind lack of gels, 595 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,679 which is my cruise gel company, lack of gels. 596 00:34:28,199 --> 00:34:33,600 I eat a range of stuff rice puddings and fruits and stuff on 597 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:37,159 there some protein powders. I have a shirt strategy. 598 00:34:37,159 --> 00:34:39,360 You may have seen a bigs. I wear running shirts. 599 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:41,480 I don't run it like a button down shirt. 600 00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:46,840 I had a Hawaiian shirt for the 1st 12 hours to tell me to chill 601 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:50,600 like don't rush. I had a donut shirt for the 2nd 602 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:52,679 12 hours to remind to get calories in. 603 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:57,320 I had my Plaid my work shirt like my checked shirt for the 604 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:00,280 next 12 hours to focus to get to work. 605 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:05,760 And my crew has been to Western States as as a brand, brand guy, 606 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:09,800 and he brought me a Western States champion shirt with NP 607 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:12,360 written on it, Ned Phillips. And I was going to put that for 608 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:14,200 the next 12 hours to be a champion. 609 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:18,120 And if I got through Luke 48, I would start again. 610 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:19,960 He would have washed them, rotated them. 611 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,280 I got to hour 40. So I used all four shirts. 612 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:26,440 But it does affect my strategy. I know it's not as clinical as 613 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:28,600 Phil's. Maybe that's why he's a champion 614 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:33,960 and I'm not, but still. So when you rotated your shirts 615 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:37,480 you should have put back on the doughnut 1, so do not drop out. 616 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:41,240 Oh, I'm going to. Oh my God, I'm going to have to 617 00:35:41,240 --> 00:35:42,760 use that. That is a good one. 618 00:35:43,240 --> 00:35:45,600 That is a good one. Yeah. 619 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:49,680 It's but, but I think it speaks to them, to the mental reality 620 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:52,000 of this. You know, for a lot of people 621 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:53,640 there, they really are the best in the world. 622 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:55,040 Look, I'm not trying to be humble or whatever. 623 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:56,840 You know, I'm now I have 40 loops. 624 00:35:56,840 --> 00:35:59,680 I'm actually ranked 500 in the world, which I'm super grateful 625 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:01,720 for and I feel good. But when I went, I was ranked 626 00:36:01,720 --> 00:36:03,120 two and a half thousandth in the world. 627 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:06,120 But I got in there and I was running with the best in the 628 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:08,440 world. You know, Bartos, Fidali, Harvey 629 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:10,240 Lewis, Phil Gore, all of these guys. 630 00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:14,760 And I think when you see them, they do have these dialed in 631 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:18,440 absolute. Phil would run 3 fast, one slow. 632 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:24,680 Harvey, his rhythm, I mean, Evo who came was unbelievably 633 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:26,760 consistent. So you do start to see the 634 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:29,440 really top people of this sport doing it. 635 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:32,480 I mean, I have aspirations to go further and maybe not as far as 636 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:35,920 them, but yeah. But having a mental strategy 637 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:39,600 that knows up until this time you're doing X, up until that 638 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:44,160 time you're doing Yi could see the greats with that what what I 639 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:45,600 perceived as their mental strategy. 640 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:50,440 And what's your preparation on the lead up when you got to the 641 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,920 actual event? Did you have something that you 642 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:58,720 absolutely nailed and got right? And did you have something that 643 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:02,960 went completely wrong? What a cool question. 644 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:08,920 What did I get right? I, I, I mean I enjoyed, I think 645 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,920 I got right that I didn't take this for granted. 646 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:17,040 I want to go back. If I go back, I will be the 647 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:18,800 first 60 year old to ever qualify. 648 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:22,360 And when I go back at 60, I want to No 60 year old's ever done 60 649 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:24,320 loops. So I have a dream to be the 650 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:26,160 first 60 year old ever to do 60 loops. 651 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:29,760 But let's be realistic, I qualified in Singapore. 652 00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:33,040 When the best guy in Singapore has done 72, he was inch. 653 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:34,960 I did 26. So I've either got to win 654 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:39,560 Singapore or as you know, get on the at large list for people who 655 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:42,200 are not sure what that is be one of the top 25. 656 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:47,080 It rolls down a bit 3040 most yards in the world probably and 657 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:48,280 Mike have been interested in your view. 658 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:50,960 It's probably around 80. I think it's going to be for 659 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:54,160 next couple of years and I don't think I can get to 80. 660 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:56,160 It rolled to 60. So one thing I think I did 661 00:37:56,160 --> 00:38:00,680 really well. I mean, I I save it every second 662 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:02,000 of this. I gave my all. 663 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,680 I went to the racecourse on Thursday before you're meant to 664 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:08,720 go to set up on the Friday. I asked it Laz and Sandra if I 665 00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:12,200 could go. They said yes, and I just sat at 666 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:13,400 the event. No one else was there. 667 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:16,240 I just sat in Laz's car park and hoped he might drive past. 668 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:19,720 You know, I was just I'm like, what else am I going to do? 669 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:21,520 Go to my hotel room and watch backyard videos? 670 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:22,840 I mean, there's, you know, might as well. 671 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:30,560 What did I do wrong? You know, you know, I stopped. 672 00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:32,840 You know that's what I did wrong. 673 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:37,680 I'm proud of 40 loops. I really am. 674 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:42,320 But you know, and and you know, again, Nikki, I know you're more 675 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:43,720 new to backyard. I know Mike. 676 00:38:43,720 --> 00:38:46,840 And to ask you this, I mean, or to say this, Mike, you know, 677 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:50,440 every backyard you finish, you know, you, after a while it 678 00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:52,080 dribbles those thoughts into your head. 679 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:54,320 Could there be a wee bit more? Did I give up? 680 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:56,800 I don't think I gave up easy. I mean, I really, I think I went 681 00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:58,920 to the wall. As I said in my little poem, I 682 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:00,080 am the wall. I went to the wall. 683 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:05,080 But I think I got a few things wrong at the end with just 684 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:09,360 mental clarity, with sheer desire. 685 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:13,360 I mean, I have deep desire, but maybe what you know, Harvey 686 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,280 Lewis broke his ribs and ran 12 more loops. 687 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:20,800 Harvey Lewis went to ER with fluid on his lungs while running 688 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:24,160 for another day. You know, I watch people pass 689 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:26,360 out unconscious. I'm not advocating we all do 690 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:29,640 that, but I have some pretty high standards for myself and 691 00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:32,080 I'm super proud I got to 40. I could have dropped out of 692 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:36,160 3435. Forty was a magnet in that. 693 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:37,720 It pulled me, but then it repelled me. 694 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:41,440 It pulled me because I feel quite proud to get to 40. 695 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:45,040 I think 40 is a decent number, particularly at Biggs, but when 696 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,040 you get to 40, it repels you from going further because 697 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:48,920 you're like, yeah, you got 40. I didn't give up. 698 00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:53,240 I tried really, really, really, really, really hard, but yeah, I 699 00:39:53,240 --> 00:39:54,560 got it wrong. I stopped Nikki and I shouldn't 700 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:58,680 have. Yeah, I've done I think 13 or 14 701 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,280 backyards now and four of them have won. 702 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:07,000 So eliminate them. Nine of them I stopped too 703 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:10,640 early. One of them, which was the team 704 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:14,320 championship I. I stopped because I was injured 705 00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:18,320 and 14 months later I can still feel the injury, so it was the 706 00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:19,800 right choice to stop that. Was the right choice. 707 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:24,160 That was the right choice. So that there was 9 yes, I 708 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:28,840 moment of weakness I stopped and hopefully I've gotten over that 709 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:31,040 and. But but, but, but, Mike, that's 710 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:32,400 it. That's the beauty of backyard. 711 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:35,720 Because you strongly believe you, learn you, you know, Mike, 712 00:40:35,720 --> 00:40:37,280 you. Each time you stop, there's 713 00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:40,080 something in there, right? Yeah, you can stop for good 714 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:41,160 reasons. You can be done. 715 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:42,840 Like done. Like totally done. 716 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:45,880 When I did 28 loops in Singapore, I was done. 717 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:48,000 Now I was done because I'd fuelled incorrectly. 718 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:52,320 And when I stopped in Singapore on 20 or Luke 29, it took me 17 719 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:56,160 minutes to go. OK, now I'm done, right? 720 00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:59,400 Like now down to my head could have done that faster. 721 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:03,160 You know, I actually watched Stephen King's The Long Walk, 722 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:04,400 the movie. I actually don't think it's a 723 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:08,480 great movie, but that's actually backyard 3 miles an hour if you 724 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:11,760 stop, it's a horror movie. You actually got shot like in 725 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:13,960 the movie The Lady. You know, I wonder what I wonder 726 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:17,760 what they thought. But you know, that's the only 727 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:19,720 thing I would say now is that I'm interested, Mike, in your 728 00:41:19,720 --> 00:41:22,280 view on this. When I got to 28, you know, I 729 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:26,760 did 28 and when I went to Biggs, I said to myself, if I stop in 730 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:30,960 the 20s, I'll be sad If I stop in the 30s, if I'm in the 40s, 731 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:33,440 I'm proudish of that. In the 50s wild dreams. 732 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:37,320 Now I've got to 40. I can see 50 like I can, I can 733 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:40,840 see 50 and I'm dreaming of 60. Mike, what do you I'm I'm 734 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:43,000 interested in that view because I think for all you know, the 735 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:47,160 when I met 100 yard people there, Sam Harvey, Harvey Lewis, 736 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:51,560 they can see 100 and 3040 now. But when you look back only five 737 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:54,000 years ago, 61 bigs people couldn't see it. 738 00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:55,400 You know, like the four minute mile. 739 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:57,680 As soon as it's broken, everybody's let's let's go. 740 00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:00,760 That's what you learn, I think from the ones you stop. 741 00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:02,680 It lets you visualize a little bit further. 742 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:08,000 Yeah, what what I say to people is stopping earlier than you 743 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:12,400 thought you had to moment weakness, whatever it is, as 744 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:14,840 long as you learn from that, then it's OK. 745 00:42:15,560 --> 00:42:18,600 You can get over it if you, if you've learned your mistake and 746 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:23,000 fix it next time. But yes, a lot, a lot of people 747 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:26,920 say don't set a target. I say do set a target, but your 748 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:32,320 target should be hard to achieve, but just achievable and 749 00:42:32,320 --> 00:42:38,280 no more. So I, I think I'm capable of say 750 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:43,760 100 yards that that scares me that I probably not be able to 751 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:45,760 sleep the night before because it scares you that much. 752 00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:49,640 But if you don't set it, then you're not going to achieve it. 753 00:42:50,360 --> 00:42:53,320 There's a there's a great running philosopher called 754 00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:56,880 George Sheehan who wrote running philosophy back before we had 755 00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:58,800 running influencers. He was a running influencer back 756 00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:01,240 before it was a thing. And he one of his favorite 757 00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:03,120 essays. He wrote short one page essays, 758 00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:05,200 kind of where I learned to write running poetry from. 759 00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:08,600 Don't reach for what you can, reach for what you cannot. 760 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:11,480 And I love that phrase, you know, let's reach for what we 761 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:12,840 cannot. It can't be crazy. 762 00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:14,640 Cannot. It can't be like, oh, I'm going 763 00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:15,840 to fly. Oh, you can't. 764 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:20,840 So that's not happening. But you know, Mike is, it's not 765 00:43:20,840 --> 00:43:24,040 impossible 100, I get it. 100 is wild and scary and now they're 766 00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:26,920 in. But backyard particularly, I 767 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:31,080 think you've got, you see, might, you know, there's a long 768 00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:32,560 debate. Have a goal, don't have a goal, 769 00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:35,000 you'll stop at your goal. But if your goal is wild, then 770 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,240 it's OK. Don't, don't think you can do 10 771 00:43:37,240 --> 00:43:39,880 and have a goal of 10. Yeah, that's, that's to me 772 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:44,400 that's a No 10 and put out 24 because that's like 100. 773 00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:46,880 So. And I've noticed a trend, most 774 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:50,040 people who really improved their PPE improved by about 50%. 775 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:52,480 So mine was 2850% would have been 42. 776 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:56,560 So I went from 28 to 40. So you see I'm delusional. 777 00:43:56,560 --> 00:43:58,440 I convince myself I can go from 40 to 60 now. 778 00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:00,440 Yeah, easy done. My maths works. 779 00:44:00,680 --> 00:44:04,840 But I think whatever you've done before, you can at least do 50% 780 00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:07,520 more at least and then dream bigger. 781 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:12,920 Do you think having people like Phil and Harvey and Batos and 782 00:44:13,240 --> 00:44:17,800 Lars and every, the whole bubble so to speak, do you think that 783 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:22,200 had a massive contribution to carrying on and just the buzz 784 00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:25,760 from it all? 1,000,000% absolutely. 785 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:29,480 I couldn't have been more excited to do it there. 786 00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:31,440 I couldn't have been more focused to do it there. 787 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:35,480 I think it does. I think, you know, only 72 788 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:41,280 people get to step there and no spectators, only one crew member 789 00:44:41,280 --> 00:44:43,760 per person. No one else can be there. 790 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:49,560 I mean, it's hallowed turf to be in that corral when last stood 791 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:51,640 at the beginning. And 72 of us hover. 792 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:55,400 And it's a crazy thing. The tents are all set up. 793 00:44:55,960 --> 00:45:01,760 We start at 7:00 AM at 640. Blaz gets out his spray can and 794 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:04,360 marks the corral. Like, he literally marks it 20 795 00:45:04,360 --> 00:45:06,800 minutes before we go. And he just does it with a spray 796 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:08,440 can. Like, you know, the tents are 797 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:10,520 there, the media's there. And he sprays it. 798 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:13,480 And he says stand inside the line. 799 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:15,600 And when you get in the line, you're tight. 800 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:18,120 And when I stayed inside the line, I was standing because 801 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:20,800 Phil does a slow loop. I was standing with Phil and 802 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:24,680 Harvey, you know, how can you not want to give your best? 803 00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:29,360 And when I beat my best at Biggs, you ring a bell and I 804 00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:33,360 beat my best 29. And I think, I don't know, maybe 805 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:36,160 because I am excitable about it. Maybe because I'm a sales guy. 806 00:45:36,160 --> 00:45:39,120 I talk to cameras and like, I do a bit of speaking for life. 807 00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:41,680 Maybe because I had stupid shirts on, like donut shirts, I 808 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:43,880 don't know. But the camera came up to me and 809 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:47,520 asked me how I felt about doing my best here. 810 00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:53,360 And I burst into tears because it meant that much in that 811 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:57,240 moment, you know, and happy tears, of course. 812 00:45:57,920 --> 00:46:00,680 But it really did. I'm like, and I said to do that 813 00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:05,200 here in front of last and these people and my crew, Marcus, who 814 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:07,520 had made it, you know, I think, you know, I always want to give 815 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:10,520 so much love to my crew because I think I'm not doing what I did 816 00:46:10,520 --> 00:46:11,840 without that. Yeah. 817 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:14,440 I don't think I was doing 40 anywhere else. 818 00:46:15,040 --> 00:46:17,040 Do I now think I can do more of because of course I do. 819 00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:22,360 But I, I think going to bigs and being in that environment, 820 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:27,400 nobody gets to bigs being half hearted about backyard. 821 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:30,880 No one's there like, oh, you know, I, I got a ticket for the 822 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:31,920 London Marathon. I just did it. 823 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:34,560 No, no disrespect to the London Marathon or anything else. 824 00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:36,920 Everyone inside that little corral. 825 00:46:37,680 --> 00:46:40,320 I mean, it's Christmas Day. It's straight up it's Christmas 826 00:46:40,320 --> 00:46:42,200 Day. Well, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, 827 00:46:42,200 --> 00:46:45,080 the next day, 27th for Phil, it goes to almost to New Year's, 828 00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:46,680 right? He has a whole week of fun. 829 00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:51,280 And when he was spraying the corral, that was he smoking. 830 00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:54,400 Was he smoking less smokes to start with? 831 00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:56,080 Less smokes? Yeah, yeah, he doesn't smoke. 832 00:46:56,240 --> 00:46:58,280 He's not a chain smoker. I don't want to make that out. 833 00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:00,280 But he'll smoke a few, a few an hour. 834 00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:04,320 You might not know the answer to this because you were busy 835 00:47:04,320 --> 00:47:08,360 running, but given how much it rained, how many times did he 836 00:47:08,360 --> 00:47:11,960 have to remark the corral? So it's a very good point. 837 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:14,800 I don't know because I was running, but it seemed to be 838 00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:19,160 from what I could tell because it didn't it didn't splodge out. 839 00:47:19,160 --> 00:47:23,680 I think he has some indelible spray marking so it seemed to 840 00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:27,520 stay solid the whole time from what I can tell. 841 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:32,680 And you mentioned 80 yards for the at large list. 842 00:47:32,680 --> 00:47:37,520 I'd probably agree with that. I think this time round we 843 00:47:37,520 --> 00:47:41,720 thought it was going to be 82 and because of visa problems and 844 00:47:41,720 --> 00:47:43,600 stuff it dropped down to in the 60s. 845 00:47:44,400 --> 00:47:49,400 So I would imagine two years time you're you're looking 80 at 846 00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:52,840 least to get there. I, I think so. 847 00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:57,320 And if we look at at Backyard, as we mentioned before we 848 00:47:57,320 --> 00:48:01,280 started recording the first time at Biggs, 18 loops won it and 849 00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:05,560 there was only 20 people there. It's been going for maybe 12 850 00:48:05,560 --> 00:48:09,280 years. Then only five years ago, 60 851 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:11,760 loops won it. This year I think 40 people got 852 00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:16,280 to 60 loops or 30 people, I'm not sure if you saw the numbers, 853 00:48:16,560 --> 00:48:19,040 but over 1,000,000 people watched the live stream, 854 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:23,320 1,000,000, right. So obviously on and off, on the 855 00:48:23,360 --> 00:48:25,320 hour, on and off, they watched the live stream. 856 00:48:26,600 --> 00:48:28,520 There are 600 backyards around the world. 857 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:31,080 And Mike, you have a backyard from your garden in Sydney. 858 00:48:31,240 --> 00:48:35,360 They have 500 people in it. It sells out immediately. 859 00:48:35,960 --> 00:48:37,920 So more and more people are going to come. 860 00:48:37,920 --> 00:48:42,960 Yeah, I think, I think it's 80 this year and I think it maybe 861 00:48:42,960 --> 00:48:48,440 rolls into the 70s, but Laz isn't going to change the number 862 00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:51,760 of people at Biggs. It is 50 + 25. 863 00:48:52,000 --> 00:48:54,720 That's it. So yeah, I think it's only 864 00:48:54,720 --> 00:48:58,240 getting hotter. Yeah, there there was talk of 865 00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:02,560 moving it somewhere else or I don't know what. 866 00:49:03,320 --> 00:49:06,480 We'll just have to wait and see. Oh my, oh, I would break my 867 00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:09,200 little heart. Oh no lads, lads, lads, don't do 868 00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:10,600 it. Lads, if you're listening, don't 869 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:14,040 do it. So I was an Iron Man. 870 00:49:14,040 --> 00:49:15,880 I wasn't an Iron Man. I did Iron Man before this went 871 00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:19,360 to Kona and when they moved Iron Man, I think you might know the 872 00:49:19,360 --> 00:49:21,160 history, they took Iron Man away from Kona. 873 00:49:21,560 --> 00:49:25,240 I mean guys, I, I have spewed on Facebook to Iron Man 874 00:49:25,240 --> 00:49:27,000 Corporation. I even wrote to the CEO. 875 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:30,840 I'm like, dude, and I don't know if you ever saw, but about six 876 00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:35,040 years ago, lads and April Fool's joke sold Barkley and Backyard 877 00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:38,520 to Iron Man for a dollar. He said it was a good deal to, 878 00:49:38,600 --> 00:49:40,320 to sell to these wonderful business people. 879 00:49:40,440 --> 00:49:42,240 He sold it for a dollar. It was an April Fool's joke. 880 00:49:43,480 --> 00:49:49,920 I, I just, you know, that lads was passionately understood that 881 00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:52,960 the visa situation sucks and it's not fair that certain 882 00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:55,560 people and I don't know if you know, the Pakistani champion 883 00:49:55,560 --> 00:49:59,040 Jamal Saeed has twice won Pakistan and twice not been able 884 00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:00,400 to go. And that's not fair, you know. 885 00:50:00,400 --> 00:50:08,800 But hey, look, just my view. I, I cannot imagine why the day 886 00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:12,160 course is iconic at bigs. It is rolling. 887 00:50:12,160 --> 00:50:15,600 I don't think it's, it's, it is 144 meters per loop. 888 00:50:16,640 --> 00:50:18,560 So it's hillyish, but it's rolling. 889 00:50:18,920 --> 00:50:21,240 You can trip and fall in this rocks and everything. 890 00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:25,960 And the night loop, the road loop is long and it's beautiful. 891 00:50:25,960 --> 00:50:29,480 It's amazing. I just, I just don't see why we 892 00:50:29,480 --> 00:50:32,120 would move it. I, I know there are people who 893 00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:35,320 would like and again, including Phil Gore, who has said on a 894 00:50:35,320 --> 00:50:37,120 podcast he would be in support of it moving. 895 00:50:38,040 --> 00:50:41,640 I hope they never do. And you say that as well, sorry. 896 00:50:41,640 --> 00:50:44,920 Make it Las if you're listening, Las if you are listening, please 897 00:50:44,920 --> 00:50:53,440 come on the podcast. I think the advantage for your 898 00:50:53,440 --> 00:50:58,080 point of view, and I probably agree with it, certain companies 899 00:50:58,080 --> 00:51:01,160 that you may or may not have mentioned are in it for the 900 00:51:01,160 --> 00:51:02,800 money. They're corporations. 901 00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:05,920 Las is not. He's doing it for the love of 902 00:51:05,920 --> 00:51:10,240 the sport, so I think. I look and and I had this 903 00:51:10,240 --> 00:51:14,000 incredibly lucky. So I finished on 40 hours, went 904 00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:16,200 back, tried to sleep, didn't because I'm all messed up blah, 905 00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:17,600 blah, blah. But you know, there's another 906 00:51:17,600 --> 00:51:20,400 60-70 hours of racing. So I stayed around and for most 907 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:21,480 of that time I was at the campsite. 908 00:51:21,720 --> 00:51:23,840 Las is not a guy you just take time from. 909 00:51:23,840 --> 00:51:26,640 You don't just take his time. He wanders around with his own 910 00:51:26,640 --> 00:51:29,560 aura, but he's an incredible guy in between 1 loop, I think it 911 00:51:29,560 --> 00:51:31,240 was loop 80. He rang the bell and he just 912 00:51:31,360 --> 00:51:33,440 wandered away from the start line and he happened to stand 913 00:51:33,440 --> 00:51:34,240 next to me. We had a one. 914 00:51:34,240 --> 00:51:38,640 We had a one hour conversation, me and Las, I mean as a fanboy 915 00:51:38,640 --> 00:51:40,680 of it, I, I, I was in heaven. It was amazing. 916 00:51:41,320 --> 00:51:45,680 And I asked him, well, as you must know that this backyard is 917 00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:48,640 is a thing now. This fire is not dying like this 918 00:51:48,640 --> 00:51:51,760 is the thing like it's growing and and it need and this 919 00:51:51,760 --> 00:51:53,120 commercial. And he said, look, I have a 920 00:51:53,120 --> 00:51:54,240 team. I understand, I know it's 921 00:51:54,240 --> 00:51:56,000 commercial. We're figuring it out because 922 00:51:56,280 --> 00:51:58,800 hey, look, somebody else could just start AI was going to call 923 00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:00,600 it run till you drop. You know, somebody could start 924 00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:03,840 their own 6.7 K race format, right. 925 00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:06,240 Phil Gore was talking about a professional league. 926 00:52:06,680 --> 00:52:09,720 Does everybody have to come under Biggs, You know, and we 927 00:52:09,720 --> 00:52:14,080 had Stephanie Gillis Pollard on the show who runs the media for 928 00:52:14,080 --> 00:52:16,680 Biggs. She did not say this. 929 00:52:17,080 --> 00:52:22,680 She did not say the names. She said our show just last last 930 00:52:22,680 --> 00:52:25,760 week was called, is this a UT MB moment for Backyard? 931 00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:28,360 She said sponsors are knocking her door down now. 932 00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:30,760 She said there was a million views. 933 00:52:31,920 --> 00:52:34,320 Sarah Perry, Like Sarah's. Sarah's. 934 00:52:35,320 --> 00:52:36,800 Sarah, if you're listening, I don't think you're going to be a 935 00:52:36,800 --> 00:52:39,880 teacher much longer, right? Sarah's innovate the amount of 936 00:52:39,880 --> 00:52:42,040 sponsorship. Sam Harvey's a full time runner 937 00:52:42,040 --> 00:52:43,920 now. Brands are knocking. 938 00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:46,720 The there is money coming. I don't. 939 00:52:46,920 --> 00:52:50,600 You know, we all like money. Does money help soulful sports? 940 00:52:50,720 --> 00:52:53,360 I don't think so. Is money coming to bigs and 941 00:52:53,360 --> 00:52:54,280 backyard? Yes. 942 00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:56,760 Will it ruffle some feathers? Yes. 943 00:52:56,960 --> 00:52:59,560 But it's Analyzer's pragmatic. He's a bright, intelligent, 944 00:52:59,560 --> 00:53:05,600 pragmatic dude. It's complex, I don't know where 945 00:53:05,600 --> 00:53:09,160 this goes, but you're right, money will take this sport 946 00:53:09,160 --> 00:53:12,440 somewhere and I hope as much as possible in a good way. 947 00:53:13,280 --> 00:53:16,840 I think as you say though, like with the money and lies being 948 00:53:16,840 --> 00:53:20,000 the way he is, I think that's the appeal with Barclay as well, 949 00:53:20,000 --> 00:53:23,680 because it seems so top secret and it's what, a dollar 950 00:53:23,680 --> 00:53:27,480 something for the entry. That's the appeal of it. 951 00:53:27,760 --> 00:53:32,000 You know, it's so hard to get into the I think people do like 952 00:53:32,000 --> 00:53:33,840 that. So I think it would be a shame 953 00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:36,000 if they did commercialize it too much. 954 00:53:37,120 --> 00:53:41,400 Yeah, but, and, and I agree it's $1.60 and so the entry for 955 00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:46,360 Barclay is $1.60, a number plate taken from a car in your country 956 00:53:47,200 --> 00:53:50,000 and whatever item of clothes Las wants that year. 957 00:53:50,120 --> 00:53:53,320 So he might ask for a shirt or some socks or something. 958 00:53:53,320 --> 00:53:57,160 So Las gets clothes and you know, and you know, at backyard 959 00:53:57,400 --> 00:54:00,120 he's wearing the white shirts that he gets from Barclays. 960 00:54:00,120 --> 00:54:02,400 Oh, it's too funny. Like it's all too hyper 961 00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:04,080 connected. Of course. 962 00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:06,480 Do sponsors want paid in, you know, socks? 963 00:54:06,560 --> 00:54:10,680 No. But you know, when Iron Man 964 00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:14,520 started, it started because a runner, a swimmer and a cyclist 965 00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:18,200 in Hawaii or in California, I think in Hawaii said, who's the 966 00:54:18,200 --> 00:54:19,360 fittest? And they were getting drunk in a 967 00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:21,600 bar And they said, well, why don't we put it together? 968 00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:24,800 And then 12 people turned up on a beach and they got drinks from 969 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:28,120 711 and they did a marathon swim, which was the Waikiki open 970 00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:30,240 water swim. They did their round Honolulu 971 00:54:30,240 --> 00:54:33,080 bike ride, 112 miles. And then they ran the course of 972 00:54:33,080 --> 00:54:35,680 the, of the, of the marathon. And the reason it's called Iron 973 00:54:35,680 --> 00:54:39,200 Man is that John Collins, the guy that invented it, created a 974 00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:41,760 trophy. He found a nut like a like a nut 975 00:54:41,760 --> 00:54:43,760 from a car. He got a coat hanger and bent 976 00:54:43,760 --> 00:54:45,720 the coat hanger into the shape of a man. 977 00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:48,720 And he said whoever wins gets the Iron Man trophy. 978 00:54:49,360 --> 00:54:52,480 Every sport started from a soulful beginning. 979 00:54:53,120 --> 00:54:56,560 And you know, John sold that to somebody for a million or 980 00:54:56,560 --> 00:54:59,280 whatever. He sold it to somebody who sold 981 00:54:59,280 --> 00:55:01,560 it to private equity. Now I work in finance. 982 00:55:01,560 --> 00:55:04,480 I'm not going to crap on private equity, but for the money, not 983 00:55:04,480 --> 00:55:06,200 for the soul. We then sold it to a huge 984 00:55:06,200 --> 00:55:10,400 conglomerate. And you know who owns UTMB? 985 00:55:11,520 --> 00:55:16,200 Iron Man, right? So would Iron Man buy Backyard 986 00:55:16,200 --> 00:55:19,160 one day? There's money coming for 987 00:55:19,160 --> 00:55:21,440 backyard. I mean, this sport appeals to 988 00:55:21,440 --> 00:55:25,240 non runners, 1,000,000 viewers. There's more viewers watching 989 00:55:25,240 --> 00:55:26,360 this in UTMB. I think. 990 00:55:26,400 --> 00:55:29,640 I don't know that for sure, but I think and if you're a, if 991 00:55:29,640 --> 00:55:32,360 you're a normal human and you don't run, what are you watching 992 00:55:32,400 --> 00:55:34,080 UTMB or Backyard? You're watching backyard. 993 00:55:34,400 --> 00:55:37,720 It's way more entertaining because every hour and in this, 994 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:42,600 in this world of social media storytelling, I mean, I think 995 00:55:42,600 --> 00:55:47,160 Backyard's going to be huge. Yeah, I I would quite. 996 00:55:47,160 --> 00:55:50,280 Confidently say it's probably one of the fastest growing 997 00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:52,440 sports. If you don't, if you say it's a 998 00:55:52,440 --> 00:55:55,840 different sport than normal, normal running, then it's one of 999 00:55:55,840 --> 00:55:57,840 the fastest growing sports in the world. 1000 00:55:58,280 --> 00:56:02,360 Yeah, and that will attract money and but it's still a 1001 00:56:02,360 --> 00:56:05,480 great, you know, it, it is. It's the appeal, it's the 1002 00:56:05,480 --> 00:56:06,960 greatness. And you know, there's everything 1003 00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:09,400 from bigs to somebody who just runs one loop. 1004 00:56:11,200 --> 00:56:16,040 Unbelievable. And getting back on our 1005 00:56:16,400 --> 00:56:24,920 questions, no, actually the question before that, what was 1006 00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:30,160 your most the moment at Biggs that made you the most happy? 1007 00:56:30,160 --> 00:56:33,160 Was it running bigs? Was it your our conversation 1008 00:56:33,160 --> 00:56:34,400 with Laz? What? 1009 00:56:34,400 --> 00:56:37,200 What would it have been? Wow. 1010 00:56:37,320 --> 00:56:43,840 I mean like I read questions. There was this singular moment, 1011 00:56:43,880 --> 00:56:50,480 a big slap. 6 or 7, so super early on the day course. 1012 00:56:51,280 --> 00:56:54,440 People describe the day courses. Beautiful. 1013 00:56:54,640 --> 00:56:56,600 It's in the forest. So it's, I'm not going to say 1014 00:56:56,600 --> 00:56:58,520 it's just a forest, but it's just a forest. 1015 00:56:59,120 --> 00:57:03,000 Just to let you know, that's a, it's kind of like a lollipop 1016 00:57:03,600 --> 00:57:08,800 course. You go 2K out, 2K in a loop, 2K 1017 00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:11,920 back. Laz owns all that land. 1018 00:57:12,600 --> 00:57:14,560 Like it's not just in his back. He owns that forest. 1019 00:57:14,680 --> 00:57:19,240 That's Laz's forest. It's Laz's backyard loop 6 or 7. 1020 00:57:19,240 --> 00:57:22,000 So I was on most of the day loop. 1021 00:57:23,000 --> 00:57:26,920 I was lost because I'm the slowest and quite often it's 1022 00:57:26,920 --> 00:57:29,360 twisty, turny. And I distinctly remember Mike, 1023 00:57:29,360 --> 00:57:32,760 it was about two KN. I couldn't see anybody. 1024 00:57:33,680 --> 00:57:37,280 There was nobody there. I'm stone cold lost and I never 1025 00:57:37,280 --> 00:57:39,720 panicked. I have enough confidence in 1026 00:57:39,720 --> 00:57:40,720 myself. I knew. 1027 00:57:41,120 --> 00:57:45,600 And I remember thinking a earlier version of Ned would be 1028 00:57:45,600 --> 00:57:49,600 panicked and run up and, you know, younger ego as a young 1029 00:57:50,320 --> 00:57:53,200 man. Oh, I got a show and and I was 1030 00:57:53,200 --> 00:57:57,040 just cruising through the forest on Lazar's property with no one 1031 00:57:57,040 --> 00:58:00,000 else insight. And I'm like this duality. 1032 00:58:00,560 --> 00:58:02,000 I'm literally just by myself in the forest. 1033 00:58:02,000 --> 00:58:06,120 No one can see me. And I'm also at the world champs 1034 00:58:06,120 --> 00:58:08,840 at the same time. Like I'm running, I'm doing both 1035 00:58:09,280 --> 00:58:12,560 like I'm doing both and I'm lost, but I'm not panicked. 1036 00:58:12,840 --> 00:58:15,760 But I remember Lazar's voice. You know what I'm you know what 1037 00:58:15,760 --> 00:58:17,680 I am. I'm lost and 1st because 1038 00:58:17,680 --> 00:58:19,400 everyone's lost and 1st until you drop out, right? 1039 00:58:19,520 --> 00:58:24,040 So I'm both lost and 1st and I remember, you know, as you can 1040 00:58:24,040 --> 00:58:25,400 tell I'm excitable, an emotional guy. 1041 00:58:25,400 --> 00:58:28,240 I remember thinking Oh my God, this is beautiful. 1042 00:58:28,320 --> 00:58:29,960 And it was on this. It's funny you say this because 1043 00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:32,400 I haven't really thought about it was on this downhill bit that 1044 00:58:32,400 --> 00:58:34,200 was actually quite smooth. A lot of it has got lots of 1045 00:58:34,200 --> 00:58:37,360 trippy bits. But this I've described Biggs 1046 00:58:37,360 --> 00:58:39,320 course as a mountain bike type of trail. 1047 00:58:39,320 --> 00:58:43,440 It's up, down, flowy, turny. This was on a beautiful down 1048 00:58:43,440 --> 00:58:46,840 towards a Meadow. I was just having a beautiful 1049 00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:50,920 run in the forest and I was like, this, this is beautiful. 1050 00:58:51,280 --> 00:58:58,320 Yeah, I felt super special. And still at Biggs, because 1051 00:58:59,000 --> 00:59:01,320 we're all, we're always at Biggs in the mind. 1052 00:59:04,240 --> 00:59:08,440 Is there anything that you've learned about yourself that you 1053 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:17,840 you didn't expect from Biggs? That, yeah, that, that, that 1054 00:59:17,960 --> 00:59:22,520 I've used this word and I, I actually hadn't used this word 1055 00:59:22,520 --> 00:59:26,920 much before so, and, and I now use it repeatedly. 1056 00:59:26,920 --> 00:59:31,040 So if you ask the question, what have I learned about myself from 1057 00:59:31,040 --> 00:59:34,280 Biggs that I didn't learn before was that I'm grateful. 1058 00:59:34,880 --> 00:59:38,800 It wasn't that I wasn't grateful before, but when the guy, the 1059 00:59:38,920 --> 00:59:42,080 the amazing camera crew asked me when they put the camera on 1060 00:59:42,080 --> 00:59:43,800 face, how do they feel? I said I feel grateful and I 1061 00:59:43,800 --> 00:59:46,720 really did. I felt that at 58 that I'm 1062 00:59:46,720 --> 00:59:50,760 healthy enough that that are 58. I still have an ego and I want 1063 00:59:50,760 --> 00:59:54,040 to compete and I want to do great, that I have family that 1064 00:59:54,040 --> 00:59:58,080 supports me. It really struck me how lucky I 1065 00:59:58,080 --> 01:00:00,680 was to be there. And in my other life. 1066 01:00:00,680 --> 01:00:02,760 I had a start up. I mean, it went really big. 1067 01:00:02,760 --> 01:00:04,840 It was like start up of the year in Singapore, big huge tech. 1068 01:00:04,840 --> 01:00:07,440 And then it liquidated. It shot, lost everything, right. 1069 01:00:07,880 --> 01:00:11,440 And you know, I went to a pretty dark place from that. 1070 01:00:12,120 --> 01:00:14,560 And to have come back from that. I now have a fry thing Little 1071 01:00:14,560 --> 01:00:20,160 business by running works. I had five months out when I 1072 01:00:20,160 --> 01:00:24,480 thought I wasn't going. I, I don't think, damn, I should 1073 01:00:24,480 --> 01:00:26,000 have got it. Depends if you want to. 1074 01:00:26,360 --> 01:00:32,920 I've got my coin now and it sits by my bed and I don't rub it for 1075 01:00:32,920 --> 01:00:35,040 motivation or inspiration. I rub it each morning for 1076 01:00:35,040 --> 01:00:40,600 gratefulness that holy crap, like I did that, like I did that 1077 01:00:40,600 --> 01:00:44,920 and I'm capable of doing that. And yeah, I think I realized 1078 01:00:44,920 --> 01:00:53,040 that I I am more grateful for everything than I thought I was, 1079 01:00:53,200 --> 01:00:59,600 and Laz and Big showed me that. And if you could hear the inner 1080 01:00:59,600 --> 01:01:04,200 monologue of the net on the start in corral, at the very 1081 01:01:04,200 --> 01:01:09,880 beginning of Biggs and at the start of Yard 40, how different 1082 01:01:09,880 --> 01:01:12,920 would they be? Incredibly different night and 1083 01:01:12,920 --> 01:01:14,280 day. Totally different. 1084 01:01:14,680 --> 01:01:17,840 The the the beginning, Ned, is this, you know, in a child? 1085 01:01:17,880 --> 01:01:19,720 It's Santa Claus, it's Christmas. 1086 01:01:20,040 --> 01:01:24,720 Oh my God, this is amazing. And honestly, like, I'm, you 1087 01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:26,600 know, I tell myself I'm going to win this stuff. 1088 01:01:26,600 --> 01:01:28,560 Like I'm winning, like I'm winning. 1089 01:01:28,840 --> 01:01:31,200 You know, I know I'm not, but why not? 1090 01:01:31,200 --> 01:01:32,800 Who does it? Like tell yourself you're 1091 01:01:32,800 --> 01:01:35,080 winning, right? I think I even told Phil that 1092 01:01:35,080 --> 01:01:36,560 was ever coming in. He was like, yeah, nice. 1093 01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:41,440 You you crack on young lad on loop. 1094 01:01:42,120 --> 01:01:47,160 So actually loop 41, if I may Nikki, because so up until loop 1095 01:01:47,160 --> 01:01:51,040 35, I'm not going to say it was steady state, but it was really 1096 01:01:51,040 --> 01:01:55,160 hard and I had my ups and downs, but there was no but I but I was 1097 01:01:55,160 --> 01:01:58,680 OK on loop 35. So I run walk. 1098 01:01:58,680 --> 01:02:03,120 So I do like not exactly. I pick roughly 10 minutes and 1099 01:02:03,120 --> 01:02:05,680 when I start a course, I don't know, it's like OK, roughly 10 1100 01:02:05,680 --> 01:02:08,280 minutes. Is that lamppost every 9 or 10 1101 01:02:08,280 --> 01:02:14,400 minutes or little up hills? So I I run walk on the road 1102 01:02:14,400 --> 01:02:15,720 course. I'm going to call it the road 1103 01:02:15,720 --> 01:02:17,720 because the day and the night gets a bit confused with Biggs 1104 01:02:17,720 --> 01:02:20,840 This year because we stayed out on the day course. 1105 01:02:20,960 --> 01:02:23,200 It was 56 minutes with run walk. OK. 1106 01:02:24,080 --> 01:02:29,200 I then up until hour 11, from hour 11 till hour 41, we're on 1107 01:02:29,200 --> 01:02:33,480 the road course and I ran walk and was doing on average 53 1108 01:02:33,480 --> 01:02:37,320 minutes. On loop 34 it was 54. 1109 01:02:37,440 --> 01:02:40,920 On loop 35, it was 55 S by loop 36. 1110 01:02:40,920 --> 01:02:46,080 I'm like, OK, I have to run now otherwise this run walk is going 1111 01:02:46,080 --> 01:02:46,920 to time. Yeah, I can see it. 1112 01:02:46,920 --> 01:02:49,640 Like I can feel it, you know, and I'm also getting into a bit 1113 01:02:49,640 --> 01:02:56,320 of unknown territory. And my mindset was I felt I saw 1114 01:02:56,400 --> 01:02:58,120 it. I am running to the end here, 1115 01:02:59,160 --> 01:03:02,840 whereas before the belief was I could Oh my God, I've done 30. 1116 01:03:02,920 --> 01:03:05,560 Hey, I've done 31. Oh my God, I've done 32 and I 1117 01:03:05,560 --> 01:03:08,120 didn't see an end. Maybe 36. 1118 01:03:08,120 --> 01:03:12,480 It's hard to remember 3536 and you, you know this. 1119 01:03:12,480 --> 01:03:15,520 I'm not AI, am not a fighter, I'm a lover, I'm not a boxer. 1120 01:03:15,520 --> 01:03:17,600 But you know this impression in boxing bite down. 1121 01:03:17,880 --> 01:03:19,680 You know that that that expression. 1122 01:03:19,720 --> 01:03:21,760 You know when it gets hard when someone punches in your face, 1123 01:03:21,760 --> 01:03:23,040 just bite down in your mouth guard. 1124 01:03:23,400 --> 01:03:26,840 Don't feel it like from 36. My mindset was just bite down on 1125 01:03:26,840 --> 01:03:30,160 this like this. So I was putting a caffeine pill 1126 01:03:30,480 --> 01:03:33,400 every loop. I had this kind of hardcore 1127 01:03:33,400 --> 01:03:36,120 music in my ears. Oh, Mike, one thing to let you 1128 01:03:36,120 --> 01:03:38,400 know, particularly if you think you're elegant to mix. 1129 01:03:38,600 --> 01:03:41,040 No music on the day course, no headphones on the day course. 1130 01:03:41,200 --> 01:03:45,160 Not allowed on on on on the forest course, only on the road. 1131 01:03:46,120 --> 01:03:55,080 So Nikki 3637 I'm now I stopped talking, head down night port 1132 01:03:55,080 --> 01:03:58,240 shining on that bitter Rd. And you know The funny thing is 1133 01:03:58,240 --> 01:04:04,200 Nikki, I was charging, sprinting and I'm going at 820 per K, 830 1134 01:04:04,240 --> 01:04:08,440 per K, but that felt like sprinting and I could feel it. 1135 01:04:08,640 --> 01:04:16,040 5555 and a half, 5656 and a half, 57 and on loop 40 as I'm 1136 01:04:16,040 --> 01:04:19,560 coming back up the hill, it's quite steep to finish loop 40. 1137 01:04:19,560 --> 01:04:21,880 I knew I'll finish it. I found myself in the grass, 1138 01:04:22,200 --> 01:04:24,000 running along in the grass of the road. 1139 01:04:25,280 --> 01:04:29,560 And then my legs started to not buckle, but like I was 1140 01:04:29,560 --> 01:04:32,400 struggling to get up the hill and I and my brain was like, 1141 01:04:33,400 --> 01:04:36,320 this is it. And when I got it on Luke 40, 1142 01:04:37,760 --> 01:04:40,480 you can bring your chair to the start line rather than go back 1143 01:04:40,480 --> 01:04:42,720 to your tent. Marcus, for the last few loops 1144 01:04:42,720 --> 01:04:45,960 had my chair by the start line and I sat down and I was just 1145 01:04:45,960 --> 01:04:51,360 staring at my esky and I just, you know, my brain was 1146 01:04:51,360 --> 01:04:55,000 disintegrating and, you know, that childlike wonder had gone. 1147 01:04:55,360 --> 01:04:58,840 I was biting down the music this kind of in my ears. 1148 01:04:59,000 --> 01:05:01,840 And when 41 started, within a few steps I knew like I just 1149 01:05:01,840 --> 01:05:04,200 knew, like I could barely move it. 1150 01:05:04,240 --> 01:05:08,640 And as I came out, you come out onto the road, I stumbled into 1151 01:05:08,640 --> 01:05:11,280 the bushes and somebody, I don't know if you're listening, thank 1152 01:05:11,280 --> 01:05:15,080 you, kind of pulled me out of the bushes and pushed me back on 1153 01:05:15,080 --> 01:05:16,440 the road. But of course, they have to take 1154 01:05:16,440 --> 01:05:18,720 on you can't wait for anybody. You know it's not. 1155 01:05:19,000 --> 01:05:22,360 You know, it's not, it's, it is every man for themselves. 1156 01:05:22,360 --> 01:05:29,800 Everyone helps and very quickly. I was 500 meters into loop 41 1157 01:05:30,840 --> 01:05:35,840 and it taken 8 minutes to go 400 meters and I stopped and it was 1158 01:05:35,840 --> 01:05:37,640 4°. By now, you know, coming from 1159 01:05:37,640 --> 01:05:41,520 Bali, 4° is cold and it's 4°. Some people said with the wind 1160 01:05:41,520 --> 01:05:43,680 chill it was zero. I just had my running shirt on 1161 01:05:43,680 --> 01:05:48,000 to a wet running shirt. It's four and I stopped and you 1162 01:05:48,000 --> 01:05:51,400 can see the lights go off in the distance and I knew I was like 1163 01:05:52,720 --> 01:05:58,920 8-8 minutes for 400-8400 meters 8 and the lights have gone. 1164 01:05:58,920 --> 01:06:02,160 So I stop and as soon as you stop, but you know what I did? 1165 01:06:03,280 --> 01:06:06,400 I looked back up the hill to the start line, which was around the 1166 01:06:06,400 --> 01:06:09,240 corner. Nobody could see me and I didn't 1167 01:06:09,240 --> 01:06:11,600 want to go back because if I go back, it's over. 1168 01:06:12,040 --> 01:06:14,040 But I couldn't go forward because I wasn't going to make 1169 01:06:14,040 --> 01:06:15,520 it. So I just stood there for a 1170 01:06:15,520 --> 01:06:23,240 couple of minutes feeling sad, proud, exhilarated, not not 1171 01:06:23,240 --> 01:06:26,960 disappointed, but wishing I could carry on, turn the clock 1172 01:06:26,960 --> 01:06:28,800 back. And I trudged back up the hill. 1173 01:06:29,360 --> 01:06:31,440 And as soon as I saw everybody, everybody cheered and Marcus 1174 01:06:31,440 --> 01:06:35,000 hugged and Laz grabbed my hand and gave me a coin that all of 1175 01:06:35,000 --> 01:06:39,800 the good flooded back. But that mindset, and that's why 1176 01:06:39,800 --> 01:06:41,640 I'm quite proud. Like I definitely drilled. 1177 01:06:41,640 --> 01:06:43,440 I smashed my head against the wall a lot. 1178 01:06:44,520 --> 01:06:46,600 Do I now think I could have smashed it some more? 1179 01:06:46,960 --> 01:06:49,080 You know, I did not have 45 in me. 1180 01:06:49,400 --> 01:06:52,400 Did I have 42 in me? 41, maybe 43. 1181 01:06:52,600 --> 01:06:54,600 But have I learned enough to go to 50 or 60 years? 1182 01:06:54,600 --> 01:06:56,880 I have. But yeah, your mindset, I'm 1183 01:06:56,880 --> 01:06:58,880 proud that I smashed my brain pretty hard. 1184 01:07:00,520 --> 01:07:06,080 And listen to a question I've got from Clayton Tabot all the 1185 01:07:06,080 --> 01:07:10,840 way from Australia. He said he he fell in love with 1186 01:07:10,840 --> 01:07:13,840 him on the live stream. The reason why was because you 1187 01:07:13,840 --> 01:07:21,480 said treat each yard like yard one and he's asking are there 1188 01:07:21,480 --> 01:07:25,080 some favorite sayings or mantras that you had during the 1189 01:07:25,080 --> 01:07:27,200 backyard? Well, Clayton? 1190 01:07:27,200 --> 01:07:30,120 Thank you man for the question. I truly appreciate it. 1191 01:07:31,400 --> 01:07:33,920 Me and Marcus and my crew. Marcus, to shout out Marcus, 1192 01:07:33,920 --> 01:07:38,240 I've known Marcus for 10 years. He's German organized. 1193 01:07:39,440 --> 01:07:40,720 Not all Scottish people aren't organized. 1194 01:07:40,720 --> 01:07:43,240 I just don't organize Scottish, Singaporean and Australian, 1195 01:07:43,240 --> 01:07:47,480 whatever I am. But me and Marcus agreed, he's 1196 01:07:47,480 --> 01:07:49,280 quite thoughtful. I'm not religious, but I'm 1197 01:07:49,280 --> 01:07:51,240 vaguely Buddhist. Stay in the now mindfulness. 1198 01:07:51,560 --> 01:07:53,880 So I'm favorite saying is it? It's only now Luke 1. 1199 01:07:54,320 --> 01:07:56,160 When I came back in, Marcus would say Luke 1. 1200 01:07:56,160 --> 01:07:58,400 I would say Luke 1. When I headed out, he would say 1201 01:07:58,400 --> 01:08:00,120 Luke 1. I would say Luke 1. 1202 01:08:00,520 --> 01:08:05,480 So that in my head, the other one that I have and there's one 1203 01:08:05,760 --> 01:08:08,280 that nobody would think of because it was quite particular. 1204 01:08:08,360 --> 01:08:13,320 So I'll tell you that on the day course, tootsies and footsies, 1205 01:08:14,360 --> 01:08:19,680 everybody stumbles and falls. Harvey broke his ribs 3 Two 1206 01:08:19,680 --> 01:08:23,720 years ago, the Indian backyard champion who have done 50, 1207 01:08:23,920 --> 01:08:28,640 tripped on loop 11 and was out. So I spent my entire time saying 1208 01:08:28,800 --> 01:08:30,840 feet and toes. I said tootsies and footsies. 1209 01:08:31,680 --> 01:08:34,040 I'm color blind. I can't see the rocks and the 1210 01:08:34,040 --> 01:08:36,680 roots. So for me, it's even harder. 1211 01:08:36,800 --> 01:08:41,920 And even though I concentrated on it, I still every loop 1212 01:08:41,920 --> 01:08:44,160 tripped, grabbed a tree, nearly fell. 1213 01:08:44,399 --> 01:08:50,160 So I would say, you know, it was that, but this other mantra I 1214 01:08:50,160 --> 01:08:55,680 had was no reality this, that I'm not going back. 1215 01:08:56,000 --> 01:08:58,439 No reality, don't go back. Like this is it? 1216 01:08:58,439 --> 01:08:59,840 This doesn't end. There is no reality. 1217 01:08:59,840 --> 01:09:01,720 There's no world out there. The world. 1218 01:09:02,200 --> 01:09:04,040 I always feel bad saying that because I have a wife and a 1219 01:09:04,040 --> 01:09:05,800 family and I love my world. I don't want to get away from 1220 01:09:05,800 --> 01:09:07,520 that world. But my saying is because 1221 01:09:07,520 --> 01:09:09,920 remember, if reality doesn't exist, you can't stop. 1222 01:09:09,920 --> 01:09:12,279 You can't go back. Like there's nothing. 1223 01:09:12,319 --> 01:09:14,840 You can't go back. And this is going to, you know, 1224 01:09:14,840 --> 01:09:18,720 my wife is here halfway through Marcus, my crew who was updating 1225 01:09:18,720 --> 01:09:21,600 social media has said, oh, your wife sent you some messages. 1226 01:09:21,600 --> 01:09:23,720 Do you want to hear them? And I said, no, not because I 1227 01:09:23,720 --> 01:09:25,600 don't love my wife and I've been together for 35 years. 1228 01:09:25,840 --> 01:09:27,560 I don't want reality to see into my brain. 1229 01:09:27,560 --> 01:09:29,720 There's nothing out there. There's only backyard. 1230 01:09:30,120 --> 01:09:34,720 There's only 6.7 K an hour. I actually sounds super strange. 1231 01:09:35,399 --> 01:09:39,120 You know Lady Gaga's famous meat suit dress she wore. 1232 01:09:39,720 --> 01:09:43,359 I often say like I'm I when I do backyard, I am just a meat suit 1233 01:09:43,520 --> 01:09:45,680 that runs 6.7 K an hour. I'm nothing else. 1234 01:09:46,040 --> 01:09:48,479 That's all I am. And I, I tell myself that no 1235 01:09:48,479 --> 01:09:49,680 reality, you're just a meat suit. 1236 01:09:49,760 --> 01:09:52,920 No reality. Because if you stop, that's the 1237 01:09:52,920 --> 01:09:56,760 end of you. And it works to me. 1238 01:09:56,760 --> 01:09:59,640 It works because of course the minute you stop, reality comes 1239 01:10:00,480 --> 01:10:02,800 boring back into your brain. And reality is beautiful. 1240 01:10:04,560 --> 01:10:07,040 But don't think about reality when you're in there, because it 1241 01:10:08,400 --> 01:10:13,320 gets in your brain. No reality, all right. 1242 01:10:13,640 --> 01:10:19,200 Bit of a fun question for you. Imagine that the bigs loop you 1243 01:10:19,200 --> 01:10:22,000 choose whether it's night or day loop, forest or Rd. 1244 01:10:22,760 --> 01:10:25,000 Imagine it was like a Super Mario track. 1245 01:10:25,800 --> 01:10:29,600 If you could pick up one power up during your yard, what would 1246 01:10:29,600 --> 01:10:37,160 it be? So it doesn't matter what OK, 1247 01:10:37,680 --> 01:10:40,440 just to ask a question. Is this a personal superpad just 1248 01:10:40,440 --> 01:10:41,600 for me? Yes. 1249 01:10:42,320 --> 01:10:43,640 OK. Oh, I know exactly what they 1250 01:10:43,640 --> 01:10:47,560 need. I'm I would pick the the the day 1251 01:10:47,560 --> 01:10:51,920 course, the forest course and I would pick the ability to run 1252 01:10:51,920 --> 01:10:54,560 downhill like a Wildman like super. 1253 01:10:54,560 --> 01:10:56,800 I would pick downhill turbochargers. 1254 01:10:57,280 --> 01:11:02,600 I am so cautious, so I don't know if I used to vaguely ski 1255 01:11:02,600 --> 01:11:04,680 for Scotland. So I was when I was young, I was 1256 01:11:04,680 --> 01:11:07,160 on the fringes of the Scottish mogul team, so I actually 1257 01:11:07,160 --> 01:11:08,680 trained with the Scottish mogul team. 1258 01:11:08,840 --> 01:11:10,880 So I used to rampage downhills on my skis. 1259 01:11:12,160 --> 01:11:14,080 I've done mountain bike races across Mongolia. 1260 01:11:14,080 --> 01:11:18,000 I've done some mountain bike racing, but I'm very cautious. 1261 01:11:18,960 --> 01:11:23,720 So downhill I was like tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe. 1262 01:11:24,320 --> 01:11:26,280 I'm a super good hiker. I used to hike in the Oak Hills, 1263 01:11:26,440 --> 01:11:31,520 so to the backpack at at Biggs, there was like a front pack and 1264 01:11:31,600 --> 01:11:33,640 middle and back. I would catch them on the 1265 01:11:33,640 --> 01:11:34,760 uphills. I'm a really good hiker. 1266 01:11:34,920 --> 01:11:36,640 So on the Alps I would catch them. 1267 01:11:37,120 --> 01:11:38,160 Oh, down there, they're all gone. 1268 01:11:38,520 --> 01:11:40,080 I think they're laughing. They're like, what happened to 1269 01:11:40,080 --> 01:11:41,600 him? Did he stop like Jesus Christ 1270 01:11:41,960 --> 01:11:46,840 like So I would pick downhill supercharger blasters and hey, 1271 01:11:46,840 --> 01:11:48,960 I'd be finishing the day loops real quick. 1272 01:11:51,080 --> 01:11:55,880 And another fun question for you, Ned Banks, which runner 1273 01:11:55,960 --> 01:12:00,120 would when in a talent show and what would their act be? 1274 01:12:01,160 --> 01:12:03,920 There's only one. There is the infamous, the one, 1275 01:12:03,920 --> 01:12:13,480 the only bagman, Mishi, Richie Ricciaro, his act to, you know, 1276 01:12:13,480 --> 01:12:18,800 you meet some humans who just have this unbelievably beautiful 1277 01:12:18,800 --> 01:12:21,000 character. I do not know if he sings or 1278 01:12:21,000 --> 01:12:23,360 dances or things. I think he is a storyteller. 1279 01:12:23,600 --> 01:12:27,120 I think Mishi is one of the great storytellers of our sport. 1280 01:12:27,160 --> 01:12:32,600 His English is really good. Not perfect, but when he conveys 1281 01:12:32,600 --> 01:12:36,440 something to you, I think Mishi isn't. 1282 01:12:36,640 --> 01:12:39,080 He's an actor. He's an entity. 1283 01:12:39,200 --> 01:12:42,200 You know what Mishi is. So do you know who I mean by 1284 01:12:42,200 --> 01:12:43,120 bagman? Mishi? 1285 01:12:43,120 --> 01:12:44,960 Do you know who I mean? Mishi Macharo. 1286 01:12:44,960 --> 01:12:47,360 Yeah. He carries a bag, right? 1287 01:12:47,600 --> 01:12:50,480 And I'm going to tell you his bag story, which I've told 1288 01:12:50,480 --> 01:12:53,680 before, but it's beautiful. He went out with an umbrella 1289 01:12:53,680 --> 01:12:56,760 when it was raining. When I asked him why, he said 1290 01:12:56,760 --> 01:12:58,680 because I thought it would entertain the others. 1291 01:13:00,400 --> 01:13:03,560 Why is he entertaining us? I don't know if you saw he has 1292 01:13:03,560 --> 01:13:05,280 different fashion for different loops. 1293 01:13:05,840 --> 01:13:09,520 He has trousers and cut offs. And like he has, he quit his job 1294 01:13:09,520 --> 01:13:11,800 to be a professional backyard influencer and backyarder. 1295 01:13:12,080 --> 01:13:15,680 He's done 94, he's 30. His wife works at Deloitte. 1296 01:13:15,680 --> 01:13:19,160 She was there on the back of the computer. 1297 01:13:19,160 --> 01:13:22,360 I'm talking to you on I have my bagman sticker at the end of the 1298 01:13:22,360 --> 01:13:23,680 race. He gives everybody bagman 1299 01:13:23,680 --> 01:13:26,840 stickers, right. So Mishi would be a court 1300 01:13:26,840 --> 01:13:29,280 jester. He's there for our 1301 01:13:29,280 --> 01:13:31,280 entertainment. Are you ready for this? 1302 01:13:31,280 --> 01:13:33,880 So I'm, I've, I've chatted with Mishi a couple of loops. 1303 01:13:33,880 --> 01:13:36,840 He ran slow, fast. He's done 94 so he can go a long 1304 01:13:36,840 --> 01:13:38,120 way. He didn't have his best day at 1305 01:13:38,120 --> 01:13:39,720 bigs. We're in the middle of the 1306 01:13:40,680 --> 01:13:42,800 second night. First night, I don't remember. 1307 01:13:43,520 --> 01:13:45,840 It's not raining anymore, so it must have been towards the 1308 01:13:45,840 --> 01:13:49,520 second night getting dark and he's running with me and he come 1309 01:13:49,520 --> 01:13:51,080 and we've chatted a bit and he knows my name. 1310 01:13:51,080 --> 01:13:54,320 He calls me Ned San in Japan. You say San after you, you know, 1311 01:13:54,360 --> 01:13:58,520 respectful Ned San. I said, hey, Mishy and maybe 1312 01:13:58,520 --> 01:14:00,520 looks 30. I don't, I can't remember. 1313 01:14:01,200 --> 01:14:05,360 Anyway, he says Ned San, you are sweating. 1314 01:14:06,400 --> 01:14:09,280 I said yeah, yeah, Misha. I was running along on the road 1315 01:14:10,080 --> 01:14:14,920 and he looks at me and says may I, I'm like may you, may you 1316 01:14:14,920 --> 01:14:17,120 want Mishi. He said, May I missed you. 1317 01:14:18,160 --> 01:14:20,520 He reaches into his bag of tricks. 1318 01:14:21,000 --> 01:14:23,400 You know those little water misters that cool you down the 1319 01:14:23,400 --> 01:14:27,160 little if you're hot? He brings out a water spray and 1320 01:14:27,160 --> 01:14:31,760 mists my face to cool me down Exactly. 1321 01:14:32,800 --> 01:14:35,800 I gave him I gave him a hug. I really cried again. 1322 01:14:36,240 --> 01:14:41,680 I'm like not for the mist spray. And I asked him, is he is, is 1323 01:14:41,680 --> 01:14:43,320 the mist spray for you? He said, well, for me and 1324 01:14:43,320 --> 01:14:47,240 everyone else, he says, do you need a gel in his bag? 1325 01:14:47,360 --> 01:14:49,080 He carries gels for other runners. 1326 01:14:51,960 --> 01:14:56,880 He's he's, he's such, he's a 30 year old guy. 1327 01:14:56,880 --> 01:15:00,200 He's you know, there's some beautiful souls in backyard. 1328 01:15:00,440 --> 01:15:02,800 That young man, he would be the court jester, not in a 1329 01:15:03,200 --> 01:15:06,480 disrespectful way like doing he's just he's, he's, he's a 1330 01:15:06,520 --> 01:15:09,120 sensational young man and I really hope he makes it. 1331 01:15:09,120 --> 01:15:12,720 He, he told me he's winning bigs one day like that, that young 1332 01:15:12,720 --> 01:15:14,160 man will, he's got a long time to go. 1333 01:15:14,520 --> 01:15:17,600 He's giving up his other stuff. He wants to be a professional 1334 01:15:17,600 --> 01:15:20,600 backyarder. I would love many people to win 1335 01:15:20,600 --> 01:15:24,520 bigs, but if Mishi won, yeah, I'd have a tear for that great 1336 01:15:24,520 --> 01:15:27,360 young man. An entertainer. 1337 01:15:28,720 --> 01:15:31,000 He truly is. Right. 1338 01:15:31,000 --> 01:15:34,440 I've seen a comment, I think it was on Facebook or something 1339 01:15:34,440 --> 01:15:41,480 like that, that Laz said that that they the whistle and the 1340 01:15:41,480 --> 01:15:42,840 bell. It doesn't need to be a whistle 1341 01:15:42,840 --> 01:15:46,800 and the bell as long as it's a significant noise on 321 and 1342 01:15:46,800 --> 01:15:49,920 then go. If you could replace the noise 1343 01:15:50,560 --> 01:15:52,560 so it didn't have to be a whistle or a bell, what would 1344 01:15:52,560 --> 01:15:56,800 you replace it with? That is, that is cool. 1345 01:15:58,960 --> 01:16:01,720 I think it's very OK. So I have to replace them. 1346 01:16:01,720 --> 01:16:04,280 I think it's very hard to replace the bell because I think 1347 01:16:04,280 --> 01:16:08,600 it is such an iconic and iconic thing. 1348 01:16:09,160 --> 01:16:13,880 This sounds weird, but I would like fireworks for three, two 1349 01:16:14,040 --> 01:16:17,160 and one. I would like fireworks. 1350 01:16:17,440 --> 01:16:21,040 So a firework on three because it's just my imagination on two 1351 01:16:21,040 --> 01:16:23,960 and a 1. And I know what I want to start 1352 01:16:23,960 --> 01:16:26,840 it. I want Laz to like a light, a 1353 01:16:26,840 --> 01:16:28,240 cigarette like he does at Barkley. 1354 01:16:28,840 --> 01:16:31,640 I want Laz to light a cigarette on the hour, every hour like he 1355 01:16:31,640 --> 01:16:34,200 does at Barkley. And I know it's not a noise, but 1356 01:16:34,200 --> 01:16:39,880 the sound of his lighter. Just the tiniest little and off 1357 01:16:39,880 --> 01:16:42,640 we fly. But fireworks 321 tell everybody 1358 01:16:42,640 --> 01:16:44,280 what's going on. You can't miss that, right? 1359 01:16:44,960 --> 01:16:52,560 Yeah, at the start of my home grown backyard that I put on, I 1360 01:16:52,560 --> 01:16:56,440 don't have a bell, so I've got a it's one of those clown bicycle 1361 01:16:56,440 --> 01:17:01,120 horns that so. As long as, you know, 1362 01:17:01,120 --> 01:17:03,680 interestingly, Mike, that sounds great. 1363 01:17:03,680 --> 01:17:06,640 When I did Singapore Backyard the the team won the first year 1364 01:17:06,760 --> 01:17:09,400 we were still in lockdown. We'd be given permission to do 1365 01:17:09,400 --> 01:17:10,640 it, but we weren't allowed any noise. 1366 01:17:10,640 --> 01:17:11,720 People were in, blah, blah, blah. 1367 01:17:12,640 --> 01:17:16,760 Our race director just said go because that's all she was 1368 01:17:16,760 --> 01:17:20,400 allowed to do. So sometimes you just have to do 1369 01:17:20,400 --> 01:17:23,160 with what you can. But I think the whistles and the 1370 01:17:23,160 --> 01:17:26,240 bell are the iconic ones. Hopefully, long may they remain. 1371 01:17:26,880 --> 01:17:29,520 Mike, I thought you were going to say you had a conch. 1372 01:17:33,080 --> 01:17:35,320 That would be cool. That would be cool. 1373 01:17:35,320 --> 01:17:37,920 The iconic. It sounds like Nikki, you have 1374 01:17:37,920 --> 01:17:39,760 Barkley in your dreams. One day, maybe. 1375 01:17:40,960 --> 01:17:48,080 Absolutely not I would I would die in the woods within the 1st 1376 01:17:48,120 --> 01:17:51,920 20 minutes just through. My NAF skills are shocking so 1377 01:17:52,080 --> 01:17:54,840 absolutely not. I will leave that to the experts 1378 01:17:55,640 --> 01:17:57,120 I'm. With you, I'm with you, Nikki. 1379 01:17:57,120 --> 01:18:01,560 My NAF skills are terrible. And just a little bit of facts. 1380 01:18:02,280 --> 01:18:05,520 Phil Gore wins an entry to Barkley by winning Biggs. 1381 01:18:05,520 --> 01:18:07,120 The winner of Biggs gets an entry to Barkley. 1382 01:18:07,240 --> 01:18:10,160 He is not taking it. He said he he has he was on 1383 01:18:10,160 --> 01:18:12,640 Paddo's podcast. He said I have 0 interest. 1384 01:18:12,640 --> 01:18:14,440 I have no NAV skills. Not going to buck. 1385 01:18:16,480 --> 01:18:18,840 I wonder what happened. Do you know what happens with 1386 01:18:18,880 --> 01:18:22,320 that entry then? Can he pass on to it like 1387 01:18:22,600 --> 01:18:24,960 someone you would think or is it just? 1388 01:18:25,760 --> 01:18:27,840 So Nikki, to answer your question, I do not know. 1389 01:18:27,840 --> 01:18:29,800 But knowing Las, it won't roll. It won't. 1390 01:18:29,960 --> 01:18:33,920 I know knowing Las, Las is not a guy who's like, oh, let's make 1391 01:18:33,920 --> 01:18:36,800 it fair. He's like, hey, life said this, 1392 01:18:37,040 --> 01:18:39,600 he doesn't want it, it's gone, right? 1393 01:18:39,840 --> 01:18:45,080 And let's face it, he's going to get 1000 letters right from 1394 01:18:45,080 --> 01:18:46,920 anybody who knows how to do it. I do not. 1395 01:18:47,280 --> 01:18:50,520 However, you, whatever you have to do, enough people will work 1396 01:18:50,520 --> 01:18:53,760 it out because there's only 35 spaces of Barkley, right? 1397 01:18:53,920 --> 01:18:58,080 So I think he guards it pretty well given that there must be 1398 01:18:58,080 --> 01:19:00,400 thousands of people and maybe hundreds figure out how to 1399 01:19:00,400 --> 01:19:03,720 enter, how to do it. Mike, do you have Barkley in 1400 01:19:03,720 --> 01:19:07,400 your dreams at all? No, it just doesn't appeal. 1401 01:19:07,600 --> 01:19:10,720 I think it's the navigation. It's when I go over a run, I 1402 01:19:10,720 --> 01:19:14,080 want to go and run. No, if I was to navigate I would 1403 01:19:14,080 --> 01:19:15,560 do orienteering or something like that. 1404 01:19:15,560 --> 01:19:19,000 But I want to run. Honestly, I'm not a NAV, and 1405 01:19:19,000 --> 01:19:21,480 that's why Barclay, excuse me? That's why backyard is so 1406 01:19:21,520 --> 01:19:22,760 amazing. Yeah. 1407 01:19:22,760 --> 01:19:25,680 I mean, if you get lost on backyard, that's on you, right? 1408 01:19:26,640 --> 01:19:30,040 I mean, with Barclay, I would love to go to Tennessee and see 1409 01:19:30,040 --> 01:19:33,680 the big yellow gate and go to the park just to visit it and 1410 01:19:33,680 --> 01:19:35,600 see the prison and things like that. 1411 01:19:35,600 --> 01:19:38,400 Just from a being interested point of view. 1412 01:19:38,400 --> 01:19:41,160 But from a race, no, it's not for me. 1413 01:19:44,400 --> 01:19:49,400 So on a scale from normal human to Phil Gore has a spreadsheet 1414 01:19:49,400 --> 01:19:52,920 for every yard and cab that he does. 1415 01:19:53,400 --> 01:19:55,560 How nailed did you get with your planning? 1416 01:19:56,440 --> 01:20:00,960 Yeah, I mean, we could debate between one or two, but maybe, 1417 01:20:01,200 --> 01:20:05,440 you know, I went to Walmart, I got a trolley and they threw as 1418 01:20:05,440 --> 01:20:08,200 much stuff in it as I could. So that was it. 1419 01:20:08,720 --> 01:20:12,000 You know, to be fair, my nutrition, I used Lekker Gels, 1420 01:20:12,000 --> 01:20:14,640 which is Marx's company. So I brought 72 of those. 1421 01:20:14,840 --> 01:20:17,960 I brought 2 bags of Tailwind. I knew I was having 2-2 scoops 1422 01:20:17,960 --> 01:20:20,720 of Tailwind. I knew I was having two gels. 1423 01:20:20,920 --> 01:20:24,480 I knew I was having 25 grams of protein every four hours and 1424 01:20:24,480 --> 01:20:26,840 you'll have 400 calories. But they were sold in a big bag. 1425 01:20:27,200 --> 01:20:29,120 I brought a table, we poured it on the table. 1426 01:20:29,360 --> 01:20:33,560 I said to Marcus, two of those, two of those, that was it. 1427 01:20:33,800 --> 01:20:35,520 No sleep strategy. Figure it out. 1428 01:20:35,520 --> 01:20:38,320 I had three, 3 minutes sleeps in my chair. 1429 01:20:38,840 --> 01:20:41,480 I don't change shoes or socks. So same shoes and socks the 1430 01:20:41,480 --> 01:20:44,200 entire time. It just suck it up. 1431 01:20:45,080 --> 01:20:47,960 I have a Vaseline strategy, which isn't as much as I can 1432 01:20:47,960 --> 01:20:50,840 humanly put on myself because I don't like rashes. 1433 01:20:50,840 --> 01:20:52,360 I really don't. Holy cow. 1434 01:20:52,360 --> 01:20:55,400 And you know, that'll stop a race like bad rash will stop a 1435 01:20:55,400 --> 01:20:57,960 race like it will. And you guys know, you run like 1436 01:20:58,760 --> 01:21:04,080 so I have, but I'm not nerdy. I and I you may not have seen on 1437 01:21:04,080 --> 01:21:07,280 social media. I got all my I over buy food. 1438 01:21:07,800 --> 01:21:09,080 I'm like, you know, this is Christmas. 1439 01:21:09,280 --> 01:21:11,840 You can never enough quality streets and stuff at Christmas. 1440 01:21:11,840 --> 01:21:15,960 So, so I brought so much coke and stuff and rice puddings and 1441 01:21:16,160 --> 01:21:18,960 I took a photo of it all in a car park on the floor. 1442 01:21:18,960 --> 01:21:21,720 I stood up and I took a photo down and I'm like, I'm going to 1443 01:21:21,720 --> 01:21:23,600 eat all of this. That was my strategy. 1444 01:21:24,040 --> 01:21:26,320 I didn't quite, but yeah, no, I'm not. 1445 01:21:26,880 --> 01:21:29,880 I'm not a nerd. I'm a grab it all, let's go. 1446 01:21:31,040 --> 01:21:36,480 And now of all the the stuff that you bought, what did you 1447 01:21:36,480 --> 01:21:40,360 have anything that was a loyal you mentioned rice pudding 1448 01:21:40,360 --> 01:21:44,280 earlier on. This is my my food and anything 1449 01:21:44,280 --> 01:21:49,040 that you thought was going to be good and ended up not. 1450 01:21:50,640 --> 01:21:58,680 So I know I can't eat savory, but I had certain tins of like 1451 01:21:58,680 --> 01:22:04,880 Stew that I thought would work. 11 spoonful in the mouth did not 1452 01:22:04,880 --> 01:22:06,920 work. Marcus then troubleshoot and 1453 01:22:06,920 --> 01:22:10,680 went and got beef soup. For some reason I couldn't eat 1454 01:22:10,680 --> 01:22:14,560 Stew, but I could eat soup. So that was a surprising thing 1455 01:22:14,560 --> 01:22:16,080 for me. The one thing that works 1456 01:22:16,080 --> 01:22:20,840 incredibly, my trusty thing is sparkling water, fizzy water to 1457 01:22:20,840 --> 01:22:23,800 clean out the sugar and the crap in my in my brain. 1458 01:22:24,040 --> 01:22:27,320 So I rely a lot on because I can, I'm good at eating calories 1459 01:22:27,320 --> 01:22:28,520 so I can get a lot of calories in. 1460 01:22:28,800 --> 01:22:31,400 But it's the I would recommend this and I don't know if you 1461 01:22:31,400 --> 01:22:34,800 listen to free trial by Dylan Bowman, he talks a lot about 1462 01:22:34,800 --> 01:22:36,880 sparkling water. I think sparkling water is a 1463 01:22:37,200 --> 01:22:39,560 even though there's no calories in obviously for cleaning the 1464 01:22:39,560 --> 01:22:41,280 pallet and getting you ready again. 1465 01:22:41,480 --> 01:22:45,280 So my trusty is sparkling water above my calories and my savoury 1466 01:22:45,560 --> 01:22:48,240 always a let down my champion rice pudding. 1467 01:22:50,160 --> 01:22:54,920 And while you're running, what were you thinking about? 1468 01:22:56,880 --> 01:22:59,360 Only backyard, I'm really good. I'm I've really learnt. 1469 01:22:59,600 --> 01:23:01,320 I've really learnt to stay in the moment. 1470 01:23:01,440 --> 01:23:03,080 I haven't really done mindfulness, I've just run a 1471 01:23:03,080 --> 01:23:04,880 lot. It was my 34th year ultra 1472 01:23:04,880 --> 01:23:08,320 running and, and I've really learnt to, to only think about 1473 01:23:08,320 --> 01:23:09,440 backyard. I can, I can get rid of 1474 01:23:09,440 --> 01:23:11,360 everything else I can. I'm, I don't want to say I'm 1475 01:23:11,360 --> 01:23:13,320 good at this, but I'm, I'm good at it. 1476 01:23:14,000 --> 01:23:15,400 On the day course. I just thought about not 1477 01:23:15,400 --> 01:23:18,040 tripping footsies and tootsies, feet, feet, feet. 1478 01:23:18,560 --> 01:23:22,600 There we go on the night course. Ron, don't think of anything 1479 01:23:22,600 --> 01:23:23,640 else. Are you doing OK? 1480 01:23:23,640 --> 01:23:25,080 Have you had calories? Are you OK? 1481 01:23:25,360 --> 01:23:27,400 Are you fine? Let's go, you know. 1482 01:23:27,400 --> 01:23:30,840 Then I ran one loop with Meg Eckhart who is the six day 1483 01:23:30,840 --> 01:23:33,120 champion and you know, we had a beautiful chat. 1484 01:23:33,360 --> 01:23:35,600 Matt Blackburn. I'm sure Mike, you must know 1485 01:23:35,600 --> 01:23:37,000 Matt because he was in the British team. 1486 01:23:37,960 --> 01:23:39,400 What a dude. Hilarious. 1487 01:23:39,560 --> 01:23:41,880 So the beginning of the loop, Matt would ask about my shirts 1488 01:23:41,880 --> 01:23:43,760 and we would chat a little bit about stuff. 1489 01:23:44,040 --> 01:23:47,360 But for most of it, if I wasn't talking to people, which I'd 1490 01:23:48,520 --> 01:23:51,920 love to do, but I wanted to focus, I just thought about 1491 01:23:51,920 --> 01:23:54,400 back. I mean, I'm like again, no 1492 01:23:54,400 --> 01:23:55,360 reality. Nothing else exists. 1493 01:23:55,360 --> 01:23:56,640 No one exists. Nothing exists. 1494 01:23:57,000 --> 01:24:00,280 Only some really good at that. Staying in the moment. 1495 01:24:00,280 --> 01:24:03,920 I only think about backyard because I know once that's over, 1496 01:24:04,920 --> 01:24:07,400 it's another what, 6 months, a year till I think about it 1497 01:24:07,400 --> 01:24:10,280 again. So I yeah, I relish the moment 1498 01:24:10,280 --> 01:24:14,800 to only think about backyard. And one of our signature 1499 01:24:14,800 --> 01:24:20,280 questions on this podcast, as if there's anyone in the world, 1500 01:24:21,600 --> 01:24:25,960 either fat fiction, alive with us or not, who would you like to 1501 01:24:25,960 --> 01:24:27,520 run with? Who would you choose to run 1502 01:24:27,520 --> 01:24:31,360 with? So before I qualified, it was 1503 01:24:31,360 --> 01:24:33,440 always Las. You know, it really was before I 1504 01:24:33,440 --> 01:24:34,760 qualify. I've been asked this question 1505 01:24:34,760 --> 01:24:38,240 before. Before that it was, you know, it 1506 01:24:38,240 --> 01:24:44,000 was always Las. But do you guys know who Lassie 1507 01:24:44,000 --> 01:24:48,840 Veron is? So Lassie Veron, so you know, 1508 01:24:48,840 --> 01:24:52,840 it's because I'm old. He was the Finnish runner. 1509 01:24:53,880 --> 01:24:56,920 So it's two maybe Lassie Veron, a guy called Emil Zatopek. 1510 01:24:57,280 --> 01:24:58,800 You may know who Emil Zatopek is. 1511 01:24:59,800 --> 01:25:01,560 They're both just crazy front runners. 1512 01:25:01,720 --> 01:25:05,000 Like they just, you know these. So I would like to be in a race 1513 01:25:05,000 --> 01:25:09,440 with Lassie Veron, who was a 510K marathon, Emil Zatopek and 1514 01:25:09,440 --> 01:25:12,000 of course, pretty right, Steve Prefontaine. 1515 01:25:12,800 --> 01:25:16,920 I would love to run with these guys who know as soon as they 1516 01:25:16,920 --> 01:25:20,320 start they're torching themselves like they're all out 1517 01:25:20,320 --> 01:25:21,880 from the gun. Let's go. 1518 01:25:23,320 --> 01:25:25,720 Don't give a hell about it. If it blows up, it blows up. 1519 01:25:25,960 --> 01:25:27,520 Imagine running with those people. 1520 01:25:27,880 --> 01:25:34,120 I I have quite a strong view. I actually I post about it 1521 01:25:34,120 --> 01:25:36,080 today. I don't like staying safe. 1522 01:25:36,600 --> 01:25:38,560 I was running today and this dude passed me on the trail. 1523 01:25:38,560 --> 01:25:39,960 He said, oh slow down, it's dangerous. 1524 01:25:40,360 --> 01:25:41,600 Nothing against that dude. Super nice. 1525 01:25:41,600 --> 01:25:45,280 I'm not advocating fast and reckless, but give it your shot. 1526 01:25:45,480 --> 01:25:48,680 Like roll the dice. Let's have a go try it all. 1527 01:25:49,240 --> 01:25:51,840 And I'd love to run with people who who epitomize that. 1528 01:25:51,920 --> 01:25:57,120 So if I can only pick one of those, I say lessee in meal and 1529 01:25:57,120 --> 01:25:59,680 pre. I suppose Pre's the coolest 1530 01:25:59,800 --> 01:26:02,120 there. Let's have a let's have a 5K 1531 01:26:02,120 --> 01:26:04,200 showdown with pre. That'll be my choice. 1532 01:26:05,640 --> 01:26:06,880 That sounds like a good grip run. 1533 01:26:08,920 --> 01:26:11,360 I mean, these boys would be hammering this, that that would 1534 01:26:11,360 --> 01:26:15,760 not be a gentle group run these, these those boys would be at it, 1535 01:26:16,360 --> 01:26:23,360 at it. And please tell us what is next 1536 01:26:23,440 --> 01:26:28,120 for Ned. Is it Biggs so as? 1537 01:26:28,120 --> 01:26:30,600 I told you I'm delusional, so I have to believe. 1538 01:26:31,160 --> 01:26:33,360 I have to. OK, I will. 1539 01:26:33,680 --> 01:26:36,680 I will get back to Biggs. Yes, I have a phrase. 1540 01:26:36,680 --> 01:26:39,880 If you believe you can or believe you can't, you're right. 1541 01:26:40,920 --> 01:26:44,800 So I have to believe I can. The reality is if I go to 1542 01:26:44,800 --> 01:26:48,520 Singapore to race or if I go, I mean, I'm still a resident, 1543 01:26:50,400 --> 01:26:52,640 there's Joshua. He's done 72 at Biggs. 1544 01:26:53,560 --> 01:26:56,720 He's did 50 at at Singapore, but he won that. 1545 01:26:56,720 --> 01:26:57,920 So how much more could he have done? 1546 01:26:58,560 --> 01:27:00,320 Now I've done 40. I think I can do 50. 1547 01:27:00,440 --> 01:27:02,440 And Joshua, if you're listening, we've talked about it already. 1548 01:27:03,040 --> 01:27:05,920 Joshua wants to go back to Biggs in 2027, So do I. 1549 01:27:06,960 --> 01:27:10,040 The money's on him, but every dog has his day. 1550 01:27:11,760 --> 01:27:14,040 Non disclosed yet, but I'll say it. 1551 01:27:14,040 --> 01:27:17,560 And that's still to get home approval for this, but I am 1552 01:27:17,640 --> 01:27:23,280 tentatively approved for Legends in Belgium in the end of April. 1553 01:27:27,560 --> 01:27:31,800 I delusionally you know what? If I can improve by 50% and get 1554 01:27:31,800 --> 01:27:33,480 into the 60s, Delusional, I know. 1555 01:27:34,840 --> 01:27:37,400 Do I think the at large list is coming down to 60? 1556 01:27:37,400 --> 01:27:40,480 I do not. But crazier things can happen. 1557 01:27:40,480 --> 01:27:43,720 So what's next? Probably legends, then satellite 1558 01:27:43,720 --> 01:27:47,120 and then we'll see. You know, I'm dreaming of bigs. 1559 01:27:47,360 --> 01:27:49,320 I've done a bit of research. I don't think a 60 year old's 1560 01:27:49,320 --> 01:27:54,040 been a bigs and I'm pretty sure that no 60 year old has ever. 1561 01:27:54,040 --> 01:27:57,880 So I'm 60 in April 2027, I'm 58 now. 1562 01:27:58,320 --> 01:28:04,240 So what's next is getting back to bigs in some way. 1563 01:28:04,800 --> 01:28:08,080 Also what's next is being the 1st 60 year old to run 60 loops 1564 01:28:08,320 --> 01:28:11,120 and to do that I'm going to do legends, then satellite champs 1565 01:28:12,080 --> 01:28:17,240 and then we'll see. Well, your bigs total qualify 1566 01:28:17,240 --> 01:28:19,880 you for the Singapore team. Yes it will. 1567 01:28:22,760 --> 01:28:27,080 And the last question we have on our question set, unless Mike 1568 01:28:27,080 --> 01:28:31,320 has any more after this, as your race report, as Mike pointed out 1569 01:28:31,320 --> 01:28:34,720 at the start of the podcast can be found on social media and 1570 01:28:34,720 --> 01:28:39,160 poetry form, which is fantastic. Would you be able to give us a 1571 01:28:39,160 --> 01:28:42,680 few lines as how you feel about Biggs now? 1572 01:28:43,960 --> 01:28:46,800 I can and well, look, thank you. I appreciate it. 1573 01:28:46,800 --> 01:28:50,200 I for you guys seeing that perm, Mike, thank you for your perm at 1574 01:28:50,200 --> 01:28:51,240 the beginning. I appreciate it. 1575 01:28:51,440 --> 01:28:57,080 I don't think I'm a a poet. I just always found after doing 1576 01:28:57,400 --> 01:28:59,320 endurance efforts. So I've been doing everything. 1577 01:28:59,520 --> 01:29:01,400 It's my 30 year. I've written a little story. 1578 01:29:01,400 --> 01:29:03,520 So just to let you know, I'm releasing a tiny little book. 1579 01:29:03,600 --> 01:29:06,520 I have about 50 poems and put them in a book form. 1580 01:29:06,680 --> 01:29:09,480 I'm going to release them. It's called one more K Partly 1581 01:29:09,480 --> 01:29:12,560 it's about motivation, about getting about going further, 1582 01:29:12,560 --> 01:29:15,400 about not stopping about. I have, I don't know if you see 1583 01:29:15,400 --> 01:29:17,720 it, but I have a T-shirt, Long live the adventure. 1584 01:29:17,880 --> 01:29:19,600 It's always my shirt. So it says Long live the 1585 01:29:20,320 --> 01:29:22,000 adventure. So I'm always a fan of that. 1586 01:29:22,880 --> 01:29:25,960 But if I just to read a few and I'm going to read, I'm just 1587 01:29:26,160 --> 01:29:28,440 going to put on my glasses to show that I am in fact old. 1588 01:29:28,440 --> 01:29:31,400 I'm not going to read the whole poem because they can find it on 1589 01:29:31,400 --> 01:29:36,400 social media, but I want to read just a few lines from it. 1590 01:29:37,920 --> 01:29:41,520 What we have here, which is, hold on, let me just go to my 1591 01:29:41,560 --> 01:29:48,640 nose here. People say at Backyard it's 1592 01:29:48,640 --> 01:29:51,280 family. And the poem I wrote was called 1593 01:29:51,280 --> 01:29:54,200 We Could Be Heroes, you know, just for five days, taken from 1594 01:29:54,200 --> 01:29:56,280 David Barry's We Could Be Heroes just for one day. 1595 01:29:56,520 --> 01:29:58,520 Obviously five days was a reference to Phil. 1596 01:30:00,360 --> 01:30:04,320 And if I, if it's OK, I'm just going to read the last bit of 1597 01:30:04,320 --> 01:30:07,240 the poem, which is not about me, but it's about the humans that 1598 01:30:07,240 --> 01:30:09,040 were there because I think it's only about humans. 1599 01:30:09,880 --> 01:30:12,520 So I'll just read the last little bit if that's OK. 1600 01:30:13,840 --> 01:30:17,080 So this is part of the poem that after I had finished and this is 1601 01:30:17,080 --> 01:30:22,080 what happened and then I stay for the next three days as these 1602 01:30:22,120 --> 01:30:25,280 outstanding humans tell the world what life is about. 1603 01:30:26,200 --> 01:30:30,080 Evo Belgium hero. He ran 750K. 1604 01:30:30,080 --> 01:30:32,160 He's 55 years old. So much respect. 1605 01:30:32,760 --> 01:30:35,880 Sarah huge resolve comes in small humans. 1606 01:30:36,080 --> 01:30:41,120 She is a giant Harvey, the heartbeat of backyard bagman 1607 01:30:41,480 --> 01:30:43,720 Mishi. He carries a bag of kindness 1608 01:30:43,720 --> 01:30:47,400 with him every loop. And Phil from Planet Gore, a 1609 01:30:47,400 --> 01:30:49,560 true alien. He ran for five days. 1610 01:30:50,160 --> 01:30:54,320 And all of them, the whole family, every racer and crew and 1611 01:30:54,320 --> 01:30:57,600 staff who made this happen, we are family. 1612 01:30:57,960 --> 01:30:59,920 Thank you for all the love that filled my heart. 1613 01:31:00,560 --> 01:31:02,840 And Laz, of course. Thank you. 1614 01:31:03,320 --> 01:31:05,480 They say don't meet your heroes. They are wrong. 1615 01:31:05,880 --> 01:31:08,680 You were way better in person. Thank you for letting me find 1616 01:31:08,680 --> 01:31:11,280 myself in your yard. One of the true honors of my 1617 01:31:11,280 --> 01:31:16,280 life, Ned. Thank you, Ned. 1618 01:31:16,840 --> 01:31:20,080 Thank you, that was lovely. Thank you, I appreciate it. 1619 01:31:21,240 --> 01:31:27,760 And I think we're going to end it there for tonight or today 1620 01:31:28,040 --> 01:31:33,400 afternoon for us. It's a multicultural show 1621 01:31:33,400 --> 01:31:37,600 tonight because you're in one of the many locations that you 1622 01:31:38,280 --> 01:31:42,640 decide. Just got to say thank you, Ned, 1623 01:31:42,640 --> 01:31:44,960 for coming on. Thank you Nikki for being Nikki 1624 01:31:45,080 --> 01:31:48,400 and it's goodbye from me. Thank you for coming on, Ned. 1625 01:31:49,320 --> 01:31:52,600 Thank you guys for having me true honour and privilege and 1626 01:31:52,640 --> 01:31:55,160 thank you for what you do for the for the kind of backyard 1627 01:31:55,160 --> 01:31:56,240 community as well. Thank you. 1628 01:31:56,240 --> 01:31:57,040 Thank you.