Hello and welcome back everybody.
We've had a bit of a Christmas break and today I'm joined by
somebody who've I've crossed paths with quite a few times on
Mark campaign races and if I had to describe her I would say that
is somebody who doesn't like to take the easy option and we'll
get we'll get on to why, why I say that but but tonight my
guest is Victoria, the happy runner, known as the happy
runner on most social media platforms if you want to go and
look her up. So welcome Victoria.
The first question I've got for you tonight is, can you describe
a bit of your running history, how you got, how you started off
with running? I started running in 2016, so as
a child I grew up on stories like my dad was a runner.
He used to tell us a time stories about his running and
yeah, I kind of something I always I wanted to do as a child
but never did. But in 2016 I found myself in a
situation where I split up from my partner and he had the kids
at the weekend, so I was kind of a bit lost.
So I got a puppy and therefore running started.
But yeah, that's pretty much how I started running and I found my
way into long distance quite quickly.
So I would describe sort of like my running now is pretty much
long distance trails or mountains.
OK, you say you got into it quite quickly.
Did you start off with 0 to 5K or zero to ultra marathon?
How do you start off with that? So I I kind of went zero to half
marathon. I had done like Race for Life
with friends, but I wouldn't. I wouldn't say we ran it.
We did a lot of walking, so I definitely wouldn't have classed
myself as a runner. I used to spend a lot of time in
the gym, mostly lifting weights and didn't like cardio.
But yeah, I decided like I was going to start running and I
asked one of the lads who was running the gym classes, did he
want to train for 1/2 marathon with me?
Because I didn't want to go it solo.
And he was like, well, I'm not really a runner, but let's do
it. And we did.
We trained for 1/2 marathon. We did the whole like, plan, you
know, that standard Google plan that you find.
And that was it. Yeah, we did our first half
marathon together and that was kind of where it all began.
OK, what do you still do weights now while you're you're doing
your cardio? Yeah, not as much as I used to.
I don't do as much cross training as one should because
I'm I'm mostly obsessed with running.
But I I do try to do a bit of cross training.
So yeah, I do a lot of weights and I do not a lot of weights.
I do some weights, but I do a lot of stretching and meditation
now which I'm going to class that as cross training.
And I've I've got a static bike which I try to use.
Yeah, so probably don't do as much cross training as one
should, but I do do a little bit.
OK, what's any of the races you've done?
And, well, don't forget into the specifics of what races you've
done before. I'm going to ask a question,
what's your biggest running achievement that you've done?
Oh, this is a really hard question because I've done some.
Really, really cool stuff and it is really hard to decide.
But I think, I think for me personally, my biggest running
achievement was when I ran an orchard every single day for the
month of January and did 1000 miles.
And I think because every single day I had the opportunity to go.
Now I'm not getting out bad. And I I didn't just take the
month off work and run. I was still working.
I was still mumming. I was still like, doing all that
other stuff. That didn't stop.
And I I remember doing days that I spent in the garden because I
didn't have childcare, so I'd be running around the garden.
The kids were playing in the garden.
I did one on my driveway because the kids didn't want to come
outside anymore. It was boring.
So I could see them through the window the entire time, just up
and down on my driveway. So it was, it was really
mentally crazy and it was a really cold January.
We had like ice, no rain. It was horrific.
So I think, yeah, I would say that is personally my biggest
achievement because it just took so much willpower every single
day to get out there and then on the last day deciding to run the
extra miles to make it a full 1000.
It's just like, why would anyone do that?
But it just had to be done. Yeah, I was actually going to
breaking up because we're the start of February now and one of
the Canadian events, virtual events is the accumulator and
that is doing one mile on the 1st, 2 miles on the 2nd and it's
in January. So he calls it the frozen
accumulator. And of course, Victoria, being
somebody who doesn't like to take the easy option, decided to
do the forwards and backwards at the same time.
So did 31 each day, is that right?
Sorry. Two weeks.
Two weeks, yeah, because you did 31 + 1 and then 30 + 2, so it
works out at 32 miles each day for the whole month.
So yeah. I when he put it out to the
group, I thought there'd be loads of people that would go
for it and it was literally only me.
Yeah, So I did think I'd have some people to banter with, but
there wasn't. It was a very quiet 32 miles.
And it's something that he also does is the, I can't remember
what he calls it. So last person standing sort of
thing. Lone lone survivor, lone
survivor. That's the one.
You weren't tempted by that. Nobody stood up.
I was well up for it, like my body was like, we don't want to
stop running. And I think it might have been
the first year in ages. Everyone just went, Nah, not
doing it. I was like, what I I literally
would have been well up for that.
Crazy enough. I was lost the entire month of
February. I didn't know what to do with
myself. And you weren't doing it this
month, This year, Last month. Did you have FOMO?
Fear of missing out. I thought I would, if that's
like the first few days, I was like, I'm going to make sure I
don't like. I only run the streak because I
don't want to fall into the trap that I I have like really big
other goals this year. So that has taken my my focus.
But yeah, I've been trying not to look in the group, but no,
I've I've been OK. Do you normally get that?
Sort of the I'm missing something when you.
It's like, what are you missing? Pain and sleep.
Plus nights. You know, like fatigue.
You say what you're missing, but that's what you're getting when
you do sign up. So OK, next question, Something
that I always get asked and I'm assume you always get asked as
well. And if I I got asked earlier
today, why? Why do you run?
I guess, like when I run, I'm just me.
So I have a really busy, hectic lifestyle.
But when I'm out there on the trails, I'm just, I'm an
individual. I'm not a mum, I'm not a wife.
I'm not a carer. I'm not working full time.
I'm not just another, you know, string in society.
I'm, I'm an individual. I'm out there, you know?
There's all the hustle and bustle of the world, all the
demands, requirements, expectations, they're all just
silenced. And I just find peace when I'm
running. And doing all these long
distance events, do you ever get injured to be?
Fair. I've been really, I say really
lucky. But I'm going to say like, I'm
going to pretend that because I cross trained so well, I look
after my body. But I have had small injuries
and minor things that I've recovered really quickly from
and kind of things you'd expect. Like, you know, when doing
really long distance too quickly, a bit of shin splints,
that kind of thing, or falling over and and, you know, hurting
something. I'm quite fortunate to say that
I've not had something awful happen that last year I hurt my
knee on the track and I was on crutches and the doctor was
like, that's it, three months and then you'll slowly recover.
And a week later I was like stuff these crutches and I was
running with my poles. So yeah, I can't say that I've
had anything that from like a running injury that's really
taken its toll on me, to be fair.
And of course that's because you do lots of stretching.
That's about the. Physiologist and all that stuff.
Yeah, all the good stuff. Do you do you think your diet
has anything to do with that? Since I I went past plant based
in 2018 and I did notice unfortunately I didn't become a
quicker runner, so that sucks. But I did start recovering
really quickly. I'm really well.
I could bounce back really well and I definitely can't blame
that on being young anymore. So I do think that my diet,
yeah, I think that has really helped me.
It's a big difference that I've noticed.
OK, so you are plant based? I'm vegan now, Yeah.
I was plant based for about 6 months and then went vegan.
Right, the the the thing that I'm sure you get asked all the
time, what is your protein source?
Oh gosh, I die without protein, have no energy.
Me, I get a lot of protein from like peas and grains and things
like that. And yeah.
It's it's not it's not an issue. What I'm I'm not like like Oh my
goodness, I need more protein. Where am I going to find it
from? It's it's really not like that.
I think that's a big like big misconception.
Yeah. So yeah.
Just just what I eat every day what is what is my normal is
does me, does me good, you know. Yeah.
I'm asking the question. I'm asking the question.
I I know that you would get asked that all the time because
I've heard people asking it. I've I I'm my wife's vegetarian,
so a lot of my meals are vegetarian, so I know that.
I know the choices. Yeah.
People have to investigate it. I always find if I've got like a
top or my vegan runner top or I've got a plant powered top on
a start line, I'll always get and it will always be one of the
like lads, he's he's like quite hence they'll always do a joke
like oh aren't you going to get tired or like where do you get
your protein from or something And I'm just like, oh I'm always
like I'll have to overtake them at some point to prove the
point. So so during the race, if if the
race doesn't necessarily specifically say they are
putting on vegan food, I know the the spine.
I think they do a lot of vegan stuff but other races like
Mark's races, he puts on pot noodles and well they probably
don't yeah they they don't contain any meat anyway.
So but how how does being vegan sort of affect what you eat
during the race? Can you just go up to a normal
checkpoint and say I you know what is you want or how do you
think about it? Yeah so like fortunately like a
lot of races like an overall are really good and you know they
cater for everyone including people who don't eat meat or
have like a gluten intolerant or you know have special
requirements and that kind of thing like dietary requirements.
But I I very much tend to, I think maybe because I like very
much learn, like Mark Cobain's races where you don't get
anything, you're lucky to get a bit of water.
I I am very self-sufficient. Like I'll have my running vest
on and it'll have like my sachets of active route, which
are really good, and a couple of flapjacks.
And yeah, there had been races like on long last where we were
out with food and we went to a shop and it was like, oh,
there's some fruit pastels like I could eat because it was such
a rural shop. And it was just like maybe
they've never seen someone who didn't eat me.
I don't know. But I remember Gordon being
like, oh, you've got it's fruit pastels, but like, how are we
going to finish the last marathon and fruit pastels?
But I've always managed, you know, I've always had like that
spare flapjack or something. Yeah.
It's it's never, I've never been in the situation where I've been
like that's it. I cannot complete or I cannot
move forward or and you know, I I I have like my love handles to
always fall back on should I need a bit of extra fat.
You you mentioned long last there.
Do you want to describe it's a race that we've both done, one
of Mark's races. Do you want to describe what it
is before before going on to how you approached it?
How would I describe? It's an awful idea.
So long last is 253 miles is that right?
And it spans the length of whales.
But it's it's all Rd. it's all hard, compact under footing and
it's all I think you can get two drop back points if I'm right.
So you get 2 indoor checkpoints and you get how many drop bag
points. I think you get to see your bag
every 50 miles and then there's water every 25 miles.
Yeah, but. You you can go into shops at any
point if there is shops. You're not allowed to take
anything off anyone or use poles, or you're not allowed to
like you wouldn't be allowed to like book into a Travelodge on
route or anything like that. Yeah, it's it's very you're very
self-sufficient out there and like it might not sound a super
long time 25 miles before getting water, but like when
you're in the second-half of that race or for me if you're
slow and back at the pack that could be hours, you know.
So you've got to be really self-sufficient and carry what
you need, and you're going through the night.
It's, it's non-stop and you're sleeping like, you know, on the
floor, on a wall, in a train station, anywhere you can find a
bit of shelter. Yeah, I remember getting one of
the things that they had said in the group beforehand was, oh,
you've got to go to this chip shop.
And I went in the chip shop and queued for 10 minutes, like,
come on, I've got a race to do here.
And then I got a bag of chips and I carried them for about 10
miles. And then when I stopped to eat
them, it was like, this is disgusting.
I don't want chips. But before we go and describe
how you approach long last, can you tell me what sort of what do
you normally wear on your feet? That's changed recently, but
normally if I'm in shoes, I always have worn my Vibram 5
fingers. If I say always from two years
into running, I've worn my vibrant 5 fingers, which are
barefoot shoes or I've worn no shoes.
So that has sort of been the big chunk of my running and training
has been in barefoot shoes or no shoes.
And how do you, why, why did you choose barefoot?
I've personally I've run in barefoot and I've got 5 vibrant
5 fingers. I don't normally run in them,
and certainly not in the last few years, but why would you
choose to run on them? So when I first started running,
I wore Salomon shoes, which when I started running seemed to be
working for me. I didn't really have any
experience what shoes I should wear.
I kind of went Googled it. What's the best running shoes?
There they were. I'm going to buy them.
That make me fast. But and then when I started
doing ultra marathons, my feet were getting sore spots.
I was finding I was going over on my ankle and twisted my ankle
a lot, getting some Eagles, that was, yeah, just getting
uncomfortableness. But you know, is that not what
you get when you run? I thought so.
You know that that's just life. It's runners life.
And then I did Chester 100 and it was my feet were just
wrecked. And I remember taking the shoes
off at the end of the run and putting them in the bin.
I was burned, like my feet were sore.
They were bleeding it. They were just like the the shoe
had rubbed them and I was just like, oh, just ruining my feet.
I'm not taking these shoes home. And I didn't.
Then obviously the next day, walking the dogs, I was like,
I've got no shoes. I've got no shoes to walk or run
in. So then she went out about foot
and it all kind of started from there.
Someone gifted me some running sandals and I started looking
into sparefoot shoes. And that is really just how it
all started and it kind of escalated massively.
You say it's changed in the last two years, but how?
How has it changed? So it it's not in the last two
years, it's in the last eight weeks, it's changed a little
bit. So I've had some some things
going on in my personal life and I've become really I don't know
how to describe it. I'm a lot more emotional at the
moment than I have been. And when I go outside and I'm
barefoot on the ground, I'm overwhelmed with all my emotions
at the moment. And so I guess I'm sort of like
in a healing process. And I've been wearing my Vivos,
which are completely barefoot shoes as well, and they've got
no cushion in the zero drop. But in my head, it's just a
different connection for me rather than my 5 fingers.
So I've been using them to run in recently.
I've done quite a few miles in them.
So yeah, that's changed. So I'm still in barefoot shoes,
but I've not been in my my finger toes as people call them.
Your your foot gloves. My foot gloves, yeah.
Is it something that you want to go into?
Feel free not to help helps you. I'm open to talking about
anything. So what?
What is it that's changed recently for you that's made you
feel that way? So my mum died just over a month
ago and we didn't actually know she was ill until we knew.
And then we we had like a consultation with the doctor and
they had some scans and they said you've probably got six
months, but she only had seven weeks.
So that was like a big, very sudden change in our lives.
OK, and but your mum was obviously a big part of you.
Was she a big part of your running, or just your life in
general? I would say probably my mum was
my biggest fan, as mums are right, yeah she was.
She was just a big part of of everyone's life.
Well hopefully you can use that to take your take your running
forward use use that as an influence to do what it is that
you you need to do in your running.
However it's going to develop you as a person another I'll
just looking at you, I don't know how to continue the moment
something else that you while we're talking big bombshells,
something else that you said was about your health.
You had a health problem. Since we're talking about these
big things, do you want to go into that?
Yeah, so I I gosh, when was it? Like maybe three months ago I
got COVID and it's my first bound of COVID.
Like, I've managed to dodge it for forever.
And I got it about 3-3 months ago.
I had COVID. I had it really bad.
It was awful. Still insisted I did my run
straight every day. That's just me.
But it was it was awful. Like I've never felt anything
like it before. Didn't recover well.
Got told you probably have long COVID, but we're just going to
have to see how it goes. Didn't just didn't recover.
Struggling to breathe of struggling to walk up the
stairs. But it's really hard to explain
to your doctor that you're out running a mile every day, but
you can't walk up the stairs. Like they're just like, are you
serious? It was, yeah, it was horrific.
And then ended up sort of like very much at the doctor's and
had some tests and things and got diagnosed with COPD, which
just basically means like all the sacks in my lungs are just
damaged. And it was it.
I've kind of had this. I feel like I've started right
at the bottom learning how to run again.
And it's like when I run, if I try to push any kind of pace,
it's like I feel like I am going to go into like a heart attack
because I can't breathe, everything's compressed and then
you feel anxious because you're anxious you definitely can't
breathe. So yeah, that that has been
really hard to deal with. Still is really hard to deal
with. I'm on some medication which
seems to maybe be helping, but it's it's not going anywhere
now. I just have to learn how to live
there. I don't have to learn how to run
with that. But yeah, it's things seem a lot
more challenging than they were this time last year or this time
six months ago. Do you think that running has
not necessarily caused it, but made it worse or helped?
Would it be worse if you hadn't run?
I I really don't know. I know you that this would be a
lot worse if I didn't run 100% and maybe this wouldn't be able
to cope with what's happening here.
I don't know. I mean, I know my doctor is like
Victoria, why are you running so much?
But yeah, it it just, I just, yeah, I'm a runner.
Yeah, well, you say you're running so much.
How long has your run streak been going on?
Oh, wow. I I don't know exactly.
I'm at the point where I don't know.
It's over two years. I I I haven't logged.
But I don't, I don't know, like when I first started I was like
one day, 2 day, one month, three months.
And then even when it was a year, I was like wow.
And now it's just normal. It's it's every day.
It's it's like waking up and making a coffee, you know?
So yeah, it's definitely over 2 years.
I just don't, I don't know exactly.
And what's what is your requirements for the streak One
mile? Yeah, it has to be a mile.
And I've always done it outside up to now I think you're allowed
to like, you know, run streak rules you're allowed to do on a
treadmill. I've always done it outside,
yeah. And what happens if you run run
long last you finish at whatever time 5 to midnight?
Are you still going to do the mile the next day?
Oh yeah, I did. I remember doing it the next
day, right? And I was so slow with my
movement. My daughter came out with me and
she was walking and I was struggling and she was like,
mum, why don't you walk here faster?
And I was like, that's not the point.
It doesn't matter what the pace is.
I have to be doing the running. So yeah, it's there's been days
where it's been so slow. It's painful, but I have still
gotten in my run streak. Right.
Is there any any races that you have not done yet and we've got
on the ones that you have done, any bucket laces races, you've
got something you you dream about doing.
That would like, I definitely want to be amazing enough to go
to Lassie's backyard. Like, I think that's the
ultimate backyard dream, a dream.
It's like that whole, like, will never happen.
But I'm holding on to it. All right.
My my last question for the night was going to be what's
next and do you want to see what is next?
Oh, so I am in in March. I'm going to the rattlebock.
Sherbert Pines Backyard Ultra and I made this goal last year
and has been training that. I'd like to break the UK female
record for backyards, which I think it stands at 3636, it
stands at. I'm pretty sure it's 36 or 37.
I'm not good with that, but I know I should be.
You need to get 36, but Karen, a previous guest on HERE 35.
OK. She's the same as me, but I'm
ahead of her technic on a technicality because I won the
race. She was the assist so the winner
gets ahead. So I'm I'm first on the reserve
for the the UK team and she is second or third on the list,
but. You you're going to That is my
goal that I I made that goal last year and I I trained been
training really hard. I I've had this right big break
the eight weeks because I literally stopped everything
apart from my run. St. like I paused work,
everything. I moved in with my mum and dad
and I helped care for my mum full time and running just
probably for the first time in my life just didn't seem
important anymore. So apart from my run straight
every day like my dad would be like have you run today?
But he was that good keeping on top of me but training just
didn't happen. It wasn't important obviously
now I'm just like getting my head back in the game.
We did like a run this month and that was good.
Sort of like it give me a bit of confidence.
Like I had no training in my legs, but and like with the, IT
was like the first proper 1, knowing that I had the COPD and
two weeks ago I found out that I'm allergic to gluten.
So that's just like messed up my fueling plan for life.
So yeah, it was good to get that under my belt and just have a
bit of confidence that I can. I've still got mileage in me.
Let's just find out how much I've got.
OK. How has your you've done
backyards before and you've done big races before.
How has your your training changed?
Do you You're saying that you want to go for the the UK female
record. I don't think they are.
I think you're 1 to go for the overall record.
Don't don't hold yourself back. Come on.
Yeah, so like I have. I have a coach.
It took me a long time to find a coach that I could work with.
Not easy to work with. Would you guess so?
I'm very much for so many years. I just ran like to me, like, I'm
not into the science behind running or anything.
I'm just like, this feels good. So I'm going to do this and if
that doesn't feel good, I'm going to change it and do this
And, like, yeah, and my dad was always sort of like the voice in
my ear going, but you need to be doing like intervals and stripes
and you need to have rest days. I was like, no dad.
And so yeah, like over a year ago I'm at Stewart Bree and
asked him to coach me and I said I just want three months because
that was it. I'd never been able to work with
someone for more than three months, no matter what kind of
coach they were. And it's been over a year now
and he hasn't gotten rid of me yet.
So I think we're doing all right, that he's really good at
just listening to me as a person and making me the training plan
that's unique to me and my life. And because I have a very hectic
life and I am obsessed with running in yards.
So like, like my training plan isn't say, like if it's a 12
mile training run, he doesn't put 12 miles, He'll be like 4
yards. Because that is like my entire
obsession at the moment. I'm like, yes, 4 yards.
You know, I don't for a minute think 12 miles.
And when you say yard, you don't mean one yards approximately a
meter. You actually mean one yard is
4.167 miles. Yeah, I know what you mean.
I make this mistake on Facebook. The other day I posted that I'd
been to the race, I'd done 19 yards and somebody commented
saying I just worked out what a yard is and I was like, oh,
because we because I know we know.
You presume. Everyone knows.
For for the people that don't know a yard is Lazarus Lakes
backyard in Tennessee and it is 4.167 miles loop And the reason
for that is you add up 24 hours and you get 100 miles exactly.
So everybody knows now. So when sorry we're all over the
place but it's all right. There's no format to this.
It's all natural chatting, hopefully while you're running.
Do you listen to music or anything?
On the long, long run. So I always have my headphones
with me because I'm always ready to take a phone call from home
and my brother needs 24/7 care. So if I'm going out on a
training run I want to be able to like, hit reply if the phone
rings, should I need to get home.
And even when I'm out on races, like I'm aware I've got kids if
if they want something, usually it's the 13 year old going mum,
I'm hungry, where are you? And I'm like, dude, I've been
gone two days, but I'm always ready to like, hit, hit my
headphones. But do I listen to music?
Only, Tony, on the really long runs, I I would like just kind
of heading out for a run. And when I run a process, all
the things that have happened, I worked them all out.
And then it's just silence. And I love, like, I go out on
the trails and in the mountains. I want to hear, I want to see.
So yeah, like on the long, long runs or if I've got a particular
podcast I want to listen to, then I'll save that for a run.
I'm obsessed with the Backyard Ultra podcast.
Have you have you listened to that?
Yeah, I really like that. But yeah, I I-9 times out of 10,
I've got nothing in my ears, although I've got my headphones
on and it's a really good tip because I'm not a very social
person. I have like, social anxiety, so
it can stop other people speaking to you as long as you
think you're listening to music. So if you've got headphones and
you've not got music on, what are you thinking about?
Yeah, I usually use like that thinking time to figure out all
the mishaps that have gone on in my day, work them out and just
find that car at tea. And then I'm, I'm very like
crazy minded. So I'm like, oh, there's a bird
and I'm like, oh, there's a tree.
Like, oh, this is a nice half. And it's like, oh, look at that
cow. I'm very much like that person.
That is just me. And I usually end up getting
lost. I just forget to follow the
trail because I'm so busy, like following a bird or a cow.
So yeah, like I'm very all over the place with my thoughts.
And on the the times that you are listening to music, is there
a type of music that you're listening to?
Is there a particular song that you like to listen to?
Yeah, so that would just depend on my needs.
So like my music genre is so scattered.
Like I like Lindsey Stirling, I really like listening to her.
But then I also like Dean Lewis. Or yeah, just like hold.
I'll listen to opera while running, or I will listen to
Like the Hue, which is a rock band from Romania.
So literally just opposite ends of the scale, just dependent on
my mood. OK, before a race 2, two
questions. Do you get nervous and do you
have any sort of pre race rituals that you do?
I always, always get nervous before a race.
Always like a good nervous, like I'm excited and I'm like, what
have I forgotten? Or, yeah, I always get that good
nervous, like those butterflies in your belly kind of nervous.
I don't really have any rituals. I'm usually the night before a
race realized I should be packing or getting prepared, but
I don't have sort of any rituals really, you know, like things
that you always do. I'm just too scatty a person to
be like that. OK.
You said earlier that your life was hectic.
Is that what do you normally do when you're not looking after
your kids? And yeah, describe what you,
what you're normally doing a day-to-day basis.
So I work from home, which is great.
I work in advertising and social media.
I work and I also work. That's quite my pay job that
brings home the bread and butter.
But I've also have my own company with my best friend, so
that that's we run bright, we make active tops.
So that takes up a lot of time as well.
Having your own company in China, just trying to, yeah, get
that we're in our second year and we're still in that like
survival mode. But yeah, I I also like, I've
got my two kids, they're homeschooled, so I do a lot of
homeschooling with them. My brother lives with us, so I
am his full time carer and and we have a bit of land that I've
been trying to grow our own food on.
We've got two dogs, 3 cats, a hamster, 3 tortoises.
I think that's it. Any animal that needs taken in,
we're like come live with us. So yeah, that that's kind of fit
in training and yeah, just just life, really.
Where, where about in the world are you based?
North Wales, So we are like when I look out my window, I can see
like the hill forts of the office diet, the cluidian range.
I don't know if you know where that is.
I can see Jubilee Tower from our garden.
It's like 4 miles on foot and I can get straight up onto the
office. So we're in a really pretty
part, like trails, hills. It's really cool.
So 4 miles. Turn around, come back, Do it
again. Yeah, exactly 1 yard to the
office. I know she described it in
miles, but what's a mile? So it's 4 miles on foot or one
yard. How is it flat you're saying
that you're getting onto? Do you go onto Hills Do?
You. Yeah.
What? What does he normally do?
Flats. Hills.
What do you prefer? Yeah, I get it would be a
struggle to even run around my village and find a flat route,
but the trails here, it's all about what you're used to.
So like I went to Long Bridge this month and it was, I think
it was 600 foot of elevation or 643 foot of elevation per yard.
And like, I was like, this isn't hilly, this is, this is not
hilly. Whereas other people were like,
this is horrific, why would you be going up and down this?
So it's all about what you're used to.
So I would definitely say I'm used to elevation in the hills.
So yeah, I I love being up in the hills and on the mountains
and trying to gasp for air as you climb up something.
Yeah, race that I did last year was in North Wales.
The it's now called Pig in a Hill or something like that.
When I did it was called Lionsgate and everybody said
it's coastal, it's windy, it's hilly, it's horrible.
That's exactly what it's like when you step out my back
garden. I loved it so it was great.
But two races that I've crossed paths with you on are the tunnel
and the bridge, which are. Relatively flat.
I know the bridge goes over a bump, but it's flat.
The tunnel, it can't be that big a tunnel, it can't be that big a
hill because it it does go up at one end and down, but it's flat.
You've done, you've started both.
What attracted you to that? Because they look hard.
I kind of have this thing in my head, like if I'm going to pay
to run, and I do a lot of running and I live in a
beautiful part of the world. So if I'm going to pay to run, I
absolutely want it to be something that's worth it.
And for some reason, I think something that is the most
horrible place to run and in the world or the most mentally
deranging thing is worth paying for because like, you wouldn't
do it off your own back, would you?
Why would you? So yeah, that I was attracted to
them because I knew it was tough.
I'm attracted to things that I probably won't be able to do
because it's a challenge, isn't it?
And like, I don't find a half marathon along my local trail,
the challenge. So I'm not going to pay for it.
So yeah, I'm. I'm definitely attracted to
things that I think I probably won't make that, but I'd love to
try. It's going to be hard.
I I love hard stuff. I I don't know if you've started
Mark's race that's postponed now for because you can't get the
start really, but the hill, have you started that one?
No, no, I have not. OK.
If if that was on, how? What would you prefer?
Something like the tunnel or the bridge or the hill.
Probably. I probably want to do all three
again. The hill.
The hill would be cool. Yeah.
I think anything Mark puts on,
it's always attractive because you think, oh, it's going to be
hard and horrific. Like, take my money, I don't
know what it is. There must be something wrong
with it. Yeah.
I I would probably, Yeah, give that a go.
Yeah. I I haven't done that or already
looked into it, so I don't really know that much about it.
But I have heard about it, yeah. OK.
Is there anything about running that you regret doing?
I regret Darren or. Anything that you may have
missed out on like the hill? I don't think.
That you wished that you had done.
I don't think so. Yeah, I don't.
I don't have many regrets, if any.
I don't think there's anything I've missed out on that I know
of. Well, leading on from that, is
there anything about running that you don't like?
Kayfan. Kayfan is the worst, so that's
pretty much it. Not enough?
Right chafing. A lot of the time it's due to do
bad kits or running a long way. Can you tell us about what?
What's What's your standard kit set up?
Or do you feel like, whatever? Yeah, I feel like you're a lot
more organized than me by the sound of this conversation.
I'm always in a sport that's a given, and I'm always in a We
run bright top normally, and that's pretty much it.
I'm not very I'm not as organized as you, for sure.
Do you do you want to go into You mentioned your company, We
run bright. What?
What is it they do and how do how do people buy, view,
whatever? OK, yeah, so we run bright is we
make colourful, vibrant mood boost in active tops.
So it's literally, we run bright.co.uk and yeah, we
started it mainly because I'm fortunate enough that I'm
sponsored by Fancy, who make all the sports that I wear.
They're really colorful. And I literally, like said to my
best mate one day, like I don't have any cool tops to match my
school. It's like, I'm so sick of like,
taking selfies in rubbish tops. And he was just like, I'll make
you a top. And I was like, what?
He's like, yeah, let's make a top.
And I was like, can we do that? And apparently we could.
We turned out like that was really creative and he draws
like all our designs from scratch and we started making
tops and we were like, we think other people would like this.
And to start with it was kind of like, you know, like your
friend's circle or your friends are buying your tops.
And then it kind of got bigger and we started doing shows.
We managed to get some tops into like some people's hands that
had good profiles. And yeah, kind of escalated from
there. And it's a full time job now and
it's, it's, it's growing, it's getting bigger.
And like half of me is like all my life I haven't got the time
for this to grow. And then the other half of me is
like it has to grow bigger so that this can be my paid full
time job. So yeah, that that pretty much
sums us up. Fair enough, and I've lifted my
jumper up earlier. I'm wearing one of your tops at
the moment because it was a race garment and and you're wearing
one of your tops as well. I am like running on plants.
I'm a bit short. Right.
What you're saying earlier that your your mum was your biggest
fan. How was that?
How's your life changed because of that?
And what, what sort of motivation has do you have now
that she might have given to you?
Or was that ever a motivation for you?
Yeah, so I like one thing that has definitely changed for me
and one thing I'm really struggling with.
It's sort of like when I used to go out on runs, sort of like
that first part of my run, I'd process all the stuff that's
happened in my day and I'd sort it out and then I'd have my
piece. And you can't process that, you
can't fix that. And so like, I struggle now and
a lot of my runs to sort of be in that silence because there's
no processing. You know, we're not, we're not
meant to have to process or deal with something like this.
So that's that's really affected my running.
I started initially. I started to get really bad
anxiety every time I went out. I just got so much, so much
emotion. I'm a really emotional runner.
They're like I run on emotion, which has always been a positive
for me and all my emotion at the moment is not positive emotion,
if that makes sense. So that has been really, really
hard for me. At my mum's funeral, a
neighbour, her neighbour came up to me and she said to me, your
mum always used to rave about you and you're running and she,
she told us that you were a really fierce child, which
really took me by surprise because I'd always describe
myself as a quiet, withdrawn in the shadow kind of child, always
hiding behind one of my brothers or sisters.
But she said that my mum said I was a really fierce child who
she knew would go for. So I guess I'd really like to
find out how far I can go. My mum obviously saw something
Kimmy, but I didn't so I think that's what I'm going to try to
do this year. Yeah and doing doing backyards
is somebody asked me why I I did backyards and it is I I think
the only way that you're going to find out how far you can go
is having something like that to show how far you can go are.
You only stop when you've gone too far.
You don't know how far you can go until you reach your limit A.
100%, so, yeah. OK, Going back to something that
you mentioned at the start meditation, how how does that
get you over yourself, what you're just describing there?
So I started doing. It was actually my boss that
sent me a meditation link. He's a runner as well.
And the first few times that I did, it just like, went
completely wrong because they're like this person in my ears was
like, think of a word and I was just like death.
And she was like focus on that word and I was like, whoa, this
is not going to do so. It took me a little while to
understand where I had to go with it.
But yeah, it like, I started doing it when I couldn't sleep.
And it was really helping me just calm and relax.
I was like managing to come out of like panic attacks and
anxiety with it. And then I was like, do you know
what? This is really good.
And I started doing it every day.
And I've gotten myself like this meditation mark.
It's bright green, obviously. And I got from the run show.
I purchased like this spine thing because I've had some so I
really hurt my back and I've been having some trouble with my
back. So I got that.
So I lay on my green bright green meditation mat with these
bright green like fine full things and put in my ears this
meditation thing that I've been listening to and it just really
helps just sort of like all these crazy thoughts that are
going on. It just helps me just come to
sort of one focus and just breathe and just find sort of
that that inner piece in the day.
And I've also like I I used to do which some things that I've
I've lacked on. I used to do a lot of mental
like mental strength chaining. It's how I trained for long
last. So it's meditation has helped me
come back to that focus and start doing that, that mental
training again, which I think is going to be really important for
me this year. During during backyards you you
obviously you do your your yard, your loop, and you've got a time
period before the next one starts.
Do you meditate during that time?
I don't meditate during that time because I become far too
relaxed. I'm like, I'm going to sleep
now, but I I will do some stretching.
I will like, take my my nap with me, but it won't be the
meditation. But yeah, yeah.
The the a question that I always get asked is what do you think
about when you're running? And I I've no idea.
I really don't know if I was thinking 60 hours into a race,
but somebody else has said that while you're meditating you're
in a sort of you don't know what you're thinking about while
you're meditating. Do you think that's the same
thing? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I suppose so.
You kind of, yeah. It's kind of hard to explain,
yeah. Yeah.
I think for me it, like, helps me focus through.
I think my brain is very cluttered and there's a lot of
noise in it constantly, and which is why I struggle to sit
or stay in a certain place. So yeah, it helps clear that
through. But I can spend hours sort of on
my mat. But yeah, I don't really know
what happened after the clutter decluttering happens.
Would you think about meditating while you're running?
Is that even possible? I don't know.
I. Don't know.
It's like this could be a challenge to find out.
Is it possible like the meditating runner?
I do not know. Yeah, I know.
At least once, possibly more than that.
I've fallen asleep and woken up like 20 meters down the lane
because I've kicked something. So I've been running at the
time. Would you have the same thing
like if you were meditating while you're running?
That you've walk into a tree sort of thing?
Possibly, yeah. It wouldn't be very peaceful
meditation if that happened. Right.
To wrap it up, and this might be a long question, tell us about
something that you talked about earlier was long lass.
How? What happened during that?
What didn't happen? Yeah.
So like when you say what happened during that like.
Well, it it starts in Anglesey. Yeah.
But first stops 25 miles away. I'm not saying going to a blow
by blow of what happened, but first 100 miles.
Oh yeah, 100 miles. There was lots of ups and downs.
Like I started running it with Gordon and, yeah, yeah, Gordon,
Alistair, we started running and further along the line, Alistair
sort of stopped. And that was quite AI said.
I'm an emotional runner. I remember crying like a baby
when he left. I was so emotionally distraught
that we'd lost. Like one of The Three Musketeers
had gone, but me and Gordon pushed on and in our heads we
were doing OK We were on our time frame and we got to the 100
mile checkpoint and Mark was like you.
We're not letting you go on. You're just not here in time.
The people, every single runner that has reached here at the
time frame you've reached it hasn't made it so you cannot go
on. You're just too slow.
You're only going to get slower and slower.
And I was just very much like, I'm, I wouldn't say that I'm,
I'm not an angry person or anything, but if I've got
something in my head, you're going to have to work really
hard to change my mind. And I was like, no, like, like
we had made it within the time frame we needed to make it on
paper per our race instructions, per e-mail.
And I was like, you've got no right to tell me I'm going to
get. So, but like, this is like, I'm
here, you know. And I get we get to run.
And he was just like, look, guys, you know, just carry on on
your own, but you're not going to be in the race anymore.
And I was just like, I had like this.
This race was probably the first race I'd actually put real
effort and training into, which is very unlike me.
And I was just like, no, mate. I was like we're going to carry
on And that proper stuck to my guns.
Proper slip to my guns. And I remember Karen just going
oh God just just let them get to the next checkpoint because she
would probably sick of me going no just and she was just like
let's just see how they go. And he just went go and then get
off be gone with you like really annoyed like God's sake you're
wasting my time because he's just a matter of fact And you
know in theory on paper he's right.
We're only going to get slower. So how the hell are we going to
make it? And off we went just proper like
that. And yeah, like on like if people
were watching the tracker, our ETA, we it was not saying we
were going to make it, we were not going to make it.
There were people ahead of us that their ETA was not going to
make it. But we proper literally just
gave it everything. We absolutely gave it
everything. And I I don't know how how we
did it. There was a point, and I think
it was about 40 miles from the finish and something went in my
foot. And like my dad has always
taught me to respect my body. You only have one body that you
get to live in and there are consequences if you don't look
after it. And I never.
I always pushed past discomfort. And there's always an element of
pain when you run long distance and you understand it's not bad
pain. It's just like, well, we've run
a long way. It's going to hurt.
And but there was something in my foot that I knew was bad.
And I knew that if I carried on, it could be really bad.
And it was the first time ever in a race or running that I
decided to keep moving and push past that.
And it really upset me. I remember like having tears
crying about it because I was almost disgusted at myself for
doing this to myself. But I was just like, this is it,
This is this is the race that I've worked hard for.
And if I if I never run again after this, I'm just going to
have to live with it. And I pushed past that and I
remember the whole like, then every step I was just like, this
is awful. I could feel this thing just
popping in my foot like it was going to explode.
And we literally made it. We made it within seconds into
that finish line ring. We got lost so many times.
We like Gordon's torch died. I lost my watch.
So I was like navigating off the tracker by watching us on the
tracker, seeing if we were going the right way.
So it was just a complete disaster.
Everything was against us and somehow we made it and I just
don't know how. And did you do that in vibrance?
Yes, yeah. And do you think that lasts 40
miles? You would have been any better
with more cushion shoe, or do you think it would have made any
difference you were you were gone anyway?
I think my ability to run long distance is because my feet are
strong, and they are strong because they are in barefoot
shoes and because I run barefoot.
There's no doubt about that. So yeah, like I'd I'd never,
ever even consider like, oh, I wish I had cushion shoes on that
like, never. It never crosses my mind at all.
And you you said you got to the finish, so we know you're
finished. But I I was one among one of the
many thousands of people that were watching online the
tracker, is she going to make it?
And it wasn't just you, it was Gordon as well.
And it was I think an 82 hour cut off to do the 253 miles and
you you finished how how much time did you have to spare?
Seconds. So like Mark's watch was just
like it didn't have seconds on it.
So he was stood that and he could see that 59 and he didn't
know what the seconds were. And I remember running towards
him and it was dark and I was just like, there's this stupid
ring you have to get into, but you have been run round it and
get into the entrance and I remember screaming, have we made
it? And he was like just get in the
ring, right? And it was just like.
It was insane. It was crazy.
They they, the whole crew, like the race crew had been eating a
meal in the restaurant because they didn't believe we were
coming in and they had to just abandoned their meal.
And I remember Karen still had a bottle of wine that she'd like
taken with her because it just on paper, on the tracker.
We weren't making it so they weren't worried.
They're like, oh, we'll go find them when they get in.
And I remember Mark saying to me, like, haven't got your
medals because we didn't think you're coming in.
So they're in the hotel. And he was like, do you want to
get them later? Do you want me to go and get
them? Oh yeah, you're going to get
them. I'll wait here.
He went and got them. We'll just run back to the
hotel, but yeah, it's fine. So yeah, that like that is long
last is unforgettable for sure. Is there final, final question,
is there anything you would have done differently?
A long last. And in fact, it's not a final
question. Anything you did done
differently and would you do it again?
Would I do long last again? No, Because you know, there are
races that you have good times in and you have bad times.
There were no good times in long last.
OK, it was all bad times. It was horrific.
The under footing was disgusting.
Everything was horrible. OK There was not one bit in that
race where I thought, oh, I love being out here.
It was just awful. And would would I change?
I think, no, I don't think I would it it, you know, it was
what it was and the outcome was the outcome.
And yeah, like I've learned. I learned so much during long
last like so much as a person and as a runner.
Yeah. But I wouldn't, I wouldn't
change anything. OK.
Good. Well, my, my last question was
going to be what's next and we've already asked that one.
It's Russell Bock and I'm pleased to say that I'll see you
on the start line again. So I'll I'll I'll help you get
the the female record and then I'll keep going if.
That's OK. Appreciate that.
And you're going to give me a piggyback?
Yeah, some of that. I'm sure that that's not
actually in the against the rules, is it?
I don't think you're meant to get any assistance.
Right, OK. Right.
Victoria known as the happy runner on all social media.
Basically you posts a lot more often than I do.
Quite regular daily is it? I would say so.
Sometimes, yes. Yeah.
So thank you very much and thank everybody for tuning in,
listening. We are now available on all
podcast formats as well. So thank you and goodbye.