In the beginning Episode 9. The world's fastest growing
running podcast. Courtney, how are we travelling?
We're travelling well, but First things first, what were you
doing today? I saw I shared on I shared on
the AC and Aaron page, you walking through Triple M's radio
office one thing. Questions.
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, before you ask your questions, let me just say that
one thing you'll find and as we move forward within the
beginning podcast that I hope the community learns to
appreciate is I'll commit to a bit.
If we are going to do something, I am fully committed.
I'm all in. And that's what you're referring
to today as I walked through Triple M's office in a full
bandit costume, which for those that don't have young kids, is
Bluey. The dad from a blue is dad from
the cartoon. So blue is a blue is a very
famous kids. Blue is a cartoon dog.
Yeah. And so, yeah, today.
Was I got some wolf with whistles I saw.
Hey, some of them something. Girls through there or
appreciating. It they're only human Courtney I
was lucky enough today to go to the media preview opening of
Bluey's world, the new sort of attraction theme park thing
that's been set up in Brisbane next to 8th St on the north the
north side there OK and it's awesome it's where.
We were kind of saying an Olympic Stadium could go over
that way. They're they're talking about
wanting to reclaim a bit of that of the river for these possible
Olympic Stadium. But anyway, Bluey's world
unbelievable. If you've got kids, get along It
is my kids lost their mind. I've got an 8 year old and a
four year old. They loved it.
It was goes you'd probably spend sort of 90 minutes through
there, but it was a brilliant day with the kids.
Then I went back to the office. And you ought to do these things
just for for, for the sake of the station.
So were you dressed up while you're at Blue?
No, no, I thought that might have been a stretch too far.
You just, you just borrowed some of their costumes here.
Well, no, here's the thing. And when people say ohh, you
know, I've been on to blue for ages.
I've had that costume for three years.
I was I used my wife and I, Alana and I trick or treated as
Chilli and Bandit, the mum and dad from Bluey in Halloween
2021. I was walking the streets of
Randwick in Sydney dressed up as Bandit 3 years ago.
You're on it. I was on it.
You're on. I was on it.
I was. I was an early adopter of Bluey.
You're so my kids are too older too.
They're well older than Bluey existed.
Didn't exist. So we're watching different
cartoons. But funny enough, last year when
no one really knew about Bluey coming to Brisbane as Bluey's
World, I got a phone call from Tourism QLD 1 day and said can
you go to Birdsville tomorrow? I don't like Birdsville
tomorrow. Yeah.
What are you doing? How far away is Birdsville?
What some people listening to us thinking it's a run podcast
don't realise is one of my kind of hobbies.
On the side is filming and I do a bit of work for tourism QLD.
Majority of the work is obviously out running trails,
Gopros, you know, all the outdoor adventure type stuff.
That's where I started with them and it's morphed into, you know,
can be anything they'll call on me for.
But Birdsville and they said, do you know the game Upsy?
Keep me up. Keep me up.
No one I didn't know Bluey, but 2.
I had no idea what they were talking about and Long story
short, I went out to Birdsville on that little plane.
You got to take seven stops. You go out through, you know,
like places like Windara and finally get out there.
It's a 7 hour flight to only go 800K or whatever it is, or
actually it's more than 800. It's probably 1600 kilometres.
And then I got out there with a red ball.
I know you use a balloon in the game, but we were using a red
ball and I had to go around town trying to find people to film
doing the games of upsy. Now that was a challenge.
Keep Sorry Keepy, I'll be trademarked here.
Come on. Anyway, so but.
I don't. I've got the for.
What the local for the launch of Bluey?
So Tourism Queensland did this big launch last year around, you
know, an international campaign around Blueys.
What? What Blueys World was coming to
Brisbane? And keeping that.
Ball, part of the promotional, I suppose, tour of getting
internationals involved and all that was this massive game
around Queensland of Kebby up. So they're doing up in North
Queensland, doing it in Brisbane, doing it on the
Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and I got the birds for like.
That is, that is actually an amazing story and I can people
out there who do have kids when you've been calling it Upsy will
be upset because I can guarantee if there's people out there with
kids my age, they know what Keepy Uppy is and they have been
playing it probably for the last 2-3 years in their house.
And today my kids got to play Keepy Uppy in Bluey's actual
backyard. It was a massive thrill.
So well done to you. Thank you for the part you.
Well, it was a challenge. It was because no one, you know,
I'm in the middle of Birdsville, out West town of don't quote me,
but I'm thinking there's probably only there's probably
only 100 people, if that in town at the time.
No one at the pub wanted to do it.
No one anyway, the local policeman was my First off the
rank. He he did it And then literally
at one stage I was nearly walking around, going to go down
to the campsite and just say, hey, can you do it?
And then it all came. I had 24 hours there and it all
came together in the last hour and the the local Ranger did it
for me in a few. Oh, sorry.
I. Was the way.
You know, I ticked it off always the way.
Kept my job. Then you would have had to.
You would have had to have a Birdsville sign in the
background. Too.
Yeah, Birdsville Sign Local Service Station is another
attraction out there. The Billabong, you know, and the
main attraction, Big Red. Of course, well well done to you
on on playing a part in getting Bluey's world.
Yeah, so just thank me for it later.
That's amazing parents. Hey, how's your week been?
Week's been short and even busy. Eventful this week.
Yeah, yeah. So I went down to Sydney.
Red Bull had the World Cliff Diving World Championship on the
Sydney Harbour. So they set up a 27 metre tower
just of scaffolding sitting in there at Macquarie's chair, Mrs
Macquarie's chair with the Opera House in the background.
And the first day I got there actually went out on the went
out to check it out the tower. And they've got a few different,
you know, they bring in, I suppose creators to come and
take some video of themselves jumping off the, the tower.
But what they do is they set up a 5 metre board or A5 metre
gantry, A10 metre gantry. Now A10 metre gantry is what the
Olympic divers go off at the Olympics.
Right. So that's for those playing
along at home. If you've never seen one, if you
go to your local aquatic centre that's got a diving pool, that's
the height, that's the toast, that's the toast, right?
Biggest one they jump at the Olympic Games.
That's. The blue style. 100% and then
you head up to 21 metres for the women's jump and then 27 metres,
so three times that for the men. And the best way I was
explaining it to people on the weekend.
So the next day when the actual event was on, I was out on a
boat hosting a range of people out on the boat having a good
time watching the divers do their thing.
But the day before when I was up there, I was explaining to them
on the boat at 5 metres you just dive in at 10 metres.
It's that kind of level where I'd, I'd run and jump, no
stress, but your knees are that little bit, you know, where
you're kind of like they're holding me back a little bit at
27 metres, mate. You look at it and you go that
that's going to kill me. Yeah, yeah.
It's not even a just. You wouldn't even, it's not even
a thought process of jumping so. These guys are crazy.
There's a reason that they have people waiting at the bottom in
the water. Well, they have, yeah, four.
They have divers, underwater divers on top of the water.
The thing that's really scary is there's one guy just in the
water with a stretcher. What do you mean he that's his
whole good job for the day is a diver sitting in the water next
to the gantry. With a stretcher.
With an orange stretcher and you're like, it's a dangerous
event. 27 metres is so do you know how and this is a this is
sort of a leftover of growing up as playing AFL, Aussie rules
football. I tend to measure things in Can
I kick a footy that far? And I'm not a prodigious kick of
the football. I mean, at my best I can
probably kick 40 metres, so the idea of someone jumping off
something that's 27 metres high is nuts to me.
It really, it really is. It's absolutely nuts.
So we had a great, the weather was good.
I think they got about 50,000 over the two days come down and
watch it. So it was great.
But what I've got the week I hit 100K, so did increase, OK,
everything's moving well. Thresholds improved at the same
heart rate of around 153. Look, I nearly made up 10
seconds, but there is a bit of a shoe story there, OK.
So we'll we'll touch on that later.
I kind of shade it a little bit I think.
So the arrow is still pointing up though on your mileage.
Everything's going, everything's going to plan now.
But what happened was I had two days in Sydney, obviously
running. I wasn't out at the beaches
where I normally stay at Coogee, but I was in the city and
something happened that annoys the absolute crap out of me.
It's when you're running, you run up, you know, I'm out for
quite an easy jog and I'm running up part, you know, at my
easy pace. I'm still running past people.
And I was running across the bridge and as I run across past
someone probably going about another third of their pace,
move past pretty easy, and then suddenly they're on my shoulder.
Do you have this problem? Do you have?
Well, no, because I don't. I don't run past people like
you. It's a.
Pet. It's a the the people I run with
in my group. No, it's a pet gripe of mine
because in the re and there's nothing against someone, you
know, being competitive and wanting to have a run in that.
But it's a fact. I'm out for an easy run on my
own with my headphones in, listening to my music, just
wanting to cruise. And then, you know the feeling
when someone's just there and they're not moving, but you've
gone past them. I've gone, I've come up to them
at a pace where they've significantly speed up just to
run on my shoulder for the morning and but.
How long does this person right? This, to me, is running
insanity. I'm not running quick though.
No, we're talking maybe I was. I was partner along, you know,
444, fifteen, 430 pace. Which, yeah, for some people out
there is quick, but for you it's not.
And for the people who are listening to this on your your
long run or or out on a run in general.
Gonna say he's a whining bastard.
Well, no, no, I look around you and think about doing it because
I've this is this idea to me is insanity.
Why you would want to race up and run like if you've headed
out for a run by yourself, why you would want to do this to
someone is like you would never do this to someone if they
walked past you on the street. No, you wouldn't start walking
on the shoulder or breeze. Running.
Well, I kind of get it. It's like someone to pace you.
You're probably a bit of a challenge to hang on.
You're not running that pace. Why start running that pace?
Competitiveness, I suppose, but why?
It's not the fact that there that annoys me, it's that the
feeling of them there makes me then want to have to speed up
that little bit, which then takes it from being I'm out for
a casual run, not thinking about it and enjoying my music,
enjoying my podcast, to suddenly worrying about why someone's
hanging on to me. It happens on the Gold Coast too
and we're running along the Esplanade.
Happens quite often. Really.
I've never encountered this before.
This is this is a genuine, This is a a new frontier in the
running world that's never been open to me before.
The idea of. Now you might be, you might be
the one I'm accusing, no? I've never done it to people and
it's never happened to me. Now when I go out, if I'm out on
a ride, I will. If there's a group that rides
past me, I'll jump on the back of that group for a couple of KS
because I can, right? If there's a big, big group ride
happening and you know, a group of eight or ten people go past
me and I'm riding by myself, I'll tack on the back because
it's a bit of free speed for me for a couple of KS.
I'd I'd argue they probably think the same thing.
Yeah. Especially if they're a group,
you know, they're out right. And by themselves as a group of
six, they all know each other. That yeah, it's an interesting
one because it's neither right nor wrong, but.
That's I mean, I don't. That's just my opinion.
Yeah, it it, it's annoying. It's really, really annoying
when you're out having your nice run, cruising along and then it
kind of got to work out. Do I speed up?
Do I stop for a drink and just kind of let them go ahead again?
Because the pace differential at that point isn't that different,
right? And it also I, I just don't
wanna hand them out there. I don't want the hassle.
If I wanted to go for a run with someone, I would be running with
someone else. Is the.
Point. Pretty much, Yeah, exactly.
Pretty much that's. I've never heard of that before.
I'm gonna keep an eye out for now.
You know what I'm gonna do it to Somebody did decide to.
See. Yeah, this way.
Just be careful here on the Gold Coast, you don't know what you
know. The the fellas running around
here are pretty built so they they wouldn't take it as.
The mileage is going up, you're getting into dust UPS on the
Sydney Harbour Bridge. Pretty much gonna check I'm
putting everything up on Strava, so go and check us out there if
you wanna see the the nitty gritty of the week.
More fart lick, more insurance, and then the big news is summer
has hit with a vengeance. It is here.
It's here. It's here.
It is drip season. It is just.
So then that's I suppose caused another.
It's not a dilemma, but it's it's caused me to be spending
more money than I want to. What do you mean?
So getting up at 5:00 AM in the morning here at the house or 445
or whatever, I want to get out and I'll head up, head up to the
spirit out to the forest, whatever it is.
Can't wake the house up making a coffee or anything like that.
So local, I've got my local stops at 7-11, you know, $2.00
coffee, UC app, dollar fifty coffee, great deal.
Nothing else is open that time of morning.
But here's where I'm spending more money than I should because
with summer hitting this hard, I'm like, I want to have
something more than just the coffee and I want to have
something to come home with. I've always got Red Bull in the,
you know, sure, if you've seen this in the back of my car is
always full of Red Bulls. So, you know, a bit of sugar
after training, a bit of glucose is always sorted.
But when the weather's this hot and humid, we need something
more. Yeah.
So it's like, OK, what am I looking at buying?
So I've been buying a not a chocolate milk like a protein.
Protein, Protein. Milk like a sanitary Yeah, I
think it's like sanitarium up and go but like extra protein,
30 grammes of protein in it So one of them 490 yeah cheap
coffee, you know, dollar fifty and then I've been grabbing you
know, a bigger like maximus electrolyte too.
Right. So the two, yeah, I know.
They're the bigger talking about good deal.
You get a bit more out of it than the than Gatorade and
Powerade. Yeah, for your money, you grab
two. Yeah, they're on sale.
So you grab two of them. 7 bucks.
So basically every time you're going out for a run, you're
spending $15 at the moment. I'm going to have to go get
another job at the moment just to support my my service station
habits so. Do you grab any actual physical
food? Like do you grab any of those
banana oat bars or something like that at a Mars bar as well?
No, I don't. But I think these days, I mean
you can pretty much get all your food from a servo if you want.
They're pretty decent. Like if you go to one of the
decent servos at the moment, you know, they've got your
sandwiches, you've got your. I even saw the other day they've
got the sushi triangles like you get in Japan in there at the
moment. So there's plenty of options,
but the other option I'd look at look, 'cause I'm, we've talked
about me really focusing on my protein at the moment too.
So the shake's easy and I get a bit of I like drinking it, but
you can also buy in there the Yoghurts.
You know, there's some. Fitness yoghurts in there that I
think about 15 grammes. You ever run with baby food?
No, you've never done it. No, but but the smile on your
face? Yours.
So I don't. Know you've been stealing it out
of the cupboard a few years ago I.
Don't know if I told the back when I got my half marathon PBA
couple, what was it probably a month and a half ago, two months
ago now I they say what is a preparation?
Prior preparation prevents peace, poor performance.
I was not prepared because it was back in Adelaide and I
didn't have any gels or anything.
I what I would normally if I was going out for a long run or in
the trails or whatever. And so I went to just a
supermarket the night before and the closest thing I could find
was coming back to what we were talking about at the start,
Bluey chocolate custards. And that is what?
Bluey saved you. Yeah, Bluey.
Bluey was there for my PBI. Had two of these Bluey chocolate
custard things and they were great.
They were literally. It was perfect for the half
marathon. But the reason I bring up baby
food is because a guy I know who often runs trails and ultras and
swears by, swears by it is a way of getting.
I was talking to somebody about this just the other day about
getting actual sort of some proper food into you on these
ultra marathon type runs, 50K plus sort of stuff through the
mountains. And like he asked me, oh, when
you've done those races, what have you used?
And I've said, well, I've had physical honey sandwiches just
wrapped up in glad wrap. And because it's there's only so
many lollies and good gels and all that sort.
Of too much sugar, you can just ingest sugar.
You need, I found that I needed something.
And so it was like peanut butter sandwiches.
And by the time you've run 10 KS with one of those in your
backpack, it's all squished up anyway.
It's just it's going in your mouth and you know, it all goes
down. Yeah, it all goes down.
The biggest shock I had around, and you're right, in insurance
races, solid food. But the biggest shock I had
around solid food was when I did my First Coast to Coast.
At that stage I was still, you know, racing elite trying to
podium in it. And we got to the so coast to
coast obviously adventure race across New Zealand.
What do you start with? 3K run off the beach.
Then you go into a 60K ride, which is a group ride, 30
kilometre trail run, which is a three hour run, solid back on
the bike for another 15 K time trial.
And then you jump in the kayaks for 70K SO70K downriver, you're
going to be in that cold. Well, my paddling standard, I'm
in there for, you know, 4 to 4 1/2 hours.
The good guys are in there for around 4 hours now, when I
arrived at the transition station to get in the kayak.
So this is probably a good five hours.
Six hours into the race, Into the race.
They were having pies. Yeah, sausage rolls and I felt
like I was missing out. And these aren't just like your
everyday athletes. There's like Braid and Curry who
end up winning the race and, you know, some of the best New
Zealand adventure races, They're all tucking into these savoury
items and there I am still on my goose and my everything else.
You know, no wonder I lost a bit, lost a bit of time in that
one. It's.
Just about fuel in. It's funny, I was talking to and
this is for people out there running whatever level you're
running at today, even if you're going out, I think there's a
we've, I think I might have mentioned it a bit on the last
week. A friend of mine's gone back to
square one with his running and he's targeting the Gold Coast
Marathon next year and he wants to run a good time, but he's
really gone all the way back to square one.
And one of the things that this guy who's helping him with his
training and his nutrition, all the rest of the cities, you're
just not eating enough. You were because we have often,
I think there's probably people out there running today
listening to this. If you are running, thinking I'm
trying to lose weight as well. And Yep, it's about calories in,
calories out, but you gotta, this is your, this is your car.
You've got to fuel it. You can't, you know, your body's
not going to perform well if you're not putting enough into
it. You've got like you've just got
to put, you know, so stop worrying a bit so much about how
you're going to look and start worrying about putting enough
into you so you can make the thing go.
That was a heavy point to make, that was.
A Well, no. Why are you making the point?
I'm thinking, you know, we did a lot of name dropping last.
Week. Yeah, we did.
And. Shout out to all those people.
Yes, Yeah. We're not gonna name you again.
We're not gonna name you. Got that one for free?
No. But I'm I, I got to spend.
I was actually on the boat with Jess Hull.
What did we just say? What did we just say about no,
no, keep going. I love Jess.
Don't stop. Don't name drop.
So I'm kind of half thinking, you know, is this how secret is
this? But we were talking about long
runs because I I was gutted that she was in town.
Yeah. And she went for a long run at
the Centennial Centennial Park on the weekend before she got on
the boat with us to watch the Cliff diving.
And I'm like, oh, I was running around the harbour on my own
with this guy, kind of like breathing down my neck.
Would have been a much better conversation.
I probably wouldn't be able to keep up with Jess either.
But we talked about and she was saying about how she does feel
in her longer runs, fuels up. And I was saying it's beca like
for me, it's a bit of a habit from probably not to fuel up in
my long runs. Like I go out and have a coffee
and then I'll go out and run without anything for two to
three hours in the Bush. Water, nothing.
Yeah, yeah. But I know it's not the right
thing to be doing, but it's just habitual because there was a
period where we kind of went through endurance where we were
doing a lot of fasting. We're far.
We, we thought it was actually the right thing to go out and
teach your body to fast and burn fats.
And I think, you know, my, my limited understanding of, you
know, the full science of it now is you're seeing all the hot,
what you were talking about, all the high, high carbohydrate
stuff is that if you're going to go out, make sure you fuel
properly because then that allows you to recover best for
the next session and and so on. So yeah, so I was literally
having this conversation on Sunday and.
With Jess Hull With Jess Hull, Olympic silver medalist.
You know what? That makes me feel really
special. But but but just.
Let's let's just and hopefully she doesn't listen to this.
Shout out Jess. Yeah, shout out, but I did not
have the heart to bring up our original.
Conversation about the best known runners. 100%.
No, you should have brought it up.
I I did not have the no. No, I thought, bring it up the.
First time I've met her. I just thought let's leave this
one for the key but but bring it up.
Yeah, I, I reckon the, I think we, the, my attitude is
Courtney, anything we say here on this podcast is things I'd be
more than happy to say to people in person.
So you should have brought it up.
Well, next time coming next time.
Well, next time you know what? Organise a group run.
Tell her next time she's on the Gold Coast, let's go for a Group
1 together. I'll enjoy that 1st 200 metres
with you guys and then watch you disappear off down the beach
path. But after talking about it like
we when we were talking about it, we said I like neither of us
had ever met her or didn't know her.
Yeah, and then you get to meet her.
She was, absolutely. Lovely.
So did she say what she fuelled up with on her long runs?
No, she didn't. No, I didn't let anything out of
the bag, but she fuel up. That was fuel.
Up. Yeah, yeah.
See if it's good enough for an Olympic silver medallist.
Should be good enough for you Well.
I should be taking some other things, which means maybe
looking for some snacks at the servo.
Yeah, you're well. And the server, there's, there's
good stuff there. So what about your week mate?
My arrow is pointing up as well. Good to hear.
I am I'm. I feel like I'm I'm running
again. I feel like I'm actually my
mileage is increasing. It's not at 100 KS but I reckon
in the last I've run, what is it Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I've
run five days consecutive at the moment and really paring it
back. I'm, I'm operating at the moment
with a running mantra of run fast, run slow to run fast.
So I am really pulling back on my sort of everyday run pace
wise, like I've probably run 3, 4, four runs in the last five
days have been no faster than 515 pace.
Like really pulling it back. And then this morning, the day
of recording this, I went out and went right now I'm going to
try and run fast. And I did some intervals.
I did 51K intervals with A2 minute rest.
And then I did 52 hundreds with re 32nd rest in between and like
tried to sort of tax my legs a bit with some interval sessions
to speed up. So yeah, I'm but I feel good.
I'm really enjoying running again.
Although getting back to what you said.
Well, I did want to interrupt you.
You saw me. Oh, yeah.
Go. You did describe yourself as a
run influencer the other week. That your team's got a sponsor
now. Yeah.
And AG one. Yeah, you just said.
Oh, here we go in inverted commas, Yeah.
To run fast. To run slow.
Run slow to run fast. Run slow to.
Run slow to run. Run slow to run fast.
The reason I didn't get it right is I think that is like a run
influencer slogan. Is it?
I think so. Oh, no, I think you've just
gone. I think you've just ticked if we
said there was 10 things that you can say that makes you a run
influence, Run influence of bingo.
I think zone 2, whatever you just run, run slow to run.
Fast. Oh no, I've gone full run
influencer wanker. Oh man, I'm sorry.
You. Just you.
Just walked into it No, but you you you claimed you were you
know I. Sponsored that is professional
run influencer now. I mean, hey, look, the facts are
the facts, Courtney, but I feel like such a Dick head now.
I'm I'm so glad you called me on it.
I would have been so angry if we'd got to the end of this and
then you'd told me afterwards. By the way, I'm so glad you
called me on it. I apologise to everybody out
there for using that phrase, but that is the way I'm running at
the moment. I'm hey, run however you want
for me right now I am consciously running slower so
that I can pick these days in my week.
And this is very much inspired by the.
Recovery base. What you told us or the other
week about your sessions, right? Have a speed session, Have a
long run session. I am trying to plan my running a
bit like that at the moment, yeah.
And to run more. So it would make sense what
you're saying around making sure you recover properly so that
when you hit your intensity or you hit your goal sessions that
you're getting the most out of them.
Because that is the other pitfall you can fall into is
just always running too hard. And then you just, you don't get
that variance between it and you also don't get to recover
properly, which is the whole basis of the goal of putting
together a week like we talked about that has structure and has
periodisation and has, has, you know, variances in, in what
level of, you know, what level of pace, but also what level of
physical nature it is. So I have run just quickly you
and I actually you and I went for a trail run.
Oh, we did. Too the other way the other day,
which is the first time we've been back up in the trail since
we actually started this. Trail chat chats.
Trail chats. And the irony is we started
doing this because we used to go for these trail runs together
and have these chats. Well, this might be fun.
That's the first trail run we've gone for since we've started
this podcast. Which is ironic, isn't it?
Yeah, but we went for that run and that was that was a little
over 11 KS can. You remember the main topic we
what? What do we talk about?
What was? I'll tell you what, we talked a
lot about politics. OK.
But the thing no, I'm coming back to that because you told me
a story on that trail chat that about how you used to pay your
coaches as an elite triathlete. I do want to get if you're happy
to share that story. I think it's a ripping one.
We're. We're an open book here, so.
We're going to get to that, but so off the back of that run with
you, I then went for a slow 8K the next day.
Then I got I. Then I went for the run in the
Salomon S Lab Spectres. Spectres, yeah.
I've got a shoe review for you now.
I had aspirations of making that a long run, but off the back of
the trail run and running the next day, I got 11 KZ into that
and I was I'm I was cooked. That was Sunday morning.
I was running to my daughter's nippers training and it was the
humidity. It's been hot in Southeast right
now is is proper nuts. But in short, my week's going
good, although I did have 1 little hiccup where I went to go
for a run around Brizzy and. I saw this one, was this the
AKR? Yeah, let's be honest, we all
like to look as much as you. You can be one of these people
that says I don't care about the opinions of others.
I'm comfortable in my own skin. Sure.
Tell yourself whatever you want. Ultimately, whether whether it's
a massive part of it or whether you're at the big end of the
spectrum or the small end of the spectrum, we all care about how
we look. A little bit for sure, right?
Whether it's the tiniest bit, no one doesn't care at all.
Agree. We all care a little bit or a
lot, and I care probably somewhere in the middle.
I had to go for a run in what I have turned my backup hat.
The other day I got out there stinking hot day in Brisbane in
more my running kit and I normally just roll with a
running cap on backwards. I didn't have one and it was it
would have been irresponsible of me to go out there without a
hat. So I was forced to run in a wide
brim, like what you'd expect a 50 year old hiker to be wearing
a wide brim cap. And I ran in that and it was.
Something. Well, why do you have this cap
then? Well.
Where, where, where else does it get worn?
I. Think I wore it as I think I
bought it as like a camping hat. I did think I bought it as like
a sun smart camp. I wanted to show my kids, hey,
it's important to be sun smart. And it's lived in the back of
my, it's lived in my boot probably ever since.
And I ran 8 KS around Brisbane with it.
And yeah, it was as embarrassing as it sounds.
So. And was it, was it only 8K
because you wanted to get out of the public eye?
I wasn't happy with how I looked.
Now let's go back because I do want you to tell this story
about what we talked about in the trails, if you're happy to,
about when you're a professional triathlete.
I can't remember how we arrived at it, but you were telling me
about when you were probably at your peak.
I would guess I. Said it was my peak.
Yeah, and the interesting setup that you had with your coach at
the time, how he got paid. Yeah.
I mean, it wasn't just that coach at the time.
So this was, I think we got into it discussing tennis and the
fact that coaches in tennis. I was, I think I was of the
thought process. They don't really take a wage,
they just take Commission on the winnings of the players, which
obviously can be very lucrative. I don't know how true that is.
That was just my gut feel of how they'd work.
And the reason I thought this was in when triathlon and when I
was in that area before we were in the Olympics or probably
around the time we first got into the Olympics.
So it was probably more a pure professional sport.
And I remember how we got into it.
I said sometime we're talking about joining run groups or
joining clubs. And I said I was out on my own
for so long, but you can't beat the group when they've got all
the best in the world. We're talking about the
triathletes, Braden Mercer and those guys.
And I was saying we weren't sure who he was training with.
That's right. And I said when I was, you know,
similar age, I was trying to do it on my own.
And I, you know, I had people helping me.
I'd swim coaches, run coaches, probably, you know, some of the
best in the business. But at the time there was a
group called Stewart's group, who is Miles Stewart's dad, who
was a world champion in that day, went to the Sydney 2000
Olympics, the first Olympics. And it got to a point they had
literally, I'd say 6 out of the 10 best in the world training
with them as a group. And whatever I did, we just
couldn't beat them. So at some point, I just had to
go. I've got to join them.
Yeah, when and join them. It was the best decision of my
life. Race the best I ever have.
It was fun. The training was great.
But the way they structured, I went into a professional
environment. Right.
So the way it was, and I can recall, you're either paid the
coach. Let's just for argument's sake,
there was a monthly U.S. dollars you paid the coach and it would
equate to let's just for argument's sake, say about 10
thousand U.S. dollars a year or 10,000 Australian dollars a year
at the time, or you didn't pay, but you paid a percentage of
your prize money. Now the group was so strong,
there were some races we'd go to that the coach was being paid
better than the 3rd place place getter because he was literally
covering, you know, 6 to 8 of the top ten places in the race.
And of course the 1st place when he he'd win was a larger
percentage. And you know, and I, you know,
at the time I need you had to be there to win.
But over time, and I think this is where the conversation went,
was I probably, that was probably part of the reason I
left in the end was, you know, there was a point where you were
like, I improved. I got to the top of the tree.
I was winning most of the time, which was all great.
But then I it was probably a little bit to do with the money
and it was also a little bit to do with ego.
And that might have been a bit of the downfall going forward
for years after that. But I kind of got to the point
where I can do this myself and I can keep all the money for
myself, right? Because it's what you would you
what you were doing as the, as you say at the top of the tree,
the pick of the bunch. Because this So because it
wasn't a case of once you'd paid that, let's see if the if the
annual fee was 10,000, it wasn't a case of once you got to that
10,000 in Commission, you stopped every time you won, you
paid Commission. Yeah, you just so you could end
up, you could end up paying him 50 grand.
And in a sense, what you're doing then is offsetting the
less elite or less capable athletes within that squad.
Yeah, who were getting the same level of training.
But you're you're, you know, performing better.
You're performing better, but you're also essentially you're
allowing, you know, potentially 5-6 less talented athletes to,
you know, yeah. And for young athletes, that,
that when you're that young, it plays on your mind, right?
So it wasn't, it wasn't that I would have been, I reckon 2021
maybe. 22 when you joined. When I joined and how were you?
Probably lasted about two years, maybe 3.
And so you left probably, let's say 2425.
Yeah. And you reckon, OK, time again,
hindsight. Do you leave still?
Hindsight, I'd leave still, but with hindsight, the one thing I
never regret it because I love the process of trying to work
everything out myself. Yeah, but if you said to me did
I probably achieve everything I could have, I didn't because I
didn't have I didn't really trust in the I didn't really
give myself fully to help, right.
So that's and like I said, no regret in doing that because.
Yeah. I love the way my career was and
everything else, but probably to really hit, you know, that
pinnacle, you know, when I was, you know, probably more, one of
the favourites in Beijing for the Olympics probably needed to
go all in with help of someone really guiding me properly.
This is this might seem like an absolute left hand turn.
What is your take on Nick Kyrgios?
The reason I ask is because the mentality you're displaying a
little bit reminds me a little bit of.
There's some elements that I see and I don't know Nick, but from
the way he presents in the media and the way he approaches his
career now, he has not been as successful in tennis from a
winning perspective as you were in triathlon, although his bank
balance would. Suggest suggesting he's doing a
bit better than me mate. But it's just that attitude, the
confidence that he has in himself at times and the comfort
that he has in his own mind with the approach he has to his
career. I I can see you having a very
similar take on your your career in triathlon.
Yeah, I mean, you can. I like it.
He's his own personality, right? He's The thing is, he brings it.
He brings attention. And you know, you might agree or
disagree with the way he brings the attention, but he's his own
man, you know? Like no one's really going to
tell him what to do. He he seems like he's right up
Courtney Atkinson straight sorry that was a bit of a left hand
turn. It just jumped out to me.
We're. Always happy to turn left here.
Yeah, right. Yeah, I think, I mean.
And is that the way? Is that the way There's two
types OK? Probably three types.
There's the middle. The middle is people who are
just happy to just go along, you know, join groups, do it,
probably don't really put in the effort and they just go through
it. There's the Super competitive
people who really don't take into much consideration, I would
say or thought about. They just absorb everything
around them, do everything they're told to do.
And I think generally they are probably the most some of the
most successful people. They surround themselves with
that team and with that team of expertise.
They get to the top. And then I think the third group
of people or through third group of athletes are those who
possibly the process of trying to work it out yourself is
sometimes more exciting than actually someone handing you the
golden, golden egg. Yeah.
And I would nearly, I'd go as far as saying to a degree,
that's why I say I've got no regrets because even to today, I
still love the idea of the the the test understand again and
the test I mean we. We are sitting here, we are you
can explain in a podcast studio in your house, Courtney Angus
and that you have constructed yourself.
Now I'm the blog that's been working in radio for 10 plus
years. You've handed me the first time
you're off the. Tools and this is I was saying
before we started this might be the first time in in over 10
years that I'm involved with a podcast a radio show or
something that I'm not pushing the buttons on because you're.
You see, I've got it two metres away from you too.
So you can't? Yeah, because I can't reach it.
My short little arms won't get there.
When? When I don't record it properly
though, then you're going to take it this.
Is on you. This is for me, this is all kind
of responsibility today, but this is, I mean where we're
sitting right now is evidence to the fact that you that is still
your mindset towards work and everything else I want.
To learn it, you want to learn. I want to know how to do it.
That is, and I might be about to tick off another run Fluence of
bingo thing, but it's beginner mindset, right?
It's the I don't know everything.
I'm not the smartest person in the room.
And to go back to anybody that's listening out there that's
starting in their running or wants to take that next step in
their run. Ask you don't have to know
everything about it that I'm I'm still the best thing I do with
my running and you're an example of this and other people are
friends and is run with better people and more knowledgeable
people about running is the best way to learn about running.
It's so good. Go and run with some different
people that might run different might run more might run trails,
might run other places find go and if you do park run every set
of go find another park run. Just try it.
Just mix. We talk about this a bit, mix it
up. Yeah, there's no right or wrong.
Everyone that's, well, I think that's what we've just realised
is, is everyone's different, everyone's stick to your
personality and whatever, whatever makes you tick and
enjoy things is always going to be better than, you know, trying
to fight against something. That's how I.
Figure it out. What was the poll this week?
Courtney Atkinson. Yes, we, we discussed last week
that we had kind of pencilled in and I'm going to say pencilled
our first runs for next year. You had the Noosa Ultra trail
down and I said the Kinani or Mount Wellington Trail race down
in Hobart. Now we did.
Two weeks ago you said you would run Melbourne and then Sydney.
Became a major. Major and you jump ship.
I admit it. Yep.
We've got the poll in this week, 67% are coming with me to Mount
Wellington. You're only going to get 33% of
our audience to come and say get A to you and Noosa.
Do you want to change your mind? Yeah, no, I'll, I'll stick with
Noosa. Oh, look, Mount Wellington
sounds unbelievable. That sounds unbelievable.
I want to do them all. I want to do all these races.
Yeah, I want there's there's. Let's see, hey, we might have to
twist your arm on this one. But it was this actually
surprised me. I was thinking majority of
people want to go to. Noosa.
Well, but maybe that's something to do with, you know, people who
are following me and then the podcast and a little bit are,
you know. I think I I again this comes.
Totally different also. We've talked about this in with
a lot of things is that I think we talked about a couple of
weeks ago the idea that people want an excuse to go somewhere
new, right. And I think Noosa for a lot of
people is a lot more accessible and than Mount Wellington is.
That's true. And so a reason to go to Mount
Wellington. And a picture tells us that.
What do I say? Picture A picture tells 1000.
Words. Well, you keep going.
I'll help you. You know Picture Paints 1000.
Words paints 1000 words. I did put up two pictures.
I wasn't being biassed, but I did put up the beach.
It is very flat around Noosa. That is one challenge for a
trial race. There's not a lot of elevation
and, and you know, people know for the beach, literally you're
at the top of the, you know, all the rocks, scaling up the rocks
and you know, you can get snow ice.
You know, it's a real adventure. It's a very different run news
series. News's Ultra trial is much more
what you'd expect of the news scene to.
End, but they were the results. The other thing that I've had
plenty of people writing back that they're very excited that
we're petitioning, petitioning for a Clydesdale category in
marathons. Now I did read in America some
marathons do have a Clydesdale and Athena category.
Good. Was that the right Athena?
So they do, they exist, but I'm still to see it here in
Australia, so let's go. Bring it in.
Some of the some of the big fellas, Yeah.
And when we said big fellas, big bone fellas.
It's not, it's, it doesn't take a lot to be over 100 kilos.
And what I mean, like if you're 6 foot three, you're doing well
to be under 100 kilos, then you're a big human, right?
Especially if you're doing high rocks as well.
And if you're, yeah, if you're carrying a bit of muscle around
you or you grew up playing footy or whatever, chances are you're
going to be 100 kilos. That doesn't mean it doesn't
mean you're fat or you're out of shape, you're overweight or
anything like that. It's just your shape.
I want to see it. I want to actually.
I think it'd be a really interesting race to watch.
I would be outside of the elites winning it.
That would actually be the most exciting.
That would be the most exciting category for me to watch in a
race. Yep, give them it.
Really would be. Give them a specially branded
bib so that you know and you can cheer and.
It's like, it's like, you know, like a horse race.
You literally can get out, bet on them, Yeah.
Well, we give in the Tour de France, you get a yellow jersey
for the overall winner and then you get a polka dot jersey for
the best climber. Let's get let's get something
that makes these these Clodsdales and Athenas we're.
Going to keep on this stand out so I can cheer on going away.
I'm trying to think of, I'm trying to think of like a furry
bib or something for the Clodsdales.
Like I'm quite figured out yet, but I'll get there.
I'll get there. Yeah.
Look, it's. Yeah, we're.
I'm. I'm not surprised you meant
Wellington won because you fixed it.
You posted a picture that benefited yours.
I'll get my own back. That's fine.
I'll get my own back. Would you like a shoe review?
Let's do it. Would you like a shoe review?
I wouldn't. So I've gifted you the Well, I
didn't gift it to you, Salomon. Salomon.
Gifted you a S Lab Spectre and this is the shoe that is
marketed at the more 3 to 3 1/2 hour marathoner.
So carbon plate chew quite a heel.
What's what's your thoughts? Honest thoughts.
Yeah, yeah, No, I've and what I promised to do to the in the
beginning podcast community is to never bore you with science
and to never lose you in the detail.
And these is, this is how I'm going to bring you any gear
review that I do. These shoes, the Salomon S Lab
Spectre, these are the shoes you get if you've decided, Yep, I've
been running, I'm enjoying running.
I've got room to grow as a runner and I'm backing myself to
be an athlete. This is the shoe.
These shoes are the bike you get after you've learned to ride
without training wheels. So like it.
Basically the idea of we all remember when we learned to ride
a bike. I still remember when I learned
to ride a bike. I was in the backyard, my
brother was teaching me and I remember the first time he
pushed me across. We had a little tennis court in
the backyard. He essentially pushed me across
the half court tennis court. And I remember the I still to
this day remember the feeling of getting across diagonal to
diagonal and like falling over on the grass and going, I can
ride a bike. It was amazing that feeling,
right? You learn to ride it with
training wheels, then you learn to ride without training wheels.
You take them off and you're wobbly.
And if you ride your bike enough after that point, your parents
go, let's get this kid a new bike because chances are it's a
hand me down or whatever. And then your parents go, right?
It's time for you for your bike. It's time for you to get your
bike. That's what these shoes are.
Because as I was running these, I did an 11K run on the Sunday
and I found myself thinking, I feel like an athlete in these
shoes. I feel like Hawkers, Kayanos,
John Nimbus. There's lots of foam.
There's, there's, it's a wide landing base, right?
There's a lot of shoe underneath, underneath you.
You don't feel like you're going to roll an ankle in those shoes
because there's a heap of foam. He's kind of like landing on a
surfboard. Do you feel like you can feel
the ground in those shoes or you just feel the foam?
I feel like you just kind of land, you don't feel the ground
a lot. But there was one point on this
run and, and these, I found these, the, the Spectres don't
have that flat safety sensation, right?
And I found myself running in these shoes and because of the
way they were performing and there is a carbon plate in them.
So I was getting a nice bit of response for them and I've kind
of felt myself going, I feel like an athlete in these shoes.
I feel like I'm capable of more in these shoes now.
In the same way your mum and dad don't go out, once you've
learned to ride a bike and buy, buy you a $5000 Cannondale or,
you know, Canyon or whatever it is, they go and buy you, you
know, your bike, the bike that you're going to ride lots, you
know, need to go and buy the Nike Alpha Flies or the ASICS
Meta Speed, whatever. You don't need to go and jump up
to that ultimate super shoe. These are the shoes.
I think if you're in that part of your running journey, that's
where I'd put these shoes. You're right.
That's how I would describe these shoes.
I really like running them and I could see myself.
But but honest, honestly feedback if you were to because
you've run in some of the other ones if you were to go and do
the marathon. I don't reckon I'd run as fast.
Right? So I ran the Goldie marathon in
my meta speeds. Yep.
I don't reckon I'd run as fast in the in the spectres.
In the Spectres, no, I don't reckon they're as fast as shoe.
You might you might be ready made to go under 3 hours, that's
why. Maybe, but that's just like the
the meta. Speeds feel like a race shoe.
A race shoe that feels like something you you need to run
fast. I've never run an alpha flies or
vap flies so I can't comment. This feels like a step back
speed wise for me. Yep, but a great shooter running
well. Interesting, I really enjoyed.
Them I didn't let you have all the fun.
Are you running them as well? I grabbed a pair for myself.
OK, what do you think? So I've been, I, I mentioned it
earlier about I had an increase in my threshold last week and I
did wear these shoes down at Pizzi Park.
And I agree they are, it's, they're really quite an
interesting shoe. So where I see them fit is
they're actually a really good responsive trainer.
So I'd wear them for my fast work in training because
obviously go to a full plated shoe in training or you know,
some of those are quite build up, quite expensive as well.
Not that these aren't expensive. I think they're that retails
still for like 350. Bucks or 350?
However, what I did notice, they reminded me because I used to
run a lot in Nike and they reminded me a bit of a Pegasus
back in the day. So what what I've got a lot of
not just plated shoes, but you talked about all those thick
foam shoes these days, whether it's New Balance or you know,
I've got some of the Solomon ones with the thick like they're
called Ultra Glide in Solomon, Nike Invincibles or another one.
When you landed them, you just feel the rubber.
It's like you've, it's like you're on top of a big Jelly.
There's not a lot of ground like contact field.
What these ones had and what I kind of liked about it kind of
they were bit nostalgic nearly. They've got the plate.
They were obviously helping me. I'm I'm improving each week, but
they were obviously made me run a little bit quicker than what I
was running in the week before. But they I felt like my foot was
able to move. I felt like I could feel the
ground and I felt like I was literally running.
Like I said, it was nostalgia for me.
It was the IT was had a bit of a feeling of the shoe of old and I
liked it. Not going to race in it.
That's my honest like I wouldn't be racing in that one.
I did go actually, funny enough, I'm sitting here and I've got a
pair of the Addy that the TE so Adidas Terex kind of like the
trail shoe equivalent of the Adidas.
So a friend of mine down in Sydney who's injured said, well,
I'm injured, go and give these a burl.
So a plate. They're a plated trail shoe.
Yeah, so, but look at how thick they are.
So there's a plated trail shoe. I'm interested in giving these a
whirl against, you know, some of like the Solomon shoes, like I
said. There's a lot of rocker in that,
like there's. Yeah, I mean, I only, I don't
want to wreck the shoes on him, so I'm only going to do, I'll do
a quick, you know, yeah, 10K in the morning ever just to get a
feel. But like I said, it's good to
know what's out there. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, as well. But what I'm saying with this
one is I'm expecting that to feel like a lot of rubber when
you. Yeah, it looks like.
A lot of rubber. How's that?
How that's going to go on a technical trail doesn't, I don't
know. But what I did like about this
Spectre was exactly that. It was a nostalgic run for me
with speed. Yeah, that's how it felt.
I. I again, I think for people out
there not at your level, my level, I think you'll feel like
an athlete in these shoes. That's the one that was my
takeaway. I found myself.
I feel like an athlete in these shoes.
I don't feel like it's a I'm getting, it's a cheat shoe.
I don't feel like I'm helping with all these.
I feel like an athlete in these shoes.
I loved them though. It was good running.
I'll definitely find a way. I'll work them into my
interesting note today. When I went out for my speed
intervals, I was back in my Adidas, the Boston Elevens.
Boston Elevens. Yeah, I was back in.
I've still feel that's the show around the half marathon and
they feel like my far shoes. At the moment that yeah, that's
what feels. Good my far shoe, but I'll give
the the Salomons a try next time.
We're all a speed session I. Got a new quiver like literally
last week, got a brand new pretty much of a few different
pairs of shoes that I like and I I swap and change all the time
when never can work out exactly and depending on how I'm where I
am in my running phase also depends on what shoes I choose.
So when I'm feeling not great and I'm running a bit heavy, I
do tend to go towards those more cushion shoes when I'm, I
suppose, starting to get on my toes a bit more.
That's why I was liking them last week.
The spectres when I'm on my toes a bit more on that, I start to
go towards, funny enough, a little bit of a harder compound.
I like I I still like the ground feel.
I know that doesn't go perfectly with the new age of, you know,
soft and recovery and all that, but I, I still feel better
running when I my foot, I can feel my foot on the ground, feel
my foot movement. And I reckon if you're listening
out, they're going, oh, yeah, I want to be like Courtney and I
want ground feel. Just keep in mind Courtney's
essentially been a professional athlete for the better part of,
what, 25 years or so, give or take?
Yeah, give or take. I reckon that is evidence of the
the conditioning your body has gone through over the years.
You don't need that softness in your shoes.
No, that's, that's, that's what it says to me there.
Well. That was good.
I'm glad. Glad you asked quickly, your
little doohickey in front of you.
Does it tell you how long we've been rolling?
It does. How long we've been going?
54 minutes. OK, this is great because the
reason I asked not to wrap us up, but because share that
Graham Snow, who is a fellow who's been listening to the
podcast and he has set himself the challenge this week to run
for the duration of an episode. He knows we've been hitting
about the hour mark on an episode.
We're gonna go a bit longer. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But I just want to give him a shout out.
Snowy, keep on pushing. We we're not done, but you've
still a little bit to go. Yeah, well, we'll help you just
increase that mileage just really slightly this week, I
reckon. We did have another question
that I found interesting from Brett Quayle.
He's been, he's definitely one of the more active crew on on
the OG. So his question was, can I ask
what your thoughts are on how important gym and strength
training is to go with your running?
I'm glad you asked, Brett. That was the first part of the
question and then the second part.
Also, any advice for people who are injured and trying to come
back from running? As I know a lot of people have
trouble coming back from injuries, so they're kind of the
same question. Not the same question, but I can
answer it through the same kind of leads.
Then you just say, love the podcast, Jans Look forward to it
coming out every week. So we've kept our weekly
schedule so far. No, we're sticking with it.
And and Brett, I know this question is not directed to me,
so I'm going to shut up now. Well, you're welcome.
You're welcome. To no you're.
You're pretty build over there. Well, you got some, yeah.
I'd like to like to shed some of it.
But anyway, talk to talk to us all about strength training
because I say that this quickly. I see the friends of mine that
are trying to get into running who are of our age.
I say, yeah, great, running's awesome.
You need to do strength training too because if you try and run
too much your body will break down because you're however old
you are and you're not used to running.
Yeah, I I agree. You've got you.
I think it's important to be doing something and I think
something is a of what you know, it's a wide world wide word on
purpose because I always come back to.
So the simple way I look at things, right?
It's all about consistency. So whatever you want to do
specifically if your goal is to run, the key thing that's going
to help you is running. Yep.
OK, So depending on how much time you got, first and
foremost, I would always prioritise running.
OK, So then if you've got more time on top of that to do
something else, of course strength work in gym is going to
help. What you do within that strength
work in gym probably is very individual.
At the basic level, I think activation work.
And when I say activation work, you don't have to go straight to
the gym and start lifting, you know, doing squats with weights,
doing deadlifts with weights, split squats and all, all like,
because that when you say gym, that's what I think a lot of
people are thinking, go straight to the gym and lift like to
build body mass. When we say activation work, it
can be, you know, it's like bridges, it's core work.
You know, at the moment, an exercise I just started doing
off the back of the rehab I was doing, which I've never really
had much experience with, was is like a lateral step up.
So you know, simply having a 20 centimetre step, but instead of
like doing step UPS front, you know, front ways and back ways
like a box jump, just simply step out to the side holding a
weight in the opposite hand. It's an amazing exercise to
engage your glute and really start.
So that's trying to work on the stability through the hips.
Like we always say, go and get professional like you've got to
work with someone and get the advice or if you want to YouTube
it or Google it, go ahead too. But for me, the key one would be
activation. And if you can activate and do
some of those things before you go out to run, I think that's
probably the key way to like help at least try and avoid some
of those injuries. The funny part about this is I
told you this on one of our trail runs one day that I have a
it's weird the things that take hold in your brain that for
whatever reason you read it or you hear it or you see it and it
just lives there forever. This is years before I met you.
I was still living in Sydney and I have this weird memory of you
must have been on your Instagram showing your pre run warm up
routine. I remember this I think it was
might have been for boss hunting or one of the for something one
of the. Yeah, yeah.
And you showed and it was those, it was the step out to the side
and drop down on that one leg side lunges, I guess, for lack
of a better term. Yep, he did some walking lunges
and it was this whole. Would have been would have been
a Swiss, like a bridge on a Swiss ball lifting each leg
individually. That was a big one we did.
Over the years maybe I can't remember you having a Swiss ball
so. Like some really quick
activations that I reckon I can recommend.
And I mean, there's a range you can this, yeah, probably find
thousands of them on the net. But the ones I like, it's using
a like a rubber band or an elastic and just simply doing,
you know, sidestepping and then front stepping and backwards.
You know, you can do it. You can always have that in the
car and do it before you run. Lay down on your back and do a
bridge and just simply lift, keep your hips level, lift it
up, like one leg up, the other leg up, keep your hips level,
hold it, do a few different ranges of that.
The next step up of that is actually to use a Swiss ball.
So then you've got to stabilise through upper body.
So that's probably been the key exercise over the years that
I've done. And the brilliant part about
this was when I brought this up with you the first time, you
laughed and said I can't remember, I don't reckon I've
done those activations. Well, right at the right at the
moment I can remember because missing them for the, you know,
the past three years or really being neglectful of anything, I
just just tried to run. It finally caught up on me.
It worked for a while, but it's caught up on me and I'm back to
doing, you know, I'm calling it rehab because it's working off
an injury we talked about. Advice from an injury, but
that's how I'm coming back from the injury, as well as doing the
same activations that you should be doing before you run, whether
you're injured or not. Yeah.
To maintain. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah. No, I'm look.
I mean, we could do this, you could talk for hours on that,
but I think that's the key. Next level up is strength
training. But I'm all from hopefully by
now this consistency of what I talk about is coming through
that for unless you're a full time professional athlete,
prioritise what's important to you.
I would much rather you like yourself, go to the skate park
with the kid, yeah. Then go to the gym on your own.
What what I'll say to people out there and average runners like
me, I've got a really simple it takes me 15 minutes to do when I
do it, and I haven't done it much of late.
But when I was recovering from a calf injury and trying to up my
my load, I was trying to run more than I'm used to.
Heavy dumbbell and calf raises, bent knee calf raises.
So you're working the two different muscles in your calf
and and squats like that. Those three exercises for me has
gives me enough strength through my legs to run as much as I want
to run at the moment. And it's like, and that that'll
take you 15 minutes at home. And that's the key, right, too
is how much do you need to do just to make sure you can do
what you need to do. At the moment, there's no,
there's some of that's trial and error, right?
Yeah. But for me?
Thank you for the question though, Brett.
We appreciate it. 100% and let us know if that if this probably
presents more questions and answers like I said you could,
but I'll go go to someone that can help you and just look at
your technique and and do that or someone expertised in that
area as well, but. Go to your run Dr. Yeah, go to
the run Dr. The key though is still the longer you can run
uninjured. Yep, consistently at a level you
can maintain. That's going to be the biggest
improvement. Training for something so
simple. Best thing you can do is get to
the start line uninjured. Yep.
So I think we've got let's, we've got time for, we're going
to try something. We've got time for a we've I've
been looking at IG reels a lot lately and.
Instagram for the old people out there.
Yeah, Instagram Reels. There's a lot of, I think it's
finally coming full circle. There's a lot of parody, yeah,
on running at the moment we have now coming through.
We've hit the pit, we've hit, we've hit, we've hit piss take
mode, we have. Yeah.
And I don't think that means the bubbles burst.
If anything, it means it's kind of the running culture is now
hitting mainstream culture. Yes, because now it is being.
The everyday Joe or Jill are and take the piss out and take the
piss and runners and it's getting funny.
So what do you reckon we do? The well, we'll do one this
week, 1 next week we've got Strava or the run around
Australia. I think running around Australia
is is probably more is where we want to go because it relates to
something we talked about a couple of episodes back around
Ned Brockman and the fame that he has.
We talked about the Lambros brothers as well.
And I think this Instagram rule you're about to share with
everybody just takes the piss beautifully.
Well, let's see if I can. Let's see if I can actually get
this to work. No, good luck, it's not a strong
stuff. Yeah, not a single annoying car.
Day 100 of running across Australia.
Thank you everyone for being a part of this journey.
It means so much to have your support and raise so much money
for such. What's he doing?
I think he ran across Australia. Oh guys, thanks so much baby.
Give me a big moment. What do you do?
Get up. I just ran across Australia for
charity. Oh, you're Ned Brockman?
No. He was so impressive.
One of the Lambros guys. No, no.
You're both of them, yeah. I mean, where's the crowd in my
finish line? Are you Catman?
Who? OK, how much did you raise?
135 bucks but I had to buy Powerade so 650.
Which charity? Barley.
Barley what trip? I'm going soon.
Where's the news? I mean, I have two broken legs.
They're probably a Ned's thing. We.
Got the first two people to not run across the country.
Well, yeah, it took a lot of dedication.
We just want it to be different you.
Know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For charity. Oh, you're kidding.
We're done, guys. That's day 120.
Oh see, everyone's doing. It running across Australia back
oh. Thanks for coming.
Means the. World, you guys Mum.
I'm gonna be on the news tonight.
Yeah, I know 6 but I. Couldn't have done it without
you. Price.
Are you one of the? Lambros No, no, he's both.
Fuck. This.
I'm doing it again. I'm running across Australia and
back. You guys gonna be when I get
back? Alright guys, day one of run
across Australia again, but this time I'm gonna hold my breath.
The whole holding his breath didn't run across Australia.
Spotted. Yeah, we're on the news.
It is so good. That is so good.
The kicking forward guys are brilliant.
I, I love, I think they've got a really nice beat on taking the
peace out of sport in particular.
Yeah, we've, we've, I mean, we've talked a lot about this,
this area and we, I, I, I, I, someone could be running across
Australia backwards right at the moment.
I think there's someone running across Australia barefoot and
where's it stop, mate? Where's it stop?
And Lucky McIntyre as well. And he, he was doing some stuff
for Red Bull down at Cliff Diving on the weekend.
He's a, he's a funny guy. I think that's why it popped
into my. Yeah, popped into my.
Story that is a perfect, that is a perfect piss take of running
at the moment from an ultra perspective because it is just
I, I laugh at it sometimes when I see videos about what you read
stories about. You know, this guy's about to
break the record for running McQueen.
Oh my. I didn't even know he was doing
it. There's a guy, the guy that ran
the length of Africa. Did you know the other day there
was someone just ran around like the circumference of Australia
and broke the record as well? It's wild.
You know where they should be. Where?
One of Noosa Trail Ultra or Mount Wellington.
The race is on March. They should be doing case to
cosy. I mean, that's probably as far
as there's all the backyards and everything else.
Session with making people race mate, he's gotta.
You can't. The one thing you know, you can,
you can cheat Strava. Yeah, you can.
Yeah. Cheat Instagram.
Oh, no. Oh, no.
Courtney's getting on his The one.
The one thing you can't cheat is race is a race.
We'll leave it there. Alright, we're out of here.
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