In the beginning, how are you Courtney, where are you?
More importantly, Episode 19 and we are we are apart once more.
Yes, we are. And that, I mean, that's the
first thing to note. It never seems to run as smooth
when we're apart. Oh, I mate, I love being in
person to do this. You know, it's easier to bounce
off each other. But I'm sitting in the middle of
Tokyo at the moment in Shibuya, and I finally got out for a run
after I've had seven days off because I've been up in the snow
up in the north. WH So this is this is just a
family trip you're going on. Mate, purely a family holiday.
So January's generally my time. I always try and take off, you
know, after it kinda quieten, quietens down a bit.
But you know what, The funny thing was coming to Japan this
time. So let's go back.
I've spent a lot of time in the T early 2000s into the mid 2000s
in Japan. So I used to race for New
Balance Japan in triathlon. I think it was about probably a
good five years I raced for them.
So I used. To specifically Japan, like
specifically New Zealand, Japan. Specifically New Balance Japan.
So when I was racing in triathlon, they Japan at the
time, you know, that was when the economy over here was great.
They used to have all, a lot of World Cup.
So those who are triathletes will know them as well.
The World Championship Series these days, Japan would host, I
think about three of them every year.
Had plenty of local races. And I got to the point where I
was racing with this team. We'd fly up on the red, the red
eye from the Gold Coast on a Friday night, arrive on
Saturday, race Sunday morning and then fly back home to the
Gold Coast on the Sunday night red eye.
Yeah. So I can't even remember half
the places I've been to. So the money, the money was
pretty good then. The money, the the Japanese yen
was a lot stronger than it is right now.
And then so that leads me to the second point is I, I was reading
news.com and all of these things before we came over here as a
family. First port of call was the snow
up and we're up in a place called Sao Onsen, which is known
for these snow monster things up in the trees like these big kind
of, you know, snowed in trees. We've got, we've got great snow,
but I was expecting to literally walk into little Australia in
the middle edge of hand because all of the news reports have
been, you know, Aussies and Americans and Germans have taken
over Japan. Tourism's rife.
Look, I flew into Osaka, got on a plane to Yamagata and I hardly
saw a Caucasian mate. So I don't know where or So what
I'm wondering, and this would be interesting, what your thoughts
are. I'm wondering if it's that old
Bali situation where Aussies, they're just flocking to the
same places up into, you know, one particular snow resort or
you know what it is. But I found it really good over
here mate. We are.
I reckon it's exactly what
you're talking about. We are as a as a nation, as as a
majority. We are not an adventurous people
and it's probably got to do with the fact we grow up on an island
where we have no land neighbours and you do have to.
You could drive for 17 hours and you're still in Australia.
But we, I've travelled lots overseas and I reckon that as a
majority, we like to congregate to where we know there are going
to be other Aussies and lots of people having said that, and
there will be people listening to this right now who go shut
up. I'm heaps adventure.
So I go to heaps of different spots and there are Aussies that
will go and, you know, suss out the unique spots, the spots that
only the locals know about it. So it sounds like you and you
and the rest of the family are doing just that at the moment.
So it's been good though. Did you get some snowboarding
in? Got some snow mate.
I'm I'm very what would you call I snowboarding is our family me
like even a you know, I it doesn't we can do.
It's the one thing we can all do as a family.
So I'm I can get down a mountain on a snowboard.
I'm no Scotty James. I've got all the I'm one of
those all the gear and no idea. You know, Solomon fixes us up
with all the gear and I've got no idea how to ride but.
You. You snowboard like I play golf.
Oh, I reckon you play golf better than I snowboard still.
I like it. We've had a, we've had a ball,
mate. But yeah, so this here we are.
But I missed a week of running. That's you know.
And how's the body feeling? I went out this morning for an
easy 45 minutes and just ran around the streets up into a
park near Shinjuku, and I feel like my hamstrings are violin
strings at the moment. Yeah, yeah, it it's the old body
doesn't do well. Not running for a week.
But anyway, we're back into it. What about we're back into
yourself, mate? You're you are.
I've just seen you pumping out content on from Triple M All I'm
seeing on my Instagram feed is when I'm missing all the running
stuff and all I'm seeing is Liesel, Liam, Spider Spider just
having fun. It's busy, it's busy.
It's been good. You know, we're two weeks in now
and yeah, it's, it's breakfast radio is a lot of fun.
I'm actually really enjoying it. The it's going to take some time
for us to really hit our hit our straps, but I think everything's
pointing in the right direction. The wake ups have been easy.
Yeah, what time? 3:30 the alarm goes off.
The alarm goes off at 3:30. It's it's the going to sleep the
tart I lay in bed for. I got into bed last night at
8:30 and according to the watch, according to the garment, I fell
asleep an hour at 9:30. So it took me an hour to
actually fall asleep last night. I was just tossing and turning.
It's yeah. Is that is that idea?
Is that just because it's it's all new, a new job, new show,
just ideas going? In your head I don't.
I don't reckon I've fallen. I don't reckon I've consistently
gone to bed before 10:00 for the last for my life.
Like I just, I don't, I'm not a early to bed kind of person.
So when you try and change that and they reckon it's like it
takes 12 days to change a behaviour or something like
that, but it's going to take me time to consistently fall asleep
earlier. So I'll get there.
But the other part about it, what you said just then is that,
yeah, I have AI have trouble switching my brain off from
thinking. And because there's the show's
brand new, I've got a lot to think about.
And so once it's, it's such a snowball effect, once it starts
going, it's so hard to stop it. It's so hard to stop.
It do. Do you have a way that you you
managed to switch off at night? I've I've got a, I've got it.
No, I can't. What I actually do and I've
found it, it actually I forgot about it last night and then
when I finally did it, I did manage to get off to sleep.
It's the box breathing and I can Garmin to the the watch does
this for me. You can actually set it up.
I didn't use the watch last night to do it, but it's just
that box breathing and anybody that's done breath work will
know about this, but it's it's in for four.
So it's inhale for four and try and inhale consistently for the
full 4, four seconds. And then you hold the breath for
four seconds and then you sort of counted that in your head,
exhale for the four seconds and then hold the exhale like hold
the don't intake for another 4 seconds.
So the idea is it's box breathing.
So you go in for 41234, hold for 41234, exhale for 41234, hold
for 1234, then inhale. And if you do 3 rounds of that,
I don't, there will be people out there who know what it does
to you actually from a biological perspective.
But it does help to quieten my brain when I can't.
He's going to shut up. I was going to say, you did
sound, you're starting to sound very health and fitness.
I know, I know, I know. I don't understand what it does
but all I know is it makes my brain shut up and that that
helps me get to sleep. Exactly.
Just just just while for the other side of the audience.
I'm the complete opposite. So I do exactly what everyone
tells you do not do. If I put a bit of Netflix on or
a bit of ATV show on a laptop and watch it, I, I will be out
in about 5 minutes as if I'm overthinking anything.
I just put the TV on and I'm like out like lights on.
So all that blue screen on all that blue screen nonsense, I
live. I live by going to sleep
watching something. I've never used them but I think
maybe those remember everyone buying the blue screen glasses.
Just Nah. Just one of the one of the all
time great scams. Well done whoever made it.
Whoever made a fucking load of those, well done.
We tip a screen, tip a blue screens have only worked for me
to get me to sleep. Hey, let's talk some running.
Let's get, let's get stuck into some running.
Let's go. Hey, by the way, I'll talk to
you a bit about it later on when we talk about our running weeks.
But I'm back up in the trails and I'm feeling good.
I'm feeling good. I'll talk.
To you a bit about that, Let's let's take some running.
Yeah. OK, so the most popular running
reel, or the thing that kept coming to me this week on our
socials was this reel from Sam Cornforth.
Sam Cornforth. SA Sam Cornforth.
Yep, I always love how you can just fix my pronunciations.
Liam, this is perfect. This is what This is why we work
together so well. So it and look, we, we haven't,
I haven't got the audio and it wasn't a great audio.
You gotta go and watch it. We'll put it in the show notes,
but it's literally comparing a runner in 2000 to 2024 and what
the differences are. And it's literally 2 guys taking
the piss. And it literally finishes with,
you know, they were playing video games on split screen.
They're now playing video games online together.
But the running side of it is they're filming them.
So he's running, filming himself.
He's got all the gear, he's doing his massages.
Just literally being a run influencer.
Yeah. Yeah, they, if you and yeah, if
you think back on it, if you're, if you've been running for
longer than four years, when you, when you used to go for a
run, you did just, you know, hey, I'm going for a run.
And that was it. And now this industry has become
such that if you're not filming yourself while running or if you
haven't got a race belt with gels and goos and all the rest
of it contained within it. And if you're not wearing the
socks pulled up above, you know if you're wearing your anklet
socks, you're showing you're it's become so complicated, you
just go for a run. This is what I put and then in
the end the video, what the the IT finishes with him literally
realising has he hasn't put Strava on so he finishes the run
and he can't put it up. So we love that, we love it.
That's good. So what they, so where I'm going
with this one is it actually then got me onto another kind of
idea around like what's coming and running this year, you know,
like this. I love it's just.
Everything coming quick and quick with trends and you know,
where's running going. We'll talk about Nike in a
minute and and they're kind of realignment in the market at the
moment. But I'm going to throw some of
this is from runners mood and they've got their 2025 running
trend forecast. And I thought it was a good
talking point for us to talk on what's coming or what you may
think's coming. So I'm gonna throw these to you,
Liam, and you tell me what you think.
So the first one is running is gonna move even more rain stre
more mainstream than it currently is.
So running shoes, clothes and everything else will shift into
mainstream culture and the hyper running brands and products will
go even further. Now I Li I like this to what was
happening with surfing in the 80s, eighties and 90s.
I love, I love it. I think it's, I don't know if
it's a bold, I don't think it's a prediction of sorts because
it's already happening. I mean, you are you, you run for
Salomon and you and I have already, we talked about this.
I reckon two years ago we cut, we'd finished a run up in Nerang
and you were telling me about something, an activation or a
competition that you're running internally with Red Bull where
you work. And one of the prizes on offer
were a pair of these Salomon trainers, like a trail shoes
essentially. And all the young girls in your
office wanted the Salomon trail shoes and you would go, what,
what's going on? What have I missed here that all
of a sudden these young girls want these shoes that I run in
on the weekends. What's happened?
So it's already happening that that trend of runners and more,
not just not just cool clothes, but traditional runners hitting
the mainstream. 100% it was girls and guys mate or it was
all the young crew and I with I like kind of went to myself.
Hey, I was a mate. I was 10 years ahead of this
trend, but. That's every It's it.
It only makes sense that for now for, for brands like Salomon and
and New Balance, New Balance have always been in kind of
that, you know, street where it, it now makes sense that it'll
just continue because those early adopters like yourself,
then there's the people that have set the coolness and now
you'll, you'll, the slow adopters like people like me
will catch up. So it's there's still, there's
still money to be made by these brands by really leaning into
this running trend even more. This is all gonna build towards
what is happening in Nike at the moment.
So let's let's keep moving at the moment.
But they've actually backflipped.
The second one is retro revival. And again, this isn't new, but
what what they're what they're thinking that may happen.
Is this retro? The retro nature of the street
shoes could actually come into the running shoe.
So you're thinking about the look of the running shoe, the
colour of the running shoe. Can they actually have that
street style shoe but bring it into the Alpha Fly threes?
Can they bring it into the top of the range shoe so you look
like you're literally running in a pair of 1980 shoes, but
they've got the tech of the 2025 shoes?
I mean, yeah, like what's old is new again.
And you think, what was the who's the famous Oregon runner
Prefontaine? The they've made a couple of
movies about him. Yep, that.
Yep. That's, I mean, look, you only
have to look at the faces of young blokes around this country
right now. What?
The moustache is back in. Courtney, I was about to say,
where's your moustache going? Well, I've shaved it off.
I'm trying to buck the trend. The moustache is back in in a
big way and which means the style of the moustache, the
style era of the moustache, which was back in the early 90s
eighties, is naturally gonna come back in.
So it does make sense. You showed me a pair of as we
were leaving after recording last week's episode.
You showed me the pair of those Newtons that you had still in
the gap. Correct.
Yeah, and you're blown away. Those will those will come back
in It's funny. I do want to say is it Sally
Tonica? I think I'm saying a surname
correctly. Yeah, she left.
She left a comment after last week's episode saying that my PB
is in Newtons GI miss running like I could back then.
So not only will. There be that seldom go Gold
Coast Marathon, mate. Yes, yes, yeah, yeah.
So there'll be that nostalgic feel for people, and so brands,
of course they're gonna lean into it.
Everyone loves nostalgia. Yeah, yeah, I might.
I might. Talking about that, maybe I'll
whip out those Newtons and wear them into the office when I get
back. See how we go, see how we go.
All right, so the next one now this one's probably the one that
I like at the most is can running become a spectator sport
marathon running events, cultural fashion Des as a
destination, you know, So this is probably more not turning up
to run, but are the influence are the public figures are the
influences. Is is running going to become a
an event like the Australian Open on at the moment where
we're seeing, you know, a whole range of companies I saw I think
it's is it you could bought one of the company.
Oh, polo polo at the moment they've been doing a heap of
stuff down there. Are we going to see this in
running events? The big brands coming like horse
racing. Never say never my I've got some
reservations and look good marketing teams can make
anything popular good good a good you you know this Red Bull
Red Bull market events better than almost anybody good
marketing teams and that some of the sportswear brands are the
best at the world in this. About making things cool and if
if something's cool, people will turn up as a spectator sport.
The difficulty with running, it's a similar problem that not
F1. Like the point is, from a pure
spectating sport, it's boring. Running is long distance running
is boring to watch, right? It's a bit like, it's a bit like
the Tour de France in that if you watch a bunch of cyclists go
past you, that's it. And you don't see him again,
right? Unless you race self and know
whatever. But and yet the Tour de France
is cool. So maybe it's not so much about
looking at the Australian Open as a model, it's more about
looking at the Tour de France as a model because people aren't
going to get excited about standing on the side to watch
the elite runners go past for a split second and then that's the
end of their experience. So I'm sure the brands will
figure it out. This one.
I'll be interested to see how they they do it though.
Yeah, I like the way you're going with the cycling because
what they do, you know, if you had a marathon course, they have
a parade. Arguably it's a big parade that
come through before the lead runners.
So there's entertainment. All the sponsors get there, you
know, different. Yep.
I don't know where you want to call them.
Cars, trucks out and show all their wares.
And there's. Yeah, it's all happening.
So maybe that's the way we'll go.
But let's see. Let's see if that runs right for
225. Look, this is happening at the
moment. There's subculture crossovers
and collaborations at the same time.
So are we going to see? What I'm interested in is where
the break point for all this is. So this has been happening for,
you know, you know, pretty much since COVID or pre COVID, COVID
accelerated it. Is there going to be a point
like the US election where suddenly tides turn?
And is it when when is that point in running?
Because everything changes, everything cycles.
And the one thing for sure is just like other sports, running
will have it stay and then we'll cycle.
When is that point? Absolutely.
And and and by definition tides turn as you say.
So running is still very much, I don't, I don't think it's
peaked. I actually think it's still in
the upswing phase. There's some people who are
probably resistant to running who think it's having its
absolute peak right now. I still think it's got
incredible room to grow, But what's, what's the jumping the
shark? What's the moment that is is one
step too far? What's that brand association
where, you know, is it? Is it if if Bunnings hosts a
marathon in one of their stores, is that the point where running
has become too naff? Is it, is it a certain person
getting on board? You know, if the Kardashians
start advocating running, is that the moment where no, this
is this is burst, the bubbles burst for us.
I don't know what it is. I think, look, I think there's
some some run influence out there trying their hardest to
burst the bloody bubble of the sport because I don't like what
some of them are doing. But I think the bubbles a long
way from bursting as a whole. But I look for look at the same
time. I'm really excited to see what
culture and subculture collaborations happening with
running this year. It's it's exciting.
We've talked about music runs and we've talked about the run
clubs doing stuff with breweries and all the rest of it.
And that's great. I'm fascinated to see what comes
next. Yeah, I mean cult, the culture
side of it's the thing we're talking about here.
I mean, running running's existed for hundreds of well
thousands of years since they dot and it's not going anywhere.
I mean, I was running like I'm in in the middle of Tokyo at the
moment and you know, one of the highest populations that get out
and run, you know, the hard like when they run marathons sold out
highest population of doing that at the Ekinen Relays running in
school. So when I've spent some time
here before, you know, it's compulsory at a young age in
schools. They take him running every
morning. It's part of their culture.
Run up in the park, you know, OK up here up the street and you
know, you're going to find runners running around the park.
And and what one one that got me this morning was the guy He
looked like he must have been about 100 and he was bent over
like frail SH. He would have been walking and
mate, he was still picking up his feet.
I was I was watching him and he was just just still that notion
of still being able to run, just picking up his feet and I'm a
walk ran past smiling, going yeah, that's that's what you
want to be doing. I love the the Tokyo Marathon
for mine is is a that's, that's, that's a bucket list. 1A friend
of mine from the runners in the dark group down in Sydney G she
and her and her partner Ben G's in locked in for the Tokyo
Marathon this year. And Ben, I was talking to her,
her partner Ben, who was saying that it's just that's their
absolute, that's their household focus.
She's getting run the Tokyo Marathon so that they're making
it their household focus at the moment, their days, their
training, everything is mapped around G getting to run the
Tokyo Marathon. So yeah, Japan's got an amazing
running culture. I think the idea of
collaborations around running, that's that's the other thing.
I think that's the last thing they have on their list of of
this runner's mood predictions for the year.
That's the other thing that might pop the the bubble is is
if we see the wrong brand Co. The wrong brand.
Yeah, that's the, that's the. Other one, yeah, well rolling
into that, so I'd mentioned Nike earlier on.
So the new CEO of Nike and this is a new use, this is going back
a few weeks now, but he it's no secret Nike have had a massive
decline on the stock market. There's about 29% DE, you know,
decrease in value this year. New CEO has got back and they've
got, he's come out and announced their new brand strategy.
So they're getting back to their roots and they're gonna focus on
sport. So when we're talking about all
this collaboration subcultures and all that, Nike's been at the
forefront of this, right? They do it so well.
And now what you'd argue is, you know, one of the biggest, if not
the biggest sporting brand on the globes turned around and
said we're going back to focus on sport.
What then I did see pop up was cycling.
So night teams up with a female FDJ, it's first Pro Cycling team
partnership. So that's an interesting 1.
So they've gone, we're gonna go back and focus on sport.
We're a running brand. We sell shoes.
And one of the things we're gonna do right at the moment
from 2:25 on, when we're gonna jump back into cycling.
Now, if you remember Armstrong, like Lance Armstrong.
I was about to say, that's the last time I can remember Nike
really being associated. With it, yeah.
So I mean, massive Nike athlete in cycling really.
They didn't, you know, you could buy cycling Nike cycling shoes.
They never when I was, you know, around tries in that day and
they never really caught on that much.
But you know, yeah, here we go. So Nike back in cycling and
they're like openly saying, you know, we've got lost a little
bit in our ways, we're losing share and we're going back to
focus on sports. So hopefully that's good news
for athletes. Do you know what's interesting
about the Nike? I don't know how much you know
about it, and someone out there who knows more probably correct
me on any mistakes I make in this part.
But interestingly, with Nike, they, they used to make golf
clubs, right? And there's probably some people
out there that still swing Nike golf clubs.
And they basically, and this might have been under the old
CEO or under the old strategy, but they basically abandoned it
because it wasn't their this their sweet spot.
It wasn't their, pardon the pun, one would, it wasn't their
strong strength technology of making clubs.
These pure golf brands like TaylorMade and like Callaway and
Ping and all the rest, they were much better.
And I think it was Rory McIlroy who had used to use Nike clubs
and basically performance kind of went.
Tiger was Nike, wasn't he? Tiger's Nike.
I don't know if he ever used Nike clubs.
Necessarily we're talking club, club specific.
Exactly. And famously I mean, they
dominate in the they dominate from a Nike clothing apparel.
But I wonder whether with this renewed focus on sport, they
might reopen the the got the Golf Club wing of the the
factory and see if they get back into that.
Anyway, wait and see. Watch it.
Watch it, watch this fight. Yeah, because I mean, that's to
me, that's really interesting. And like I said, hopefully
that's good news for for athletes.
And, you know, some of that investment goes really back into
some of those sports that's, you know, realistically the the
equipment is actually used for in the first place.
Yeah, exactly. Hey, we got some loose ends we
need to tie up. I did so last last episode.
We, we have been inundated with messages about nasal breathing
and oh, yeah, I know. I don't know if I want to talk
about it, to be honest, but it's I've, I've got to just, I've got
to have some time to sift through it and then maybe next
episode we can come back to you. We'll pick it up then.
One thing I do need to own, you know, here we, we talk about
being transparent on this show. And last week I was talking
about when I go through a service station, we're talking
about electrolytes. Yeah.
And I said I buy maximus one for value 2 because there was more
sodium in a maximus than there is in Gatorade or Powerade or
some of those others you choose to buy.
Now I was create corrected. I'm not corrected.
I was then watching a reel on someone I, I kind of do trust a
little bit on how they talk about electrolytes.
And no, Gatorade and Powerade actually have more sodium than
Maximus. So I don't know how the hell
Maximus tastes like it's got more sodium in it.
But you know, this is one of those things that when you're,
and when they were also talking about Maximus first Gatorade and
Powerade, it was also talking about how concentrated they
were. So having that ideal
concentration about 6% to or under 6% to be able to absorb
into the bloodstream correctly. Now Maximus was a little bit
over, I think Powerade was slightly over and Gatorade
actually sat just under 6%. So it's the thing that's when
you're exercising. After exercising or pre exercise
or whatever, that idea of having the perfect mix goes out the
door. So I'm gonna again come back to
say I go with my gut, I go with my wallet.
And when I walk into the service station, I'm still gonna buy the
one that is the best bang for buck.
That you do you exactly right I do me Hey hey, bang for buck,
whether it's whether you're buying electrolytes or buying
shoes at rebel, do what you need to do and the just quickly and
I'm glad you've this is what we're about hand up
accountability when we get stuff.
Wrong. I was wrong.
I was wrong and I've and I'm owning it.
But can we go back to the nasal breathing for a moment?
I know you're going to wade through some more of the
comments. I just want to share two things
with you quickly. Flo sent us a message on Spotify
and she said another great EP guys.
In regards to nasal breathing, check out Oxygen Advantage.
The Oxygen Advantage uses dynamic breath hold exercises to
enhance sports performance and simulation of altitude training.
So I'm going to look into the oxygen Advantage, but.
OK. I had this conversation about
nasal breathing with Eddie Gordon, friend of the pod runs.
Good former triathlete like yourself, still a very good
runner these days. I was talking to him about this
in run group last week and he and we and we're talking about
nasal strips. Have you ever used nasal strips?
That is one I haven't done, mate.
I look at them and I go. Yeah, interesting.
We could say that, right. So we and I was talking about
nasal strips with one of the other blokes in the run group
because there's some there's some elite runners, there's some
great runners who swear by them. Right As he referred a
conversation he'd had with the doctor.
OK, and I'm going to use an analogy here.
Well, the doctor basically said, yeah, that's great.
It might open up your nose for more breathing.
But if your nose is taking in more breath, it just means your
mouth isn't taking in as much, right?
Because ultimately your lungs are only as big as your lungs
are. So the analogy being, and I, you
know, in a toilet, alright, if your toilet, if your, if your
toilet assistant, stay with me on this, everybody.
If you're listening, trust me, this will work in the end.
We're we're in the toilet, OK? If you look at your system in
your toilet, right, if your toilet system is a six litre
system, when you press the small flush, the flush when you've
just done a number one, the toilet sends down 3 litres.
When you press the big flush, the toilet sends down all six
litres. OK, correct.
Yeah, your toilet, your toilet assistant can only send down 6
litres. Right Now, if your lungs, let's
say, are capable of holding 6 litres of air, and you're taking
in maybe 4 litres through your mouth and two litres through
your nose, your lungs are still only taking in six litres.
If you put this nasal strap on, suddenly your nose is capable of
taking in four litres. It's not like your mouth's still
taking in four litres. Your lungs can't take in eight
litres, they can only take in six litres.
SO4 litres might be going in through your nose, but it means
your mouth's only taking in two. Oh, I'm with, I'm with you here,
Liam. I, I get where you're going and
it, it, that, the, it's, that's common sense to me, But I, I'm
sure you're gonna piss off a lot of nasal breathers in that.
What I'm saying is your lungs are a toilet and there's only so
much room. Yeah, I like that makes 100%
sense to me. No signs back in it.
So but we'll, we'll, I'm sure this topic's, but I, I was, this
is one I didn't expect to kind of come back with so much
information. And every time I read a new
comment on nasal, I've been running for, I don't know, 30
years and I've never once thought about.
I'm sure at some point some coaches said to me breathe in
through your mouth, breathe out through your nose or do
something, but I've never really overthought it too much and it
comes back to that notion of overthinking running 11
breathing exercise I have had kind of said to me over time is
more to keep your breathing in control is on steps.
So like breathing on every four steps, breathe in yeah, then
breathe out, you know, kind of using your steps as a as a
rhythm based breathing exercise. But yeah, anyway, let's.
Maybe one? One one day in the future, we
maybe get someone in who knows what they're talking about on
this. So what else have we got?
Oh so off the back. Another one that I was just
getting like flogged with. So I'm not gonna mention
everyone's name who sent this to me, but off the back of we'd
already talked about in episode 18, the Thai Ving run carbon
favoured sandal. Yep.
And the guy ran two 18218 marathon in them.
So we've got inundated with that.
Who hadn't listened to that episode yet.
Go to episode 18 if you want to hear about that.
But then Matt O'Brien actually shared to me like an upgrade on
the Birkenstock recovery clog. He has shared with me what Ben
Johnson has shared on Instagram, which is a VK try recovery clog
which has a carbon fibre plate inside.
Now if you have heard this is absolute bullshit, I'm going to
call it right off the gap because.
Right. This is it's a clog designed
they say it's designed to boost recovery and daily comfort.
The VK Tri recovery clog helps athletes recover faster with a
softer E Eva upper, dual intensity foot bed cushioning
and everything else. And then it has a carbon fibre
plate for stability when you're recovering and walking around.
Why do you need a carbon plate? You know this is Mar.
This is This is BS marketing and it's best.
Again, we'll put this one in the in the notes for you to have a
look at. But like, this is getting out of
hand, mate. Absolutely out of hand.
There's no need for that, that that's one where I think we can.
We don't want to be pro or anti any products unless we've tried
them and reviewed them. I haven't tried that.
But don't buy it. It's a waste of time.
No, Yeah, now I know you're. Why don't we, we've got some
loose sensor tie up from even earlier episodes.
So why don't you type your loose end first back to that famous
real where you talked about kilometres versus intensity in
your training. You do that one first because I
have to go even further back for another.
Fight, we're going back and back, but yeah, so quickly.
Michael Richardson now north QLD fella.
That's why I'm gonna make sure like I love it when a N
Queenslander backs a fellow. I'll call myself AN Queenslander
when I want to. I was born up there.
So we we on that distance first intensity debate.
He was listening to the strength running podcast with Jason
Fitzgerald. So pretty knowledgeable guy,
right? And he was talking about a
similar thing in there. All of those things you can.
So he's talking about running paces and that type of thing.
So he goes things that you dial in and you just can't do it on
race day unless you're thinking about it.
Every run you do is your easy run, easy enough.
How fast are you going in your speed sessions compared to
previous times? But it's more important, but
it's more the effort then the exact pace that's going to be
relevant if you're yeah. So you're trying to get the
stimulus of an intensity. Your body doesn't know a pace or
a distance. It knows how hard things are.
So that's that's that's the line.
Your body doesn't know a pace or a distance.
It knows how things you are. So this comes back to running
for intensity, the RPE chart, all of those things that just
this is second, this is backing me up a little bit here, but
don't get hung up too much every day on Strava, your paces, your
times and everything else. Just get the work done, be
consistent and, and do the intensities you think you need
to do. And in the end, you keep doing
that, you'll get good results. That's it.
Consistency over perfection. That would be that's, that would
be #1 on the on the commandments of In the Beginning podcast,
we'd have that over. There, we're going to have this
as our this is going to be our mantra, mate.
It's about just intensity and consistency.
Intensity and consistency. That's the In the Beginning
podcast, intense and consistent. Hey, I need to go all the way
back to episode 4 for a moment, if you will, which is probably
one of our most downloaded apps, which is where we discuss the
idea of who Australia's best known runner was.
Now the reason I want to go back there is because I mentioned in
that app Jessica Howell, who was a part of the pole where
alongside Steve Monegetti, Ned Brockman and Brett Robinson.
Was he the yeah, correct. And I we talked about Jess how
silver the Olympics in the 1500 metres.
I've referred to what I think is the most under celebrated
Olympic medal maybe we've ever had because of how amazing her
achievement was. I just wanted to give a shout
out and I've been in no way paid for this but my heart lit up and
I'm late to the party on this because I think it's been in
place for over a month. But I got really genuinely
excited when on my Instagram feed I saw a paid partnership ad
pop up from Jess Hull with Shocks the Headphone company.
Because it just said to me that whilst it might not receive have
received the recognition of the Fox girls, Jess and Noemmy or
some of our swimmers, I'm really genuinely happy that a company
is partnering with Jess Howe and that she's getting money into
her pocket to continue being our maybe our best runner right now
over the track, around the track.
It just made me really excited that there's a brand partnership
in place with Jess. I'm sure she's got other things
as well, but I was like, this makes me happy.
I'm glad that this headphone company has found a way to
partner with someone who is one of our best track runners right
now. Yeah, they're they're being
well, Yeah, I agree. That's great.
I mean, she's doing, she's with her rum brands and everything
else. I'm sure she's doing alright as
well, but. But she's made me happy.
Yeah, yeah, mate. Yeah.
I mean, we, we've talked about this.
We want to there's a there's a happy line.
Ronnie's big enough at the moment that everyone there's,
you know, should be enough. Everyone should be eating.
And The thing is, you know, we're talking about influences
we're talking about. But I want to see make sure that
the true athletes and the ones who are performing in our
country's best at the moment are not only supported by the
brands, but supported by the, the spectators and, and, and
the, you know, the population as well.
Yeah, nice one, nice one. All right, loose ends tied up.
Let's talk about running now. You've obviously mentioned
you've done sweet bugger all running because you've been
snowboarding and shredding the pow.
But but I am I, I'm back in the trails.
We talked about it the other week.
The fear of this Kanani race and a few other trail things coming
on has got me back up into the trails.
I've been up in the border trails a couple of times last
couple of weeks and that I think I spoke about it a couple of
weeks ago of the heaviness of that first trail run back up
there and just feeling every gramme that I I am carrying over
my race that. You I I ate over Christmas.
Yep. Exactly.
Now I don't think I, I haven't, I, I didn't weigh myself at
around that time. I don't typically, I'm not a
scale watcher. I don't typically look at how
much I weigh ever really. But I was back up in the trails
earlier this week and I feel so much better.
I just feel, and I think I've been putting a big focus on leg
strength stuff too. Squats, goblet squats, all that
sort of stuff, and whatever I'm doing is working because I feel
so much better up in the trails at the moment.
Up in Crumben, have you been in Is that?
Where you, yeah, up in the border trails, sort of just
putting in and it's a simple out and back thing for me.
And again, not coming from your background of the elite level of
training, mine is a really simple training idea of out and
back. And each time I just go out a
bit further. I'm just going out.
So the first one of these I did, I think I went out for 5K when I
came back, I think it took me a little over an hour to do this
10K with about 400 metres of elevation.
The most recent one, I went out six K and I came back 6K.
And so I'm just adding, just adding to the wall, adding to
the KS, adding to the time the elevation goes up a little bit.
But it's, it's a really simple idea, but finding this trail
that I'll go well, this time I'll go out next time.
So I'm going to do another run today, in fact, and I'm going to
run out seven cars. Which means it'll be a 14K run
all up. I'll probably do about 500
metres of elevation over this run.
It'll probably take me an hour and a half, but it's going good.
It's perfect. Well, we'll build up because I
reckon then we've before Keani Kinani, we'll have to do some.
We'll be up the back of Springbrook or something mate.
I'm still so angry at you about this race.
This is genuinely terrifying. So the other thing I am doing,
and I know you know about this because it's one of your old
surf mates who's the event organiser, is the Burley Swim
Run event that's happening on on Monday the of the Australia Day
long weekend. Tie Dalka organising this event
down in Burley. I'm in.
I'm committed. I'm in.
Yep. So what?
What if? Just refresh me on what is it
the I know what it is where it is, but what's the distances?
For those that don't know, it's a 400 metre swim there, it's a
4K soft sand run. It's a 400 O ocean swim. 400
ocean swim off Bailey beach and then a 4K soft sand run.
I think it's a 2K course that you do twice.
I, I probably this is not something I'd normally sign up
for because I swim like a rock. But the reason I've jumped into
it is because there's a, there's a can't remember what they, how
they classifying it, but there's essentially a little kids race
and it's a wade race. So they weighed 400 metres and
then I think they run 400 metres.
And so my 8 year old Quinn, who's doing nippers at your old
Horn N Burley Surf Club, she's in.
So she'll be doing the wade race and dad's going to be doing the,
the, the full belt, the 400 metre 4K run.
I'm genuinely concerned about coming last.
Oh mate, you'll be fine. There's they that that event's
been running for years and they get a, you know, a mix of
everything. You'll be fine and they get
everyone from down there. You'll see some of it like I I
wouldn't be SU surprised in Matt Hauser and those Olympians turn
up. And then you'll have everyone
from all the surf club crew, young crew.
It's a great day, but I mean, because it's so busy that
weekend as well. Now this is the one thing you by
that stage you'll be running back through from Burley to
North Burley and back. I reckon you'll have a pretty
good crowd of like people starting their daily barbecues
and everything by then, mate. And if you're what are you gonna
wear? Do you what do you wear in this
race like that? Do you go in the Dick togs or do
you go Dick togs? Do you go like tights?
You go Tri suit? What's your What's your OK, I'm
uniform a choice. I am there's there's it's sort
of like it's like I'm like Goldilocks and the three bears
here, right? If if the try suit is is Papa
bear, I'm not good enough to be racing in the Tri suit, right?
I'm not, but at the same time I don't think I'm in good enough
nick to be running in the Dick togs either.
So I think I'll be opting for a pair of the little shorts or
something along those. Giants, jammers, or whatever.
Jammers, I think the swimmers call them.
So yeah, probably be rolling out in a in a modest pair of
jammers. By the way, quick product review
those you did throw me a pair of Salomon running shorts the other
day. Yeah.
I may never run in. I may never run in anything
else. They're good, aren't they?
They the what they're great, but what it's done is it's ruined my
other pairs of shorts. Now I I don't want to run in the
other shorts because they are, they don't feel like they're
there. They're so light.
It's beautiful to run in. They are, like I said, I am
obviously biassed towards Solomon when it comes to most
things, but this is just like these shorts by far.
And we're just trying to quickly look up.
Exactly. And look, they're not gonna be
cheap either 'cause they're the top of the range.
What are they? They're the sense aero set.
So they got, they're longer shorts.
So they're definitely, you know, not for you.
Like I always say. Yeah, no, I'm not gonna even say
that anymore. I'm gonna get in trouble one
day. But they got S There are 7.
In short, they're 100 bucks. So it's an that's.
Actually pretty. That's actually pretty decent, I
thought. I thought they were going to be
more expensive than that. It's an but it is relatively
like if you're new to running, that's an expense.
That's a big Outlander pair of shorts, but they're worth it.
They are. They are.
They're delight. They're delightful.
The thing is, no, no seams. The inner sits like, you know, I
suppose the waist, they don't really have a waistband as such.
Yeah, so the inner is your waistband, and then the actual
short itself just sits on, like it's nearly like on a suspension
belt. I don't know what it is, but
they work and they're like I said, I just order six or seven
of them and wear a pair of black shorts every day and it makes it
easy. Or next time, order seven or
eight of them. OK.
I will. So.
Yeah. So they're great.
So that's me. My run week.
Running's going good, feeling good, body's good.
Who would have thought that strength training and
consistency makes you feel good? But it does.
So. There you go.
What are we up to? The WTF segment.
Here we go. Always a good one actually,
before I jump in. No, no.
I was going to say you need another hand up accountability
moment for you. Don't think we're skipping over
this in the run sheet. If you're going to call out the
big boys of the running world, Courtney, when they reply, we
are going to serve it up to the In the beginning family.
Yeah, well, I'm not, I'm not getting called out here.
I'm actually this. I have, I wasn't talking shit.
That's pretty much what's happened here.
I I was telling the truth. So Alex Baker, he won't, I'm
sure they won't mind me sharing this DM, but Alex Baker sent me
this and he obviously heard the conversation I was talking
about. I held the the downhill record
for a while there at what was it, UTA 50 or UTA 21, whichever
one we'd done and I'd actually knocked off Ben, Ben Saint
Lawrence. So obviously X 10K Australian
record holder and he sent that on to Ben to have a listen to
and see whether I was talking crap.
Now the Ben, he said Ben had a good laugh and said he'll give
it a listen. He, he, he, but he said I've
never beaten Ben in a race old lady.
I always used to let him cook his legs knowing that I'd pass
him back on the uphills. He's a good bloke and we're
mates. So thanks Ben.
Yeah. And I kind of thought that would
have been the case where. But I still did beat you on the
downhill. So there you go.
I wasn't talking crap. Ah, alright, let's talk.
What the Let's talk some WTF events.
What have you found? So first one mate, have you ever
heard of or watched Artistic cycling before?
No, and there's a reason. Because it's artistic cycling.
This one, this is a UCI so like the governing body of cycling
for everything Olympics and everything.
This is ascensioned event and we'll we'll put the the reel in
the nose, but it's literally what what were those?
It's synchron, it's synchronised swimming for cyclists and it's,
it's, it is the, I mean, I watched the clip you sent
through and I was annoyed. I was annoyed at you straight
away. I'm annoyed at the UCI for
sanctioning. This is an actual event that
people feel like they can represent their country in.
It's not a sport. Stop it.
Yeah, yeah, I well, I'm with you with the bikes they're riding.
It's not a sport. But then have you ever seen
flatland BMX riding where they do like a be on a BMX bike?
They do. It's pretty much like street
BMX. But like on flatland they do
tricks, They they do spins. I'll, I'll, we'll bring out a
reel next week on that. Yeah, there's actually a Red
Bull guy out of France who's like world champ at it.
And I see him on reels all the time and look on BM XS and I I
saw this and I don't know. I'm not sure I'm.
Not sure hey if if these people doing this synchronise or
artistic cycling whatever it's called can then drop into a bowl
or a park or whatever and do a flip.
I'm on ball with that but I don't reckon they can.
Yeah, so the next one is from Jordan Barter.
Now I think you know Jordan. Yeah, so I'm gonna let you talk
about this one. But he said boys loving the
podcast. Thought I'd mention a race that
might fit into this segment. I'll leave it with you from here
because this is your your neck of the woods.
Jordan Jordan's a Ripper. I used to play footy with his
cousin Matt and and Matt and Jordan both love and adventure
race. They're actually they're right
when when I did defiance that year, they were right into it
following along because they love and adventure race.
These boys. They grew up around the surf
scene. But this is Jordan sent this
through. I'm not sure if it's still
going, but about 25 years ago I competed in a race that
consisted of three different horse tracks.
Pretty sure it was Rose Hill, Warwick Farm and another one,
presumably Randwick. If you're in the Sydney area.
Everyone would start at the same time and do one lap of the first
track, so you've got to run the lap of the the horse track.
Let's say you start at Rose Hill and then you've got to race to
the train station to get to the next horse track and run a lap.
So if you went Rose Hill to Warwick Farm to Randwick,
basically it's a race around the track and then a logistical race
of getting public the train. To the next Sydney Trains.
Sydney Trains? Yep.
Interesting. This is the sort of race, these
are the sort of events that I think we need to see more of.
Less synchronised cycling, more racing, your mates on train.
I love this. Can you, can you go into any of
these Sydney race tracks and run now?
I mean, this is 25 years ago. I don't think you could.
Just roll in. Probably not.
Probably. Not in.
There is a track in in Melbourne.
I know some of the kind of more elite runners running race track
down there. I'm not sure whether they still
do, but I used to see them. Might have been Mooney Valley or
somewhere do. You know what this has just
reminded me of This is just reminding me.
I'm pretty sure I might look I'll look into it for next week.
But I'm pretty sure we've talked about run golf.
We've talked about what are some of the other silly running
events that they've they've combined anyway, but I'm pretty
sure. Kenny Cross stuff.
And yeah, I'm pretty sure there's an event or there's at
least very much a record of the fastest time it's taken somebody
to go to every train stop in Sydney.
So utilising the Sydney rail network, visiting every train
station. And the guy is like a fit dude
because he runs and you know, it's all the rest of it.
But I'll look into it more for it.
It'll be It'll be a headline for next week's WTF segment.
All right, you better put that in the notes, mate, because I
won't remember that one. OK.
And then a fire. Our final one.
So Kate, Liam, help me out here. This one's come from Kate
Kakavis. Yep, so she she's with the Gold
Coast rug Club. I'm hopeless on names mate.
KDC just ones come from KDC. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm gonna have to start nicknaming everyone.
Anyway, she, before I get into what she sent us about the WTF
events she has, I think I might have mentioned about throwing
away shoes on a past episode or throwing away equipment or
something. Anyway, she's a part of the Make
the Make the Waves Foundation, which has what part of what they
do is a Sierra Leone project and we'll put these in the notes as
well. But what she sent me is their
foundation actually around SE Queensland.
Take in any old shoes or running equipment and all of that type
of thing. Once they've got enough gear and
they box it all up and ship it off to, you know, obviously
people who need it to go and off and run and help other people.
So if you are looking to, you know, instead of just wasting
stuff and throwing stuff away, I'll put the I've always thought
about where do you recycle your run shoes?
What do you do with them? If you're local, this is one one
thing that you might want to have a look into.
Anyway, she sent me a a link with a whole range of shoes,
like we a whole range of events. The weirdest Finnish events.
They are so in Finland specifically.
Now I'm gonna call out two of them.
The first one, and I love this one, it's the world wife
carrying championship. Oh yeah, have you heard of this
one? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I know. I'm familiar with this one.
Yeah. I like it.
You're familiar with this one. OK, I love this one.
So pretty much it's a, it's an old tradition, but it's a 235
metre track with obstacles and the winner receives their wife's
weight in beer. So Yep, the heavier your wife
you can do it with, hopefully you only got one wife, but the
heavier the wife you can choose to do it with, obviously the
more it be you get. The other one I found quite
interesting was the World Sauna Championship.
So we've we've talked a little bit about ice baths and doing
all that type of thing up in Finland.
Who can last the longest in a hot sauna and starting at a
temperature of 110 Celsius? So what's that in degrees?
I'm I'm bad, I'm bad with this stuff.
Let's just say it's hot, it's sauna hot, and every 30 seconds
they throw more hot rocks on and increase the temperature until
someone outlasts everywhere. H How would you go in this?
I reckon I'd be OK in the sauna, I'd be absolutely hopeless if it
was cold, but one thing I don't mind is a bit of heat, so I
would actually put myself in this one and do all right.
I would be the Eric Musambani of this sauna World Championships.
I would. Be you're gonna have to, you're
gonna have to tell me who that is, mate.
You remember Eric the Eel from the Olympics, the swimmer from
Equatorial Guinea or wherever he was from?
I do now. Now you see nicknames.
It's all about nicknames. Eric Musambani, Eric the Eel,
AKA Eric the Eel, That swimmer who jumped in, basically he had
the heat to himself because the only other bloke in it false
started. I think he finished the 100
metre freestyle in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, which is, yeah, is
not Olympic standard. But he became the darling of the
Olympic Games. He embodied the Olympic spirit
of effort. I would be the Eric the Eel of
the sauna championships. I hate, well, I don't hate
saunas, but I just can't cop them for an extended period of
time. Yeah, right.
There you go. Well, can't.
I'll, I'll, I'll take the in beginning, the In the Beginning
podcast hit on this one. I'd be more than happy to go on
this call. You have to.
All right, right. So let's get into some listener
questions. We got some.
We do this week before, well before we jump into questions,
we talked about we had our most Aussie testimonial ever last
week, which was brilliant. Now, this is another, yeah, I
suppose a similar to a testimonial, but it's we got a
listener, Chris. His handle is Chris Explore.
Yes, all the way from Norway, from Norway, Norway.
I love this one because we talked about, we copped a little
bit of Flack about hiking last week and he said hi and thanks
for your Inspira Inspiring podcast.
First heard your episode on a run and ended up downloading
them all on my iPad. Fortunately because I did a hike
up a few weekends ago to a cabin in the mountains, I got stuck
for two days and ended up listening to 15 episodes while
sitting by the fireplace drinking coffee.
That sound that I love the the reason I love this.
I was like that is my perfect week.
Going up into a mountain, getting stuck somewhere of my
own and just being able to sip on coffee next to a fireplace
for a week. Yeah, a good.
Set. I've gotta be honest, that does
sound absolutely delightful. At the moment I don't know if
I'd wanna sit around and listen to 15 episodes of You and Me
talk. No, I think that.
That I wouldn't. That my big, but oh, how good
from Chris. Thank you for Chris all the way
from Norway. Signed up for his first trail
race off the back of it and he's going running mountains, so how
good. This is this is what it's about,
this is what it's about. It's not getting you about
buying fancy shoes is not getting you about signing up the
stupid eight week programmes. It is about just getting
involved. Well done Chris, we love to see
it Now Mr Atkinson and what you put your elite athlete hat on
'cause we got a couple of questions from people we want to
throw your way. First one, Benjamin Feriff says,
hey legends love the pod, great listen every week great topics
to think about while running. Question for Courtney, how do
you get faster at trail running like 50K events?
Is it the same as intervals and intervals and thresholds on the
trails with vertical or how to mix it up?
And oh, thank you Benny says shout out to Liam.
Hi, jog past on the border trail this evening looking Ah bloody
hell Ben. Should have said good day.
Yeah, like you know what, I'm look, I'll come back to
something Bens brought up there because I do want to brainstorm
something with you. But let's ask the Bens question
first. How do you get better at running
trails? As opposed we've talked about
intervals, thresholds, long runs and what they can do for you on
the Flats. How do you get better at running
the trails? Well, being 50K, the first thing
is, you know, it's like any long distance event.
You just gotta be out there. Running mileage is gonna be key
in this. But when it comes like running
on the trails spec, like being specific to the trails is gonna
help. So if you're gonna do your
intervals and thresholds, you, you know, generally majority of
the trail races you're gonna go in are gonna have some type of
hills. You know, that's the nature of
when majority of trail races are put on when it comes to how you
break up the hills and the threshold.
I mean, I don't do a lot of threshold on the trails because
it's so hard to control your heart rate when you're going up
and down different surfaces and everything else.
But what I do do is when I'm doing kind of like say my
intervals, I choose to do it more like fart, lick and use let
the terrain actually dictate my pace, which then becomes more
specific to a race. So I've talked about doing that
17 K loop I do where I literally I'll run up the hills at that
threshold type pace, you know, that kind of race pace I want to
be at and then float and relax on the downhills.
Now I might run hills anywhere between a 300 metre hill to a 1
1/2 kilometre, 1 1/2 kilometre hill.
Different variances in steepness in that, but you get to mix it
up as you go. So I like to use the train to
mix it up for me and that's the beauty of running trails.
And then it doesn't get boring either.
Can I just 'cause I reckon Ben is probably closer to me as a
runner than he is you. And you talk about race pace up
hills. When I'm out on a trail run, if
I'm doing that 17 K loop, you're talking about some of those
hills I can't run up like I, that is a, that is a hike hill
for me. I can't the idea of, you know,
trying to explore threshold pace or race pace on that hill, It's
I can't, I have. To walk, just getting up it.
Yeah. So is there, is it a case of or
could you potentially, and this is a perfect example of how
Courtney always says I can't train someone to run a race if I
don't understand how to run their pace.
But if for example, if I'm taking on that 17 K loop and
that steep particular that steep part around the back, you know
where I'm talking about, how how could I try and tackle that
differently to improve? Well, you, you power hike with
power hike up, but so going back to that RPE or knowing like what
type of intensity you're running at, if you, you know, instead of
trying to run it at a set pace or trying to keep pace, you want
to feel how hard you're going. And then each of those hills be
able to manage that over that distance.
So if you were running a course, you want to be able to finish
the last few hills as strong as you've started the first few
hills. And that's how you get better
over time on the trails is being able to manage like that
intensity. You run up and know that early
on in sessions or in a race, you can be feeling really, really
easy. You might actually choose to
purely walk to keep your heart rate down.
Because the one thing's for sure, and this is gospel, the
one thing's for sure, in a 50K event, all those longer trail
events. At some point, it's gonna get
bloody hard. And at some point, it doesn't
matter how easy you go out, it doesn't matter how hard you go
out, you're gonna hit a hill in that race or hit that hill in
that trading where you're gonna be hurting.
And the more you can understand how your body feels and reacts
and learn what that pacing is without all the use of gadgets
and everything else, the better you're gonna be able to manage
your pace over that whole that whole race.
And that, that's what training is used for, right?
To be able to, I suppose, teach your body and learn from trial
and error as to what works. And then as you keep doing that,
you get stronger at the same time.
The second part of that is intervals.
I mean, I treat trail intervals the same way as I treat
intervals on hills on the road. Just pick a, pick a distance,
pick an intensity, run up and back, recover down and and and
there you go. I love that.
I reckon that's a great answer, Ben.
I hope you get something out of that, mate.
I'll come back to the other thing about you spotting me on
the trail. I do want to finish this up with
a bit of a brainstorm session. Courtney Sammy Way, who's a
friend, just just. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait up, wait up, wait up. I wanna know, I wanna know.
Did he spot you on the trail and recognise you from our podcast
or are you already a star on local breakfast?
Are you? Have you got?
Look, let's let's talk about it. Now are there are there banners
up or have we got any signs up on the Gold Coast yet?
Do we see your face on the highway?
The irony is, and I don't know if we're doing any video out of
this one today, The irony is right now we will.
I've, I've got a face full of makeup cause I've literally been
having promo shoots for the radio show today, which are
gonna end up on buses and bloody billboards around the joints.
So no, OK question then there. We go, we're not gonna be able
to run with you anywhere then. Before we get to before we get
to Sam's question and I do want to get to it.
I was thinking this and it and it's so funny that Ben has
messaged in and said he spotted me on the trails because I was
thinking what we, we're not you and I are not looking to start
making merch or start, you know, trying to become just another
one of those buddy run influences thing.
But what I'd love to do genuinely, I want to have a hand
sign or something so that if I because I love waving at people
and smiling at people on the trails or tracks or whenever if
I'm running and I see them, particularly on the trails, I
love to nod, to smile, to hair, you go, whatever.
I want to have something which says, which indicates in the
beginning you've been listening to the pod.
I want some. I don't know what it is, whether
because you can't give a thumbs up because that's too generic.
I'd love to come up with it's essentially like a handshake,
but obviously we're not going to stop and shake hands.
But I want to come up with something, whether it's the tip
of the cap, I don't know, to indicate I'm listening to the
pod. OK, maybe someone can give us an
idea because I'm blank at the moment.
Maybe it is the old school hat tip of the cap.
Maybe it's the old school. Hat off, I'm like.
Holding the lift of the hat that now there's something if you so
if if you run past somebody on the trails or and there's it's
too hard on the flats on the main areas, but if you run past
somebody honest, you know, and there's not a lot of people
around and you both reciprocate lift of the cap.
What do you call that? The English would have a name
for that for sure. Like the old, you know, the old,
big, big black. Yes, I think the the phrase I
think and correct me if there's any year old English speakers
that is to you doth your cap. I doth my cap.
I doth my cap to you. OK, maybe I'll take that back.
I don't know if I want the thing going on.
All right, we'll have a if anyone's got any good ideas,
though, please send them in because I, I would genuinely
love. We don't, I don't want to start.
We're not creating running programmes here.
We're not trying to take your money.
But I would love to create something so that people can,
the community can just acknowledge one another in a
discreet manner if they bump into each other on the run.
One more question before we wrap things up in course.
Yeah, you got to get back to some some sashimi and some sushi
on the streets of Tokyo. Sam White, friend of the show,
personal friend of mine who is getting back into his running
and has has thrown this one in question because we brought it
up in an episode about calf compression socks.
Sam wants to know what's the deal with them.
He actively avoids those people on runs the same way you avoid
tourists on Segways. He can't possibly think that it
helps, but would love to know. Courtney, do they actually do
anything? Oh man, this is a red flag for
me. Really.
Yes, yes. I cause in triathlon this was
such a big thing, you know, people running in calf socks.
And then I've seen it kind of when trails started booming.
I've seen it kind of creep into trail a little bit.
And you know, it came with the fluoro, it came with everything
else. I think it's overkill.
I, I believe there is like for years when I travelled and if I
was like I talked about earlier on, I used to fly up on the red
eyes here to Japan to race. We would have compression tights
on every time I'd fly or compression socks.
It makes sense when you're swelling and look, there is, I
know there's evidence with compression that you know, it
does help some maybe recovery. It might help with Isola
oscillation and muscles and a whole range of stuff.
But for 99 of us, percent of us, they just look awful.
It's as simple as that. Oh I'm I'm more than happy to
take my 1% pain to to not wear compression socks.
I'm going to show you this is this.
Well, this is going to be the end.
You're going to show me a picture of yourself.
This is going to be the, this is how we end today's podcast,
right? Because I'm not going to want to
talk to you anymore after this. Now as a mature runner, I do not
wear compression socks or compression sleeves or anything.
I just, I just, I do my strength training, I run and I do my
recovery and I look after my cars because that's what gives
me problems when I run high volume.
I'm going to show you a photo that's four years old and it is
of when I first started kind of running longer distances.
That is what I was wearing. Oh, Liam, Liam in Randwick as
well. I can see where it was.
So I'm looking I'm, I'm looking at a picture of fluorescent
yellow compression socks with, with, with fluoro yellow decals
on the shoes. I can't see the brand.
Like they're a pair of they're Essex, they're like that.
They're knee high. I ran the first time I did UTA
50. I ran it in those and I was like
what? It just it hurts after a while.
They're too tight, you know they.
Did they not have a black pair or?
We're, we're very different, Courtney.
I'm well, look, look at me, look at me.
You're just I'll just go win the race.
On that and I need a week just to take that in Liam.
So on that note, I'll see you around.
Hey, safe travels. We'll be back in person next
week. Enjoy the pod, enjoy running.
We'll see you then.