A Runner’s Life

In episode 116, I am doing my first ask me anything podcast. Thanks to Craig Beattie for suggesting the podcast idea, thanks to everyone that submitted your questions for this conversation.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to answer all of your questions. But if this is something you want to see continued or you have any further questions then let me know.

On the other side of the mic for this one, is my cohost of The First Mile Always Lies series and host of The Big Run podcast, Danny Easton. Thanks to him for asking the questions and not letting me get off the hook!

Remember if you enjoy the podcast please do share with your community and leave a rating on your favourite podcast player. This helps the podcast develop.

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Thank you to my patreons your help pays for editing, equipment and much more. If you value the content I deliver, please consider becoming a supporter of my podcast by donating via my patreon page. This helps me provide quality content

https://www.patreon.com/ARunnersLife

In episode 115, I spoke with British athlete and LEJOG world record holder Carla Molinaro as she prepares for the 2022 Sevilla Marathon, as a qualification race for the Comrades Marathon.

Setbacks are part of life, in this conversation we explore three areas where she has “failed” forward and overcome different challenges to come out stronger. One of these “failures” was the springboard to earning a Gold Medal at Comrades Marathon finishing in 9th place.

The idea of these conversations is to show how other runners can reframe the word failure and relook at their own setbacks.

This is the full extended conversation where we dive a lot deeper into Carla’s running, which supports the short film on YouTube which provides extra content into the conversation. To watch the short film click this link:

https://youtu.be/lQh7TaLPvSA

A Runner’s Life Podcast Presents

In association with a Matt Foulds Film Production

“Carla Molinaro - How To Fail Forward” a film by Marcus Brown & Matt Foulds

Footage by Marcus Brown, Matt Foulds, & Carla Molinaro.

Music by Epidemic Sound

You can follow her

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Thank you to my patreons your help pays for editing, equipment and much more. If you value the content I deliver, please consider becoming a supporter of my podcast by donating via my patreon page. This helps me provide quality content

https://www.patreon.com/ARunnersLife

In episode 114, I spoke with elite runner Mike Wardian.

Mike Wardian is quite simply one of the world’s best ultra runners. He loves to compete, run and see what his best looks like. I would list all his achievements and races but I’ll leave it here, Mike has competed in nearly 300 marathons and over 100 ultramarathons all over the world.

Mike has competed in the US Olympic Trials three times (2004, 2008, and 2012), has won the 50k and 100k US National Championships, and is a four-time USA Track & Field Ultra Runner of the Year.

In 2019, he ran 20 marathons, including setting a world record for running 10 marathons in 10 days on seven continents, and running across the entire country of Israel in 10 days, setting a new FKT for the Israel National Trail.

We spoke about some of the things you’d expect, but we also spoke about how poker chess and beekeeping relate to running and developing an adaptable mindset.

Plus we spoke about so much more that he hasn’t covered in other conversations.

You can follow him

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Thank you to my patreons your help pays for editing, equipment and much more.

If you value the content I deliver, please consider becoming a supporter of my podcast by donating via my patreon page. This helps me provide quality content.

In episode 112, I spoke with elite runner Abdihakim “Abdi” Abdirahman.

With a Olympic trials marathon time of 2:10:03, Abdirahman earned his place on the US Olympic team for the fifth time. He was 43 then, which not only made him the elder statesman on the 2020 US Olympic marathon team, but the oldest American runner ever to qualify for an Olympic marathon. Aged 44, Abdirahman is also the oldest American runner to make an Olympic team.

In this conversation we spoke about:

You can follow him on Instagram @abdiruns

Photo by Kevin C. Cod 

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Thank you to my patreons your help pays for editing, equipment and much more.

If you value the content I deliver, please consider becoming a supporter of my podcast by donating via my patreon page. This helps me provide quality content.

https://www.patreon.com/ARunnersLife

Are you a talented runner who is struggling to make the breakthrough to the international scene?

This is for athletes hovering in and around national level over cross country, 5000m, 10000m, or the marathon but haven’t quite made the breakthrough.

Stazza’s Stable Elite Racing is now recruiting talented runners (three women and three men) who hope to compete in the World Championships and the Olympics. We’re offering a range of fantastic perks, including year-round, free accommodation at our high altitude training camps, free coaching, free physio, free nutrition, free strength and conditioning, and many other benefits.

Coach John Starrett coaches beginners through elites. He coached Aoife Cooke, from her transformation (in a short time) from club runner to national champion and Olympian. She went from 2:46 to 2:32 and became the national champion with John. She then went on to win the Cheshire Elite marathon in 2:28 and qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

If your interested contact Coach John and simply tell him why you want to join, and share your recent race PB’s etc.

Ensure that you apply before the end of 2021. So we can start training for the upcoming international competitions from the start of 2022.

Contact

Email: [email protected]

Website: ww.stazzasstable.com

In episode 111, I spoke with runner Blair Wilson. We first met back at a Maverick race, a trail event which he won (episode 101).

Unbeknownst to the both of us we both were in the same starting corral for the 2021 London marathon, which he ran in 2:52. We talk about this, and his running journey across the disciplines from the road, track, trail and XC.

Blair shares how he learnt that he was on the autism spectrum as an adult.

He provides insight into how autism traits he had were misunderstood, for just being seen on the surface level as rude, unemotional, or perceived lack of expression in the face or voice etc. He explains how it was misdiagnosed for him with physical or mental health challenges. It’s a lesson for those not on the spectrum to see behind the stereotypes of what autism looks like.

Once he learnt he was on the spectrum, he has taken the perceived weaknesses and turned them into strengths. Blair has taken responsibility to learn more about himself, so he is better present and connected with himself and others.

In modern life, the word failure gets a bad reputation, so in a new feature of the podcast we discuss three areas where he has learned through “failing” and the lessons he has developed. This is one of my favourite podcasts conversations.

You can follow him on Instagram @blair_runs

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Thank you to my patreons your help pays for editing, equipment and much more.

If you value the content I deliver, please consider becoming a supporter of my podcast by donating via my patreon page. This helps me provide quality content.

https://www.patreon.com/ARunnersLife

In Episode 110 I’m joined by elite coaches Jen Rhines and Terrence Mahon.

This live episode is the third of three adizero Marathon Season Twitter talks to help you improve your running with insight from elite Adidas runners and coaches.

At the start of the conversation we had  technical difficulties in connecting all the hosts, but this was quickly resolved and after the introductions the conversation starts at 6:25. There were no further connection issues, following this.

In the first live adizero runner’s round table talk I spoke with Charlotte Purdue talking about developing the marathon mindset, which you can listen to in episode #106.

In episode #109 I spoke elite runner Steph Davis about how to structure speed into training.

In this conversation we covered the following topics:

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Thank you to my patreons your help pays for editing, equipment and much more. If you value the content I deliver, please consider becoming a supporter of my podcast by donating via my patreon page. This helps me provide quality content.

https://www.patreon.com/ARunnersLife

Episode 109, I’m joined by Olympic marathon runner Steph Davis. I first spoke with Steph in episode #89 when she won the Great Britain Olympic marathon trials.

This live episode is the second of three adizero Marathon Season Twitter talks to help you improve your running with insight from elite Adidas runners and coaches. In this conversation I speak with Steph about how you can structure speed into your marathon training.

In the first live adizero runner’s round table talk I spoke with Charlotte Purdue talking about developing the marathon mindset, which you can listen to in episode #106.

In this conversation we covered the following topics:

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Thank you to my patreons your help pays for editing, equipment and much more. If you value the content I deliver, please consider becoming a supporter of my podcast by donating via my patreon page. This helps me provide quality content.

https://www.patreon.com/ARunnersLife

This is a behind the scenes chat about the film - This is our London which is available to watch via Youtube via this link: https://youtu.be/jBbV-lP3KNQ

When I watched London marathons before I was a marathoner, whilst the leading runners were African. However as a Black British kid growing up in London, I couldn’t relate to both British and African running culture. Sport was never a priority in my household, and I wasn’t exposed to running clubs, or cross country as a youth. I couldn’t relate to the runners from the elites, or to the masses, based on the people that I saw in the area I lived and existed within.

However the London marathon was a celebration of the city I lived in. Often it is easy to live in a place but to not know it. The marathon seemed to provide a way to open up and show a space that was often closed off. For example Canary Wharf I remember going there as kid and it was fairly underdeveloped, and it’s a world apart from the place we see today.

Watching the London marathon on the BBC brought out the best of Londoners and the best of London. I was drawn to explore the unseen parts of my city that I called home. The marathon seemed to unite a group of people that in other days just passed each other like ships in the night.

The London marathon means a lot to me because it was my first experience of it I ran 4:55. I earned a GFA 2.56 and last Sunday I ran 3:00:06. So it has taken me on a massive journey revealing what I’m capable of, which I’ve learnt through running. This translates into other areas of our life’s and I hope that it inspires other people to take part.

The film aims to bridge the gap between the existing running community and encouraging new people into marathon running. It tells the stories of runners based internationally, as they share their honest, at times funny and truly unfiltered thoughts about what running the 2021 London marathon means to them.

Their stories create a powerful narrative showing what truly connects the runners behind the thousands of anonymous runners. Their collective voices show what London, and what it’s marathon means to them, and ultimately what it represents to us.

I hope that after watching the film that it inspires people to apply to run the 2022 London marathon.

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This is our London, shares the stories of runners based internationally, as they share their honest, at times funny and truly unfiltered thoughts about what running the 2021 London marathon means to them.

Their stories create a powerful narrative showing what truly connects the runners behind the thousands of anonymous runners. Their collective voices show what London, and what it’s marathon means to them, and ultimately what it represents to us.

A Runner’s Life Podcast Presents

In association with a Matt Foulds Film Production

“This is our London” a film by Marcus Brown & Matt Foulds

Featuring Ayodeji Akande, Hugh Brasher, Marcus Brown, Charlie Dark, Trina Dawkins, Michael Dolan, Tanya Franks, James Gray King, Philip King, Nethilee Le Croix, Stephen Lewis, Tu Chi Luong, Scott Mitchell, David Starley, & Sally from London

Footage by Marcus Brown, Matt Foulds, David Starley & London Marathon

Additional Photography by Simon Roberts Photography, Jane Stockdale Photography, Run Dem Crew, Black Trail Runners & Adobe Stock Images

Graphics by Sportymaps

Music by Epidemic Sound

#ThisIsOurLondon

Episode 107, is a special Boston marathon episode in collaboration with The Big Run podcast.

This special episode is a deep dive into the oldest marathon of the majors Boston, which first took place on Monday, April 19, 1897: The Boston Marathon was originally called the American Marathon and was the final event of the B.A.A. Games.

We have two fascinating conversations for this episode with Dave McGillivray race director of The Boston Marathon.

Dave who has looked after the race since 1988 and is an extraordinary athlete in his own right. He raced across America in 1978 in 80 days averaging 45 miles a day and to date has 160 marathons to his name a fair few of them done at Boston directly after he has finished being the race director!

The conversation with Dave starts at 2:32.

We then speak with an icon of female sport Kathrine Switzer and Rosy Spraker.

Tuesday, April 19, 1966: Although not an official entrant, Roberta “Bobbi” Gibb became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. Joining the starting field shortly after the gun had been fired, Gibb finished the race in 3:21:40 to place 126th overall. Gibb again claimed the “unofficial” title in 1967 and 1968.

Wednesday, April 19, 1967: By signing her entry form “K. V. Switzer,” Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to receive a number in the Boston Marathon. By her own estimate, Switzer finished in 4:20:00. B.A.A. officials tried unsuccessfully to physically remove Switzer from the race once she was identified as a woman entrant. At the time of Switzer’s run, the Amateur Athletics Union (A.A.U.) had yet to formally accept participation of women in long distance running.

Rosy is a 14 time Boston finisher who is a member of her 261 fearless organisation.

The conversation with Kathrine and Rosy starts at 01:16:47.

(London Marathon - This is our London full film watch it here)

https://youtu.be/jBbV-lP3KNQ

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Thank you to my patreons your help pays for editing, equipment and much more. If you value the content I deliver, please consider becoming a supporter of my podcast by donating via my patreon page. This helps me provide quality content.

https://www.patreon.com/ARunnersLife