DCR AidStation

AidStation Podcast 018 – Fast Times and Strava Crimes

Kia ora e te whānau! Where were you when you first heard about the big orange S? On this episode of the DCR AidStation podcast, Eugene and Matt dive deep into the good, the bad, and the (very) ugly that is Strava. Our heroes discuss what they love and love less about the social fitness platform and the positive and less positive impacts it has had on their lives. What brought this topic up was the dawning incredulity that people are hiring Strava Mules to run things fast for them for the purpose of kudos and followers. Oh, and we checked the date and it isn’t April 1st. Minds. Blown.

Enjoy!

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Fire Fighters Everywhere! Part 2 of the Firies Climb for MND/ Helen Waterworth and Chris Newsome from His & Hers Endurance KITZ - Dirt Church Radio 293. 

Kia Ora e te whānau! If, as we posited last week, the collective noun for a group of Fire Fighters is a Calendar then in this episode we’ve got most of the months ticked off!!! First off, we’ve got all the action from day 2 of the Firies Climb for MND. 

Then in the second part of our show  Matt had the pleasure of sitting down at home with Helen Waterworth and Chris Newsome from His & Hers Endurance Events KITS when they swung through from Whangarei on their way to The Great Naseby.

We love these people, they are inspiring, down-to-earth legends who have devoted most of their adult life to serving the community as members of the New Zealand fire service, and now are serving the trail running community with their business, which is essentially to act as your running event concierges, and as event directors, not only with Kings Backyard- where the record for most laps on NZ soil was broken this year, and with Whangārei five one two challenge. 

What’s more, they are no slouches at endurance events themselves, with Chris having won the River run backyard in its inaugural year and Helen just back from a PB of 32 laps at Clint Eastwood in Australia. Best Enjoyed Running.

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

AidStation Podcast 017 – The Firies Furber Stairs Climb For MND Live show

Kia ora e te whānau! We are not going to lie to you, this is a heavy episode, however it is absolutely one that you need to hear.

Matt and Ali Pottinger ventured to Scenic World in Katoomba to facilitate this discussion for the Firies Furber Stairs Climb.

We spoke to the original Firies Climb Organiser, Matt Pridham, about his personal experience with MND and how this drove him to start an event which raised millions of dollars, We spoke to Professor Dominic Rowe of Macqurie University.

A consultant neurologist with a fury to find a cure, and who singley handidly inspired everyone in the room listening, gave pause around how we live our lives, and shattered the F bomb record on DCR.

We spoke with Jane Simpson, host of MND Talks, a podcast for those families and people living with MND. Jane is the chair of the MND research collective and shared the loss of her husband to MND.

Lastly, we speak to Blue Mountains local, ultramarathon runner, and on-call fire fighter Gavin Clifton, about taking up the torch as the firies climb organiser, and the purpose this brings him, and the mammoth task awaiting him to smash out 24 hours on the Furber Stairs.

Jenny Hirst’s 60km for 60 Challenge

Firies Climb for Motor Neurone Disease.

Inia Raumati Kia Mau Kia Ora 

Enjoy!

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Eugene and Matt talk 100 miles. The where, what, and why.  Dirt Church Radio 291. 

Kia Ora e te whānau!

This week on the pod, Eugene and Matt settle in for a good old chat about Matt’s upcoming 100 mile event and Matt gets the opportunity to chat to one of his running idols (Eugene, and yes, we are leaving that in) about his process and engagement with the distance.

Following on from last week’s AidStation when we spoke to coach Kerry and Ali from SQUADRUN, we discuss the where, the what, and most importantly the why around an event that has bludgeoned itself into the running discourse and is more popular than ever.

Enjoy!

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

AidStation Podcast 016 – Soft Feelings And Hard Numbers: The Mileage Question with Kerry Suter and Ali Pottinger. 

Kia ora e te whānau! The great questions of our age answered by two of the greatest minds (and Matt and Eugene)!! When it comes to training, how much is too much? Or too little? And do we go by time or distance? And how will we know?!?! The answer? It depends … sort of ... This is a great discussion with SQUADRUN coaches Kerry Suter and Ali Pottinger around the quantitative and qualitative approach to training for your next big event. Matt reminds us how context is everything, Ali refuses to be judged for completionism, and Eugene and Kerry stack big numbers to the sky. Enjoy!!

Lee Grabarek - From the Nutmeg State to Ōtautahi, a trail well travelled - Dirt Church Radio 289.

Kia ora e te whanau! This week Matt has the distinct privilege of speaking to Lee Grabarek. Lee (they/them) is a non-binary person who has been ripping it up on the trails and roads of Aotearoa for the last ten years, after travelling from Connecticut, where they enjoyed a very outdoorsy existence.

Matt spoke to Lee about their life growing up, their initial foray into trail running and the sweet, sweet, sweet, transgression of wearing road shoes on the trail. We discuss Lee’s attendance at Out Trails, a trail running retreat for queer and trans people, and the massive impact that this had on their life. Lee, who puts it elegantly, does not “think about my gender every second of every day” so what this conversation is mostly about is running, how unifying this is, and what work there is to do in the space.

Lee is here to, in their words, “Send it” and will be competing at this year's Crater Rim 30km. This is a truly interesting conversation with a super-interesting runner.

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Enjoy!

AidStation Podcast 015 – Gareth Morris Plants His Feet in the Clouds 

Photo: James Rafferty

Kia ora e te whānau!

This week we’re joined by DCR favourite guest Gareth Morris as he recounts to us how he knocked off a run he first dreamed of more than a decade ago when he read the DCR favourite book, Feet in the Clouds, by Richard Askwith.

The famous Bob Graham Round, a fell running loop in the English Lake District, challenges runners to tackle 42 peaks over a 66 mile course in less than 24 hours. (Bob Graham was the first person to go under that mark, in 1932).

Gareth talks all about the history of this famous route, the camaraderie and sacrifice of those who helped him, and how he used the powerful words of legendary runner Nicky Spinks to get him to the end.

Even if you’ve never heard of the BGR, or have any intention of running it, you’ll come away from this episode inspired (and with new knowledge about unique English cuisine …)

Westie Runner on YouTube

Enjoy!

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

David Hellard - Podcast Baddy, Caffeine Daddy, And an Advocate for a Life on Two Feet. Dirt Church Radio 287. 

Kia ora e te whanau!

David Hellard has had a long and varied history with running. From hashing with his army dad, to reclaiming fitness in his 20’s obstacle racing, adventure racing, a love of city exploration, running everywhere, ultras, to founding the long-running and wildly-popular Bad Boy Running podcast.

David has run many of the world’s greatest marathons and has a passion for a life on two feet. Lately pivoting to creating Caffeine Bullet, a chewable caffeine source that packs a mean punch.

Proving the old adage that the degree of separation between New Zealand and the rest of the world is two degrees, David and Matt find out that they have a mutual friend (via Afghanistan!) and both being chatty and distractible embark on a conversation that can only be described as two anthropomorphic spaniels chasing a butterfly around a garden.

Enjoy!

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Silver Buckles and Subaru Studios: Andrew McDowall Runs Down Western States, AidStation Podcast 14

Kia ora e te whānau!

We’ve had the pleasure of some salubrious recording locales with Mr Andrew McDowall and this time is no different.

Fresh off a DCMF he’s hit the Forestry Road Subaru Studios with Eugene and Matt for a full rundown of his Western States experience.

We even got to stroke the buckle.

*Spoiler Alert* That’s a pretty flash buckle, alright. 

Andrew McDowall’s blog

Enjoy!

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

The 2024 WUU2K Special- Leaving it all out on the trail.  Dirt Church Radio 285 

In its nine-year history the WUU2K has kicked many a runner in the ass. This year it kicked Matt in the head.

Antecedently to the unfolding malarky,  Eugene and Matt caught up with NZ trail legend Jenny Hirst, WUU2K race director and founder Gareth Thomas, and long-time collaborator Brent Robinson.

You’ll get all the action from the start line, and Matt out on course,  alongside Eugene’s interviews with Tailwind NZ’s Mark Drew,  Carly Webber from Runners NZ and many more.

Enjoy!

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake