The Run4It Podcast

Fresh off an 800-metre PB which met both the World Indoor and Commonwealth Games standards, Jenny Selman joins Chris and Finlay to talk about her running journey so far. (Interview starts at 24:46.)

This one is all about determination and persistence at the top end of middle distance running. In addition to working around numerous food allergies, Jenny had recurring injury struggles that contributed to a dip in form after a strong early start to her athletics career. But hard work and dedication have seen her kick off 2022 in the form of her life.

This episode is chocked full of insights into how to cope with obstacles as an athlete - be they work commitments, dietary restrictions, or injuries. Jenny's story is a testament to the power of not giving up and having a long-term approach to your discipline.

A week after recording, Jenny won gold in the 800-metres at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships.

To get in touch, email: [email protected].

Photo credit: James Rhodes (@James_Athletics).

In Finlay's first episode as co-host, he's donning his sports scientist hat to discuss the high fat low carb approach to fuelling endurance sports - a topic he's studied and practiced over his years racing Ironman triathlon as well as coaching athletes. 

This episode sifts through some of the myths, misinformation and grey areas around fuelling for endurance sports, favouring a balanced, logical approach: the appropriate food to fuel the appropriate session. 

Finlay also talks about what got him into running - from golfing injuries, to spectating Ironman UK as a teenager, and going on to study sports science and run his first marathon. Training talk begins at: 28:43.

If there's a particular topic you'd like us to explore, or you just want to get in touch, email: [email protected].

Part two of our Montane Spine Race double feature - Chris and Jason are joined by Christopher Cowley, a highly accomplished ultra runner who made his Spine debut at this year's edition of the iconic race across the Pennine Way. 

With wins at the Hardmoors 160 and 200, Christopher came into the 2022 Spine Race with as much experience as you could possibly hope to have short of an actual completion or living on the Pennine Way itself. This episode is full of insights from a first-time finisher of the notorious 268-mile Winter gauntlet of a race. Christopher talks training, nutrition, what he'd do differently next time, advice for potential entrants, and the surprising amount of due diligence that went into that seemingly barbaric finish.

Less pressingly, the trio debate the merits of the different varieties of chocolate buttons, and the Christophers labour a toothpaste analogy...

To get in touch, email: [email protected]. 

Photograph courtesy of the Spine Race

In the first of two episodes looking at the Spine Race, Chris and guest host Jason Kelly speak to Debbie Martin-Consani, who won this year's edition of the iconic 268-mile race across the Pennine Way on her second completion. 

This episode is stacked with insights from one of the most decorated and accomplished runners on the UK ultra scene, with a long list of podiums and formidable times dropped across well-tested trails both domestically and abroad. 

If you've ever looked at the 268-mile long slog stretching from the Peak District to Scotland and wondered what it takes to win such an unforgiving race, listen on...

To get in touch, email: [email protected].

Photograph courtesy of the Spine Race

Endurance athlete and adventurer Nick Butter joins the boys to talk about his big project for 2022 - the Fit in 50 Challenge. Nick is best known for being the first person to run a marathon in every single country on earth, but he felt that his diet, strength, power, and overall health could be better. This led him to devise the Fit in 50 - "the ultimate 50-week data driven fitness transformation."

Nick talks about what led him to create the challenge, what he's learned so far (we join him in week three), his inspirational journey from working a corporate job to carving his own path as an endurance athlete and public speaker, and his charity, The 196 Foundation. For anyone wanting to make a healthy change in their lives, this is well worth a listen. You can follow Nick's journey day-by-day with full breakdowns on his training on Instagram.

This is Will's last show co-hosting The Run4It Podcast, so regular listeners should prepare themselves for a slightly more sentimental tone to the intro than normal. 

To get in touch, email: [email protected]. 

Chris and Will discuss their running plans and ambitions for 2022, informed by their learnings over the past 12 months.

Chocked full of insights from another year of training, injuries,  various other mishaps, and a few bright spots, with plenty of call-backs to some key lessons learned from last year's guests. 

To get in touch, email: [email protected]

Chris and Will reflect on another year of running and give their thoughts on the best running gear they've gotten to use over the past 12 months.

They talk road shoes, trail shoes, and the shoes they most wanted to try but didn't get round to, as well as kit, tech, and nutrition.

The Run4It Podcast will return in the new year with an even bigger lineup of athlete stories, gear reviews, and industry insights, all washed down with the boys' trademark workaday banter. 

To get in touch email: [email protected].

Rob Sinclair joins the boys to talk about his return to winning ways at the Ultra Trail Costa Blanca 75K race and reflect on his storied running career so far. 

This episode is packed full of insights from one of the best mountain and ultra trail runners in the UK as he moves into a new phase of his career. Rob talks about the challenges of balancing the training of an elite performer with long working weeks of up to 80 hours, compared to the relative freedom he enjoyed in the build-up to UTCB from becoming self-employed. 

Inevitably, Chris fanboys about Rob's tear on the Triple Crown of Scottish ultra running in 2017 - winning and setting still-standing course records on the Highland Fling, the West Highland Way Race, and the Devil o' the Highlands. Fortunately, this makes for a good discussion about how Rob's approach to training and racing has evolved over the years, and what he's looking to do in 2022. 

To get in touch, email: [email protected]. 

Finlay McAndrew returns to the podcast wearing his sports scientist and triathlon coach hats to talk about the science behind off season training for runners. 

This is a deep dive into the scientific, best-practice approach to training through the off season - better referred to as the general preparation phase. 

This episode has information aimed at runners of every level, but will be especially useful for any runner setting specific goals for themselves next year. Finlay illustrates ways to use the quieter periods following big races to an athlete's long-term improvement as a runner, and highlights potential common pitfalls most of us will be guilty of, with examples and some insight into the varying successes he's had over the off seasons from over a decade of racing triathlons. 

Less pressingly, Will joins Chris from sunny Alicante to recount a calamitous outing at Ultra Trail Costa Blanca - an emphatic late entry to the boys' unintentional battle for biggest personal running disaster of the year. 

To get in touch, email: [email protected].

In the first half of this week's episode, Chris and Will discuss various approaches the Run 4 It team take to keep themselves training during winter, from sticking on a pair of Arctic Talons and calling it business as usual, to significant mileage cuts supplemented by more visits to the gym and cross training.

In the second half, they're joined by Flick McQueen (50:30) - our marketing and communications manager - to talk about winter training in more detail. Flick discusses her running background and evolution, as well as her varied approach to training through the colder months, which over the past few years has seen ski touring included - a sport on the rise in Scotland with a lot of transferable benefits for trail running.

To get in touch, email: [email protected].

Always seek professional advice before taking up new sports in mountainous environments. 

Lookout for courses at Glenmore Lodge in Aviemore by clicking here, and look out for the Backcountry Gathering at the Nevis Range here. 

Mountain safety aids:
Mountain Weather Information Service: https://www.mwis.org.uk/
Scottish Avalanche Information Service: http://beaware.sais.gov.uk/
OS Maps: https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/

Match My Workout: https://www.matchmyworkout.com/