The Vivi Nation team shares their experiences and advice for any runner considering taking on the challenge of a marathon for the first time, or improving on their first marathon. It's an honest review of marathon training, the race day experience, the challenges, and the future of mass participation events.

The Vivi Nation team give the lowdown on what it’s like to do a cycle tour in Europe’s cycling capital, the Netherlands. We talk through the process of planning a cycle tour abroad, impart some wisdom gained from our many cycling adventures, and rave about the Netherlands. Jump on a ferry and find out for yourself at the next opportunity!

Chris and Nick cover the pros and cons of participating in one of the many virtual events that have been set up to keep us motivated, discuss the short term future of running events and consider how to stay motivated during this continued period of disruption.

In the first episode of season 2, we welcome Jack Huntley on to the show to share his experiences of using the Eurovelo cycle routes, his thoughts on cycling in Europe in general and advice for any cyclist interested in a long-distance cycle tour. We hope this will inspire some of you to take advantage of the amazing network of routes Eurovelo have created on the continent!

A big thank you to everyone who has listened to any of our episodes in season 1. In season 2, Nick Smith joins Chris Smith as a co-host. The Vivi Nation podcast is dedicated to encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle for all. This biweekly podcast is for anyone interested in becoming more active, enjoying the outdoors and taking their first steps into the world of running, cycling and sporting events. 

Hosts and brothers Nick and Chris will be joined by a range of guests to share their experiences of amateur sports and exercise, as well as share their own journey of balancing work, family, and the outdoors. We hope you’ll join us!

The Vivi team reminisce on some of the mistakes we’ve made in our many adventures and share some advice on how to prepare for them.  Basically, we share some amusing anecdotal stories and laugh at our misfortunes, as well as discuss the concepts of 'complete don't compete' and 'learning by doing'. 

With the UK in lockdown, James Randall, Nick Smith and Vivi host Chris chat about mental and physical wellbeing during this period, as well as virtual challenges, motivation, building healthy habits into the working day and more.

In episode 16, Sam Jones, a keen cyclist and policeman, joins us to chat about his cycling and triathlon experiences as an amateur, fitness in the police, and his long stint doing rehab following an injury. We also take a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about our cycling tours in Northern Europe and the Paris to London 24-hour cycle challenge.

In episode 15, Jacob Wardrop joins Chris to discuss the balancing act of working life, starting a family and finding time to exercise. We chat about his experiences with two children, fitting exercise into a busy working schedule, the benefits of doing so, and top tips for building exercise into your routine. 

James Randall joins us to chat his 500 miles for GRIT running challenge, shortly after starting with the Ultra Tour of Edinburgh. We discuss his training, race day preparation, the challenge, his love for running and what motivates him to do long-distance endurance events.