Two Men On The Run

This week on Two Men on the Run, Matt teases Jon-Jo about his up and coming 35th Birthday when he'll move up into the Veteran Athletics category, Jon-Jo gives a shout out to his work colleagues and tells why they suggested he check out Twitch? And the guys discuss some of the mistakes that they themselves and other 'sub-elite' athletes make.

This week on Two Men on the Run, the men discuss their training over that past week with some tough sessions in some brutal weather conditions. The XC Equality debate rages on and are running clubs in the UK a failure now in this modern world and should the UK be looking to have a more American Running 'Group/Team' Design?

Plus Matt discuss is recent running-related reading with Matt Fitzgeralds' 'Running the Dream' and Jon-Jo catches us up on where he is with Running with the Kenyans.

The Two Men on the Run discuss the latest in the XC Equality Debate, Matt gives us some recipe ideas for the famous Kenyan Athlete dish of Ugali and Jon-Jo discusses everything he's learning from reading Running with the Kenyans.

Plus the guys discuss would it be interesting to have 'Exhibition Fights' in athletics seeing the biggest names at different distances go up against each other in something on the middle ground such as would it have been fun to watch Usain Bolt vs Mo Farah over something like a 600m race when they were both in the prime of their careers, what are your thoughts?

Happy New Year or is it? The Two Men on the Run discuss the new Lockdown 3.0, the madness of Donald Trump and his supporters and running-related the guys discuss 'Running with the Kenyans' and the greats of Halie Gabrelsallise, Kenenisa Bekele and Eliud Kipchoge as well as comment on a couple running films that might help you stay sane till February the 15th.

This week the Two Men on the Run joined by two healthy glasses of Bailey's to celebrate Christmas discuss some tough topics from the call for equality in Cross Country races distances for men and women to the unravelling chaos of lockdown and tier system in the UK. Matt tells us about an exciting and interesting race that went on over in the states 'The Marathon Project' which sure a surge of 2:09 clockings by American marathon runners and a second on the all-time USA list from Sara Hall with a 2:20 performance only a couple of months after her fantastic run in London. Jon-Jo tells us why he doesn't listen to his own philosophical whims as he describes how to live without ego while Matt comments on how he's been doing the opposite all season in regards to races, and when the question is put to Matt he dodges it well. And the guys finish with the age-old running question, Split Shorts or Half Tights?

Well the Two Men on the Run got the chance to catch-up with Team New Balance Manchester and 2020 British Marathon Champion Jonny Mellor.

Jonny has an impressive range with a sub 4 minute mile clocking of 3:58.76, a 5k best 13:31.21 and a 10k best that saw him win the Night of 10,000m and become British 10,000m champion of 28:42. He's also this clocked two extremely impressive 2:10 clockings first in Seville back in February with 2:10.03 and then when he won the British Marathon Championships at this years London Marathon with 2:10.38. He is the fastest British Marathoner of 2020 and 18th All Time.

The guys dive into all things with Jonny from the craziness of this year which started with Jonny smashing the Olympic Qualifying Standard for Tokyo only for the Olympics to be cancelled, his strange bubble and tagging experience at this years London Marathon and then back to his early days growing up on the Wirral and Training at Liverpool Harriers under Dave Evans, before joining Steve Vernon and the Team New Balance Manchester.

Jon-Jo does his best to get a load of free coaching advice off Jonny who offers coaching plans and one to one coaching over at JM Coaching .

We wish Jonny the best of luck as he heads into the Olympic Trials that have now been arranged for March 26th 2021 and his surely concrete selection to represent Great Britain at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.

This week the guys spirits are lifted slightly as lockdown 2.0 is coming to an end and they can get back running in groups again. Matt hopes to make the cut off for the Olympic Marathon Trials in March, so the guys discuss the race potentials, course and if it's really needed. Plus Sir Mo Farah has been airing on our screens every day for the last couple weeks, neither Two Men on Run are fans of 'I'm a Celebrity' but Matt's been watching this year because of Mo and has found some similarities with himself in the Double Olympic Champion.

We've had a couple weeks break as Lockdown 2.0 made us rethink how we do the podcast with Jon-Jo not having internet, but the Two Men on the Run are back via Skype to discuss a touch of running, the effects of Lockdown 2.0, the US Election and as always the philosophy of life according to Jon-Jo.

The Two Men on the Run discuss the philosophies and psychological principles of Eckhart Toole, Freud and Professor Steve Peters from finding the balance of the Ego, Id (Chimp) and Super-Ego and how this affects them and us all in everyday life and our running.

New runners what do clubs and coaches have to offer? How do you find the right club and coach for your wants and needs? Is a paid coach better than a club volunteer coach? The guys discuss their thoughts on all of this from their good and bad experiences of both sides.

Jon-Jo gives us another song from the archive of Kris Kristofferson with "Me and Bobby McGee" to round out the show.

Thanks for listening!

With tighter restriction due to Tier 3 lockdown across Merseyside Jon-Jo discusses why he doesn't think there's any point in considering races this year, while Matt argues that races are needed for motivation. The guys discuss Para Athletics and the process that Matt's fiancee Jade faces as she targets a GB vest next summer.

Jon-Jo teaches us about the 5/25 philosophy of Warren Buffett to help us focus on what's important, before he plays the show out with a cover of 'Oh Carol' by Neil Sedaka.