A Runner’s Life

In episode 163 I speak with Clare Elms who only realised her talent for running after the birth of her triplets in 2000 but now features at the very top of the national age group rankings from 800m to Marathon. Holder of over 20 GB age group records, she’ll be coming for all the VW60 records soon. Perhaps most impressive is Clare’s parkrun record, she has been fastest female finisher in every one of the 158 parkruns she's completed. Her proudest achievements include winning the Kent County cross country Champs at the age of 47, and the South of England 3000m Champs twice.

In episode 161, I speak with Karl Gloster, who debuted at 2:44 in the Manchester marathon and ran a 2:34 PB at the 2023 London Marathon.

We cover a number of topics including:

In episode 152, I spoke to Deo Kato, Coach at adidas Runners LDN, founder of The 381 Days Running For Justice movement, he is the Spirit of the London Marathon Award winner.

Deo came to the UK aged 10 years and experienced racism soon after arriving from Uganda.

Starting on 6th June 2020, he set out to run 10km every day for 381 days to protest against racial injustice and inequality in society, fast forward to 2023, this campaign has evolved into running from South Africa to London starting on July 24, 2023.

Deo will run across 2 continents, 16 countries covering 14,570km, over 381 days. The 381 days honours those of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-56 Alabama, USA and the change they created on the policy of racial segregation.

This journey aims to show the history of human migration from Africa to the rest of the world. Deo hopes to inspire change through this running journey.

This will be the first podcast covering this extraordinary journey. We will reconnect with him during and on completion of the challenge.

You can support Deo by donating to his GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/5ce10bea

You can find Deo on

In episode 151, I spoke to Nat Long, who is a runner from cross country up-to 100 miler races. She is active in the UK run club community and is also well known for her viral run until you see videos on TikTok and Instagram.

Nat is really engaging hence why she has built a growing community. Her main message is that in life, and through her content, is she wants to encourage people to find joy in what they are doing. To Nat running can be and should be fun. Whilst she understands there will be moments in life and in running that aren't fun, and we still have to deal with those, but it's important we appreciate and seek out the things that make us happy.

We take a dive into why she runs, what’s next, David Goggins recent book, how she’s learnt from challenging running experiences plus much more.

You can follow Nat on Instagram and TikTok at @nat_runs_

In episode 150, I spoke to British professional runner and coach Jonathan Albon.

We talk about;

In episode 149, I spoke with Fiona English who posted an open letter to the Boston Marathon in January 2023 to ask them to review their deferral policy, for women like herself who earned a Boston Qualifying (BQ) entry before becoming pregnant.

The Boston marathon and the qualifying time is held in high regard globally. After running 17 marathons, through hard work and determination, she qualified running a BQ time at Paris Marathon in April 2022 running 3:27:05, after running 5:47 for her first marathon.

When this podcast was recorded, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) policy had a strict no deferral policy. However during the recording of the podcast unbeknownst to Fiona and I, the B.A.A. posted on Instagram noting they changed their policy to allow for entry deferral post pregnancy. This is thanks to everyone that spoke following the post, but more importantly the pioneers before that made this final push possible.

There’s definitely more that needs to be done, one of those things is focused on the remaining three marathon majors, to follow suit in having progressive deferral policies.

Further information on resources to create a level start line for women include:

In episode 148, I speak with Nicole Harkin, MD, FACC Cardiologist, and Founder of Whole Heart Cardiology.

This episode came about from using the Apple Watch, which has health features to help the users, monitor heart rate to alert you if it’s too high or low. Last year my Apple Watch notified me several times of an irregular heart rhythm, with a heart rate under 40bpm.

Dr Harkin and I talk about the role that technology has to empower people with their health information. If you’re a fan of technology wearables and you’re concerned about your own heart health, this is the episode for you. We clear up some myths and leave you with some tangible action points to empower you moving forward.

Thank you to Tracksmith, who supported this episode and thank you to my patreons who support the show.

In episode 147, I speak with Andy Waterman

Andy is a runner and journalist who heads up the editorial output at Tracksmith. Having returned to running in his 30s, in 2022 he ran PBs in the mile and the marathon, going sub-2:40 at Berlin.

We talk about training, the importance of having mates help spot you in your training, to see your blindsides. Plus so much more including why there’s been a dip in the popularity of running.

Thank you to Tracksmith, who supported this episode and thank you to my patreons who support the show.

www.patreon.com/ARunnersLife

In episode 145, I speak with Matt Chittim host of the Rambling Runner Podcast, in this ask me anything episode.

We are team-mates for Relay a collaborative paid platform hosted by elite athletes and running creators, who produce regular running content each month, check out this link to sign up for $9.

In episode 140, I speak with Joan Benoit Samuelson and Liz Yelling at the London Marathon 2022. Thanks to Abbotts Global for providing the opportunity to do this.

In this episode we speak about

In episode 139, I speak with Alice Light, a runner who is soon to be an Integrative Health coach and nutritionist. You can follower her on Instagram @alice.light.731 she is soon launching www.byalicelight.com where you can find information about her journey and work.

This episode carries a trigger warning talking about rape, suicide and mental health. Don’t worry, we don’t go into too much detail in respect of the three points.  But if this is an uncomfortable topic for you, please be mindful of this. If any of the topics relate to you, please do take care of yourself and get the help that you need. Please don’t suffer in silence. Speak to someone.

In this episode, we go back to the start and talk about Alice’s background. We then move onto the challenges that she has encountered. We then conclude with where she is today and the amazing steps that she’s taking forward in her life.

It is a really inspiring conversation which shows how running, or movement can be the base for people to grow and express themselves in other areas of their life.

This podcast was recorded six days out from the Berlin marathon. I discuss the build up, my marathon block, lessons learned from my last marathon, nutrition, race day plans, current news and much more.

In the second half of the podcast I speak with Philipp Baar, who has a marathon PR of 2:16. In this episode we talk about his new role as the Berlin Adidas Captain. Philipp shares some great course tips for those running the Berlin marathon, plus he shares an interesting point of the course that you might want to look out for! In this conversation with Philipp we talk about running drills, click the link below to see five running drills that you can add to your routine before you tackle a workout or a race.

In episode 136, I speak with Shareefa J, a presenter, model, advocate for equality and mental health awareness. She uses her platform to discuss many topics including Black Lives Matter, LQBTQIA+ topics, plant-based eco-friendly living, fitness, adult ADHD, women’s health and eating disorders.

In this conversation we talk about her experience of completing the London Marathon and RideLondon 100 and how sport has had a positive impact on her life. We also spoke about mental health and  Neurodiversity. There is some swearing in episode so please be mindful of that.

In episode 135, I speak with Matt Fox, who is the Founder, and Content Director of Sweat Elite, as of August 2022 they have over 88K subscribers and millions of views ranked up. The sports media company pulls back the curtain into elite and sub elite running training. One piece of feedback Matt was asked was could Sweat Elite show the training for an athlete’s full marathon training block. So Matt is currently doing that with his own training for the 2022 Berlin marathon. It’s an excellent series with his training partners, coach etc and I’d highly recommend watching it.

In episode 134, I speak with Jordan Thomas, who is a Product Manager, Videographer and Baltimore Born, Los Angeles Based Runner who has been running since before he could pronounce the word. While a Product Manager by day, Over the last 7+ years he has captured distance running culture that is centred on people of colour through short form documentaries, interviews, training tutorials, and more.

In this episode 132 I speak with elite runner Ali Lavender.

Ali is a lifetime member of Oswestry Olympians, has PB’s of 16.20 (5k), 34.34 (10k) 76.44 (Half Marathon), and 2:38:41 (Marathon).

She’s been running since childhood and has achieved a number of accomplishments in the sport including being placed in the top 10 of the English Cross Country Championships.

As well as representing the Midlands on Road and Cross Country, Ali is super proud to be the owner of 5 England vests over both Mountain and Cross Country.

In this conversation we talk about her recent Boston Marathon performance.

Plus we touch on the news that, Ali will represent Team GB at the inaugural International Association of Ultrarunners 50km European Championships in Avila, Spain on 8th October 2022. Plus we cover so much more.

In this episode I speak with Ingrid Walters who is an accomplished actor in the realms of TV, film, commercials, and stage. She is one of the All-Time Best African American Female Marathoners, after running 2:48:03 at the Los Angeles Marathon finishing 1st woman overall.

As the daughter of a Captain in the Marine Corps and a high school principal, her drive and commitment was clear when she started swimming competitively at age 6. This took her to UCLA where she swam and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

She made acting her full time career. Some of her roles on include acting on Amistad, Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, Castle, and Parenthood, to name a few!

She's been a member of the Janes Elite Racing Team, an all-female elite team, since 2012. We discuss the impact this has on her. Additionally we talk about cancer and her return to running.

Plus we talk about lessons she learnt from Michael Johnson.

As an introduction, I’ve been a Maurten ambassador since 2017, where the company officially introduced themselves on the world stage at the 2017 Tokyo marathon. The winner Wilson Kipsang was featured using Maurten. So I’ve had a lot of experience using the product from the onset and through the subsequent new products.

In this episode, I give an overview of the recommended Maurten marathon fuelling strategies, which is a reference guide for you to refine based on the individual.

With that being said, in this episode I will give you a breakdown of my Maurten fuelling strategy from my last four marathons, explaining what did and did not work for me.

If you find this value in this episode, please do share with your community and let me know.

Thank you to the supporters of my work. For new supporters the way that you can help support my work is becoming a patreon, please click the link below.

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In this episode I travel to the Azores, Portugal, on the island of Faial, to race in the Whalers' Great Route Ultra-Trail by Azores Trail Run which was established in 2014.

I recorded the conversation post running the 25K race. I spoke with the race director Mário Leal, discussing the race, the experience of running in the Azores. It is a place where the runners run across incredible volcanic craters that formed the island. Plus we dive deeper into the history of the place and the historical passages of the ancient whalers that tell the story of this land and its people.

When I started this podcast the idea was to connect and learn from other runners during the Covid 19 pandemic.

I don’t say this lightly, but the conversation with Blair Wilson @blair_runs in episode 111 changed my life.

I deliberately posted this after mental health awareness week, because every day you should make your physical and mental health a priority.

There are certain areas of my life where I have struggled and as a result my mental health has been impacted. Prior to speaking with Blair I didn’t know the root cause of periods of lower mood.

Listening to him, it was like he was talking about my life in full 4K FHD detail. I just knew. It clicked, I could see how not being aware that I was autistic impacted my mental health upto that point. Fast forward to being officially diagnosed has been so helpful, to changing the narrative of not being enough of xyz, to actually accepting my self for all parts of what I am.

In this conversation I didn’t want to just do a stream of conscious thought that had no context to people who may relate and may want practical advice, about how to take the next best steps. So in this conversation I speak with Psychologist Jo Rodriguez @straightforwardpsychology to have a professional involved to steady the ship.

But we want to give a full disclaimer, this conversation is focused on my personal experience of autism. It is not attempting to speak for the experience of every autistic person, because the autistic spectrum is far and wide and every single autistic person presents differently. There will be people who have more complex needs than myself and we are in no way attempting to speak for those people or tell them how to live their life.

My only aim is to share my experience of discovering autism in my adulthood life and hopefully it can prompt people who may suspect that they are autistic as adults to know what the options are.

For your information I did an assessment and was officially diagnosed by Alongside Autism.

In this episode I speak with Red Bull’s Why I Run podcast hosts Erin Azar and Ayo Akinwolere. The podcast features interviews with inspiring people who share stories about what running brings to their lives.

The Why I Run episodes are leading up to the Wings for Life World Run, which will take place on May 8 to raise funds for spinal cord research. 100% of the entry fee goes to this cause. To sign up click this link.

In this episode I speak with Sam Lloyd-Perks, who I spoke with originally from episode 34. Of A Runner’s Life Podcast. We discuss mental techniques that you can use to race a mile (from 29:16).

Sam is a British runner and coach who has been competing at a high level since 2010 and in this period has competed in 15 national championships in his home country.

He moved to the States in 2018 on a scholarship to run in the NCAA at Lincoln Memorial in Tennessee, upon graduating he has transitioned back into road racing and has won numerous races. Recent victories in 2021 also include winning the AAU National Cross Country Championships in Charlotte and taking the win at America’s toughest road 10k in Roanoke too.

Sam has personal bests off 15:25 (5k), 32:13 (10k) and 74:13 (Half Marathon).

In this episode we talk about his shift in mindset and priority with regards to running. Feeling fulfilled and happy with his own journey within the sport, we discuss him moving on to the next chapter of his sporting life.

You can follow him on instagram

Episode 119, is the the best of the pioneers, from the conversations that I’ve had on this podcast.

The idea behind this episode was to celebrate Black History Month in America. However I’m not a fan of the word history, in this moment there is still so much more to do to bring a better future for the next generations. And whilst there were some great takeaways in regards to the Black experience, this conversation also highlights that we (collectively) need to be better allies across race and gender lines towards each other.

Thank you to each of the guests, where I’ve highlighted some of my favourite moments from the following episodes.

Set a reminder in your diary for February 14 2022, the next ARL episode with Sara Hall will go live!

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This episode is supported by Tracksmith, a brand which actively represents and supports the development of a runner’s life in the running community. Crucially in their culture, vision and actions Tracksmith actively encourage and highlight diversity.

In terms of clothing, right now some of my favourite pieces of kit relate to the new NDO range, have a listen to the intro to find out my essential items of kit within that collection.

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In episode 118, I spoke with Courn Ahn (she/her). Courn is a multidisciplinary designer, illustrator, and freelance creative based in Portland, Oregon. Her direct experience as a Korean American has largely shaped her career philosophy, serving as inspiration for the social justice advocacy present in her creative work. Through her freelance studio, she aims to provide accessible design services for small BIPOC business-owners and partner with organisations working directly in the equity space as a force for good. In recent years, Courn has found purpose in using art as a tool for activism, sharing weekly posts navigating intersectional topics through her Instagram account, @courtneyahndesign.

In modern life, in the word failure gets a bad reputation, we talk about three areas where she’s learned through “failure” which includes:

Art is important for culture, it is one of the areas where it holds a mirror back to us as people, we talk about how:

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In these ‘Moment’ episodes of my podcast, I’ll be selecting my favourite moments from previous episodes of a runner’s life podcast. 

This week we’re jumping back to episode 117, where I talk with Arman Vestad. And he talks about what one thing that helped him make the best next step after hitting rock bottom. If you ever feel trapped by your circumstances, this is the podcast for you. 

What’s crucial to understand is that you can’t control your environment, but you can control how you respond to it. This episode also shows the importance of how other people can help us in this moment. I hope this resonates with you, if so please do share with your community. 

In episode 117, I spoke with Arman Vestad who was a former criminal and drug addict. He now owes his life to two of the things that made his remarkable transformation possible: running and kindness.

In the past, Arman spent a lot of his time on the run. Through a series of poor life choices and unfortunate circumstances, he had found himself dealing drugs and engaging in other kinds of criminal activity. He even gained notoriety as the infamous ‘Gunman from Molde’ after supplying a weapon that was used in a triple homicide.

While to outsiders it seemed that he was living as a criminal playboy with drugs, friends, partying, and money, he actually felt alone. His body was struggling to keep up with a devastating drug habit, and he felt that there was nobody he could trust enough to be himself around. Wanting to let go, he even contemplated suicide.

After leaving prison for the 10th time, it wasn’t long until Arman found himself under arrest once again. This time, however, a policeman on the case sat down with him and asked what he could do to help. He showed that he cared, and those few moments changed the course of Arman’s life forever.

What came next was a prolonged and difficult fight to rebuild a normal, happy existence. Running was a critical part of Arman’s turnaround, since it helped him to develop the health and strength needed to overcome years of substance abuse and hard living. He reasoned that anyone can run and when your trainers hit the ground, you’re just the same as everyone else whether they’re a criminal, cashier, celebrity, or CEO.

As he jogged, ran, and pushed himself back to health, he also embarked on a new career as a debt adviser for Norway’s welfare administration. He later became an international public speaker, an advocate for bringing reformed criminals back into work and society, and (most importantly) a father.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Arman saw that many people were struggling with the same isolation and loneliness that he felt when living life on the wrong side of the tracks. Asking for help had never been his strong point, but it only took a moment of kindness to help him change for the better.

Combining running with compassion, Arman started the Tour de Wave - a five-stage run that took him from Norway’s Trondheim to Snåsa. On the way he spent time with nursing home residents and school children, carried out good deeds by helping shoppers carry bags to their cars, and met with the mayors of three towns who each expressed their support for the cause and their willingness to encourage more friendliness.

Arman now hopes to encourage more people to run, smile, and help one another while sharing his message: the smallest acts of friendliness and compassion multiplied many times over can change the world.

You can follow him

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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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.

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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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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