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Andy and Rich are two very ordinary guys that through living an Alcohol Free life have discovered the real joys in their running . Rich Lives in Leeds (UK) and Andy Lives on the Mediterranean in Spain. Both have run multiple Marathons and Ultra events. They want to share the joys of Alcohol Free Living and the super power that combining being AF and Running brings to both of their lives. The Episodes are real conversations between Rich and Andy - The Boys also invite guests to join them to share their stories.
Hello, and welcome back once again to the Running Dry podcast wherever you are at the moment listening to us. If you're out on your run, on your long run, on your interval run, your hill sprints, even doing the school run, whatever type of running that you're doing, we hope you're well, and we we thank you for joining us once again. It's episode 8, I believe, now. So, yeah, we're we're into the flow. We're into the swing of things, and, I've got my my glamorous host with me as ever alongside me, my wingman, mister Andy Deltonfield.
Rich:How are you today?
Andy:I am good, Rich. Yeah. Another week has passed by, and we head into November. How can that happen?
Rich:It's like honestly, mate, I was thinking this the other day. It is this year has gone so quickly. Like Yeah. Like, so much quicker than I think previous years have. And it just feels like weeks months are just dropping away.
Rich:I don't know if you feel the same.
Andy:Yeah. I think it's is this something that happens to us as we get older anyway, or maybe as we move through our alcohol free lives and we're filling filling our lives with so much more stuff? So when you're busy and you've got a lot going on, time goes faster, isn't it? It's when we sat around doing little that it may drag and feel, yeah, grand whole day. But it's I think it's just at the moment, I just feel so much going on as in we talk about the energy of alcohol free living, don't we?
Andy:And what that brings. Yeah. And it's just like yeah. I just seem to be, yeah, just doing so much at the moment, which is super exciting. So
Rich:Yeah. It is. Yeah. And and likewise, mate, I I I'm the same. Very much feel like I'm kinda constantly juggling things, which is quite does feel quite challenging at times.
Rich:Like, I have been, not not I don't feel overwhelmed, but I certainly feel like I'm I'm stretched, and I'm I'm perhaps I'm I'm I'm stretching myself a bit thinly, across things at the moment. So that's been kind of on the plane on the back of my head. But I used I I was thinking the other day, what did we used to do with all of our time? Like, a, before kids, you know, and then b, also when when we were drinking as well, I think we must have spent we must have wasted so much time, like, hungover, thinking about drinking, recovering from drinking, drinking, planning to drink.
Andy:Exactly. Yeah. I I, yeah. As in things, things change, don't you? Yeah.
Andy:We made these these massive choices in our lives and you kind of look back and you kind of do say that. Yeah. How did we do that? How you? But maybe because we weren't so I don't know, excited about the life we had ahead of us and we wanted to fill it with with with exciting things and constantly looking, I suppose, a little bit about what next.
Andy:And I suppose this is the hard to sometimes talk about that that kind of comes with the clarity of being alcohol free and talking about it being this double edged sword. The clarity is a wonderful thing because, yeah, we can feel everything and we feel the great moments and we all have that, but the bad and the difficult bits are tricky. And it's almost the same with you go alcohol free. Maybe it was easier when you didn't have these ambitions that you didn't look forward to what life is going to be and trying to fill that bucket. And when we're drinking, you're just kind of maybe just satisfied with what you've got a little bit more or Yeah.
Andy:When you're on that hamster wheel and you don't really lift your head up and look around.
Rich:I think I think you're right. I think there is something in there. And I think, you know, drinking, certainly, I think for me, it definitely dumped the the inspiration with inside me. It definitely sort of dumbed down any aspirations to to to chase dreams and and to challenge myself and to, you know, and to try things which which I was probably fearful of or or I perhaps, you know, did had had a little little belief or or was looking for more guarantee in terms of success. Whereas now, I'm just like, well, I'm just gonna try that stuff.
Rich:I feel much more willing to experiment, and, of course, the nature of an experiment is that you don't know the outcome. It's if you knew the outcome, it's not an experiment after all. So Yeah. I'm much more willing to try these things and and sort of lean into that fear and and, you know, much more I've learned the skill of of being, as I say, comfortable with being uncomfortable. You know, that that that zone of of comfort or familiarity, you know, you that's not where the growth happens.
Rich:The growth happens beyond that circle when you put yourself a bit like an elastic band, you know, if you you're stretching an elastic band. If if you don't stretch an elastic band, nothing's happened. It's no use to you really, is it? Because it's just sit there sitting there limp. It's only useful when you're stretching it, when you wrap it around something or you pull it tight and you ping it across the room.
Rich:So that's where the that's where the, you know, the the the you create the energy, isn't it, by stretching yourself and and giving yourself that momentum?
Andy:Love that analogy. Yeah. Yeah. No. No.
Andy:No. No. So but and that could probably lead us into as in the with the running side, it's it's what that new normal has become as well, isn't it? So as well as stretching ourselves with with possibly work work goals and life goals. And then we throw into that mix all our running as well.
Andy:And I'm just looking at my I've kind of been talking about 2025 is going to just be this easier year and I'm not going to put too much in no big multi day events. And suddenly, I I end up on the 1st November and, yeah, my 2025 diaries is is filling up a little bit.
Rich:I didn't wanna say anything. I remember I remember you saying that last week. I heard you said it before. I'm gonna have a quiet 20, 25. You're running back.
Rich:And I'm sort of sort of thinking, no, he's not. Well You're not gonna have a quiet you might you might not do a a multi stay a multi day ultra event. Well, not at this stage anyway, but some but something will drop in. What what what's dropped in? What's dropped in to the calendar?
Andy:Well, I think we've talked about it. As in I I yeah. As in I've I've I don't know if I said last week, London Marathon as a rhino is now a 100% confirmed. I've actually got my place all signed up for. Yeah.
Andy:Ordered the paperwork and the admin for that this week. So so that's happening at the end of April. And because I suppose there was this feeling around that that while I'm doing it is as a a rhino, it's very much a raising money event, a charity moment, and a Yeah. And a moment to kinda just enjoy London in a totally different way. And I think, really, that London has this two sides to the London marathon clearly, isn't it?
Andy:It's it's it's a serious running marathon for many, many people. And then we have this all inclusive part of London that that allows, yet any I say everyone's got a marathon in them, and I think London sums up the opportunity that you can go to London. The cutoff times are very, very, yeah, long, where where where it does become more inclusive. And and I can turn up in a in a costume, in a rhino's costume, and go and do it and be part of this amazing event. So so that's definitely happening.
Rich:Is there any can I just ask, is there anything different that you need to do in terms of, like, sort of admin and signing up you need to do as a rhino than you do as a normal?
Andy:No. It it would appear that I signed up as a normal runner. I've just agreed with with with with save the rhino that I'll be I think they've got 15 rhino costumes, that they use each year at the London Marathon. And it's it's very much their their flagship event, really, where they their their profile is is very much exposed. I don't know if you saw last year they had for the first time, they had a a wheelchair rhino that they'd had made for them.
Andy:And so someone in a wheelchair with the rhino head on the front of the wheelchair.
Rich:Will will you be running it as as a pack of rhino? Is that the right term to describe a a group of rhinos? I'm not sure what the, collector
Andy:is. Heard. Is that a herd? I don't know whether rhinos are quite solitary animals, so I don't know whether they actually in the wild that they end up in a herd. So just there's only over a couple of them.
Andy:Don't know. Maybe need to do some more research on rhino Rhino behaviour. Rhino behaviour as I'm gonna be 1. But, yeah. So so no.
Andy:As it is, it's potentially individual. I have spoken to, Chris Green, who was the rhino that was in Kenya. Right. And, yeah. And we've talked about maybe doing it together, and running it.
Rich:Oh, that'd be cool. Yeah.
Andy:Yeah. Yeah. Interestingly, last night, BTU, so Beyond the Ultimate, which is the company that I did the the Kenyan race with, do the lot lots of these multi day rents around the world, launched their premiere of the for the Rangers documentary last night on YouTube. So if you wanted us a lovely 40 minute documentary on on. Yeah.
Andy:Basically our journey through Kenya, in September, that's on YouTube. Now, if you look that up on YouTube, be beyond the ultimate. You'll find the documentary. And I I I a very small part of it. I think I'm in it about 3 times, and I I say 2 words, I think, in the whole thing.
Rich:That'd be awesome. No. I definitely wanna have a look at that. I I suppose I suppose one thing's for certain, and that's that you wanna make sure pre race that you you've you've got your rhinosized dump out the way before you start
Andy:before you come back to
Rich:the marathon. So that that's that's probably a a a priority to
Andy:But maybe if there was ever a marathon that you
Rich:could just do that because
Andy:a rhino
Rich:Well, I'm pulling the right click that you made, don't you?
Andy:In the middle of the street. I wouldn't I wouldn't say you're gonna squeeze in between 2 cars, but yes. Anyway, that's all we can do this week. So that's all really exciting. And then.
Andy:Yeah. Yeah. And then then then looking at Barcelona still of that being. Yeah. An opportunity.
Andy:I do know what's happening in my head is that I've got Valencia a month from today. So the 1st December, I'm running the Valencia marathon, which is a lovely end to my 2024 running calendar. And I'm super excited about that. Yeah. But I think there's a a little bit of of doubt, bit of fear around what I can potentially do in Valencia still.
Andy:Yeah, training because of coming off of the ultra training, and then I've done yeah, I did the Valencia marathon, a half marathon last weekend as well. So that went really, really well, in Valencia. And, yeah, just it's it's a bit of a bit of a mixed bag of training. I did manage to get out and do a 20 mile run yesterday. Right.
Andy:God, It was one of those it was one of those rich where you had the plot. Yeah. We did a 20, 20 mile easy run and there was absolutely nothing easier right at all. And I think I got to about 14 ks into it of 32 and I was just like, this is going to be really tough. Obviously, I was on very tired legs after after running a quick, quick half on Sunday.
Andy:So it was always going to be a challenging and I think the aim of it, it was yeah, it did everything on the tin. But, basically, I got to I got to about, I don't know, about 24, 25 k in, and my legs just totally went. So I I literally I had to stop for a bit to try and recover them. And then, yeah, managed to get the last bit done, but a very, very slow plot. But, yeah, sometimes these ones are like that, aren't they?
Rich:They are. Absolutely, mate. And, you know, I think it's it's a good learning curve for a lot of newbie runners is, you know, to to realize and accept that not every run is gonna feel good, and and sometimes it's unpredictable as well. You know, you can think you're in peak condition at a really good place in your training program and go out for a run feeling, you know, mentally feeling really strong, but then it just doesn't come together for whatever reason. And that that's just the, you know, that's just the unpredictability of of of running in our bodies, and it's not necessarily anything to worry too much about or overthink, which I think sometimes we can do.
Rich:It just is what it is. You know? And and it could be that the following week, you go out and do another long run. You feel absolutely great. So
Andy:Yeah. And he's looking at what the purpose of the run was, yeah, yesterday, as in it was, yeah, because it's come off the back of 2 half marathons over 8 days that I've and I've put in 2 good times in Amsterdam and and Valencia. The legs were gonna be really, really tired, doesn't it? It's it's I'm not in this normal marathon training schedule. So it's it's it's a little bit different to what I've potentially done before.
Andy:And yeah, as in it was I do know what it was it was actually a little bit about resilience. It was about running on really tired legs and just getting it done and once again proving that that I could get it done.
Rich:Because you do you, of course, you need more proof that you can run on tired legs, don't you? Because you've not done enough of that lately.
Andy:Yeah. But there's this but but but it's the proof. Yeah. I suppose it's like looking at what was the purpose of that run. What did that achieve?
Andy:Did it achieve anything physically? Well, clearly, it would have achieved stuff physically because I was still putting that effort in over yeah. It took me through over 3 and a half hours. So, yeah, it's to be honest, time on feet. If we're talking about forgetting about the distance, forgetting about the pace, I actually was out for the for for what the objective is for the marathon, of what I want to do.
Andy:So it was it was a 3 and a half hours time on feet. So that's really positive. Was there moments in it where it was just like, oh my God, yeah. Do I really want to post this on Strava?
Rich:Yeah. Yeah.
Andy:It was.
Rich:Do do do you find do do you always do you generally always look for to to to have achieved something from a run then? Is that on reflection, are you always looking for to to get something positive from it, or what what can I what can I learn? What have I achieved through this run?
Andy:Yeah. I think so. I I think it's important to have that reason behind it a little bit as in it's it's knowing you're not just going out there for the purpose of going out there, that that there's more more more than that. And, clearly, depending on where you are within a within a training block, there's lots of different reasons. And and sometimes it's confidence.
Andy:Sometimes it's belief, isn't it? We're we're we're we're specifically doing that run to to help with the mindset.
Rich:Yeah.
Andy:As in if I was to isolate that run on its own without everything else around it yesterday, what I've done and didn't was didn't have the awareness to kind of go, well, I've got to be really realistic of where I am within this training block, That that could quite easily be a negative mindset as a result of what happened yesterday. But I could look at that and go, oh my god. I'm 4 weeks out from a marathon and I'm struggling to even run 32 k at the moment. What is going on with
Rich:my body? Yeah. Yeah.
Andy:But I think with the experience I've got, I know that it's okay. Yes. Some days the body just doesn't doesn't comply. It doesn't want to comply or can't for whatever reason. And and I have to remind myself, yeah, as in my recovery is good, as in I I ran a half marathon, my 2nd fastest ever half marathon on Sunday and was able to recover enough to do a 32 k on Thursday.
Andy:Well, that shows huge amounts of recovery within that time. And then my my muscles, even though in the last 8 k, yeah, was screaming at me and telling me, yeah, why have you run out from the car so you have to run back? Why didn't you run-in little circles around the car so you could have pulled out of the run? Yeah. I purposely, purposely ran.
Andy:Yeah. 16 k away to come 16 k back. So I didn't have that option. So so so and and actually it's also with that ego, it's leaving the ego at the door, isn't it? As in we talked about this already, we've got to move away that every run I do, I've got to get faster.
Andy:You've got to move away from that. What if I don't do it in this pace? If I don't do it in this yeah, this speed, then then I'm not a runner. I'm not good enough. I'm all of those things.
Andy:It's taken me a long time. But, like, to give you an example, as in my my marathon pace that I ran on on Sunday was was was 4:42 a kilometre. I went out yesterday to to to to do a run-in about 6 minute 30. So we're talking 2 minutes slower. A kilometre.
Andy:Yeah. So that's what my easy pace is. And this is why I'm it's hard for a lot of people to run at that pace and kind of go, well, this is okay. This is actually beneficial. This is helping me.
Andy:And and in the last bit, I was struggling to hold on to 7 minutes 30 kilometres because that's how much my legs blew up. And I could kind of not share that today and kinda get, well, that's a really that's that that makes me look like a rubbish runner because that's what we could call ourselves if I run at that pace. But I've learned over the years that's not rubbish. It's still it's what I could do in that moment, and that's okay. And we look at pace and times far too much, I think.
Andy:And it actually puts people off from running. I think we need to we we need to leave that out the door a little bit more and and be more accepting of what's yeah. What defines a runner? I agree. Yeah.
Rich:The expectation that we sort of put in ourselves. I I would, you know, I I was guilty of doing that for a long, long time. You know, every run that I did before I started training in a structured way with a coach myself was Yeah. Every time I went up running, it was my intention was to run either as either further or faster than I had previously.
Andy:Yeah.
Rich:That is no. I know now that that's totally counterproductive. You know, there there is, yeah, there is an element, you know, that sort of 20%, if you like, where of of your weekly volume where we do run quickly, and we do aim for that 9 out of 10 effort Yeah. To increase that that, you know, our our VO 2 capacity and our our speed work. But, you know, the rest of the time, it really needs to be a case of, you know, we we're running we're running slowly.
Rich:We're running within ourselves, build building that conditioning in our legs so that we can then run further and faster when we need to on race day, which doesn't come round every week. You know?
Andy:And and Exactly.
Rich:Even elite runners, you know, they they'll train for 4 years for for for an Olympic event. You know? So I think that there is that recognition of that. Interesting you said there before about, you know, the the what you mentioned before about how you you felt felt like you couldn't you you you're always got an intention with your run rather than just going out and running for the sake of running. I've actually been the opposite this last sort of 5 or 6 weeks since my Yeah.
Rich:I haven't had structure in place, and I've really enjoyed running for the sake of running without having the structure or the expectation and and not really. Like, I've I've kind of got to the start of the week and thought, you know, I'm gonna I know I'm gonna be doing, you know, running groups on Tuesday, Wednesday nights, and I'll probably do a speed session later on in the week. And I'll probably do a shorter on Saturday morning and longer on Sunday morning. So I've kind of roughly known what I'm gonna do, but certainly not structured, you know, specific sessions with distance. It's very much been sort of run to feel and and see how I felt.
Rich:And it's and it's been great, and I've really enjoyed it. Like, I've really enjoyed taking that pressure and that expectation and just simply running for the sake of running because, ultimately, I enjoy it, and it makes me feel good. But having said that, I am now ready to get back into the structure, the pushing myself, the plan, the discipline, all of that kind of stuff that comes with it. So I'm I'm sort of this week this last week and and and now filtering into more structure now, I'm looking forward to getting stuck back into it ahead of the spring ahead of Paris in in April.
Andy:Yeah. And I suppose what you're saying there as well is that that kind of, you know, going out and and beating your previous time and doing that, progressively is that we've always gotta progress and that we we're always we've always gotta improve. But, actually, no. There's there's periods of maintenance, isn't there? And what does that maintenance look like for you?
Andy:And and and having an understanding of what that is. So it's it's ensuring that you're not going backwards because you're not taking your foot off the gas and stopping running or or reducing it down to maybe 1 one one run a week. You're still getting out there consistently, still getting out there 3, 4 times a week. But just taking that pressure of what it yeah. Like I said, having that purpose behind each run.
Andy:And actually, the purpose is to maintain and to enjoy it and and to almost find the joy in it. Yeah. And and that is the purpose.
Rich:Yeah. And and and progress progress for first, the progress isn't isn't linear. It's not straight line from point a to point b. It goes up and down and and fluctuates. But, also, like, it it doesn't progress isn't necessarily just about the tangible data points that we see on Strava.
Rich:You know, progress is a progress is a is a feeling. Progress is a a a way of showing up. Progress is a mindset. You know, progress is is made up of lots of different things, and and much of that isn't around datasets, around pace or time
Andy:Yeah.
Rich:Distance or speed. You know, it's a it's a much it's, you know, it's a much more rounded thing, which only comes, you know, only comes it's something that we build over time. You know? It's something that as as runners is a is a sort of a longer term journey that we move towards. And I'm I'm seeing it with quite a few of my, you know, my group coaching team now who are you know, some of them started with me sort of a year or so ago.
Rich:You know? And now they're they're really building this identity as a runner, you know, and that they're they're starting to embrace this sense of, you know, a mindset. I can do this. I can push myself. I can overcome my limiting belief.
Rich:But also that that running forms a really, really valuable important part of their of their week, you know, of
Andy:of of
Rich:of who they are, how they show up in the world, you know, what they wanna do. It was interestingly enough, one of the things that came out on Monday's call, had a call with my current group, 5 and 10 k group. And one of the ladies in there had asked me previously. She said she'd she'd done she'd been with me once already, and she came back to repeat, the 5 k plan, which is which is great great to have her back on board. And, she said, look.
Rich:I I feel like I'm at the point where I'm good at good at building habits. I'm good at getting started. You know, I'm good at, you know, getting myself going, but I feel like I need a bit of support and and and accountability around maintaining habits. So, like, can can we can we focus a little bit on that? I was like, yeah.
Rich:Absolutely fine. So we did a session on maintaining habits, and it was it was a brilliant session, you know, and and loads of really good learnings came out of it. One of the key things that that one of the other, ladies in the group mentioned was, you know, I I was asked I was encouraging them to to think about, being inspired as opposed to being motivated. Like, motivation is often an extrinsic thing. It's it's sort of a more of a push factor.
Rich:It comes from other things in our life, whether it's people or circumstances or goals or whatever. Whereas whereas inspiration comes more internally. It's intrinsic within ourselves. It's like a fire that lights in our belly that that that pulls us towards something. And actually maintaining habits and behaviors.
Rich:I think, you know, we're we're we're probably more likely to do that if we're inspired to do something. So we talked about how we could be more inspired to do things. One of the things that one of the ladies came up with was this idea of sharing with other people. So, you know, using what you've learned and and kind of giving that passing that onto other people, sharing that to inspire other people. Because what better way of inspiring yourself is there than inspiring other people because that reminds you of your why and your reasons for doing things.
Rich:It's like, yeah. That was a really moment. I was like, yeah. That's that's a fantastic insight to come out within that coaching session. So, yeah, that was really valuable.
Andy:And I think that's one of the core things with the alcohol free running community is that I we talk about it. It's we share our activities not to to look at look at me, look what I'm doing. That that that feeling of if I share this and show what I'm doing, will it inspire someone else to get their trainings on today? And that's the aim of a community space. It's almost like be inspired.
Andy:Come and come and come and be in a in a space where you are inspired by others and come and be in a community space where you can inspire others. And that inspiration for me, when I did all my work on my values and who I am, being an inspiration is very high up my list of of of who I want to be. Yeah? So doing this podcast now, that ticks off one of one of my my my my my values, that I believe is really, really important to me. And and hopefully through my alcohol free journey, now my running, those two things which are core to me and my core values and what I believe defines me, I can inspire others to to to to maybe, yeah, step out of that comfort zone and go on a similar journey.
Andy:And and, yeah, that's really important. Yeah.
Rich:Yeah. Likewise. Yeah. Definitely. It's one it's one of mine as well.
Rich:Respect to inspire others is is being out there on my my list of values. And, yeah, I think it's it's brilliant to know that. And and it is. It's just a reminder of of of why you do things. And, you know, I think we can often we can get caught up in our in our own goals, but, you know, we get to a point in in whatever the activity that we're doing is where we feel like we've, you know, we've solidified, we've crystallized that that habit, you know, and and sometimes we could get a bit complacent with that.
Rich:And it's like, alright. Well, I'm good at doing this. And I suppose alcohol free and running, you know, you they're both examples of that, aren't they? You know, that complacency. It's, oh, I'm at this stage now.
Rich:It's alright. I can take my foot off the gas. I can go and I let my head down and have a couple of drinks, or, you know, I can take a couple of weeks off. And you you can, but the knock on effect of that is that it it becomes different, harder to come back. And and, you know, you you you probably find that, you know, you may find that that that, that consistency.
Rich:You lose that consistency, and that might be hard to to bring back. Whereas, you know, being inspiring others, sharing that inspiration kind of almost reignites your own, your own reasons for doing it. And I think, you know, the the the the communities, whether it's a running group, whether it's a running club, whether it's a running community, or whether it's, you know, one of these alcohol free, so so curious spaces. I think for anyone wanting to go out on on a running or an alcohol free journey, we all we look for the people. One of the first things I did when I started running, but also when especially when I went alcohol free was I started following people who were doing it already for inspiration.
Andy:Yeah.
Rich:You know? And so I think we we all as we move down this journey, you know, we have a sort of a vital role to play in in other people's journeys, you know, and passing our knowledge and our experience on and and and our support and our encouragement and just reminding people that, you know, it it yeah. It's it's not easy. It it's it's difficult. It's hard, you know, but you you choose your hard in life.
Rich:You know, what version of hard do you want? You know, staying stuck in a rut and sitting on the couch, eating Haagen Dazs ice cream every night and and opening a bottle of red wine and feeling that shit because you haven't got the good night's sleep or the motivation the next day to get up and go for a run
Andy:and put your shoes on. Yeah.
Rich:That's that's a hard place to be. But the opposite is also hard, dragging yourself out of bed in the morning and getting your shoes on when it's winter and it's cold and it's dark and it's wet and getting out and doing the mileage. That's also hard. But which version of hard do you wanna pick?
Andy:Yeah. Completely. But just to come back to that kind of inspiration part as well, as in it's by sharing, you potentially can inspire others. By inspiring others, that motivates you. But at the same time, is that process also provides you with the accountability to by sharing, it's it's almost going, I'm going to, yeah, put it out there.
Andy:I'm running 3 times a week. Yeah. By saying that out loud and sharing that with people, that potentially that statement in itself could inspire someone else to get out 3, 3 times a week. By doing that, that motivates you. By doing that, you're accountable.
Andy:And we're ticking off loads of those things that is required to make change. Yeah. As in these you're saying about that long term change. How do I maintain this habit? Well, it's these steps that you need to kind of go through, isn't it?
Andy:And when we sit on our own and try and do things in silence and quietly, you you don't do those things. Yeah? You you yeah. You don't inspire others. You're not accountable.
Andy:And it's really hard. So, yeah, being part of a group is is key. And that leads us into, yeah, what you've already said, the group coaching to get to a 5 k, a 10 k, a half marathon, a marathon, an ultra race is where yet it suddenly makes it just that little bit easier. Yeah. To get to that goal and maybe it makes it more than a little bit easier.
Andy:It makes it a lot easier to get to that goal if you keep on turning up consistently and doing the work. Yeah. But you still gotta do the work. Yeah?
Rich:You still gotta do yeah. Of course, you've gotta do the work in in in any situation with Yeah. Whatever it be. But, yeah, I think you're absolutely right. I I think especially for people when it's when you're new to that journey, you know, having the having people around you to inspire you, to motivate you, to hold you accountable, to support you, to encourage you, to lift you up, you know, when you're feeling down to to just to just show you that that there's other people going through the same thing.
Rich:I think it's really impactful, and and I think that can make a huge difference. And I suppose that that that probably leads us nicely on
Andy:to our,
Rich:our evolution our evolution.
Andy:Sounds like we're doing a sales call, but we're
Rich:really not. It's it's honestly it's happened. So totally not true. You know, we we haven't created this at all.
Andy:No. No. No. No. But it's but I think what we're I think for both of us and the experiences that we've had, like, it's been it's been interesting for me because the last couple of years, I've I've been running, yeah, group coaching sessions with Claire McCaskill through our call free runners.
Rich:Yeah.
Andy:And, actually, the interesting thing for me is it's meant I've been in a group myself. So even though I may not be betraying or following the same plan, it's it's meant I've been in a group situation. And I and I share my journey into those groups because of that inspirational point there. What we're talking about, isn't it? It's I'm in a group of people that are all turning towards a half marathon.
Andy:I'm sharing that. I'm going through it as well. I'm, yeah, I may be different distances. It may be for a different goal, but actually that day to day consistency of turning up and getting out and getting out the door is the same. Whatever distances we're doing, it's a it's a shared pain at times.
Andy:Yeah. And, and for me, being in that group situation, I think is really yeah, helped me over the past couple of years reach my goals
Rich:Yeah.
Andy:Indirectly by being the coach. So it's, yeah. Yeah. I it's it's been such a positive experience.
Rich:There's there's safety in numbers in there, and, you know, we are we are inherently as humans. We we want to be in in in groups. You know? We wanna be in tribes. We wanna find our tribes.
Rich:We wanna be surrounded by like minded people who who inspire us and lift us up to to, you know, to to to achieve more and to to the next level up that that we're capable of. So there is huge power
Andy:in that.
Rich:And, of course, anyone who's going out and running, you know, a marathon in in springtime, whether it's London or Leeds or Manchester or Paris like I'm doing or Boston or whatever it might be, anyone can go out there and as their 1st marathon these days, download a marathon plan. Most of the marathon events send send you paraphernalia and data. I've had mine through for Paris and said,
Andy:click
Rich:here click here for your, you know, your marathon plan. That's there. And and those are those are really good plans. Those are solid plans. You know?
Rich:You you're not you don't need to look very far for, you know, a really decent, solid plan that's gonna get you from a to b. You know, even if you're looking for a particular time, you can get a plan as well. But the thing that the plans don't offer you, they don't offer you that that nuance. They don't offer you that that accountability. They don't offer you that sounding board, you know, that that encouragement.
Rich:A running plan isn't gonna lift you up when you're feeling down when it's January 5th and it's snowing outside, and you've got to find that motivation when you're just looking at a piece of paper on a on your on your fridge. That's not gonna give you any encouragement and motivation. A WhatsApp group with 15, 20, 30 other people in who are all showing up and saying, oh, I've just done my first run. That's gonna give you some accountability. That's gonna give you some inspiration.
Rich:That's gonna help motivate you and and remind you of of your why and what you're doing this. So I suppose that leads us nicely onto are we are we introducing our our spring marathon training? Well,
Andy:I think it's more than just a spring marathon. I think that's one element of what what we're talking about here is is is is yes. A marathon for so many of us, I think is that goal that we would within running terms is if you've never run a marathon, that is this kind of, I don't know, maybe sometime, yeah, through our lives is the the goal that's not achievable. It seems the impossible. Beginning of your running journey.
Andy:It certainly feels like an impossible challenge. But what we're seeing more and more people are taking on that challenge. Yeah. More and more people are turning up at the start line, whether they're turning up in the best possible form, whether they're they've gone on a journey of training that gives them the best possibility to actually convert the marathon in the best possible way. Because I think there's an awful lot of people that yeah, maybe download that plan from the London marathon, Paris marathon.
Andy:Yeah. As I know, they get that. And then it's a real struggle and it's a real hard journey to get to that star line. And when they get there, there is only one way of doing that marathon, which is probably to drag your ass across it.
Rich:Yeah, yeah.
Andy:What we're trying to create is a situation where you turn up at that star line in your best possible shape to complete that marathon in Yeah. In the best possible way. So so so going on a journey from day 1 of training all the way through to that start line, and turning up at the start line in the best possible shape. And I think that's the big difference of to so many people kinda sign up for that marathon. And then the weeks pass, they don't start, they don't get on it.
Andy:Then it it's the the the fear builds, and then they have because they haven't got going, then it's almost like bury their head a little bit more, but they've got this place and then suddenly 10 weeks out, they get that email to say it's 10 weeks and then it's 8 weeks and then they get their number appear on their in their emails and it's like shit, shit, shit, shit, as in and and that happens to so many people. And then they turn up at that start line in in not the best shape. And I think that's not a fun thing to do.
Rich:Well, it's not because I I speak to a lot of people who say, oh, yeah. I run a half marathon marathon once, and I hate every minute of it. I'll never do it again. It's like that makes me really sad to hear that, especially because when you delve into it, it generally stems from the the lack of preparation. You know?
Rich:And I think you'd said it there. You know, it's about turning up. It it's about getting there on the start line in as as your best, most rounded, prepared, ready to go self. And that's not just physically, but that's mentally and emotionally,
Andy:I think,
Rich:as well. If Yeah. If if you if you if you have that if you if you have that plan that you don't stick to, and then as you quite rightly say, you know, you're 4 weeks out and you're thinking, shit. Like, I've only done, like, you know, 15, 20 k. I better go out and just just see if I can do 30 k.
Rich:You might go out and do that as your long run, but if you've not built up to it steadily, then that's gonna feel really uncomfortable. Mentally, that's gonna be a real demotivator. That that's that's gonna really impact your mindset as you go into the run because you're already thinking to yourself, whether it's consciously or not, I really struggled with that run. I've got another 10 k to do on top of that to actually get to the finish line. So this is gonna be a battle.
Rich:So from even before you cross the start line, in your head, you're having a mental battle. You're having an emotional battle with yourself, and that's before the physical impact even begins of running the actual race.
Andy:Completely. And it's I think I think our objective and I and I I really believe from both sides of what we've done already is I think my job is done as a coach to get someone through to a marathon, a half marathon, and they finish that race. And it's not the end of the journey. This is just the beginning. And and I think a marathon and a half marathon, it potentially has an impact of being life changing for so many people.
Andy:But when you don't go into it in the right way, don't prepare, it's life changing, not in the way it's meant to be. It's life changing in the fact of, oh, I I can now tick off. I'm a marathon runner. I run a marathon. But that's the end of the journey for so many people.
Andy:And I think anyone who comes across the marathon line feeling like, never ever again am I ever doing that. I hate running. Well, if that was someone in one of our groups, then we would have failed that person because that's the objective is to get you to that finish line going, oh, I want a bit more of that. And that's and that's really what we're trying to work towards. Yeah.
Andy:This is not an end with a marathon isn't the top of the mountain.
Rich:Yeah. But it but it is but it is it should be the the lap of victory. You know? It it if you've done if you've done it properly, if you've done the preparation, you've done the training, and you've gone through some structure and the plan and, you know, for 16 to 20 weeks, you know, that's where the hard work lies. That's where the growth.
Rich:That's the real struggle lies within that period. And then you've got your taper, and then you walk up on and see, you walk up on race day. And and that's just your lap of victory. It's just like, I've done all the hard work. I can enjoy this now.
Rich:I can just go out and and, you know, be confident in my training, be confident in the preparation, and just go out and and take it all in, take in that experience. You know? Run with a smile on your face the whole way around despite, you know, you will get to a point where
Andy:it hurts. Yeah.
Rich:But, you know, feeling like, you know, you you've achieved all of that stuff in the run up to it. And then just on the day, you're like, yeah. Do you know what? I can do this.
Andy:Yeah. And we're not and we're not saying that that that by training with us that that we can we can make it easy because this is not an easy challenge. This is not an easy thing to do. But it's totally achievable in a way of knowing that you've put everything into it. And and, yeah, like we say, you're you're get to that style.
Andy:I'm totally prepared, totally mentally and physically ready to take on the challenge ahead of you. And, yeah, it's super exciting. I I I yeah.
Rich:I'm really I've been really excited. I've I've never I've never done this myself, actually, being part of a a group working towards a a sort of an event like this. Yeah. Like, obviously, I've got my my coaching groups for 5 and 10 k, but, you know, I'm I'm not moving towards that that shared goal. Whereas, obviously, I've got Paris Paris.
Rich:I've got big aspirations for for a chunky PB on that day. Yeah. You know, London and and Manchester are are 2 weeks later for yourself. Yeah. Leeds marathon will be a week or 2 after that.
Rich:Yeah. There's also Barcelona, I think, a little bit before that. So
Andy:Yeah. So
Rich:So so this could this could be something for a lot of people. And even if people aren't signed up to an actual event, but who just fancy getting involved and going down the journey and and seeing whether they're capable of running the distance and then maybe sign up for for an actual event afterwards.
Andy:Yeah. Or listening to us now going, maybe this is the moment. Maybe this is it. May may may maybe this is the moment. Maybe I should start looking to to enter a marathon somewhere between, yeah, mid March through to the beginning of May 25.
Andy:And there's an opportunity here, yeah, to to to be part of something really, really special. What I think as in that we haven't really discussed it too much, so we're gonna have a little bit of a business meeting whilst doing the podcast, dear Rich. Do you think because we're as in should we just get a waiting list together? And then what we'll do is in the show notes, we'll we'll just do a a Google form that people can just show their interest in at the moment, if they're interested in joining us. So we have to see if is there is there 4 or 5 people, hopefully, maybe some more that wanna come on a crazy journey with us?
Rich:Yeah.
Andy:Yeah. Well, I think I
Rich:I think we've already got I think that there's there's initial interest, I think, from at least sort of 3 or 4 people that I know
Andy:Okay.
Rich:Who have who have got races booked in and who will wanna come on this. And I think the plan is to start on on Sunday, 1st December. So
Andy:So, yeah, a month today?
Rich:A month from today. So we are a month away. We're recording this on Friday, 1st November. So in a month's time, we will be bringing together a group of individuals, alongside ourselves to start out on this journey to, you know, to to running a marathon and and going through this journey together. And it will be over sort of 16 to 20 weeks that depending on where your marathon date is, which event you're in, you know, will will will depend on sort of where you're gonna where we put the the the particular runs in and the the, you know, the actual sort of official, plan starts.
Rich:Yes. There there'll be if you're doing, you know, if you're doing a run-in if you're doing a race in May, you might have a few weeks of kind of base base building and and just building that consistency.
Andy:So so what you're really saying there isn't as there's someone who's listening who feels they may not be at the the point of starting a marathon training training plan, is that if you were looking at a marathon to in April or beginning of May time, you've got time to build from that kind of, yeah, 5 k level up now because you've got a period in front of that marathon training to actually build that base as well. So whether you've run before, maybe you've done a marathon before, this isn't all just all for people that have never run a marathon before as well. And this is yeah. If you've done a marathon, maybe you did 1 10, 15 years ago. And it's like, yeah.
Andy:And maybe you were one of those people that did one before and you did have to drag your ass over that line. And it was horrible and it was horrendous. And you said you would never, ever do it again. Or maybe this is the moment. Maybe this is the moment to to do it in a completely different way.
Rich:In a diff yeah. In a in a different environment. And and so the 1st December to it's 20 weeks from the 1st December until 13th April, which is Paris.
Andy:Okay.
Rich:Yeah. So, actually, you know, Manchester and and and London are will be
Andy:20 to later. Yeah.
Rich:And, yeah, leads will be 2 weeks after that as well. So so, actually, when when we talk about marathon training blocks, you you'll find that they'll generally be minimum of 16 weeks. Yeah. So, actually, when we're talking about 20 to 24 weeks, that's even better, you know, because that allows for a little bit of contingency, like, you know, the odd niggle, the illness, life getting in the way, Christmas. You know, that there's that it's rarely that you'll find a a a marathon block, especially for amateur runners, where it is just a 100% consistent.
Rich:You know, there will be peaks and troughs. You'll find that there's times when you you struggle to get out for whatever reason it is, whether it's the conditions, whether it is life, whether it's work, whether it's family. So actually having that longer 20 to 24 weeks week period gives gives us a bit flexibility, didn't it?
Andy:And I and I just wanted to really, like, conclude there a little bit as in if you're also sat there listening going, I'm just not ready for a marathon. Yeah. As in this is just too soon for me to be able to consider this. I just wanna kinda add to that. The the Rich runs fantastic groups from for for for for no kilometers, 5 kilometers, 10 kilometer groups already.
Andy:Claire and I also run half marathon groups as well, which will be starting Basically, this time of year, it's a lovely way to finish the year and to go into 2025 on the front foot and be part of some of our training groups. So there's gonna be more information to follow about this, coming. We're focusing on the marathon because this is the the kind of big group we we both Rich and I are gonna be working on, at the big yeah. The the
Rich:end of this year. Yeah. An an intimate group, I think, is is the plan, isn't it? You know, we're we're not sure how much, how much interest is gonna be for this. I think we're pretty confident that there's gonna be a good, you know, a good number of people to to come on board with this.
Rich:And I think even what you said there, even if you're not sure at the moment whether you're right, you're you're capable of running a marathon, like, I don't think that should necessarily put someone off because, you know, you don't set out on day 1 of a marathon training plan to run a marathon. You I always use the analogy, and I'll come back to it now, as you build the wall brick by brick. So you turn up on day 1 to build a cathedral or a castle. You're not gonna do that in one day. You're gonna lay the foundation.
Rich:It breaks in the foundations. Where does this first brick go? And then every every run afterwards, that's another brick in the wall to building that. And and, also, I think, you know, when we talk about taking action and and and and doing things that feel uncomfortable or overcoming limiting beliefs, you know, we we shouldn't wait until we feel ready to do things before trying them. You know, taking the action to do the thing will will give us the sense of belief, you know, and and and that's that's where we learn is is by doing that and taking that action.
Andy:Yeah. No. You're completely right. So soup yeah. Really, really exciting
Rich:Yeah. Really exciting.
Andy:Of what what's to come, really, and where where we're gonna go with this. So, yeah, I think, yeah, we got another good conversation, Rich.
Rich:Yeah. And I think we people can reach out to us either via, you know, the running drive page on Instagram Yeah. Or or individual in our Instagram pages as well. We will we'll get something in place that people can can sign up to if you like. Yeah.
Rich:Bit of a, a waiting list of sorts and and a bit of initial interest. And then, yeah, it'll be a month from now is is go live day. And what we're gonna do, we're gonna do regular calls. We're gonna do monthly, once a month coaching calls on a Sunday evening is the plan, the structure. And then also a sort of a mid month kind of drop in check-in session, probably bring in some guest speakers as well from our networks who have got their own experiences of, you know, running and running marathons and and and training and that kind of thing, nutrition, you know, the the the various people that we've got we've in our own networks.
Rich:But, yeah, it's gonna be a a a nice structured, format. One one main call a month to to introduce the following 4 week block of training. And then, yeah, just just very much engagement community, WhatsApp group, sharing the experience as we go along.
Andy:Yeah. Yeah. Should be. Well, I know I know from our previous experiences that the what people get out of this is so I I say it's so much more than running. Yeah.
Andy:It's it's it's it's we we talk about running. There is so much more to running than initially we see as in we look at running and it's a way of losing weight. It's a way of getting fitter. It's but we don't take into consideration all those other hidden gems that we get. And I think being in this group situation, maybe we expose those gems a little bit more and the connection and the, yeah, just the all the wonderful, well, yeah, wonderful things that come with it.
Andy:So so hopefully, yeah, there's a number of people listening today that would like to join us on that kind of adventure.
Rich:Love it. What have you got planned for the weekend, mate? What's on the cards? Are you are you recovery mode? Are you chilling this weekend?
Rich:That's a stupid question.
Andy:As in I I've got a I've got a 10 k today. So on these tired legs, I've got to get out again with a little bit of tempo work in that as well just to to see what's there. They do feel recovered. It's amazing how quickly these legs can recover, is there? And so to get out there for an hour today is really the plan.
Andy:We've got another run, I think, on Sunday. It's I've got another half marathon, a win in a week. So so which is not going to be a real pacey one, but I'm actually going to do it as a back to back. I'm going to do 21 k on the Saturday and then do the half marathon on the Sunday. So this is all right.
Andy:Okay. Now we're round the marathon endurance kind of side of that that's happening. I'm actually going out tonight. I go there's a there's a closing party, in the town next to us for the end of the kind of summer season, I suppose.
Rich:I remember you telling me about that.
Andy:19 nineties proper dance kind of gigs. So probably don't know with a few friends. I don't know how long it last. We we did
Rich:we didn't get on. We think we'll have to talk about that side, but I went to a sober rave on Sunday. Yeah. In Newcastle, which is just amazing. It was brilliant.
Rich:The most ex amazing experience.
Andy:Through the day?
Rich:The 2 till 8 PM, the event was on. We were there from, like, sort of probably about 3 till 7. So it's literally 4 hours of nonstop raving dancing.
Andy:Right.
Rich:Proper old school, sweaty little club with a low ceiling, smoke machines, flashing lights, really loud techno music. Wow. And and, you know, totally alcohol free bar. I mean, whether everyone there was totally sober, I'm not sure. But it was a great it it was just a great experience to know that, actually, a, I see I do actually enjoy that that type of music without the chemical enhancement.
Rich:But also the you know, once you just get into it and you let yourself go, it's like you realize, like, no one everyone's in the same boat. No one really cares what you look like or what you do. You just let yourself go and enjoy the experience.
Andy:Yeah. And that's the thing, isn't it? It's laying down these new experiences alcohol free and showing that you can do them. Yeah. And which I suppose is dispelling the reason why you went to do it when we were drinking.
Rich:Yes.
Andy:Kind of like as it is. It's almost like, well, I only like that because there was alcohol or drugs involved, let's say. Yeah. And actually removing those things, I can still enjoy that. There was more to this.
Andy:There was still connection with other people. There was still enjoying a moment collectively. Yeah.
Rich:There was do you know what? There was still there there was still the euphoric feelings, which I always put down to to to the combination of electronic music and the the the beat plus also the drugs as well. That that was still there. I still had those euphoric for for moments where you hear that that bass, that beat that comes through when you're stood next to the the, the the the speaker, you know, and that really just hits home in your chest. You kind of almost feel that reverberating around you.
Rich:And then that that sort of euphoric feeling when you're just dancing and the beat kicks in and you look around and you just catch a glimpse of someone's eye and they're smiling at you. Yeah. Yeah. You know, you've just got your arms in the air. Yeah.
Rich:I loved it, mate. I totally recommend it.
Andy:I see. Okay. So tonight is not as an option. Everyone else is not going to be sober. And, yes.
Rich:Best of luck with that.
Andy:How I feel in that. And I'm designated driver, obviously. So it'll be kind of like, I want to go now. Is there anyone coming with me, or am I leaving you? And I'll come back later.
Rich:Well, enjoy that. We better go because we both got other things to get to, haven't we? We have. Absolute joy chatting to you once again. Really enjoyed that today.
Rich:And, yeah, have a great weekend. And where whoever you wherever you are, whoever you are, wherever you are, enjoy your running this weekend. Move your bodies as they were designed to, you know, as little or as much as you want to. You know, the the the the pace or the distance, as we always say, isn't important. The the fact that you get out there and you commit to it and you show up is that's the main thing.
Rich:And, yeah, and I will catch you next week.
Andy:Catch you next week, Rich. Good conversation.
Rich:Have a good one.
Andy:And you. Bye.