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Brendan Rendall
60 Plays4 years ago
In this episode Joe chats to Brendan Rendall about his 1200+ miles of running to fundraise for Chester Zoo during June and July.
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Transcript
Morning Routine and Running Goals
00:00:00
Speaker
Hi Bren, thanks for joining us. Hi, good morning, thanks for having me. Great, how are you feeling today? I feel quite good on this, I finished yesterday, so I've been out with my dog and I feel quite good and I'm going to try and do maybe a gentle three mile run.
00:00:21
Speaker
and just see how they are. But generally, I feel surprisingly quite good. Good. So let's say, obviously, I know we've chatted. I know what you've been up to the
Inspiration from Chester Zoo Appeal
00:00:32
Speaker
last couple of months. And I've followed your social feeds. Tell everyone what your challenge is that you've been doing over the last couple of months. So during lockdown, I wanted to do a challenge. I was seeing all these people doing these challenges.
00:00:50
Speaker
And then I saw the Chester Zoo appeal, and that inspired me to do something. So I set a challenge to run half a marathon every day in June, and then the full marathon every day in July. And then to finish it, I thought it was a quite nice ending that I ran from Media City to Chester Zoo, which would be approximately 35 miles. I thought that would be quite a nice end to the challenge. So that's how I came up with this challenge.
00:01:20
Speaker
It wasn't enough to learn a half marathon a day in June and then a marathon a day in July. You thought you'd finish it off with an ultra. Yeah, I just thought, you know, let's just make it a bit more difficult for myself. Why Media City? You live in Manchester, do you? Yeah, so I live in Salford, Keith. So it was quite convenient to start at Media City and then I could join up to the canal path, which would take me over towards Chester. So it was all quite good, quite easy to plan really that route.
00:01:50
Speaker
Cool, okay. So why Chester Zoo
Work with Special Needs Children and Conservation
00:01:53
Speaker
then? He touched on it there. Yeah, so I've been working with children and adults with special educational needs for the last 10 years. So that's taken me up to many times. I absolutely love their reaction when they see the animals. Educational purposes, working in education, I think it's key. Conservation zoos play a vital role now in conservation programs.
00:02:18
Speaker
So that sort of combination was kind of why I thought, you know what, I want to do something in the Northwest and do something with Chester Zoo because they do such an amazing thing. Yeah, it's a fantastic zoo. I mean, I'm not far away. I'm in Shropshire. I have fond memories of going to Chester Zoo as a kid with the family and now
00:02:42
Speaker
Well, more recently taking my children there because it's obviously our closest zoo. It's an amazing place. It's a huge zoo as well, isn't it? Yeah. And I think that's why, you know, that's why the appeal was so important because it is so big. I mean, in the capital, what 35,000 animals and it is a massive zoo. So it's a very special place. Yeah. Yeah. Very good. I remember coming out covered in bat poo the last time we went going through the bat cave. Yeah. That usually happened.
00:03:11
Speaker
Yeah, there's a lot of them. So why these distances then? Why a half marathon in June and then a marathon in July? Because what was your total mileage?
Challenge Details and Running Strategy
00:03:24
Speaker
Over 1,200? Yeah, it was 1,238 was the miles I covered in the end. Well, because I'd ran Africa two years ago, I thought I do enjoy these challenges.
00:03:41
Speaker
And I kind of, when I saw the testers who appear, I was like, right, I want to do a challenge, but I don't want to do one where I completely push myself to the limit like I did in Africa. So I just thought to myself, well, I'm in quite good shape. I've been running really well all year. And I thought, well, actually, if I do a month of half-marathons that will ease me with some high mileage, then I'll just do one month of marathon. So in my mind, the half-marathons was almost like a stepping stone training into the month of the marathon.
00:04:10
Speaker
So I kind of came up with that idea and then obviously I thought, have two days off and then run to the zoo and that was just a nice ending. Because I thought two months of full marathon, I didn't want to then finish it and then be like, not have a period of time of not running. So I just wanted to do it like that. Okay. I will ask you a little bit about Africa later on. And you're, I know you're planning on doing more. Yeah.
00:04:40
Speaker
Okay, so to your half marathons were you warm up essentially then for your marathons is what you're saying? Yeah, that's how I viewed it because I kind of parallel it to the Africa run where I was marathoned at least every day. So I just felt that that was a it was a good and I was starting to increase my mileage anyway so I didn't feel like I was pushing myself too far out of my comfort zone but at the same time it was you know it was quite difficult but quite challenging
00:05:09
Speaker
and marathon still pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. And I just felt that was the best way to fundraise because I thought people following would just be thinking, right, that man's crazy. I'll give a few quid. So what sort of times were you doing the half marathons in at the beginning then compared to the end of just thinking about June? So most of the half marathons were
00:05:39
Speaker
pretty much averaging two hours 15. I was needing to run these challenges about nine and a half minutes, 10 minute miles, just to keep turning it over. Obviously I didn't want to go too fast and it's just about pacing yourself rather than the speed. So yeah, on average it was around two hours 15. I was doing most of them actually in the morning because obviously we had that really hot period in June. So I was doing a lot.
00:06:09
Speaker
in the morning before it got too hot. And obviously doing it with costumes, I found that there was quite a lot of taping with the heat. Yeah. We'll come back to the costumes. So you're averaging them in about two 15s and it was hot. We had that really hot period, didn't we? When it was during lockdown. So what time were you going out to do those? I was doing those.
00:06:38
Speaker
Sometimes I was going out about five in the morning, because I'm an early riser anyway. And I was just thinking, let's get beat the heat. But then I was thinking sometimes it was a bit too early, because then being in the costume then was people weren't really seeing me. So I was having this battle of, I need to get this a bit right. And then obviously at the time when it got really hot, I was like, am I going to be able to do all of this in costume? Because it was starting to get really hot.
00:07:06
Speaker
I do run early, but then with July's weather and going into the marathon, that has been a lot cooler. So actually I was starting a lot a bit later. Okay. So what times are you doing in July?
Balancing Work and Running
00:07:18
Speaker
Um, I was back at work. So obviously with lockdown, I wasn't in the school. So I was, I was in, I was in the week I started the marathon. So I would get up at four o'clock to do 18 miles and I'd work. And then, um, then I finished work and then I'd do the rest of the marathon in the evening.
00:07:36
Speaker
some of the days were kind of split and then I had to fit obviously fit the running around work because that came first so it worked out quite well because it made it more fun because people could see me more in the different cottages so I would do like sometimes a morning session and then do my work and then go back out so some of it was split where other days it was it was continuous um because in most challenges
00:08:05
Speaker
done in Dusted but this one I kind of just thought you know what this challenge is more about fun than actually just going out and running you know it's about just making people smile making people laugh and obviously going back to the costumes again that's why yeah it was all about having fun really in a time that we were all a bit sort of uncertain. That's amazing so you were getting up at 4am you were doing the majority of a marathon then going to work
00:08:33
Speaker
and where you're helping people. Yeah, working with children with special education needs, which is quite tiring in itself. Yeah, so you've had a busy day at work and then you'd come in and finish off your mileage. Dressed up again? All of it was dressed up in costume, but that week I was at work and then doing that, I was really, really tired because
00:08:59
Speaker
working in a classroom is mentally tiring. And then you have that deep naturally after work. So then you know, all day I'm in my head, I'm thinking I've got to go up to another eight, nine, whatever miles. Yeah. And I mean, one of the days I just I did sleep in so I didn't I have 18 miles left, I think it was 15. And I didn't stop till 415 in the evening and the afternoon. So that day was a bit more pressure because you've got that pressure to cover such a distance in the
00:09:29
Speaker
in the evening afternoon so I was a bit like, oh no. But anyway, you just gotta stop moaning and get on with it. What an attitude, brilliant. So what's, were your minutes per mile consistent then with the, in July again? Do you know that nine and a half, 10 minute mile in? Is that what you do? You know, when I look at my stats, it is quite consistent. There are some, a few quicker ones in there and there's a few slower ones in there.
00:09:59
Speaker
Yeah. But yeah, overall, I think when I look back at my African times, when I ran juggle, it all seems to be when I do these challenges, my comfortable sort of pace is about nine and a half, I mean, miles on these big sort of back to back days. Yeah. Yeah.
Running in Costumes for Joy
00:10:17
Speaker
Brilliant. So you've mentioned your costumes.
00:10:21
Speaker
Tell us about your costumes. What did you have? I've seen a few of them on social media. Tell us what you ran as and where you got your outfits from. Yeah, so I never set out to do it. In fact, the plan was always to do the last one in one outfit.
00:10:45
Speaker
What did it change? I ordered the penguin, because it was cheap, it was only like £14 on Amazon and it arrived and it was just, I don't know, people that have seen it online, it's got like, it's one of those where it's got like almost like a hula hoop, so it's quite wide and then the head's got the penguin head of the eyes and I just looked in the mirror and I just thought, do you know what, if I saw that running down a street and I was in a car or crossing the road or
00:11:14
Speaker
And in the morning or in the evening and you're like half asleep or in the climate ruin, you know, sort of having a bit of a flat day and you just see this thing, you're just be good, go home and just say, I saw a penguin running today. Or it would make you smile or it would make you think what on earth is going on? So I loved that concept of just taking someone's mind out of the climate we're in and just having that bit of fun.
00:11:39
Speaker
And then, so I thought, I'm going to do it all in costume. So I went back online and there's another cheap one, which was a parrot. So I got parrot. So I started running in the penguin and the parrot. And then people's reaction was like laughter, smiling. Tram started to sound their horns. Someone took a video from a balcony from a flat and tagged in the Metro link. And then they tweeted the picture.
00:12:10
Speaker
which I thought we all needed. And then I ended up basically cut a very long story short. I ended up ordering a giraffe, an inflatable rhino, a chameleon. I already had it there because I had that when I did a marathon a few years ago. So I had six costumes in total and I would rotate them and obviously suddenly you found you could run easier with and some not so. But overall when we had the heat in June,
00:12:40
Speaker
I discovered that you sweat an awful lot and that equals a rather lot of chafing. Yeah. How did you deal with that then? And other injuries actually, hey? Because your running is so consistent. Do you get injured? Did you have any injuries other than chafing? I mean, touch wood. And I really, I don't know, I don't want to think too much about luck.
00:13:08
Speaker
I've been very fortunate and I didn't have one niggle on this run. And today I don't, I don't feel like I've, I feel quite good. So injury wise, that's always been, I've been very lucky. I hope that luck continues. Um, the chafing that was a new dimension because I hadn't had chafing before. So I just use lots of Vaseline and stuff like that. And,
00:13:34
Speaker
But then every time I then discovered it was just because it wasn't in one area, it was literally because your body in that heat becomes like a river. So you literally are every time you move and it could be under my arms one day or it could be right across my back the other day. So it was just, so when we got to July and it got a bit cooler, I was a bit like, oh, at least the chafing's having a rest and it kind of disappeared. And then every time it got a bit hot, you could, you could see that it would soon come back. But we haven't had that weather, have we?
00:14:03
Speaker
this month, so July, so I was quite lucky. I think I got left off. Well, what's your background? You must be quite genetically gifted not to get any nibbles at all.
Personal Transformation through Running
00:14:21
Speaker
I mean, that's amazing. Do you do a lot of strength work? Have you always ran? This is a crazy bit.
00:14:34
Speaker
A little bit about me is I left school with two GCSEs. My sister went to private school, she was very academic. My brother wanted to be a mechanic, so he had his drive, and I was always one of those. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I think part of that then led on to me being a comfort eater. So by the age of 16, 17, I was, I don't know, going on 17 stone, I was 40, 42 inch waist. I was always that person picked last at school, you know,
00:15:05
Speaker
So I was never an active person. I never ran. I wasn't in a sports club. And then I came to Manchester, taught my way on to a degree. And then really for 10 years, my life was like a cycle of self-destructive behavior. So I got heavily into drink, heavily into drugs. And I suppose my life was just very chaotic in that circle. And then in 2006, I would have been 27. It was a bet to run a half marathon.
00:15:34
Speaker
It was at the Christmas time, so I had three months to train for the Wilmsdale Half Marathon. So I used to get up in the dark in an oversized hoodie. I hated it. I thought, what was the point? I thought, no, you're going to do it. You're going to just, what, three months of your life? In three months time, I can be back going out clubbing, et cetera. Anyway, three months later, I lost probably about three stone. What sort of size were you then then? Can you remember?
00:16:03
Speaker
I mean, I must have been going on 17, so... Okay, she was still... Yeah, I was still quite on the big side. And I remember crossing the line with the girls at half and that was the first thing that I was like, oh my gosh, I've done something for me. I'm good at something. The next day I was like, oh my gosh.
00:16:28
Speaker
avoid stairs at all costs. I was going down stairs backwards. The first emotion I had when I crossed the line was that half marathon with how on earth do you then do a marathon because that means you have to run that course again. I didn't run with a GPS watch then it was just I just ran for how I felt. And it wasn't until the next day that I realized that I'd run 124 for my first half marathon. And it was that run and that kind of
00:16:57
Speaker
that discipline and structure that running had given me that I think then led on to these last 12 years of adventure and running because after that run, I then did the Manchester 10K. So that was in the May, so a few months later, and I did that in 38 minutes, oh five. Um, and then I spent the next few years doing sort of shorter races. Um, I got my half marathon down to one 22 31 or something like that. And my 10 K down to 37.
00:17:27
Speaker
and then went into the marathon. But it was a trip to Malawi in Africa that would really sort of change everything to me that what was important in life. I went there, I went across Malawi on a cycle. And I was so inspired by them. It's one of the poorest countries in the world. And I was inspired with how they just welcomed us into every village. How did that come about? Was that at the end of uni?
00:17:56
Speaker
So the Africa cycle came out because I bumped into a friend that I used to go clubbing with. So I was doing a lot of drugs at the time and I bumped into him and I said, he said, Brandon, you're looking quite healthy these days. I said, we're never going to get, I've actually, I'm not drunk for ages. I'm not going out. I've really got into this running. And he said, oh, you might be interested in this team called Mission Malawi.
00:18:23
Speaker
as a team of 11 people from Manchester go into Malawi to do a cycle to raise money for action aid. And I said, Oh, that's, that's something I definitely would like to do. So I went along to the meeting, um, and then signed up. And that's how that is, um, my relationship with Malawi started. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, um, so that I cycled across Malawi and then I came back.
00:18:48
Speaker
Um, and I remember sitting in Manchester and looking around at sort of people coming out of all the shops and I thought, you know, we've got all of this stuff, but no one seems to be happy. No one, there's not, there's no one smiling because the week before we were cycling along roads in Malawi and you would be surrounded by children running up to 10 kilometers to school with the biggest smile on their faces and it, you just couldn't get your head around. It's like, there's so much poverty and they don't have anything, but then they have, they have this kind
Community Contributions and Mental Motivation
00:19:18
Speaker
of.
00:19:18
Speaker
a happiness that we don't understand. So that's when I got back and I, on conclusion, thought that we were really here to make a difference. And I was in a position that I wanted to do a job where I wanted to get back. So that's how I started to work with children with special educational needs. And then I became involved with FOMO, which is Friends of the Nanji Orphans that support three and a half thousand orphans in Malawi. And that's what inspired me then to go on and do bigger challenges.
00:19:47
Speaker
because that tied into wanting to raise more money. So that's all why they're letting to these bigger challenges that I've done over the last few years, including obviously the Chester Zoo one. Yeah. Okay. It's really interesting that you've, you know, thanks for being so open and honest with us and the way you've just explained that and your words are making a difference.
00:20:10
Speaker
But my question was about how do you stay injury free and do you not get injured? So from what you're describing, is it more of a mental thing for you that you don't get injured because you appreciate now that you've got this different lifestyle that you've been to Malawi and you appreciate the opportunity to be able to run? What do you put it down to? For me, staying injury free.
00:20:39
Speaker
So it's really interesting because I, obviously I always keep thinking to myself, why do I not get a nigger? And why do, how can I just keep going? So yesterday when some runners came to join me at the end of the 38 miles, um, one of the guys that joined me said, Brennan, you're still moving really well. He said, I thought you'd be a bit, a bit more, you know, stress. Um, and I didn't know, I think there's an element I don't drive. I've never driven. Um, I felt my test years ago.
00:21:08
Speaker
And I was just checking on my phone last year. And I didn't think there's a day go by that I don't really, don't cover anything less than eight or nine miles. So I just don't know whether it's, is it because I walk everywhere? And my body's just being used to being upright. And I'm not being sat in a car. I mean, I'm on a job, I've always been in jobs where I'm on my feet for long periods. Obviously, working in a school with children with
00:21:37
Speaker
specification or need, you're always moving. Before that I was in retail, so I was stood up all day in the shop. So I just, I mean, either that might not have any relationship, but that's the only kind of thing I'm thinking that is it because I've always been upright rather than a job where I'm sat down for long periods. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, why not? I'm sure that that would all
00:22:01
Speaker
And going back to your mental thing, I think that's what a lot of these challenges are definitely, it's that mental breaking it down day in day out and not panicking. So I think a big percentage of the white people go on and achieve them is definitely more mental than your physical. So what do you, because you spoke before, this was really lovely that you spoke about going out
00:22:23
Speaker
wearing the costumes to try and help take someone else's mind out of the day-to-day lockdown, which is a lovely thing to say and do. So what do you think about, how do you take your mind out when you're running a marathon every day in July? Well, I suppose I would compare it quite often to when I run across Africa. I was running in 40 degree heat there, I was camping, I was cut off from every luxury.
00:22:53
Speaker
So if I was having a bit of a tougher day, like the chafing, or it was a day hot with the costume, in my head I would think, one with the experience of my previous big challenges, I would say, I would think to myself, stay relaxed, stay calm, take it one step at a time, all those sorts of things that you think about. And then I just kept thinking, with this challenge, I'm going back to a warm shower, my own bed, I can recover easily, I know the area, and
00:23:21
Speaker
You're not on the road just going, you know, in your tent and then I've got to get into a warm tent. I was drinking water that wasn't in a fridge. So I just kept focusing on, do you know what I've got nothing to moan about because I'm surrounded by luxury. So I just stayed calm and then it goes back to that fun. The amount of people as it grew each week that people knew what I was doing, you know, there's a road that's gone to single lane in Manchester now.
00:23:48
Speaker
Well, there's a building site, they're building a block of two flats there. And what would happen is I'd be coming along and one of the builders higher up would shout, the penguin, it's the penguin today. The crane would start beeping. And then before I knew it, the whole of Trinity Way up through into Manchester was just a sound of horns. And then all the builders shouted, God, lad, smash it. And so that then takes your mind off it because you're just thinking, you know what, this is what we just all need. Don't take life seriously.
00:24:17
Speaker
There's a penguin running through Manchester and everyone laughing. It's a win-win. You mentioned the trams as well before. Did you do the same routes each time from home? How did you plan that? I have two 13-mile loops and I have some 20 to the bigger ones, but I would tend to rotate them around. I had one that went into the city centre.
00:24:45
Speaker
and did a loop. So I wasn't repeating myself. So I go out on the on the river and then come back on the canal, but then you tie and go through Manchester City Centre. Yeah. And then my other one would take me out on the canal to light sail, Charlton, that side of Manchester. Excuse me. And then I would I would do a lot of sort of I do a six mile loop from around Solford Keys because it's around all the water. So it is quite nice here. Yeah, it was quite nice because there's
00:25:12
Speaker
It's quite nice to keep being seen by the same people because obviously they would then start to film you and then share things on. And then it was sort of that ripple effect out. So yeah, it was, um, yeah. Yeah, exactly. It was a really lovely story. I just share with you because I think it was lovely. There's a couple that started the counter to 5k and they bumped into me where I live one morning and they said, you know, they can't believe how far they've come. They said, we're only walking.
00:25:42
Speaker
running and they've been a huge support and then yesterday as I was coming towards Chester there was a car pulled over and they both followed the tracker and they both came out and gave me a massive clap as I went past and they just said you really inspired us to keep going and it's like those little moments that are more special than me really completing it because that's what it boils down to you want to make a difference you know that's what it's about is it raising the money and making a difference and hopefully inspiring people but
00:26:11
Speaker
me completing it in some ways. That's amazing. That's amazing. Really brilliant. Did you do all this on your own? Did anyone help? Yeah, so obviously going from home it was quite easy and with the Covid situation I think you have to be very mindful of attracting too many people to join you. I was very mindful of that. I didn't really broadcast people to come and join me even though
00:26:39
Speaker
It was a funny one because if there wasn't COVID, would I have done the challenge? But because of COVID, I didn't have lots of people joining me because I couldn't promote it that way. But I did have handfuls of people at different times. There was a couple of runners that have joined me more than once. And so towards the end, pretty much the last two weeks, I pretty much had someone for at least, you know, six miles or up to 15, join me. So that was really good because obviously towards the end,
00:27:07
Speaker
getting up the last two weeks, I would say was mentally tougher, because not because of the costume, it was literally getting up and running just around where you live across Manchester and so forth. I was just kind of getting bored of covering 26 miles is a big distance. And where when I ran Africa, and you know, every step you get into a point where you think, right, we get to that village, that county, you feel you're on a journey of progress where
00:27:36
Speaker
The last two weeks, I really appreciated people coming to join me. I really did. And then the last day I had people with me the whole way through. So they just did what distance they were comfortable. But then it was funny because once they stopped, someone else would join and then there was some people at the end. So it was a really, it was a really special day yesterday. Yeah, it was really good. Brilliant. And where am I? Did you finish in Chester
Completion of Challenge at Chester Zoo
00:27:59
Speaker
Zoo? Which animals were watching you?
00:28:01
Speaker
So anyone that's seen the BBC feature that is all over my social media, I'm finishing the inflatable rhino, and then I finished just inside the zoo gate, and there was people either side, and then we turned around, got me to stand there right behind me on my shoulder, was a big rhino, and obviously a bit further back, we were a bit confused to be going too close to the rhino with my inflatable. He might have got a bit friendly or something.
00:28:32
Speaker
brilliant. I did see the coverage on the news as well. It was very, very good. Very good. How much money have you raised and how do people donate if they'd like to support you? Anyone that has donated so far or followed or sent a message back, I'm really grateful to say thank you. We passed 11,000
00:28:58
Speaker
And you can donate by going on my, probably the best thing is my website, brendanrendel.com. Um, and then it's the first on the first page as a link, which is the just giving, and that would take me straight through to the donation link. Um, and obviously we're still accepting donations because just until you desperately still need money. So anyone that can spare a few pound, I really do appreciate it.
00:29:22
Speaker
Brilliant. That's a fantastic amount of money as well, Brendan. Well done. Thank you. Thank you very much. You've mentioned that you did a challenge in Africa before. Before we go, I've met people like you before. I'm sure that this isn't the last of your crazy challenges. Just quickly tell us what you did in Africa before and what you've got planned.
Future Running Adventures Across Africa
00:29:46
Speaker
To 2016, I ran the length of Malawi, which was 27 miles in 27 days. I raised £35,000 and that helped build the school to support 3,500 orphans. That then inspired me to run the length of Great Britain as part of my prep, to then run the length, the width of Africa, sorry, in 2018. So I left Hendi's Bay in Namibia and I ran in Namibia, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. So I ran out to the Atlantic Ocean
00:30:16
Speaker
And then 98 days later, I reached Mozambique and ran into the Indian Ocean. That was 2,474 miles. I was running for 91 days and I lost seven days to sickness and was put on a drip at the end. So anyone following knows the story there. And I raised 40,000 pounds on that one and that helped build the boys accommodation at FOMO, which was behind the school block that I built.
00:30:44
Speaker
helped fund build in 2016. And that school accommodation was for children that were too far from the school or sleeping rough or vulnerable. So at least they had a safe bed while they were getting an education. Obviously I've had fun with this one. I wanted to run in the Northwestern, support Chester Zoo, support something local. And then this is all building up to my dream is to run the full length of Africa, which is Cairo to Cape Town. Obviously with COVID it's really uncertain
00:31:12
Speaker
Is it sensible to go and do it next year? I think I'm leaning more to 2022 because I think it's a bit, I don't know what's going to happen over the next year. But my plan is definitely Kyra and Cape Town. It's been in the cards for years. I feel I know what I've got to do to do it. How far is that? 6,300 miles. Oh my word.
00:31:38
Speaker
What? Well, yeah, I think you're right. It's times are so uncertain at the moment and from, you know, even local regions to regions, it's different here, isn't it? So, yeah, that's, I'm sure that's going to take some planning. But why would we have achieved this? It's amazing what you've done for those children in Malawi. It's, you know, you should be very proud. It's absolutely brilliant. Thank you.
00:32:06
Speaker
What happened in when you were poorly? That's good. So I just, it was, I had six days to go and I was on for like 93 days or something. And I felt great that day running. And in the evening, I went to bed and I was about two in the morning. I woke up and it was just walked to both ends. And I knew it was something because it was similar to what I'd had in India.
00:32:35
Speaker
several years ago when I was traveling and I knew it was, you know, it wasn't just something that's going to pass. It was obviously something I was just unlucky. You know, if you're on the road and you're camping, I'm, you know, I'm not, you know, it's easy to pick up things. I was just unlucky. And so I said to the team, right, well, we know where we finished. I need to get to a hotel because I think I'm going to be quite sick. Luckily we had a doctor with me at the time and then they recommended when we got to the hotel, I checked into a room, which was the first time for weeks.
00:33:04
Speaker
And he put me straight on a drip because he said, I couldn't eat anything. So he just said, you know, the amount of running you're doing, it's important that we keep you hydrated. So I was, I was on the drip for three days and then I came back and it was quite an emotional end really because I was forced to myself to eat to get the calories to the last six days. I had 166 miles to, to get to the Indian, to the Indian ocean. So luckily I successfully did it and luckily, which it ties it all back is, you know,
00:33:34
Speaker
the children that joined me those days going. As soon as I started, I didn't feel great, but as soon as I started the first few kilometers, there was like 50 children running with me. And I was just thinking, do you know what? I'm never going to relive these steps. This is a special moment. Stop moaning and get on with it. Brilliant. Amazing. Amazing. Well done. Thank you. I'll tell you, I have all sorts of questions popping up. I'd love to hear more about the Africa trip,
00:34:04
Speaker
We'd be here for an hour or two more. But when you do come to your length of Africa challenge, we'd love to get you back on again, to chat to you about that before and after and follow that. Have you got a local park run? Or do you take part in any local events now, when they're eventually back? Yeah, when they come back, yeah.
00:34:31
Speaker
When they come back, I'll be going, I'm a children runner, so I've not trained with them so much because these challenges have all been quite solitary. So I'm really looking forward to getting back and doing some part runs, getting back with children runners, and doing some community stuff. So definitely, I'm looking forward to it. Cool. Wonderful. Brendan, thank you very much for joining us. Thanks for sharing everything you've been up to over the last couple of months.
00:35:02
Speaker
If anyone wants to donate, just remind us where they can do that. Yeah, you can donate. Visit my website at brendanrendel.com. There'll be a link straight to JustGiveIn and just donate what you can. Every pound really does make a difference and Chester Zoo desperately needs it. And thank you for having me on. It's been a pleasure and thanks for your support over the last two months. You've done an incredible thing supporting me so much. Thank you very much, Brendan.