Transcript
UKRunChat: Welcome to the UK Run Chat Podcast. What do a Shropshire solicitors firm, a 10K race and a 50 mile ultra have in common?
UKRunChat: Well quite a lot as it turns out. Today I'm chatting to Ben from Wace Morgan who are headline sponsors of the Wace Morgan Shrewsbury 5k 10k as well as main sponsors for the upcoming Shrewsbury half and metric half marathon in September. Now Ben's also a runner but while plenty of people will be heading for the Shrewsbury half in September Ben won't be one of them because he's signed up. for an ultra event with Simon, who's one of the race directors behind the Shrewsbury Events. ah Ben, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much for joining us today. and Can we start with the obvious question of why are you running 50 miles?
Ben: Yeah. no Thank you for having me on. and Why are we running 50 miles? well it's numerous reasons, so the event's called for the longing height which hopefully many.
Ben: many local business and viewers will remember listen it's uh It's an ultra -festival challenge. he's actually run by the scouts which is one of the only the events that the scouts will still run of that sort of element of of um of challenge, but it's 50 miles, it starts in Church Train.
Ben: and it finishes the show straight and it's it's checkpoints checkpoint it's sort of self navigation um It is a race. of it is it started I believe it started in... Back in 1967 my g grandmother would tell me that as as just a scout walk and a challenge and it's now turning into sort of a quite a big race. in in the calendar for for some of us so yeah it's um i mean it's it's a scar an event and you sort of
Ben: As you know about running, you sort of forget the pain you go through each year, but you come back every single year. wanting to do it and we're back again this year to do it so yeah
UKRunChat: So it's an event that you've completed before then.
Ben: I did it in 2024, and last year... it really interested me last year it was we were about we were ready to do it it's always the first weekend of October so again you can get mixed weather the conditions for it So 2025, we're all ready to go.
Ben: and I can't remember which storm it was. Massive storm hit on the Friday. It's a Saturday morning event. and massive storm hit and they cancelled it on the Friday night which was an absolute disaster.
Ben: for many of us who trained. yeah fit's a year for it. um So yeah, last year was a disaster. 2004 was my first year of the day. um which was which was an amazing experience, but yeah.
UKRunChat: So how how was it? did you walk Did you walk it or did you run bits of it?
Ben: it's a mix i mean because of the hill so it's about it's around 10 000 feet of climbing It's road, it's row it's it's on all terrain, you sort of pick your way through. um So you you walk a lot of it, but obviously you go with the intention to run.
Ben: So I did my first year, I did 24, I did 9 out of 50. um but again it ranges from so the winner that year did 820 and then you sort of again you've got to do it under 24 hours and you've got some people that walk it that do 24 hours. which is which is a long day and night out.
Ben: So yeah, 2004 was good, first year to do it, it was it was amazing. um But it's yeah, it was an amazing experience.
UKRunChat: Yeah, so so that's that's quite quick, actually, for that distance.
Ben: like
UKRunChat: You you must be kind of a fairly rapid runner as well, then.
Ben: speak
Ben: i not Not necessarily on the road. um Fish on the road. But yeah, big, big foul runner. so i do i do all the disruption following the strophi far series i do i do the english championship series about the clehi farland and so Yeah, but more of a foul run in the hills than than on the road.
Ben: um So your 950 for a novice was quick. Um... it was it was hard and it it took it took some took some mental capacity. it took Salam. It took a lot, so yeah.
UKRunChat: Yeah, what so what most surprised you about the 50 mile distance then? Have you done anything kind of close to that before?
Ben: I've done two or three ultras. and i've done marathons but it is it's it's almost a double marathon so you you really have got to you got a I don't know, everyone does it differently.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: and I feel like you've got to turn your brain off for long long periods and just do it and just step after step. and and actually what you went the longer you race the more the more you solve.
Ben: accept the distances and you sort of like you're 10 miles to go I mean 10 miles on a 10 mile run on its own is a long way. But then when you've got 10 miles going to go and you're 50 miles, you're like, oh my god, I'm nearly there. so again you you chunk it up you work into checkpoints on these things and you can you can get you can get through it. um forget that the beauty of the longman hike which is the unique no other ultra is like that nowadays and again it's it's a voluntary event.
Ben: he obviously started one o 'clock in the afternoon. and you you do through the night so it's because it's a scout event it is meant to be a challenge So you do six or seven hours to seven o 'clock in the light. and then your head torch is on. and you you go through the night so it's a bit of everything. um And once the night the the night arrives, is it's it's interesting and there's good fun in the night because you're not seeing what's ahead of you.
Ben: and you can sort of turn the brain off a bit. button. Yeah. that's good
UKRunChat: yes okay so but that's an interesting take because I would think that night time running would be harder but is it kind of mentally a bit easier then in that respect
Ben: amazing second
Ben: think I think just naturally you slow down the night, you run hard again. so Again, if you're trying to go for a quick time, I'll put you on the hike. you're going to do six hours of hard running.
Ben: get to 35 miles and then It's going to get dark, it's going to slow down. and And with the hike, which is why it's a bit of a stranger race. is you have to group because it's in the night. the legal rules. intelligent group so I get to a checkpoint and they say you can't go further on it's going dark.
Ben: and then so the person either side of me or whoever's closest to me in the race. You come together in group. And your times are halted there. and then you run together in a group. So then you you get in a group.
Ben: and sort of the race is done you've just got to get to the end so you slow down And again, hopefully in the group someone can navigate and you just sort of stroll and have have a chat. So that's the that's the real beauty of it. um again running on your own in the night might be harder but again I i really believe, yeah.
Ben: if you can't see what's coming up you can sort of just is in your head but you can sort of of just trot along and um and sort of take your mind away.
UKRunChat: yeah how how do you find like the fueling in the night is that easier or
Ben: if a it's cool because again the experience i've had and people I talk to. is you've got You've obviously got to feel the impact. People have issues, I always send three or four hours into these ultras, maybe with their stomach and that sort of thing. I mean, I've had it before.
Ben: um once the night comes once you get to past six seven hours of these things i do think I'd like to get your stomach to settle. and you can start fueling but you start craving real brand new things you start craving there's a real i mean not random things but lots of salt I started craving. I play real random things. So really, once you get to the night and you get late, on you're not going to want to take gels. I think gels are an early sort of... like booming your system.
Ben: later on you want crisps you want maybe chocolatey ones maybe fruit. um but you really want random things and to feel which is which is sort of all right i'll be taking channel later on
UKRunChat: Yeah. Anything particularly crazy that you've been craving during?
Ben: Uh, what?
UKRunChat: I'll be back.
Ben: I've lost the shoes. think what I did. um It is salt.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: it really is so so really crisp I don't really like Chris Brown. But then it was on the hike and a couple of other things are done is you get that later on and then there's in the checkpoint there's bowls of crisps and it's like oh my god This is the best thing ever.
Ben: you should just munch away at them so i think it's crisps which hopefully runners would agree with me. in but yeah
UKRunChat: See ya. Yeah, I do do like some crisps on a long run. I'll tell you what I had the other day because I'm training for a long event at the moment as well.
Ben: have
Ben: Yeah.
UKRunChat: And I tried some hash browns that had been cooked in the morning and were cold and salted, and they were the best things ever, actually.
Ben: Really, that sounds unbelievable.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: I don't eat boiled potatoes as well with some suckwoods some salt on was nice.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: That sort of thing. so you need mini like substance like chunky food is quite nice on those army things.
UKRunChat: Yeah. So so what are you most looking forward to about this?
Ben: No, thanks.
UKRunChat: this october's event then are you you aiming for a time now you've got a benchmark.
Ben: It's difficult because so many, so many like... So me factors into these longer things or what could happen. How's your body going to react? How's your preparation going to be? What's gonna happen today? What's the weather? there So you've got to just sort of take it all in I would love to go sub 830. um but anything quicker than I did two years ago would be amazing.
Ben: um so yeah 8 .30 sort of my aim. but anything quicker than two years ago would people would be amazing. and Yeah. so we'll see
UKRunChat: Yeah, so how did how did you get into running then? Have you always been sporty?
Ben: It's a good story now, I mean... You're on and off. But my I come from a family of foul runners. I come from... My granddad went on a hiking hike in 1982. my uncle's got the third fastest time my mum's one of the ladies so i just come from a running family and and slowly it's implemented and into me.
Ben: into now that's sort of what i do and they support me massively. it's it's just it's part of the family and it's now it's like it's engraving me a bit So that that's where I come from.
UKRunChat: Yeah, it's it's a big area for fell running actually, isn't it, Shropshire?
Ben: Thank you. massive, some of the greatest runners that people listening will never know.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: I've come from Shropshire. Mercia is the church down Valley and Clyde. um tim um Tim Davis. Simon Bailey. and great great runners now who will never never be known because they're not road runners or track runners but yeah it's a really strong area really strong running club and because the hills in Australia where I'm from.
Ben: uh they're big but they're steep but they're not that long so you can you can get volume in. They're really good running heels. They're not rocky, so you can run. um but like the legs are straight or picture where it's harder or underfoot It's a really good group hell, yeah.
UKRunChat: so So were you out fell running like as as a junior?
Ben: Yeah bits yeah i did i've done all the i did go basically junior but on and off as you go through teenage years and you again i want to play football and stuff and but then sort of for three or four years ago you come back around to it thinking you know this is probably This is no more my thing.
Ben: um so it did do all the junior races and and it's it yeah it's it's a real difference but it's a different animal from road running or track running foal run and it etc it really is a different sport.
UKRunChat: Yeah. Tell us a little bit about it, Ben. I'm interested because I think a lot of people that we have on the podcast, they'll do road running. We talk a lot about trail running and ultra running, but not really much fell running.
Ben: Yeah.
UKRunChat: so you know Tell us a little bit about it, about the film running scene.
Ben: If I wasn't seeing this, it's amazing that there's a mystique to it. It's a real random group of people that come together. and do these races or running these clubs.
Ben: obviously the different traveling farron really is just directly over the hills so many races aren't on on on our paths aren't on tracks they really are just again we stick a stump in the ground and and you follow it up up sides of hills downsides of mountains So it's it's really...
Ben: really natural, really just on the terrain. um I see most of our races are organised by volunteers and clubs instead of being organisations made for profit. um and again and it's a sport which isn't that publicized in that and that famous in the running world because that's the way they want because they don't want that many people racing in the hills and ruining the landscape so it's a real fine balance they have okay i raced last night in in in the Shropshire Summer Series.
Ben: fun. You have 85 runners. And they don't want any more than 100 very soon. So it is it is beautiful. It's 100 runners. Again, you go to these off -the -marathons and the bigger stuff, you have hundreds and hundreds.
Ben: We don't want that in fair running years. is for the very few that that want to do it. and again they want younger people coming in but it's a really a really small community of runners. that do it. and not means again if you want to start it please do it but it's um I'm still learning about it and and and all of it, but it's really interesting.
Ben: and the difference war from the rest of them.
UKRunChat: Yeah. So is is there any tips for running uphill then that you've got for our listeners?
Ben: um but Running uphill, what i've i've I've learned over the years, um Again, if you're going to actually run, which if you're going to do a fair race, you're going to be walking most of it on the climbs.
Ben: again get get lean forward, get those hands on those knees and drive those knees up. as like a power walk. again, it's often walking is better than running and in the cells. if you're all going to run i think i I always try and think of get your back straight and get those knees. knees up at my short steps.
Ben: don't do long strides. and those sorts of things but you're going to be power walking so find the efficient way to power war. That's the way you quickly get up gap these hills, but it's going to be hard. That's the best advice I can give. It's going to be hard. You're going to be at an unbelievable high heart rate. you're going to be feeling like you're about to be sick.
Ben: But it all changes because you then drop down the side of the hill and you feel fine again. So it's. um So yeah, that would be my advice.
UKRunChat: Yeah, and the downhill can be a little bit... ah need a bit of skill as well can't it
Ben: It does, and that that will develop through time. If you start, you've got to build you work build build strong knee strength.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: you can be fearless it's like it's like down a mountain bike and some of the things these guys I wouldn't say I'm that quick of a sender. but they're fearless and you've got to let go. get your chest forward. let those lectures fly. and which for some of it was harder than climbing but it's um yeah it's you've got to be fearless to run quickly downhill
UKRunChat: Yeah, so so tell us a little bit about the running scene at work then. So Waste Morgan, they sponsor the... um the West Morgan Shrewsbury 5 and 10K. and you've been this been sponsors for quite a while is that right good few years now.
Ben: Yeah. Yeah, so we've been We've been sponsored since 2023, so we we I don't think we were unsponsored the first year, 2023. But we were looking forward.
Ben: and again we're we're we're again we're a big established legal firm in shrewsbury we've sponsored many different events and we've always sponsored your if your farm, if your farming shows and your other, your sort of shoes bring.
Ben: and flower show that sort of stuff we so let's look for something different um sort of the management of Westmoreland did and and they came out. the 10k. which the first year we did, I think we must have had 20 runners of staff.
Ben: Amen. because it was a new thing. and it was it was brilliant and it it really built community within the firm. to encourage the running encourage the well -being and that sort of thing but Yeah, so we've we've been headline sponsored from 24, 25, 2026.
Ben: and again we'll be looking to to do it again next year. it's brilliant within the firm with people people running we've had some runners that have that never would have run a day in their life four or five years ago. and and now we will do a spirit for now. Happy values. and run all the time. So it really has encouraged it.
Ben: internally it's been amazing
UKRunChat: that that's Brilliant, actually, that so many want to take part. So ah do people kind of talk about the races and training in the office?
Ben: Yes, all the time. um Yeah, amazingly. it It's the big thing for us at every year. sort of within the firm and and people wanting to improve their times i mean And again, so the beauty, so we used to be town centre firm, we used to be at St Mary's Street and we've now moved to the edge of town at the business park. and but the beauty of that was we have now showers. at the new office.
Ben: so a few of us i mean me and me and my colleague byron some of the girls, we go running lunch times and it's it's really great. has created a really good atmosphere. and it's been good fun and we've been trained. So we're going to have literature just trained through lunchtime running. That's a good day.
Ben: the encouragement firm with the showers we've got here in the facility so yeah it's um it is It is really really good.
UKRunChat: Yeah, that's brilliant, actually. i Yeah, a lunchtime running club. That's the dream, isn't it?
Ben: Okay. It's always a dream and you can add so many miles into your week again again Some people prefer running in the morning, some people prefer running in the evening. um but it can add miles to your week and you really can just go around four times a week and you don't not do anything in the evening or the weekend, some people do. and it's added a new element to my training for all my things and for people training for the 10k amazing.
UKRunChat: So do you get a bit of friendly competition in the office when the race is happening?
Ben: Yeah. really Absolutely. absolutely we we um we we We have put on so by the little competitions if you can beat your time and that sort of thing. but it it has been funny competition. um But it's been and the competition is with yourself, isn't it? It's with yourself and it's with yourself from a year ago. That's what the competition is. But yeah, it has been friendly competition. and obviously with with with our sponsorship we get 30 places so we get friends and family to run for Team WM.
Ben: We provide everyone with our WM t -shirts. So. and there really is good competition then when there's 30 of us with WM t -shirts on running. running races. Yes, good.
UKRunChat: That's brilliant. And that that must really create a lovely atmosphere at work, actually, when you're all kind of in something together.
Ben: Absolutely and I think I think it's it's nearly the perfect event to to create that. Where? Everyone can do it and running is such a phase now. and the people are Everyone is learning.
Ben: everyone is getting into it in some capacity. So for the firm to to give everyone the opportunity to do that. i mean we also we also with simon He's also did this. personal training sessions.
Ben: every week for about six months we did. which and would gave everyone a chance to go and do. a different element of exercise, but a different element of training. He allowed us to use his gym if we needed to for training. So it's great it's created a really good atmosphere. and and a positive atmosphere.
Ben: at work so yeah
UKRunChat: ah that's brilliant That's brilliant that he's done that. Tell us a little bit more about what that's all about.
Ben: So that was, yeah, that was good. That was more a bit more higher, obviously. um but we we just we and we did it we did it we've done it for the last two 210k where if I were to put a Thursday lunch.
Ben: come on down and i'll do you for 35 minute high rock session or strength session or whatever session and we go down to we went down to the love to stay And, yeah, you just do us a quick session. Sometimes we we had eight or nine of us a couple of years ago, so this year we had four or five.
Ben: consistent people go in. We invited some of our friends from other firms to come along. And it was it was it was a good opportunity for... for PR opportunity but it was good for good for Good for the staff and good for us to go out and do something together. and and it helped the training and it was yeah it really good.
UKRunChat: Yeah, but that's great. And I think that's especially good for those who are new into running as well. It gives them a bit of structure, doesn't it? if I guess if they don't know. how to train for an event.
Ben: ah yeah Yeah, it is. you know it's been for two or three, two or three, two or three of the sacks in us we've had option is to run a lunch time which I do with them.
Ben: so they sort of had that that element of of the consistent running each week and then we've done a bit of strength work which is and i listen to all the other podcasts which is obviously a major thing now the strength through it with a run he is is groundbreaking. and give people to bit an idea of what you could be doing with that as well.
Ben: um Because it's not all about just doing disgusting Elon Miles and all that sort of thing. You can do so much different now. And then... so yeah it's giving people sort of a balance of the boat to learn you know for all of us. So yeah.
UKRunChat: Yeah, no, you're right. That that strength training in high rock side has got to have benefits for all levels of runners as well, hasn't it? Like it must help you with your fell running as well. I guess you do all that sort of work already, don't you?
Ben: Yeah. yeah i do yeah i do but it helped a lot and Yeah, that one is especially neat. you didn't get muscle idiot need muscle strength and you proper proper like second strength and that sort of thing so It does really help the hypoxia in a real by hard strength training and it would help for it. and all of that below, including the cells.
UKRunChat: Yeah, so so the the staff obviously get a lot out of being involved in local events like this. What what does your employer kind of... get from being involved.
Ben: Buh. i mean a lot. a lot i mean we we're firm as i said God bless. so we've we've been we've been shooting since 1752 we're one of the oldest firms in in Shrewsbury.
Ben: So. over the years. i mean the director of Westmoreland, Westmoreland Ideas, would we care about the community and it is supporting the community and I think I think looking at the 10k from a different view now with being involved with waste and organ it really is the biggest event in the town i mean 1 500 runners plus more Raise.
Ben: and with the amount of people on the streets is amazing. instead of the i mean nazi and technically for the brand awareness we get. all that sort of that marketing is brilliant. and but the community side is fantastic.
Ben: and building a reputation for being involved in in in be running events and that sort of thing which we're building now slowly has been fantastic it's given the directors an opportunity to run themselves given the opportunity to get to know new people.
Ben: as a firm, as a company. And again, it has brought on more clients. and with just just the brand awareness and so on the responses of 10k yeah looking at some work so it's it's so many different reasons for it's doing has been accident
UKRunChat: yeah and I think that that community of being part of something you know the the biggest event in town is great not just for the company but also for the staff isn't it to be part of something and feel a bit of a sense of achievement as well
Ben: It's an absolute sense of achievement for the directors and and and for all of us and in different ways. and yeah I think it is probably the biggest advantage we can have now over the year. so it's um it's excellent we had my response from where with front and center every every single year.
UKRunChat: Yes. Have you seen anyone at work who wasn't really a runner, but has kind of got involved in the events and just because the people were doing it?
Ben: we We get a a funny mix of... Intimidating for that. don't run don't run don't run and then they'll just do the 10k which I would never encourage not doing training. um but they go and enjoy it on the day and it may be The next year they thought I might do a bit of training and then it goes from there.
Ben: That's all. and um but now one my colleague in my team He did no running. most of his life you know byron and and we've we've made a few social media things about him and he's he saw the first year as i said didn't do anything and didn't the hardest thing ever let's do a bit of training in 2024. get a bit more bit more and then this year we've been running three times a week a bunch of times there's good strength work And so it's gone from...
Ben: before wasteful response to 10k no running nothing so now he's an avid runner he's going to do There's other races now, so he's going to give it half a marathon to go. He's going to go and do tail for 10K. all sorts of different things. So it really has turned someone's life around in that sense.
UKRunChat: That's brilliant actually. So he's doing a half marathon in September you say?
Ben: We might give the metric a go. I don't know which one he's going to do yet.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: he will be that. He'll be there doing that.
UKRunChat: Yeah. so so So you'll have been getting in some lunchtime miles with him doing that, will you? or Have fun.
Ben: Probably, me yeah, it's Bill.
UKRunChat: Absolutely.
Ben: a bit hot this week but we did go last week and i think next week might be cooler so we might get out We'll talk about that next week. as well at lunchtime. so yeah
UKRunChat: Yeah, brilliant. So how how many people have you got doing the half marathon? in
Ben: i believe we've got other two or three.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: confirmed. and It is all is an awkward time of year. 10k basket a little bit. um Yeah, so I don't run by. I hope you'll be there at the finish line.
Ben: and so hopefully it'll be three of us doing it. um but we do have people again watch everyone of our staff is volunteering on it so yeah we we are going to be there we are going to be there ready ready to enjoy it
UKRunChat: Yeah, oh, that's brilliant. And if anyone out there listening is doing the Shrewsbury Half Marathon, then do look out for Waist Morgan. um kind of in in the race and in the volunteers. um but you of course have got your your long wind ultra the week after haven't you so where are you up to with training at the moment What do you normally do as a max before a 50 miler?
Ben: um
Ben: It's hard, isn't it? How do you do it?
UKRunChat: Yes.
Ben: I mean, I i very luckily... and i i have a sort of coach that helps me do it get me through it a bit more not like not like the run around a bit more someone I know who It would help me, because I don't really i don't really know how to train for a 50 -miler. What do you do, my God? So yeah, the next three weeks is is big is big mileage. and three or four weeks harder than I thought. 20 miles. um Skyline, strength skyline. and then you sort of finish or maybe a couple of long slow ones and then two weeks out you'll
Ben: you can do very little then you're just trying about bits of So yeah, this is Hope. So I'm not going to sign the amendment.
UKRunChat: Yeah, so the Stratton skyline, is that that's a fell race, is that right?
Ben: that's probably the the big yeah That's our race.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: That's Mercy Street race. She had this big sort of foul race, 20 -miler. um 6th of september so that's a real famous good rate so i look forward to that um so yeah that's that's what the last sort of dress rehearsal for the high cut one
UKRunChat: So will you be racing that or is that forming part of kind of an easy? training.
Ben: that i'll be raised that The skyline and the hike are the two big things and I'll i'll be racing both of them. and scar grow race I'll be I'll be up for that race
UKRunChat: Yes. Yeah. So you've got you've got a good month's recovery, haven't you, between them?
Ben: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a month's recovery. um See you guys in a month. It's scary, but yeah, monster covers.
UKRunChat: Yeah. So have you been training on your own for this? that and I know you've got someone to help you, but I know because Simon's doing it as well, isn't he?
Ben: Yes, I know he is. Simon is doing it. and Yeah. Simon is doing it. You mentioned that earlier. it i'm so i suppose piece Yes. uh No, that's the thing. i'm I'm a bit, yeah. I do have people I do a bit of training with, but no one's going to do the height.
Ben: with me So yeah, it's a bit on my own, which is something I need to work on. I think years ago go I was trying to find some better. some proper training partner you can do most of it with but yeah mainly on my own changes.
Ben: which is tough sometimes. so
UKRunChat: Yeah, it is tough, isn't it? Like you've you've got to motivate yourself to really get out and get training miles in. Yeah.
Ben: There's nothing but there's nothing better than being sometimes get yourself out when you don't want to and again i mean i'll say go out in the hills on your own is lovely. its there's a really fun feel about it but sometimes you just want to take your mind away and just sit there and talk talk. talk rubbish to someone.
Ben: Bye. So yeah, this if there's a balance to it.
UKRunChat: Yeah, i think i did I think the nice thing about events of that length is you do tend to... bump into people on route don't you then you can have a bit of a chat with people for 15, 20 minutes or so.
Ben: Yeah, it's not content
UKRunChat: So I guess you're never on your own are you?
Ben: No, I know it's longer one day not as intense. You can sort of relax a little bit you can't get into conversation and that's it.
UKRunChat: yeah so have you got a strategy for race day are you just going to see what the what the day brings
Ben: for cool it. because you don't know i mean with that sort of thing some people will know but it's what happens to your body after the marathon So how are you going to do that? It's hard to try and pass.
Ben: 25 miles.
UKRunChat: Yeah.
Ben: So what what will your body do at that point? So it's hard to predict that. um The strategy will be just to just to feel it in the moment and just see how you feel and just go. go go with the feeling of in the moment and and hope you're feeling all right around 25 30 miles and see if you can hang on so it's a That's it, yeah. It's hard, but it'll be on feeling and seeing how I'm feeling on the day and all that.
UKRunChat: yeah I think it's yeah like you say when you hit 30 35 and you're thinking I've i've still got 20 or you know 15 20 miles to go what what keeps you going at that point
Ben: What keeps you going hard? What keeps you going at that point? People watching you? i got people family often have i mean on the hike if people are through the night following you friend and family that That's unbelievable.
Ben: but it's it's the thought of finishing, it's the thought of So. doing it and finishing it and what and ah and and then again we do in the last 20 miles you know in four or five hours time I'm going to be sat at home and I'm going to be done.
Ben: and I think that that should drive people on. get into it and and the euphoric unbelievable feeling you're going to have at the finish and just be um unbelievable.
UKRunChat: Yeah, are amazing. oh Well, yeah, all the very best of luck with it. Yeah, it sounds epic, actually.
Ben: thank you
UKRunChat: and hopefully they've got some good snacks on route.
Ben: I have to say, yeah. going Let's hope so. some rabbit flags.
UKRunChat: ah Well, thank you. Thank you very much for joining us.
Ben: All right.
UKRunChat: um And, yeah, have you have you got anything to say to people who might be thinking of entering maybe the 5K or 10K next year? or what kind of marathon this year
Ben: yeah i ah yeah Again, my experience with Half Marathon is limited and I'm going to go this year and see, but there's usually 10k, 5k. 5k race was excellent to add on as well. it i think it is the most one of those special sort of road road road town events i've i've been to and i've seen i've heard about It is a special event, there's so many people out on the road.
Ben: It's a hard, it is a hard route, it's a hard race, but it is an amazing race. The quarry is a very special place to finish a race. So, yeah. sign up for next year because it'll be bigger be better so yeah Do it.
UKRunChat: Oh, fantastic. Thank you very much. It's been great hearing about both sides of your running life and and how Waste Morgan is getting involved in that local running community. So good luck with training. And of course, if... if that people out there listening are taking on the shrewsbury half or metric half or the 5 or 10k next year then do let us know thank you for joining me ben and thank you for listening to the uk wind chat podcast
