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From Shrewsbury to the Sahara: Neil’s Road to the Marathon des Sables
0 Plays2 seconds ago
In this episode of the UKRunChat Podcast, Michelle is joined by Neil, who is preparing for one of the toughest footraces in the world, the Marathon des Sables, a 250km multi-day ultra across the Sahara Desert.
Neil shares how he first got into running (from rugby pitches in Bradford to his first London Marathon), what keeps bringing him back to the Shrewsbury Half Marathon, sponsored by Pareto, and how he’s training for the desert, from 4am starts and 60-mile training weeks, to sand dunes, heat chambers, and learning how to fuel on the run.
We also talk about the community side of running, fundraising for charity, and why he believes running is about self-belief and simply “just doing it.”
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Transcript
Introduction and Background
00:00:00
UKRunChat
Welcome to the UK Run Chat Podcast.
00:00:01
NEIL
Thank you.
00:00:02
UKRunChat
I'm Michelle and today I'm joined by Neil who's taking part in this year's Shrewsbury Half Marathon as part of Team Purito who's our headline sponsor for the race. Now Neil has already ticked off the London Marathon twice and is lining up for his second Shrewsbury Half this year ah but next April he'll be taking on the legendary Marathon de Sable which is at five or six days across the Sahara Desert. So in this episode, we'll talk about how he got started running and how he's preparing for potentially his biggest race yet.
Transition to Running
00:00:32
UKRunChat
Hi, Neil. Thank you so much for joining us today.
00:00:36
NEIL
No worries.
00:00:36
UKRunChat
and
00:00:36
NEIL
Thank you for letting me come.
00:00:38
UKRunChat
and So I thought we'd start. Can you take us back to when you first started running? So what made you lace up? When did that
00:00:46
NEIL
i it's It's an interesting question. And I've got a really close friend who I train with at the moment said that the other day when we're on a long run. and I think ah used to be um I used to be rugby really badly.
00:00:59
NEIL
And I say that like it's a bad thing. It's good thing. I suppose if you look at it like that, ah I've been running since I was eight. I just didn't really know I was running.
00:01:06
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:01:08
NEIL
ah And then you go for short runs to get some fitness over the summer. And I'm from Bradford, so there's a lot of canal work and a lot hill work. And I think gradually you get into not playing rugby anymore. What going to do? And it's like a midlife crisis, right? What am I going to do? I'm going to do running, oh for me anyway. um And I think I really took the bug over COVID.
Marathon Anecdotes
00:01:31
NEIL
as a bit of a bit of a thing to do when I wasn't working on emails and looking after buildings. And I just went out one day, and I remember it was awful. I went out and I just thought, I've never run a half marathon, so I'm going run a half marathon.
00:01:46
UKRunChat
Oh wow.
00:01:46
NEIL
We're never going in just stupid. And i one of my bosses, who you'll probably know, Chris Barnes, laughed his head off and said, I'd get in the hot bath, Neil, and get a cup of tea.
00:01:52
UKRunChat
Yes.
00:01:56
NEIL
I hate tea. And I did what he said.
00:01:58
UKRunChat
Did
00:01:59
NEIL
And I thought, is this supposed to make you feel better? And it didn't make him feel better.
00:02:02
UKRunChat
it not help?
00:02:03
NEIL
No, made me feel worse. um But I really got into it then. And he he got me a place on the London Marathon. And the funniest bit of that London Marathon was I saw a sign at 19 miles and it said, don't trust the fart.
00:02:19
NEIL
And that your spot she um I sort of laughed my way to the end and then I sort of cried at the end. So it was I find it it is kind of funny running.
00:02:31
NEIL
Right. It's just like, why are you doing this?
00:02:32
UKRunChat
yeah
00:02:34
NEIL
But then it's like a drug at the end of it. The the adrenaline and the buzz you get from it is crazy.
Running as Meditation
00:02:40
NEIL
it's just it's euphoric right it's just it's mad um and he did he did another thing to me as well chris when we first was first sponsor like two years ago to you guys he said he said to everybody did it said don't worry shrewsbury's flat so i'm like cracking nice easy half marathon right he's done this another time i'll tell you about that a minute
00:02:43
UKRunChat
Yeah. Yeah.
00:02:56
UKRunChat
wow
00:03:03
NEIL
And I went round the private school and then down that dip and then up that dip and then round the park. And then you have to go up the dip again. And I was like, when I see Chris Barnes at the finish of this, I'm going to slap him.
00:03:16
NEIL
I didn't, but he just lied.
00:03:16
UKRunChat
Bye.
00:03:19
NEIL
And then he did it on the York marathon and he said, that was flat. It's not flat. yeah York's not flat. York's flat in the middle. It's on the outside. It's not flat. But yeah. That's how I got into running. um It's just a bit of a bug and it's become a bit obsessive now.
Psychology of Marathons
00:03:35
NEIL
i have to get up at five o'clock and get some miles in before I start work. It's sort of like, it's kind of my meditation, which is going to sound really cliche, but it just makes me feel better. um My wife says I'm like Mary Poppins.
00:03:49
NEIL
After I've had couple of miles in the bag, I'm a lot nicer person. I don't know whether that's true because I can't see myself on the outside, but it's what she tells me.
00:03:57
UKRunChat
Yeah, yeah, that's, I that's true for a lot of us. A lot of people say they run just for that meditative element, just because it calms them down and just, you know, provides a bit of peace. We've got busy lives, haven't we?
00:04:07
NEIL
Yeah, we have. We've all got business lives and it's good. We're getting some exercise in without spending a fortune apart from trainers now do cost a fortune. and It's like taking the third mortgage out from your house.
00:04:17
UKRunChat
Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, we we say it's free and it's easy to get into, isn't it, running, but, you know, when when we do get a bit obsessed with it it does get expensive.
00:04:26
NEIL
It does endanger.
00:04:27
UKRunChat
Yeah. So, I mean, at what point did you kind of realise that marathons were
Training for Marathon de Sable
00:04:31
UKRunChat
for you? You've done quite a few.
00:04:33
NEIL
I'm not too sure they are for me, but I seem to, it's really funny, isn't it? You start training for more and more things and you start looking at zone one, zone two, zone three. And I've even got myself a running coach and you start looking at data and it's like, I'm actually quite good at this. Like,
00:04:50
NEIL
But I'm not fast, but my heartbeat doesn't get over a certain amount and I can go forever and ever and ever and stop like the Duracell bunny, but don't go too fast. I just think it's enjoyable training, getting something and like having an end to something and a goal to something.
00:05:06
NEIL
It's like work, right? You have a goal to a project or something like that, a goal in your personal life. I just think it helps you through things ah and it helps you through personal stuff, what you go through.
00:05:12
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:05:17
NEIL
I've got a wife with ME. And I think last five years have been tough at home and the running has really helped me just get a level head with that. Um, ah that's basically it, I think.
00:05:31
UKRunChat
Yeah. And you you obviously you're enjoying the endurance side of it then. so
00:05:36
NEIL
Yeah, I think I, I enjoy the training.
00:05:37
UKRunChat
same
00:05:39
NEIL
I'm not a hundred percent sure. I enjoy the, the race at the end of it. I'll tell you in April when I finished the MDS.
00:05:46
UKRunChat
Thank you.
00:05:47
NEIL
Um, I enjoy getting to a stage where you're ready to do something like that.
Logistics and Preparation
00:05:52
NEIL
And then I think it's going to sound a bit spiritual. I think they do say you get next to God when you run a marathon. If you do an ultra, you're speaking to God. And I think really that's you're speaking it yourself. You just don't realize it.
00:06:03
NEIL
I think I like that having conversations with myself. God, I'm going to sound like that a lunatic on this court. um I think...
00:06:10
UKRunChat
No, I don't know.
00:06:11
NEIL
Yeah.
00:06:11
UKRunChat
I've got goosebumps because I'm kind of, i agree with you there. you do You do kind of go deep within yourself, don't you? And you kind of have a few revelations while you're running long distance. Yeah.
00:06:20
NEIL
Yeah, I think you need to be able to talk to yourself if you're a runner because you um unless you listen to music or listening to UK Run Chat podcast, you're sort of talking to yourself all all the time. It's a great way of solving problems in your head until you stop and you've forgotten how you solved that problem.
00:06:38
UKRunChat
Yeah, as as long as we keep ourselves fed. So our brains don't tend to mush because that's the other thing, isn't it?
00:06:40
NEIL
Yeah. Yeah, indeed, yeah.
00:06:43
UKRunChat
Yeah, when Jordan's running. and So you've got you've got Shrewsbury coming up on the 28th of September. Is that kind of part of your training for the marathon?
00:06:51
NEIL
um
00:06:52
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:06:52
NEIL
Shoesbury, I sort of agreed to before I got a place on MDS, but it's one of the training blocks. I've got also the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London couple weeks after.
00:07:01
UKRunChat
yeah
00:07:03
NEIL
um And then I'm planning on doing a 100k run in the new year and if my coach allows me to do it. And then just building up to the MDS, which is first week of April.
00:07:15
NEIL
um But the moment, I seem to be running every single day and don't a day off. Wow.
00:07:20
UKRunChat
Oh, one
00:07:21
NEIL
which is, I'm enjoying that. I did like 60 odd miles last week. So that, you know I've never run that much in a week. So I am enjoying it. And it's the lead up and the anticipation into it.
00:07:33
NEIL
um But yeah, I've got training blocks. We're going away quite a lot to get some hot weather training in. I was in Turkey a
Inspiration and Practical Challenges
00:07:39
NEIL
couple of weeks ago, which was, it was intense running in 30 odd degree heat in the middle of the day.
00:07:45
NEIL
look like a raspberry, but it was fun as well.
00:07:49
UKRunChat
So if you already started lots of the practical elements of training for MDS then, like with this heat.
00:07:55
NEIL
star i've read I've read a couple of books and like I've started getting kit now, which is quite... I got a Venom pump the other day, which is... If you've ever seen a Venom pump, it's a different piece of apparatus.
00:08:09
NEIL
And then thinking about getting bitten is quite... It's quite severe, right?
00:08:14
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:08:14
NEIL
And then i I'm looking at backpacks at the moment and sleep at lightweight sleeping packs. And then I'm looking at what food to take, how to compress the food to make it into your backpack.
00:08:27
NEIL
like You've heard like stories of like the first day, everybody takes like loads of extra food and they eat it the day before and the breakfast before to get loads in. ah you It's trying to work out what to take and how to take it. And also, it's making sure my body is used to not eating that many calories and getting the water on. i think I'm going to have get my head around that because I love food. it's going to be It's going to be like starving yourself for six days and then running on top of it and then surviving.
00:08:56
NEIL
and then surviving
00:08:57
UKRunChat
Yeah, and it is it is a survival race, really, isn't it? i mean, ive I've heard stories of people chopping the toothbrushes in half to to just lessen the weight in the pack and all kinds.
00:09:07
NEIL
Yeah, yeah, mate. Yeah, I think it's going to be interesting. i think it's going to be interesting. And if I do do it, ah be I will be so happy if get to the end of it.
00:09:18
NEIL
If I don't do it and I don't complete it, I think I'll be chasing that for another two to three years. And that's the problem, it when you get yourself so embedded. And I think I've got obsessive with it.
00:09:31
NEIL
on what to do, how to do it. And you're reading up about day one's easy. yeah Then it builds up to the two day marathons in two days. And the last day is easy compared to the rest of it.
00:09:41
NEIL
And I'm thinking, I think there's not going to be a day what isn't going to be hard. But I think you'll i think it will be fun when we get to the end.
00:09:46
UKRunChat
Yeah. So I think it's that type two fun, isn't it? Definitely where you look back and go, yeah, that was, that was worth doing.
00:09:52
NEIL
Yeah.
00:09:55
UKRunChat
Why did you choose the marathon disabled? Have you done ultras before?
00:09:59
NEIL
yeah No, this is the first one, and I picked the hardest one, eh? ah So there's a couple of things. There's a boy loved Lawrence of Arabia. That doesn't equate to this a little bit.
00:10:11
NEIL
But I think for a
Daily Routine and Training Management
00:10:12
NEIL
guy of my complexion, running in heat is probably not the normal thing to do. um But I've always had this idea of the desert being romantic.
00:10:23
NEIL
um And I think when I heard about the Marathon de Sable, I watched... ah forgotten her name now, but there's an Amazon Prime documentary about a lady who runs a marathon in each continent.
00:10:35
UKRunChat
right
00:10:37
NEIL
And I was obsessed with this documentary. And then I watched The Four Brothers, which is four brothers who run the MDS, or five brothers, and that's even better. And I just thought, and then I watched a YouTube channel about two Belgian blokes doing it, and neither of them looked like runners. They looked my size, sort squat, and quite big.
00:10:55
NEIL
But they were hilarious. And I just thought, maybe this is a midlife crisis adventure. Instead of buying a motorbike, I'm going to run the MDS. Yeah. So that that's basically it. It's a bit of a romantic romantic little boy's dream. I think that's what it is, the best way to describe it.
00:11:14
UKRunChat
Yeah, but you're clearly taking it very seriously. you know, you've you've employed a coach, you're doing lots of research.
00:11:20
NEIL
Yeah.
00:11:21
UKRunChat
Have you chatted to anybody who's done it?
00:11:21
NEIL
Yeah.
00:11:23
NEIL
No, I'm going to, that's the next thing. I'm going to reach out to a few people who I know through friends of friends who've done it um and have a conversation if I can with them just to see what it was like. Yeah, I kind of want to do that. But then there's a kind of me in my head going, if they say something negative, it's not going to go down well in my psyche. So maybe, you know, I think there's a little bit of me wants to learn myself, but that's dangerous as well. But I think, yeah, I'm going to engage with a few people, get a few tips.
00:11:52
NEIL
especially about the kit and what they wore. I think that's important and getting the right material to wear as well.
00:11:58
UKRunChat
Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think the more preparation you can do, i think you need to feel more prepared, don't you, for for every eventuality.
00:12:04
NEIL
Yeah.
00:12:06
UKRunChat
and we did We did have a guy on, Simon, who he's got a documentary out on Prime, actually, and he came onto the podcast to chat to us a few months ago and because he didn't manage to complete his first MDS, so he ended up going back, and that's when they filmed the documentary about it.
00:12:06
NEIL
Yeah.
00:12:21
UKRunChat
But I think it it does become quite – it's a goal that you just have to – once you've decided –
00:12:22
NEIL
yeah
00:12:27
NEIL
Yeah, you've got to do it. i mean, it's like anything.
00:12:29
UKRunChat
So you're running every day at the moment.
00:12:29
NEIL
You've got to try and complete it. but I'm not out there to break records. I'm just out there to race it for me and let's see where I go with it.
00:12:41
UKRunChat
What do you do? 60 miles a week. How you fit that in and working full time?
00:12:44
NEIL
Yeah. it's it's for it
00:12:46
UKRunChat
That must be tough.
Motivation and Physical Challenges
00:12:48
NEIL
It's four o'clock up and four o'clock and I'm out of the door for hi half four or five o'clock and I'm I did, what, five and a half miles this morning and I could have done a lot more if I wanted to. But I yeah yeah i have a plan and there is a plan that was put me to, but I seem to be either doing too many miles or I'm doing too many intense miles, which I think Jean, who's my coach, is getting a bit annoyed with me because I'm not following what he's saying.
00:13:16
NEIL
But yeah, I'm enjoying that because he's doing different. So he's doing speed work, which I've never really done before. I've just gone out and consistently run at a certain pace. And then we're talking about the zones and how we can make things better with that. it it that That's fun.
00:13:31
NEIL
And it is fun to get it in and and early in the morning because I hate running on an evening. You just want to do something else, don't you, and exercise.
00:13:37
UKRunChat
ah Yeah, once you finish work and sit down, I think you're you're kind of done, aren't you you? want to relax a bit. So it's good that you're a morning runner. I'm not. I can't do that that early. Yeah.
00:13:48
UKRunChat
So hats hats off to you there. and
00:13:50
NEIL
Thank you.
00:13:51
UKRunChat
What have you got planned in terms of, you know, training for the actual terrain and and the heat? How are you going to fit that in?
00:13:58
NEIL
So we're this is going to sound bizarre. So we're going to Scotland next week and we've got a log cabin next to a beach. So going to use that running on sand for a little bit and then I'm going to try and find some sand dunes probably on the West Coast and do that. And then I've got some heat training.
00:14:15
NEIL
in chambers at York University and Leeds University in the next couple of months, i which will be fun. Just getting my body used to sweating like that and getting it ready for it.
00:14:27
NEIL
Apart from that, we've got Malta. got Malta in October. It's similar temperatures then to what it'll be in April. um And just run along the coast there, which, you know, can run for miles and miles and miles. i think just getting yourself used to sweating,
00:14:42
NEIL
And then it's rucksack and getting 20 kilos in the rucksack and running with the rucksack. Probably November.
00:14:47
UKRunChat
It's a lot to carry that, isn't it? Yeah.
00:14:49
NEIL
Yeah, it is. Yeah.
00:14:50
UKRunChat
have you Have you done any running with a pack yet?
00:14:52
NEIL
No, what I'm trying to do is lose two stones. So then at least my two stone becomes what I've been used to running.
00:14:57
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:14:58
NEIL
So that's my logic in my head. um Whether I get there is a different matter.
00:15:03
UKRunChat
Yeah. and but that's That must be hard to try and lose weight while you're doing so much training as well and obviously having to replenish the calories spent in energy. How's how's that going?
00:15:13
NEIL
the um of I've lost um' lost like six to seven pounds in the last four weeks, which is probably because I'm doing loads of miles and just sweating, sweating, sweating.
00:15:22
UKRunChat
it's
00:15:23
NEIL
um But yeah, you're right. You've got to be careful what you lose because you can lose muscle mass. and And sometimes when you're running long distances constantly, your body gets used to it. So you need to put some different cross-training there. So you need to do some weights. And weights are a big part of what I'm trying to do now. and going to the gym as well on top to do some weights.
00:15:43
NEIL
just to build some strength as well um yeah it's just different in it trying to lose weight as well as training is not easy but i don't want to go in it into that marathon disabled too heavy
00:15:50
UKRunChat
no it's
00:15:56
UKRunChat
Yeah, you want to make life as easy as possible for yourself, don't you?
00:15:59
NEIL
yeah absolutely
00:16:00
UKRunChat
and what What kind of preparation you making for all like the blisters and things? Because I think, I gather they're pretty inevitable. Yeah.
00:16:08
NEIL
Yeah, there is a lot of socks on the market.
00:16:09
UKRunChat
Yeah. ah
00:16:10
NEIL
So I've got a pair of Sumo socks, um which is supposed to be non-sweat, blah, blah, blah.
00:16:11
UKRunChat
yeah
00:16:17
NEIL
And they're really good. I think it's just trying to maintain your feet, isn't it? And like as soon as you stop, you get your socks off and you look at your feet and manage that. I mean, there's some horrendous stories about the French doctors just come in and basically cut your blister off and put some iodine in it and you're ready it go.
00:16:36
NEIL
So, yeah. I don't know. Nothing's going to prepare me for that. I don't touch wood. I've never got a blister when I've done any running before.
Future Aspirations
00:16:45
NEIL
And I think I've invested in some hawkers the other month, which, all right, that's like, that's running on a cushion compared to what I've used in the past.
00:16:55
NEIL
ah I think it's getting your foot right and just making sure you're You're probably putting a bit of Johnson's pe baby rub on it and stuff like that. I don't know.
00:17:06
NEIL
Hopefully I don't get that many. If I do, it's just going to be pain on pain, isn't it?
00:17:09
UKRunChat
Yeah, it will. Yeah. Oh yeah. Well, ah yeah. hope that doesn't happen. um Yeah. So, so how far, how far is the MDS in total then? So it is is six days, isn't it?
00:17:20
UKRunChat
Is that right? Wow.
00:17:21
NEIL
rid of Yeah, it's 155 miles. It's 200 and odd kilometres, but i' never work in kilometres right unless I'm doing short distances.
00:17:27
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:17:29
NEIL
But yeah, it it's the longest I'll have ever, ever, ever run and consistently like that.
00:17:33
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:17:35
NEIL
It's just going to be... And like prep to it, somewhere in January, I'm goingnna have to do five marathons in five days, which is going to be fun in the middle of our winters getting up at two or maybe three o'clock to get it in before work.
00:17:43
UKRunChat
Right.
00:17:50
NEIL
That's going to be fun. um But yeah, it's it's just a challenge. It's a one-off, isn't it? You don't do this every day. Taking a week off work to go and run an ultra is something a bit bonkers, you asked me. and And there's a lot of people in my company must think I'm blooming ridiculously mad. I mean, they all know I'm mad anyway, but I think I've taken it to a new level with this.
00:18:14
UKRunChat
The thing is, what's next after that? Because once you do that, you are going to want to do something else, aren't you? To top it?
00:18:20
NEIL
I've already got it.
00:18:20
UKRunChat
How do you it?
00:18:21
NEIL
I've already got it in my head.
00:18:21
UKRunChat
Have you? Wow.
00:18:22
NEIL
Right. So I've always wanted to run across the country.
00:18:23
UKRunChat
ah
00:18:26
NEIL
Right. And I thought to myself, right, I'm going to run Australia.
00:18:32
UKRunChat
wow
00:18:33
NEIL
And I think the record is now 34 days consistently across Australia. So, um, I'm going to maybe do that next if my wife allows me to before, it you know, before that's it.
00:18:48
NEIL
I mean, there are some other, like there's the jungle marathon in there, but
Support System
00:18:53
NEIL
I'm not, I don't fancy, ah don't even fancy that because bugs are all over you and I just, nah, I don't fancy that.
00:18:53
UKRunChat
yeah
00:19:01
NEIL
But I wouldn't mind running across a country or a continent in that sense. Um, I mean, Hardis Giza did it right, so what's the difference between him and me?
00:19:10
UKRunChat
Yeah. yeah um Have a listen to our own podcast with Susie Chan about that. She talks a bit because she's done Mare for the Disable. That was her like, yeah.
00:19:19
NEIL
Yeah, well, it's interesting because I'm um' listening to her book now, which is really it's really, especially the story about the first, like, where she was in her life and then going into the MDS and then going back to the MDS and getting in the top 100.
00:19:23
UKRunChat
Oh, okay. Yeah.
00:19:30
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:19:35
NEIL
That's, like, incredible, right?
00:19:36
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:19:37
NEIL
Because, like, and I think she even professes she's not the best runner in the world, but you can see just being consistent and trying, right?
00:19:45
UKRunChat
yeah
00:19:45
NEIL
And having willpower, like that woman has got willpower, which I just dream of, I think that just shows you what you can do in life. And it's it's an exceptional, I mean, I'm nowhere near finished it yet listening to it, but ah it the it's got me rooted to my seat.
00:20:00
NEIL
And I'm not really good at listening to books, but her voice is, she annotates it as well, which is really good.
00:20:03
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:20:07
UKRunChat
Yeah. The bit where she talks about the jungle ultra though, and I was reading, I was almost shouting at the book. I'm going, why are you doing this? Cause she was like, it's horrible.
00:20:12
NEIL
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
00:20:14
UKRunChat
I hate it.
00:20:15
NEIL
Yeah.
00:20:15
UKRunChat
and It sounded horrendous, but I think as an endurance runner, you just have to, you have to get in that headspace. Don't you? Where you just have to carry on. Yeah.
00:20:25
NEIL
Yeah. Yeah, because you're going regret it if you stop and you're out of it.
00:20:27
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:20:29
NEIL
I just don't fancy that jungle marathon. That sounds... That sounds like... I mean, MDS is bad, right? But you've got you can get out of the desert pretty fast.
00:20:39
UKRunChat
yeah
00:20:39
NEIL
In a jungle, I don't know how get out of a jungle fast. You are in thick shrub canopy. You are getting out there. and I don't even think a chopper would get So, no.
00:20:51
NEIL
No, I'm all right, thanks. That is one...
00:20:53
UKRunChat
but Australia and it's deadly creatures you you'll have have the venom pump already you'll be sorted won't you
00:20:59
NEIL
Yeah, I haven't really thought about that. But yeah, ah that would be, i think that's a dream. And I'd love to raise a lot of money for a charity to do that.
00:21:05
UKRunChat
yeah
00:21:07
NEIL
But look, these things cost money. Whether I ever get doing it is a different thing.
00:21:13
UKRunChat
Yeah, it's big commitment. How supportive is your family and and work with all these goals there?
00:21:17
NEIL
um
00:21:20
NEIL
Pareto, don't think Pareto, I think there's a lot of people realise what I'm doing and then there's a lot of people who just go, well, that's just Neil doing something mad again. um and I think when it comes to January, they'll all start thinking, shit, Neil is actually going to do this.
00:21:35
NEIL
And they'll start umping the help. and the The main people i work with every day ah supportful, apart from Chris, who thinks, I'm going to say it, he thinks I'm going to die and he takes it
00:21:38
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:21:47
NEIL
you know, with his Northern Irish accent. And then he starts laughing, says heat stroke for a man with ginger hair and ginger hair is going to happen. So, yeah, they have been supportful.
00:21:58
NEIL
My wife is resigned to the fact that I'm a lunatic and she has been for 15 years.
Fundraising Efforts
00:22:04
NEIL
um And this doesn't surprise her. and I think she's let me off.
00:22:09
NEIL
I talked about it two years ago. ah got a place. Then she went, I don't want you to do it. And then I got another place and she went, you can go go and do it. So it was really nice that she's allowing me to do it.
00:22:20
NEIL
But she thinks I'm mad. So people just think I'm crazy. So ah think that's it. i think I think they will start supporting me a lot more in the new year.
00:22:31
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:22:32
NEIL
Fingers crossed.
00:22:32
UKRunChat
Yeah. And they obviously believe in you. You know, they're not, they're not laughing at you and say you can't do it.
00:22:35
NEIL
Yeah.
00:22:37
UKRunChat
You know.
00:22:37
NEIL
No, i think I think there's a lot of tongue-in-cheek, right? I'm a bit of a Mickey-taker, so i think I think the ginger in the desert thing has caught them all. They're laughing their head off about it, right? But, you know, there are gingers in the they just go and come.
00:22:54
NEIL
Yeah, so that's it.
00:22:56
UKRunChat
They'll all be cheering you on though. How difficult is it to get a place then? Do you have to kind of do qualifying events?
00:23:02
NEIL
No, I got a place with a charity. I sort of pushed my luck and I pushed my luck and sent loads of emails.
00:23:05
UKRunChat
Right.
00:23:11
NEIL
And then I finally got a place with, I always get this wrong and it's really bad. So that's why I'm just looking on my phone. um I got a place, he says, he says, he says, bear with me.
00:23:25
NEIL
Walk one more.
00:23:27
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:23:27
NEIL
which is a ah spinal charity.
00:23:30
UKRunChat
Right.
00:23:30
NEIL
aye there There's only a few charities that actually get plates in in the MDS and that most people have to pay nine nine grand or whatever it is now. um I've got to raise a certain amount of money to make this viable for them, ah which I'm a I'm four grand in, so doing really well and I've still got a lot of time to do it. So, yeah, it was just an email to say, I'd love to do this.
00:23:54
NEIL
Don't know anything about your charity, but I'll learn. And they just came back going, yeah, we'd love to give you a place now, which I think is mad, right?
00:24:02
UKRunChat
That's brilliant.
00:24:02
NEIL
I've never run an ultra and they've just given me a place. That shows you that even now you can blag yourself anything you want if you just send a...
00:24:11
UKRunChat
But now you've definitely got to do it right because you've all that pressure of fundraising as well.
00:24:11
NEIL
ah Yeah, well, I mean, yeah.
00:24:16
UKRunChat
yeah
00:24:16
NEIL
Yeah. Oh, yeah. And when it all came through, all the PAC stuff, I was like, and then when I signed my contract, was like, oh, my God, what have I done?
00:24:24
UKRunChat
but
00:24:24
NEIL
um I mean, the the thing what I'm really looking forward to is to give you, like, a hotel in Marrakesh for two nights afterwards. Like, I'm so looking forward to being on my own for two nights.
00:24:32
UKRunChat
Oh, nice. Yeah.
00:24:36
NEIL
And then my wife, Shelley, is trying to book us a family holiday, what I can join on the end of it. So i'll basically have two weeks off work, which, you
00:24:42
UKRunChat
Right. Oh, that would be nice. Yeah.
00:24:46
NEIL
Yeah, it'd be amazing if my legs walk for a week and I'll look like I've been attacked and all sorts, you know, and I've really bad sunburn.
00:24:47
UKRunChat
Yeah, you probably won't be able to walk for a week of it.
00:24:56
NEIL
But apart from that, looking like a cherry and can't walk, it'll be fantastic.
00:25:01
UKRunChat
ah So give us a few fundraising tips then, because I know people struggle with this side of things. How have you raised so much cash already?
00:25:08
NEIL
and I am prolific and I think everybody will agree with me on LinkedIn. I'm horrendous. um So I annoy people constantly. I do little videos of running.
00:25:20
NEIL
I try and link something with running. And then I've just sent emails galore to Yorkshire Yorkshire businesses, people I know in the facilities world, what I can, you know, what they help me out, I help them out. And just people are so giving when you send links to things.
00:25:40
NEIL
And I think... Again, I'm playing on this, but the ginger in the desert has really worked as a hashtag. um And it seems to be getting a lot of traction that they find that funny.
00:25:50
NEIL
And I did a post when I'd run in Turkey and my face was redder than my beard. And that seemed to just make everybody laugh their heads off. And I got a couple of hundred quid off that post.
00:26:01
NEIL
So... I think it's a bit of cheek. I think it's a bit of honesty. It's a bit of sometimes, right, you should just send an email and see what you get and see if somebody comes back because you never know.
00:26:11
UKRunChat
yes
00:26:13
NEIL
There might be somebody on the end of that email who's run the MDS and knows somebody who's done the end has got somebody somebody who's got a spinal problem who has worked with that charity and you get things from it.
00:26:25
NEIL
It's brilliant.
00:26:27
UKRunChat
Yeah. what Yeah. That's fantastic. Well, yeah, good luck with raising in the rest of the cash. Have you got to rate it at £9,000? Is that what you've got?
00:26:34
NEIL
Yeah, it's seven and a half, but I really want to get to 10 because I think that'd be really nice.
00:26:35
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:26:38
NEIL
And then there's some companies have said, if we don't want to sponsor the charity, can we give you kit money towards the kit, which would be amazing um as long as they get a sponsorship on it. I mean, I'd love Pareto to sponsor it, but I keep thinking just in case something bad happens and an FM company's got Pareto FM across the chair and there's a news article mean being flown out of the MDS.
00:27:00
NEIL
It wouldn't look good for Parade FM, would it? You know, facilities,
00:27:03
UKRunChat
We don't want
Inclusivity and Personal Goals
00:27:04
UKRunChat
them, do we? But
00:27:04
NEIL
that's not good.
00:27:05
NEIL
That's not good facilities. That's bad facilities, right?
00:27:09
UKRunChat
you've got to have some self-belief as well, Neil. You will finish it.
00:27:11
NEIL
Yeah.
00:27:11
UKRunChat
You'd be fine.
00:27:13
NEIL
Oh, I'm going to finish it if I have to crawl with my feet. I will finish. As long as I beat them two camels, I'm not bothered.
00:27:22
UKRunChat
So what are you most looking forward to about the event then?
00:27:27
NEIL
I think I'm looking forward to meeting new people of different nationalities who are coming to do. i think the running community, what I've seen is a is' an open, amazing lunatic ville, right, where I fit in really perfectly.
00:27:42
NEIL
And nobody judges you what you can and cannot do, which I think is, in this world we live in now, is quite phenomenal. There's no pressure. You can turn up with like Aldi kit and nobody's going to judge you for that. And I think that's really cool that we still have that in the world.
00:27:58
NEIL
And um I'm hoping, you i used to love rugby. Commandorship of rugby is amazing. And I think the MDS will give me that a little bit. I think people will help people. ah where they can and just pull them along.
00:28:11
NEIL
And I think that's where really what I'm looking forward. And I'm really looking forward to getting to Marrakesh and having a single malt with two ice in it and just going, I've just completed the hardest foot race in the world.
00:28:25
NEIL
That's what I'm really looking forward. It's not the event. It's after the event and sitting back. Yeah, sitting back and just saying, I've actually achieved something in my life and I can die a happy man. Not in the desert though.
00:28:37
UKRunChat
Yeah, not in the desert, no. And and what are you what's scaring you the most at the moment?
00:28:43
NEIL
ah i think I think the venom pump is scaring me a lot. I mean, the chances of getting bitten by anything are very, very, very, very slim. I think the other thing is hydration.
00:28:54
NEIL
It's making sure that I'm taking salts on because if you don't take the salts on, the water is just going to come out of you and you're going to dehydrate and cook really quickly. like That's remembering to eat.
00:29:06
NEIL
I don't want to get to the end of the day and just go, I'm going to sleep. because thats that's when you start deteriorating and it starts going wrong.
00:29:13
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:29:14
NEIL
think organisation is not a key thing in my life, even though work in facilities.
Upcoming Races and Performance Goals
00:29:21
NEIL
I think sometimes I can go off and do weird things and I'm really worried that the discipline of organisation will come out somewhere.
00:29:28
NEIL
I'll fall off the track here and I'll forget to have something to eat or the salts will go in my mouth. They're the real worries for me. Apart from that, I'm really looking forward to seeing sand dunes for six days.
00:29:41
UKRunChat
Yeah, it'd be something different, certainly, won't it? How how are you going to get around this issue then of being organised?
00:29:43
NEIL
I mean, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
00:29:49
UKRunChat
What are you going to have to put in place to help you with
00:29:51
NEIL
a ah think I think I'm just going have to really start training to take salts when I'm training and eating when I'm training. So start taking snacks with me a little bit. And when I go for a three-hour run, I fuel myself. I mean, I went for a two-hour run on Sunday. We stopped.
00:30:11
NEIL
halfway and I took a gel. I had a little bit of I never used to do that. I used to just run because I was like, you've got, your body can just prepare yourself for that.
00:30:23
NEIL
I think that's key. think making sure my rucksack's got water with it and just stopping and giving yourself five minutes, resetting yourself and then going again. I think if I start doing that, then when I'm running the marathon, I'll stop, have some water, have a bit of salt and then crack on again or walk.
00:30:39
NEIL
and do that, I think that's key to getting yourself right. Because you've got to stop yourself, right? You've got to stop yourself and start thinking about what your body needs, not what you need in your brain a lot of the time as well.
00:30:49
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:30:52
UKRunChat
Yeah. Yeah. just, it's self-care, isn't it, really? It's just looking after yourself.
00:30:55
NEIL
Absolutely, yeah.
00:30:56
UKRunChat
Yeah. ah Well, yeah, we wish you all the best. Maybe you can come back on and tell us all about how it went, because we're rooting for you.
00:31:02
NEIL
perhaps I'd love to. Yeah. um and look Thank you. Thank you very much.
00:31:06
UKRunChat
Yeah,
00:31:07
NEIL
And thank you for the opportunity to talk to you about this because I've really enjoyed it.
00:31:10
UKRunChat
yeah I can tell you're really excited about it. So, yeah, we really want to know how you get on. I know it's a while off, you know.
00:31:14
NEIL
I will let you know. Don't worry.
00:31:16
UKRunChat
So you've got Shrewsbury Half next month. We're recording this five weeks beforehand.
00:31:19
NEIL
Yeah.
00:31:21
UKRunChat
have you got goals for Shrewsbury Half then?
00:31:23
NEIL
i I did the best half marathon I did was two hours, six minutes. I really want to push under two hours for this one. ah The problem is there's a few hills, isn't there?
00:31:37
NEIL
So that slows me down a little bit.
00:31:37
UKRunChat
there we are.
00:31:39
NEIL
But I'd love to get under that two-hour threshold. and If I don't, I've got the Royal Parks in a couple of weeks after that. So fingers crossed I can do it.
00:31:49
UKRunChat
Yeah, and you know what to expect at Shrewsbury this time, don't you? So there's no
00:31:52
NEIL
Yeah,
Community and Team Role
00:31:53
NEIL
yeah. i can change that
00:31:53
UKRunChat
no surprises around the corner.
00:31:55
UKRunChat
Yeah,
00:31:55
NEIL
There's no surprises. No. Yeah.
00:31:58
UKRunChat
yeah so how does it feel to be running for the headline sponsor? That must feel pretty good as well.
00:32:03
NEIL
ah Yeah, and we've, you know, I don't think I'm giving away two things. we've We've actually done some running tops this year for the whole team, which is really cool, right?
00:32:12
UKRunChat
How many are you altogether?
00:32:12
NEIL
other Yeah, I think, and there's a lot of us running. I think this is the biggest turnout we've ever had. I think there's 10 or 12 of us.
00:32:21
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:32:21
NEIL
There might be a few more, which is really cool. um I think it's great that Parade are sponsoring such a cool run.
00:32:28
UKRunChat
yeah
00:32:28
NEIL
I think we should do it more. um ah The CFO will likely say that, but I can get away with it. I'm not here. But I think we should sponsor more runs. I think running and what running does for a lot of people is <unk> incredible. And giving back to local communities like we're doing is just ah it's insane. I think it's brilliant.
00:32:47
UKRunChat
Yeah, no, it's fab. do Do they do other stuff like that as well? Do they encourage you all to get out and get active and keep healthy?
00:32:54
NEIL
Yeah, I think Pareda's always, I mean, Chris is and Andrew set up the FM 10, which is do 10 events in the FM world and the but the badges and the medals they've done and the medals have been really cool. I think that's that's a real big thing in Pareda, it still is. And I think they've always pushed you to do things outside the norm.
00:33:14
NEIL
but It's a bit unfunctional and running is definitely unfunctional in the sense that is a bit mad. So, think Pareto and its ethic has always been trying to push the boundaries.
00:33:24
NEIL
um I think it goes inside with what running is, right? Who wants to run 26 miles? Who wants to run in the desert? A madman or a madwoman?
00:33:33
UKRunChat
Yeah, it's funny. Yeah, we do it, don't we? Yeah, there's really something in it.
00:33:35
NEIL
Yeah, I know. Insane.
00:33:37
UKRunChat
and so So last question for me then. What advice would you give to somebody who's maybe just got into running but dreams of doing something big one day like this? Any advice for them?
00:33:47
NEIL
I would say go and just do it. I wouldn't even contemplate the worry. If you've just done a 5K and you want to do a 10K, just go and do it.
00:33:58
NEIL
And then you at least you know when you've done it how far you need to go the next time and how fit you need to get to. i think worrying about something and not doing it is a terrible regret in life.
00:34:10
NEIL
um And I think running is – look, you can walk. You don't need to run every step. You can walk. you There's nothing wrong with stopping, resetting and starting again and walking through a little bit to get yourself back it in the rhythm.
00:34:24
NEIL
So, you know, that I don't think you should stop yourself at all from anything you want to do in life.
Advice for New Runners
00:34:30
UKRunChat
Yeah, just do it. And it doesn't matter. we don't do it first time, I guess. Either does it. Just go and try again.
00:34:34
NEIL
No, it doesn't. Hmm.
00:34:35
UKRunChat
We can learn from our experiences. Yeah. Oh, well, thank you so much, Neil. It's been a fun half hour. That went quick, actually. ah but
00:34:43
NEIL
Thank you. i appreciate it.
00:34:44
UKRunChat
So, yeah, all the very best with Shrewsbury Half next month.
00:34:47
NEIL
Thank you.
00:34:48
UKRunChat
And thanks again to Parato, the headline sponsor for that. That's on 28th of September, if you're listening and haven't signed up yet. It's a brilliant and chance to experience the flattest course in the yeah UK. I'm joking, of course, there's plenty of hills.
00:35:01
UKRunChat
ah And all the very best with your Marathon de Sable, Neil. Thank you so much.
00:35:07
NEIL
Thank you.
00:35:09
UKRunChat
And we will see you all on the next episode.