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George Lewis Podcast | London Marathon 2026: training, fuelling, kit and learning to love running
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George Lewis is a stand-up comedian, a social media phenomenon, an author, a family man and now a proud lover of running. This year, he's taking on the London Marathon to raise money for Autistica, the UK’s leading autism research and campaigning charity.
Tom speaks to George about his prep for his first 26.2 miles in over a decade, from dealing with the increasing training volume to what shoes he's planning to wear for the big day.
To support George in raising money for Autistica, head over to his Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/georgelewis
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Transcript
Introduction to George Lewis and Marathon Preparation
00:00:04
Speaker
Hey Tommy from the Run Testers and welcome back to the Run Testers podcast. In this episode I'm speaking to comedian George Lewis who is about to be running the London Marathon in couple weeks. So we're going be talking about the kit that he's been using, about the training he's been doing and about what he's expecting from the day itself.
00:00:22
Speaker
This podcast is also available as a video version so if you'd rather watch it then don't listen to this podcast. Right let's dive in and have a chat.
Balancing Comedy, Family, and Marathon Training
00:00:38
Speaker
Hello, George. Welcome to the Runcesters podcast. How's it going? It's good, thank you. Thank you for having me. yeah god Thank you for joining us. We're always ah and like talking to ah unconventional running guests ah who are doing various things in the running world. and But just to kick off, so I was going to say for ah we have a lot of listeners in the UK and and and the US, but I think you also have quite a lot of listeners ah in different countries, don't you, from your channels?
00:01:06
Speaker
ah Yeah, well, yeah, mainly like UK, America and Australia, I guess, are other the other the top places. Yeah, well, we pick up all sorts of stuff because we talk about running shoes all the time. So anyone's finding us. But yeah, that's that's pretty much our main ones. But you are a stand-up comedian, an internet sensation, an author. um You've got ah three kids.
00:01:30
Speaker
How do you fit everything in? um I don't do any of the other stuff. I just run. now right yeah It all goes apart. No, I think, um well, because of the the type of job I do is it's it sometimes it's so full on and all consuming and other times there's down points. So, um it I finished my tour in ah November last year and then I've not been gigging
Transition to Enjoying Running and Training Insights
00:02:00
Speaker
really since then. So I've had more free time than usual. um
00:02:05
Speaker
And I have a lot of time. like I'm with the kids a lot um and do writing and stuff. But it's actually, it's been the perfect timing to train for a marathon. um So I've just, of you know, thrown myself into that.
00:02:19
Speaker
That's good. That's good. yeah and That's probably most people have, isn't It's the time. yeah, it's an ideal scenario. It seems to be quite a common thing these days. There seems to be a lot of um of comedians getting into the running world. seems to be popping up everywhere.
00:02:31
Speaker
Yeah. No, I noticed that as well. Because you're never sure, are you? Because when I start running, I see everywhere. But I think maybe that's just because I'm doing it and my algorithm is just full of, well, people like telling me about running shoes and stuff. I'm just like, oh, is it? But... Yeah, never know if it's just what I'm seeing, but definitely feels to me like everyone runs these days.
00:02:54
Speaker
it does It does seem to be getting bigger all the time, doesn't it? It's it's good for us. um yeah We started the channel during lockdown and um yeah just the perfect time for it, but doesn't seem to be stopping up at any time. Everyone seems to be all over it. ah You look at park runs and... Yeah. And everything, they're going mad. um so So before we delve into the running, because you're going to be running London Marathon in three weeks. Yeah. ah Which isn't your first marathon, but would you say it's your first marathon that you're really focused on?
00:03:22
Speaker
Yes. So I did one marathon. I think it must be about 12 years ago. I think it was the first Manchester Marathon. ah And I barely remember...
00:03:35
Speaker
Well, I remember training, hating every second of it and doing the marathon and hating every second of it. I'd made a deal with myself back then because I always used to feel guilty if I was like in a beer garden or something and I saw someone run past and it always had a little bit of guilt that I was not doing a good thing and they were doing a good thing. And I remember I made a deal myself. i was like, right, if you run one marathon, you never need to run again for the rest of your life. And I did. a trained and I hated every minute.
00:04:02
Speaker
And I ran the marathon and I didn't run for probably a decade after that. i just um But now when I've restarted it, I love it. I absolutely love it. So, yeah, I feel like this is the first time I've ever run properly and um done everything right and really enjoyed it, basically. So what's what's changed this time around?
00:04:23
Speaker
um I used to see running as, like, a punishment. Like, um it was just... um I mean, looking back, it was because every single run I'd do, think, right, you run as fast as you can for as long as you can. And then you just come back completely flogged and you just you're not looking forward to the next one. Whereas...
00:04:47
Speaker
ah when I started running again after I'd had kids, it wasn't really for... I wasn't going out trying to be as fast as I could. It was just a bit of just getting away from it all and um just being out out and moving.
00:05:00
Speaker
And I was enjoying it. And then when I got for this... ah because it's the charity that I work with asked me to do the marathon autistic at the charity and I thought yeah actually I like I do quite like and I thought i'm going to do it properly so got I got a running coach and stuff and his advice um all the time at the start was Go slower, go slower, go slower. And it is so nice to have that permission to know that you're doing the right thing by running slower. And those early runs, i was like, this is just a pleasure, like every bit of it. Because I didn't realize how, certainly in those early stages, you can run slow for long and the whole thing is just fun. But I didn't have the nagging feeling of thinking, oh, you're not training hard enough because he's told me to do that. And it's worked out well because it meant up until probably...
00:05:48
Speaker
maybe couple of weeks ago, I found all of the training really
Race Preparation and Mindset
00:05:53
Speaker
enjoyable. I'm at the point now where I'm knackered. It's tough. this this This is the end of my peak week and it's i' I'm feeling pretty, you know. Yeah, yeah. And you and you haven't um and you you've never got to this this level before, have you, in in training? where yeah I mean, what what's your mileage looking like every week now?
00:06:14
Speaker
um think it's between 70 and 80K a week. Okay. Okay. And you're finding that... I suppose, have you got the time to do that the moment or is that encroaching on other things? It was my right until the Easter holidays. But that's the thing. I do realise, because I'm speaking to other people and I know what's up with the people doing it for the charity and stuff, and I've got mates who are doing it, and I'm very aware that I...
00:06:41
Speaker
I have more free time at the moment than most people. And I'm thinking even me doing it when I've not got a nine to five job and I can do a lot of it when the kids are in school or in nursery, even for me, it takes over everything. So I can only imagine if you've got all that going on plus 40, 50 hours a week working as well. Like it's it's such a big thing to commit to.
00:07:05
Speaker
And your youre um when when um i wish we were we were chatting, you did a half marathon a couple of weeks ago didn't you? Which one was that you did? Wilmslow, it was. Wilmslow, of course. I used to live up um near near near where you live now. Oh, right. I know Wilmslow well. and And you got a phenomenal time in that.
00:07:24
Speaker
um well I was very pleased, yeah, because that was the thing, right, because i'd not like i've not I've not done a race since ah that marathon back then. And then my coach is always like,
00:07:35
Speaker
ah he's got things in his head, but he never quite shares. He's just like, this week, you got to try and hit this and this week. And then with that half marathon, he was saying, you really need to be getting under 125 in this for, um so we're on track for London. And I'm thinking to myself,
00:07:55
Speaker
I don't know if that's doable because I'm working out the splits on that. And it wasn't, it feels like only a matter of weeks ago where I dreamt of getting a sub 25K. And that was like a huge goal to me to get that. And I'd done that.
00:08:09
Speaker
And now it's like, I've got to do four of them in a row and then a bit more. And I was just, i just thought, I don't know if that's possible, but I'll go out and ah and try. But I don't think I quite, Counted on how much, one, a little bit of rest in the week before helps you out. And two, just race day and being around people who are going at exactly the same pace as you and you've got a pacer there who's helping. So yeah, I've done it in like 1.23.
00:08:34
Speaker
ah one twenty three ah Well, something. ah But ah could not But yeah, was so happy. It's a phenomenal time. Yeah. exactly Have you, what times have you you been looking at before? when you've Have you done a half marathon before?
00:08:50
Speaker
No. I mean, i done' in in training, done one. And the the fastest one in training was like 1.33, I think. So I thought, I was thinking to myself, I'll get below 1.30, I'm sure. But I didn't, i was I was worried I was going to let my coach down by not getting...
00:09:06
Speaker
that so I mean, that's that's the sort of time that people dream of getting. um And and and's I think that's probably the spot on time for going for a sub three marathon, isn't it? Because you'll be giving yourself that extra little bit of space, just to just a bit of wiggle room in there. That's exactly what I did the first time I probably trained for a marathon. I did exactly the same time as you for the for the half marathon. and i was aiming for a sub three marathon.
00:09:31
Speaker
So it puts a bit of pressure on, but it's it's difficult to... I'm guessing you're quite competitive against yourself in in your head when you're running. You really force yourself to to... Yeah, I think so. I think more...
00:09:45
Speaker
I don't know. I feel like as long as I... And again, this is what I... And I know it's such a luxury, but it's great for me having a coach because I can just... I don't need to worry about whether I'm doing the right thing or not or making the decisions about training. All I have to do is he puts them in, I do them. So I'm just so um i'm so like strict with myself on whatever he puts in, i do that. And as long as I've done that, I'll...
00:10:13
Speaker
yeah What's great these days, which again, I didn't have all that time ago, is you've got the stats there. So if I'm like, and he he and I can both see how fast I can run. So I don't really have to a lot of it is like, you can kind of you don't have to worry about it too much because it's all right there. So as long as you do the right things, I think um it feels like less of a mental battle because you've got so much evidence. Yeah.
00:10:38
Speaker
Of course, yeah. It's always better. I have a coach as well when I'm training properly. It's the joy, isn't not having to do anything. You do what you're told and then you finish and you're done. When it's down to you, you've got to force yourself to maintain the pace and it's only you that's telling you to do it. It does get very difficult.
00:11:00
Speaker
So you say fantastic time in half marathon, and that's that's set you up for the marathon, really. So I imagine you're feeling a bit more confident now about running it. Yeah, so after that, I was feeling really confident and also just really excited for the whole thing. The thing that knocked my confidence the other day is I did um the longest one of my of my block, yeah and it was like, it's 35, but the was back thirteen was a um like 4.15 or something. And I just struggled, man. i like I did most of it. And then maybe the last three or four, I was just like, I can't, like there's nothing in my legs anymore. yeah And I thought that's a really difficult thing to deal with because I'm trying to hit the thing that he's told me to hit. My body's just not doing it. And I got home and i was like, well, if I can't do it there. But then I've said to myself, that's...
00:11:55
Speaker
amongst the exhaustion of training and it's in the peak week of training. I guess that's, I mean, I don't know, but I assume that's the point of the peak week of training is to push you to beyond what you can do because that's how oh the different the difference when when you properly taper for for a marathon that the gains from from that resting is phenomenal at the end of it but always I struggle with the the pickup pace at the end of a long run yeah like I've had those in the past I don't do them anymore because I'm so bad at them
00:12:26
Speaker
i really I did a faster bit at the start, which is not as good. yeah ah Mentally, for me, I don't like finishing it and going, I i've finished that awfully. I'd rather get it done at the start and end and then it. Oh, that's exactly yeah well that's exactly how I felt. yeah so that's that's good to know. Because I guess, yeah, I suppose if you you can do the same thing, but the opposite way around, it's still... It's good. It's not as good because because what you're doing is you're training your legs to run at that pace when they're tired. But yeah I think for, mean, coach people and and you've got to play to their strengths. if if If they can't do that mentally, it's counterproductive. But yeah it's but you'll yeah, you'll reap the benefits in a couple of weeks.
00:13:13
Speaker
When you started running ages ago, um and you just did the marathon, then just stopped, you didn't do anything.
Community and Gear
00:13:19
Speaker
you didn't do any running at all. Did you do park runs or anything? and then Nothing. I only did my first park run about a month ago, which I thought was amazing. like That was something. This is so weird as well, because my stepmom, probably for the last...
00:13:34
Speaker
Well, probably for the last 10 years, she was a park run like run director at the local... but And I just never went. I just had never had any desire to go. And then, like I say, I mean, it's it's been from naught to everything, in this for me. Like, I've...
00:13:52
Speaker
I've probably read 10, 15 books in the last eight months on um running. It's all I look at. It's all that. I'm just completely into it. And then when I went along to the first park run, I thought it was amazing. It's such a nice... um Everyone there is just like so helpful and so encouraging, and it feels like such a...
00:14:13
Speaker
I don't know, competitive in the way that, but in a nice way, like everyone's like doing it together. And I don't know. I found it such a, such a nice thing. And to be honest, everything I've like, um, that's happened with running over the last few months, I've just found it, uh,
00:14:30
Speaker
so nice and so welcoming as well. Like runners generally just see, I've been such lovely people. Um, so yeah, it's a completely different experience for me now. I just, I just think it's, um, it's pure like pleasure.
00:14:44
Speaker
All right then. Well, let's talk a bit about, um, so, so you so you're saying how much you're loving the training. What are the bits that you're not, you've not enjoyed about the training? Is there anything that's really sort of hit you and you've gone, Oh, wish I didn't have to do these ones.
00:14:57
Speaker
Yeah. So my, um, Well, I mean, this has only happened for the first time. This is not a particular bit of training, but this has only happened just after that longest run the other day. I've never had a problem with it at all.
00:15:10
Speaker
But the chafing after this run, and today i can barely walk. I'm going to be doing a session today and I'm going to have to do it tomorrow because I'm just like, I mean, when I got in the bath after that run, i was like, i thought i was going to cry. Yeah. So I'd not, a but ah I think as far as like the runs that I don't enjoy, it's the ones.
00:15:32
Speaker
Because when when he first started mixing up the runs, that's the other thing that I really enjoyed is that he'd do shorter, shorter, um like faster stuff and I'd get to go on a track. I'd never been on a running track before. And I'm like, wow, this is fun in a different way. And it feels easier to go faster.
00:15:48
Speaker
But as we've gone along those shorter speed sessions, the lengths have got longer and longer. and These last ones where it's like, I've got to keep up the speed for a mile. That's too long. that's It's too long to be short anymore. yeah So it's just, they kill me. Like, they really do. And they were the ones that, towards the end, I was like, this is...
00:16:12
Speaker
that there's not much joy in this because it's ones going in where I think, I don't know I've got it in me to do it, but I've just got to try. And if you're doing that and it's like a windy day or it's particularly busy on a path somewhere or it's rainy, it can just feel so demoralizing when you're struggling. But again, i just tell myself, well, this is the time to have the tough ones and be demoralized at points because yeah it's all part of like a bigger...
00:16:41
Speaker
a bigger thing in it and you're you're doing all your training on your own you're not doing it with with a running club or a group of runners all of my I've never I haven't been for a single run with someone else I don't think the whole time and so so you're doing track on your own that's a yeah nice so you enjoy the track but well until you get to the long distance bits yeah I think because of the longer ones as well I've done it not at the track um but I think I'm going to go tomorrow for the maybe the final um track, but I find them fun because I go along with this. There's usually like no one else there as well. So you can just, I just like in head, imagine I'm a professional runner. There's like crowds of people are around because I go to that one, there's one near us and then there's one
00:17:25
Speaker
um near the Etihad Stadium, which is like the national so squash centre, but it it's like a really decent track. It's really bouncy and stuff. So, yeah, I find them fun. I lie, I have done one run with my coach as well, but apart from that, yeah, just go on my own and just... zone out really. It's good. You've thrown yourself into the deep end. You're running on your own. You're going through winter, which is you know one of the hardest times to train, especially I imagine i live in Brighton and we get, I mean, the the winter weather is not great on the on the seafront, but imagine up with you, you're you're getting a lot of rain and and storms and things to to train in. Yeah. Oh, in fact, talking about runs that I didn't enjoy, one so when I started and I was still on tour, I went on one
00:18:14
Speaker
before my Brighton tour day and I arrived I was ah it was one of those days where I was just all over the place anyway I was running late I'd come from a hotel somewhere else but I was too early to check in the hotel in Brighton and I went for the run and earphones died it was just unforgiving weather on that front it's just windy and rainy and just it was just that was horrible Yeah. that Well, it's, it's good.
Marathon Day Planning and Concerns
00:18:39
Speaker
Cause if you ever do a, uh, if you ever do another marathon, I'm guessing it science sounds like you've been pretty positive about it. So yeah you you may have another one cut up, but the the difference between training for a a spring marathon and an autumn marathon is, is, you know, it's complete change because you're you're running in the heat. You don't have to worry about, uh,
00:18:57
Speaker
jackets or anything like that yeah it's a different sort of problem because it can be warm on some days but yeah it's i i don't i avoid doing spring marathons now because i got just can't really we into a yeah yeah yeah i guess so well get yeah because now my biggest fear is that it's going to be it's going to get too warm like because i've not done i don't really done any training in in in warm because we've not had any yeah that's that's the that's the biggest issue that most people have with um with with london in fact the when they changed because of COVID when they changed London to be in ah um October, people much prefer training for that because you're going from hot weather toult to cold to to cook cooler weather. And normally that has a nice impact on your training. But yeah, it's it does often get quite hot in the in the London Marathon.
00:19:51
Speaker
So let's talk about London mar Marathon itself then. First time you've done it, what are you excited about? ah i Well, just, i mean, it feels like universally everyone that you speak to just says it's just the best. Just like there's so many stories of people saying, i mean, I've not really heard anything negative. they Just people saying,
00:20:18
Speaker
Non-runners who have done it once and it's the best thing they've ever done, but also people who've done like all of the majors and stuff still saying it's one of, if not the the best one to do. like it's i'm just yeah I'm just so excited to...
00:20:34
Speaker
um I don't know, experience it and and get those, because I'm thinking about the gains I got from doing Wilmslow Half Marathon, whereas actually probably only about 10% of the course had people on it. And still even with that, you're like, wow, what a rush, all these people. So I can only imagine at London what it'll be like. Well, it's going to be absolutely bad for you because I've done it loads of times now and the crowds every year get bigger and bigger to the point where you know, you can't hear anything. You can't hear headphones or anything at some points because it's so loud, but people are going to know you are. So you're going to be having people shouting your name all the time when you're running around. So it's going to be. Yeah. ah Well, that, that is so nice when that happens, but it's also like you, I think I'll have to early on make a decision that I don't need to try and say hello and be pleasant to everyone. That's a lot of energy wasted. Yeah, exactly. You're just going to to look rude for the whole time. Yeah. Oh God. Yeah. Anxiety about that. Yeah. So is there anything that you are worried about with the London Marathon or is it all just positivity and excitement? ah Yeah. I mean, there's a ton of... I get quite nervous about like logistics of things and about how everything... And worry about things like...
00:21:49
Speaker
you know, what if it's too crowded at the start and then you're way behind. i mean, that's another thing with me with running. i know it's better to save it up and catch up later. But if I look at my watch and I'm behind my range, I feel like, oh God, I'm failing already. I'm failing already. and ah So I didn't want to get in to that. um And I think a lot of the stuff, it's all been logistic stuff, but luckily there are, I've spoken to enough people who have done it before you know,
00:22:19
Speaker
ah that are going to be doing it this time. And they've told me where I need to go and what times I need to be. And like... Yeah, I think i ah i've i've I've watched quite a lot of like the run-throughs and stuff like that as well. So I've got a pretty good... ah Yeah, I mean, like I say, I've been pretty obsessed with it. those Those videos get quite a massive spike a couple of weeks before everyone just checking it. Well, suppose, have you you it is ah is a tricky marathon logistically. It's probably one of the most stressful ones to... navigate around are you down for a couple of days before for the expo and everything to yeah I think I'll go down ah on the Friday at the moment like I'll try and get there as early as i can on the Friday and and um do
00:23:06
Speaker
ah yeah get my number and stuff like that yeah um I'm meeting up with, sure you'll know, Johnny Mellor. Because he's been great as well. He's been like, we go for a cup of tea and stuff, and he chats me through things and tells me. And obviously, he knows exactly what's going on at the back the day. So going meet up with him and he's for a cup of tea and it'll help me, you know.
00:23:34
Speaker
what's coming and stuff like that. And that's the other thing as well. Like, again, i realize how lucky i am to be doing it in my way where there's tons of people that I can ask that, that I've done it before and people want to help out and stuff. So it's like, yeah, it's, a it's very reassuring, but yeah, i want to get there as early as possible, really. I mean, i just, and I know what I'm like, I'm late for everything and i forget things and,
00:23:58
Speaker
You know, ah i've I've got visions of me not charging up my earphones or whatever and, you know, forgetting my gels and stuff. So as long as I can get myself under control, i feel like yeah everything else should be all right. But I assume as well that morning everything just takes longer, does it? Getting places and... I think that just the general just is is every time I've done it I've just got there really early and yeah because there's always something that goes wrong you get there and you realize you've got on the wrong train or something like that and because you're going to be do you know which where you're starting because there's there's a few different spots around Greenwich Park where you start Yeah, ah i think it's I think it's the blue one. Although I think, again, as well, ah ah I understand my my how lucky I am to do this as well, but I i think I'm in the hospitality bit, which i go so like
00:24:50
Speaker
the again makes it so much more relaxed because yeah i think you're closer to stuff there and from what i know, and there's less cues for toilets, I think. That's the thing. I mean, the ah the the biggest thing, I've done a lot marathons now, and the the the bit that...
00:25:05
Speaker
gets me every time is the toilets. If I've had a bad experience, it's because I've not planned the toilets properly. Oh, man. Well, that was, yeah, oh i was kind of i I was reluctant to bring it up because I think people might listen to this and think, oh, you bastard. Well, yeah, good for you. but That was the thing I was most nervous about. was like, at what point do I go to? the because Because often on my long runs, I'll start it and like 20 minutes in, I'm like, I need a piss. But yeah okay I can't, I don't want to be doing that on race day. And then it's about,
00:25:33
Speaker
I don't want to be dehydrated, but I also don't want to do that. and And so the fact that I'll hopefully have the opportunity to go as late as possible before a start is a yeah good thing. Oh, another question that that I had was, so I always start my runs with a bottle of water, well, actually with a bottle of water with the electrolytes in. And I didn't,
00:25:57
Speaker
I wasn't sure if that's what most people do or most people don't. But when I did Wilmslow, I held one and I it looked around and it felt like no one else was doing that. But I was holding this bottle and I probably had it for like two thirds of the race just in my hand, which feels like not the most aerodynamic thing. It's a bit annoying, but I just don't think I would...
00:26:20
Speaker
have had enough liquid from the stations if I didn't do that. But I guess if everyone else is, then I should be fine. I don't Put it completely down to you. So, I mean, some people, i've mean guessing that Wilmslow, half, they had, what, three stations, two stations? I mean, in London, there's loads. like Oh, yeah, okay. There's constant stations. um But...
00:26:40
Speaker
Yeah, i mean, it it you've got you got to do what you feel comfortable with. What you don't want to do is go and start doing it and go, wish I'd brought that water with me. Yeah, yeah. The water's pretty easy to get on the course at London. Right. but It's just, it's a different mindset, isn't it? If you're, some people just have too much, some people, you got to learn what the amount is that you you actually want to have. I just work on the, but I just have a sip everywhere i go basically. Cause right. um But yeah, if you're used to starting off with your electrolytes, then it it's probably worth doing that. Yeah.
00:27:12
Speaker
The thing is not to change stuff, isn't it? Really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So anything else you focus on about London? You've been watching the course all the way through. Have you got your family down to watch it?
00:27:25
Speaker
Yeah. um Yeah. All the kids coming. Again, another another stress that I've just got to try and not think about because because that's obviously taken the three kids around London and stuff. But yeah, my wife will be heroically doing that. and But we should have help because I've got friends doing it and they've got ah people with them as well. So yeah, they're...
00:27:46
Speaker
They're going to be there. They're not sure where to watch from. Like Autistic of the charity, I think they're going to base themselves around Mount 14. So I think they'll watch a bit from there. Yeah.
00:27:57
Speaker
um I've seen so many different tips about where to watch from and they're all different. So I don't know. Oh, it's really hard. It's really hard to find somewhere because when, when the every, it changes every year, but I've done it before where there's whole sections that are quite empty and people sort of go to those to see, but now there isn't, there isn't really any empty areas around the whole thing. And um last time I did, it was a couple of years ago. And I remember running in some areas that I thought would be quiet. And there were about four, four people deep.
00:28:25
Speaker
So didn't see anyone like cheering me right through throughout the whole race. um So I think there's but there's probably a few areas that are probably better to see it, but it's tricky with kids, I think, because... What you don't want to do is find a really busy area where it's difficult to sort of look after the kids as well. So, um, you guys have said about doing a St. James's park. Cause I'd listened to your St. James's park is pretty good. It's cause you've got the whole, basically you've got the the fence that goes across the the side and that isn't actually that bad. People would assume that it's really bad. think Nick. It was talking about like his family go there. Um, so that is a good option. Um,
00:29:00
Speaker
I think, well, Nick's doing it, actually. So he he'll um his family will always come and watch him. So, that yeah, they'll be around St. James' Park. I'm not sure. Basically, you've got to find a logistical route from, if you're going to go and see one or two places, what's the easiest place to start at and then get to? Because if you've got kids, you probably don't want to be in three stops because, yes you know, you've got a ferry. Are the kids excited about it or they do they not?
00:29:23
Speaker
Yeah, they they are excited about it, actually. I think they are a pretty... Because, like I say, it's all I've been doing and all talk about. like yeah pretty They're pretty familiar with what it is. And they watched the Manchester Marathon last year because that comes by the end of our road, really. So they watched that last year and all my friends...
00:29:45
Speaker
did that and I didn't. um And they loved watching that and they loved making signs for them so that they sort of know what it is. We'll do that again this year because it's the week before. So we'll go and watch that first. course They came along to Wilmslow as well and they liked and you they enjoyed watching that. And they, I think they can understand, it's actually probably a lot more understandable than,
00:30:06
Speaker
my job and stuff because that's how... With running, it's clear, you run fast and you get a medal at the end. like they They get that. And they probably love running around all over the place anyway. exactly Yeah, exactly. So I think they're excited. ah they They seem really excited for it, yeah. Are they getting kitted out with jelly babies? Kids getting out jelly babies, don't they?
00:30:26
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Well, we should we need to do that. In fact, that's what I think they did for Manchester last year. Yeah, they they got... tons of sweets and stuff to well the last time I went I haven't got kids but the last time with my friend and they had kids with jelly babies I turned around to grab some and they'd eaten it all so yeah it's big but I'm always when I'm running a along and I see some kids cutting out jelly babies I'm always thinking oh do I do I want to risk that one I know yeah probably not what I want during the race and yeah yeah
00:31:02
Speaker
Nice. So you're set. What about, ah so on the run test is one of the main things we do is we talk
Shoe Choices and Gear Preferences
00:31:08
Speaker
about running kit. So we're quite, it's sort of our main reason for existence. And you're doing it with New Balance, aren't you?
00:31:15
Speaker
yeah Well, yeah, so that they... yeah Again, this is this through Johnny because he he runs for he runs for New Balance, so he actually puts in touch on that. And, yeah, I was wearing them anyway. So when I first started training, I went and got my gait tested at a shop and and got there tried on a bunch, and I started running in the 1080 V14s at the time.
00:31:41
Speaker
Good shoe. And that's what I was doing everything in. Like... Super comfy in that. And then obviously as I'm getting more and more into it and you know looking at like the content you guys create and everything like that, you can get so into shoes, can't you? And you can get so into. So after that, I was like getting all sorts of of different things. So currently on about 10 pairs of shoes at the moment. ah Sounds about right. That's a standard number, yeah. Yeah. But I had the V4, 1080 V4 teams were what i was using for like all, you know, daily runs and longer things. And then I got...
00:32:19
Speaker
um Evo SLs for like tempo things. And this was at a time when, like a few months ago, when it was like, oh, it felt like that was the shoe that you had to get. and that ah So I was using them for like faster stuff and enjoying that.
00:32:33
Speaker
And then this was before a chart to New Balance. I thought that Pro 4s would be what I'd wear for the um race. So I got some of them.
00:32:44
Speaker
and ah And yeah, I really liked them as well, to be honest. I did... feel when I was training in them that sometimes afterwards I'd clearly used a lot of muscles that I don't usually use and I felt like I was putting my calves in danger a little bit like sometimes afterwards I'd feel twinges where i was like oh and I think it's possibly because I was like trying to stabilize myself too much because they felt quite high and not quite as supported maybe um but anyway that that that was
00:33:17
Speaker
but planet And then I started talking to ah New Balance and that was just as the new 1080s came out and they sent me them, the V15s, and they might be my favourite ever trainer just for everything. like i It's a pleasure. It's so nice to run in them. They're just so like they're so soft and they're just... it's it just the no run so I think especially on those runs where it's like...
00:33:45
Speaker
I've done a hard one and I've got to get back out there and it might be a bit of a slog. And you put them on it just feels like um soft and bouncy and stuff, but not not so soft that they become slow. I think maybe in that last big run that I'd done,
00:34:04
Speaker
it maybe missed a bit when I tried to really step it up at the end. Like it didn't quite give as much back as carbons do. Well, obviously, but um I feel like I could just wear them for it. If I had one shoe that I would wear for everything, it'd be that. So yeah, I've got a couple of pairs of them. And then for racing, I've got the New Balance Fuel Cell SC Elite. those So when I first put them on,
00:34:33
Speaker
I maybe we did a couple of runs in them just to see what they were like. And I was like, no, I don't know if I'm getting a lot from them, really. like i don't But I wasn't running that fast in them. I was just doing a normal run in them, but just to see how they felt. And I thought they're comfy, but are they really giving me that much?
00:34:48
Speaker
I found when I picked up the speed in them, then I really got a lot back. And doing that half marathon in them, it was just perfect because it felt like you could – The whole time it felt like they just maintained exactly the same, gave back exactly the same and supported as well. It didn't feel like i was um in some like big mechanical shoe. So that's what I'm going to wear for London. I'm going to wear those because, i yeah, I really, really like them.
00:35:20
Speaker
That's nice. And they're the ones you wore for Wilmslow? Yeah, that's what wore for Wilms, though, but I'll just wear more pink ones for London. Oh, yeah. Nice. Well, that that's got to be the 1080 V15s. I'm obsessed with those shoes. And my girlfriend, she has a nightmare to buy shoes for. I buy them for Christmas. I buy them birthday. They always get sent back within a week. Right, yeah. end up in this loop where she's trying new ones on sending her back but the 10 and 80 V15s she loved them straight away she's happy with them she keeps talking about them yeah it's a it's a really good shoe so I'm glad glad to hear that you're you're a fan as well and then yeah the S-Elite V5s that should be a a nice nice talking about the Alios Pro 4s and the S-Elite V5s are a lot more sturdier I think than than what you get from the the it's very squishy a adios pro fours. A lot of people like them, but yeah. Yeah, I mean, i I did like them, but it felt like, I don't, I might have got this completely wrong and it might be all in my head, but it felt like them is, you if you get your foot strike right and you land perfectly, then they're amazing. But I think I'm prone to,
00:36:29
Speaker
<unk> it's a very real danger I'll roll on my ankles or I'll do something like that and I feel like the danger is higher in in those I just feel like it's easy to get it wrong in those is is what it felt like i don't know yeah yeah oh oh completely yeah it's um yeah the V5s are much more i think when we talk about you know if you've got a beginner runner or somebody never really used carbons before get a safer car and plate shoe, then one that's going to be wobbling because you're going to know towards the end of a marathon if it's right or not. And the last thing you want is to be wobbling around. I've done it.
00:37:01
Speaker
I mean, nobody should do what we do when it comes to, you know, get a new pair shoes and going and doing a marathon in a straightaway. But sometimes I've had a shoe on and thought, oh my God, I don't even know how can finish this race. Really? Yeah, that's the fear, isn't it? That's, think...
00:37:17
Speaker
i think There was all that dilemmas in training of how much to wear carbons because a lot of people would be like, oh, you don't don't do it because you want the benefit at the end and stuff like that. But i'm very much, I need to know exactly what it's going to feel like and stuff. So I've worn mine quite a lot in training. Yeah, and but most people but most people do these days because you don't want to just go straight into like,
00:37:39
Speaker
The idea is that people think it's like a ah you know a magic bullet that you put it on race day, you're suddenly shaving off loads time. But yeah, if you're not if you're not used to it, you're you're going to lose efficiencies from another way, either through your ankles, struggling with them or whatever.
00:38:05
Speaker
So after London Marathon then, um what what have you have you been thinking about next race? and Now you're obsessed with it. Now you're in the peak of ah talking about running all the time. I'm going to go live in Kenya after that, I reckon. lot of people get A lot of people pop to Kenya for a running trip after getting into running. Yeah. No, haven't thought too much, to be honest. Because um I've been so focused on this, I've I very much just see that as the end point and nothing beyond it. But I know that once that's happened and it settles and whether I'm happy or not... Well, if I'm happy with the time, I'll think, wow, that was amazing. Maybe I could do it. And if I'm not happy, I'll think, well, I need to do it again, so I'm so i'm happy. ah
00:38:51
Speaker
I mean, the the marathons that I've seen, which I think, oh, that'd be great to do, is New York, which everyone tells me is just... you know It's a good one. It's so good. and And then it feels like everyone loves Valencia as well. And that, like Johnny was saying to me, that's the perfect time of year for a marathon as well because you train all the way through and then it's Christmas once you're done pretty much. and you can do Oh, it's a dream marathon. done it couple of times now and you just...
00:39:19
Speaker
yeah yeah sort of You're already winding. It's just when you're winding down for Christmas and you get there and it's warm, it's sunny, you've got the beach to go to and then you come back and everyone's winding down. and know You don't work in an office or anything, but it's really nice coming back after a little trip away and everyone going, off that you know relax now because yeah we'll go to the pub tonight. but thats How many marathons are you doing a year?
00:39:44
Speaker
one. well For me, I probably average two or three. Really? Wow. But I don't do them. and i don't I don't know them seriously. um I'll probably yeah have one major one. next I think we all do about two or three a year. and but when so when you say you do it you'll So you'll do a train a proper training block for maybe one, but then the others, you've just got the fitness
Balancing Professional and Marathon Goals
00:40:05
Speaker
that you'll just do it anyway? Yeah.
00:40:06
Speaker
Yeah, I generally, week we get um we get invited to do marathons by various companies. So and but I just did Seville to test out the the new ASIC shoe that came out oh yes a couple of months ago. So for something like that, I'll go along and I'll i'll decide on the day if I'm going to go hard or if I'm going to you know go comfortable. It's normally dictated by the shoe, really. That shoe's not really a...
00:40:30
Speaker
you know, a speedy marathon shoe. It's more comfortable too yeah just to enjoy running at a pace. But ah normally I'll probably, i've I've been quite lazy. I mean, Nick's the serious one. is if you If you've watched the channel, you Nick's the one that yeah is, you know, trying to get the fast time. So he he will do maybe two marathons a year and he'll do both of those seriously. Whereas I'll maybe do one every year or every two years where I take it seriously and yeah i'm less I'm less bothered about times now than I used to be ah but for you so so did you for for London did you set a time that you wanted or did your coach set it with you oh so that was the oh yeah I never said that so my original plan was so the one that I did in my 20s or whatever in my early 20s I did it in 319 well that's a phenomenal time for when when you don't even want to do it
00:41:19
Speaker
but Yeah. I think ah on my mind at the time was like, if you, yeah, because even though I didn't want to do it, I a still trained hard. It was just horrible, hard training. But I just, at the time was like, part of the deal that I'd done in my head was like, you want, if you're only ever going to do it once in your, cause at that point i was like, I do it once in my entire life yeah and then I never do it again. so I was like, I want a time that I can be proud of.
00:41:45
Speaker
And I was, I was so proud of it. and I was proud of it for you know years and years afterwards and stuff like that. So when I started again, i thought, quo up could I beat my younger self? My wife was like, don't be... She was rolling her eyes thinking, that you you know, you'd grow up. But as, you know, when you get older, there's something about like...
00:42:10
Speaker
You don't want to feel like you are getting worse, do you? So it becomes about something else. It becomes about immortality and or mortality, and yeah you want to feel like you're beating nature. Well, you're in a good scenario because...
00:42:27
Speaker
A lot of people, I was never, only really got serious about, I've been running for about 20 years, 25 years. And when I, for the first 15, 18 it, I was never really that, I never trained properly. I just did lots of runs and races. So now I've got into like, coming to my mid forties,
00:42:45
Speaker
I've only really started training properly. So I can beat all the times I got in my twenties and thirties because I was rubbish. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. yeah The problem, the problem and and you're sort of, you're in a good position because you didn't go hard 10 years ago. You did a good time, but you can, you can just still, you know, can beat that. But all the people who are in their twenties were, you know, banging out two hour, 28 marathons and stuff. And now they're in their forties. Oh yeah. You're done. There's no point. Yeah. Yeah, just that that's a good training. If you get into running, don't run too fast. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:43:17
Speaker
Exactly. Do your future self a favor and just, you know, keep it contained. It does make life lot easier. um So, yeah, so you've got a plan then. Well, that was so that was when I started out and I said that to him, not knowing if he was going to go, come on now, or if he was going to go, oh yeah, definitely doable. And obviously there was no way of knowing until i started training. But I think as I've been training, like,
00:43:41
Speaker
he' that that's kind of unless I get injured or something goes really wrong I shouldn't it shouldn't I should be able to beat that but he's now going yeah you want to be three is what you want to be aiming for yeah that sounds like it from that half marathon I suppose the tricky bit will be if if you had the same conditions that you had for Wilms which was pretty pretty flat I imagine isn't it Yeah, it's it's hit it's hillier than um London. It's like gradual downhill for the first half and gradual uphill for the second half. But the conditions, like the weather conditions were perfect. yeah
00:44:18
Speaker
It was dry. It wasn't too... It was clear, but it was like still pretty cool. it was like It couldn't have been better, really. So that's something to think about. So but if if if you had perfect conditions with that one, two, three, you're looking, that's pretty much the sweet spot for a sub three.
00:44:35
Speaker
marathon the only difficult you have if it gets hot yeah on the day or you'd make a mistake and there's a lot of mistakes you can make in the marathon especially it's so busy that you can either get swept away in the speed that you're at the of the wave you're in or you can be stuck at the back for quite a long time and i've i've done both in yeah in london i've never done london properly i've i've never trained for it because um i don't I don't, you're talking about Valencia there. i much prefer doing about slightly Spanish marathons because they're there's bigger roads. There's right less people there.
00:45:07
Speaker
London, it's very easy to get swept up in what's happening. um So you just got to, especially if it's hot as well. If it's hot, people will get swept away and still trying to try and maintain their pace. And then, Yeah, I think I hear a lot of people last year, like if you've trained at something and you've got a goal, it's very hard on the day to go, okay, I'm actually going to settle for five, 10 minutes slower or something because you'd be like, I can imagine still going for it. But yeah, I think a lot of people come undone, don't they? do Yeah, think i think it's got a male thing as well. Yeah, a lot of this is quite a male thing, isn't it? So um when you finished Wilmslow, did you feel like you could carry on at that pace? do you think I'm never going to be able to maintain this pace for the the whole thing?
00:45:48
Speaker
um it's so Oh, it it didn't feel like it was the first half of Amara. Because I raced Wilmslow. like So, you know, I couldn't have carried on at that pace. But obviously, I was going at a faster pace as well. like i was i was I was mainly around, well, four under four, really, per kilometre. But I felt like...
00:46:13
Speaker
ah The last few K, i was feeling all right and I was... how i was I wanted to speed up towards the end, but I was like, I don't want to speed up too soon and then be struggling when I see my family. I want them to see me running fast. So I was holding it back a bit and I felt like I paced it pretty pretty well for that. but um And I feel like as like if if you end up going as fast as you can for the last kilometre, you always are going to finish feeling like I couldn't go any further.
00:46:44
Speaker
But I think I do feel like if I'd have... been running at a slower pace I could have carried on running but I mean not double the length but again it's you know that's that's you got a that's a good time to run it in because you've you've got quite a bit to play with yeah and have you I'm guessing what's as your coach set you a pay a consistent pace for the whole thing or have you got bit of a strategy where you you you we've yet to we've yet to chat about that ah what what are your have you got any tips on that on pacing because that's that's the thing that again you hear
00:47:19
Speaker
different theories on. And like, for me, psychologically, I love the feeling of being ahead of pace. yeah But I know that,
00:47:33
Speaker
like most people would say that aim for a negative split. But to me, that feels like bigger chance of failure. Yeah, I'm the same. I think most coaches will, as a general rule, will say, stick to your pace. Don't don't try and go faster. nobody Banking time is is advised against, but I do that. yeah And I've always done that. And I've always done better in races where I bank a bit time because it' mentally, i think it's a balancing act. so if you're banking a little bit of time, don't bank too much, but bank enough to yeah feel comfortable. So if you're, I'm guessing your pace will be,
00:48:10
Speaker
your half marathon will probably be you're aiming for about 127, maybe 126, 127. So ah think, I think what I did was, and I've not done a proper marathon where I've really focused on like sub three for a while, but if your pace is like four or five, i try and just take out off a second or two every now and then. yeah so it wasn't massively i wasn't going for like a, like you know, three minute, 50 kilometer. That'd be Yeah.
00:48:37
Speaker
But you yeah I think with half with a marathon, what you need to be in a position is is when you get halfway, you need to feel like you're not you're not tired. and You need to feel comfortable halfway. If by halfway you feel awful, you you're cooked.
00:48:50
Speaker
Yeah. Because it doesn't really kick in until later. So I think you've just got to know how or you're feeling is is comfortable. You can't be at 10K going, I'm I'm PB in a 10 K I can't, I can't do that. And I've done that in many races and it actually has worked for me in some races because mentally,
00:49:11
Speaker
if I banked a lot of time and I've tried a lot of, put a lot of effort in I could hold on for quite a long time in pain. And a lot of people can't do that. They might just stop and go, I've got nothing left. So it's, it's, it's plain to your strengths, think it's about balance. So, and, and, and London is a tricky race. It's not, it's, it's busy. Yeah. It's windy. Um, the weather can get you. So you've got to feel comfortable until 30 something K once you get to like 32 you know, it's up to you.
00:49:40
Speaker
Yeah. you got the pace of it. Yeah, that's good. I think, yeah, his, I'm pretty sure his, his direction is going to be ah as steady as possible for as long as possible. I think some, I tried it. I like, so I saw some recently where someone was like in the first portion of,
00:49:56
Speaker
your race, your aim is to just be bored. It's just to yeah not feel. So on a long run recently, I thought I'm going to try. I mean, it was nowhere near the pace, but just just for my own head, I thought, and this is what I actually often do on a run is I don't allow myself any music until the second half of the run. So I do podcast for the first episode,
00:50:17
Speaker
I mean, I can't run without anything, but for me, like podcast for like the first half and then try and just zone out and be as bored as possible while maintaining the pace. And then I feel like,
00:50:29
Speaker
it kind of tricks me into thinking the run hasn't really started
Fueling Strategies and Mental Tactics
00:50:32
Speaker
until halfway. So then halfway, plus I always do as well, which I know some people would absolutely hate, but my runs are always um like an out and back. so yeah So psychologically, halfway through, I'm on my way home as well. I mean, obviously i can't do this at the marathon, but but these are just tricks that I do in training that makes me feel like,
00:50:54
Speaker
the race hasn't really started until halfway through they're all they're all yeah there were we all get these tricks it's uh the men the i like the idea of the the podcast stuff because i've never i've only started recently listening to podcasts during marathons because i've not been going for a time yeah and i find that it's easier to just maintain a nice pace with a podcast because you're not thinking about it whereas ah ah a music scent generally makes me run a bit faster or um um Nice. Okay. So then then just finally on the on on the race. So ah fueling, are you going to be fueling during the yeah during the race? Yes, definitely. And again, something you obviously everyone worries about getting wrong in that. I think I have from very early on in training, I was trying all different things.
00:51:38
Speaker
Some I didn't like and some I did, but I think I've been quite... ah I think I'm quite, i'll say this now, i'm going to, it might come back to bite me, but I think I'm quite lucky in that I'm all right with gels. Like I can take quite a few when I'm running. So I use the CIS beta ones yeah um and I'm having one of them every half an hour, I think, when um because eat feels like I very rarely hear people go,
00:52:10
Speaker
I feel like it's hard to take too many other than your body like not handling it. But um I don't really hear much. I mean, maybe there is, but I don't really hear much argument. I think most people under fuel, don't they? Yes.
00:52:24
Speaker
So i take i've got I have those and i have the I have quite a lot of caffeine anyway, just generally in life. So I have the double espresso ones as well, yeah which I take. So on my last long run, i would have...
00:52:39
Speaker
two of the double espresso ones and two of the normal ones. yeah And I've just bought, which I've never used before, but I've just bought some salt tablets as well because I felt like I come back off that long run so dehydrated and ah feel like I'd got that wrong a little bit. And and ah i mean, i guess if it's hotter, you need that stuff a bit more, but that's something I wrote i don't really know too much about, but I thought I'd try it out and see how it feels to take them.
00:53:07
Speaker
It sounds like you got a pretty good plan. yeah because the salt i guess that's just because you're losing a lot with with sweat is it that do you take salt tablets or no and ah i i uh i generally i've got i've got a weird it's you're gonna go play it to you to to yourself and um and i used to run marathons and i i didn't used to take anything i just used to just turn up and just have banana when i went like remember running paris marathon about 15 20 years ago and turned up on the day wearing in Bermuda shorts and a baggy cotton top and just, just i started running out of water or anything. And then yeah, there are some raisins and some bananas on course. i had that all fine.
00:53:45
Speaker
Um, but, uh, yeah, I think with the, definitely with the fueling it's, yeah, you don't want to go under, but also there's a, I can't, um I'm guessing they didn't give out gels at Wilmslow half marathon. They're probably that sort of thing, but ah I can't remember how often is it is at London, but they, they do give out gels on the course.
00:54:06
Speaker
And thing I always say with, with, with that is if you're feeling, if you're struggling later on in the race, don't keep having gels. Cause there's people, people have this mentality where they think I'm tired. If I have a gel, it will sort me out. Right. But,
00:54:19
Speaker
for a lot of people, they're not tired from energy. They're just, they're not fit enough. That's the fitness. That's the problem. So the gel is not going to do anything to you If you have like 10 gels, you're not going to suddenly have superpowers and yeah speed up. And I've, I've made big mistakes in, I did Brighton marathon and I, I think I went to the toilet 14 times around the course cause I just had too many gels and I've never had a problem with gels before. Yeah. But it's more to do with, I think the gel, I think they have Lucozade gels or something on the London marathon course and yeah not many people have them in training. So yeah,
00:54:49
Speaker
They're a bit of ah ah a dodgy one, but yeah, you should be, um, yeah, as long as you've got your so so your time basis, but i I use gels as a treat as well. I have them. I use, um, kilometers instead of time on gels.
00:55:00
Speaker
So then it gives me something just to focus on and go, Oh, in 2k, I've got a gel to look forward to. So i'll just keep going until that point. And then how often do you, well how often would you? have I do maybe 8k. Yeah.
00:55:10
Speaker
which is not far off what you're doing. Yeah, I think yeah because the half, obviously, I think I did it every seven. i had one at I had one just before I started and then seven and 14. So I tried to break it up into... Yeah.
00:55:22
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, the time's okay if you're a consistent runner. I think if you're a runner who maybe isn't running a consistent pace and using time, that means it will massively fluctuate because if you slow down a lot, you're actually having too many gels per time.
00:55:38
Speaker
how much you're running. But if you're consistent, it's fine. um Cool. Okay. Can I ask you one more question? Yeah, of course. Have you got... Where do you go in your... Because I'm just thinking of this last training run I did where was thinking the last couple of kilometres, I can't do it. I can't do it. And I was very tempted to just stop them because i thought it's a training run. No one knows. I'm preserving myself. i don't want get injured and stuff. But anyway, I made myself go through. But I wondered...
00:56:07
Speaker
do you have certain tricks when you're in that point where you can't go on anymore? Do you have things that you do to make you go to carry on? In a training run? in In the real run. In the real run? Oh, right. Okay. So... i mean, in the training run as well, that's probably more valuable, to be honest. I mean, the training runs is... i I'm pretty stubborn.
00:56:29
Speaker
So if i'm if I'm in an actual race, it has to be a pretty bad thing to stop me running. Yeah. um I think... this is where the banking time comes in or where that sort of consistency at the start comes in. If I, if I'm at a point in the race where I'm saying normally, normally if I'm at like the half marathon point or a bit further on and I'm doing well,
00:56:51
Speaker
I won't let myself lose any of that time because I've, I've got myself into such a good position. Whereas if I'm going, going badly for the first half, I don't care. I'll i'll just give up. I'll just go There's no at me even trying anymore because I'm not doing the thing I want. So it's a, it's a tricky one. ah I mean, there's not really, um I've got friends who, you know, have like mantras and stuff and they they say, so that never works for me. it's yeah It's just based on how I feel at the time. But I think with you, because you,
00:57:21
Speaker
because you this is your first big marathon and you put all that effort to training, you're probably going to have a pretty solid mental state to to get it done. You're going to have to have a pretty tough scenario for you to give in later on in the race. And London is so...
00:57:38
Speaker
I've done London before and twisted my ankle halfway and the and the crowds are are horrible if you can't run because you're sort hobbling along and people are going, you can do it. And you're like, I've twisted my ankle, can't do it. I cannot. Can you just be quiet, please? It's not about motivation. you could the Motivation is not going to help me. yeah um But with if it's just motivation you want and you can run, the crowds are great. ah great Yeah.
00:58:02
Speaker
the know year m they will force you forward. And once you get... The first half is quite hard, London, because there's a lot of crowds there now. Actually, when I did it the first few times, there wasn't many crowds. yeah But once you get past that London... but The Tower Bridge bit, you...
00:58:17
Speaker
you're really in the home stretch half and yeah the crowds are mad and you start seeing when you start seeing you know with the finish the finished route it all kicks in and you start sort of um your power through whereas you know i've done marathons where the second half there's no one there and then it's just you going i i don't have to try harder nobody's seeing me yeah yeah yeah um but yeah the crowds do make a big difference i think for that for for pushing you pushing you on but yeah Yeah, I think you're going to be, ah yeah, if you um mean, if you if you if you're getting the sort of times that you've got in Wilmslow, you're going to be i in a good position.
00:58:55
Speaker
um so hope so. I think, yeah, i've I've said to myself, as long as I've done all the training, and then I can't do anything more than that, can I say? Well, the thing the thing you'll have is it it' will be down on to the weather. So I think...
00:59:09
Speaker
Yeah. you know you' got Luckily, you've got you've got a couple of you know ah focuses. and If you want to get your sub three, that would be perfect. If it was perfect conditions, you've done the training and everything.
00:59:21
Speaker
If it's bad conditions, it's really hot. You've still got your aim to get better than what you did last time. yeah and Either way, you're you're in a good position. What you don't want to do is... you know, get 3.30 because you're not going to be happy with that. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
00:59:35
Speaker
Brilliant. Well, very, very exciting. I'll be down there on the day, so I'll be trying to... Oh, sweet. I'll keep an eye for it. I've got few friends doing it, so I love watching with the marathon. I prefer watching it to...
00:59:47
Speaker
to doing it um you know yeah i'm gonna outside of weatherspoons ah beautiful absolutely if i hear you shouting me and i've got i've i've twisted my ankle and you're going come on i'll be like so what have you got outside of running what's what have you got anything coming up have you got any plans um and Well, I think I'm i'm i'm working on a on a book.
Post-Marathon Plans and Final Thoughts
01:00:08
Speaker
It will actually have a lot of running in it, actually. Oh, okay. We can talk about that when that comes out. Yeah, so definitely I'll be back to... so that's what ah I'm doing. um And yeah, I think as far as like...
01:00:21
Speaker
with comedy my next thing will be i'll be starting again to build a new tour again and yeah and and go out again but that's always quite quite a long process brilliant and then and the running you're not sure yet we'll see how how london goes but i imagine you're gonna get more into parkrun when you when you finish yeah God, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I imagine that that's a pretty good thing after your marathon training, maybe a few weeks later, to be like, right, now I'm going to try and beat my shorter distance times.
01:00:51
Speaker
Oh, the the sheer joy of when you've trained really hard for a marathon and you go from that to just doing part run. Yeah, yeah. it's almost like you finish a park when you think what is that it why yeah do today yeah um but there's is's always a it depends how your your body responds but i always get pbs within a month after a marathon because i've got lots of peak fitness but some people don't because some people their marathon training makes them good at marathons, but actually and good at short distance. And they get a bit tired after marathon. Sometimes it takes a month to recover, but yeah, it's definitely a good time to go in and bang out some PBs. If you, if you want to get some, some nice new medals.
01:01:34
Speaker
Okay, cool. Maybe that's what I'll try and do, a tour of other friends. Well, thank you so much for chatting, George. I'll put the link into Autistica. Thank you, yes. That's amazing. The charity that you're running for in the notes. And, yeah, well, hopefully I'll see you on the day, but good luck in three weeks for London Marathon. Three weeks, oh my gosh. Yeah, nice one. Thank you so much. All right, catch you later.
01:02:00
Speaker
All right, see you later.
01:02:03
Speaker
This episode of the podcast was presented by Tom Wheatley. His guest was George Lewis. It was produced by Tom Wheatley and the music was by Fear of Tigers.