Running & Recovering with Neil MacNicol - Young Hearts Run Free Podcast - Season 9 Eps 2

Well hello again, we've had a busy week since we last spoke. We're here to recap it all PLUS welcome to the show a most excellent guest. Come on in, the kettle's just off the boil.

We spend the majority of this week's intro blethering about the epic Auchterarder Running Festival, a warm weekend of racing and achievement in glorious Perthshire. We do have a quick nip over to the Aosta Valley to see how a few pals of the show got on in the gruelling Tor Des Géants.

Neil MacNicol then joins the fray, a familiar face on the Scottish Ultra Running circuit, himself a superb athlete as well as being pivotal to many others in his role as run coach.

First up we find out all about Neil's running back story and his entrepreneurial motivation to set up his successful run coaching business RunRecover (see link below).

It's Neil's personal successes and approach though that we home in on, after breaking into ultra running races back in 2011 it's fair to say he's achieved great heights. A methodical approach, a discipline and a love for stats and data emerge as we get under the lid of what drives Neil on and gives him his competitive edge.

From early impressive forays into the marathon distance Neil recaps finding his strengths in longer distances, the appeal of the hills and trails winning over the tarmac and towpaths he'd started off with.

A love affair with the Lake District is apparent and his regular return ticket to Coniston to take part in the Lakeland 100 each year dominates our chat. A first go at the Lakeland 50 in 2023 allowed for Neil to race hard, it was one he was up for ending in a superb victory.

With a glimpse forward to an up n coming Bob Graham Round attempt thrown in along with all your YHRF favourites (fav kit, fav scran etc etc) this episode covers all the bases. Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Neil's Runrecover website details all his offerings https://www.runrecover.co.uk/

Date for Auchterarder Running Festival 2023 is 7 & 8 September - get yir diaries marked!!