Young Hearts Run Free Podcast

We love to welcome back former guests for a catch-up. The last time we spoke to Nikki Johnstone was 2 years ago, you might remember him, the quickest Elvis Pressley on the planet, ah ah ah. So, jetting in from Germany, with a freshly baked new Scottish 50k record under his belt and a refreshed lust for racing in tow it was a joyous occasion for us to reconnect with Nikki in this week’s episode. Of course, we start the show with our usual rip snorting intro featuring a stacked agenda topped with a close inspection of the state of John’s undercarriage obliterators! It’s the content ye all crave! Nikki then joins the craic. It’s been far from plain sailing the last couple of years, he admits to his running being a bit up and down. Curtailed by injury and even a temporary loss of mojo (it happens to us all!). But boy has he got his swagger back now topped off with a landmark 50k time set over on the continent that took him by surprise as much as anyone else. Nikki gives us a lap-by-lap account of his race day, that lovable alternative mindset of his is apparent throughout. With a 2023 planned around ‘New faces. New places. New races.’ We can’t wait to see how far this lad can stretch his ability, we know our prediction. It’s a brilliantly honest account as Nikki lets us know how he’s battled back to the top of his game and rekindled his love for the sport, for life and for racing. MR RACE DAY IS BACK!! That inspirational Zach Miller North Face 50 video clip - take 3 mins of your time to watch it HERE

We have proper running royalty join us in this episode as Liz McColgan dials in from Qatar to talk all things running with John and Steven. From humble beginnings Liz stormed on to the world athletics stage back in 1986 with heroics at Meadowbank Stadium. We find out her story from way back before then as she entertains us with her running story. Memories are recalled from all her major outings both on the track and out on the world marathon circuit. A real glittering career. Liz also treats us to her pride in watching her daughter Eilish follow in her footsteps culminating with a that tear jerking last lap in the 10,000m in Birmingham in 2022. Full of tips, advice and spade loads of inspiration we were just over the moon to get the opportunity to speak to Liz, she takes time to give John some stellar marathon training advice as well as give us her take on the evolution of the running shoe. Settle in and join us as we meet Liz McColgan. One of our running heroes. A video of out interview is also available on our You Tube Channel here LIZ MCCOLGAN MEETS YHRF YOU TUBE INTERVIEW

Marco Consani is our guest this week, it was smashing to finally catch up with him after having him in our sights for ages. Marco, who has repped Scotland and GB in a glittering ultra-running career takes us through his running story. We loved this chat with Marco who kicks us off with his introduction to running in the early noughties and takes us right through to his recent foray on the Pennine Way as he took on the 2023 Winter Spine Race. Peppered with insights and a heap of fond reflection our blether entertains throughout as we find out just how Marco is adapting his running and his mindset to prolong his love affair with the sport. Tales from the West Highland Way, the Lakes and beyond ensue along with coping with the set-back of injury. Adapt, adapt, adapt is the message that rings out loud and clear as we are treated to the evolution of an ultra-runner. Thing is though, we kinda underestimated just how big a story he has to tell. It feels like we’ve barely scratched the surface, a return appearance for chapter 2 will be a necessity! A magic episode featuring not 1, not 2 but 3 bawbags. John and Steven kick off proceedings with a thorough intro rounding up a hot week of action as the Scottish half marathon season gets well underway in Inverness and Alloa along with the iconic D33 Ultra. We also take a hurl over to Tennessee for a Barkley Marathon update and figure out what we’re up to ourselves as John starts shitting his breeks ahead of the Manchester Marathon. Now come on in, grab a comfy seat or your comfy shwanks and settle in for a few hours of proper class YHRF chit chat.

This week we meet Phil Shin and Mark Murphy, they’ve an immense story share with you all. A chance meeting with Steven in Boston last April resulted in us learning about the reason they’d completed the Boston Marathon that very same day. Phil is a 2-time liver cancer survivor. Mark is his liver donor, or as Phil prefers to call him his hero. In our most uplifting episode to date we are lead through Phil and Mark’s story. From their own running history right through to the here and now. Simply put, this is an unmissable edition that will inspire and warm your heart. Phil has given cancer the boot, running has played a huge part in that. Mark, a much more reluctant long-distance runner, has embraced the role he has played with a humbleness, the selfless act of organ donation almost whimsically passed off. The result is an incredible conversation touching on mortality, the bond of running connections and being inspired by the people you meet along life’s unpredictable path. West Coast USA based Phil and Mark quickly get into the spirit of some of our YHRF fav questions. Food, fuel, fav places to run, unique dialect dictionary entries and music choices all covered. We also find out that they show no signs of resting on their running laurels, 2023 has big plans in store for both these super-human beings. Life is being richly grabbed. Sensational. John and Steven have a raft of matters to discuss in their intro chatter, the weeks break since our last episode has seen shed loads happening as listeners and former/future guests take on the start of the year with gusto. We’ve also not 1 but 2 competitions to announce, you can get yir name in for those over on our socials!

Welcome back to Access All Areas. Your one stop shop for all things Lakeland 50 and 100! In Episode 2 your hosts, John and Steven, welcome along the marvellous Nikki Knappet and Morven Walsh to the show. Nikki and Morven are part of the army of volunteers who make the Lakeland magic work. The Chapel Stile checkpoint is located approx. 95 miles into the Lakeland 100, or 40 miles into the Lakeland 50. Like all checkpoints it's a vibrant place to be! We get to find out heaps from our guests about what to expect at checkpoints along with some stories from past years. Nikki and Morven met through the Lakeland family, it's evident how much the experience of participating in and subsequently volunteering for the race means to them. We're sure you'll learn something new from this fun chat. There is one message we'd like to reinforce....remember to be nice and show your appreciation to all volunteers, the superstar army who make the race happen!! Let us know in the comments your own Lakeland checkpoint experience or if you have a question for Nikki and Morven (we'll do our best to get it to them). Lastly, remember to hammer that subscribe button to make sure you don't miss a future episode of Access All Areas. You can catch the audio only version of this episode along with a virtual shed full of other content on your hosts pod platform here Young Hearts Run Free Podcast here https://t.co/4PnqqFBGpa

How do you follow up last week’s episode with Eilish McColgan then? Ah, we've got just the ticket. This week one half of your hosting team takes centre stage, yip the man, the myth, the legend Mr John Cassidy is our main talking point as we get a mid-term update on his preps for April's fast approaching Manchester Marathon. And we've a special guest join us, John's coach. A familiar face. Who can it be? We hear from both John and his coach on how he is steadily progressing, building confidence, and adapting to a whole new approach. On the agenda is fuelling strategies, mobility work and even *whisper it* a growing love for strength and conditioning. From Burst Baw to Race Ready this revealing and honest chat gives a new insight into the resilient runner John has always been, throw in some structured training and accountability and we're cooking up a real tour de force, fully conditioned athlete to take on 26.2 Mancunian miles!! So grab yir under-carriage obliterators and listen in tae find out how our man JC is rolling. Find out more about John's coach on Facebook here Five Star Run Club and Instagram here Five Star Run Club Insta We also discuss entries opening for September's Auchterarder Running Festival, if you'd like to join John n Steven enter here now ENTER ARF 2023 HERE

As regular listeners are aware we like to welcome guests from right across the running spectrum on to the podcast. This week that guest is super popular Scottish track superstar Eilish McColgan who joins John and Steven for a chatter. From her early beginnings into running, we get the lowdown from Eilish on all manner of things, the ups and downs, the highs and lows. For Eilish the highs have come thick and fast over the last few years, but it's taken grit, belief, and determination to get there. A sensational 2022 for Eilish was capped with that unforgettable performance in Birmingham as she stormed to the 10,000m Commonwealth gold with a spine-tingling final lap that had us all up off the sofas cheering. Eilish lifts the lid on the race of her life, it's every bit as emotional hearing it from the girl herself. With 2023 now underway Eilish shares her hopes for the future as she enters her final preps for her marathon debut on the famous London course in April. We cover tons more from her inspirations, the importance of the running community she's part of as well as plenty of insights into just what it's like being a full-time athlete. Eilish is a busy lady, she also lets us know about her 1:1 coaching as well as her exciting foundation Giving Back to Track as she looks to continue to inspire and support the next generation of athletes. With pride of her family abundant throughout we couldn’t leave her mum Liz McColgan out of our chat, it's obvious just how much family mean to Eilish. Episode Links - Giving Back to Track https://givingbacktotrack.org/ Running Made Easy 1:1 Coaching https://runningmadeeasy.co.uk/ Please follow this link to access hours and hours of Young Hearts Run Free podcast episodes, our light-hearted and relatable take on running featuring weekly guests and plenty laughs https://linktr.ee/youngheartsrunfreepodcast You can also give us a follow on twitter and instagram to keep up with latest episode releases and join in the general fun.

Well, it’s been a tumultuous week at YHRF HQ. And here comes the icing on the cake as we catch up with Spine Race 2023 finisher and all-round inspiration Aly Caldwell. We cover all 268 miles (and mare) of the Pennine Way with Aly as we dissect her 6 plus days out racing. Yes, like many others we watched her dot shift efficiently to Kirk Yetholm, and now we get the lowdown straight from the horse’s mouth! Listen in to find out what drove Aly to enter the race, how she trained for it, her unique techniques for assembling the required kit and how her race experience panned out, nae spoiler alert needed, she finished it. Blimin’ terrific. As is mandatory on the Young Hearts Run Free podcast, we cover food and fuel in detail and get the insight we need on important matters such as Alston Lasagne and Aly reveals what was in her ‘bowl of heaven’! Of course, we cover a pile more than just the Spine in our refreshing, and often candid, blether with Aly as she reveals her running journey hasn’t quite been plain sailing all the way. With the race still fresh in her memory this first-hand account of just what it’s like competing in ‘Britain’s Toughest Race’ is an absolute treat from start to finish. John n Steven cover a wee bit of happenings in our intro with Forfar Multi Terrain Half, Pride BuffBuffs, Auchterarder Running Festival 2023 entry news and competitions all grabbing some air time. Oh, and the small matter of our new venture with the Montane Lakeland 100 is kinda mentioned too! ENTER AUCHTERARDER RUNNING FESTIVAL 2023 HERE - Entries open Sunday 12 Feb at 7pm ACCESS ALL AREAS LAKELAND 50 100 YOU TUBE CHANNEL - Episode 1 featuring Emma Stuart avail now, remember to subscribe

Welcome to Access All Areas. In episode 1 of our spin off collaboration with the Montane Lakeland 100 your hosts, John Cassidy and Steven Watt are joined by the super talented Emma Stuart. Emma is well qualified to give us her chat on the Montane Lakeland 100 (and 50) having placed first place female in the 50 in 2021 and the 100 in 2022. John and Steven grill Emma on a variety of (mostly) related topics including her own journey into ultra running, her recent day out at the Arc of Attrition 100 plus of course grab Emma's insight into all things Lakeland with tips, hacks and inspiration coming by bucketload along the way. We reckon there's something for everyone in this magic chat so whether you're toeing the line for the first time in July or are a seasoned Lakeland vet you'll hopefully find something to takeaway! Catch the Young Hearts Run Free Podcast here https://t.co/4PnqqFBGpa

This week we are joined by man of many talents Daniel Bye. One of those talents is even running related and was in full display just a few weeks ago when he competed in the infamous Montane Spine Challenger Race. We get the lowdown on how that 108 mile jaunt turned out but not after finding out heaps more about Daniel and his long term love affair with running. Now a proud member of Lonsdale Fell Running Club Daniel hasn’t always been accustomed to the trails and hills. We grill Daniel on how he graduated from running on the urban canal toe paths of Leeds to running half the length of the Pennine Way in one fell swoop. Daniel’s day job is to ‘write, direct and perform’ plays and pieces, his running passion and that day job collided in his (and his pals) touring show ‘These Hills are Ours’. Turns out his pal, Boff Whaley of Chumbawamba fame, was a no bad fell runner too. Our main topic of conversation soon returns to ultra-running, Daniel discovered ultras in 2016 when he took part in the Lakeland Trails 55k. The fact he now considers that to be ‘quite a short race’ tells you how far he’s come since. We get a sneaky glimmer at his triumphant Bob Graham Round, his day of days.  But filling us all in and whetting our own appetite for an outing on the Pennine Way soon dominates the YHRF airwaves. With tips, tricks and motivation abound your expectations will be matched by the excellent and charismatic Daniel Bye, a born storyteller. Find out more about Daniel on his website here http://www.danielbye.co.uk/