Young Hearts Run Free Podcast

And just like that we’ve been at this podcast caper for 2 years…..time for a brief interlude. This week you have the veritable treat of a hour long chat between your hosts. In a poll of our listeners at least 5% of you expressed such episodes as their very fav, and we aim to please as many folk as we can. Thankfully we’ve got more than just mangled feet pictures and the latest state of John’s under-carriage on the episode agenda! On the eve of the return of the iconic West Highland Way Race it’s fitting that we include a wee chat on what lies ahead this weekend, including John’s own support role. The Pork Pie Keeper is the most important role in any crew ain’t it? John quizzes Steven on his own support crew duties last weekend as he got an insight into triathlon at the Stafford 70.3 Ironman event, and we thought obsessing over shoes was peak shwanker-ism! We chat through some magnificent racing that took place last weekend across Scotland with the Mhor Half Mara and the Strathearn Marathon topping the bill. And we give a wee reminder about September’s Auchterarder Running Festival, it is your chance to hear John live on the mic, entry fee worthy on its own. Oh, and we give plenty of airtime to one of our fav guests ever, the legend that is Alan Cormack has been off doing epic things, again. We then turn to the serious stuff. Favourite ever drop bag items in an ultra-marathon. A two-pronged question for your hosts who enter a heated yet sentimental discussion about the topic. We are also looking for your best ever drop bag scran, get over to our socials to contribute to that hot debate! With tons more covered including our new pride logo, current running sock favourites and of course the latest biscuit trends our 97th episode will keep you ticking over nicely on your weekend long run. Enjoy everyone and good luck to all those doing amazing stuff this coming week! Sign up for this years Auchterarder Running Festival HERE

Episode 96 of the Young Hearts Run Free podcast is upon us. You’ll know by now we don’t like to disappoint. We’ve another smasher of a guest to tell an amazing tale for you. We kick off with our wee round up of the week’s happenings, covering a whole heap of crap before catching up with this weeks headline act Rebecca Brennan. Rebecca has just completed the arduous Cape Wrath Trail on Scotland’s rugged west coast. Not only did she complete it she completely FKT’d it. Listen in to hear her amazing, emotional, and inspiring story of what drove her to reach the very symbolic Cape Wrath Lighthouse. Running has been a big part of Rebecca’s life for 20 plus years. A first ever marathon in NYC, a mere few months after 9/11, was meant to be a one and done experience…..we know how that story often unfolds, right? We delve in to what lit Rebecca’s fire and saw her make the leap to ultra-marathon and discover her love of running in the hills and mountains. The freedom, friendship, and camaraderie she has found are all evident as she recounts some of her running highlights. And what of the Cape Wrath Trail. This was not only a massive journey on two feet but also a massive journey emotionally, Rebecca was fuelled by honouring her late Mum, she certainly done her proud on all fronts. From the thorough route research, the assembling of a dream team support crew and the race kit we cover it all, it is a real blow by blow account of what turned out to be the most spectacular of efforts. Fish Suppers, pizzas and powernaps. Now if that does not get you intrigued, we can’t think what will? Perhaps a glimpse at what Rebecca has planned in the future? No spoilers but it seems nothing is impossible! Step on in and join us for a good time, it’s Cape Wrath Time. You can donate to Rebecca’s ongoing fundraising efforts in honour of her Mum, Dorothy - BREAST CANCER NOW CAPE WRATH FASTEST KNOWN TIME Follow Rebecca on Instagram HERE

This week we were super duper chuffed to catch up with Dr Nicki Lygo. Nicki has played a huge part in some massive FKT attempts in the UK over the last few years. Most notably crewing for Damian Hall and John Kelly on their Pennine Way record breaking ding-dong. Nicki brings a wonderful insight into what it takes for the athlete to give themselves the best chance possible of breaking a FKT. These mega-record attempts take a whole heap of planning, logistics and a cast of super-heroes behind the scenes. We delve into some of the pitfalls that endanger endurance feats, not only in running but any sport. Hyponatremia, caused by drinking too much and diluting the salts in your system, Nicki enlightens us into how this serious ailment can be spotted and combated. Just what do we put our bodies through to achieve new running highs? Most of us will tolerate feeling pretty low on runs, it's part of the ups and downs, some even say it's part of their why. What about if you're crewing and you're trying to make sure the athlete gets their goal AND stays safe, where's that balance? Gladly though most problems are solvable. Nicki goes into detail of how we can figure out our own best approach. Both for avoiding medical issues in the first place and what steps we can take to stop our day(s) unravelling. John and Steven are even treated to a glimpse of what Damian and John have on their nutrition menu plans. From pizza stacks via donuts all the way to 'Ultra Slop', stay tuned for the ingredients to that priceless concoction! Oh, and if you've never considered the need to carry a stock cube in your pack think again, it could just be your saviour. This insanely interesting episode with the fabulously engaging Nicki gives a much different angle than our norm, you'll be entertained with the chat and educated with the content. Now, come on in and learn a thing or two from Nicki Lygo. Catch Nicki on her twitter where she provides some amazing coverage on her crewing plus much much more HERE Contribute to Nicki's ongoing fundraising attempts in aid of End Duchenne HERE

Have ye met the fella who’s completed 141 Ultra marathons and doesn’t class himself as much of a runner?  We bet a few of you have, and those of you that have not are about to. You are all in for a treat. Neil MacRitchie is a ‘one in a million’ guy, as humble as they come yet with an extraordinary story to tell. It’s not all about racing at the sharp end, it’s not all about medals and awards, for Neil it’s about doing something he loves and finding a community that welcomed him in right from the off. Comfier out of the limelight we reckon it’s high time more of you found out just how astounding Neil’s running achievements are, that wealth of experience along with a heartfelt appreciation for the people he’s met along the way, it makes for some amazingly grounding listening. On the cusp of taking part in his 16th(Sixteenth) West Highland Way Race our chat inevitably drifts towards tales from the way, after all with nearly 1500 racing miles spent on the iconic trail Neil has an intimate knowledge of what it takes to complete Scotland’s world renowned premier ultra-marathon. Neil’s running bug started way back in the 90’s, yes he started young, and caught fire from there. He moved quickly into marathon distance before hearing about these races called ultras, from then a seed was planted and lets just say it grew with vigour and shows no signs of abating. It’s one of our favourite chats ever. We were treated to a unique insight into how to persevere, endure and succeed. To never stop exploring and discovering new adventures whilst going back time and time (and time) again to the ones that leave an indelible impression. Think of running as an adventure, anything else is a bonus. You’ll enjoy this one. A lot.

Join us for Episode 13, Season 5 of the Young Hearts, Run Free Podcast. We insist. This week’s guest, Sam Amend, doesn't do things by halves. And at 43-year-old she shows no signs of slowing down. Hot off the heels of breaking her own British 100-mile record Sam lifts the lid on her running story, she says it's been a slow burner. We’re not sure you'll agree. We kick off the show though with a look back at happenings in the last week. The re-emergence of the race calendar dominates along with a wee trip to Germany for a look at the Backyard Ultra Champion of Champions, so that's good that, cos it's mostly running related. Then we talk about your favourite biscuits for ten minutes, we know that's the content you came looking for, right? Sam tops our bill though, a proud member of the newly formed Hour 7 Ultra-Running Team, she has lots (and lots) to share with us. We cover the lot! So, just how do you run 100-mile records? The prep, the training, the mindset, the fuelling, the team, the race-day. From Marmite tiger bread sandwiches to treadmill desks. We get right into the nuts n bolts of it. Sam chats fondly about her career highs but we also get insight into her survival techniques for dealing with the inevitable lows. Team GB vests at 50k and 100k have followed and pride beams as we cover these historic outings for her country. We even cover her outing at the 2022 ACP aka the gathering of awesomeness, well we could not leave that out, could we? With her sights set on continuing to inspire us all this episode will not fail to get you thinking about your own boundaries. So come join us for the long haul with this feature length episode with the hardest of working athletes Sam Amend. Follow Sam on Twitter HERE and on Instagram HERE. Find out about Hour 7 Ultra Running Team HERE

Welcome to Season 5 Episode 12 of the Young Hearts Run Free Podcast! We are coming at ya this week with a quadruple strength episode! First up John n Steven have their customary weekly blether, it’s unscripted ya know! Then joining us for a brilliant chinwag we welcome ultra-runner Dave Andrews. Proud Northern Irishman Dave has been a regular at the sharp end of ultra-marathons for nigh on a decade.  We’ve eventually managed to catch up with him to get his running story! We find out what started as something to keep Dave fit when a promising football career was halted through injury went from 5k, to 10k and soon progressed to ultra-marathons.  Dave realised that he had the ingredients needed for ultra-marathon the ability to run slower for a long time PLUS the ability to eat like a horse! From taking part in D33 egged on by running mates Dave has not looked back, he’s being doing very epic shit since. Throw in the ups and downs of the days where all goes perfect along with the days where you just want to chuck running and you’ve quite the story.  We find out about Dave’s relationship with running, there is more to that than meets the eye. Let’s just say Dave keeps it simple, running is simple after all, right?! 24-hour races are simple, right?! With regular wins and podium places along the way it’s clear to see that Dave is a man of ability, a sparkling day out on the West Highland Way Race in 2018, repping his country at the Anglo Celtic Plate (twice) amongst the many career highlights.  Trips to France and Italy for 24 hour races bringing opposite kinda results, both positive and not, and Dave is open to tell all.  He’s also a fella who has a lot to share from his running experience, has many lessons he’s learned to pass on to you all and 100% is a kindred spirit with the YHRF hosts eating habits…..30 jaffa cakes in one sitting, welcome to the club!! He might consider himself to be average, we don’t agree, we don’t think you will either. You don’t represent your country being average after all.

This week we spend some time with winner of the 2022 women's Highland Fling (Ding Ding) Footrace Jo Meek. Jo's running journey is quite something, her writing is awesome too, be sure to check out her blog at https://jomeekblog.wordpress.com/ Jo has raced in some awesome places all over the world, as well as having had the honour to pull on both an England and GB vests.  Still the highest ever placed British female (2nd in 2013) finisher at Marathon Des Sables, Jo has also had other notable results with top 10 finishes at CCC, Comrades Marathon, Lavaredo Trail, San Francisco 50 miler, Tiger Ultra Trail among others.  This episode though is aw aboot The Highland Fling and Jo's 2022 race experience, we speak about her run from Milngavie to Tyndrum on what turned out to be a wonderful day on the Scottish trails for Jo.  We start with our usual John n Steven chinwag before welcoming Jo into the house for a brill chat, enjoy another inspiring guest y'all.  Photo: Stuart MacFarlane Jo's Instagram  Jo's Twitter  Purchase Ross Brannigan's Running Adventures Scotland Book  Pyllon Ultra Coaching Options

Take a seat (or head for a long run) we've a feature length episode for your listening pleasure....it's only our Boston Marathon 2022 debrief. We take a 'deep dive' into co-host Steven's experience as he headed to take on a race he's chased for some time, with nuggets and nuggets of insights into the race itself and on his trip to Boston to enjoy one of the most iconic running experiences out there. First up, we're joined by Steven's coach Bob Turner of Pyllon Ultra. Bob gives a detailed end of term report on how Steven's marathon training block has gone. It's a fascinating listen and allows valuable access into the coach - athlete relationship that blossomed. A deep mutual respect formed, ye might even call it a bromance. With John asking the questions we then take a virtual trip to New England for that Boston Marathon weekend. It's part travelogue and part race day review as we unpick what turned out to be a phenomenal experience for Steven. Travel plans, race prep, expo insights, race report, shwank report and (it wouldn’t be a YHRF episode without) a good look at the post-race indulgences and run rewards. What went right? What went wrong? Any lessons learned? No stone is left unturned, this episode offers you the chance to have your own Boston Marathon appetite whetted, delivers hundreds of tips and advice on making the most of your own Boston Marathon experience..........and if we could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. Completing the Boston Marathon has been a long-time pipe dream for Steven, come along with us taking that 'Right on Hereford and Left on Boylston', as that dream became a reality. Enjoy and remember...RUN FREE! Find out about coaching & training with Pyllon Ultra here PYLLON ULTRA 

The Highland Fling is a 53 mile trail race which traditionally takes place every year in April. This years race is the first since 2019 as a result of the global pandemic. Ding Ding The Highland Fling is back! The route follows the West Highland Way, Scotland’s oldest official long distance footpath, through the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. The Fling is one of the hottest race tickets around in Scotland and sells out (normally goes to a ballot) very soon after race entry is made available. For those who are already thinking ahead...The Highland Fling has been classed as a three point qualifier for entry into the 2023-2025 UTMB® races. #justsaying In this episode we catch up with race director John Duncan aka Johnny Fling to speak about preparations for The Fling, find out what's involved in setting up that world famous finish line, and cover some of the race advice and rules in the 2022 Runner Handbook (you've all read that...right?) We hear about John's own running memories where he picks out and shares some very special moments.  What's behind the 'Ding Ding' race tradition? Where did it start? All is revealed in this episode! The chat is focussed mainly on the race itself and the people involved, volunteers, marshals, runners and supporters. It's all of these people that make trails running such a wonderful sport to be a part of. We also catch-up with co-host Steven Watt, still stateside and fresh from his adventure in Boston Marathon. Yep, Young Hearts Run Free are transatlantic...again! We begin to unpick Stevie Boys USA trip (more on that later!) with a wee chat about the hot topics, weather, food and of course...shwanking!

The time has come, the time is now.  Be brave, be bold, show us yer shwanks... Since January this year, a large part of Steven's focus has been on preparing for running the 2022 Boston Marathon. A dream come true? Damn right! Listen in to hear how Steven's training has went, how he's feeling a few days away from lining up at the start line in maybe the biggest, most famous marathon  of them all! There's a wee bit of Boston Marathon history in here too, a Boston shwank reveal and also information about how to get involved on the day. We cover everything from preparation, travel, food, mindset, and also chat about the course and that infamous 'Scream Tunnel!' You can check out 26.2 miles in under 10 minutes watching this Official Boston Course Preview, and you can also get excited about "right on Hereford, left on Boylston" and what that means! Steven discusses his work with coach Bob Turner from Pyllon TRAX, and how it's more than just running, maybe it's something you want to find out more about? Find out more about Pyllon TRAX, and how it can work for you. The time has come, the time is now. Stevie Boy, unleash the beast...