Young Hearts Run Free Podcast

Nikki Gibson wasn't an ultra-runner at the start of August 2021, that had all changed in spectacular fashion by Sunday the 22nd. We welcome Nikki to a Young Hearts Run Free episode with a twist!! We handed over the hosting reigns to someone quite qualified to pick them up!! We start with a wee bit chit chat from your usual hosts covering the last weeks 'news', who got into the Lakeland 50? Who smashed it at Glenmore? Auchterarder Running Festival news and the weekly feature......what has the shwanker been buying?? Then we're onto this week’s headline act, Nikki starred for Scotland at the Anglo Celtic Plate 100km in Dublin last month. Our guest host grills Nikki on not only that amazing experience but loads more too. We find out a little about why Nikki runs, her new found love of nut butter and that tipping point of ultra-running, paracetamol treats at 50k's in. Seriously though, it's a brilliant interview with a tremendously hard-working and talented emerging ultra-runner. It reminded us of many of the reasons we run, a recurring theme of appreciating the community and making lifelong chums. So get out there, be inspired, and remember........be less of a pussy from the beginning. Enjoy our YHRF takeover!! EPISODE LINKS Enter the Auchterarder Running Festival HERE

Aaaaand we're back and so are the guests. This weeks episode is an epic!! Our main event is welcoming guest Jason Kelly to the podcast, the north-east Scotland based ultra runner has had a monumental 18 months since taking the victory at the 2020 D33 Ultra Marathon.  The 18 months were crowned with a recent debut for Scotland at the 100k Anglo Celtic Plate! Before chatting to Jason, John & Steven spend a good skelp of time chatting about some happenings in the last week.  Covering some heroic performances across the globe as well as reviewing Steven's surprise appearance on the start line at the Speyside Way Ultra Marathon.  Did Steven manage to expel some of his Lakeland 50 demons? Listen in to find out....... Jason though is the headline act. We get to know what got him into running and how he's got bitten by the bug. From learning his craft, to being inspired by his folks and then realising some of his dreams in ultra running. Jason competes for that hotbed of ultra running Aberdeen Metro Running Club and regales just how much joining a running club meant to his own running evolution. We make no excuse for focussing on Jason's recent appearance for Scotland at the Anglo Celtic Plate, a race that saw him reach extraordinary levels. His finish line screams were visual proof that nothing was left out there!! Come find out just why Jason has become intoxicated with running, it's already quite the story and we reckon it's only just really beginning.

In this weeks 'shorter' episode it's 'just the two of us'.  It's been a hectic season so far with guests joining us and sharing their stories with us, but this week there's no guest. But don't fret, we've plenty more lined up...... In the meantime, get yir lugs roond this. We chat about the tremendous performance from the Scottish lads n lasses at the Anglo Celtic Plate 100k over in Dublin. It was quite some day out  for lots of 'friends of the show'.  Another friend of the show, Paul Giblin, is discussed as he continues his ultra impressive End2End Trail journey, running from Lands End to John O'Groats exclusively on trails! Current fitness, current plans, transition from ultra training to marathon training, alternatives to running. Basically we just blether and update, a real cantor about all sorts topics. There's some hints to the much requested YHRF merch along with new adventures in coffee roasters as we sample something new. So time to get on with the listening, it won't fuel your long runs for the full distance this week, John recommends filling the rest of the time listening to The Jam. And who could argue with that.....i wish i could be like Steven Watt ;-) Enjoy and please get in touch with us on our socials to let us know what you're up to!!

We like to chat to all sorts of folk in the running community on the podcast. This weeks episode takes us back into the world of hill running (or fell running if you're that way inclined). Joining us this week is Hamish Battle.  A regular on podiums at hill races and also fleet of foot on tarmac, north-east based Hamish chats to us about his running story.  We find out about an unusual motivation that helped Hamish become addicted to running, one for all you Strava fanatics out there. Hamish, now backed and supported by Hoka, enlightens us with a different take to others on what drives him on. A lot of kudos is paid to folk who have helped him improve over his years on the circuit.  We discuss his favourite races, memorable routes and (of course) his fav running gear. Hamish is an Active Root ambassador and shares his love of their products with us as we discuss fuelling strategies. Steven maybe also gets a bit shwanker-ish as he finds out about Hamish's all time fav running shoes! Before our catch up with Hamish we have a quick chat about 2 things in particular - the up and coming Auchterarder Running Festival and the Anglo Celtic Plate taking place on Sat 21 Aug near Dublin (a massive good luck to all competing and taking part in that brilliant event!) You can follow Hamish and his quite wonderful running photography on his Instagram account *warning prepare to have major FOMO* Sign up for this years Auchterarder Running Festival by visiting here - ARF Facebook page

Since we started the Young Hearts, Run Free podcast we've had the pleasure to meet tons of new folk who as well as entertain us also inspire & motivate us. Some of those folk are guests who have given up their time to blether with us and pass on words of wisdom and stories from their adventures. We've also been lucky enough to meet loads of new folk through our Twitter and Instagram pages. In Season 3 Episode 13 we managed to catch up with one such super likeable person.  Cumbria based Jodie Laird has been entertaining us on her own candid Instagram posts since way back. Our worlds kinda collided in Coniston in the Lake District a few weeks back, where Jodie took on the challenge of the LL100. A lady with a certain way with words Jodie gives us a warts n all look at her ultra running career. There are some highs, there are some lows. It's all uber relatable sh*t though and we love Jodie's approach to ultra training and racing.  In a refreshingly honest take on things we lift the lid on some memorable experiences from fell races, to learning her ultra 'craft' to finishing epic sh*t like WHW races n all that. A certain synergy emerges with a mutual love of scran and run rewards, 'Jodes' also likes a sweary just as much as we do. We barely even touch on Jodie's recent experience at this years UTLD, who even knows what that stands for?? Enjoy this super easy listening episode with one of our many many new pals. Read all about Jodie's Ultra races on her brilliantly written blog here Jodes Running Blog

We're well beyond the half way point of season 3 now. We're keeping the episodes comin' at ya thick n fast, we hope you're keeping up! We've another cracker this week as John & Steven catch up with another top class athlete in the shape of GB Trail Runner Meryl Cooper. Before Meryl joins us (all the way from the French Alps) we have one last look, we promise (we don't actually), over our shoulders at Lakeland 50.  Taking stock of where we are and reinforce some of our own personal learning. Meryl is our main event though and what a story she has to regale as we chart her running progress from the football pitches of Dubai to the mountains of northern Thailand, via the high country of the Alps. There are many stop offs along the way too, a truly insightful discussion with a lady who has emerged as amongst the elite of GB trail running. Meryl not only has a passion for running she also swamps us for her enthusiasm for pretty much any sport, couple that with her knowledge and expertise in health and lifestyle coaching and you've got a heady mix of golden nuggets of advice. There really is so much learning in this weeks episode. Our chat (eventually) turns to Meryl's recent superb success at the Lakeland Trails 100k Ultra where she gained qualification to rep GB at the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships in Thailand this November. We also turn our attention to the next event in her calendar, the small matter of the CCC, part of the UTMB week of events based in and around (when we say around, we mean the long way around) Chamonix, France. We so enjoyed and got tons out of our catch up with Meryl, a real talent in the circuit yet humble and inspirational along with it. Enjoy the show and get ready to take those mental notes! Link to Meryl's Website - Meryl Cooper Coaching Ultra Trail De Month Blanc CCC World Trail Mountain and Trail Running Championship 2021 Pod photo credit Jumpy James Photography

Our follow up Part II covering the remnants of our LL50 race weekend. Finishing up our race stories and making some immediate post race thoughts and decisions! What went well? What went (horribly) wrong? What kit worked? What lessons were learned? Is a return visit in 2022 on the cards? What next for your intrepid hosts? So many questions, so many important questions plus of course a whole heap of nonsense! Lakeland 50 left a lasting impressions on us, we hope we've managed to convey what was a superbly well organised and staged event. You know we love nothing more than hearing from listeners, please connect with us on our Twitter and Instagram. It was awesome to meet and say hello to some of you during the weekend, when like minded folk like ultra runners get together for the first time in what seems like an eternity it's going to be an extra special sorta weekend, ain't it?

Let's PULL THE PIN on our Lakeland experience.......... Welcome to Part I of our Lakeland50 race review. Time to hear all about John & Steven's long awaited return to racing. In this episode we find out about their pre-event build up, their time in the Lakes and of course how each of their races panned out. There's a surprise right from the off as the tables get turned on your hosts. It's a great listen as we reflect on a memorable weekend in the north of England. The emotions are still raw making the post race thoughts all the more real. *Spolier alert* It ain't all shits & giggles as Steven finds out the hard way that ultra-running and heat can be a dangerous concoction! So, if you want to find out who snored the loudest, who spilled the pre-race coffee and who got their hands on a small plate sized glittery prize medal now's your chance.  A real warts n all listen at how we spent our Lakeland 50 weekend. We had that much to ground to cover we've a Part II Lakeland 50 debreif coming right up!! Double the, erm, fun....

The mention of running and beer piqued our interest, let it pique yours too. As we hit the half century our 50th episode ticks tons of boxes.  Not only is our guest Connor Grady a top fella, a quickly developing runner he also works at 'friends of the show' Top Out Brewery in Edinburgh. We find out about Connor's own running; he has some surprises up his sleeve about that topic! He's a guy who is drawn to the hills and has already made some impressive appearances in some of our favourite races.  But as you will hear, there seems to be much (much) more to come. Top Out Brewery are also discussed at length, a brewery with running and outdoor adventure in their DNA.  Check out their can art for proof of that featuring the topography for some of their very fav hills and summits. Find out how they adapted to the global pandemic and how they manage to get out on the hills when not brewing! With a mix of Scottish and German owners their beer certainly hits the spot. The usual laughs, banter and veering off topic is present including a confession from Steven that he fancies some hills *weirdo alert* We start the show with a quick blether about our now imminent appearance at the Lakeland 50, how we're feeling and what we're thinking about just over a week out from race day! We both cannae wait to be toeing that start line, excitement levels have been ramped up to 'up to high doh'. Top Out Brewery can be bought at Top Out Brewery 

Ha'way!! We've another blazing episode for you all! This week we're joined by Devon Scott. Glasgow based Ultra runner Devon was all set to complete her first ever West Highland Way race in 2021, as we all know COVID put paid to that. So what do you do when you need to scratch the ultra itch? You replan, that's what you do! Devon settled on running the iconic Great Glen Ultra, Rocket Events superb 71-mile Ultra Marathon following the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness. What a dreamy route eh? Join us as we not only find out how her race day panned out but much much more on top of that. Devon enlightens us all with her running story and gives both seasoned and new ultra-runners some amazing tips and strategies that have become the cornerstone to her ultra-approach. There's some devastating news for John too, it involves drop bags and disappointment. John & Steven find some time too for a quick update ahead of their Lakeland 50 adventure happening real soon. Food and kit being prominent in that discussion. Episode Links Rocket Events - for some of the best Ultras the UK has to offer Harrier Trail Running - John & Steven's hydration vests of choice for LL50