#4 My Running Journey so far | From 10k's to Ultra Marathons

In this episode I talk about my running journey from my first 10k in 2016 to the present day, four marathons and two ultras later! I discuss how Covid triggered my passion for running, how it gave me a purpose and what I've learned from this, including trying not to put too much pressure on myself and to enjoy it.

I have to say I'm not overly comfortable talking about myself and it felt a bit weird but hopefully you enjoyed listening. I will aim to get some guests on over the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled.

Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE this podcast to anyone you think would benefit from listening.

If you would like to SPONSOR the podcast or an individual episode and promote your business then please DM me on Instagam @mskrunner.haz

If you have a question or a topic you would like me to cover then please put it in the comments below or DM me on Insta.

Thank you for listening and hope you enjoy it!

Transcript

0:02

Hello and welcome to episode four of the podcast with me, Harry Bell. Um as I'm recording this episode, um it's actually the 8th of March today, as I'm recording this. So whilst you are listening to this, um you're like two weeks ahead of where I am now. So um basically as this episode comes out, um I will have just finished running the Roe Marathon, and right now I'll be tucking in uh probably to a pizza, some Gelato, and probably like a pearoni or something. Um but yeah, playing a little bit of uh time travel um with this podcast because as I'm recording this now, episode two hasn't even come out yet, but it you know it'll be out like two hours after I finish recording this. Um so by the time you're listening to this, episode two will have come out, and also episode three, uh where I interviewed Powell will have come out last week, and then you're listening to this now. Um so I'll yeah, as I'm recording this, Roe Marathon is actually in two weeks' time. But as while you're listening, I will have done it earlier in the day if that makes sense. So yeah, a little confusing um in terms of like travelling back and forward in time. But um, yeah, I just thought like I'd I'd get this recorded basically while I've got a pretty quiet uh Sunday afternoon on my hands. Um, but uh yeah, basically like quite a busy day today. Um I ran a half marathon uh yesterday morning with Julia. That's like the final sort of like long run um of this current uh training block for Rome. Uh this morning I got up at like 4am uh to watch the F1, then I went out for a 7k run and then I went to watch my uh stepsister play football. Uh so yeah, I'm I'm quite tired to be fair. But um I thought in this episode um I'll talk a little bit kind of about my running journey uh so far because um yeah I'm sure like anyone who knows me probably has no idea whatsoever that I run because I never mention it, never bring it up or anything like that. But um yeah, just um before I get cracked on, um please like and subscribe. Whether you're watching on YouTube, listening on Spotify, share it with your friends, share it with anyone who you think will enjoy this or uh hopefully find this insightful. Um and then yeah, like I say, if you have any questions or anything you want me to talk about, then put it in the comments below or drop me a DM on Instagram. So yeah, I thought I'd kind of like go into my sort of why I got into running um in the first place. So probably probably about maybe 10 years ago or so, um I started running but not really a great deal. So I'd probably like do the York 10k and that would be about it. So maybe I'd like run for a few weeks a year, but like nothing serious, like I'd just do it the odd time, and to be honest, I didn't really have a clue what I was doing. I kind of just like go out and just run basically, do a 5k, do a 7k here and there, and just kind of see what happens. But then um kind of uh pre-COVID, I was like all I was really interested in was like strength training and lifting weights and stuff like that in the gym. That's what like ticked me over at the time, and it's what I really enjoy doing. And then like uh COVID happened in 2020. Um can't believe that was six years ago, by the way. Where's the time gone? But yeah, um, obviously when COVID happened, um all the gyms had to close down, and you got like your one hour of exercise a day. So that's when I sort of started running properly. Um you know, I do like 5K's and 10ks, and then like I did like a half marathon for the first time during COVID, and I just I just remember at the end of that half marathon I did during COVID, I was just like absolutely fucked and just couldn't move for the rest of the day. I was so bad, whereas like I did one yesterday with Julia and it felt like really easy, and I don't mean that in like an arrogant way or anything, I just mean like because I'm like a lot more used to it, uh now that I've done quite a few of them in compared to like when I did one for the first time uh six years ago. Um but yeah, goes but yeah, also like with uh COVID, like I was furloughed at the time, a lot of time on my hands, and yeah, I I like drank a load of booze as well most days, which probably which was probably a bit counterproductive in terms of like building the fitness with my running, but then you know my um my nutrition and my yeah alcohol intake wasn't uh fantastic. So and then yeah, when it got to about sort of July 2020 or thereabouts when um when like the gyms reopened again and I got back into strength training. So even though I did a load of running during COVID, I wasn't thinking, oh, I want to like keep this up, like I just couldn't wait for gyms to reopen because I wanted to get uh back to lifting weights again. Um but then I think it might have been sort of uh towards the back end of 2022, maybe. Um, I'd entered the the Yorkshire 10 mile, um, and I kind of took the training quite seriously and I did it, and I did it in a pretty good time. I think I did it in like around an hour and 16 or something, which I was like really pleased with. And I think that actually still to this day is my PB for that distance. But yeah, basically from that moment onwards, like I had sort of turned a corner where I wasn't really that arsed about uh strength training, and like I really, really got into my running out seemed like I was going for runs and really enjoying it rather than it like sort of feeling uh like a chalk or anything, and then maybe not was it not too long after that? No, maybe about it was about a year later, so sort of like late 2022, like somebody at work like um uh challenged me to enter a marathon, um, Laura, Laura it was, because she did the Yorkshire marathon that year, and then afterwards, like she uh challenged me to enter one. Um so I kind of uh yeah, I did like a bit of a quiet evening at work one day and I was kind of uh scrolling through the internet and what have you, and I basically thought like why not do Belfast because like I'm from there, so I can like you know go and see my family and do the marathon something kind of like killing two birds at one stone. So I go there like once or twice a year anyway. So yeah, I had about you know four months or so uh to train for it, and you know that was an eye-opener really because um I'd kind of like found a sort of I guess a one size fits all training program on the internet. Um and yeah, it was tough. I remember the first time I did like a 20-mile run, which was the longest run I'd ever done at the time during that training block. I remember I ran from my house uh to Balbay and then along the A19 to Rickle and then up the uh solar system route, turned around and came back. So it was like an out and back 20 mile, and my legs, my hips, my knees just absolutely crippled. And again, for like the following sort of day or two, I could just barely move. So that kind of um at that time I thought to myself that like maybe I'd like bitten off more than I could trick more than I could chew in terms of a marathon training. So I thought to myself I can do like a half marathon, like sort of like fairly easily. Like, what's another half marathon? How hard can it be? But yeah, very quickly realized that marathon training is just an entirely different animal uh to any other distance that's shorter. So yeah, uh it made me realise that like I needed to like keep on top of my strength and conditioning training for like injury prevention. So that's why I mentioned um on a I think it might be in episode one perhaps where I mentioned how I'll do like you know four runs a week and then two gym sessions a week that involve strength and conditioning, uh particularly like around my legs and my core muscles, you know, just for like injury prevention. Um and then yeah, I kind of did that, you know. I did that first marathon training block, um, kind of go following it by the letter, but not really knowing what I was doing. Just because I didn't know what I didn't know at the time. I was kind of like um yeah, sort of going through the motions without knowing what to expect really. So anyway, uh went to Belfast, uh, got like an Airbnb. Um my sister and her fella came with me, and then my dad came, I think, like the following day. He stayed at his mate's house and had like my uncle and my cousins who lived there. So they came out and and supported me. Um so yeah, that was like really good. Um I remember like uh we got there, we we went to the Giants Causeway, went to the Titanic Museum in Belfast, both of those places, by the way. If you ever go to Northern Ireland, highly, highly recommend. Um, yeah, if you go to Northern Ireland and don't visit either of those places, then you've kind of wasted your trip, in my opinion. But yeah, um Marathon Day came, uh started outside Storming and then just kind of like, yeah, into Belfast. Uh really cool because um, you know, had my sister and her fella like watching me from like mile two onwards, I think it was, and spotted him in the crowd, and then I saw my dad a few miles later. He'd borrowed his mate's motorbike, so he kind of like rode round all the open roads to watch me, which was really cool. Um, you know, he said to me that like he was going to be stood outside um my granddad's old fruit and veg shop, and that was like I didn't even know he had a fruit and veg shop, to be honest with you. So um I think like the only time my granddad would ever have fruit was to use as like a mixer with his cocktail or whatever it was. But um, yeah, that again, yeah, that was cool. And then uh running through Belfast itself, the you know, the atmosphere was just incredible, and actually the marathon itself like felt a little bit I won't say easier but less difficult than some of my training runs because actually running with other people and having that crowd on the side of the road, it really does make it make a massive difference. And then at the um at the halfway point of the race, I can't remember exactly where it was, but it was not too far away uh from Windsor Park where Northern Ireland and Linfield uh football teams play their home games. And uh my uncle was there with my cousin and my nephew Lucas, so they saw me, um, gave Lucas a high five as I ran past and carried on. Um and then it was it was pretty cool, like round down um round down like the Falls Road, which is like a massive like Catholic part of Belfast, which is yeah, somewhere I've never been before because um because I'm a Protestant. Um and then kind of like um and then yeah, kind of um up the Shankill Road as well. My mind went black for a second there, but yeah, up the Shankill Road as well, so you could kind of like tell the difference um uh because one's a lot nicer than the other. I'm I'm joking by the way, but yeah, and then we went past um we went past like um Cliftonville Stadium, uh and I and I used the word stadium like very, very loosely. Basically, it's like a it's like a football pitch like within terraced houses. So think like sort of Kelleworth Road Luton Stadium, but on a much smaller scale, and then kind of like along the river and then back in towards the city centre, and then to the finish. But um all I really remember about that race is that I wasn't focused, and what I mean by that is I wasn't like looking at like the pace or anything, I was just like running off feel. Um so up until like sort of the halfway point, like again when I where I saw my family, I kind of felt like relatively okay from probably I would say from about miles 16 onwards, so the last 10 miles onwards, like my body was just like completely fucked, and it was a massive just like game with me with my own head, just to like get me through to the finish, and I managed to do that, and um, you know, my uncle, cousin, sister, etc., they were all at the finish line, and like my uncle said to me at the halfway point, like I looked absolutely fine at the finish, I looked like a broken man, and that is exact exactly how I felt as well. Um, but yeah, my uh yeah, like I say, I wasn't like looking at the pace or anything, so I didn't really know what to expect. So I don't know what it was off the top of my head, but basically, yeah, with like the last 10 miles to go, my pace, my average pace just like plummeted every kilometre to the point where it was like over seven minutes per kilometre. So my time was four hours 19 for my debut marathon, and I was kind of like at the time, like, yeah, I've I've finished a marathon, that's that's a box tick ticked. I can say I've run a marathon, um, and I was really proud of myself, um, to be honest with you. And then like um, you know, needless to say, like maybe two or three hours later we went to the pub and I only had like the one Guinness because I was driving, but that's it's probably for the best, really, because any more than one, I probably um I probably would have been like an even more broken man than I was on across the finish line. But um, so yeah, and then kind of like this is weird, right? So like after Belfast Marathon, the first one, for like the following sort of few months, I guess I was on a bit of like um don't really know how to describe it, but it I was I kind of felt like really empty, and I just had like it was like sort of a come down from the first marathon. I kind of had like no motivation to do anything, you know, training right training-wise. Um I remember like I still went to the gym like quite regularly, but all my sessions were kind of like half-hearted with like no real purpose. I was kind of just like going through the motions. And then um, so anyway, the Belfast Marathon was like in April 2023, and in September that year, so maybe five months later, I did the Great North Run. And um, you know, for me, like the Great North Run, it was like a great experience, but it also wasn't a great experience because like um, you know, I'd been through like quite a tough time like the previous like couple of months, and my body was just in bits basically, just mentally and physically, I was broken, and so yeah, actually, like when I look back on it, like it was just like for me a great achievement just to reach the start line of the Great North Run, to be honest with you, and I didn't run like anywhere near to my full potential. So at the time I felt a bit sort of like subdued about it, but then like you know, context is everything, and yeah, actually, yeah, just to finish with it, absolutely like should have been proud and not felt ashamed of it, but that's kind of how I felt at the time, and then um, but anyway, going back to the finish of Belfast, like I was absolutely adamant that's it, I'm never running another marathon again. And honest, um honestly, like for the following few months, I was still in that sort of thought process, never doing another one again. So then, like, kind of like fast forward to April 2024, so coming up to like two years ago, um basically like it was the London marathon, and it was all over like TV and the internet and what have you, and it just like gave me that sort of inspiration, I guess. Um, so what I did is I entered the ballot for the London Marathon the following year, and as with 99% of people, I didn't get in. However, I entered um Manchester Marathon uh 2025, which was the same day as London actually. So uh yeah, that's for those watching, that's Matisha and my medal up there. The medal's pretty cool actually, I really like it. Um, but yeah, at that moment, yeah, it gave me that motivation to run the marathon, and I think um as I said on as I'd said earlier, you know, post Belfast, I was adamant I wasn't gonna do another one ever again. But I think like in the back of my mind, I felt like I could have done Belfast better, and I think if I'd trained trained for it better than I did, I could improve. And like I'm just like really sort of like competitive with myself and then like my own biggest critic. So yeah, I I set myself a target of like doing a sub four-hour marathon, and like so kind of like from January 2025 all the way to the end of April, you know, I trained like religiously for it because I kind of like looked back on the Belfast training block and I kind of like learned from it, so I knew what to do better, I knew what I did well, and I knew what I didn't do so well, kind of like learned from mistakes and also like I knew what to expect as well. And honestly, like the training block for Manchester was so much better uh than Belfast, and coming into Manchester Marathon last year, I felt really good about it too. Um and yeah, I I think in hindsight though, like I put a bit too much pressure on myself, like I really wanted to get like a sub-four-hour marathon, because like I said, like it's just something that it was like an itch that I needed to scratch. Um, that I just really wanted to achieve and get that box ticked. Now, like over the years, like I've been to Manchester quite a few times, as I'm sure a lot of you have, and you know, nine times out of ten you go to Manchester, it's dull, it's dark, it's miserable, and it's pissing it down, which is perfect weather for running, but not brilliant weather if you're wanting to like enjoy a weekend away. But then come race day for Manchester Marathon last year, and it decides to be like Barbados, it was just like absolutely roasting. Um like the weather was so hot, it was unbearable. And you know, I'd again like putting that pressure on myself like to run that sub four-hour time, I set off like far too fast. In fact, just to kind of like give you a more accurate sort of analysis, I suppose I'm just gonna like very quickly uh look it up on Strava so I can like look at my pace. Um but yeah, basically like I set off like far too fast. And I did like the fit I remember like there were two people I set off at like at the start of my wave because I didn't want to be sort of like held up by people for the first mile or so. So I started at the front of that, and my strategy was just to kind of like run as fast as I can and just sustain it for as long as I can, which was definitely the wrong thing to do. But I think like kind of like my adrenaline and my nerves and the pressure that I put on myself like got the better of me. So yeah, the first like 10k I'd run it in like 47, 48 minutes-ish or something like that. You know, my average pace was like, you know, below five minutes, and there were like two people in front of me, and I just kind of like tagged onto the back of them, you know, for the first like 8 to 10k, and then that was like where the sort of first water station was, and then I kind of lost them. Or more accurately, they lost me, should I say. Um, and I kind of like scrolling through my pace, and for the first like um the first like 26k out of 42, my slowest split was five minutes 21, so which is still like by my standards anyway, like really fast. But then from kilometre like 27 onwards, it was like 532, 534, 537, 539, 544, and then I get to kilometre 34, and then it starts being like six minutes upward. So, yeah, that last um my performance, like from you know, for for the last 10k basically, like basically like nose dyed and plummeted a bit. Like I say, it was like a really, really hot day, and kind of like to give you context, like I'd hydrated myself like really well, like drank plenty of water, plenty of electrolytes, and I had about maybe seven or eight uh gels as well. And even so, like I was still dehydrated, like it wasn't enough. I saw quite a few people on that day kind of like collapse to the floor. Um, it was like the conditions were just brutal. And actually, like with about 10k to go, like I felt like both of my quads like cramping up, which I've never felt before ever in my life. I was thinking, like, oh fucking hell, this isn't good. So I pulled over to the side of the road and actually stretched um both of my quads for like a minute in total, and I thought to myself, if this doesn't like go away, then I'm the then it's game over, basically, in the context of trying to get a PP and get that sub four-hour time. But thankfully, um they didn't cramp up again and I was able to carry on. But yeah, like it goes about saying like the pace was a lot lot slower for like that last 10k than in comparison to the first sort of two-thirds of the run. Um, but yeah, again, like sort of like my body like gave up before my mind did. Like in my mind, I was just like, right, just focus, just carry on. And I kept like doing like sort of like mental maths in my head. So you know, when I was like having those cramps in both of my quads and I stretched them and I carried on, and it was like 10k to go in my head. I'm kind of like, right, that's like two park runs to go. You know, one park run, 5k, it's nothing to me. So let's just, you know, if if I kind of like thought of it like that and break it down like that, then it doesn't feel like as long as it actually is, if that makes sense. So yeah, I kind of like really focused and mentally just pushed myself. And and I want to say again, like the crowd in Manchester were just like absolutely amazing, you know, like you've obviously got like the front of your sorry, your name on the front of your bib under your number, and I heard like just random people shouting, like, come on, Harry, and what have you, and it really did make a difference and gave me a massive lift. And then like um, yeah, eventually, like crossed the finish line, finished the marathon, finished my second ever marathon, and I wasn't exactly sure what my time was, but I knew that I'd done it in like a sub four hour at the time, and in the head, it was I was like absolutely buzzing mentally, but then like physically, like I was absolutely fucked. Um and then, you know, once you crossed the finish line, you then had to carry on walking for like absolutely ages to like get your medal and get your like your goodie bag and then go over to like the luggage place where you picked up your bag that you dropped dropped off at the start line, and that felt like an eternity. And like I remember I just like sat down on the pavement for like a good 10 minutes and just sort of like left myself to my own thoughts. I just needed to like take a take a break, just like physically and mentally. Then there was like there was like this last sat was sat next to me, like she'd just finished the marathon, and like she's she kind of said the same thing that she was like absolutely fucked, and she said to herself, well, she said to me that like she wasn't sure what time she got or anything. I just said like to her, like, you know, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what time you got, you just ran a marathon, you should be really proud of yourself. But that's what I should have kind of thought too, without putting any pressure on myself in terms of getting the time. Because actually, yeah, like if you run a marathon or a half marathon or a 10k or whatever, it actually does not matter what your time was. The fact that you've like got to the start line, attempted it, and finished it is like an incredible achievement. But I guess like when it comes to like myself, you know, I'm again like I'm very competitive with myself, and I'm like my own worst enemy, uh, and my own biggest critic. So kind of like it's easy to like give other people advice, but not necessarily follow it yourself, you know. I'm a prime example of that. Um, but yeah, like I say, like got this medal over my shoulder, like really cool. Love the medal and the t-shirt, and um yeah, such a hot day, but yeah, like saw my family afterwards, and like their support meant the world to me. And my time was three hours fifty-one, so like not only had like I got a sub four hour, but I got it by like a nine-minute margin as well. So it's like absolutely chuffed and over the moon with it as well. And then um, so like that was Manchester, like fucking hell, like really hot day. I cannot tell you how hot it was, uh, but it was brutal. And anyone who did the London marathon on that same day will tell you the same, and um Leeds Marathon, which I didn't do, but that was like two or three weeks later, and like that was a really hot day too. So, yeah, it was brutal, and hopefully it won't be as hot as that uh this year, but um and then so kind of then I'd entered an ultra marathon, um, which I was supposed to do actually the following weekend after Manchester, but I decided to like bail on it uh purely because of the uh of the weather and the temperatures, because even like the following Friday, like after Manchester, like I still hadn't physically fully recovered, you know, my legs still felt like concrete, and normally I recover a lot quicker than that. But I just thought to myself, like, I'm better off just like deferring my ultra, do it another time. So I changed it to like December, which I'll get on to later on. But then we did um when was it now? I think it was in May, so maybe about six five or six weeks later. Um me and Julia did something called the Grim Reaper Ultra. So it's a place called uh Grimsford Castle in Lincolnshire, so that's the medal there. Um and Grim Reaper was like a rather appropriate uh name for it. So basically, in a lot to in a nutshell, it was um four laps of a uh 10-mile loop or just over 10 miles, um mixed elevation, mixed terrain, and yeah, to cut a long story short, it was absolutely brutal. Um and I remember on lap three, like my I can't even remember which knee it was, but my knee was like absolutely fucked basically, absolutely parkered, felt like it was just gonna come off. And it again, it was like a real mental battle. And you know, by the time we um finished the third, the third lap, by the way, the third lap of that Grim Reaper Ultra is the hardest thing I've ever done, just that third lap alone. Like it it was just like it just mentally destroyed me. And I can't even like explain it, and I and I think like not in like a not in like an arrogant way, but I feel like only people who have also run ultra marathons will kind of like be able to relate to this, but yeah, it just like mentally destroyed me. I was a broken man, you know, physically and but more so mentally, and then got to the end of the third lap and I was kind of like um in an aring whether to do another lap or not. And I thought to myself, you know what, actually I'm gonna carry on, but I'm just gonna walk it because I don't like when it comes to ultramarathons, I couldn't care less like what my time is or what my pace is or anything like that, it's just all about reaching the finish line. So, you know, after like barely being able to move, I walked for a little bit and I thought, you know what, like this is gonna take all day for walk. So I actually did manage to like run quite a bit of that last lap, and actually the fourth and final lap mentally was a lot easier than the third lap because I knew that it was my last lap, I think, more than anything. But yeah, I was still like completely cooked by the time I'd finished it. But yeah, again, like that was my first ultra marathon, and yeah, just really pleased with how I finished it, really well put on event, actually. Um, and I actually considered entering it again this year, but it clashes uh with my mate Stagdu, so I can't do it. But um, to be honest with you, like a weekend in Lisbon um on the booze might be just as difficult, but in in an entirely different way. But um, so that was that, and then kind of then we had um more races booked basically just for a change. So in uh September was quite a busy month uh last year because um so my they end so I entered the ballot for the Great North Run, didn't get in, but on the same day was the Vale of York half marathon, like just outside of Selby. Um so I did the Vale of York half marathon, and it was just one of those days where I woke up on the right side of the bed and felt really good. I wasn't like aiming for a particular time or anything. Um I just kind of after a couple of kilometres, I was like, you know what, I feel pretty good here. I'm just gonna run a bit faster and try and sustain my pace. And I managed to do it. I think I did it in like an hour and 41, maybe. Um, but it whatever it was, it it like it was a PB and like a nice unexpected PB and a really well-run event, by the way, as well. Really enjoyed it. One thing I will say though is like the medal was just like a joke. So basically, the medal itself in a veil of York half is just a piece of plywood. Like looked like something that I could have made myself in year seven woodwork. It's yeah, a bit bit mm-hmm. I don't want to sound like an idiot, but just not not to my liking personally. Put it this way, if someone stole it from me, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. But um anyway, it was a really good event. So that was like the beginning of September last year, and then two weeks later, me and Max did the Keswick half marathon, and you know, there's a lot of hills in Keswick, obviously, with it being in the late district, and then a lot of it like went alongside Derwent Water and back into Keswick Town Centre, finished at the rugby club, and yeah, that was like a really well-run event. Um, I didn't go for a time, I took it like steady, ended it in like two hours, um, because the following week was the Loch Ness marathon, which is um that t-shirt there. Um, but basically, like, yeah, Loch Ness is really good. Did that with Max again, so we like drove up on the Saturday morning, it was like a seven, eight-hour drive or something like that. Um anyone who wants to do a marathon, um, I highly recommend Loch Ness. Um, beautiful, beautiful scenery, as you can imagine. So basically, like, you know, we stayed in Inverness in an Airbnb, and what happens is in the morning you get on a coach, the coach drives you down the the west side of uh Loch Ness and then turns at Fort Augustus and then goes back up a little bit and drops you off at like the start area. So you're starting like on sort of like the southeast of Loch Ness, and then you basically run all the way up uh the side of it, and then you like get into Inverness, and that's the marathon. So there's a bit of elevation, so you actually like go downhill quite a bit at the beginning, and then there's a few like uphill bits. Um, but that was actually quite a challenging build-up for me because that week like leading up to it, like I really struggled uh with my asthma. So like even like you know, sit even if I took my dog for a walk or if I walked up the stairs, I you know, I just like I could hardly breathe basically. I wasn't in the best of uh places. Um and yeah, I wasn't too sure how I was gonna fare, to be honest with you. So, but in a way, it was like actually kind of a good thing because it meant when I got to Inverness and got to the start line, like I did I put no pressure on myself uh whatsoever. And my mate Max actually said to me at the start line off, like uh you're gonna get a sub four hour today, Harry. You're gonna get a PB. And I was just like, shut up, Max, like it's it's not gonna happen. But anyway, like so, probably for like the first like 30k, I would say, like, the time and the pace, it wasn't even on the mind. I just took it at like kind of a steady pace, and then with about sort of five, maybe 10k to go, I kind of realised that actually a PB was on the card. So I kind of just like tried to maintain the pace for as long as I could until the end. Um and by the way, like it goes without saying like the scenery around Loch Nests, just excuse me, absolutely beautiful, and then like it was kind of like you know, blue skies, really nice day, not too hot, not too cold, it was perfect. Got to the finish. Um, and I wasn't too sure what my time was because, like, you know, you watch you know, your Garmin and your Strava on race day, it's never going to be 100% accurate, you know. You always go off your chip time, uh, which is official. And yeah, it turns out that I did it in three hours fifty, so it actually ran one minute faster than Manchester, which is quite amazing, really, to when you consider like in comparison to Manchester, I wasn't like necessarily going for a PB, it wasn't even on the radar. I was I definitely didn't set off too fast, I took it a bit too steady and all, so there was a bit of elevation, so it was like a really unexpected, pleasant surprise in terms of like getting a PB. So yeah, I was like really happy with that, and then in my mind as well, I'd kind of thought about entering the Yorkshire Marathon, which was I can't remember the exact date, but maybe about three weeks later or something like that. And I entered the Yorkshire Marathon like the week before it actually took place. Um, but obviously, like I'd still had like a decent base level of fitness because it wasn't long after Loch Ness. And um I think for York Marathon I did put a bit of pressure on myself to put a B to get a PBs. I thought to myself, if I like it's gonna be a cold day, it's not gonna be hot like Manchester, you know, York compared to Lochness is flat as a pancake, and I just thought, and I feel good, so I thought to myself, you know what, let's like go for it and just see what happens. And yeah, it was a good route was your was York, and again, like good crowds. Um the only the only slight negative about York is that like anyone who's done it before knows that that road from Stamford Bridge to Dunnington and then sort of back halfway up it, it feels like it goes on absolutely forever, and then also kind of like the last sort of one and a half kilometres, you've got like a bit of an incline uh towards the finish line. So, yeah, like those two bits were quite brutal, but you know, it's a it's a relatively good route, is York, and yeah, felt really good throughout to be honest. If you kind of like um, I think with about 10k to go, I felt like I'd hit a bit of a wall, but like nowhere near as bad as Manchester. So in my head, I was just like, right, come on, just keep it going. And um, yeah, crossed the finish line, and yeah, I was really delighted. I managed to like knock another 10 minutes off on PB, so I did it in like three hours 40, and I was like absolutely over the moon, really, really happy with that, but also like you know, it was my fourth marathon in the bag, so yeah, just like amazing what difference like two and a half years makes, you know. After Belfast, I was like absolutely adamant that I was never gonna do another marathon again, and then fast forward two and a half years and I've gone and done three more plus an ultra, I was just like, you know, like I've got the bug for it now, and I kind of like you know, feel like I'd do like sort of class myself as a runner now because bizarrely I never did before. And then so that was the Yorkshire marathon, kind of like mid to late excuse me, mid to late October, and then if I go back to what I mentioned earlier, so I'd entered an Ultra the week after Manchester, but then deferred my entry. So that was in Durham, and I ended up doing it in like the middle of December, and Julia did it with me, so it was like 50k, so basically it's a marathon plus another 7 and a bit K. Um, so that's the medal there. So like the organizers are called Saturn Running, really good, really kind of like friendly atmosphere, and everyone is like really good to each other, uh, just no pressure whatsoever. And like I say, with an ultra, again, I I didn't care what my time was, I just wanted to do it uh just to enjoy it. And so basically it was like a 7k loop, so seven laps, and then plus kind of like a mini out and back to round it up to uh 50k. Um, but yeah, really enjoyable event. Um, but yeah, starting I started to struggle really from like probably like the fifth lap onwards, and then the seventh and final lap, like my back was just in bits, just like screaming at me to stop. Um, but like this slap called Simon was running with me on the last slap, and like just having him with me and chatting to him, it just like really, really helped me kind of like get through it because like mentally and physically it really was a struggle, and yeah, got to the finish line and again just like just to like get that other medal realm a neck and get the second ultra in the back, just like really, really pleased and proud of it. And looking back on like 2025, you know, as a whole with my running, yeah, just couldn't have asked for any more, really, like just really pleased with it. Um, but I've kind of just like spent the last uh so when I'm recording this, by the way, I can't see how long I've been going for, so like could have been it's always like longer than I thought it was, basically. But yeah, I've kind of talked about sort of like um me wanting to like set myself targets for myself and try and do certain times and what have you. Um, but actually like the main reason why I go running is just like it makes me feel uh good about myself, it like gives me a purpose. Like when I when I have like a training block, it just gives me something to focus on, which is like really good for me, you know, like for the mind, and it gives me like that bit of structure and routine, and it also gives me that sense of achievement. And you know, it just like like whenever I've like gone for a run, it doesn't matter whether it was like a 5k, a 10k, 20, whatever it may be. Like when I get back, I've I never like regret doing a run after I've come back home from one. I always like feel like loads loads better, like physically and mentally, you know, and it and it definitely like clears my head and takes the mind off things. Um and then you know, it you just like when you're running, it's just like escapism for me. Um, but then also like obviously like really good for my fitness and good for like my overall health. So yeah, and you know, more to the point, like even though I've even though like a few times I've mentioned how like it's like mentally destroyed me, it actually is really good for me mentally, and it just makes me feel uh really good, gives me that sense of achievement, and yeah, bizarrely, I do really enjoy it too. So um, yeah, um if we kind of like go back to this year, so yeah, as you're listening to this, um, well, as I'm recording this, road marathon is in two weeks' time, but as you're listening to it, I will have done it earlier today. So yeah, um, yeah, touch wood, um, it went well as you listen to this. I'm sure I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. But yeah, I'm doing road marathon um today on 22nd of March, and then I'm gonna forget something, so I'll get my notes up. So yeah, um the only thing I'm definitely doing then is I'm doing the aught 10k with uh Max and Rob on the 2nd of August. Um I've done that a few times um over the years, and yeah, it's a really nice route, really good um organized event as well. So I'm looking forward to that one. Um and then 20th of September, I'm doing the Warrington half marathon, and then October's gonna be a busy month, so 11th of October, excuse me. Um me and my mate Max are doing the Chicago marathon, which I'm absolutely like buzzing for, really, really can't wait for it. Um so like my kind of like goal is to do all of the world marathon majors. So to give you an idea, you've got Boston, which is like the the OG of marathons, if you like. You've then got New York, Chicago, London, Berlin as well. Then you've also got um Tokyo, um, which had some recording, this was last weekend, and then you've also got Sydney, which recently became one, and then it's either and then Cape Town is going to become one next year, I think, and then either like Shanghai or Beijing, one of the two will become one, I think, in a few years' time. But yeah, basically, I want to do like all the um world marathon majors, and it like they're ridiculously hard to get into because so so many people enter the ballot. Um, so obviously, like only a tiny portion of people get in. So, like with Chicago, like I entered it just not expecting to get in because previously I'd entered London, Berlin, and Sydney and didn't get into any of them. So I got into Chicago and I was like, oh fucking hell, that's well good, amazing. And then half an hour later I get a um get a message off uh Max saying he'd got in as well. So yeah, just absolutely buzzing for that, like, even better that that he got into it as well. So yeah, we're both gonna fly out to Chicago together, do the marathon together. And from what I've been told by other people who've been to Chicago before, apparently it's like a really cool place as well. So yeah, just really, really looking forward to it. Um, and then two weeks after Chicago marathon, I'm doing Valencia half marathon, which is one of the uh super halves. Um so that'll be my first super half that I do as well, and I want to do all them too. Uh so yeah, just um yeah, really looking forward to that. Valencia apparently, and again, is like another really cool place. So I've just mentioned like the world marathon majors. If we look at like the super halves, you've got Lisbon, which was actually uh today, actually, as I'm recording this. You've then got Prague and Berlin, which are on the same weekend of as each other. So Prague's on the Saturday, and Berlin's on the Sunday, that's like at the end of the month. Then you've got Copenhagen, Cardiff, and then Valencia. So I applied for Cardiff and I didn't get in, but then I got into Valencia, which is like again, really looking forward to it. But yeah, I want to do like all the World Marathon majors and all the super halves, like that's like my life goal. Um, so I'll just like keep entering the ballots and just hopefully I'll get lucky. Uh, more often than not, I know obviously I'm gonna get rejected because you know the odds are like very slim. Um, if you don't get into a ballot, I know you can like enter one through a charity place, but I know for like London Marathon, for example, you've got to raise like two and a half or three grand for a charity, so it's obviously like a lot to ask. Not impossible, but like a really big uphill task. So yeah, um hopefully I'll get them all ticked off one day, but it might take me several years to do so. But yeah, I'm just gonna keep applying and see what happens because if you don't shoot, you don't score. Um, so yeah, that's kind of uh where I'm at really running wise. Um, if anyone has any like questions about running, or kind of like if you want to get started, but you're not quite sure what to do, if you need any help or advice, then yeah, just drop something in the comments below or send me a DM, be more than happy um to answer them for you. So yeah, um I'm gonna wrap it up here. So that's uh yeah, the end of episode four. So yeah, hopefully you enjoyed it, found it interesting and insightful. If you did, then please like and subscribe. Whether you're watching on YouTube or listening to it on Spotify, tell your friends about it, share it with your friends. Um and uh yeah, like I say, if anybody, uh any local business wants to sponsor the podcast, then like please get in touch um with me. I know there's like um quite a few kind of like fitness brands and farm shops and things like that around. So yeah, if you want to promote your business, then yeah, just get in touch and we can do something really good together. Um so yeah, episode five will be out next week. Um as I'm recording this, I'm not too sure what it's gonna be about yet because it's quite a while away. But yeah, just keep an eye on my Instagram page and I'm and I'm sure you'll find out. And like I say, if you have any questions or anything you want me um to talk about, then yeah, just uh put it in the comments below. Uh thanks for your support, and I will see you again soon. Cheers, bye bye.