The Aussie Runner Podcast
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122 episodes
It’s not often you meet someone who landed their dream job … but that’s true of Athletics Australia CEO Peter Bromley. Jez & Damo chat with the man that’s presided in the top job during some amazing times for our beloved sport … a rich upward streak of success for our athletes, COVID & recently the puzzling Peter Bol testing story. Learn about Peter’s athletic past, his pedigree in executive business leadership, the task they’ve set for the Sydney Marathon as a world major, how engaging with Aussie sporting legends helps & what he learnt during COVID that’s repaying in spades.
Damo and Jez talk to cowboy hat wearing, holder of the fastest known time for running across Canada, previous World Record for 24-Hour Treadmill Run champ, Author, charity founder / fundraiser, master of the mind trick, massage therapist and all round nice guy Dave Proctor … hear about his mammoth crossing of a continent, his book ‘untethered’, the vault, his four mind animals, the highs and lowest lows of running an epic challenge and last but by no means least … Dave delivers quite possibly our best treadmill related toilet challenge EVER :-)
Geoff & Neil talk to Tamworth local & gym owner, 400m Masters athlete, strength & 100m - 5000m running coach, past Athletics NSW Club Coach of the year & TV’s Ultimate Tag semi-finalist … Jay ‘Carved from’ Stone. Learn if spewing during training is a good thing, why a kettle ball is his go to & why you really shouldn’t play join the dots with Neil.
Jez & Damo chat to Nike Head Coach, elite marathoner with a handy 2:17:20 PB, Melbourne based Kiwi Dave Ridley. Learn how he’s leveraged consistency to keep injury at bay, how trail running is easy :-) … why his clients must have a long term training mindset if he’s going to work with them, why his wife put him in a wheelchair the day before the Seoul marathon and how drafting an elite poo-jogger wasn’t an ideal race strategy.
Neil & Geoff chat to elite trail runner, coach, sports doctor, sport nutrition company co-founder and, until recently, UTA 50k record holder Dr Andrius Ramonas. The boys learn about the ethos behind Roam’s all natural alternatives to the dreaded sports gel, how Andrius incorporates sports medicine into his & his clients running and provides a fascinating insight into how you should balance carbs and fat during training & racing.
Jez & Damo round out the year by chatting to up & coming Castle Hill local 800m speedster, National Champ, 2 x World U20 Championships Silver medallist, European Diamond League competitor & US University of Washington Athlete Carley Thomas. Learn the tips & tricks she learnt at the elite Diamond League, how she recovered from a horrific leg injury involving a speed boat, rubber ring & some concrete water, recovering almost miraculously to take her first jog 4 months in & racing 9 months later! Learn how her team of sports professionals & several leading edge technologies came together to get her up & running again. A lovely Aussie youngster with bags of talent & a heartwarming recovery story.
How do you take 5 hrs 12 mins off your 88 km Comrades time? ... by running a smoking 5 hrs 42 mins, coming first in the 50 year-old + age group and breaking an 11 year old masters record … that’s how! Geoff & Neil talk to Aussie 50k World Champs rep Wayne Spies, a man who just seems to get better the older he gets, who embraces a highly endearing & infectiously positive mindset based on getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. The boys learn about his progression through 11 Comrades attempts culminating in his epic last run, running out of water with an hour to go at a sweltering World Champs in India & Wayne shares some of his most hard earned tips & tricks for pushing your distance running to the next level.
Jez & Damo speak to Olympic, Commonwealth Games & 6 time defending Australian 400 metres champion speedster Steve Solomon. Learn of his meteoric rise at a young age, his junior records, US College time at Stanford, being the first Aussie man in 24 years to reach the 400m Olympic final & also the first Aussie since Cathy Freeman to do so. Steve lays out exactly what he needs to do to beat the current Aussie record, delves in to how he utilises mental strength & how a sock came in handy for our number 2 favourite question :-)
Geoff & Neil reappear from a mysterious hiatus and sit back down with ‘The Bull’ Chris Turnbull after his epic 3856 km, 100 km+ per day (!!!), 39 day record run from Perth to Sydney. Learn about the logistics, the closed road, the emotional, physical & mental stresses, how he worked through them plus the thousands of boiled eggs and A LOT of sandwiches.
Jez & Damo speak to the inspirational ex-military ultra-running near death accident survivor Rodney ‘Rocket’ Cottam. Hear how Rod went from an elite soldier involved in a serious motor vehicle accident sustaining several injuries (including spinal nerve damage) to 12 months recovery and ultimately becoming a big run specialist focused on raising awareness for some excellent causes like Invictus & the ZERO600 challenge. Learn about the struggles many involuntary discharged ex-service people face & how this incredibly impactful challenge is helping them & many others too.
Jez & Damo chat with a prolific Aussie legend of the 70s, 80s & 90s track scene, 1500m specialist, 15 year career, dual Olympian, dual world championships, 4 Commonwealth Games & one time Australian 1500m champion. A man with the most sub 4 min miles in Australian history & the only person to have run an all time fastest top 10 mile actually in his home country … a ripper of a top bloke, Pat Scammell!
A chug special! … Jez and Damo speak to Melissa Vandewater, the mastermind behind the Aussie Beer Mile. Explore the collision of elite runners and drinkers, the notorious 11 am Chunder Mile, the 100 Beer week long 100-miler, delve into strategic beer choices, the "dregs controversy" and training your stomach with a watermelon. Hear the essential beer mile do's and don'ts and whether Mel successfully dodged a vomit-propelled-high-velocity meat pie.
Geoff & Neil catch up with local Sydney ultra-runner Chris ‘Bullie’ Turnbull before he heads off on a once in a lifetime run. They chat all things Vegemite sandwiches, dingo bait and running ‘East’. In his time Bullie has put his body through some EPIC adventures from Kayaking across the Tasman to running from Sydney to Melbourne … hear about them & learn how he’s now set his sights on a 3940 km ‘holiday run’ from Perth to Sydney. Learn why, how & when this top Aussie bloke is lacing up his runners & heading East (spoiler:he kicks off next week).
Jez & Damo speak to one of Australia’s top 10 fastest marathoners of all time, a man that’s also pretty handy at 1500m, 5000m, cross country and landed himself in that top 10 in only his 3rd marathon! … ladies & gents … Andy Buchanan, one of our most exciting prodigious marathon talents, all round top bloke & connoisseur of high-end contemporary Australian bakery. Andy takes us through his training, the recent & genuinely magnificent 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Jelly Slices & Snot Blocks.
Neil & Geoff talk to avid runner, podcaster, ex Athletics NSW mar-comms guru, Pont3 Digital Marketing Manager & NSW athletics Track favourite James Constantine. The boys get the the inside track on how Pont3 are battling to get the Sydney Mara recognised as a major over the next few years, how they need your help rocketing spectatorship to new levels, go behind the scenes at a few of Sydney’s biggest running events, find out why he loves running hills, how volunteering is chicken soup for the soul & why not to use Parkrun as your weekly time trial.
4 years, 1 baby, another on the way & a scintillating Commonwealth Games Gold victory … Jez & Damo once again catch up with Lululemon ambassador, Olympian, mum & proud South Australian running gem, the delightful Jess Stenson. Find out how motherhood has given her running/training an extra edge, hear a fascinating blow by blow trip through her Commonwealth Games Gold medal run, what baby #2 means for Paris & what the future might hold.
It’s Australia’s biggest trail running festival week! … it’s time for the amazing Ultra Trail Australia and Neil & Geoff catch up with a UTA legend Scotty Richmond … 10 x UTA 100km with 3 finishes in the top 10 … but wait, this guy’s no slacker … graphic designer, children’s entertainer 'Ozzie', YouTube sensation, AFL coach & local Shire boy. Will he add Guinness World Record holder to that list? … find out how he’s planning on combining 300km, 43 km a day & dribbling a football to make history, his tips for competing/completing UTA 100 km & the moving reason that keeps him motivated to run & to never give up.
Geoff & Neil speak to a man that’s made a name for himself in multi-day, frozen, sled carrying ultras … the kind where your back up plan if things go wrong is you & only you … oh & he’s also an high altitude mountaineer, Dad, author, TEDx presenter, nerd, Pharmacist & MBA. Meet Paul Watkins, climber of the major peaks on all seven continents, the second Aussie to finish the 6633 Arctic Ultra & the first to win it. Learn about his most recent race in Lapland, how he manages to train for super-cold races in the Australian climate, how he balances training with the typical family responsibilities and how a average mid-pack ultra runner wins long tough cold stuff halfway around the other side of the world.
He’s off!!! Aussie ultra-running’s most prolific living legend, Pat Farmer, has kicked off a monster run around Australia … AGAIN … this time he’s running to help raise awareness for The Voice referendum and Jez & Damo catch up with him just before he grabs his runners and gets going. Learn what it takes to plan & train for a 14,400 km 6 month multi-day ultra-run, what he’s been doing since we last spoke in 2019 (spoiler:a lot), how time & action have become his most important tools, what changes in his training have been driven by age and how the secret to being an ultra-runner is really just ‘the ability to keep running while feeling like a bag of dog poop’ :-) … and the boys also get an early view on the new Under Armour carbon plated Flow Velociti Elite shoes & some shiny new running gear.
Jez & Damo speak to ‘Boobs on the run’ founder Mel Warman, a fantastically unique spin on a running group & a lovely human being to boot. Learn how her Mum inspired her to set it up, how it works, the success stories & why pace / distance are importantly, not a thing. Learn how they keep their members going mentally, avoid common pitfalls of getting started with running, the magic number of runs per week and the self care required to keep on running. Learn why determination trumps motivation every time, why you should steer clear of Mel & her morning tea & we unearth another VERY important running concept … what’s your #pootrigger?
Geoff & Neil speak to the one & only Claudine Chicheportiche, the high performance mindset coach behind many successful athletes, leaders & entrepeneurs. It is no coincidence that this karate mad mind boggler has coached the last two male Coast to Kosciuszko 240km winners. Learn exactly what mindset training is, how to become a super-coachable human, what winning from freedom not fear is, the secret of mindset by design, what real self-awareness & growth mindset is & ultimately how to both know & create the runner you want to be. Jump on the comfy chair, lie back & tune in, this one is for all of your little grey brain cells.
Jez & Damo go way back to the beginning, chatting once again to local Sydney marathon legend & speedster David Crinti … learn how his ground breaking Run Beyond Project has developed, how fatherhood has impacted his running, answer: he now has a 17 min park run with a pram PB :-), his thoughts on the coast to Kosciusko reboot, Deek's record going, our first Kona-ironman-loo story and we create a new & exciting niche area for data analysis, run-poo-nalytics.
Episode 100!!! … Jez & Damo mark the occasion by chatting with one of Bondi Rescue’s favourite Lifeguards, Andrew ‘Reidy” Reid. This guy packs a lot in to life, runner, cyclist, swimmer, open ocean paddler, ironman, TV star, Dad, MC, event director, photographer, ex garbo & a genuine true blue top Aussie bloke. Amongst many fascinating insights & stories learn how Reidy transformed from a 120 kg chain smoking drinker to what he is today, how Bondi Rescue & running changed his life and … !newsflash! … do we finally have an origin story for the infamous poo jogger?
It’s not often you hear someone unpack how they went from back-of-the-pack to podium athlete, a truly fascinating insight for runners of all distances ... hear Geoff & Neil discover an emotional love story starring the premier invite only 240km Coast to Kosciuszko (c2k) ultramarathon & its 2022 winner, athlete, fireman, passionate husband & Dad, Rob Mason. A story 12 long years in the making, 6 c2k finishes later, 12 hours off his first attempt of nearly 40 hrs & ultimately sowing the seed that led to an ‘all in’ declaration in 2022 to not just take part, but to win. Find out what the ‘all in’ approach actually involved, what he learnt from previous winners, why he employed a mindset coach, how to turn your support crew into professionals & exactly which 3 questions he asks himself hundreds of times mid-race.
3 years on, Geoff & Neil sit back down with Australian Ultra running’s equivalent of Russell Crowe, prolific International podium snatcher & super-coach, bro from across the ditch, Scotty Hawker (NZ). With a recent 2nd spot at UTA100 the boys speak to Scotty about the changing landscape of UTA, what he’s learnt about training, injury, nutrition, check-point tips/tricks & multiple cycles of plant vs meat based diets (may include traces of egg :-)).
Jez & Damo chat to the ACT Brumbies most capped player, publican & parkrun fanatic Ben Alexander, a power-house prop with 154 Brumbies appearances & 72 Wallabies caps. Learn how his parents steered him from the precipice of Uni & Rugby abject failure to a barn-storming 10 year career in the top flight, how running helped him through retirement & some tough times, what a PB leg press attempt & diarrhoea have in common & which Royal survived a meet & greet with the Wallabies on neat gin :-)
Geoff & Neil catch up with Allicia Heron, the up & coming star of Aussie 24/48hr track running who recently took home the bronze medal at the IAU 24hr Asia and Oceania Championships in India. Learn how her 15+ years in military service has helped give her the edge, how she deploys the Buddha/Bad arse strategy, how the Bad arse gets her in & out of trouble, how to train for ultra events when all you have is a small boat or a 1.6km loop (that she spent 6 hrs or 60km on recently!) and how she’s preparing for Australia’s premier ultra running event, the one & only 240km Coast to Kosciusko.
Jez & Damo speak to a lady who in the 1988 Seoul Olympics delivered one of Australia’s finest gold medal performances … it’s the final straight of the 400m hurdles final, Debbie Flintoff-King OAM faces a Russian runner with a seemingly insurmountable lead, and BOOM, with ‘a heart bigger than Phar Lap’ she surges and grabs a sensational victory on-the-line … go watch the video on YouTube, you won’t be disappointed, then listen to this fascinating episode :-) … a lovely lady & true Aussie running legend.
Neil & Geoff speak to back yard ultra specialist & champ Phil Gore. A man that’s won the last 10 ultra marathons he’s taken part in over the last 2 years, learn how COVID transformed this 5k streak runner (1132 5k days in a row!) and park run fanatic in to quite possibly Australia’s best last man standing competitor. Learn about the back yard ultra race format, Phil’s sleep strategies, tips & tricks, what he hopes to take on next and how ‘practicing boredom’ for this kind of race is essential.
Damo & Jez talk to the 'Flying Fickel' ... a true people’s champ of Aussie running … the legend, the one & only Bob Fickel! … the master of the race running streak, a man who recently celebrated running his 300th marathon, has 31 6ft track marathon finishes under his belt, 40+ City to Surf, 70+ ultra marathons, 30+ Canberra maras & a bonafide Blue Line Legend. Find out Bob’s why, his adventures in the famous Sydney to Melbourne ultra-marathon with legends such as Cliffy Young, Yiannis Kouros & Pat Farmer. Also hear how this plucky septuagenarian still powers through his training & what he’s planning next.
