Episode 97 - Sam Amend - Grand Union Canal Race Winner

 

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

run, race, bit, thought, miles, feel, hours, gary, 100k, training, track, friends, put, year, day, week, little bit, good, great, started

SPEAKERS

Sam Amend, Edwina Sutton, Gary Thwaites

Gary Thwaites 30:18

This week we chat with some amend some is mum GB athlete 50k 100k 24 hours and a British record 100 mile at 14 hours. 10 minutes and 41 seconds. We'll catch up with her a week after a record breaking overall we're at the Grand Union canal race 145 run from Birmingham to London. I just saw love to super lucky to be joined by some a mentor, dear fresh from the grant union.

 

Edwina Sutton 31:31

Oh, Fred, I wouldn't have been able to shower. She's already done Body Pump?

 

Gary Thwaites 31:37

Well, I thought listeners are familiar with the name all the way back in 2020. Episode Five, there's been computer that always shows how we numbered them in the past, but you came on shore about the temps path 100. So yeah, this is want to go back and catch up with that. And they'll be awesome. But we've asked every guest these questions. But Hi, Sam, where are you? What is the view from your window? Well, you know, the Euro window and have you been for a run to deer.

 

Sam Amend 32:06

So I'm actually at home and taking a break from work and I'm sitting out in my garden which is in South Oxfordshire. So I'm in near Wallingford. And have I been for a run? No, I haven't used it the first time in many, many years. Because I've done so much and I'm sure you'll get on to this in the later conversation. I've done a lot of racing over the last couple of weeks. So I figured with my run that I did at the weekend because it was so long I would give myself a few days off so I agreed with my coach no running until Wednesday. So no I haven't but I have been to the gym

 

Gary Thwaites 32:39

well I think we're both pretty surprised when you said you had was Body Body combat or battle combat

 

Sam Amend 32:48

body combat and spin yesterday but so a little bit like you know when you go to the gym and you haven't done anything for a very long time and everything aches the next day is kind of if you get back into it and use yourself gently I found I went from Saturday where I was shuffling and I mean proper shuffling feeling and loads of pay to Sunday starting to walk better and taking my dogs out for the walks. To then feeling kind of really amazing on Monday thinking actually, I don't even feel like I've run them. Yeah, no, I bought I did two walks with the dogs that didn't mind I've stuck to my guns. And then I went to the gym and did some cross training just to get the body back flowing as well because I don't want to stiffen up I had a massage, which was incredibly painful. And then I went and did spin in the evening and here I am this morning having done cross training for 30 minutes and body combat. Yeah.

 

Gary Thwaites 33:39

Is the body combat is it because I get the speed. I could probably get my head around doing that. But is there a bit of impact with the body combat,

 

Sam Amend 33:47

it's martial arts. So it's obviously almost like shadow boxing. So you do it in front of a mirror you have an instructor it's a Les Mills, I love Les Mills, classes, and I didn't do body pump because it's lifting weights. My body is obviously still fatigued. But it's boxing, uppercuts twisting, so it's all a full workout and any of the really hard intense leg workout depending on how my legs feel, although I can still bounce. I just take the impact down. I love it.

 

Gary Thwaites 34:13

Yeah, how are your feet holding up?

 

Sam Amend 34:16

My feet were quite sore yesterday, but because I like to say I like brutal pain. I actually don't I mean any runner that's puts themselves through the things that we do. You have to almost accept pain if they were sore, so I had someone use their thumb, this massage therapist, but they go on the plantar which is incredibly painful all around the ankle. So where you've got your rotation, and also dorsiflex is always really stiff after but other than that I said to her, Do you think my body looks in a bad state? She said I can't believe you've run what you have. And you've gone through this and she said actually, it's in a really good state and I came out a little bit stiff, woke up this morning and felt fine. And actually it's really helped. So she worked on my hip flexors. She did all the stretching as well and I did have a massage before I went and did my event that weekend, I always felt if you do it a few days out, it just gets your body into that state to race. So it's something that I've always factored in. I don't care about the cost. It's something that's kept me on the road. physio, I call it physio massage, because it's a bit of both.

 

Gary Thwaites 35:15

I think it's good actually, to factor it all in sometimes, you know, we spend so when you're on trainers, and what have you, the bits of admin people overlook? So yes, it's good advice that

 

Edwina Sutton 35:25

Sam I really want to ask you all about your training, it seems like the next good question. But before that, we're in a war as well, because we know what you've already done this year. So could you tell us a little bit? Well tell the story of your year so far, who our listeners are absolutely huge and incredible. And we should put a an asterix here that Sam is not formal. So if you're listening to this going, Oh my God, I feel like I feel USACE like Sam has been doing this for years. And also she's she won't mind me calling her a little bit of a freak of nature. She's there she knows. So just just to take onboard like, this is just an amazing athlete and amazing lady, and no comparison is needed. But tell us a little bit about Yeah, you're amazing you've had so far.

 

Sam Amend 36:10

So this year kind of had to change because we weren't sure when the World Championship, I guess the qualifier race, which was the Anglo Celtic play, and I know already you've done the ACP yourself before, we wasn't really sure when that was going to be. So originally, I was planning to do a marathon. So it was going to be Manchester marathon at the beginning of April. And then when the date was announced, because I'm also on the team management, which is where my late coach Norman also used to contribute to so I started to help support them. And when I found out that was going to be on the third of April, it was a case of having to change my training. So I started the year with running the country to capital getting a long race in and I can honestly say the conditions were horrific. I hadn't even thought about doing the Grand Union canal. Then I just knew the back section of the Grand Union canal. And let's just say heavy rain. hypothermic. I don't remember much about the race. It was a mud bath. It was literally a stretch out to get to the race. And I look back at my face, I looked at how great I looked. I got there and I finished but it was an accomplishment because it said right. That's the first race of the year. I've got through and I survived. Then I did a lot of cross country for the club. So I run for Belgrave Harriers, and those were just little bits to keep me chicken over the training had gone really well over Christmas. And then my coach and wanting was working with me on the next targets and the next target actually became the Anglo Celtic play. And in order to do that, we push my marathon forward. So I found any marathon I could because Seville was already booked up. And I was struggling to get any type of face or communication. So I found one in Cheshire, I have to say it wasn't enjoyable. It was on Autumn parks. So it was the GP motor circuit. So where they take the bikes, and it was like this, you'd love to Eddie because it was like running mountain runs because of the hills. And it got to the point I think I was deafening Jeff and most of the time around for four hills. The last one was up like this. And you know what, I love that. But I'm really getting to the point I absolutely hate lattes. And it's got a chicane and everything and I ran to 48. And I was at I'm confident I was in PB shape then so I knew as long as I could hold my form together when I got to Perth, which was where we did the Anglo Celtic play. I was selected for the England team. We, I mean, obviously the Scottish are so strong there as well. But we had some pretty good British athletes, both the male and female. And at that time, I'd started with team, our sevens, a team, our seven was set up in January. And I'd already been in discussion with Mike stocks, one of the founders who's also a GB 24 hour runner. And he asked me about joining. I didn't really if I'm honest, know too much about it. But what I knew was because because I respected him as a person really liked him, lovely guy, I suggest anything I can help because it was a new business venture for him. And that's really the start of when I started to work with his wife on the psychology piece. I was talking to him about training. And I felt there was this little group of trusted athletes as well. And I liked all the athletes they'd selected. I'm not sure what it was based on probably performance and other factors. And none of us really big on social media. So the great thing about it is they do your social media, which is actually not to be white and Robbie Britain few others. So that does help. So I started working with them on nutrition. So I knew I had to change something because for years I've under fueled Not intentionally, but just because I find food really hard. And when I've done the British record at the 100 mile last year, I escaped through it. I remember having a really bad period where I felt nausea, some well. I just felt awful a few days after. And I said right I've got to change things. So I went in for everything, changed the nutrition and just said even if we could increase it by 25 grammes, and Robbie gave me some recommendations of some of the precision for it if you're I tried to cut down the amount of gels because again that was given me blisters on my mouth. Just a little and often and Mike bless him actually crude me so Mike stalks gave me the food and Robbie said, Don't give her anything else that she has asked for you just give her what TOMS shoes because I've got a habit of deflection looking at my trainers and changing them anything. I did have a lot of we stopped because I was obviously getting given more fluid than I'd normally take on. Joe, Joe Murphy, my teammate from Team our seven, she's, she's just like me a bit feral. She said, Oh, you'll get used to it. And, you know, I ran it really well. I felt comfortable. She obviously got me towards the end. But to come in second. After having run that marathon having like, such a hard year last year with my coach dying, getting my training back in to a plan. I felt elated because it was a PB for a start. And then I knew from the marathon to the 100k, the distance was going to increase so I'd always booked the 100 mile track race, you get a taste for it. I actually don't enjoy running around and track I'm just going to be clear here. I find it quite monotonous. But it was a different track. It was closer. So I thought okay, that's three weeks time 100 K's to build up. So this thing, my miles are a lot less now than what they've ever been based on the fact that if you race enough, and I'm a prolific racer, and you're confident about your ability, you bounce off the last race, so that's technically your last long run. So having done the 100k I knew when it came to the track 100 There was some great stars there. There was Camille, there was Sorokin so Alexandra was there, there was a few other athletes that I HOA so that I knew on a good day, we would be jeweling there was also Dominica from Europe as well from Poland, and a really classy field. But I told myself, you can do this. So that's basically how I went into that race. And then we use the same fuelling strategy again,

 

Edwina Sutton 41:53

or exactly did you do between the 100k and the 100 masks three weeks, I did that 100k And my is a lap course. Just over a mile, isn't it per lap, and my quads were probably the source they've ever been. Because you're running in the same direction. I knew after that 100k I remember the pain. But how what did you do between that 100k and 100 miles, only three weeks.

 

Sam Amend 42:18

So I had a couple of days off. I didn't feel quite stiff, maybe sitting on the plane to get back home. And it did take quite a bit out of me the 100k I say I did. I felt so strong. After a couple of days, I went back running. And then I did that week, I had a two hour run on the Sunday I didn't do any effort based training, it was just ticking over. So what I call jolly jogging, and it's a lot with dogs as well. And just jogging slow. And then the week after I went back to training. So a typical week for me would be track Tuesday, like most of us do. And then I would have easy running and then I'd have maybe an effort session that would be on a Saturday or a race. And then Sunday would be a long run. So I'm probably cooking anything between 60 to 80 miles a week, years ago, I would have done probably close to 110 220. And I think when you get more confident and you do cross training, you don't need to do it. And then yeah, the week after I was back to the track,

 

Edwina Sutton 43:14

do you do a lot of cross training, you talked about the gym, I've seen pictures I didn't

 

Sam Amend 43:19

until last year. And then that was another thing that I did. After having a back fracture, you'll probably be aware that I went to the con raids, I knew I had that problem, but I didn't know how significant it was. That was in 2019. So I spent 11 months recovering from that and then locked down here. So I use the two years or so that we were on and off in and out of races where we couldn't do much just to stay fit, lost an opportunity to do the 24 hour twice because of COVID. And rather than get complacent I went and did some life coaching tried to give myself some other something else to focus on and then just continue to train. And then when everything opened back up again, I felt ready to race so in theory, I think it did us all the world of good as much as I'd love to have raced I think having that stress free of not racing and that worry of when you turn up to a line that definitely helped and obviously I went in and started doing more conditioning work. That was the other eye opener last year so I do strength work on my back plyometrics all the stuff that US runners don't do until we get injured that's at least once a week and then I do classes so that'd be things like body pump body combat cycling so the cycling bit summit I took on a static bike I don't go outside mainly just because I run so much around. I'd get bored of the routes I'd need to move again and I don't want to do that yet.

 

Gary Thwaites 44:42

Sounds great. It sounds really very true. I think it's a good point. I think when you know cooking up we went on for quite a few years now and I don't think I need to I never ever kind of did the 100 mile weeks unless it was a big event and search put down. I don't think I need to do those be Winter anymore, I probably do be somewhere similar to yourself between 70 and 80 miles a week. So yeah, I think like I say that decade whatever of endurance is just, it's just there. I'm really interested if we could rewind a little bit. I've never done 100 mile on a track is, am I right in thinking that you will say do some of it clockwise, and you've everyone started in an anti clockwise? Is that correct?

 

Sam Amend 45:25

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, someone said to me this weekend, what did you prefer out the two races between the Grand Union and obviously, which is the point to point race versus a track, the difference with the track is monotonous. However, you can see your aid more regularly. They turn you every four hours. The downside is you can't hide people can see you. For the race. This year, we had terrible wind. And I mean, again, we talked about the effing and Jeff, and that was going on this way, and I'm fed up with it. And you know, you watch the dropout rate is pretty significant, because what it does to your body, on your hip flexors, or ITB or different parts of your body, and you have to be careful the type of trainers you wear, because depending on the track, if it's a sprinters track, they're relatively hard. If it's not a sprinters track, they tend to be a bit more bouncy. So they really do vary. This was an A Grady track, it was good, but it's quite well worn. And I did get to the point that when you're looking around, because the weather was so grey, and it was so windy, I started looking in the food box, and you know, where people are throwing things thinking how on earth is eating pizza, who's eaten those Gu trifles and cheese cakes, God, someone, someone's got an appetite. And I'm thinking I can just about manager, a quarter of a Marmite sandwich. So yeah, you have to use all these deflection tactics. And I did sometimes put music in, although I wasn't listening to it to basically to not block off my crew. But I knew that there was the habit because it was my best friends, to chat to them. And

 

Edwina Sutton 46:57

what are you talking about? We took a chat.

 

Sam Amend 47:01

And then I put my sunglasses down like this. So they couldn't see that my eyes were really tired, because sometimes when the light changes, because we started at six, it was still coming up like you're exhausted. The last thing you want is someone to say to you. Oh, you look exhausted. Are you kidding? Okay, you're great grimacing, because actually, that gives you a reason to think, oh, do I look really bad. And then I started looking at the toilets thinking I could get some shelter in there. And I thought I'd better get out soon, because someone's going to notice I've been in here too long. And there is this classic picture of me opening the toilet. I don't know who went in there. But Paul Drew, and I mean, poor Drew had to clean that toilet, you would have seen the look of horror. Whatever happened, the door got shut and I went into the next one. I thought you know what, I don't leave the toilet that much.

 

Edwina Sutton 47:46

You have? What was it like running with Camille Heron around that crack?

 

Sam Amend 47:51

It was good. And obviously with Alex, that's the second time I've run with him. I mean, it does put you off your own pace a little bit. Because it's not that you feel jealous for running at such speed. They had different agendas. And you feel like you're actually moving quite slow. But I wasn't I was doing just slightly shy of eight minute myelin because I'd agreed what pace I was going to do, what I was attempting was the 12 hour and then with the 12 hour would come the bridge Becker, which was my own one on the targeting. So you have to try and stay in the game of your own race, but it was lovely. She was very good after she didn't fit obviously finish the race. But She congratulated me. Alex went for the six hour he was always there to do another record and was flying. I just did feel a little bit jealous. He was going really fast.

 

Gary Thwaites 48:32

Does it end up being more on lots of individual races? Or do you still find a few people who are duking it out for the win?

 

Sam Amend 48:39

Do you know what, in a way for me personally, I felt less pressure because there was other people that could win. But when people started peeling off the tracks, all of a sudden my games face came on and I thought I'm gonna annihilate this I'm not putting up with this. I'm winning. I want my trophy back. No, it changed because you know, from where you almost give up because you do have these moments where you think what am I doing here? Why am I doing this to myself? I you know, this is a long way do I really need to do it and then when people start dropping out like obviously James didn't have a great race cat didn't have a great a great race. And it's great when there's more people because there's someone to talk to, but you do get told off you get told to focus I know Hillary did say to me You talk too much Sam and I thought I was getting told off better shut up. And also you get tired that you don't want to go in the second lane because every distance makes a difference if you're gonna get keep going out and you just start drifting a little bit for a while you're not really with it and then the next week, you're gone. I'm in a race I need to keep controllable this.

 

Edwina Sutton 49:37

Every time Camille and Alex came past you or did they run past you?

 

Sam Amend 49:43

So there's a track Attica and I'm glad because there was a race I did a few years ago. It was one of the ones in Gloucester where someone had shot in track and you know, what is the most annoying thing someone shouting it because when you're tired, or where you want to swear at them, you just think I can't move. I can't move quick enough. It's actually just easier to go past people. So I would never shower slower person, I just think if you've got the strength to go past, the consensus is you just run past. So Alex didn't treat anyone any different. Camille didn't treat anyone any different. And I certainly wouldn't everyone deserved to be on that track that was on there on that day. And what I like about the centre and events, and you'll notice that they limit the numbers, because actually, if there's too many people on the track, it becomes awkward having to get into lane three lane to keep swapping around. But yeah, we all overtook each other. And then when there was only four of us left on the track, it made it a lot easier to move

 

Gary Thwaites 50:34

on to the ground you. First off, congratulations, taking the old way when it's 25. I was 45. Right? Yeah, awesome.

 

Edwina Sutton 50:45

Was it just said in the podcast because we read your result out for this week? I think I'm a bit I follow a lot of ultra racers. I think you're the first woman to want to win our what I'd call like a major league Ultra race outright. I mean, we've all won like lower Ultra grade races where there's not been a massive feels probably at some point as women, but who compete in Ultras but I think this is the first one I've seen where you smashed the men's field in a race as well. Would you agree, Sam?

 

Sam Amend 51:22

I don't know, I didn't even go for the outro when it would have been nice. So I wrote three targets down, I do this before my race, I put them in a drawer, have a little look at them before I go away or get in the car. And the target was to get the course record, which was 27, or just under 27 and a half hours. I knew that was I was capable. But as you know, Eddie, you have to be able to run for a long time. Anything can happen, whether it's a 50 mile, let alone what Yeah, and he ended up 147 miles because we had diversions that went off of the road. And it was a real struggle to get through certain sections overgrown, we had the humidity of the heat. And I just thought block it all out. This is what I do before a race I got away from Birmingham because honestly, the canal really does stink here, the water is stagnant. When there's dead rats at the side of the road while you're running, it kind of tells you that they don't like the water you don't want to go in. There was some beautiful section, I didn't even start right at the front. I just thought take it as it is just enjoy it. And the only thing I would say is my aid stations at the start were a little bit too far out. They were kind of 15 miles apart. But again, we didn't know what to expect, because normally I wouldn't eat a lot. But I because it was a warm day I did need a lot more fluid. So if you have your own crew, you can take off of their stations, the water, so there was a few top ups I needed. But just in general, my game plan was just to run it. And when the Ladies Race, and I had no idea where people were behind, I wore a tracker for my team just to make sure so I used open tracking and I like to stay safe. And then you can pick people up from 65 miles. And I don't do it because I'm not capable of running the distance. I do it for safety. And it was lovely because I could spend some time with Ellie who came second in the track 100 So it was really good for her. I think it was nice for us to spend time and she offered to pace me so we ran for 30 Odd miles. And then I had Matt one of my friends Ron another similar distance. I mean, the poor guy ended up with the darkness so someone gets the graveyard shift. Originally it was going to be Mike stocks but but he picked up a niggle when he fell over we all do stupid things. Don't wait. It gets worse as you get older you trip over invisible rocks. And he just felt that it would be too much which I totally understand to run sort of 2025 miles with me. So I ended up breaking the last section down with my very good friend that accrues a lot from me, Trevor, and then DOM who's one of the other founders from team, our seven he did eight miles with me. So it felt like a family that I was sharing it with and to have that company through the night when it is so dark. And there are times where I don't know if either of you have ever run on the Grand Union. It's so narrow. You're literally on the water's edge or you're running on gravel. So if you don't pick your feet up there was a couple of times where I got a pool back because I nearly went over shuffling yeah and saying, Oh God, I hate this gravel and then you'd be running over grass, you'd have all these grass lumps that you just trip up then you've got all the overgrown bushes, so it's a real mixed terrain and the laughing thing is actually more vacant. Wow. And I got I got them out the box the night before. People would say why would you check just for them? I'm so used to those trainers. But I've got to say in hindsight, I'd probably put the haka ring cones or some easy trainer to start with. And then I'd probably put them on towards the end because I've never run the Grand Union canal that was my technically that was my first record. So I've never done I've never done any of it before parts in the back end section which can comes into the country to capital so I learned a valuable lesson but honestly, I I wouldn't change it. I was very tight. My hip flexors were tight. I told myself I had invisible legs. I played mind games and myself, I looked at the tracker app or someone told me Oh, the next person that is using a tracker because there was about nine of us looks about three miles away. And if I'm honest with you, they clearly weren't because they finished three hours behind. I was so worried. So it put I put the boot in it. And when you I'm running with it, 70 up to 70 miles, he I just said to his crew, he needs to get to the end. This is what we've made a pact together, we've run quite a lot together. So we had a good chat in and I also ran a little bit on the track. So he inhabits done quite a lot of long races. And I know he's a very classy talented runner as well. He's done sort of 14 hours for think it's the Thames path. So we did a lot of running together just for company because it stopped him running off fast. And it also meant that I had a bit company for someone to talk to. So we spent a lot of time just high fiving talking to this is the great thing about long races. You see people out there, I think what you're doing and when you tell them, they run, you're running to London, we agreed as long as we go faster than the barge boats, then we know we're doing well. So we kept looking at them. We're moving fast. And the boats were All righty. And we're doing well. And we talked to them when they're coming through the day. What are you doing with, Oh, we're going for a long run, we're running to planets, and they look and they think you're insane. And that just driven on that is disbelief. So that's how I kind of run my race. So I had quite a lot of company. And then I actually picked up the pace in the last mile. So this was my I had my friend Trevor, who trains me sometimes I think Don was scared, because he thought he was there to witness what I did on the track. And he said, How on earth can you run for nearly 14 hours and then all of a sudden the last few miles you pick up the pace and seven minute mile logistics 25 And I knew where I was in London because I knew that these gates were coming on the the path. And my poor friend was running with a selfie stick and I said I'm off. I went when I could see the little yellow jacket in the distance. Got to be and yeah, it turns out to be finished. So I knew I was really close. And I put the boot and lifted my legs.

 

Gary Thwaites 57:05

So over the 25 hours 145 miles or 47 miles. It's a it's about 10 off minute miles or something, isn't it roughly average pace book. So yeah, we've seen six and a half minute mile in their wall. What was your your fluctuation of pace.

 

Sam Amend 57:21

So I actually find it harder to run slower. You'll hear a lot of people say that. But the block between sort of 70 and 90, I found quite hard because I was really lethargic. I was a little bit deflated because it was hot, humid, and I was all over the place. And I knew I needed to pick myself up. But from a pay standpoint, I stopped looking at my watch. And then when I felt when I could start running a little bit quicker, it felt so much more comfortable back in the eights. So I just thought I'll do what I need to do. And I realised I wanted to get a little bit closer if I'm honest with you to the 24 hours, but I knew it was a big ass having come off the back of lots of racing the last few weeks. So I just thought right the game now is to get to the finish. And I knew when we went past it's just don't round 100k in and I the front leader who was going off like a rocket. I knew that I was then in the lead. So for me, it was about picking up my pace to make sure I made the gap as big as possible.

 

Gary Thwaites 58:17

I'm already kind of the Paddington area of London where it finishes. Yeah, it stopped finishes that little RELLIS. Yeah, it's quite nice one there actually are people. I've actually done a race, the canal counter, which is around Birmingham, and I can confirm the smell of the canal is not great. But when you get down to Paddington, it's like that's when it's really really pleasant.

 

Sam Amend 58:38

I have to say in the Grand Union, there's some really pretty parts like RAM Lemington spa, you've got little bits around Northampton, there are some great parts. And then there's also some dark parts. And you also in the night, go through so many dark areas where the tree line is over. It's literally pitch black and all you can see is eyes. So that's why even as a guy I don't think I'd want to run on there on my own. If you saw the type of characters you've either got the fishermen that don't move the rods out in a way you've got these unprecedented parties going on and people look like they're happy clappy God knows what's going on. Then you've got the spiritualists that come running after you. We've had a little bit of that we palm them off to ian elli and I which was quite funny. But in general, most people are really friendly which is what I like. So I mean for me the experience of doing a point to point race it's quite good to do that every so often like the Thames path, I enjoy the outside the fresh air and the challenge and for me it was about how quick Could I get to that finish line and I now have already reflected and thought I spent too long at that age place. I shouldn't have sat down when I had that Pot Noodle I didn't even like that Pot Noodle. I think Robbie was more worried about it getting launched into the canal. And I did really well making sure I ate all my aid. And then I think certain sections where they were more runnable I should have definitely done that should have run a bit more but you know what, hindsight is a great thing at that time. That's what I needed to do and then ittle bit of walking, moving forward, feeling confident because actually, that's the longest I've ever run because I've done a 24 hour event and run 139 miles. That was 145 Plus diversions. It worked out just over 147 miles. And again, you have to suck it up. People were complaining, but you know, pathways get shut off. They I've had diversions on the Thames path before. I've had to run in poor conditions. You take it for what it is. I'm really elated and then come away with the wind and see my name on the board first, but my friends celebrate more because I feel so exhausted. All I want to do is get home and lay down horizontal.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:00:38

It's a race that really since I started running, thinking about running longer the Grand Union canal, yeah, and was submitted something that I really love to do at that point. And point, it seems like quite a symbolic journey. What was it for you why the Grand Union canal.

 

Sam Amend 1:00:54

So I've wanted to do it for years and years. And I talked to Norman, my coach that passed away last year, and it was a year that it was on, I think it's the 2019 that he said no go and do the comrades which again, is another iconic race. So we agreed to redo it in a few years time. And it's some of my birthday that year on the 25th of May. And this year, because he passed away. I knew he passed away on the fourth of June, I ran off see the start was the third of June. So I actually wanted to run it even more so this year. So I'm very persuasive with my coach Andy, who was working very closely with Norman anyway. And he's my former physio as well. He he said Alright, then he said only you would push that you know, any third someone like you would do these amount of races, but because he could see that I was recovering. And there was still that question mark after the 10 cent device after the track 100 Because the recovery went so well, I knew that the race was on. But if at any point I didn't feel right up until the lead, I would have walked away. But it became more significant because it was the evil the death of my coach. So when I finished and got through the line, I did it for him because he had been very proud moment. So that was why it was symbolic for me. Plus, it's one of those races, as you said that lots of people do. And I've had it on my tick list and it's kind of on my doorstep. You know, rather than having to travel abroad, having to take everything with me, it was a lot easier just to drive up to Birmingham. I've got all my friends that can see me along the route. And I know a lot of people so I knew finishing in London, it's easy to get back home.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:02:25

Yeah, story, Eddie and I chatted before we came on air. I you visualise that it's pancake flat. Yeah. Do you know what the elevation was? By the time you got to London?

 

Sam Amend 1:02:37

I don't. But there was the diversions that we did. We were climbing. And actually I remember saying to me, and this is more like the Southdowns what are we doing on this cross section I said it's going up here I said, I'm walking, I said I'm not putting up this, I'm gonna do what Drew said to me with the Wendover Woods brace, the hills walk the 14 minute mile. So we did do a little tiny bit of walk in and then I started to get back to running, but it's not. And also, the other thing is you have to be switched on with the navigation because even if you've got it on your watch, one, there's diversion, then you've got to go over the lock. So you climb over the black blocks, and then back down and then you can be on one side of the canal. And then you move over to the other side. So if you don't go over the bridges, and I'm talking about road bridges or certain sections correctly, you'll be off somewhere else. So it's not fun. And you've got obviously this mixed terrain. So you've really got to think about your shoes, what you're wearing because you've got the hard section at the start which is hardcore, it's most amenity type. Then you've got stones, then you've got grass, which is overgrown, then you've got gravel, then you've got road, so it's a real mixture. So yeah, it's not flat, but

 

Gary Thwaites 1:03:44

terrains in the nightclub when they were developing the vehicle flies.

 

Sam Amend 1:03:48

I don't think they're ready to know that because they're brand new. I'm looking at them now. And they're black. And I looked at the bottom of the tread, I thought I might even get another 100 miles out of them. They were brand new. They arrived the day before, but I thought I need to get one with the most tread my toes

 

Gary Thwaites 1:04:04

out of the box who did what which one of our guests they had some vehicle flies and they resold them put some trail grip on the bottom of the macula there was no really I guess did that

 

Edwina Sutton 1:04:16

Strava person then Sam,

 

Sam Amend 1:04:18

I don't use Strava. And I'll tell you why don't use Strava mainly from a safety standpoint because people get to see where you're running all the time. And also, I feel a little bit I don't want to be egotistical about why no I'm just saying this is how I feel. I don't want people to see what I'm doing not because I'm trying to be secretive, but I feel a little bit embarrassed about it sometimes. I let my friends do my promo for me. It's really silly but I always feel that I can do better. It's this whole desire as a long distance runner to try and improve on yourself. And I feel a bit overwhelmed by it all so I don't use stripe and for that reason I just post things post events or when people do a big build up before a race they start putting all their pictures of their stuff occasionally I've done it. But I don't want that pressure and that anxiety. So for me to get into Race mode, I go stealth mode, very low key, because I don't want to one deal with my own expectations is hard enough, but other people that disappointment because people have an expectation when you turn up, you know, I'm a marked woman, when I turn up to the track, when I turn up to races that people know, oh, Sam's gonna win. There are times that you just don't have it in you, yourself. And it's disappointing that for your own, let alone having other people sort of say, I'm really sorry. And I don't want to try and write more in peace, why I didn't achieve something. So that's why I don't use Strava.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:05:35

How do you love your training, then old school, old school,

 

Sam Amend 1:05:39

I get given training each week, it's sent to me on WhatsApp, because my coach is now working for Manchester United. So he lives up north, he sends me my training over and I work out who I can do some of that training with, because 90% of the time I'm running on my own, I tried to make an effort to drive to where I used to live in Marlo to go to the track just so I've got company, he sends it to me. And then every Sunday I send him my training how many miles I've done, because he'll give me run for 45 minutes. This track session dadada. And then I'll tell him how many miles what the minute per mile is. So he knows the fitness level and how I felt. So you get a little bit of the classes I do the run that I do and how I fell. And just the end of the week and after races, we then have a talk as well. So yeah, I send it to him on email. And Norman used to put it on a spreadsheet.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:06:32

fancy, fancy, fancy spreadsheets,

 

Sam Amend 1:06:35

I know my stuff goes on a spreadsheet, and so does my training. And then if I want to race, I'll tell my coach Andy, what races I want to do. He'll have a pep talk and say, No, you've got a race of the week. Isn't that a bit much? And I say no, it's not. And then we have a little bit of banter. And then we agree. And then I think sometimes, you know, am I uncoachable probably sometimes, but it's actually really good to have an advisor. And that's how our coaching relationship works, where he gives me positive advice, and reminds me of you know, your body, you need to have rest as well. And I feel disappointed if I let him down, which is why it's really important to have a good coaching relationship. And then I've got my crew that I really trust, I go for the same people that I know can deliver. I feel sorry for them, though, everyone, because obviously I raised a lot.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:07:24

How would you? That's not really coaching, I suppose. But with the rest like this, there's definitely gonna be sleep deprivation. Would you experience that in training? Or do you not think there's a benefit to that?

 

Sam Amend 1:07:37

No, I tend to do deprivation of food actually to train myself to not have food for a while just in case the inevitable happens, although I take food on but as far as deprivation, I've done a couple of long runs in the night. But I don't really need to do it now. And my training never really goes over 50k. If I've got a big event the longest I'll probably run for his 50k. If you do double days, maybe 20 and 25 individual days, but I would never go for longer because those are miles in your legs, the legs that you can say for racing. So I don't really need to do the sleep deprivation, maybe for the 48 hour when I attempt that.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:08:16

That Gloucester's got 48 hours you going to thinking of that I'm

 

Sam Amend 1:08:20

potentially thinking about I was actually thinking about attempting 48 hours next year anyway, so it's quite funny, it's come up. I just have to have to race crews because no one's going to want to attempt to do it for 48 hours.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:08:30

My friends get more exhausted noodles, maybe more than

 

Gary Thwaites 1:08:35

a hallucination is going to be twice a hallucinations. Do you experience that kind of thing if you sleep deprived?

 

Sam Amend 1:08:40

When I did the first temps path, I was told when you get to about 70 miles, you're going to hallucinate you're going to get this you're going to get that so I built and factored in and I did do some long runs through the night in the dark getting used to the difference in light sensitivity. And none of it happened. But I have bumped in races before. There was a year that all of the top runners it's 2018 I ran the tennis path again, myself and the two Norwegian ladies pulled out because I had a terrible stomach. And it was that case of overdrinking because it was so hard. I realised when I got to reading I was in trouble. Because I kept drinking and drinking and it didn't matter how much coke I had. I couldn't keep anything down. And I was also incredibly exhausted and I haven't felt anything like it. So you kind of have to listen to your body. And sleep deprivation is definitely going to happen. And I call it sleeping, you're running while you're sleeping. You just take a little bit of caffeine, you calm your mind down, you chill out a little bit more and you just run through it and then you come out the other side. And I knew that I'd get my third wind so I call it the longer the race I get a second wind I got it in the track 100 where all of a sudden my legs start working again. And then I had it in this race where I had a really good start section that I hate the middle section of races. It's just the way I run so I tend to run a little bit slower. And then I got a He's second wind. And then the third wind came towards the end of the last couple of miles. Just because the end is in sight. So I, I do psychology in my own head, I have a little pep talk with myself. I don't like mantras or anything like that. I just tell myself, you know what to expect to your body, keep plugging through, you're gonna come out the other side. So if you know that you can expect that, then you give yourself a little bit of a break.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:10:23

That's what I do most days just to get you can get through you can divert. What we talked a little bit about your training your recovery, your incredible powers of recovery. What unlike a normal training week when Andy WhatsApps Do you like your training and stuff? Have you got like a favourite seven people love the sort of thing favourite session when you're like, Yeah, I love that one or something that you always do that you know, when you're fit and ready to race a session that you do.

 

Sam Amend 1:10:56

Often say I've got a favourite session, I just say I like the track. Even though I hate I love to hate the track. Track sessions are normally with a lot younger people and they're a lot faster. And when I know I can get into the front group, then I know I'm doing really well. So I actually like the track. It's short, sweet, and it's over really quickly if I'm not doing tempo sessions, and it's company. So for me if I know I've run well on there, it really sets off my week. So that's always on a Tuesday. I'll go to weapon Phoenix, although I run for Belgrave, it's too far away to go to London where I live. So I love that one. And I also like it when some of my friends might be around for my long run. So it means I won't run with music. For two or three hour run. I've got someone to talk to I love chatting. anyone that doesn't know me. All I do is talk I talked all through the race last weekend. So for me the long run, obviously, and the track session and then the rest of it's all easy stuff. So I'll go out sometimes with my music and I'll listen to songs that I feel are quite uplifting club in tunes. I think to the words, I must look for such a weirdo running along the road singing to myself.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:12:02

surf music, I relived the day, when happy

 

Sam Amend 1:12:07

songs, happy songs.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:12:11

What does the rest of the year look like now some for you. So this week is

 

Sam Amend 1:12:18

get back to running easy this week, probably Wednesday or Thursday. And then next week, I'll have probably a long run and obviously get back to track. And then I've got a couple of weeks until I plan to do probably a 50k in July just ready for the championship. So that's the the GB 100k, I chose to do that over the 24 hour I qualified for both that they're two, three weeks apart. And whilst I know I could do them, I don't think the GB management would be happy. So I had to select one. And I went through the World Champs in Berlin, because while I've still got speed, and I still want to knock my 100k time down a little bit more, I've gone for Berlin, and that's going to be on the 27th of August. And yes, as I said July will be a 50k a couple of 10 K's before I go and hit the World Champs and then I'm off to a training camp with team our seven. And that will be with Robbie net why and the athletes were there in July. We're over in Italy. So that'd be quite nice to meet up with everyone some warm weather training. And then I'm gonna look at getting London Marathon in October. And you never know I might squeeze a 24 hour in before the end of the year. Oh, well, I'm exhausted. We'll see. We'll see how things are. But I've had like you said a phenomenal year I feel in the best shape at 43 years old and I've ever felt. And all of this has to do with strength and conditioning, believing in your team believing in yourself changing your nutrition. So I've literally changed everything last year and the rewards are happening this year. So and it's you know, it's good to talk to people get advice, listen to people take it on.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:13:54

And go back and defend your title 2023 Canyon, Utah.

 

Sam Amend 1:14:00

I don't know. I'm thinking 48 hour and possibly going back to the comrades I might leave it if it's going to stand for a little while. I think they're doing it the other way around. And I don't fancy run into Burma with my money. So maybe the year after. I think there's so many other races and I just need to see how things go. Now we can travel a little bit more as well. There's a couple of other races I'd like to do. But I'd definitely like to go back and get the top 10 of the comrades because I ran with a back fracture. I was in agony whilst I came back as first British lady. All I can say is iconic race really enjoyed my experience just not my back pain. And it was awful. So I'd like to try and improve on that and get into the sixes for the for the race. So we'll see. I will start planning my 2023 Racing probably after the World Champs August, September time. And obviously the World Champs 24 hour will be next year. So that will definitely be a qualifying buying target that I want and it's spread out enough to potentially do the 100k as well which will be for the Europeans and so on and I've still got a job as well to do and my kids. My dogs, yeah, I still do everything else. So anyone that says they never have time, you'll find time for the things that you really enjoy. And that's important. That's the main thing that keeps me going.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:15:15

You must have some amazing time management.

 

Sam Amend 1:15:17

I just don't complain, I just get on with it. And I also cook food for my son because my daughter is 20 Now my son's 14. But teenagers are actually harder than young kids. I'm telling you their hard work. And he's very demanding as well. very particular about what he likes and trying to get into bed is now my problem. So I don't sleep enough but that is something that I'm working on for this year. So the goal this year is better sleep. Last year was nutrition and the early part of this year and getting my training better and also strength conditioning. But my one thing that I really do need to nail is sleep we could

 

Gary Thwaites 1:15:48

all do with more sleep. She moved on to our quickfire ready?

 

Edwina Sutton 1:15:53

Your favourite bit, Gary Okeydoke.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:15:55

You've just crushed your massive race. What would be your recovery treats and Netflix choice if you're going to waste any time if you're going to put Yeah,

 

Sam Amend 1:16:07

so my treat always post race and actually I do do it a little bit prerace chip butty, something's gonna go in it catch up. And a nice lemonade and lime cordial. That is my go to food.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:16:22

Line. I absolutely love him. super refreshing sunshine. What would your superpower be?

 

Sam Amend 1:16:31

Want to be able to run faster?

 

Edwina Sutton 1:16:37

Little turbo behind you.

 

Sam Amend 1:16:39

I'll be invisible actually, yeah, be invisible would be quite nice. Be a fly on the wall.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:16:43

Yeah, take the idea up. It's disappeared for a while that would be good. Top tip for juggling kids and running and training for Ultras, I

 

Sam Amend 1:16:52

think you summed it up time management. And obviously I started doing it when my kids got a little bit older. It's about having a good network as well, I rely quite a lot on my friends, which they wouldn't even think twice about. I've always had an open door policy, I give back a lot of time to them. I coach kids as well over the road. So I think when someone sees you as a given person, they're happy to give your time. And they love, nothing more than seeing me achieve. So I'm very fortunate to build a good crew around me. So you build that support network is what I'm saying. And I don't have the kids dad because he passed away when my kids were very young. So obviously you rely on families, friends, and so forth. So I like to give back as well. So that's one key thing. And the other is I used to run at four o'clock in the morning while the kids were asleep. Obviously, there's always someone that would be at home, just finding the time I don't get stressed over it. I just accept this as the situation. And I've always worked through my kids when they when I was pregnant, I worked right up to the last minute. Back in the day, you only got 12 weeks off. So I went back to work. And because I'm incredibly independent, I've just managed it around conference calls, early mornings, nighttime jobs. And if I needed childcare, I'd get the cover or when they were in young enough I'd go put them into a preschool so I could run them so you just manage it time management.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:18:12

It's always a tricky question. It's because people tend to forget what Chris song you remembered listened to last or a particular song that you're fond of.

 

Sam Amend 1:18:21

which one would I listen to me at the moment? I like when I because obviously we've had really bad weather. I like listening to Lady Gaga Rain on me because it's quite an emotional song. And again, it brings that happy and wanting to go out and dance. And when it rains because I get really annoyed because it's raining really hard. It's almost like if you sing it in your head, it rains hard. And it's more about pushing boundaries because you know that when the weather is really bad if you can get yourself out in those conditions, you can do anything. So I was actually listening to it when I was doing the track 100 So that's one of my favourite songs.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:18:54

Have you heard Lady Gaga? She's the Top Gun theme to

 

Sam Amend 1:18:59

not yet I didn't I didn't watch Top Gun though. I did watch it but I didn't I missed it because I was too busy looking at Tom Cruise. He's got he's got better with age. That was amazing. And that was actually my tree although sitting in a cinema on Sunday, when the seats you can't put your feet under them. I'm only five foot

 

Edwina Sutton 1:19:24

they need to they need to build run a cinema which put your feet up.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:19:28

We've got recliners in us in the audience. Fantastic. LMS I just fall asleep pretty quick. you've logged into Airbnb. There's only two options left for your accommodation. One is a beach holiday and one is a canal bought. What would you choose

 

Sam Amend 1:19:47

it for a canal boat. Even though I've done the Grand Union canal I'd pick one of the nice ones that are proper plush, that have got them as well and it depends on what time of year it is. If you asked me to do that in winter, I might have gone to the beach holidays better yeah looking at some of the canal boats I would have probably said the canal boat I'm not really a beach person

 

Gary Thwaites 1:20:05

I go canal boat Are you ready?

 

Edwina Sutton 1:20:08

Depends if I had the kids can now though it would be a bit older now maybe maybe a little mix maybe the canal boat to a nice little beach holiday. I do like I do like I went on a canal boat holiday actually with a mate when I was at school it was lovely. And then you have something to do as well so you get off the boat and you do the blocks but then you can just chug along seeing the world go past you go for a run along the canal. Um, thank you so much for coming on the show you and your amazing powers of recovery. All the best of luck for the rest of the year we will be following you reading your results out with or. And yet, don't come back too soon. Take it easy this week. chipper

 

Gary Thwaites 1:20:57

chip boy, really fancy chip

 

Sam Amend 1:21:01

chip party salt, vinegar, ketchup and then if you're feeling really like pushing the boat out, put some mushy peas in as well.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:21:07

Wow, that's crazy talk.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:21:10

You've won lunch today.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:21:13

That's sum of everything. Thank you again for coming on the podcast.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:21:16

Take care. Thanks. Bye Bye

 

Edwina Sutton 1:21:29

Wow, thanks, Sam. I have a bit specious. She did I think we're talking to like five days after the G UCR. And she's like, Oh yeah, I've been to the gym and I'm gonna be running. We're like, oh suited okay. I think the thing was me, Gary, this is why I've never made it is I don't want to when I've done these massive races. Like Kathy,

 

Gary Thwaites 1:21:58

she's ready to go.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:21:59

Yeah. Amazing. What a lady so driven and determined. We're excited to see if she can improve on that previous record. And what else is going to plan for not only this year, hopefully feet up a bit for the rest of this year. But I don't think she is she's going on to do British 100k Isn't she the World Champs so best of luck to everything that she does this year. We look forward to catching up with her again no doubt in the future

 

Gary Thwaites 1:22:25

of common races Eddie, these are a couple that you can still enter they're not this weekend or this weekend actually suitable footwear which I will be toeing the line

 

Edwina Sutton 1:22:35

we're gonna go through the route you get the chance not only to run the some councils way like English Braille, but Gary Gary for the podcast. He'll also be running, signing autographs at at your church booth from 5pm.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:22:53

Kids going to Beijing at Mateus to charge t shirt on but I'm doing the 45 mile but there's also 100 care one and my friend Aaron actually he's doing the 100 care. And he's doing the liquid 102 I just said I just said we travelled together, we're both doing the 45 miler, but now he's running all the way to Holy island. So I oh my goodness, I hope he gets there in time. You beat the tie. That's it. It's obviously the ultimate the jeopardy of the race. And this is probably weighed starting at half 12 Or one in the morning because you have to get keep in mind the tide times at Holy Island. And they also something we look at the cut off time and think it's a bit tight. But they have to assume that something bad's gonna happen on holy Island and they need emergency services to get on and off.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:23:38

That was first gonna happen. Something bad is gonna happen once you get to the island unless you get it.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:23:46

It's like Midsummer's murders.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:23:48

You watch on Netflix, Gary 45 Miles is plenty three weeks before 100k doesn't leave a bit of his like string beans on the under Kegel.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:23:57

I don't think he's a wrestler and I think he's more experienced so I don't think he's that concern but yeah I love the I love the Jeopardy last year of just trying to get there before the tide came in or whether whichever or came in sorry for yeah awesome awesome so well good luck to everybody who's on the line often you see somebody out there and also I noticed where you TMI you still plenty of time to enter that risk busy hawkers race and again my timeline lovely pictures from the training camp and all these Facebook knows my you know got me sis for my algorithms and I've just been spoiled by all these lovely images so if you fancy that ratio go and check it out.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:24:35

You're gonna get I get on Facebook I get period pants and inappropriate like soft porn stories or books. Thinking it's just something someone posted and then it's like, met the she she met the farrier not knowing that their lives would cross again and I started reading it on it Yeah,

 

Gary Thwaites 1:25:00

it's a self fulfilling thing. Those kind of things.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:25:07

My personal preferences, we've also got the Dalles runner races 16k on July 16. If you want to enter this entry to close on the ninth of July they also have 20k and 40k options coming up these look like great races. We're gonna have a look at those if you're looking for some long, longer runs, maybe some longer supported runs if you're training for something bigger as well

 

Gary Thwaites 1:25:28

some of your pencilled in for holiday.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:25:31

Heavy mix, it's a heavy mix of nine by the pool moving from the pool to the shade back into the pool. I did a bit as well as the hot job in as I call it Shagun brown the Bruins also fashioned me my aqua jogging belt and we've got there was a swing tied to the tree so we've taken the swing off the tree and he's tied me into the pool so that as the kid is great holiday multitasking as the kids are like diving all around me I can I can do my anchor jog session at the same time all my smiles everybody's happy monster still going up and down. And I've got some waterproof earphones bluetooth earphones I can you can actually really see I've got them on pop those on kids things I'm looking after them I'm not I'm away so yeah that's another good though if you're slightly injured as I seem to be in 2022 constantly or it's great recovery because I didn't want to bring my bike and stuff and it's all just too much so it's a means that I can do a little bit of recovery as well as not leaving the kids the kids are happy just dive bombing it over me until mom gets the rash and get it just start jogging around enjoying the holidays enjoying the sun enjoying different supermarkets we've been in to the mashing and even though it's the same because we're so used to the French it was different there was a we went a bit mad whether the trolley was like absolutely no he called it his poor it was that for sure we actually put any meals just to make loads that's the best part of the holiday is consummation Hi snackage

 

Gary Thwaites 1:27:27

just a yellow yeah

 

Edwina Sutton 1:27:31

just the food please. Yeah loving I think we know what we'll be back we'll still be here this time next week I'll be able to give you an update. I'm like made friends with the olive grove farmers by them they probably will probably on first name terms you're racing you're going racing

 

Gary Thwaites 1:27:49

it's it's it's not a race 100%

 

Edwina Sutton 1:27:55

Race Gary

 

Gary Thwaites 1:27:58

you know that that you'd be interested interested? If my if my heart rate goes above 135 Beats me then I've cocked up I've got to be part of the ego in leaving leaving in the car and it's going to be pretty strict on the heart rate I'm going to be mindful with my nutrition like the lyrics on Sunday I just washed my way through all that the chocolate that you got me for my birthday that was my risk nutrition which is not great and I did put it that way but apart from that

 

Edwina Sutton 1:28:32

it is a big cool on on the summer trails but

 

Gary Thwaites 1:28:35

picnic was awesome oh my goodness

 

Edwina Sutton 1:28:40

guys are in line

 

Gary Thwaites 1:28:43

star bars line bar yeah I even went for flick as well that was a high risk one but it was be cooler in the day

 

Edwina Sutton 1:28:53

when I take the high risk of over limit that melted chocolate so good

 

Gary Thwaites 1:29:00

oh my god it's such a treat every time I watch because I get in what's next and so yeah be mindful with the heart rate mindful with the food Amir take a pause just to do a bit of in and out the backpack see

 

Edwina Sutton 1:29:15

if that makes climbing though is there what maybe just do

 

Gary Thwaites 1:29:19

just to see if I can get them in around my backpack and stuff like that just have a little proper. I don't know how I'm going to do that. But I'm just really curious after 45 miles, keep my heart rate at that level. What I feel like and I will reiterate, it is not a race where I'm going to ask you about if you had a coaching clients, this my free bit of coaching this with an 800 We've got heart rate chat an hour the race nutrition. Well, hundreds.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:29:52

So I always just like you, you just tell me what you're doing.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:29:58

This is a genuine question. I might try out Lakeman did sink of bits to keep it simple 12 Kendal mint cake buys that's one an hour for I wouldn't do that quite dull. But do I start with all of that in all I do is in the checkpoints is fill up water? Or do you maybe take, say half the calories or a quarter of the calories in use the checkpoints, so you're not starting with but then it's a bit more random what you going to be eating sandwiches and whatever they've got at the checkpoint. So I'm really unsure about take a chance and start later because you can start you know, as you say, if you have 12 of those mini cake bars, that's over a kilo of came to me.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:30:42

Over a kilo of Canada will

 

Gary Thwaites 1:30:43

be a kilo. But that's super efficient. Carbohydrates come in here because it's 100 grammes is pretty much 100 grammes of carbohydrates. So so if you were to go for something like cha cha

 

Edwina Sutton 1:30:55

any of your calories are

 

Gary Thwaites 1:30:56

no I'm gonna be drinking precision hydration, just the electrolytes probably the 1500s. So yeah, really, if

 

Edwina Sutton 1:31:06

Yeah, I'd encourage people to drink calories as well because it's just good. Especially on a longer race, you have to carry less. And also, you're just taking you're always topping it up topping those calories up a calorie and if you can stomach it really depends on your training and your stomach as well. And what you're used to some people, obviously their stomach is a lot more temperamental, so they couldn't do that. They'd have to have their own food or if you've got like intolerances and stuff, you have to slightly more If your stomach is quite steely, and you know that actually and also for a little bit of a mental change as well you get to checkpoint What do I feel like it could be a bit more flexible. Personally, I like the flexible approach to it. So you have your nutrition plan, whatever that isn't everyone's is different. But you've practised it. Practice that loads and trainings you've got that dialled in what works for you what schedule you're going to do when you're going to eat drink, how much you're going to eat and drink, you should have dialled that in in your long runs. You've got your inputs way to practice that as well personally, what I like to do is I like to pretty much do my own feeding strategy, I use a combination and this is from loads and loads of trial and error of tailwind spring energy gels to charge bars. And that's pretty much it with that I'll carry relying on then either being crude or drop bags to really change the gels obviously much lighter than Kendal mint cake. easily carry like 2030 gels on my being

 

Gary Thwaites 1:32:37

you ever see it's not it's not like them in kick if you weighed out how many grammes per carbohydrate, you're Kenda milk cake is your best

 

Edwina Sutton 1:32:45

as your Yeah, but I would like it. So Anita so I just carry 100 kilogramme

 

Gary Thwaites 1:32:51

risk I think instead of the 1200 calories, I think I might start with like 400 calories, just to kind of bridge the gap if there's something I don't, I'm going to need all the calories to get me to do first checkpoint I think See to it. And then after that I'll

 

Edwina Sutton 1:33:07

and I like to then I carry my hotel when powder ready to mix in. So I check when I get into the checkpoint and my bottles empty if they're not empty i make sure when there's like 500 metres to go that I'm downing those bottles that I have dunk it or I get I always keep my powders on one side of my pack and my fuel on the other you know on this backpack on those backpacks or get the powder out of it I start opening it and then I hand the bottles to volunteers and then I graze at the checkpoints I often have coke and often have bananas I don't really go for maybe a sandwich if I'm feeling a bit like I want something of yeah like jam sandwich that especially in and obviously then in the middle of the night it's a bit harder isn't it is often I go for like some chocolate or something and another night for a bit of

 

Gary Thwaites 1:33:54

thinking I take a couple of Ziploc bags and then want to be a savoury bag and want to be here. So I'll just

 

Edwina Sutton 1:34:00

fill up the bags and then off you go. I mean the checkpoints are there but personally, that's what I prefer to stick with like what I know and keep it soups and I do find it hard to chew. I don't really like eating when I'm moving. I do prefer just the gently and Jelen gag swallow treatment tailwind but I do like to drink the calories because then you've always got calories going in if you do have a bit of a lapse with the eating

 

Gary Thwaites 1:34:25

Yeah, I could do that. I like the active route stuff. So I might do the active route and then maybe do a 500 The precision hydration because I think there's 500 milligrammes of sodium

 

Edwina Sutton 1:34:35

hydration and then you can't go wrong with taking maybe some emergency salt tablets and a bit of ginger as well if you tell me does go a little bit sometimes ginger can bring you

 

Gary Thwaites 1:34:44

back I'm really interested to because that when my tummy dome deals when I worried my tummy was pretty rotten on that day, but the effort was a lot higher. So keeping it down with 130 in my stomach and manage everything means you can

 

Edwina Sutton 1:34:59

often these races go downhill for people that go off too fast because their heart rate just that 10 beats to I can't absorb the fuel burn through that blood glucose and you're on a pretty much downward spiral spiral from the beginning because you're not fueling fuel early fuel smart. That's what I said.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:35:15

It was interesting. He said he got more in early when he was trying to maybe be height higher with the calories earlier on in the race because later on you just might not be able to function or tolerate them anyways,

 

Edwina Sutton 1:35:26

into the back end of the race aren't you pacing and eating for that back end of the race when you hit the survival mode? Switches

 

Gary Thwaites 1:35:35

this 45 minute? It's a pretty good honest test. It's not three weeks out the checkpoints and stuff like that trails are not as hard as Lakeland trails but get I think it's I'm looking forward to actually

 

Edwina Sutton 1:35:50

perfect time, Gary. We've we've had an incredible review. Review. No, Gary, honestly guys, Gary loves that review. He gets so excited. This one wasn't Oh, no, it wasn't your standard review. It wasn't written over on Spotify or iTunes. It was on Facebook and it wasn't only on Facebook. It was an international listener Yeah. credible job listen to this five stars and Caroline Holloway. I cannot find out well how to leave a review my podcast app Fair enough. Carolyn, I cannot find out. Where did we come from either Gary has to copy and paste them so I'm with your sister. That must be the reason you're alone. And thanks, Caroline. That's kind of you to say that I have the most most in capital letters fun listening to Audrina and Gary and a mail lady and an ultra runner in the US. I listened to tonnes of audio books and podcasts but you're all y'all y'all my absolute favourite run to the hills is the one I can't wait to hear every week that guests are great but honestly I really enjoy hearing the updates about your week of real life real training and real mom life. Keep up the good work. Oh my gosh, I love it. I love that as a mail lady in the US of A going around her daily business listening to these random British people talking about random stuff.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:37:10

It's awesome. Thanks so much.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:37:14

I bet you're nice in the mail lady that I have that just pops up on outside my house until I go out so you just have to get out.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:37:21

Go into a step competition over there and meals lady she'll be crushing it Meili Ultra running mail lady while

 

Edwina Sutton 1:37:28

I recognise the 30 40,000 average.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:37:32

Yeah, thanks so much for that.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:37:34

I've often thought that a mail person's job would be a good one to do your training with. If you had like a really nice if you were local and rural postman I just run around with a backpack. Yeah, we'll bring all those letters, chats T or quick cup of tea Mrs. Oh, great. Take me all day to do

 

Gary Thwaites 1:37:52

I don't think they do that today. That's on my copy in my life.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:37:58

That was episode 97 Three Marcus's Gary. We're at 100 we can retire in all our belongings made our money means about 100 We're out of here. Thank you everyone for listening. Thank you George for continuing to support the show sending bars to guests competition winners and keeping Gary and I filled on all our adventures, hard jogging and all of that generally being an all around super support to all these different races and people out running on the trails. Good luck to Gary at and Cuspids way anyone else running this weekend. Good luck to you. Stay hydrated. It's hot out there folks. I'm Eddie Sutton.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:38:36

And I'm Gary Thwaites.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:38:39

run to the hills.