Episode 98 - Trish Patterson & James Parsons - National Three Peaks Race Winners Transcript

 

Gary Thwaites 26:44

let's say that. Well, this week, we talked to Trish Patterson and James Parsons from the recent cockbain events national three peaks. We normally I like to stretch our guests over to two shows. Because sometimes it's really hard to get guests on the show. But because these guys you know, they both first and second, both NFPA T's and they were both super awesome people. So we thought we'd get them both on together. Eddie pushed this actually after.

 

Edwina Sutton 27:13

And I'm super grateful because you did all the organisation find the time and get them all together. And I was like, no, no, no, I think it'd be good together. And then they ended up being hilarious. Yeah. And they were obviously you have made a lovely friendship throughout the race, so it was worth it.

 

Gary Thwaites  27:46

Krish Hi, James. Thanks for coming on the show today. It was super tricky getting everyone together. So thanks so much for all coming together this evening giving up your time we ask all our guests this for both of you actually, where are you? What's the view from your windows and have either view or both of you been for a run today?

 

James Parsons 28:04

I'm in Kendall, and Cumbria. We moved up here a year ago and we love it. And I'm looking out my window over to scout scar which is one of the local hills that I run up now and again, but not today. Unfortunately because in London for work out I ran around a concrete jungle it was very boring this morning and only three miles.

 

Trish Patterson 28:25

Well, I'm in the New Forest and Southampton. I not been for a run because I'm still recovering from my twisted ankle. But the view from my house is my very messy garden. Which needs mowing. And I'm too lazy to do

 

Gary Thwaites 28:42

that. I do like a messy garden. It makes me feel pretty good about my garden.

 

Edwina Sutton 28:48

Organic, organic is

 

Trish Patterson 28:50

fine. It would be the bees.

 

Edwina Sutton 28:53

That's what I say don't strim keep us the bees.

 

Gary Thwaites 28:57

That thing in England didn't know mowing in May or something. Something along those lines for Yeah, we didn't chop our grass. A bit dodgy that is it

 

James Parsons 29:08

is like gardening podcast. Yeah, sorry.

 

Edwina Sutton 29:14

Right. We're talking today. You might be wondering why I've got Trish and James on the podcast today. But and why we've worked so hard. Well, Gary hasn't done anything. I just said I need to do it. I need them both together, please. Gary sorted out. While we still wanted to put them both together because they are the winners of a race that we talked about about three weeks ago going, no one's going to do this race. No one's going to finish this race. If they do we want to talk to them. And these guys did it and they want it. The three peaks race of Ben Nevis scaffold pike and Snowdon, which is about now I don't have the exact stats and I am hoping either of you have exact stats but it's about 450 miles and I don't know how much elevation to you. I don't know middle

 

James Parsons 29:57

here just here we go. Drag

 

Edwina Sutton 30:01

out the biggest goal? Within what that's eight minutes of recording is bought the metal? How much how much elevation Did it have in the race?

 

James Parsons 30:14

Oh, well, the three peaks themselves? Were Yeah, about 3000 metres. I think that total? Oh God, because there's a lot of running in between those three peaks as well. Quite quite a few 1000 metres. Yeah,

 

Edwina Sutton 30:30

1000s and 1000s. We don't need to count them. But before we go into the nitty gritty of the race, can you tell us how you found yourself on the start line for that sort of adventure where this sort of your journey of burning had come from that enabled you to stand on the sidelines thinking that you were, you're ready to compete that sort of challenge. Trish, do you want to start us off because you've got an interesting story, I know we've done

 

Trish Patterson 30:57

I come off the I've done the spine, winter spine. And that was that was good fun. And I kind of like the distances. I think that I think big distances work better for me, mostly because I'm really slow and stubborn say, that kind of grip through mentality so that long distances tend to work better for me. I saw the national three peaks race come up on Facebook, and I was actually thinking of doing dragons back race this year. But I saw that better, I've got a got to do it. I mean, you know, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. It's, it's, it's just an amazing, amazing thing to say you've done. I mean, the amount of people who've run the actual distance between the three peaks is probably very, very small. And I just thought it like an awesome adventure. I then I'd heard lots of stuff about Mark's events, mostly that they're miserable and hard. And that also attracted me to it. So I Yeah, so I emailed him asked if I could come He said yeah. And then just went from there really, and my

 

Edwina Sutton 32:05

writing that you've done the spine this year, and then you've done this only later.

 

Trish Patterson 32:11

No, no. So I did the science I did the spine with spine and 2020 just before it kicked off. So I was probably one of the only people to get a race in that that year. My racism the build up to it where I did the CETA sky extreme and cypress which was 80 miles and about 6000 metres of elevation I did that as my as my kind of build up race and basically just constant early I did the Arkham attrition in the in January before that as well as kind of races to lead up to it. How is this stem endurance developed throughout your life Trish

 

Edwina Sutton 32:51

Have you always been in sort of like into endurance sports, something as a kid you enjoy.

 

Trish Patterson 32:56

I've always done a lot of just different varieties of sport. I was in the army and I played a lot of football rugby, I did a lot of Nordic skiing as well, which was I mean, it's just great training. You know, lots of skiing up hills, which is like serious type two, five when you're trying is 15 and lycra. So that's my dream. My dream Yeah, that's it. And I only started doing serious distance though, when, when my girls were born, I've got twin girls, they're six and I realised that the fervour I ran the more space and time alone so that's it physicians to hundreds of miles go quickly to get some alone time roughly well I do think as well though, it's just good bang for your buck, isn't it because if you've made the effort of trading and going for a race you know, you might as well do something epic because it it sort of scratches the itch a bit as well and then you're quite happy to not do anything for months on end as well. Yeah, I mean, that's that's totally the case I think with with me I tend to do two two biggest races a year and I don't really do much in between that apart from training. And I think that that works quite well like you said kind of scratching that itch and doing something you know do something that you feel is like Mega and kind of visionary so far and you know, eat nachos good see what period

 

Edwina Sutton 34:31

I totally get that I know that and then you also feel pretty nega when you do the school run as well. And next week when you're like, oh, yeah, I just did that people are like you're right when you're hobbling a bit and you're like, oh, yeah, I did a little 250 miles.

 

Trish Patterson 34:46

I'm not sure people know that. I do much I think I mean people know Ron, but I think they just think I'm a bit weird, like, funny because the kids friends often if I'm wearing flip flops or I'm really liked you're now polish and I'm like

 

Gary Thwaites 35:00

I don't think people understand when you run like this kind of distance 450 miles, I think it's, it's pretty tricky for non runners and non endurance athletes to comprehend that those kinds of numbers, we had

 

James Parsons 35:12

so many questions, Chris, didn't we actually, when we were doing the event from people who are just walking like the West Highland way, especially, what's you doing? We've seen you like wearing these race numbers. And when you when you told them what we're doing the kind of like, they didn't, it didn't really register, they didn't really understand that that's not people don't do that. Can you tell me what you're really doing? But then when it Sancho, like amazed, and it was, it was really interesting, I spent two days just telling people what we're doing.

 

Edwina Sutton 35:43

You get to the point where you're like, I can't do try to explain. Hello, yeah. Hello, James, tell us a little bit about your running journey and how you found yourself on the start.

 

James Parsons 35:55

Okay, so it's probably a very familiar story to many like guys, mid 30s overweight and have to think about it. And I joined a local tri club, a great tri club called Freedom try in Hartford cheer, and just got some really good encouragement of good people. But then soon realised I was rubbish at swimming and rubbish at cycling. But running was okay. So focused on the running state part of the triathlon for about five years, but just focused on the running, didn't do any triathlons. And then found that I was coming up to the lakes a lot more to do events like lakes in a day, Cambria, way Ultra, did the northern traverse this year was my first most direct and that was amazing. So we moved up to Kendall, last year. And as a family, and we just love it up here. Just spend a lot of time outdoors, climbing, walking, running. So how to find so with the National three peaks Ultra Yeah, like, Trish, I was on the on Mark's group on Facebook, and he put this up at the end of 2019. As well, I've got to do this. And it's so far away that I won't actually have to do it. 22 it is like it's so far away. I will just sign up now. And just like wow, yes. And then time slowly moved on, as he always does. came to the realisation actually, this is coming up. This year, northern traverse was cancelled twice for COVID. And this like in the space of two, two months. And I was really nervous going into three peaks just thinking, Am I capable of doing this? Because you just don't know this is

 

Edwina Sutton 37:39

you don't anything mega because Trish, obviously you've got a background of quite a few epic. She sort of knew what she was doing. Imagine you don't really know what you're getting into this sort of thing, but she's having a little taste of chaffing and all that sort of terrible things.

 

Gary Thwaites 37:54

Bob Graham support crew. Oh, yeah,

 

James Parsons 37:56

exactly. That was that was that was best,

 

Edwina Sutton 37:59

Gary liked. Do you do any sort of like 100 miles or anything like that leading

 

Trish Patterson 38:05

up into this will also

 

James Parsons 38:07

nothing as impressive as as Trish. But I had done the northern traverse, which is like 190 miles. That was just two days. And that was my first multigo

 

Edwina Sutton 38:19

was that this year? You did it.

 

James Parsons 38:21

But that was that was at the beginning of April. Oh, that

 

Edwina Sutton 38:23

was brave. That was brave.

 

James Parsons 38:25

It wasn't it wasn't by design, because I signed up to do that in 2020. But because of virus that, you know, no one knows about now cares about anymore. That was cancelled. Yeah, that was cancelled for two years running. So it's actually worked out quite well, in terms of the Northern Triple X is like a test run for the three legs long run.

 

Edwina Sutton 38:50

lasts long, 90 minute run you do the week before?

 

Gary Thwaites 38:53

It did really? Well. I think you I don't know if I'm correcting this for you with six northern Traversa. Correct.

 

James Parsons 39:00

Yeah, yeah. That's right. We ran as a group. I think you had Lisa on the news a few weeks ago, and I listened to that episode. It was great to relive that listening to Lisa. She's a great runner we ran together I think for four or five of us we're running together for at least a day. And that really helps when you get into that group you get a good a bit bit good banter going it was it really helped. And then at Richmond, which is about 50 miles to go I think we kind of all had our different sleep sleep strategies and then went off at different times and that was where the rest fell apart. When you like left on your own to your own devices, but yeah, it was it was a great experience for sure.

 

Gary Thwaites 39:44

I loved it on the on the cup in advance website for this race. It classes 11 out of 10 for hardness the national three peaks. I just thought that was awesome, but I'm always curious, I can only compete and training weights here 100 mile race and that's that's a big I appreciate that. But how do you approach like a 450 mile event? You know, would you? For example, I know this is quite controversial would you see a practice say sleep deprivation and things like that I'm really interested in how you approach that side of the train and furniture is

 

James Parsons 40:19

by didn't approach it any differently than I had done for Northern traverse. Because I don't think that personally, I don't think the payoffs are worth by breaking yourself over a weekend and then knocking out a week's worth of training. So I didn't do much sleep deprivation stuff because I just didn't think it was it was worth it. So just long back to back weekends, and testing out kit. So normally, I wouldn't do a long run for more than three hours, but have a few hills in there. But then maybe once or twice, go a bit longer just to see how your kit works. See if someone says something on your bag flapping is like going going to piss you off after like, six hours or something. So you know. So I wouldn't say I trained very differently to this I would do for a 100 miler, to be honest, just because I don't think it's worth the impact will have on the rest of your training.

 

Gary Thwaites 41:13

Did you have any kits you said about things flapping around on bags? Or would you be there with the scissors and a sharp knife modifying bits,

 

James Parsons 41:20

actually, so my role model for all this has been a guy called Ian Keith, an Irish Ultra runner, he's done northern traverse, he's won so many things. He, he used a lot of red light stuff, and he has this red light backpack. And he has these two

 

41:37

high level

 

James Parsons 41:41

bottles. I thought right? I'm gonna try this. And I did an overnight run in Canada with these two big bottles next to me. And I was getting always like, my face, I just couldn't get on with them at all. So I had to change that and decide to buy some flowers. So that kind of thing is really vital to do those longer runs with your kit to find out exactly what works for you and what what doesn't, you

 

Gary Thwaites 42:05

know, by Atreus, how did you train for 450 mile race?

 

Trish Patterson 42:10

I treat it I treat all big distances, in turn at pretty much the same. So train 400 miler, I don't change my training. So my longest run will generally be about 30 miles over whatever terrain that I'm looking at. And then most of my, my kind of peak week will probably look circa 100 miles for peak week. I tend to do quite high mileage, but I'm not I'm not. It's it all depends on the terrain and the elevation. So I'm not hard over on it just generally at Circa circa 100 miles depending on

 

Gary Thwaites 42:45

do like a threshold run or an interval session.

 

Trish Patterson 42:49

Yeah, so I tend to do, I tend to do that to do 2 track sessions a week. So and our How to double trend days and long run along a long run probably 20 Miles plus all my other runs a very, very low intensity though. So I get the big miles up by doing very easy runs. To do that. With the sleep deprivation. I feel like I've done my time there. I did 10 years in the Army and I've got twin girls Trust me I know that sleep deprivation so I don't train for it. I don't think it gives you like Jen said I don't think training for it gives you much bang for your buck. You know, it's it's what I think it's worth understanding in a race how you feel. And I've got I've kind of feel like I've I've got that experience now and I know I know how to kind of work you know what works best for me.

 

Gary Thwaites 43:44

And I think like you both said the risk gains reward for sleep deprivation and even maybe going longer than 30 miles in any one run. You're not going to be able to do your tuners and forms down the track if you if you ran for 30 miles on a Sunday

 

Trish Patterson 43:59

Yeah, yeah, it's it's all about that balance and I think trusting your body and understanding and your body's tired and but you've got to do that you know week by week so

 

Gary Thwaites 44:10

by strength conditioning Yeah, so I do I do do

 

Trish Patterson 44:13

strength and conditioning core work. I've really I have let myself go with it as we all do with strength conditioning, I would say as I tend to get more miles in that that might go but I'm pretty I'm pretty pretty good at doing at least one one a week. Strength and Conditioning

 

Gary Thwaites 44:33

 about you James?

 

James Parsons 44:36

Bostick, a three year old in a rucksack Can we go? That's yeah, and then I get the kid out of the house as well. So he kind of like keeps my wife happy. So I tried these things. I tried to do 15 minutes here and there, and I'll go for a period of doing it and I'll go for a period of not doing it. It's like I'd love to be able to find something that would work for me over a long period of time, but it's more piecemeal. Really

 

Gary Thwaites 45:00

And, James, I suppose both you but James first, how did you feel when you told the line where you fit in radio? Did you have any I'm really conscious that for a cell phone and 50 mile race, I wouldn't want any niggle, because I think it would be exposed. Jeff, at some point during that race, how did you feel on the start line?

 

James Parsons 45:18

Well, I think there's always a niggle somewhere, do just kind of mileage and stuff is there's always something I went into it with really dodgy heels and Achilles. And I was a bit concerned about that. But you just got to go with it. And I think I felt like I was in a good, good condition. I was more nervous about the distance. I've never done anything like that before. I was going to be happy if I got into the lake, so I wouldn't have to get picked up very far. I would have hated having to go, can you? Please, darling? No. So I was

 

Trish Patterson 45:54

beginning with S, but it's not a good one for you.

 

James Parsons 46:00

So I just wanted to get back to the lakes. And see where we were like two peaks. It was a three peaks challenge. But two peaks were good enough for me. But

 

Gary Thwaites 46:10

then you had you had to guess I would say, I don't think you've done a race, a long race. And they've kind of had it oh, well, if I got to 60 miles, that'll be good. And then they stopped at 60 miles, but you'd have two peaks, but then keep going for the third. I think that's it. That's amazing.

 

James Parsons 46:24

I think how the how the event turned out, it wasn't quite how I was expecting in that it wasn't a stage race, but there was enough recovery time built in every every day. So we we were able to recover because the checkpoint next day didn't open till a certain time. So you had to be clever with how you manage your time and manage your your sleep. And that just allowed some inbuilt recovery, because you were having to have a kind of mandated wrist. And then we got to Frodsham that is just outside of Wales. And basically Mark said, Okay, forget the last checkpoint 80 miles up and down Snowden, with your boots, off you go,  say it was like a 370 mile warm up with an 18 mile race at the end, really.

 

Edwina Sutton 47:13

Very wanted to know how the end happened.

 

Gary Thwaites 47:17

We're going to talk about this further on. But yeah, on the Facebook page on the Facebook group, as it evolved, it really looked to me and I must admit, I've never found it important the mark cockbains events, but this, it really, really did a patriot because it just looked like a road trip. Or these kind of band of brothers together for whatever, like, hundreds of miles. And then I got the impression like you just kind of did a little duck and shimmy James and then it went up Snowden and left that last bit for Yeah, it really looked amazing

 

Edwina Sutton 47:51

vision of that, of what that race was like,

 

Trish Patterson 47:53

the interesting thing about that race was that, you know, there was nobody who toed the line there, he shouldn't have been there. But they were all good runners. They're all good, solid endurance runners with, you know, good backgrounds. And I felt that actually, you know, as we did progress through I just, I was just really amazed. Like, there was some really, like truly inspiring people there. And, and I really did really feel like that kind of like Band of Brothers tight. In that kind of like ethos, it was, it was nice, actually, the way it worked with the checkpoints, you know, the people who were kind of getting in first, were getting caught up, you know, we all kind of came together at the checkpoints at various times. And you know, that kind of like, catch up effect. I although I was really, I was a bit annoyed about that first because it didn't work well, in terms of my speaks to my side, my strategy in races is predominantly based on my, you know, the fact that I don't need as much sleep and I can push forward. But it was it was really, really good. You know, and actually, it did work in my favour with the recovery times in the end Well, after day two when I had my ankle because I did need that recovery. If I could just continued grinding every day. I think I suffered a lot more with my ankle, but it made it much more manageable and I was able to kind of maintain a you know, an average and average pace as such, you know, to get through. What did you do to ankle, I twisted I sprained my ankle day two on the West Highland way, which was really annoying because we just don't like technical bits.

 

Edwina Sutton 49:31

Yeah. So how did you do that? Where were you on?

 

Trish Patterson 49:34

So as with I was with Mike and I bet you're chatting. We're chatting away and we just got to cut the technical bit. We're just walking in a lovely, you know, just a nice little nice little part. And I just I just went straight over on it and it's like, you know that that horrible and I wailed like a good in. I mean, he must have thought I broke but um, yeah, I mean, they they're kind of whimpering for a bit. And then Tremaine came past and he was like you hurt yourself. But yeah, he's like, just run it off yeah, so hobbled the bike for a bit. You know, my country remains reliant. Yeah. Yeah.

 

James Parsons 50:20

You can walk quickly. Trish. I mean, you're walking past in my running on like certain days and amazing.

 

Trish Patterson 50:27

I needed that walk after that. After that. It was really annoying.

 

Edwina Sutton 50:32

How far how far apart were the checkpoints was, I don't know, marks events just seem so loosey goosey. I

 

Trish Patterson 50:39

mean, there were checkpoints. Was it like with a set checkpoints? Was there? Did you know what was coming? The biggest the biggest one was 60 and 63. Miles was the biggest one. And the shortest one was about 30 miles. Is that right? James? About 30 miles. Yeah. And they, you know, in between 5054 40 Something they were all a little bit.

 

51:04

Massively front loaded, wasn't it? So we did the West Highland Way. So we did the West Highland way in two days. And then we did meal guy to Carlisle way No, sorry, I took halfway down to Carlisle on the third day, which is about 60 miles. So the firt if you made it through the first three days, then basically you were going to make it through to the end. So the biggest attrition was in those first three days, we lost like 13 people then after, after those three days, we only lost one guy because he had blisters bigger than his head. So it was actually once you got past those three, three days, then you could manage it. But the checkpoints you wouldn't call them checkpoints

 

Gary Thwaites 51:45

we can ask this is just a photograph of somebody sleeping in the toilet.

 

James Parsons 51:52

This is actually a funny story. Just just like it will be for a second. So as Chris said, there was a race to get to the checkpoint each day because then you choose the best sleeping position in a pretty

 

Edwina Sutton 52:05

 you rested at a checkpoint for everybody else to come in with that kind of deal.

 

James Parsons 52:10

Okay, pretty much pretty much and so we would I would always try to get to the checkpoint first I could choose the best sleeping place in in a village hall or a football changing room. So this football changing room we got there and it was either in in the in the showers in the toilet. I found a referee's changing room, which is like a solo room with its own shower spot. Yes, this is my room for the night. So got myself. Everyone else came in. People were looking in the room like

 

Edwina Sutton 52:45

I'm the ref.

 

52:46

Exactly. Ricard. But then Trish came in. Trish definitely fancy this room. I'm gonna hold off I'm not gonna give this up. I'm not gonna give this up. I did let her have a shower.

 

Trish Patterson 53:05

It's often getting that shot.

 

James Parsons 53:08

But then I've made it clear that she had to leave after that. But then it was later in the corridor where I saw Sarah the only other female runner and she looked so miserable sleeping in the corner outside my private room, my suite and I thought I can't I'm not going to sleep here tonight. If I know that she's outside looking like a homeless person. So I said to her Okay, Sarah, would you feel better if you had my room? I was thinking please say no easily. Yes, absolutely. I've got stuff straight in there like a shot and then by the stage everyone else was in and and the best places in the changing rooms have been taken. And all that was left for me was the toilet and

 

Edwina Sutton 53:53

tried to do everything you tried to do a good thing

 

Trish Patterson 53:56

you actually are Yes. The real story. The real story he got shamed by this

 

Edwina Sutton 54:05

we knew that we could tell he was let me tell my story before

 

Trish Patterson 54:13

he gave up because he thought you know Sarah, female she knows she looks tired. Hello? I was three hours

 

James Parsons 54:24

three days whipping my ass you know so I'm not giving I was Come on.

 

Edwina Sutton 54:29

Yeah. Trish didn't need any special attention. Tell her

 

Trish Patterson 54:34

that was Sarah afterwards. I kind of got in there and it's like right so sweet.

 

Gary Thwaites 54:40

I just did the thought of sleeping on the toilet door but you know they do those the they do the UV light and the toilet gyms.

 

James Parsons 54:47

I haven't tested yet but I'm sure STD from sprinkled in there like oh

 

Trish Patterson 54:55

it wasn't the worst checkpoint though. I thought worst one was that and went says with some kind of club thing, like some kind of Catholic club thing, I don't know, quit from one small room. And I think in that room, the smell was like something, it would just it would knock you out if you had if you just turned up in a week.

 

James Parsons 55:20

But this adds to the romance of the event. And I wouldn't change it for anything now because it just, it just makes because it made us closer gives us a story to talk about. So it'll write to it for sure.

 

Gary Thwaites 55:31

Good. Yeah, I know that these are these checkpoints where you can sleep the night but technically, the clock was still ticking. So you didn't have to stop if you felt able to carry on.

 

James Parsons 55:41

No, but the next day is checkpoint opened at a certain time. Okay. And I learned that that I sat outside a checkpoint for two hours one one time, so I thought okay, so you just got to kind of manage that better. His marketing was very small. He had light and it's all made up of volunteers like handful of them so they couldn't manage the race if he got too stretched out. So they kind of wanted to control us in a stage race style. But I was just really thankful that they let us go over the last 80 miles. That was the perfect way to finish really Trisha?

 

56:18

 

 

Trish Patterson 56:18

Yeah, totally, totally made the race. I think if we, if we'd all gone with the original plan, everyone would have been at the base of Snowdon for four o'clock in the morning and then it would have just been a you know, a crazy fall raise up and down. So I think it is much better that we're able to kind of push the last 80 miles and just make it a bit more a bit more of an actual race I think

 

Edwina Sutton  56:40

you sure you talked a little bit about a few niggles maybe going into the race and now the ankle sprain but apart from that start with Trish this time Trish did how did the body hold up over the race anything? How did you feel as the race progresses any any good stories basically, and tell us how did you manage the ankle? And going into the race?

 

Trish Patterson 57:04

I actually had conversation with my sister she was like she said oh this is this is gonna be a good race for us so I'm gonna the first race is you've done where you've not been ill you haven't got any injuries you're gonna nail it. And yeah, I felt really good day one felt really good. Really strong comfortable. Day two yet really, really good again 80 miles into day two went over on my ankle. And then it was just a bit of a grind for the last for the next few days. Day three I ended up I had for some reason I had it was really hot that day wasn't James had like epic nosebleeds that just wouldn't stop I just wouldn't stop bleeding. I look like I'm being like a car crash or something. And so whenever anyone saw me they would like give me a proper state but like but yeah, James did you keep going James that guides the head. Just just my nose

 

James Parsons 57:55

wouldn't stop board your nose into bleeding.

 

Trish Patterson 57:59

just yet, I ended up having to put like tissues up it and run with tissue. So that's a bit of a pain

 

Gary Thwaites 58:04

that ever happened to you in the past. No,

 

Trish Patterson 58:07

never happens really for. I just think, you know, it's probably just mock up. But it looks strange

 

James Parsons 58:17

enough, you know, running through Glasgow City.

 

Trish Patterson 58:25

State, but I tend to after after day day, for day four and five, I'm still pushing with that ankle to run on it. And I made a conscious decision to really, like really tone it down and just do what I needed to do to get to the checkpoints to save as save my ankle as much as possible for the last one. The last big push. And so I stopped taking paracetamol, it was all taped up and stuff like that. But yeah, the last push last 80 Miles is like yep, just get some paracetamol down and get some extra strapping on and go for it. The biggest thing I found afterwards after the race was I I've lost a huge amount of weight and lost like 8% of my body mass. It's interesting because I've read a few quite a few things in terms of pain, like how pain affects your calorie intake. And I mean you know lots of people say different things but lots of theories that in terms of by being in pain, you actually burn more calories. So that was really interesting. I would say I'm basically just eating nachos now nice clean.

 

Gary Thwaites 59:32

Have you managed to piggyback on

 

Trish Patterson 59:34

I have a couple of years back on but I lost I lost nearly five kilos and I wasn't I didn't have that to lose in the first place so it fit in my hands in my on my arm so that like skeletal sheesh was this? I think the big thing was like I tend to rely on checkpoints having eating a lot at checkpoints and it just wasn't really doable at this you know like Pot Noodle living Like it's basically eight days on pot noodles,

 

Edwina Sutton 1:00:03

army rations, so you're not you've 10 years of army rations were pot noodles not like gunnery golden.

 

Trish Patterson 1:00:11

The thing is like rations their patch for the calories that you're just getting, you're just getting processed, you know refined carbohydrates and it's just it's not enough to you know, to give your body what it needs and the protein as well you need that protein to rebuild and to continue going so and it's fine you go can grind through that, but I get if I was going to do it again I realised that you know, I definitely need to be eaten much much more with in the checkpoints

 

James Parsons 1:00:42

don't forget Karen's pasties Karen who was one of the volunteers she's a she's she's a real legend but she would bring out a I think is meant to be ice but the ice will melt is pasties is floating in water. That was our kind of halfway food added to the spices

 

Edwina Sutton 1:01:11

Gary and I will normally anything and anyone anything anyone suggest will go well that sounds nice. But that really doesn't. What about what about your your general? Health James How did it go? How does the body hold up?

 

James Parsons 1:01:26

Just fine. I think I had a bad shin. For a couple of days there wasn't used to so much road. I think that that had a bit of impact on on my joints. So that I was managing that for a couple of days. But then that kind of went away with a bit of strapping it's funny, isn't it? How you can run these things all have

 

Edwina Sutton 1:01:48

injuries like that? Oh, yeah, I forgot about that one

 

Gary Thwaites 1:01:54

of your thoughts and then all of a sudden, it's not there anymore.

 

James Parsons 1:01:57

And I really ended was thinking am I gonna be able to save running through the lakes? Like it was when at its worst, and I was worried? Am I gonna be able to continue like, this is actually that bad. But the next day I put a bit of strapping on there and it was fine. So that was good. So yeah, not not really any physical problems. Pardon that we didn't have a shower. One shower in like nine days that that was kind of like quiet. About Us to Oh, yeah.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:02:27

Yeah. Nobody's mentioned chief and yet a lot of miles.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:02:31

Yeah. How did you because I get chasing when I step out the door for a 30 minute recovery run.

 

Trish Patterson 1:02:37

I'm pretty good at shaping. So I didn't I didn't get any chafing. No, no, no chafing. I just, yeah, I just know what works for me. What I did get were because of because I changed my hair was moving obviously because my ankle I got blisters in places on a women woman. And I batted my toes a couple of times my toes, my big toes. I would say end of life before going into the race. But I ended up getting quite a bad infection which I was just kind of taping over you know as you do like it will work out and then yeah, it had ended up the couple of days after the race you know had like yellow pus coming out and

 

Edwina Sutton 1:03:22

the smell began now

 

Trish Patterson 1:03:25

oh man the smell was something else. It's so I've had a lot of feet stuff but that's That was the worst. But yeah, it's the school and like Yeah, put your shoes on guys Mom, it's just got to drain the toe again.

 

James Parsons 1:03:44

I didn't get any chafing either. But there was one guy Cedric who I caught up with who was having the worst chafing episode ever. Yeah. And I was we had to we ran I ran within 10 miles into the checkpoint trying to like take his mind off of it. But he tried everything for like Doc leaves to sitting in puddles and all kinds of things it was like that bad

 

Edwina Sutton 1:04:11

now on the podcast now

 

James Parsons 1:04:14

when it comes on now, isn't it it's just like there's nothing you can do about it. How can you leave yourself it is impossible, isn't it? So

 

Edwina Sutton 1:04:21

still waiting for the answer to that

 

Gary Thwaites 1:04:24

money can

 

Edwina Sutton 1:04:26

cure my chasing

 

Gary Thwaites 1:04:29

me so many highs and lows. But yeah, Trish is there any standout highs and standout laws that you could share with us? One of the things

 

Trish Patterson 1:04:37

that made me laugh the most actually was caught up to us to Sarah one day and she just come out of this like this service station. And she's I think she's vegan or vegetarian but she she's gay man. She's like, just had a bacon Sarnia

 

Gary Thwaites 1:05:00

You might not agree to share this

 

Trish Patterson 1:05:04

I just thought it really showed like what this race does to you. Like, you know, obviously hadn't had a vegan signing for years and years probably had to get a bacon signing.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:05:19

Often on the trails, vegetarians turn into turn into meat desperate times.

 

Trish Patterson 1:05:25

Yeah, yeah. I mean, no judging, you know, you've got I mean, I was just eating my own body. So,

 

Edwina Sutton 1:05:31

yeah, you've got it. Yeah, you've gone and got the bacon sandwich.

 

Trish Patterson 1:05:39

But that, you know, but there was a, there was lots of lots of funny moments. You know, there was there was just great banter. I think, between everyone just really really good banter. Nobody took themselves too seriously. And the lowest point for me was day six, when I was I was really struggling on my ankle a bit and had to, you know, kind of like, I knew, I always knew I was gonna go the distance, but I wanted to do it competitively as well. And knowing that I wasn't as quite as fast as James. sort of coming to that realisation with me. The rest, as we call in

 

James Parsons 1:06:24

the referees, a, what

 

Gary Thwaites 1:06:29

about yourself, James? Yeah. Hi.

 

James Parsons 1:06:31

I just just want to reiterate that really, that kind of feeling of camaraderie. So run ran a lot with Trish guy called Mike. Dill, Tremaine and also, Adrian, who was the was the father figure, because he was literally like the oldest man has ever run through these nails.

 

Trish Patterson 1:06:52

He's just as hard as

 

Gary Thwaites 1:06:55

Adrian Martin isn't.

 

James Parsons 1:06:57

Yeah, exactly. So yeah. So he's from your way, isn't it? Yeah. He's a top bloke. Yeah. And we had that. So we really kind of kept each other going. That's a really good conversation. I've laughed a lot. I've learned a lot about various races, from deal and from others. But then that will mean nothing on like, the last day. That was like, right. So that was a high, but then also having that race on the last day was also a high point. And I wasn't keeping an eye on the tracker too much. But then I did want to see where I was in comparison to the others as I approached Snowden, and it was a bit dodgy in the valley, the tracker tech and at one point look like, chin, chin Yan was right behind me. And, and that was at the foot of Snowden and I, I legged it up Snowden as much as I could run. And I thought he was always behind me. So I wasn't having sleep there. I wasn't seeing things. I was hearing things. I thought I could hear him coming. And I tell you I got so I got to the top. He wasn't there. I came to when I saw him at the halfway house on Snowden. It was the biggest relief because at that point, I knew he couldn't catch me. Okay, biggest hug ever? Because I knew that

 

Edwina Sutton 1:08:18

he thought James Watt

 

Gary Thwaites 1:08:24

he listens to this podcast

 

James Parsons 1:08:27

so yeah, that was the loan was was given up my changing room to some to girls, women to live in a bit harder, you know,

 

Edwina Sutton 1:08:37

doing races these women leaving their children

 

Gary Thwaites 1:08:47

people always want to know about kids, I suppose any stand up with a kid but I'm really curious what your footwear choice was such a journey.

 

James Parsons 1:08:56

So I did the whole thing and Ultras, I did the whole thing and Ultras,

 

Edwina Sutton 1:09:00

oh my god, we found our ultra guy.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:09:04

We spoke to ultra guy just yesterday, actually.

 

James Parsons 1:09:07

Which did you do? So I did. The mountains in Lone peaks. And I did the trail and a bit of road in Mont Blanc.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:09:20

He talked about

 

Edwina Sutton 1:09:23

it here. He he told me he's gonna send me the lone peak to do to try for the spine.

 

1:09:31

Well, depending on this

 

James Parsons 1:09:33

summer, spine or winter, spine, winter, you might need a bit more grip. That's what needs a proper fill shoe, which I think it has right now. But yeah, I did it. I did a lot of road in the provision. Is it the provision anyway, so I've got Wi Fi and I with the northern traverse, I wore some innovates and I thought my race was done at Patterdale, which is like 21 I was in because then you get to see my feet to shreds. And so that was a choice to say like slippers. The lone peaks are my favourite shoe, they just feel like slippers. So they're my, they're my go to shoe for long stuff for sure. I

 

Gary Thwaites 1:10:16

think a lot of non UK brands, they struggle with the I think we took top small from Hawker a while ago and they had I think they're called blanking on the name but that it was quite an aggressive grip. But they're kind of demographic isn't predominantly UK athletes, and they just didn't sell the shoe didn't sell well. So maybe that's what eltra thinking to this aggressive fellowship just wouldn't be worth them.

 

James Parsons 1:10:41

It's a great niche market, isn't it? Gary? I mean, in a way, so you can understand it, but I'd love them to do one.

 

Trish Patterson 1:10:53

Spirituality uses Scott's Ultra track. Oh, I really, it depends, you know, on wet rock, they can be a bit slippy depending on the terrain, but

 

Edwina Sutton 1:11:03

they can give you the ride of your life on a bit of wet rock.

 

Trish Patterson 1:11:11

But I find them you know, I've used I've probably done about, I'd say probably about 600 miles on those shoes. And I find compared to, you know, that's like brand shame or anything but other shoes, and they generally think that they go they go the distance for me, you know, they still got great tread like they're, there's no holes in them. So I were they I bought those for the trail, I didn't really have running shoes, so I had to get like proper ones. And so I use the Hoka Mac twelves I want to say I just I don't even really know what I'm talking about. And they they they were robust, I would say robust enough to do high mileage. And they stood by they felt good friendliness and carbon weight in there but I don't really know. It's just you know,

 

Edwina Sutton 1:12:02

did you have to carry all your kit or

 

Trish Patterson 1:12:05

did you get your kit at the checkpoints so we had we basically had to carry what you needed for the day and then you access to your drop bag in the evening so I wore the Simon Simon best the the 12 the 12 best I love that best I think it's great. It's really good bit of kit that they pushed out there like I wear it for almost for practically any race, any race. It's just awesome the way it works. And that was pretty much why it that was everything I needed really took everything I needed waterproofs, just in case it hoofed it down with rain but other than that, I tried to go as quick as light as possible. Really, the biggest the biggest issue I found was water. So just getting like food was fine. But on the hot days, it was quite a struggle during those distances and getting water refills because they weren't obviously you weren't really supported you might you know, you'll get at the halfway point you might get some water you'll get some water but you know yeah like 60 miles is

 

Gary Thwaites 1:13:10

a long way from in the past

 

Trish Patterson 1:13:12

to a lot of water and that that was the that was the biggest thing making sure you had enough water to get through and what were the rules

 

Gary Thwaites 1:13:21

as far as you know if you run past it or you actually know you've answered it only the to do the rest of winter and go big and sandwich you could go into a shop and buy it

 

Trish Patterson 1:13:29

Yeah, you could go you could go into shops do whatever you like basically so the big biggest thing was that when we're going through sometimes the distances between the you know for example villages where might be like might be like 1015 mile and I got to I think actually James the shot that you guys got to just before me that one on that day three you walked out shot I went to walk in it and you shot it

 

Edwina Sutton 1:14:06

and James went like this in front of you I got so much water on my head

 

James Parsons 1:14:15

I had to lollies Chuck's up in the bed.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:14:23

Too much meal this wash I can't go James was there any other bits of kit

 

James Parsons 1:14:29

so I had a red light bag because he and Keith has a red light bag. So yeah 24 litre what I find I went with a bigger one because if you pack something too tight, you're always scared to go into it. And I've had that in the past where I've packed my smaller vest too tightly and then it takes me too long to get everything out and I don't want to go into it. If you're wet and cold and you're scared to go into your pack, that's a recipe for disaster. So I think it'd be better to have a bigger pack that still was quite snug and felt felt good. But I knew I needed to get in and get stuff without having any stress. So that was good. But yeah, so no other little bits of kit we would have dropped bags, obviously. And that dropped back deteriorated the smell from drop by the end of the eight days or something else you just put your head in it is like wow, chemical weapon.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:15:24

Did you change? Did you have like press kit every day? Or did you just go?

 

James Parsons 1:15:28

Pretty much pretty much I actually took a clean pair of pants it for every day. But some people were washing their pants. Trish everyday to buy

 

Edwina Sutton 1:15:40

two pairs didn't you change it for some sort of army role? Can Well, same pair of pants.  Mix my cleaner days. Oh

 

James Parsons 1:16:01

yeah, he's a party in there is really good.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:16:03

It's nice in China.

 

Trish Patterson 1:16:07

bag as well. So we're only allowed 16 kilos in the drop bag. Yeah. Yeah. So it's actually 16 kilos isn't really

 

Edwina Sutton 1:16:16

food. Like,

 

Trish Patterson 1:16:17

I mean, you know, basically you're packing for 10 days, potentially 10 days worth with your food. And I packed quite a bit of food as well. So yeah, that was that was really limited what you could take,

 

Gary Thwaites 1:16:30

I saw that you both got an FK T out of this. Was that something you aware of before the race or was a nice coincidence after the race?

 

Edwina Sutton 1:16:42

James new James had

 

James Parsons 1:16:45

really important to say actually, because there's a bit of not controversy. But the actual, fastest known times for the three peaks, walking or running is a lot faster, then then we did it. So I walk a call and say she walked in under seven loads just over seven days in the 70s. And she would get verified by policemen on streets. You know, that's how you got verified in those days, but it's accepted that she has the fastest walking time. So you can't really have a running time. And fkd that slower than the walking time. Right? So I think it should be the fastest known time on foot. But guess what we would say what I would say is that there was a fastest known running time that existed. And everyone on that event that finished it 17 of us absolutely smashed it by 12 hours, at least. And maybe it's like by like a day. So I think it's fair to to have that recognised as, as the modern running fkT. But it's definitely worth acknowledging the fact that people have done it a lot faster than than we did.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:17:58

Yeah. Just you have you got any appetite for going back? And maybe and the fastest time.

 

Trish Patterson 1:18:05

I think I just think that different things. You know, like, it's a, there's a big difference between having a supported effort. And, you know, we've had to put our time as support supported. And, you know, yeah, we had cracking pot noodles. We slept in great facilities. And you know, when the medical staff were top fkT said, they're just lines in the sand, you know, for someone else to go out and smash it. And it was really great for us to have that the previous fkT there because it gave us something to aim for, you know, and that's what it's all about, isn't it? It's not about it's not about you know, you might be the fastest for a day, but come on, like realistically, but there's we went out there and we did it is hundreds of 1000s of people out there who would go out and smash that time, you know, and that's all they are. They're just lines in the sand for someone else to go out and beat that and, and you know, I'd love to support someone else doing that. I might go and have a crack at it myself the spousal support at time. The future I think, definitely 100% could be done. If anything I've got from that. I definitely think we could do. I think most of the runners who did did what you know, did did that could do it in seven days.

 

James Parsons 1:19:28

For a shorted Yeah, with someone following you in a campervan.

 

Trish Patterson 1:19:34

And working to your own sleep plan, you could definitely I mean, you could I'm positive you could do it in under seven days for sure. So yeah, you know, I just think they're different things. They're lines in the sand. Don't take it too seriously. It's just it's great to have it down to again, if that pushes someone else out the door to go do it and that's what it's all about.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:19:53

They are inspiring and it makes like everyday people feel like things are achievable. We'll see Hey, Jim wants me go out and crush five minute mile and over some 10,000 feet of elevation, whatever. But these fk, the FK t over the past two years has really inspired a lot of just regular. Yeah, needs to go out and try these things. And if they don't succeed, it's just a wonderful time out on the trails, I think they'd be such a great thing. Yeah.

 

Trish Patterson 1:20:23

I don't think it's worth getting too caught up in the, you know, in the language of it. They're just different things. They're all great. And we should all be going out to try and push harder and do better.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:20:34

How is recovery looking now for both of you, and what's coming up next for the rest of the year doesn't have to be anything next just doesn't even have to be. James, how you feeling? And what's coming up next.

 

James Parsons 1:20:49

Okay, taking a steady doing 30 minutes a day at the moment on either weekdays and maybe doing it. But I did something and kentmere can make fails at the weekend. And that felt okay, so I think I'll just gradually grow that. So I didn't sign up to anything for the second half of this year intentionally. I didn't know how it was going to

 

Edwina Sutton 1:21:11

go by.

 

James Parsons 1:21:14

But since I've been signing up to things like Avast it really, you know, because now I feel quite good. So I've got a lot a lot in the diet. So a few fell races a few, like spaced kind of Ultras that I'm doing marks, biking way in December, which is 147 miles, following the Viking way path

 

Edwina Sutton 1:21:35

through possibly marks the Viking way. Is it really

 

Gary Thwaites 1:21:40

following? Yes. And the Jim's gonna be

 

James Parsons 1:21:44

muddy, miserable, but I'm just doing it just so I can see the faces of those other people that so there's a few people from the three peaks, it's like a alumni, three peaks, like alumni meeting, basically,

 

Gary Thwaites 1:21:56

the guy back together.

 

James Parsons 1:21:57

I wanted to next next year, Gary, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how you get on

 

Gary Thwaites 1:22:02

because I don't want any competition for the VT 50.

 

James Parsons 1:22:07

That's next year. So I'm gonna see how you do. And then I'll, I'll give you the next year. So that's like the ultimate racism?

 

Gary Thwaites 1:22:14

Well, I think you do really well. You know, you did share quite a few miles this time last year about June of last year. So yeah, be quite excited to see how you do there or put yourself Trish it's coming up.

 

Trish Patterson 1:22:25

Well, I mean, I've got to probably give up my ankle another week, I'm hoping that I can get back some light training. I've got the off patrician and January next year. That's my next kind of big one. And then hopefully UTS and dragons back next year. So I'll be trying to do as much spend as much time in the mountains as possible. And stay injury free. I think. Hopefully,

 

Gary Thwaites 1:22:52

would you try and get to over there. And Ricky, I know logistically, this one to go to Scotland is quite a big, especially for yourself to go to Scotland. Yeah. Hard to Ricky,

 

Trish Patterson 1:23:02

I think I'll definitely do. Yeah, I definitely plan on dragons back being like a race. And I'd dedicate quite a lot of time to, you know, making sure that I'm all over that route. So I've got a good bunch of friends who are doing it, and you know who who've done it. So I feel like, I've also volunteered for it before, and I'm gonna volunteer this year for it as well, just because it's great. It's great, great event. And it's just awesome seeing your friends go through as they're given the cheering

 

Edwina Sutton 1:23:31

thing and friends in pain. And can I ask one final question before we go into a quick five because we have lots of mums listening to this podcast, I get messages every week about the juggle the struggle, the juggle, how you balance those 100 mile weeks with two, six year olds? How do you balance it? And what's your sort of thought process about the amount of time that you give to training because I think a lot of things we're seeing that we hear from moms is the guilt of leading the kids. How do you balance that any words of wisdom for perhaps new moms or moms that are struggling with that sort of feeling?

 

Trish Patterson 1:24:09

I think it is really, really hard. Like that is the that is the bottom line is really really hard. Kids really take it out of you as well. Like it's exhausting. Exhausting. I mean that you know, it's that they are my kids are super intensive. And I take them to every club going, you know, just to try and drain the bathroom before bedtime. But yeah, it's it's intense. It's really intense. I think the key thing though, is it's recognising that it's really important to have something that you can just be an not be a parent for a small amount of time. Having that space. I think it's really important for your mental health as a parent and, you know, understanding and realising that there's more to you than picking up spaghetti from the floor and stepping on LEGO. But yeah, I think having been organised, super organised over time, knowing when you're going to do your runs, I mean, I'm really lucky that Oh, I work for myself. So when I dropped the kids off, I'll leave if I'm not working with someone else, I'll I'll work do my own training in that time. And I'm really structured with that. It's, it's tough, but yeah, organisation and don't, don't quit, give yourself the time that you need to do it. I'd say the biggest thing is Don't pressure yourself. I've learned in a couple of years, just last couple of years I think I've taken on board myself is that you can get really caught up in what you should be doing and how you should be performing. But the reality is sometimes you've just got to take it steady, you just got to go easy. Give yourself that time that you need to get back into it and when you're feeling better, you'll have a better day. It's you know, you're not the product one run you're the product of all all your runs and that's I think that's the key thing to remember with training and parenting because it's

 

Edwina Sutton 1:26:05

being kind to yourself being kind to yourself and yeah not and just using that run as Joy try not to add it not add the stress isn't run yeah don't be extra stress. When you had yeah spaghetti hoops that your head and you've big fat could be head all day and the chain. James, your dad to do you do you hear that? We hear that? Voices?

 

James Parsons 1:26:28

Absolutely. Yeah, so just echo that. I mean, I have three kids, I tried to make them part of training as much as possible. So carry carry one on my back. I actually did the three peaks with my daughter the weekend before the race and drove my nine year old girl I took her on a massive Reki disguised as Daddy and daughter time and we did the three peaks the weekend

 

Trish Patterson 1:27:00

with her as well I can notice said when I found that

 

James Parsons 1:27:05

quite ironic that me and my daughter we did Snowden in the dark.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:27:12

When you did it when did you do it quicker at the end of the with your daughter than at the end of the race.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:27:21

She's got the segment

 

James Parsons 1:27:22

strong. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, yeah, she she beat me down. But I find that ironic that I did that with her in the dark. But then we were potentially going to have to go up the mountain with a mountain leader Trish Romi as like that didn't pan out. So that's fine. But yeah, I mean, I have a fantastic wife and I try my best to make it equal in terms of of, of responsibilities, but it's not. It's not and I'd love it not to be but she absolutely does more than me. So just yeah, thanks to the moms because their styles

 

Edwina Sutton 1:28:02

change. You're good guy underneath it or you're a good girl.

 

James Parsons 1:28:05

Really? I thought that was just bullshit, wasn't it? Come on.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:28:08

Don't spoil it. Awesome. Well, thanks for your time tonight. Before we let you go, go quick. We've got six actually.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:28:20

So let's see. These guys are good. Let's keep them on.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:28:24

Okay, first question for you Trish. Tea or coffee.

 

Trish Patterson 1:28:28

See? 100% So,

 

Gary Thwaites 1:28:33

you first James most extreme plays or weather that you have run in?

 

James Parsons 1:28:39

Like snow day 2018 up on the Helvellyn ridge. I thought I was gonna die of hypothermia. It was my first Ultra.

 

Trish Patterson 1:28:46

You were the child or were you by yourself? No, I

 

James Parsons 1:28:50

had left her by Yeah, exactly. Sorry. Yeah. Exactly dropped by yourself.

 

Trish Patterson 1:29:04

I think probably the most intense way. So I ran a marathon in my patrol base and Afghanistan and it's like 2009 Maybe just raising money for limbless soldiers and that was like 40 degrees worth of heat. That was pretty emotional.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:29:24

Surprise that never give you a nosebleed.

 

Trish Patterson 1:29:27

My fingers hurt after that. That's the D sorry, I remember the most that I think is really this lack of salt and hours probably malnutrition, malnutrition, anyway, so

 

Gary Thwaites 1:29:40

I don't view it's Groundhog Day. You've seen the place for Bill Murray but you can either run the UTMB or the bog around for the rest of your life. Which one would it be?

 

Trish Patterson 1:29:50

Oh, that's tough. That's a tough one for good one. That one I wrote that one earlier. I was pretty proud. I'd say Bob Graham cuz you know, home ground and Hold on You got to stick by British stick with that would you? Would you would you go

 

James Parsons 1:30:07

to Bali if Gary could do it with me because

 

Trish Patterson 1:30:15

yes it did his awesome history there isn't it awesome history homegrown? Love it? Yeah.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:30:20

Oh my god, I totally would be on the UTMB lovely mountain trails, lovely refuges, all that cheese, you guys would be all alone and

 

James Parsons 1:30:36

you can find a different route each time with the book. So you know, YouTube.

 

Trish Patterson 1:30:40

There's a few very few chain variants I could take. Anyway, so about me sorry, Gary.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:30:52

James, do you listen to podcasts? Why don't you do yours? Do you have a favourite non running podcast? I don't want to share other running podcasts.

 

James Parsons 1:31:05

Yeah, I'm a massive cricket nerd as well. So I like the wisdom cricket. Monthly weekly podcast. Sorry.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:31:13

Oh, you're watching it at the moment or is it finished?

 

James Parsons 1:31:16

Oh, the women's testing? Yeah. Now it's ongoing. I've been in the car. Well, thanks. I haven't been able to see what's

 

Gary Thwaites 1:31:25

going on for both of you. Trish first. What's on your bedside table?

 

Edwina Sutton 1:31:32

Book. What you're reading children's book. Come on, you can go further. You can read a bit less than that. Now. Come on.

 

Trish Patterson 1:31:41

I think it's little room. This room my kids are really into it at the moment. So yeah, that's my bedside table that in a Viking but they alternate between squeegee kangaroos and violent

 

Edwina Sutton 1:31:53

literature. Literature kicks up my mind middle child. He's doing Vikings at the moment. He absolutely loves it all that thing and then he's like, we're making shields so that we don't kill each other. So we recognise each other and I'm like, okay, good day at school, then.

 

Trish Patterson 1:32:13

Don't poke with the pointy end. It's not me. I'm not the I'm not me. I

 

Gary Thwaites 1:32:21

myself, James.

 

James Parsons 1:32:22

I don't have a bedside table because I sleep on a sofa bed because my wife speaks of our children half the time

 

Edwina Sutton 1:32:29

we get into the time dating

 

Gary Thwaites 1:32:42

Okay, last one few gyms miles with friends or a solo run losing yourself on the trails.

 

James Parsons 1:32:50

miles of friends it's got to be because yeah, you can just laugh and learn things that you wouldn't on your own.

 

Trish Patterson 1:32:58

I was gonna say Yeah, buddy friends. You know

 

Edwina Sutton 1:33:06

the podcast that we're mostly Trish, guys, thank you so much for coming on podcasts that were filled. We only touched the surface of that race. But I do feel we've got to get got to know you both as real people. And hopefully that people just see that like, you. These guys went out. They they went out this toed the line. And they did something really, truly epic and how humble they are. I don't ever want to describe you as ordinary. But like, you guys are just like, Yeah, we just went out we had a great time. And we did it. And hopefully that's super inspiring to lots of people listening that thinking I could never do something like that. But that sort of event where you've meet people you've probably made friends for life or blocking games from social media.

 

Trish Patterson 1:33:46

Thank you so much for sharing the journey. Keep in touch.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:33:49

If you do anything else, mega let us know when you get to my table. James, let us know. And keep recovering, recovering but we'll keep our eyes open for what you're doing next.

 

Gary Thwaites 1:33:58

Tonight to get.

 

Edwina Sutton 1:34:13

At the end of that interview, I felt like they were our BFFs forever. We didn't really want to say goodbye. I was I was like I really wish I'd done that race. It sounded like they made it sound so much. There was obviously a lot of laughing and a lot of work a lot of effort but they do it. I