Latest / RunThrough Trails / #Ep 51 - Inside the Mind of Elite Trail Runners Joe Farrelly & Jordan Rowe With Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2

Transcript

#Ep 51 - Inside the Mind of Elite Trail Runners Joe Farrelly & Jordan Rowe With Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 · RunThrough Trails

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: That's the victory for all the hard work that you've put in over the training block.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_02: Gives me good ones to think about it.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_02: Just wanting to be there and and taking it all in.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_02: There's nothing there's nothing better than race data stuff.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_03: I feel like I can always find that extra gear if I'm at the sharp end and like being competitive and feel like I can really push myself to find a way to try and win.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_02: I wonder if I'd flip that switch from like where is me, drinking in the port, taking drugs, and kind of flip that switch into okay, something positive, driving and running.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: I want to try to see what I can do, see what I can push myself to.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: What's up everybody, and welcome to a very special edition of the Run Through Trails podcast.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: It is Ben Shepard here, and you're about to hear two incredible conversations with two brilliant trail running athletes with very different stories.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: We have got Joe Farrelly and we have got Jordan Rowe, both who have been spending time with us here today in the Peak District, testing this little beauty, the brand new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: And if you want one of these for yourself, you can bag one.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: Just head to the link in the description of this podcast.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: And without further ado, let's get into two brilliant conversations.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to a very special episode of the Run Through Trails Podcast.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: We're sat here in the Peak District, and this is so exciting because this episode is brought to you by the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm joined by two incredible athletes, and we start with Joe Farrelly.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: Joe, how are you, man?
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: Good, thank you.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: Happy to be here.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: So talk to me about this morning.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what have you been up to?
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Let's start there.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so we've been out on the trails, uh, shooting some really good footage with a new watch, getting to know it a bit, going through all the different features, and yeah, just having fun.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, before we get into the watch, some of the features of the watch, while that might help you out in your coming season.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I want the audience to know a little bit about you, like how you came to the sport um and why trail run is such a big part of your life now.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: So I guess take me back to pre-running, right?
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: Take me back to Joe of the Army days.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: Who was he?
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_02: Very different to the Joe that sat here with you today, that's for sure.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_02: So uh joined the army at 16 after leaving school, so straight into the army, did six years, uh left at the age of 22.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_02: By the time I left, I already had two kids, so kind of went straight into a career in in health and safety, which I'm still doing now.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but played football on the weekend and definitely involved with a lot of drinking, recreational drug taking.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and then at the age of 25, uh basically had everything came to a head on Christmas Day 2020.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and then woke up boxing day and I was like, never drinking again.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and yeah, five and a half years later, kind of, you know, turned my life around and yeah, took up running kind of 12 months after going sober.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, realised I was quite good at it, and yeah, yeah.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: Saying quite good at it, I feel like, is such an underestimation of yourself because I mean, people listen to this right now.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe they do follow you on socials, they'll know a bit more about your story if they do.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but like, it hasn't been that long.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you say 2020, it all came to a head, that was six years ago, and you're now competing like with some of the world's bests on pretty regular occasions.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: Does it feel weird looking back at 2020 to who you were then?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: And if you took 2020 Joe and said, Look, this is who you're gonna be in 2026, would he have believed you, do you reckon?
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_02: Definitely, definitely wouldn't have believed it.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, it c it wasn't planned, it just kind of all just fell into place because I definitely knew when I was drinking and taking drugs and kind of not coming home, as well as being a dad, you know, I definitely always felt like I was better than that and I wanted to do more with my life, but I didn't necessarily know that that was running.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I was always interested in in sport and football, and obviously in the army I did a lot of running and stuff, but I just kind of snowballed, uh took the path of running to kind of channel that, you know, improving mental health and keeping something to have have some focus in my life.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, like I said, it's you know, at first marathon was like 238 and then went from there.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that is that is crazy.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I I've I've heard you speak in the past about kind of the coaching element of what you do now as well.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, when you first started, like you said, you were just kind of doing it to, you know, start running.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: You just thought, oh, this is something that like I quite like, let's give it a bash.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: Then you decided let's try and get coaching.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: I know before Lewis, who's now your coach, Lewis Moses from Run Through Coach, you did have another coach, and you debuted your first half marathon, right?
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: When you were coached in like 73, is that right?
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, it was 73 minutes.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_02: So good memory.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, there you go.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I got a coach, a local coach for Road Run in.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_02: The plan was always to go into kind of trails.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_02: Actually, the dream was to do Dragonsbat Race, which is you know ironic as that's you know, in the news recently is you know, not going to be going ahead uh the same as it was before.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and I could just kind of wanted to train as much as I could to try and you know get to the Dragons Back race.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_02: I had no idea what that took, I had no idea of the trail running scene.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: It was just kind of, you know, I saw a documentary on the Dragonsback Race and I thought, I want to do that, I want to complete it.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: I did something like called the Welsh 3000s, where I just like kind of ran round and hiked and really enjoyed that.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but the coach that I had at the time uh was just really into road running, that was her background, so I did that half marathon, ran 73 minutes and then kind of built up to marathon.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but the the goal was to always go into trail running.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: Was it purely that documentary that made you think, you know what, like that looks hard?
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I'm sure with your mindset of being in the army and doing all those hard challenges back then as well, like that looks like the hardest thing.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I want to do.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: Was that what you're thinking?
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, yeah.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_02: I thought it probably was.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_02: So, yeah, so I think the idea for me is to try and get the most out of myself.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_02: I don't want to look back in 10 years and and regret anything in terms of what I can achieve if I push myself.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: And that's that's kind of my biggest motivator, uh, which is why I want to do the Dragons Back race.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_02: It was kind of like, what was the hardest challenge?
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I saw that and I thought, right, that that's gonna be that's gonna be like the pinnacle of of something being tough.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_02: So that was kind of what I wanted to work towards.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that is definitely my biggest motivator.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: I had, you know, my brother was in a bad car accident when I was 12, he was 19, he's paralyzed now.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: I've I've got a son who's got like complex medical needs.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I've always felt that kind of I've got a body that I can I can use, use it, push myself and see how far I can I can push it.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: And once I'd flicked that switch from like, where is me, drinking in the pool, taking drugs, and kind of flipped that switch into okay, something positive, driving and and running.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I wanted to like just see I see what I can do, see what I can push myself to.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: Do you still think about that like now on a day-to-day basis?
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think obviously when you're you're flip like turning your life around, that's a motivator, right?
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_01: Your kids, your brother, the dragon's back, like these big races, that's always a motivator.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: Now you're kind of in the place you are.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: Are you still thinking about those things on a day-to-day, or is it more of just a routine?
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: This is me now, this is what I do.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_02: No, I do still think about them all the time, especially on like big training races, uh, sorry, training runs or races.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_02: I think about my brother quite a lot, especially if it's tough.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_02: Like I think about, you know, like what would he give to be able to see these views right now or be running up this trail?
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_02: Or, you know, I think about my son and the opportunities that he might not get into into his 30s, 40s, 50s, and I think about, you know, I've got the opportunity to do it, so I definitely keep that in my mind 100%.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like you're and knowing a bit about your story, like you're trying to squeeze every possible bit of what you can do out of your life, like you're trying to squeeze every bit of potential.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: I think you do that on a day-to-day basis from how you train, how you recover, how you feel, how you sleep.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: Like, is that something that you would say was true?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: You're just trying to squeeze every every last bit out of it.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, yeah, because I don't want to look back with any regret, regrets.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: I I've got I've got I've just got it in my head that I want to get everything out of myself before it's too late.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: This this sounds really weird, but I always tell Katie, who's my partner, like, I'm convinced I'm gonna die young.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't know why I'm as convinced, and I don't want to waste any opportunity.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_02: So I'll just try and live every day like as full and and try and get the most out of myself because you don't know what's around the corner.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I guess that probably reflects on sort of your race schedule and the things that you've done and the places you've been, because one thing that this life has given you is a heck of a lot of experience, right?
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: In places that you may never have visited before.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: Gives a bit of uh context to some of the races you've done, some of the things that you've seen, and some of the places that that this sport has taken you.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's been unbelievable.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_02: I think, you know, just this year I've I've flown out the country six times already, uh, which is more times than any other year in my life.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_02: The kind of more successful I'm getting, the more places I'm getting to see.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, there's some amazing places I've been.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_02: I went out to Sweden last year uh and raced Coolmoman.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_02: Cool Maman, yeah, don't ask me to say it.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I raced uh my first 100k out there.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I've been to Chianti in Italy, I've been out to France, I've done training trips in Gran Canaria.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, been to a few places.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: Did you think, like, you know, when you first started going getting out on the trails, did you think you'd be as successful as you have been on the trails?
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: Like in that first instance, I know you're a competitive bloke and you would have wanted that, but like, did you think you had that potential?
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_02: Not at all, no.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: And then I just did a random 50k and came second behind someone who was a sponsored athlete.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think you beat me by like a minute, like on the descend.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and I thought that's when it kind of twigged.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: Actually, I could be pretty good at the trail running stuff, and that's kind of fed the fire into you know, it's not just about wanting to do drag, it's about race and finish it.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_02: I could actually go somewhere in the spot.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: And the next one after that race was Sea to Sky, which was a run-through trails event.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: That was 2024, right?
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: You won that race.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: Correct, yeah.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_01: And obviously, you're returning there with Samsung in 2026, which is super exciting, alongside Brecon as well.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um those two races, obviously, they're coming up in your calendar now.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: How are you feeling for them?
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: And are you excited to get back out on the on the trails with Run Through Trails and obviously Samsung as well?
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, really excited.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, it's been a great opportunity to be a part of this, so really grateful.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I always want to try my best to give back to Run Through Trails, especially Run Through have been brilliant to me.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and to be fair, like their courses are always brilliant, like they're always well marked out.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_02: James Tilley always does a great job.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_02: Like, shout out, Tilly.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they're brilliant.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_02: I was out in Mausine actually in June, and I couldn't believe how well marked out the course was.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, really excited.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_02: They always feel like they're big events, you know.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the only problem I've got is it's squeezed in between CCC.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: So next weekend is three weeks before CCC, and then C to Sky is the week after.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_02: CCC is the you know, the A race of the year.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: So I want to try and uh do well there.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: There will be people listening to this, like the vast majority obviously are gonna know what CCC is, but just give us a a little bit of background to that race.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: Why is it a special race?
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: Where is it?
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, what makes that week, I guess, in the place that it is so special.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so CCC is the 100k category in the UTMB uh World Series finals.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so it's absolutely a massive race.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's kind of when I've tried to explain to people who don't understand trail running, I try and you know explain that that week is kind of the Tour de France of trail running.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_02: It's a massive event, everybody goes there.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, all the trail world are going to be in Chamonix, which is where it finishes.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, people are either trying to get in through the lottery or you get automatic qualification.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_02: Luckily, I got top three in Sweden last year, so I got auto qualifications 2026, and then uh in Kianti in March, I've managed to score enough points to get automatic qualification for 2027.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_02: So in a good place.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_02: How are you feeling for it?
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm excited.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_02: I'm excited.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: I think you know, uh, I'm definitely gonna be leaving my ego at the door, just take it as an opportunity to get out on the course, get to know the course, and try and enjoy the experience.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_02: And then when I go back in 2027, now I know that I've got that, I can kind of hopefully be a bit more competitive.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: Ego at the door is like an interesting phrase.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: Is that something like as you've progressed in the sport that you've had to remind yourself?
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: Like, obviously, you've started to do really well, you started to win races, you started to progress on the world stage.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: Do you ever have to say to yourself, look, Joe, like take a second, just keep doing what you're doing?
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_02: I've definitely learned to be a lot more patient.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: I think when I first started uh with Lewis, uh Lewis Moses, I was like really eager and chomping at the bit, trying, you know, I want to get a sponsorship or I want to do this and I want to do well here.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_02: And then I think it's just like take a step back, understand that it's a journey, it's probably a five-year plan to get to where I want to be.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_02: There's so many brilliant people coming through.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_02: And what I mean by leave my ego at the door is, you know, just knowing my place this year, knowing that I'm not as experienced as so many other people on the mountains with those long climbs, with those long uh descends as well.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_02: So it's just leave my ego at the door, do my best, but don't worry about the result, just try and enjoy the experience this year.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: Where do you want to be?
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_02: I want to be finishing top ten in, you know, some of the biggest races in the world.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_02: That's the that's the dream.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: And there's no reason you can't do that, is there?
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: That's the thing.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's like seeing what you've done in the sport already and getting to get into that level, it's just it feels like just the next stage upright.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: And that's got to be so exciting to have done what you've done with the life that you've got.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like, because let's be honest, mate, you're busy, like you've got a full-time job, you've got kids, you've got a relationship, like it's hard to get all this stuff in, and people are probably gonna be listening right now thinking, like, how does he do that?
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how how does he finish where he's finishing on the world stage already with all of that stuff going on?
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how do you do it?
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's just it's not making any excuses up, you know, it's got to be done.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_02: You always find time for the things that you want to do.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_02: If you can find time to scroll on Instagram, you can find time to go for a run, you know.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_02: So it is difficult, especially in peak weeks when work's stressful and I've got a 16-hour training week, you know, four o'clock starts, double days after a full day of work, trying to squeeze in, seeing the kids, you know, and trying to get eight hours sleep, which is important for recovery.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's tough, it's challenging, but it's worth it.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I know the other option is to, you know, not give it everything and then have regret looking back and saying, you know, I could have done more, and I don't want to look back and think I could have done more.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: How important is that recovery element?
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: I know there are some incredible features built into the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like for yourself for recovery, how important is that recovery element to progress your training and to kind of um let your body have that time to digest the training, if you will?
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: It's just as important as sessions, you know, it's just as important as the long runs.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_02: Getting the recovery allows you to then go harder the next day.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it allows you to, you know, prevent injury, let your body adapt to the training that you've had.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_02: And I try and treat rest days and treat the recovery uh like a training day.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, if I've got a key session, I try and, you know, you wanna you want to smash that session, I try and do the same with the rest day.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_02: So I see that more as a challenge now.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_02: Whereas before, you know, it would be, you know, sneaking a little run or something.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_02: Just be just as disciplined with the rest day.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_02: I try and, you know, I'll be counting the the steps on my watch to make sure I've got minimal steps on those rest days.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: Let's go back to the two run-through trails races that are coming up, starting with Brecon, 8th of August.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: Whilst we're sitting here, it's like literally just over a week, right?
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: Until you're there with Samsung and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that race, I'm very passionate about that race because actually where I'm from, it's a beautiful part of the world.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like a very undiscovered part of the world.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what's the plan there?
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: What are you setting yourself out to do from an A-goal perspective, B goal perspective, C goal perspective, I guess, from that race?
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what do you want out of it?
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_02: I just want to enjoy it, yeah.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_02: First and foremost.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_02: I think going into any race, uh, two important things are try and finish, yeah, you know, uh, and try and enjoy it.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_02: And and the hardest part of any training block is getting to the start line, isn't it?
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: So you can get to the start line and you're healthy, then then you're happy.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I won't be going into it, you know, wanting to do particularly well.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_02: I won't be running as fast as I can just because, you know, training up to CCC.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_02: I've got a six-hour run on Sunday this week, and then I'll have a full week of training before uh the race on Saturday.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: So and then it's uh it's back to Sea to Sky then on the on the 5th of September, a race that obviously holds that history for you, having won in the past, like and you're going back.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, and that's post-CCC, right?
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's actually the week after.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: So, well, I guess we'll see, right?
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see how you feel.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, see how I feel.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_02: But I absolutely love that course.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_02: The day that I did it, the the weather was absolutely perfect, finishing on the beach.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_02: And we were speaking about this uh earlier, but that run across you know the bridge as you come back into Bournemouth, it's it's it's really iconic.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_01: Bourmouth is like a beautiful, beautiful place, and it's one of those unique places that you get to start on a seaside like location, finish in that location as well.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: But you also get one of the biggest mountains in Wales as part of that course as well, because you're straight from the beach for people that don't know the course, straight up Kadir, yeah, which is like that is a stunning mountain as well, right?
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's a tough climb, isn't it?
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it is, yeah.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_02: Tough, toughest climb, I think, in in Wales, you know, compared to Snowden.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_02: It's a it's a it's a tough climb.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: What do you think it's gonna be like going back there?
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like, because it it was almost the start of your journey, right?
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: That was a couple of years.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: It feels mad to say that was your start of your journey a couple of years back, but it was the start of this journey you're currently on, like of you know, getting to that top 10 CCC position, like which you will get to, I'm sure.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: That's gonna feel weird going back and like reminiscing on the fact that last time you were here, this wasn't even a thing.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but I'm really excited uh to go back and you know, hopefully remember some of the course and think, you know, compare how I felt two years ago going up at climb to how I feel now.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_02: It'll be a bit skewed due to CCC, but I'm still really looking forward to to going back and redoing the course.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, we're here with Samsung and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna throw a couple of features at you here, right?
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_01: A few features of the watch.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I want you to give me uh kind of an element of your trail running life that you think these are gonna be really handy.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: And a couple of them, pretty obvious.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: The battery life, it's insane on this thing.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how important is it to trust your battery over 100k distance?
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely imperative to be able to trust your battery, especially, you know, some of the longer ones could be out there for 12, 13, 14 hours.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: It's really important that you can trust your watch, trust the navigation, and and the battery life's really important, yeah.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: You you mentioned navigation there.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_01: This has got a pinpoint GPS, which will take you to like this an exact point.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: You don't want to be half the way up CADIR, a big climb, and not quite know how far you've got to go, right?
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: You want the exact uh footage that you've got to get to that point and the end of that climb, so you know kind of the effort that you need to put in.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and that'll be really helpful because historically, my navigation skills on I get lost all the time, and it's something that you know I definitely room for improvement there.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_02: So the watch will help with that.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, as well as that, I guess over a hundred K distance, you're not always there out in the light for the whole time, like a lot of the time you might be, but if it does start in dusky or um, you know, dark, you need to be able to trust that you're gonna be able to see the thing.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, so it's got 5,000 nits, which is kind of the brightness of this watch.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, being able to make sure you're on track, you can see all your splits and all of the data that you've got on that watch again.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Really important.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so the race in Sweden last year started at 10 at night, and I ran all the way through the night, through the dark, and finished as it was the sun was just coming up.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_02: So very important.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: CCC, I'm 99% gonna finish in the dark.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_02: So that last descend into Chamonix will be in the dark.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_02: So super important.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, mate, when you're when you're in a race like CCC, 100 kilometers, um, it's not just the features, but it's how much you can trust it, how it feels on your wrist, kind of the look, the feel of the watch.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I know the Samsung uh Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, like I'm looking at my wrist right now.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's not only just a really good looking watch, but how comfortable is it?
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, definitely comfortable.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: I was really surprised when I put it on.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I was really happy with how it looks, but definitely with how it feels, especially compared to all the other watches that I've had.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_02: It feels really nice, it's really light, and doing some running in it, I'm uh I'm a big fan.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's the one thing, isn't it?
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: You need to be able to trust your kit.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: And like that, that that's kit in every sense of the word.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_01: You need to be able to trust your pack, your clothing, your poles, and then your watch is such a big one.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I think your watch nowadays is probably, you know, in that top two or three key things that you need to get right.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: When you think about CCC as we're sitting here now, and you think about standing on the start line of that race, that world famous race with the people that are going to be there.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_01: How does that how that how does that make you feel?
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like, does it make you feel excited?
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: Does it make you feel nervous?
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_01: Do you feel ready for it?
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what is that feeling that you get?
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: Grateful.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: Feel grateful to have the opportunity to be there.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that is kind of that's the victory for all the hard work that you've put in over the training block.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: Kind of g gives me, you know, goosebumps to think about it, of excitement, just wanting to be there and and taking it all in.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_02: And there's nothing, there's nothing better than race day, is there?
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_02: That race day feel.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: Are you a race day man?
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_01: Like I know some people say they prefer training over racing.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: They don't like it because of the nerves.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: Like, are you like, I want to be on that start line.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: This is where, yeah, this is where I thrive type thing.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, yeah.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_02: Especially if you if you're in a good place and you know training's going well, all you want to do is be on that start line.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you always like competition, I feel.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, absolutely.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I've got three older brothers, youngest of four boys, grew up in a household which was mad, you know.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_02: So that competitive nature was always there, especially as the youngest wanting to be better than them.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and you know, that carried me through football and then into the army and now into entrepreneurs.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: And we're looking back six years now, which is crazy to that point where you decided, you know what, Christmas Day, I'm gonna I'm gonna knock the booze on the head.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna start thinking about myself and focusing on my health a little bit more.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, that it was after Christmas Day.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_01: It was after Christmas Day, was it?
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_01: It was Boxing Day.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, yeah, okay.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: Christmas Day, you were going big, going boxing day.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Boxing Day was the day.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's still just six years ago, and you've come on such a journey since that point.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_01: You're 30 now, right?
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_01: Am I right in saying?
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_01: Just 31.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, sorry, mate, sorry.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_01: Uh 31.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like we look forward another six years.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: There's so much for you in the future from this trail running perspective and from a perspective of where you could be in another six years.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: Do you do you think about that?
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: And what do you think in six years' time you'll be looking back at and thinking of that that last six years?
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, I look at people like uh Gemma Hillier Moses, you know, I think she signed her first pro contract, she was like 36.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I'm not gonna overreg her age, I think it's 37, 38.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, in six years' times I'll be I'll be her age, and hopefully, you know, I'll be at the level where I'm hopefully hit my peak, and especially over the 100-mile distance, which I want to step up to eventually.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_02: I'm hoping I can look back and and and have some big achievements to be proud of, but also still trying to push for for more things.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_01: When you go further than you've been before, you do find out more, don't you?
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_01: You're like, where's that come from?
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: Where's that door to the wardrobe?
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and but you also find out negative stuff as well.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_02: So, like uh at the arc, for example, in January this year, uh, I went into that race thinking I was a lot more mentally tough than I found myself to be.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_02: I went into that race kind of injured and not in the best form of my life, but you know, I kind of thought I can I can run through it.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I finished the race, but my attitude was rubbish.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_02: And being able to find when I when I say find out about yourself, you find out who you really are in those tough moments when you want to give up, when you just want to stop and you know, go and hug your girlfriend or whatever because it's hard, you really find out about yourself.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_01: So being honest in those moments is so difficult as well, isn't it?
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like you saying that now, obviously, you've had a bit of time to kind of sit back and take that race in.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_01: But like to actually be honest with yourself and think, and lots of people listening to this might feel like this.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure people have gone into races thinking I'm gonna be alright, realize they're not, and then you have to have that moment where you look in the mirror and be like, it's kind of that's kind of on you.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like, and that's really difficult, isn't it?
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and but that's how you grow as well.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: So I've definitely grown from that, from that bad experience and being able to reflect on that and my attitude towards the race when it when I found it tough, I found it difficult to smile and and get through.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_02: I was feeling sorry for myself, I was sulking like a my like my nine-year-old son.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_02: I was just kind of like, I don't want to do this, but got to the finish line, and then it took that reflection to think, you know what, that's not who I want to be.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_02: I faced that during the race, and I've hopefully now put the tools in place to be better than that.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_02: And what do you hope to get out of CCC?
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_02: I'm hoping to finish the race with a smile on my face.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, okay.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_01: You're not gonna give me more than that, are you?
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_01: You're not gonna give me more than that.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, mate, I'll just throw a couple of quick fire questions at you to finish.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then we'll wrap this up.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: I've loved that.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: That was brilliant.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you could run any race in the world, what would it be?
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_01: UCMB.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_01: What about your favourite trail running partner?
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like, who would you have out there with you?
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_02: Run in, yeah.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_02: You can have one of each.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: Crew in, uh, my partner Katie and running partner, I would have Bempler.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: Best meal post-run, pizza.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_01: Best meal pre-run.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: Rice.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_01: Guilty pleasure, cheesecake.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_01: Cheesecake.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_01: You're a legend, man.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_01: And if somebody is listening to this right now and they're thinking, you know, I'm in a place and I can really relate to this conversation, like, you don't have to want to be one of the best trail runners in the world to turn your life around and you didn't at that point.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what would be your bit of advice to that person that is listening to this and thinking, you know what?
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: Like, this story's really inspired me.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_01: I want to change.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: What would you say to him?
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_02: Say, listen to the voice inside your head that's telling you, you know, that the path that you're on isn't right.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_02: Listen to your gut, listen to the voice, and it's never too late to turn things around.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_01: Amazing.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_01: Joe Fowrilly, ladies and gentlemen, Skimmetcher.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Joe.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, thank you for coming to join us today in the Peak District alongside Samsung and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you very much.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_03: So we're back.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_03: Jordan Rowe, how are you, my man?
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I'm good.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_03: I'm subbed in.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_03: Subbed in for uh for Joe.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_03: The uh the lesser looking of the two.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I wasn't gonna say that.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_01: I wasn't gonna say that.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they got the the worst done last, which I'm not sure is the uh I saw you taking off your your bib over there as you came off the subspension.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's it, and hopped in.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_01: How's how's it been today then?
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like out on the trails, running about, having a laugh, that's what it's all about, right?
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_03: That's it.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_03: The crew's been great and it's been a great day, sort of testing out the new sort of Samsung watch and the features and sort of really getting to grips with that, sort of, you know, like ahead of uh a few busy weeks with racing and sort of like yeah, testing out the uh the features and everything that's good about the watch.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_01: We'll get on to um yeah, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 uh down the line, um, because there is a lot that's good about it, and we'll get onto the races as well.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_01: But before that, it it makes sense for us to go back, right?
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: And think about um you growing up to start with.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, your and Joe's story are uh very different, actually.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, he came to the sport later in life, and I know it's been a part of your life for a very long time.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: So take me all the way back.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like, when did when did running even first become a thing?
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so running became a thing.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um when I was at secondary school, um, you go to these sort of cross-country meets and everything, and at the time I was playing football up until I was 16, 17.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um, that's what I wanted to do.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then managed to get my all the way to English schools cross-country in a pair of football boots, a pair of T9s.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_03: Is that true?
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_03: That is true, yeah.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_03: But then I thought I probably needed a pair of actual uh cross-country spikes to compete in like a national event.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_03: So got some of those and was basically sort of pushed into athletics through my PE teachers, and I again I just wanted to play football, like that's all I wanted.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_03: But then picked that up, ran through school that took me to Loughborough uh to study my undergrad.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_03: Took me then to a scholarship in America for two years, um, and the track and field team there, so sort of got great experience and exposure there.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then came back and Loughborough drew me back in.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_03: It seems to draw everyone back in, sort of when they leave, um, and stayed there ever since.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but the change came in November of last year to sort of give trail running a go.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um, up to that point, it'd just been track and field running.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but sort of had got a bit bored of the same pattern of like the same winter, the same summer, and as getting into full-time work, I was just getting injured all the time and lost a bit of love for it, and then so come into trail running, sort of picked up that enthusiasm and that love for training and for running again, and sort of excited to where it can take me basically.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: Do you almost feel like you were that?
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I guess two questions here.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_01: When did it first actually become an enjoyable thing?
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_01: Because you said a couple of times there, like I just wanted to play football.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like at some point you must have thought, nah, I'm pretty good at this, this is quite cool.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_01: And like, I guess now, um, do you get the same feeling?
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_01: Have you got the same feeling of like I get to give this thing a go now, this trail running thing?
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so my my big I I think I suppose everyone likes being good at something, but I think when I got into running more, I started to win races in county, then in region, and then a few national races.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I just like being at the sharp end of races and competing and just love winning.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_03: I think that's the main thing um that sort of keeps me going and training a lot is to have that sort of that rush of sort of being at the sharp end of a race.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_03: And I think sort of when I came back from America, I lost that because I was getting injured, so I wasn't sort of competing as much.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_03: So that's probably where um I hadn't you know had that enjoyment because I was always like two steps forward, three steps back, sort of thing.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_03: And now um yeah, it's also like a completely new sport to learn.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_03: Like there's so much more than just doing laps of a track, it's sort of you gotta learn how to pace yourself climbing, you've got to learn what lines and like not to fall over when you've descended.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_03: Like, there's so much to it.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_03: So, like, I'm enjoying that sort of you know, first day of school sort of vibe as well, like with a whole new sport.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_01: I want to touch on that, but I do want to just go back a little bit as well and and talk about that winning piece because sometimes people think that's like that's dirty, in it to say, like, oh, I like winning.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like, people don't like that, and I don't know why people don't like that.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like, liking to win is not a bad thing.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I I don't know.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_03: I I think it's just how my brain has always been wise when training and racing is like maybe not so much in training, but like definitely in racing.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_03: I have I can always I feel like I can always find that extra gear, like if if I'm at the sharp end and like being competitive, I feel like I can really push myself to find a way to try and win.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_03: And then if I don't win, like you know, put my hands up like the other guy was better on the day.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_03: Like I'm not ashamed of that because I I would have known I could give or gave a hundred percent of what I did on that day.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_03: So I enjoy it.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_03: I think I think that's that's why I do it is to to win, not for like taking glory or anything, but like I just enjoy that rush that you get from from that.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_03: So I think um, yeah, I'm not afraid to say it, but some people think you know, like when you say that you don't enjoy it, but like I enjoy just racing, yeah.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_01: That's it.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, you can enjoy the process, but you can also enjoy the feeling after, can't you?
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like if you do get to that point, and I guess like you mentioned America and a couple of things I wanted to touch on on with that.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_01: First, going out there, getting the opportunity to do it, and and second, the man that likes to win so much when you do have a few injuries, and that is part of like that story, that's gonna be really difficult.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it is difficult.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_03: I think my perspective changed a lot since going into full-time work because before, you know, you're you're chasing this.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_03: Well, when running on a track, you're chasing a like a an Olympic dream or being professional or whatever that may be.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_03: So then it feels like your timeline's getting closer if you keep getting injured.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_03: But now, sort of being in full-time work and sort of my girlfriend, dog, family, like things that are bumps in the road now, like kind of it is what it is, it's just life, isn't it?
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_03: Like, you've got family and friends to go see, or work to go do on a Monday if you had a bad result of the weekend.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_03: So like um it just puts things all into perspective.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_01: And that America, American journey in general, what was it like going out there, like leaving the family, leaving everything behind in the UK and going out to do your thing out there for a bit?
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_03: It was never it was never something which I had planned to do, like whilst I was sort of do my undergrad.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it was just something that sort of I share the same coach as Joe, so Lewis Moses, um, and I was he was a training partner at the time before I went out to America and before he started coaching.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um so we were in the track the same group, and it was uh the coach of the university I went to um was a mutual friend, so like went in contact and it just seemed the right fit, and sort of again I didn't know what to do after uni, so I was like, Yes, give it a go.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and loved my time there.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_03: The team was great.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_03: I was in Texas, um, great state for food, for seeing everything, um, and got to travel a lot of America whilst I was there racing, and um pretty much all of my track PBs are from America, so I was a good place, and I've been back a few times since and as a country I love it there.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_03: And um, yeah, I even got the the stamp of Texas on my hips or something.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_01: I won't ask him to get it out.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: I won't ask him to get it out.
• 39:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um the America thing, I think sometimes people don't really understand either.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like they'll hear I went to run in America, and their perception of that might be from a UK perspective, like saying you went to run or even play any sport at a uni, like even the most flagship uni, it's not it's not like it is in America in the UK, is it?
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like it is wild out there, yeah.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's it does open your your eyes, and I'd never been to America prior to to going out for university, and I think sort of seeing the um just experiencing the different culture, the different food, and getting to meet new people, I think was great.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_03: And um the heat waves that we've been having in the UK feel like nothing after being out in uh Southeast Texas where it's sort of 95% of humidity, and you're training in that.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_01: So of that whole America experience, like is there one moment that sticks out to you, like a race that sticks out to you?
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_03: Probably my 5k PV was probably the better moment, or making sort of the NCAA cross-country.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_03: I suppose those two are the standout, like in my first year making making that kind of set the ball rolling, I suppose, to make the improvements I did for my 5k PV, sort of yeah, the training went well, and then getting to a point of like okay, I can like rediscover was um sort of the the talent of my youth, I guess.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_03: And then that got the ball rolling a little bit, which was um which was nice.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um and yeah, it's a bit different there where you can train early in the morning, come back for a nap, and then go to class this afternoon.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_03: Whereas I think, yeah, now it's sort of before work, after work, and no chance for naps.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_01: But what's it what was it like standing on the NCAA cross country start like?
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_01: Because I know people will have seen videos and photos, it is insane.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_03: There's a funny video on YouTube of the NCAA cross that I did.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um it was the NCAA cross um in 2018, and the university coach says you've got to get out like hard, it's a fast start.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_03: So I was just like, All right, I'll do that.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_03: And then I look across and there's only like two people next to me because I'm at the very front for the first like K.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I was just like, Well, I'm not this good.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_03: So I swiftly went uh backwards and dropped the anchor.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah, for the first like kilometers, I was a leading well joint lead in the NCAA cross, so I might have got carried away myself a little bit.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about the the the fact that you were calling this a new sport uh a moment ago because I find that so interesting, and I get I get why you're calling it a new sport because it's so different to what you did in the past, but there will be people listening just going, well it's running in it, like it's the same thing.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_01: What are the what are the differences between trail running and running for a few laps around a track?
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_03: It's a good uh question, and I think there's a a few bits which were a big shock, I suppose, to myself.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_03: So a lot of it is you know like pacing, so on the road or track, it's quite easy to see what pace you're doing, and it's um very easy to compare yourself to other people that are doing it, but sort of when you're on the trails, you know, you could be going up a slope which is 30% incline or like a 20% descent.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and it's really hard to like know, so like being able to internalize that effort, be like, oh, I'm running easy, and this is easy no matter how fast you're going up.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then the other bits is sort of as touched on, sort of learning to descend without tripping over and falling over yourself is a good one.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um, touch wood, I've not had any uh scares on that just yet, just running through a few bushes and getting scratches.
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, that's the worst I've had so far.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and yeah, I think obviously the the distances is a big one as well.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_03: Like the furthest I've run in training or racing is 35k.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I plan to do a 50k this year, so there's gonna be a little bit of an unknown on that aspect, but again, it comes down to like that internalized pace of or effort pace, um, rather than just thinking I'm gonna hit this exact pace and go for it.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of different things as well, like kit is a big one, right?
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_01: When you go from the track to to the mountains, like that's a that's a that's a big difference um when it comes to Tech as well.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_01: I know we're here with Samsung obviously and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_01: This thing's incredibly durable, which you've kind of talked about durability in the body, but durability in tech is also incredibly important when you're out there for you know your first 50k this year.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, exactly.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we when you go into the the high mountains and you're scrambling, sort of climbing ladders, climbing up rocks and everything, you want a watch that isn't gonna um you know that can face those elements, and sort of the Samsung watch can sort of certainly do that.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_03: And the same when it comes to sort of the battery life of it, you want that to sort of be there with you, and sort of also a watch which is super easy to read when you you're in those conditions, whether it's at night, snow, wind, rain, whatever it is, like the the watch face and um the screen of it is sort of great for for all of that.
• 44:56
  SPEAKER_01: And it's really nice that it's a watch as well, that it it kind of looks nice on your wrist.
• 45:01
  SPEAKER_01: Like we say all this stuff, but I think sometimes people think durability is not gonna look nice, but actually, like it's really comfortable and it looks lovely.
• 45:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you wouldn't mind wearing it day-to-day or out for dinner, would you ask?
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_01: No, not at all.
• 45:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um, in terms of your race schedule, then um, let's talk about past races first, and then we'll talk about races that are coming up.
• 45:19
  SPEAKER_01: When you made this switch and you decided I'm gonna give the trails a bash, um talk to me about the first race you decided to get out on, and then when you started getting a bit of success and feeling like, hmm, okay, this could be something I'd like to do and discover a little bit more.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_01: What was what was that progression into like, oh you know, I'm I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna pursue this?
• 45:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think so.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_03: The first race I did, uh I don't know if it is a race, but it's round Loftra of where I live.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_03: Um and it just felt like a standard Sunday long run because it was hills and running that I knew off the back of my hand.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_03: So it's it didn't really feel like a race, but again, like it was sort of late January and um just having that different kind of experience of racing.
• 46:10
  SPEAKER_03: But the main goal for this year is 50k in Kuleman Kulmanen who I I I still I've been into both of us, both of us I've been entered into this race for over a year and I still don't know how to pronounce it.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_03: But um I spoke sort of with my coach Lewis um at the back end of last year before making the switch because I still had some like cross-country plans.
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and this was the one where I wanted to do to kind of get a ticket for OCC next year, hopefully.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so I always knew that I was doing this 50k, it's just in the space since trying to fill a calendar that will like make me best prepared and in the best place possible to do or be at the sharp end of that race.
• 47:00
  SPEAKER_03: So um that's kind of where things have gone.
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_03: I've done a few of the the run through events since then.
• 47:07
  SPEAKER_03: I've done a few fell races, got the two run-through events coming up, which will lead into um or be a part of that training um over in Wales.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_03: So it's just like piecing things together, and as mentioned, it's almost learning a whole new sport.
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_03: So you learn something new in each each race.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_01: Have you found those rent through trails races that you've already done?
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_03: I thought they were great.
• 47:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um yeah, I did one in September, October last year, and then I did the Run Through Lakes race um severely undertressed for the top of uh for climbing that one because it was I was pretty hot going up, and then I got to the top and thought, why is there snow on the floor?
• 47:53
  SPEAKER_03: It's April, and what's that doing with snow at the top?
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_03: But I think that again that's just a learning thing of making sure that I had the right kit available and I could stay warm.
• 48:03
  SPEAKER_03: But I I think they're great events, I think they're well run.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um, the team are great and helpful, the courses are marked out, like super clear.
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and yeah, like looking forward to the race in Breca next week.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um, though the area of OK-ish, being there on sort of holiday as a kid uh a few many times.
• 48:27
  SPEAKER_03: Um and then sort of going to Snowden.
• 48:31
  SPEAKER_03: It's sort of an area that I don't really know, but sort of it looks beautiful around there.
• 48:35
  SPEAKER_03: So taking the views.
• 48:37
  SPEAKER_01: In the Lakes race, it went pretty well, didn't it?
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_01: Let's be honest about that.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it was uh it was nice to uh again sort of take uh take a win and um enjoy you feel shy about saying that like like just tell them you won.
• 48:51
  SPEAKER_03: Well I feel I feel guilty mainly because the 50k which um went on started beforehand, it was heavy rain before my race.
• 49:00
  SPEAKER_03: My race started, it was beautiful sunshine, finished my race and then the rain stopped.
• 49:05
  SPEAKER_03: So they must have uh eased up the weather just for just for the 25k.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_03: Just for the 25k.
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_01: But um it's nice to it's nice on a course like that though, because like it's a really, really stunning route.
• 49:15
  SPEAKER_01: I bet it felt good to be able to take that route in on the in like in the weather that you got and then to take the win as well.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_01: That obviously that obviously doubles down on the fact that it was a brilliant day.
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_03: I think even in that one, I think I don't know what the the winning margin was, but sort of even then like just pushing myself all the way to the finish line and then being able to enjoy um a good bit of food food afterwards, which is always the uh which is always a bonus.
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_01: We mentioned Brecon, which is next weekend as we as we sit here.
• 49:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um you're there in partnership with Samsung at the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what are the goals for Brecon?
• 49:55
  SPEAKER_01: And then I guess moving forward out of the Brecon race, what are the goals for Sea to Sky as well?
• 50:01
  SPEAKER_03: Um I think any race I could win.
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_03: Any race, like I I would like to win.
• 50:09
  SPEAKER_03: I know that sort of um it's not yet been discussed, and we'll probably be training through ahead of um the 50k at the end of October.
• 50:20
  SPEAKER_03: But again, I I think I could it's hard for me to like switch that that off to be like, oh, I'm just training, like I wanna I want to push.
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_03: So like I think that would be one thing that would do is like in the 25k is just to sort of yeah, go after it, but um then sort of again, like before the sea to sky, um it's probably the the same wants to win that as well, the same, like it's it's tough for me to switch that off.
• 50:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um I'm probably gonna come across as like that as almost only does it to win, but um yeah, like it would just be again sort of training through and looking to to do the best I can.
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_03: Hopefully that's a win.
• 51:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um but sort of they're good races because the the elevation is not as much as the 50k, so um it's a good training stimulus.
• 51:19
  SPEAKER_01: And do you know what I love as well?
• 51:21
  SPEAKER_01: And this is like part of the reason we're here today, or the whole reason we're here today, is obviously for the um Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
• 51:28
  SPEAKER_01: To see brands like Samsung coming into the space and for us to be sitting here talking about UTMB week, like it's something that we would have both known about for years and years and years because we love the sport.
• 51:39
  SPEAKER_01: But for a big brand like Samsung to be coming into the space with a brand new watch, like that just shows quite how this sport is growing.
• 51:47
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of room for growth, but it's quite cool having you experienced UTMB week to see brands like this now having a kind of footprint in the space.
• 51:56
  SPEAKER_03: No, absolutely.
• 51:57
  SPEAKER_03: I think you know, like having a company that's sort of you know progressive and like wants to to get into the space and sort of really keen to show what they can provide from a from a watch and like the you know be durable enough to get through something like that, um, that sort of race is just amazing to see.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_03: And like, you know, like it's it's been really great to test and sort of um I don't even notice this on my wrist.
• 52:27
  SPEAKER_03: Like it's um been so good to sort of test it out today and sort of um with a bee alongside me for these run-through trail races and Culoman as well, like it's sort of a an exciting thing to be a part of and to yeah, test out, sort of put it through the put it through the ringer if you want, and then uh um sort of use it to check all my stats.
• 52:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's the thing though, isn't it?
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's that is that is so so important.
• 52:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um you've mentioned work a few times and like squeezing it in around full-time work, and like there is there is this part of your life as well, um, where you are still working full-time.
• 53:11
  SPEAKER_01: There will be people listening to this, and they'll be saying, Why don't you just not run competitively?
• 53:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like, why don't you just work?
• 53:21
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what would you say to them, and what is that reason?
• 53:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um I like the I I love the the job that I do.
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_03: I think sort of providing value and also sort of um my work and then running outside kind of go hand in hand in the sense of running gives me that space to like clear my mind after a day at work.
• 53:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then work gives me that separate focus, so I'm not solely focused on running, and I can get inside my own head if I'm not doing something like that.
• 53:57
  SPEAKER_03: I can think like, oh like I didn't sleep that well, and that means this, or like this training session didn't go as well as I thought, like, why didn't it?
• 54:07
  SPEAKER_03: And start over analyzing things.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_03: And I think having that escape from both different things is um that works hand in hand at the moment.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_01: Do you think your running benefits your work and your work benefits your running?
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely, definitely.
• 54:26
  SPEAKER_03: If you uh if I have ever have an issue to to fix at work, sort of need to think about how to solve something, running gives me that space to either try and solve the issue there and then, or to clear my mind so then I'm fresh to think about it.
• 54:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um and yeah, vice versa, if you know running's not going well or pick up an injury or something, like you've always got that other thing to focus on.
• 54:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um and yeah, the two different sort of industries, if you like, is um yeah, they it just seems to work.
• 55:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's cool to it's cool that they balance with each other as well.
• 55:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, mate, we're so excited to have you at these trail races moving forward, obviously, with with Brecon and with Sea to Sky as well.
• 55:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we'll finish this by just throwing some quick fire questions at you.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_01: No thinking, okay, no thinking, straight out of the mouth.
• 55:19
  SPEAKER_01: Here we go.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_03: Favourite film, favorite film or shoshang redemption.
• 55:23
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, good one.
• 55:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, post-race meal.
• 55:26
  SPEAKER_01: Post-race meal or burger favorite watch.
• 55:32
  SPEAKER_03: Samson Gallon correct.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you could run One Dream Race, what would it be?
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um I'd have to say the UTMB race in New Zealand.
• 55:42
  SPEAKER_03: I've always wanted to go.
• 55:43
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe that's because I'm watching The Hobbit at the moment.
• 55:45
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 55:46
  SPEAKER_03: The uh the motivation.
• 55:50
  SPEAKER_01: Favourite band.
• 55:54
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, there's too many.
• 55:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I've thinking too much.
• 56:00
  SPEAKER_03: Let's just go with Oasis.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, and we're gonna finish here because I feel like this is a good place to finish.
• 56:06
  SPEAKER_01: Nice one.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_01: Trail or track.
• 56:08
  SPEAKER_01: Trail.
• 56:10
  SPEAKER_01: Legend.
• 56:11
  SPEAKER_01: John Rowe, everybody.