Latest / The Folkestone & Hythe Sports Podcast / CARLY MORGAN TELLS US WHY SHE WILL BE RUNNING THE LONDON MARATHON

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CARLY MORGAN TELLS US WHY SHE WILL BE RUNNING THE LONDON MARATHON · The Folkestone & Hythe Sports Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: In the first of my London Marathon special interviews. I'm
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: joined now by Carl Morgan. Hello, Carly, how are you?
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: I'm very well, Thank you.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Excellent, Thanks for coming along today. Now, Carl, you've ticked
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: all the boxes. You're a local runner, you're running your
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: first marathon in London, and you're running for a charity.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Is that right?
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: That's correct?
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Okay, So I don't know where to start. Really, let's
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: go back to tell us a bit about yourself. Did
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: you enjoy sport as a youngster. You know how long
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: you've been running? Tell us a little bit about your background.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Okay, cool? So did I enjoy sport as a youngster,
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: Probably up until twelve, and then I got a little
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: bit overly competitive and couldn't handle losing, so I jacked
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: it in. I used to play netball a little bit
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: of school and really enjoyed that. I certainly was not
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: a runner. I would have panic attacks at the thought
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: of cross country runs. I would dodge it. I'd be
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: sick that day from school. So yeah, I wouldn't class
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: myself as a sporty kid as such, right, yeah, perhaps
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: a bit more sporty adult.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Right, Okay, So what was it about cross country running
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: that you didn't like. Was it just just not in
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: you or was there any other reasons I struggled.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: I really struggled with the with running. I wanted to
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: go faster and then I'd totally lose lose the ability
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: to go far. And I struggle with ASPA.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: I'll do you.
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: So I was diagnosed with asthma at about seven years old.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: Not serious asthma, but it would certainly kick in when
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: I was trying to do any kind of running or
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: sports and stuff, and so it's just too overwhelming to
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: consider a cross country.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: So I mean when you was younger, did you kind
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: of use it as a little lever?
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: Absolutely?
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: Not. Another from your mum, Yeah you can't.
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: Do cross country. She's had a bit of a flare up.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: Okay, well we're joking about it. But as a child,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: asthma in normal day events must have been a bit
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: of a bit of a struggle growing.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: Up with Yeah, very much. So. The thing with asthma
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: that I find is you don't really notice it until
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: you think about it, and the moment you start thinking
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: about it, especially if you're trying to do anything sporting it,
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: it just kicks into your mindset and it can really
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: limit you.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: Right, okay, So how did you get back into running?
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: What sort of spurred you want to come this far
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  Speaker 1: to do the challenge the London Marathon.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: So about three years ago, I was on holiday with
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: the family. So I've got a husband and two kids.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: We were over in Cyprus, which is one of our
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: favorite places to go. And mums will know this. You're
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: always the one that get ups early. You know, you're
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: getting everyone ready for breakfast and stuff. So I was
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  Speaker 2: up early. Everyone else was still snoozing and I looked
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: out the window and there's this beautiful view of the
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: sea and loads of people out walking and running. So
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  Speaker 2: I thought, right, I'll go for a walk. Went for
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: a little walk. People are running past me. I'm like, oh,
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: quite fancy, little trop So I just started and that
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: was about one point eight k right. The rest is history.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: It grew from there.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: So that was the turning point, was very much. So, yeah,
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: you came from a nun runner to a runner. What
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: a lovely venue to restart your running career.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: That's right, hot but lovely. Yeah.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: Yeah, straight back in the pool before breakfast. Right okay,
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: So again, on a serious note, let's let's go back.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: So that was the turning point. So how did you decide?
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: How did you end up running the London Marathon?
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  Speaker 2: What a question. So so I started obviously after this holiday,
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: doing the odd five k here and there. I built
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: up to that first off. Then one of my very
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: very bestest friends, Debbie DAWs, she just invited me for
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: a run one day. Now, Debbie I had watched from
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  Speaker 2: the sideline. She lives in our village. Debbie's done a marathon.
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  Speaker 2: She was training through COVID and Debbie is like missus fit.
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  Speaker 2: She could run, she had run. It always looked like
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  Speaker 2: she had a big backpack on and she was just
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: like super super amazing runner. Yeah now I love her.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah and so and she said to me, our sons
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: play cricket together. And she said to me one day
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  Speaker 2: when we were watching the boys, you know, if you
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  Speaker 2: have a fancy going for a run. And I thought,
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  Speaker 2: oh no, there's no way I could ever run with Debbie. Anyway,
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  Speaker 2: I plucked up the courage and I said, yes, let's
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  Speaker 2: do it. And we went for I think it must
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: have been about a six k run something like that
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: around our village. We're chatting all the way and I realized, oh,
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  Speaker 2: I can do this, and I've got a bit of courage.
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  Speaker 2: And not only did I have the courage, but I
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  Speaker 2: really loved it. And so we just started running, and
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: for a good couple of years we've been running every
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: other day. We started doing ten k's every other day.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: Chat chat chatting started the working day. Totally helps your
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: mental health. And then one day I saw a post
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  Speaker 2: about the lot of marathon. I thought, oh, I might
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  Speaker 2: fancy that. I might see if I can push myself
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  Speaker 2: to prove I can do hard things.
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  Speaker 1: So did did you go down the ballot route or
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: did you have to get.
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: A charity charity place? Yeah, so I went for a
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: charity place. I'm running for asthma and lung UK Obviously
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: that's really close to my heart. Yeah, and I've been
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: fundraising for them ever since.
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  Speaker 1: Right, I mean, I'm thinking about the asthma and the
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  Speaker 1: first thing is these people out of breath. So I mean,
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  Speaker 1: it's great that you're running for this charity, but I mean,
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  Speaker 1: how has in later life, how has the asthma affected
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: your running? Does it not slowed you down?
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  Speaker 2: Not at all? If anything, it's got better. Absolutely, So
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  Speaker 2: I would always get seasonal asthma. So when the hay
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: fever kicked in or in the cold weather, that's when
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  Speaker 2: your asthma would get worse. But when I go running,
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  Speaker 2: it's almost like it clears clears my airways, it opens
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  Speaker 2: up the lungs. I've not had touchwood, I've not had
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  Speaker 2: a flare up since I've been doing the more longer runs.
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  Speaker 2: And also I'm managing my medication better I used to be.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, you can talk to my husband. I tell
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  Speaker 2: you I would use my Inhala when a flare up
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  Speaker 2: happened or if I was worried about an attack. I
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  Speaker 2: wasn't preventing the asthma in any way. And now because
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  Speaker 2: I'm running, I take my asthma and halo every single day,
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: and I take it with me on runs, and it's
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: it's definitely made a mass of time.
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  Speaker 1: So I mean, do you need you need to take
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  Speaker 1: it on a run? So on a run like twenty
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  Speaker 1: six point two miles, I don't know anything about Inhaler's.
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: Is it just one in Haaler or do you need
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: to take a couple.
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  Speaker 2: I have like a combination in Haler that has a
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: preventative and a sort of like a reactive one in
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: there together. I take mine inhaler on my long runs
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: when I've been training. So far, I've not had to
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: use it once, but it's really yeah, definitely, but for
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: an asthmatic it's a nice safety blanket. Yes, it's almost
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: good for the mind to know that you've got it
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: in case you need it.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. And the charity Asthma in Long UK, I mean,
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  Speaker 1: have they have they been helpful supporting you? Have they
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  Speaker 1: got a cheer station?
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  Speaker 2: Yes? Yeah, Yeah, there's two stations. They've been putting on
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  Speaker 2: webinars and stuff to help and give advice, both for
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: how to raise funds obviously, but also how to run
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  Speaker 2: if you are an asthmatic. There's lots of advice.
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  Speaker 1: Oh Okay, that's good, isn't it. Okay, So let's get
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: back to your training. So, how's training been going? And
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: we understand we've got a common common friend that does.
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: Yeah coach Quinny Aaron Quinn.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, So where I mean, where does she come in?
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  Speaker 1: What's she been doing to help you?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? So I engaged with Karen in September last year.
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  Speaker 2: She's been she's a family friend. She's known my husband
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  Speaker 2: for many, many years. They grew up together and we
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: bumped into each other a year or so ago, and
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  Speaker 2: she'd seen my running on Strava, good old Strava, And
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  Speaker 2: as soon as I had signed up for the for
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  Speaker 2: the marathon and got a place, I got in contact
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  Speaker 2: with her to say help because I had absolutely.
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: No idea, didn't have a program, no, And.
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: I'm very I'm the sort of work I do. I
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  Speaker 2: like to I like to get expertise when you don't
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  Speaker 2: have it. It helps you. You need the right methods
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  Speaker 2: in order to get the results you want. And so
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  Speaker 2: Karen has been able to give me all the advice
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  Speaker 2: and and a full training plan every single month, and
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: so far it's been going really well.
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  Speaker 1: Oh brilliant. Okay. So, yeah, you're a working mum, which
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: is always busy to find the time to fit in
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  Speaker 1: the runs because it's not just like twenty minutes around
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  Speaker 1: the block an, So what do you do exactly?
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  Speaker 2: So I work for a company that does leadership development,
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  Speaker 2: so which actually I'm very lucky. I have a good balance.
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: I get to work from home a lot of the time.
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  Speaker 2: But the flip side of that is I do have
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  Speaker 2: a lot of international travel.
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  Speaker 1: I'll do you.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, So I'm an executive coach and I facilitate leadership
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  Speaker 2: programs and conferences, and yeah, it's been a bit of
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  Speaker 2: a challenge to fit the training in. There's been many
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  Speaker 2: times when I've been in another country in a hotel
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  Speaker 2: having to do my runs on a treadmill. Really, seven
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: miles on a treadmill is not fun, No, unless you've
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  Speaker 2: got coach Quinny giving you a proper challenging.
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  Speaker 1: One that gets you right. Yeah. So yeah, I mean
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  Speaker 1: that balance as it works out for you?
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  Speaker 2: Have you?
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  Speaker 1: You made it work? So I mean, what's the longest
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  Speaker 1: run you've done?
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it has worked for me. It's taken a lot
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: of planning and a lot of commitment. Obviously for anyone
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: who's doing the marathon they know it takes commitment. But
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  Speaker 2: the longest run I've done so far is twenty one
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  Speaker 2: miles one at the end.
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  Speaker 1: So that is that. Well, you're tapering down now, it's
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: not long to go now and injuries so far?
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: Touch would nothing?
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: Excellent. That's very good. So this running, have you been
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: doing it on your own or have you got a
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: running buddy? Have you been running with the debbies?
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: Debbie and I we started running at at the start
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: of my training and then, as you know, like with
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: your plan and stuff, sometimes you have to go out
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: on your own to get your right pace in and
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: that sort of thing. So I'd say predominantly it's been
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: on my own, but I know I've got a massive
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: support crowd there when I need a yeah, somebody to
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: come with me.
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  Speaker 1: Okay. So what's happening on the marathon weekend? Are you?
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: Are you going up there on the day or you're
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: making a weekend?
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah? So I so for work, I have to fly
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: out this weekend. I'm flying to Singapore for a few
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: days and then I arrive back in the UK on Thursday.
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: Then I'm going to sleep Friday under strict orders from Quinny,
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: and then Saturday, yeah, We're going to go up to
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: London to the expo, collect the BIB, eat a load
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: of carbs. Apparently, that's what I'm told. I'm having to
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: have a lot of pasta and then stay overnight and
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: then ready.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: For the big day, right, Okay, and I take it
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: on the Sunday. You got lots of family coming up, yeah.
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, So my husband's coming up with me on the
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: day before, and then the kids are coming up with
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: their grandparents, lots of friends coming up and family to
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: cheer us.
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: All on, right, and have you worked out a little procedure,
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: little playing where they going to be so they don't
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: miss you.
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: We've got a few ideas. So we've been told Tower
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: Bridge is quite a good area. Cutty sark. I think
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: they'll try and catch me on the embankment if they
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: can get through the crowds. But yeah, I'm going to
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: leave that to daddy. Can ye make sure that happens.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: I'll tell you something that that there is nothing lights
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: here in the member of the family. When you're running
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: a marathon. It is so uplifting when you're really even
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: a family friend, when you're so ty, it just does
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: something to you. A few words of encouragement. Just make
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: sure you've got your name on your T shirt? You
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: do that.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: I am yet I've been told nickname apparently.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: Yeah, does work, wonders. I'll tell you what's my n
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: name is? Carles Burg Carls Probably the best runner in
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: the times. Are you going to be a marathon? There?
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: She goes, Probably the best.
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: That's my strap line on the back, love.
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: It, love it excellent? Okay, So I mean along the
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: way it's a long journey getting to the marathon, lots
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: of dedication that you've made and if sometimes to the
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: detrimental family, they don't see you. So just tell us
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: about how it's been, and you know, tell us about
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: the support that you've got from the family, and just
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: name drop family friends. You know, it's really important that
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: these people should be mentioned. They're so important.
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Yeah, so, Leo. My husband has just been incredible.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: The days when I've had to leave the house at
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: six am to get down to Saint Mary's Bay and
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: run along the coast for three hours, He's held the
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: four the kids, Bow and Sully. They are They're my
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: reason for doing it. I want to prove to them
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: as a mum that if you set your heart on something,
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: you can do anything you want to. So they deserve
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: a shout out. My mother in Laura Lennie. She's been
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: massive in terms of helping with looking after the kids
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: if I've had to go out for a run, and
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: as I say, lots of my friends like Debbie and
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: Karen have been cheering me on on the sidelines right brilliant.
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: So just as we're beginning to now, just tell us
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: a little bit what you know about the charity, it's
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: self explanatory. Asthma Along UK we did. We did say
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: earlier on they've been a great help, but of their
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: their support has that been important to years as as
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: an asthma sufferer. Is it something that you want to
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: get the message over to other asthma suffers?
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it does feel like. I mean with all of
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: these sort of charity groups, you get into a community,
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: you know, and it definitely feels from this particular charity.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: People have chosen it because they're asthma sufferers, or they
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: might have lost people because of sadly because of asthma.
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: I have a friend who lost her boyfriend really earlier
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: when they were younger, because he had an asthma attack,
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: and it's just devastating. I think lots of people think
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: that asthma is not a massive deal, but it can
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: be such a huge deal. And so for me it's
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: kind of raising awareness to say, even if you have
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: got asthma, you can still do it. You can still
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: do it. You can train your body to think differently.
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: Okay, now, so you're raising money for the charity. You
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: set yourself a target. What was your target?
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: I think the target was two grand.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: And what is it at now?
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: One hundred and five?
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: Well, with a bit of gift aid, with a bit
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: of gift day. I've got it written down from it's
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: just over two thy four hundred, So that is fantastic. Okay, Well, Carly,
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: it's been absolutely wonderful speaking to you. I've learned a
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: lot more about asthma than I like you say you
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: just I always thought people a couple of pumps and
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: it had gone. But there's more to it than that,
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: and you're you're proving that, and you're proving it to
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: other asthma sufferers. So a big, big thank you. Is
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: anything else you want to want to say before you go?
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: You know, any other any other points we've missed? You think?
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: No, I think that captures most of it. Just the
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: best of luck to anyone doing anything like this, any
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: other marathon runners out there. I've got a few family
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: members that are doing it, a couple of cousins. Yeah,
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: so Jess Been and Jess Hawkins, I should say it's
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: a married name. She's running for an SPCC and another person,
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: Amy Hudson, she's running for Alzheimer's And good luck to
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: everyone doing it. It's going to be an epic event.
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: It's amazing. You know, you set yourself the target and
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: you just focused on it, and it's what you're doing
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: is just raising awareness for other people to so that
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: they just know that they can do it as well. Honestly,
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: Carly has been really nice talk to you and what
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: can I say, Just have a great day. Make sure
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: you get probably the best runner in the mara and
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: I love that you need a big T shirts all
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: that on. So thanks, and this will be going out
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: on the Saturday, so basically when this is being played,
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: you will be running tomorrow, so we'll be looking at
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: for her. We'll get that number and start tracking you brilliant.
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: Thanks ever so much.
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: Thank you