Cheeky Run Club

Is running expensive?

• Phoebe Pincus & Anna Coldham • Season 7 • Episode 5

Share episode

Hapyyyypy Monday chums!

Do you track your cycle? Or schedule your runs around your periods? Should you be?! We discuss a recent pod ep that dives into this. 

We also look at what running gear you *really* need to enjoy yourself and be comfortable/confident… What’s genuinely essential, and what can you skip?

Stick around until the end of the episode to find out who’s been crowned this week’s Cheeky Lululemon Champion - and good luck to everyone competing at the Sydney Marathon this weekend! Lululemon are hosting some awesome events, so be sure to register in the links below <3

LINKS:

  • Check out our latest Substack, ‘The ‘good enough’ marathon diaries’.
  • Register for Lululemon’s Sydney Marathon print shop, shakeout run or club house here
  • Listen to the Real Science of Sport hormone episode here
  • Read, ‘what’s something you’ve bought that’s paid for itself ten times over?’ answers here
  • Grab a Cheeky jumper for yourself here!

Follow us wherever you get your podcasts + Instagram, TikTok, Substack, Phoebe's Strava + Anna's Strava, and join our Strava community 🩵

Music produced by Hugh Raper & logo design by Michael Cotellessa. Podcast edited by Kiara Martin.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Cheeky Run Club recognizes that every day we live, work, and run on aboriginal land.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

This episode is sponsored by Lululemon, supporting cheeky runners every step of the way.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Welcome to Cheeky Run Club, the social Welcome to Cheeky Run Club, the social running podcast, and community for your everyday amateur runner. Hello, Anna.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Hello, Phoebe.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

And hello listeners.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

we are deep diving into two things really for the rundown. We're gonna talk through our thoughts off the back of some recent news around how we should or shouldn't be managing our training around our hormones. And then we're also going to answer a listener question of how expensive really is or should be to have running as a hobby.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

This will also lead into our awarding of the Chicky champion of the week. The person with the best answer to the question, what is the one running thing you've invested in that has paid for itself 10 times over? But first, as always, we'll kick it off with our notable runs of the week. Anna, tell me about your worst running related experience this week.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Mine was today I had a ultrasound on my hip.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Ah,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Ah, yes. Anyway, and no, actually, you know what? It's not even bad. It was good because of two things. So sorry, this is a bad, worst running related activity. the lady who did it. Was the biggest legends, was she? I can't remember her name, which really annoys me, but she was so nice. You know how sometimes you go into those like ultrasounds or MRIs and then the people doing it, really sort of like a closed book? Yeah. Or they just talk you through it kind of thing. Yeah. She was the latter. Just talk me through the whole thing was showing me on the screen like, what's wrong? what's where, like where something should be or like what you should be seeing. Yeah. And like what. I am seeing anyway, and she was so busy they were running super late, but she just took her time with me. Oh, it was so good. And then at the end I kind of forgot.'cause I feel like, well, I mean we'll talk about this a bit later, but I feel like I've been splashing a lot of cash on running, even though I'm not even running recently, just with like doctors and physio appointments. Anyway, then I get to the checkout and because I was referred by a sports doctor. It was bulk build That is

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

is unreal.'cause otherwise it's like hundreds of

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

hundreds. Yeah. So that, that is not my worst running related activity. That's my worst.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

worst.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

My not worst.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. Yeah, yeah,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

yeah. What, um, so talk us through the outcome of the scan

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

well I'll, I mean, I'll have to go back and see the doctor, but she was kind of saying that it's actually my ITB. She showed me, and you know how when you look at those. Screens, it should kind of, it's all just sort of white and gray and all kind of, you can't, you can't really distinguish what's what. She was sort of, there was all that, like white and gray matter. And then there was just this thing that looked like a rope by itself. There was like black on either side, then there's just white like singular rope. And she was like, that's the ITB. Like that's how Tight and angry. It is. And then she was showing me, oh yeah, I'll check the blood flow now. And she was like, there shouldn't really be any sort of like major, differences in blood flow around the area. And then all around the IDB, it was just red and blue blotchy. No Yes. Anyway. so not your

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

not your TFL?

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

No. Well, from the scan. From the

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

From the scan. From the scan, who knows? TBD, but yeah. Okay. So what do you,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

I don't know. Yeah, but it was so nice of her, like normally you wouldn't know that information. No. So I sort of skipped out of there.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah, that, yeah, that's actually true. Normally need to then wait a few

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. Yes, exactly. So Sometimes I feel like even though it's annoying, knowing that something's wrong, it's kind of Kind of nice in a way.'cause then you have something that you can work on. Yes. Rather than just being like, oh no, it looks fine.'cause then I'm like, what is going on? Yeah. So actually, yeah, it was kind of comforting in a sense. Um, what was your worst running related activity this week?

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Mine was getting sick again. Aw, it's

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

so

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

so annoying.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

what do we think the catalyst was?

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Well, I haven't reflected on this. And I reflected on it a little bit in the substack from this week, which shout out to the Substack if you're not reading, have a read at the moment. it's a bit of a mini series in the lead up to Melbourne Marathon, and each week I'm reflecting on my training that week I think that last week was a good week of training, but. I didn't get much recovery. Shocker. Shocking. Shockingly, I didn't get

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

breaking news.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah, and I, I went skiing over the weekend, which I'll maybe I'll talk about later in Beron I haven't decided yet, but was so, so, so, so, so fun. But it was, they're just really big

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah, they're huge days.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

on the week, on the weekend, I think I do a big, or even on the Friday, like I did a massive long run on the Friday. Straight into recording last week's podcast, straight into frantically packing, getting in the car, driving down it like, just like not. Yeah. And I think literally it came on so suddenly, like on Monday I ran in the morning and I felt completely fine. And then by the afternoon my throat was sore. And then by the nighttime I was like, I think I'm getting sick. But I do think I went really hard at resting. I took Tuesday off work.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

I.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Slept all day. I honestly was too sick to work. Like I wouldn't have been able to do anything anyway. Slept all day, like didn't run it all Tuesday, Wednesday. and I have started feeling a lot better

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yay. that's good.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

that's really good. Yeah. I just feel like a bit more energetic and I'm hoping quick to get sick, quick to get better.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. Nice. Another, a few more big sleeps. Yeah. Lots of food and some rest.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

is it. Tell me about your best running related activity this

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

week. Mine was a run itself on. Sunday, I did a walk run, in preparation for the sports doctor on Monday because I, I think I've sort of said my, oh my God, I feel like I've been bloody speaking about this injury for so long. But anyway, it's like pretty much, it's like kind of fine just walking around and everything, but it's only really when I run and I wanted to be able to pinpoint exactly where it was saw rather than just being vague in my description

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

for a run.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

anyway, so I went for a little walk run.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

marker with you, like

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah, yeah. Cross. I went for a walk around, just around, the dog park, and

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Oh,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

I've said it before. I'll say it again. Gosh, it feels good to go for a run, even if it was only for. I think I did 20 minutes in total, which is actually probably more than I should have. I probably should have stopped at 15, but like with breaks in between. Yeah. Yeah. but yeah, it was really, it was so nice. I

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

feel like you said it felt a little bit better than last

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

than, it definitely felt better than last time. Yeah. Yeah. And like didn't pull up as bad, but anyway, but enough about the, my bloody hip.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

No, I am gonna make a call. Reckon you're gonna be back running soon.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Huge. Yeah. Well, you know what I said to the physio the other day, I said, what do you reckon the chances of me, running the 10 K at Melbourne Marathon? He's so nice. He was like, um, well, I guess it sort of depends in what capacity

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

you

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

do it. I was like, mm-hmm.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

I reckon. I reckon you are coming. Good. Oh yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Oh yeah, me too.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

like you've seen the sports, like you've got the scan. It sounds like it's nothing bone, like it's nothing that's, yeah, it's

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Hopefully just like a jab or something.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

a little jab. Little

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

So jab. Just a

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

little cheeky jab. You

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

We love a jab. Yeah. anyway, what is your best run or running related activity?

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Okay. Yes. My best is the run this morning. Mm-hmm. Yes. Um, so

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

shout out to the run this

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Shout out to the run this morning, which was our cheeky sense of self run, which people may have seen on our socials. we did a little event this morning. It was pretty small, pretty intimate. We can only have 30 people. We all came and we went for a little sunrise run, which the run itself was actually so nice. It was really pretty. It's finally getting light enough to run. Like we left at six 30. We were running sort of near trails, so initially you were like, oh, I think it'll be too dark. Yeah, I

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

I was a bit worried,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

but I was like, I think we are good. And it was like perfect, sun just rising. Like it was really, really pretty. And then we had 90 minutes that sense of self just bathing. Mm. I did sauna, I did ice bath, I did steam room, I did hot bath. I did just chill. Robe. Kevin, I ticked all the boxes and we

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

we had little breakfast.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

We had a little breakfast. It was actually so nice.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

It was So nice.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

And everyone was so lovely. I feel like it was just a really nice group of girls. and it was the nicest, like least stressed. I feel like it's actually feels like so long ago.'cause I feel like today was, my workday was so stressful

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

It feels like a wall. Like, yeah, a lifetime ago,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

I at least started the day feeling really relaxed.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

imagine how nice it would be to start like one day a week like that each week.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Crazy. Like, it'd be so

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

good. It would be so good for you.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

It would be so good. Um,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

so Sydney Marathon is just under a week away. Australia's first ever world major, which is absolutely huge.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

To any cheeky listeners running over that weekend, good luck. We are so excited for you. It is genuinely gonna be, it's like Historic Day in Australia. Like that is so cool. Amazing that it's gonna be a major, and it seems like Sydney is going to just. Absolutely. Get around it. it

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

feels like, oh yeah,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

brand,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

everyone Everyone is there.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. Like all year. This has been the focus for so many people, so many brands, so many communities. So if you're there, we wish we could be there. Absolutely. Soak it up. it will be so incredible.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Our Lululemon friends have got a few things on for the weekend that are sure to be hit. We'll pop the link again with more info and registration forms in the show notes. make sure you do register quickly because these events do sell out.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

So first thing to get around Lululemon print shop, pit Street Mall. It starts on the Saturday. so go along. You can customize your Lululemon rum kit, print them with custom graphics, and plus spectators can create cheer signs too, which is very fun.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

They're also holding a shakeout run on Saturday from 8:00 AM at Cargo Hall, which is just opposite the finish line with heaps of energy, including a DJ to get you pumped up for the next day's festivities,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Worth saying that last week we accidentally said Centennial Park, but it is at Cargo Hall. So if you had Centennial Park in your head Yeah. Erase that. and finally, the Lululemon Clubhouse, it's also just across the finish line at Cargo Hall. You'll be able to recover and celebrate and trust us when we say Lululemon knows how to do a clubhouse.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

once again, a huge good luck to everyone racing, and hope you have the best weekend ever. Thank you as always to Lululemon for making this episode of Cheeky Possible.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Nice

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

as so the rundown topic this week is based around hormones. A few people shared an episode from the Science in Sport podcast recently where they were chatting about the role of women's hormones and performance and training to your menstrual cycle.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

So before we dive into the podcast itself, which we'll also link in the show notes, we did just wanna give a bit of the lay of the land here as to the general schools of thought when it comes to training in line with our cycles. As we realize not everyone may be fully across these, there is actually a lot, quite a lot to get across. So we've tried to kind of boil it down.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

I don't think my dad definitely wouldn't have heard about

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Okay. Okay, great. Well,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

this one's for you

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

you John.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Um, on one side of the fence we have how things have always historically been done, which is that wherever you are in your cycle, it has no bearing on how you train. It's not a factor at all. And women essentially train the same way as men Do.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

And then on the other side of the fence, and this side of the fence has gained a lot of momentum in recent years, is this new school of thought that because our as in women hormones are different, at different phases of our cycle, we should therefore train differently depending on where our hormones are at. So can you break that down for us a little bit? Like at a high level, what does that actually mean or look like?

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Like, yeah. So, hormonal fluctuations throughout the cycle. So estrogen and progesterone shifts influence things like strength, endurance, mood, motivation, and also injury risk. so that means that across the cycle, so the early part of your cycle, the follicular phase, which is. Your period. a lot of people or some people, sorry, experience fatigue or low energy. And then around ovulation, which is sort of mid cycle, people may feel stronger, more energetic, more coordinated. And then in, the final phase of your cycle, some people may feel less motivated, more bloated, and have disrupted sleep.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

That's the ltil

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yes. Which has then led to a few frameworks that have recommended different things.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

I mean, it kind of maps to what you just said. So it sort of tries to map higher intensity training to more mid cycle. So it's basically saying these frameworks basically say that you should try and prioritize more high intensity training mid cycle. So you are kind of later follicular phase and around when you ovulate. And that's'cause at that stage that's when your estrogen's peaking and you tend to feel sort of at your strongest and maybe able to recover better. And then you can sort of emphasize recovery in slightly lower loads during that sort of late ltil phase. And so that has slowly been picking up steam. I know a lot of people that sort of roughly trained to this. Yeah,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

yeah, for sure. however, the podcast itself, that the Science and Sport Podcast was essentially interviewing an expert who said that for the TLDR.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

R mm,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

as you like to say, said that from all the research that has been performed that, well, one, there are not enough studies to form a clear opinion of what an in individual should do or should not do, but B, the results from majority of the studies that have taken place contain findings from low quality data. So essentially there needs to be more research done.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

which is so classic.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

which is just a classic female thing.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

It's just a classic. okay, so we'll, we'll break it down into why, she has formed this opinion Yeah. On the back of all of this research. So one individual variability is huge. So not every woman experiences. the symptoms that we mentioned earlier, um, or energy dips in the same vein. So it makes it tough to compare kind of like apples with oranges in a sense. Like yeah, maybe I get a heap symptoms Yeah. At, a few time points during my menstrual cycle, but then maybe you feel exactly the same on day one as you do 14 and 27 kind of thing.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

The next thing she spoke about, and you mentioned this briefly before, but there's just limited robust evidence, which is very classic of anything related to women, performance based research. but yeah, a lot of the existing research is very small scale or it's sort of based on averages, which as you just said, when individual variability is so huge that isn't really, going to help us that much and. So there's just this sort of growing acknowledgement that applying these really generalized findings, almost like population level findings to an individual isn't always helpful.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Another point that they made was that many athletes perform at their peak across all phases. So this ranges from, amateur athletes to elite female athletes. these world-class feats have. Taken place regardless of the cycle phase. world records have been broken, Olympic medals have been won, and PBS have been made across all phases of the menstrual cycle. and then secondly to this point, they think that the adaptation and mindset play a big role in this. So potentially I, I understand that as sort of saying even if there are a few. Sort of shifts the adaptation that females have done from like years of training and then also their mindset towards it. Kind of like, overtakes Yeah. Whatever the like small shift is in their hormones. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Makes it sort of not, not relevant. And then the final point that they make is tracking. Cycles is really complex and a lot of the research hasn't really done it justice and it's more been sort of self-reported, you know, when you get your period. or even kind of even more thorough methods, like temperature checking, however, to actually really know specifically, uh, I think you need a blood test they were saying

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

for Yeah. Um, just like

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

exactly where you're at.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

in Yeah, yeah. You do.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. You need a blood test. Yeah. That's what that's saying. And most of the research hasn't actually gone that far. and then in addition to that, you've got the fact that a lot of people are on hormona birth control, which does change or suppress the natural fluctuations, you know, by default. So that makes it very hard, again, to read into any of this too much. I feel like our other point, and this wasn't to say why. why the research wasn't reliable, but I feel like what I was sort of taking away from it was like, she was almost like, because I guess at one level it's like, well, it's not hurting anyone to just train to this, even if the research doesn't perfectly say it. But then she also seemed to be saying like, is that gonna be limiting women if they're only training hard?

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. That's what, that was sort of my main takeaway as well was it was like, If you're training that way, then you might only do sort of three hard sessions across a 28 day period. Now, no matter if you are not feeling great or you're feeling amazing, the adaptations that you'll get from consistently maybe training hard, yeah, each week of the month. So if you do like eight a month, those adaptations will be. Better

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

than the Yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

you would get just from only training. Yes. In that, which kind of makes sense as well.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

kind of makes sense. And I feel like most of the training recommendations that are phase based or cycle based, they still recommend you do sessions, but I think they're just easier. Mm-hmm. Or they're more like long tempo sessions versus

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

like

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

hard interval sessions kind of thing.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

But again, it comes back to that rule. Are you better off? Yeah, Doing,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

if it you don't feel great

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

just means you're missing a

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

missing, maybe you're just, you might end up going a little bit. I think what I find hard about it is like you might end up going a little bit slower, but I feel like I'm also likely to go a bit slower if I've slept badly than I thought,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah, yeah, for

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

fueled well or I'm feeling stressed, or whatever it is.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Mm-hmm.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

And same with going faster. So to me, this feels like.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

like

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

One data point that is really interesting and, and we'll talk about kind of what maybe you can do to get a bit more insight into this, but it's one data point amongst many, many, many things that affect the way we train and recover.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

yeah, for sure. Yeah. Like what we've eaten, as you said, what

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

a hundred percent

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

if we've slept, how stressed we are, all those kind of things. So, to kind of wrap this all up, what the bloody help can we

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah, because I, I think I really, I empathize with, well, how I felt when I listened to this is like a bit frustrated and a bit lost because I, I found the concept of cycle based training. Whilst I don't follow it, I kind of like the idea that we're starting to like understand more about women's hormones and how that could impact training. And then listening to this episode, I felt a bit like, oh, is all of that like moot? Yeah. But I think what she says to take away from it, and again, to be fair, I think what a lot of these cycle based training apps also really recommend you do is track your own data and. Make decisions based on that. So if you can track how you are feeling at different times in your cycle, then you can make your own informed decisions on, not necessarily like should you only do certain sessions when you feel certain ways, but just adjusting your expectations of Yeah. Or just understanding why you might not feel so great in one session. That's just another data point that might point to that.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. Yeah. It's like training. I feel like less so with the restriction and more so with awareness. So it's like not not doing something. Yeah. But knowing that you might feel bad or don't expect, do times to be as

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

as they might might be in a week or so.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Because I wonder if there's a bit of, of fixed mindset or a self-fulfilling prophecy that if you don't expect that you, if you think you're gonna be feeling bad,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Oh, I like, just speaking myself. there is no, if I expect something to be bad, like if I'm like, okay, this is gonna be really bad. Like, you, you like setting yourself up to fail?

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. I feel like,'cause I've been trying to track my symptoms. I have an app that I try and like, add data each day, through my AA ring and I've been doing that for months now since I started wearing the AA ring and. I haven't, I really haven't been able to find a pattern, and I do think it's because my sleep and so on is so off that it's just not, there's too many other factors Yeah. That are almost more powerful in how they're weighing in here. I mean, maybe the obvious caveat to all of this is like. If you're, if you experience like extreme discomfort at certain stages of your cycle, like it's not really talking about obviously that's gonna have an impact on how you train. It's less talking about those kind of

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

I guess it's more of the thing like if you do have quite severe symptoms and everything, then

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

you obviously you

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

you take that into

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

That's actually almost what it's saying is like, rather than looking at this is on a population level, this average says you should feel this way on this day. It's like, no, look at how you feel. Come back to that. If you can track it and notice patterns, that's gonna be great data for you.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like look at your own patterns rather than looking at the like bigger population chart

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, also, I mean, as with all this stuff. Worth saying like, we are not experts. That's not what we're here. Like we are, are probably the same as you. Like, we're just kind of wading through this research

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

trying to

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

trying to figure it out ourselves. So love to hear your thoughts and opinions if anyone has tried sort of training to this way or what their kind of thoughts and reflections have been. keen to hear. Yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Awesome.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

All All right. I'll list the question. So

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

big one.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

This was a great question. Yeah. This came through, um, actually when we were asking for questions to put on the Strava, but then someone sent this and it was so thought provoking that we thought, you know, we should probably address this in the episode because the question was, it was regarding. Cost of living. And the listeners said, where are we prioritizing our dollars and where can we skip the more expensive items? EG, should I put my money into decent shoes? A coach, I don't wanna skip on health, but I also am unable to prioritize new shoes, watch, et cetera, over basic living. I would love to hear what others are doing and good budget slash mid-range wrecks. There is so much pressure slash shame, even though I know there shouldn't be.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Mm. It made me feel a bit sad. I know, but it's so true. Like I can

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

a hundred percent

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

completely, I com I completely empathize with this question. Yeah. Like, okay. So firstly, so. I feel like when we started running, running was always viewed as being quite cheap. You know, you, you chuck a pair of shoes on and you get out the door.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. It's almost tied up with like, and, yeah. We, we sort of, you know, ran through school and that sort of thing, and then like, well running wasn't very cool. And yeah, you'd have the same pair of shoes for. Until you grew out of them or like your souls had fallen

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your like toe was sticking through the top.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

And even like I said this to you before, but when I used to run in Sydney, I ran in, in with a running group in Sydney and then I came and moved down to Melbourne. And everyone in Melbourne I felt was so much cooler. Yeah. In like what they were wearing. There are all these new brands that I'd never heard of. And there was a lot more of like, and I think, I think Sydney's caught up now. I think there are like cool brands in Sydney as well. But that even that was quite a shock because I was so used to just wearing my whatever I would wear. Yeah,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

baggy

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

T-shirts. Yeah, a hundred percent. And then I remember coming down here and being like, whoa, everyone has these cool brands and like. I don't know. It is just more of a thing. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And so I do, I really empathize with the, like the feeling of that pressure to sort of keep up. And actually, like you and I kind of briefly addressed this before recording is like, we almost wanted to call out how much We never want to be a part of promoting that. You should feel like you need Yeah. Great gear to be a runner or be part of the running community, because that is so far from what it's about.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. Oh, a hundred percent. Like the. The whole point is connection and the way the, like, confidence and the way it makes you feel. I mean, yeah, we never, we never wanna be, people who feel like we are

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

to Yeah, because I I mean, it's obviously fun to talk about all these things and talk about there is, there are endless amounts of things that you can spend your money on in the running space and if you, and, and that people, you know, are well within their rights to do so. But that doesn't mean that. You have to have any of

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. Or you're not a part of it if you don't.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. Or that they're even important. And that said, we're still gonna come back and like talk about some actually, like really practical recommendations here for like what to spend money on. but I do think it's just worth saying that yeah, this isn't something that's inherent to running. I think it's shifted as the more popular running's become, the more commercialized it's

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I feel like it's like anything, Brands and stuff they kind of follow Yeah. The people in a sense. Yeah, definitely.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Brands and like even just anything that sits around running,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. Yeah,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

a massage, like getting any product, any of these things. Yeah. They all see that this is something people love and wanna invest in. And of course they come to that like that

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. Which is good because yeah, it's the basic, like what is it? The,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Like supply and

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah, yeah, that's what I was trying to say. Yeah. I was like, it's like the most basic rule of

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

that's how it's meant to work, I suppose. But if you ever hear us talking about products we love or like things we are doing, I hope that we can always lend. Equal or more amounts of airtime to the parts of running that are nothing to do with like, that don't have a price tag attached,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah. Yeah. I reckon with all that in mind, let's, let's give people, a bit of advice as to like what we think you need versus what's nice to have.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. definitely.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Um, so shoes, do you think it's a total myth that you need more than one pet?

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

I definitely think so. I think need is the question is the real thing here. Like I do think there is this school of thought now that you hear people say, which is like, you should have a rotation of shoes. Obviously like, you know, it can feel good to do certain shoes for certain runs, but also some people think it's good. I'm sure there is research to say it's. There are benefits to injury prevention, but this is one of those things where like, it's also beneficial for injury prevention to eat well and sleep and like, yeah. Yeah. You know, and so I feel like there's endless amounts of things that you could do and you don't. Like. Until the last few years of my running, I never, ever, ever had more than one pair

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

shoes.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Mm. I couldn't even imagine why that would be necessary. And it's literally, I reckon it's

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

so true. I reckon it's

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

three years or so, three or

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

years that I've had all these different pairs of running shoes, but before that, I literally just had the one

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. So with shoes also some recommendations here. running The Warehouse always has amazing, amazing sales. Like really, and it's often the tip here is it's often when a new version of a shoe is coming out, the old version will be like half price or like yeah, even more like 40% of the full price. So. I really recommend keeping an Eye on Running Warehouse. They also do, I think it's Running Warehouse, do these secondhand sales where all the shoes that got returned to them, which they can't sell'cause they've been worn once.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

do they?

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Oh, do they? Yeah. They're crazy. And they'll just have like hundreds and hundreds and

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

That's so cool. I didn't know that.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah, it's also, I also have friends who have found shoes off Facebook marketplace and things like that, which sounds silly, but a lot of people buy shoes and realize they don't fit and can't return

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

and Yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

And they maybe wore them two or three times, gotten blisters and like, we should all be, actually, if you are in this boat and you're sitting there with shoes in your cupboard that you know you're not wearing, check'em up on

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Chuck'em up.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Marketplace. Yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Mm. sports bras. So we kind of think this is a really good one to invest in. Again, I feel like you don't need many, you only need a handful. Um, but I feel like it's really good to have a sports bra that fits properly and is the level of support that, it should be More so just for your confidence in how you actually feel because yeah, no one's gonna comfort. Yeah, exactly. Like if you're not comfortable with the bra that you're wearing, you're just not gonna have a good time.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. I think it is slightly different depending on the size of your chest. I feel like some people maybe can get away with less, but I do feel like we'll talk about like like running tops and shorts. I think you can be way more like go for whatever sports brass it is. I do think it's worthwhile. Yeah. Yeah. Because as you say, you wanna be

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

sure. Yeah. I mean, I feel like I've,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

for

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

so many of my runs, I've always just run in a cotton t-shirt.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

I feel like it's really nice to have like one or two Nice. Pieces that like you can put on for a race or a special occasion and you feel really good in it. And for those, I have some clothes that I've spent say like$70 on for a tea as opposed to$40. And the quality has been so much better and like. Years on, I'm still wearing it all the time. Mm.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Tops and shorts, I feel like can honestly be anything. as long as you are comfortable.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

In

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

it is you're going out in, that is the main priority. but The end of the day, if you're comfy, then doesn't matter what

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

you're wearing. Yeah. I reckon my most worn top is my cheeky run club. Cotton t-shirt, which I just could, I reckon I just wear it every week. but yeah, so, so let's come back to like gear. So we've talked about shoes, sports, whereas tops and shorts, like really. At its basics, that is all you need to get out the door and go for a run. there are so many other gadgets and products and services you can spend your money on. but for almost all of them. start with your basics of just can you run out the front door? Yeah. Because then before I would even like. Coaches, sports, massages, straight, like all these other things. The first thing, if it was me, the first next thing I'd be thinking of is like, can I join a run club?

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Yeah.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Yeah. And like if you have friends and a pair of shoes and some old clothes and a good sports bra, you are good to go. You are good to go.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

go. And a great attitude.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

And a great attitude. Yeah. I'm just, And I think we can all keep this front of mind. How can we make sure that running doesn't become too status oriented, is accessible to everyone. No one ever feels ashamed or feels like they don't belong, Because they can't afford the more expensive items.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Alright, so the cheeky champion of the week

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

it actually relates exactly to what we've just been talking about the question was, what's one running thing you've invested in that has paid for itself 10 times over? I highly recommend if you're going to read any thread on our Cheeky Run Club Strava group, have a read of this. There are. I think there are about 60 answers now, and this is everyone saying basically like, what is the one thing they've spent money on that they love? So it's super interesting and there's an amazing range of things, but we wanted to read out a couple of answers that we thought were really good and we'll award our tiki champion of the week.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

the runner up for this week is Eloise. So she said that the number one game changer for me has been investing the time and energy into attending a run club. Sometimes that means throwing my session out the door and running with my mates, but more often than not, they have got me up at a silly clock on a Sunday morning for a long run. In the depths of winter when I have wanted to stay in bed. I'm honestly on cloud nine afterwards, they made my marathon block bearable and got me through the tough slog and long-term friendships I have made from it. Honestly, way worth the early mornings.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

couldn't agree with

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Sweet.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

great answer, Eloise and kudos to Eloise's friends and run club

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

I agree. That

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

is just a beautiful message, but the winner this week goes to Victoria. So Victoria said, this is going to sound corny, but the best thing I've invested in is myself. As a middle-aged woman, I've decided to invest in becoming the best version of myself. Running became the drug of choice, and everything else just fell into place. I learned to push myself and yet be kind to myself. I learned to sit with the discomfort and be disciplined. It has given me introspection. Clarity and calm in return. I think it's a pretty good ROI don't you think? We do

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

We do think, and for that you are. The chicken champion of the

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

the cheeky cha. That is Victoria is channeling Victoria said what? We have tried to save for the last

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

minutes, I, but struggled to

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

better than us

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

on the

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

which is like. Writings. It's not about the external things. It's about you yourself.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

It's just about what's in time

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

It's about inside and about your little friendships that you make and just getting out and getting a little run done.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

that note. I think that's all we got time for,

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

reckon.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Thank you so much to everyone who's got through to the end with us and also hope you have an absolute blast at Sydney Marathon this weekend for anyone who's going. and good luck to all those who racing. And for anyone else that's not you. Just have a good week.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

We can't wait to be in your ears next

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Woo.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

Bye.

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Oh, I reckon we keep that one in.

ZOOM0002_Tr3:

No, no. Um,

ZOOM0002_Tr4:

Oh.