Run Eat Drink Podcast
Welcome to the Run Eat Drink Podcast! This is the podcast where we embark on exciting adventures, combining our love for running, delicious food, and tasty beverages. Whether you’re an elite runner aiming for victory or just starting your “Couch to 5K” journey, we’ve got something for you. Let’s dive into the three pillars of our show:
Accomplish (Run): Accomplishment is deeply personal. Are you eyeing a race series win, planning your next “run-cation,” or hoping to set a personal record in your next half-marathon? Each week, we feature fantastic destination races from around the country. Discover scenic courses, learn about the charities they support, and get inspired to lace up those running shoes. And when we’re not on the road, we share interviews, training tips, and insights from our own running journey.
Explore (Eat): Running and traveling go hand in hand. As we explore new places, we also explore local cuisine. We seek out hidden gems—the eateries that locals rave about. Bold flavors, interesting dishes, and passion for food—that’s what we’re after. After each race, join us as we wander the city streets, discovering post-race refueling spots. Whether it’s a gastropub, a food truck, or a cozy café, we’ve got dining options to satisfy your cravings.
Indulge (Drink): When the running is done, it’s time to unwind. We raise our glasses to celebrate our accomplishments. Local breweries, coffee shops, speakeasies, and watering holes—these are our destinations. From craft beers to artisanal cocktails, we explore the beverage scene. Cheers to a well-deserved drink after crossing the finish line!
Join us on this journey of accomplishment, exploration, and indulgence. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a curious foodie, there’s a place for you at the Run Eat Drink Podcast.
Run Eat Drink Podcast
RED Episode 288 Runcation Recap with Michael: The London Marathon Part 2, Race Day!
RED Episode 288 Runcation Recap with Michael: The London Marathon Part 2, Race Day!
SHOUT OUTS
If you want a shoutout on the show for you or someone you love, email us at info@runeatdrink.net or call us at 941-677-2733 and leave a message.
Thanks to all our patrons and everyone in the Runcation Nation for your support and encouragement. Because of you, we have kept the show going over the last two years, so thank you!
And a hearty welcome to our newest patron and Susie Beck’s return as a Founder! She is now a Founder of our show, and she earned a discounted rate by paying for the year upfront! Susie has her name in lights with all our Founders at https://www.runeatdrink.net/patron-wall.
Thank you to Dean Gerber, Associate Producer of our show, and Josh Ozbirn, Executive Producer of the podcast, too! We couldn’t do it without you.
RED Episode 287 Runcation Recap with Michael: The London Marathon
Patrons, we will have a bonus episode on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee as Michael chatted with us after we wrapped up our recap!
https://www.patreon.com/Runeatdrinkpodcast
https://buymeacoffee.com/runeatdrinkpod
Connect with Michael
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001164287701
https://www.instagram.com/rundisnerd/
Links from our conversation
Notch Brewing
(Michael was drinking Notch Pils during the episode)
https://www.notchbrewing.com/year-round-beers
London Marathon
https://www.tcslondonmarathon.com/
Fitness International Travel
https://www.fitnessinternationaltravel.com/run-the-world
Virgin Atlantic
https://www.virginatlantic.com/us/en
Great Scotland Yard Hotel (Hyatt)
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/england-united-kingdom/great-scotland-yard/lhrub
Spring Energy
LMNT
Maurten
Kofuzi Shoe Reviews
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe43pe3w4L6w3tNMRkWiJBA
THAT’S A WRAP!
Thank you for listening! Because of your support, we are in our eighth year of the podcast! Don’t forget to follow us and tell us where to find you next on our website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Also, check out our store on the website and get some swag, thanks to Pure Creative Apparel. Thanks to www.PodcastMusic.com for providing the music for this episode, too!
Hey, this is Mike aka Run Dissert aka. Who Is that Guy? You are listening to the Runcation Nation. Get ready, run Eat Drink podcast coming at you live. It's amazing Listen.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Run Eat Drink podcast. We feature destination races from across the country. The Run Eat Drink podcast. We feature destination races from across the country and after the race, we take you on a tour of the best local food and beverage to celebrate. So, whether you are an elite runner or a back of the packer like us, you'll know the best places to accomplish, explore and indulge on your next Runcation. It's time for another Runcation recap.
Speaker 3:We're going to join this conversation with Mike Leslie, already in progress.
Speaker 2:Now, what do you normally? When did you go to sleep and when did you have to be up for the race?
Speaker 1:We were meeting at. So there are two meetings in the morning. One was obviously for the people in the earlier waves. It was like a 715 because you have to take the. For us we had to take the train out to Blackheath, so you're taking the tube. So there was that, and then I think I was on the 845. So that was the later one, because that was in the back of the packer house. So you take the tube.
Speaker 1:The station is right in Trafalgar Square. It's kind of off to the. If you're looking at the museum it's going to be off to your right hand side. It's hopped on there and it was three stops and we were there, so it's not like it was a really long ride. Yeah, it was fairly quick, but they say on race day, earlier trains are better because as we're passing by stations you can just see the mob of people yeah, people trying to get on these trains, and not just runners, just people supporting and getting up to, to cheer people on, family, friends. It's so efficient I man just riding the train and sitting down and not have to worry about being on a bus with a bus driver that might get you lost at two in the morning.
Speaker 3:That's never happened.
Speaker 2:We've never experienced that at a race or you're just sitting there, sitting there in traffic, while you're hearing off in the distance.
Speaker 1:Three, two, one oh no, there goes that race.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you got up pretty what's your pre-race, what was your pre-race routine?
Speaker 1:Pretty. I'm now so it's. Uh, I like to get up like an hour, hour and a half before just to get my body. Uh, no caffeine before race. I'm a weird person, I just no coffee heart rate. So I try to keep my heart rate as low as possible and be calm, and so it's a bottle. They don't have gator over there. It's what the heck is it called?
Speaker 3:it's a weird name, I'm gonna they don't have gators over there, so that makes sense no gatorade, no propel, no, no noon it's their own.
Speaker 1:Well, because it's an l, it's their own type, it's their type of gator, but it's super sweet. So I had a bottle of that and then I brought my own fuel. So I've actually switched over to a vegan-based fuel company with Spring Energy. It's all vegan and I have what's called Wolfpack and it's an individual pouch, it's 250 calories and it's oats and fruits Did you bring that with you from the States. Yes, yeah, and I actually got stopped. They pulled my bag.
Speaker 3:Okay, you're getting into what I was about to ask you, so that our Runcation Nation might know If you're coming from the States and you're traveling and you're bringing food products with you, what's going to happen.
Speaker 1:Be aware they're going to. Especially obviously I sort my things. I have my race gel sorted, my pre-race sorted, anything like that like salt tabs. For some reason my race fuel and my pre-race got. I don't know if it was red flagged or what. So the guy's swabbing it, as I'm like I swear to god it's not cocaine and it's not a bomb, it's just it's fruit. He's like swabbing it and I'm like please don't throw it away because I don't know what I'm gonna do okay, so they didn't give you.
Speaker 3:They were swabbing it for potential explosives. They weren't pulling it in terms of customs introducing food into the aisle no no, no, okay, it was more.
Speaker 1:So. What is this and why are these weird looking packages? I'm like it says apple and it says canterbury. I don't know what to tell you guys. Okay, love that, yes.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, did your. Hey, did your travel company take care of the passport kind of thing? Speaking of that surrounding the International travel passport kind of thing.
Speaker 1:Speaking of that surrounding the international travel, yeah, no, my no, all the passport stuff myself and was it hard no, really it's. We flew to heathrow and heathrow is really efficient, especially like getting through. So they have these cool machines. Once you get off the plane, you get your stuff and then they have a machine where you actually put your passport down and you stare at a camera and it scans. It scans your, your eyes, scans your face, and then you go about your day. Oh good, you walk right through. Good.
Speaker 2:Because international travel, you have to consider that. I imagine, because you're getting these world marathon majors that you had your passport ready when you knew you had gotten into London. You were like yes, I have it ready, I am ready to go. Yeah, don't don't start.
Speaker 1:don't start the night before you're going to go and say, oops, where's my passport. Or don't wait and think that if you have to reapply cause I guess it is a backlog now from what I've heard for passports Okay, it's taken a little bit longer. So if you're, I would say if you're doing an international race and it's months out, get your passport scored right away, sooner rather than later.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good tip. Yeah, good tip for that. See, it's international, so I'm like you got to be ready for anything.
Speaker 3:So you were. You had no, aside from potentially being a terrorist, you had no problems bringing your hydration solutions and your nutrition into the country with you no issues.
Speaker 1:No, I'm almost, in a way, I wonder if it's. They saw it over and over again, because you figure how many runners are going to be coming.
Speaker 2:I'm sure they did yeah, what all kinds of fuel?
Speaker 1:are they going to say yeah, on our plane alone from orlando we had I mean, you can hear conversations on the plane I heard at least half a dozen other runners talking about london, so I'm sure at this point they're probably like. I've seen this before. This is martin or this is yeah, or goo, or so whatever yeah, or here are your sport beans.
Speaker 1:Amy, it's okay, yeah yeah, here, here your block juice have you tried morton? It's funny you say that that is actually. They have the powdered pre-race drink that I take and that's about 300 calories. I'll combine that drink with my vegan fuel and those are what I have on the way to the race. So that's I can get some extra calories in and I'm not really bloated. It's not filling because I can take the element salt love element.
Speaker 3:Yeah, not a sponsor of the show, although we'd love for them to be, but I don't know that out there they should be. They think we are huge fans, that is. That is one of those things that if you haven't tried it especially if you're a hot weather runner- I like watermelon elements L, m, n, t is how it's spelled, yeah.
Speaker 2:Pull into it in the show notes. Yeah, Really good.
Speaker 3:Which one do you use?
Speaker 1:I like the orange, you like orange. Okay, yeah. So I will mix two packets of that of the orange with the Martin pre-race into a disposable water bottle and I carry that with me and I sip that before the race. So I'm constantly giving myself electrolytes, calories. So basically I will sip that up until I get into the corral to go Smart.
Speaker 2:Oh, so do you do any stretching or pre-race routines? There I'm a runner, I don't stretch, no stretching. Jeff Galloway would be so proud.
Speaker 3:I don't believe in stretching, that is a Galloway runner.
Speaker 1:Right there, I am a Galloway runner. We don't believe in stretching, we don't believe it, we don't, we don't, okay.
Speaker 2:So basically, you get up no caffeine, you have that, that pre-mixed, and did you participate in gear check at all?
Speaker 1:No only because my hotel was so close.
Speaker 3:Smart. There you go Again. Another benefit for doing that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's literally, it's 0.2. If you were to map it from where the actual finish line is, you just walk down the street and you take a left and that's where my hotel was. But the gear check was really efficient there. They basically you walk up and you have to get through security Like you show them your bib to get into the main holding area before they put you in the corrals. And then they have these giant trucks and just by number, you give them your bag. They have a tag, you scan it and then when you finish, those same trucks are parked by the finish line and they're just unloading it. Here's your bag, there you go.
Speaker 2:So it sounds like a point to point race.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's yeah, point to point Okay.
Speaker 2:All right. So you load the gear trucks and then they take off for the finish, after everything's okay, it was, but it's watching people get their bags.
Speaker 1:It was super seamless.
Speaker 2:Were you emotional? I am, I mean I would cry at the drop of a hat. But were you emotional at all? I know? Okay, I'm in the company of men pre-race heading there on the tube and getting into the corrals.
Speaker 1:Not at that point, that's more so where I just go over my head. Yeah, nerves go over in your head. You think, think, okay, if this happens, what do I do? If this happens, what do I do? The last minute check up from the head to toe, like how am I feeling? Is there any weird tingle in my foot or is my quad acting stupid? Just try to. And also, just, it's warm and it was. I was sitting down. I'm like, oh, I'm not going to be sitting down for very long. Another how many hours?
Speaker 1:so I'm just going to kind of take this enjoy this while I can and then you get to the open. They drop you off on the train and you walk up a little hill, but you're in a basically this tiny little town and you walk up the hill to this huge open field and then you see this sea of humanity and port-a-pott and do you see port-a-potties? They've got weird ones, though they've got they're called portaloos they've got tons of the standard regular ones.
Speaker 1:And then they've got the troughs for the guys. Sure, we walk in and they have just like the separated ones for the guys. It's all. It's not covered, so it's all open air, but they have a fence around them. And then they had troughs for women. What? Yeah, I'd never heard of that before what? No, I know, how does that work I'm gonna go in and you have a. I heard a woman talking about the reason I know about this is the woman next to me. The corral was saying I will never do that again.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, so avoid the truck. Yes, hydrate nutrition carefully.
Speaker 3:Don't use the troughs, ladies.
Speaker 1:Don't use the troughs, ladies.
Speaker 2:Okay, were there major lines for that, the port-a-potty.
Speaker 1:No, because it was so many. It was great. It was only you know how. Sometimes you see them, they're like 40 people deep. Yeah, you see them, they're like 40 people deep. Yeah, maybe 10, 15 people, because they were just rotating and then they had the other ones. It's cool because it wasn't in one area, so you had like sections of porta potty. Okay, you had the troughs in the middle so it was spaced out yeah, people are just buzzing around and coming and going and that's the way to do it yeah, race directors take note
Speaker 2:yeah, seriously and the corrals I imagine were very well organized and the corrals.
Speaker 1:Here's the weird thing. So there was only so many points to get into the to the launching corrals, right, and they had your wave numbers on the banners. So I was in, like I think it was wave 18, so you have to look okay, okay, that's one through this, then this. Okay, oh, so that's mine. Over here you move over to that area, but then let's just say it was 10 through 18. They'll call 10. Everyone with 10 goes in. Then they wait, go through again, okay, 11. Then 11 goes in. So they actually space everybody out and give everyone enough time to get going. But with London there's three different colored bibs. It's three different start points, three different start points.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so not everyone starts from the big area in Blackheath, so there's red, green and black.
Speaker 2:Red, green and black.
Speaker 1:Okay, yep, so mine you can see. Mine is black back there, yours is black, wait a minute.
Speaker 2:So mine you can see mine is black back there, yours is black. Wait a minute. By the way, we are doing, this as a video as well.
Speaker 3:Patrons get to see the video.
Speaker 2:We'll see it so behind you where it says TCS. You were in the black start area.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's black and blue, and then the ones that have like green and then red, and it's weird green and then red, and it's weird. So you start and black heath will start on one side and then green and red were on the other side, and then you don't merge until mile like two and a half three oh, wow together and then you're on the course.
Speaker 1:Do you know why they do that? I think, from what I was told, green was all your elites, your fast runners, get them out, get them going. And then the other ones were like certain charities or people that are actually doing guinness book world record challenges. There was a guy that ran by me and I'm still bitter about this, oh no, tell us dribbling. He was dribbling a field hockey ball with a field hockey stick for the whole course and he ran by me and he was like in his 60s and I'm like are you kidding me?
Speaker 1:like seriously that's awesome the whole time yeah, I could hear click clack and like what the hell is going on. And then I see him and he was like cheers mate, click clack, click clack oh, he was english there's a dude that ran with the refrigerator strapped to his back now did he, did he pass you?
Speaker 1:No, I beat him. Okay, I beat the guy dressed up as Big Ben. Literally he was in a Big Ben costume. There was some crazy costumes. There was a guy in a full, furby-looking giant cartoon head and I watched him just crash and burn because he's running with his partner and you can see him towards the other end. He was so hot that his partner had to take the head off and just start pouring water down his costume.
Speaker 3:I felt so bad for the dude.
Speaker 1:But yeah, no, they have all these weird. If you look up for London, there's all types of weird Guinness Book of World Record things that people have done with that race.
Speaker 3:It gets you in the book. That's all that matters.
Speaker 2:Whatever Go for your passion. Absolutely Go for your passion.
Speaker 3:That is so funny.
Speaker 2:So are there different? I imagine the elites go off first, whatever their area is, and all of that, and then, what time did you actually start?
Speaker 1:I want to say like 11.15-ish.
Speaker 2:Oh, so really you got to pace and time. It's like in these big Abbott World majors You're getting there and then you have to conserve energy as much as possible before you start.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it didn't feel like I was there for a long time Really, because it was a cooler day and for me it was such a nice change of pace. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:So let's talk about weather. Can we talk about?
Speaker 1:weather Cool and overcast. It was great. Cool and overcast. It was great, cool and overcast. It was perfect for running.
Speaker 2:So you've trained in the Florida heat and humidity.
Speaker 1:But I'm also. I'm from cold weather. My base is still cold weather. Running Like for me I had most people were wearing like sweatshirts or jackets. I had a throwaway jacket and then I had a poncho to sit on and that was about it Smart, but for the race I had arm sleeves, half sleeves and then my regular singlet and shorts, and that was it. I didn't need anything else. It was perfect.
Speaker 2:What do you carry with you? What did you carry?
Speaker 1:I just have a just a handheld water water bottle.
Speaker 2:That's it. That's it. And then you had nutrition with you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I can stuff all my nutrition into the pocket of my water bottle. Everyone says it looks like a VHS camera when I run with it, but actually it has all my.
Speaker 2:That's a throwback for all us 80s kids. I love it, it was before digital Before digital before downloading and streaming kids.
Speaker 1:When, if you downloaded, it took the whole day to get the Star Wars trailer Exactly, and if someone picked up the phone you had to start all over again. No-transcript Welcome.
Speaker 3:You've got mail. You've talked about the weather. Talk a little bit about the course itself. What could somebody expect? Are we talking rolling hills? Are we talking good sections of flat on-course entertainment, aid stations, pacing groups, pacing groups what can? I expect as somebody coming there as a first timer.
Speaker 2:What do I need to do? I imagine I'd be overwhelmed so many pacers.
Speaker 1:Actually there was even Team Gallaudet was represented there. Twigs was there, Of course he was Of course.
Speaker 2:Yes, I saw it on social media Of course Coach Twigs is everywhere.
Speaker 1:He is so tons of pacers, everything from. I think they even had a seven hour pacer, excellent.
Speaker 2:What's the time limit?
Speaker 1:For I think, gosh, I think there's really. They say there's technically a time limit for a finish. I want to say it's like between seven or eight hours to get your official star Good, yeah, I know some races are Six, six hour cutoff, I think it is, but want to say it's about eight, seven or eight hours is the cutoff for this one. There's still people finishing, unofficially, finishing all through the night, like you were hearing it and seeing it on the news.
Speaker 2:Do they still get a metal. It's pretty cool I don't know, do they still get a metal? Who knows?
Speaker 1:but as far as I knew they got metals. Who knows, we'll do some research.
Speaker 2:We'll see what happens with those late finishers, but yeah, go ahead, go ahead yeah, I think they had pace views up to 7 30.
Speaker 1:Now that I think about it, they had a 7 30 pacer and they actually start those pacers early in one of the other ways. Smart about that in the. Was it the red wave? I think the red wave had the 7 30 pacers. So if you were, if you said on your registration you're going to be a 7, 7 to eight hour or 7 30 pace, they put you in and they start you earlier than everybody else and then I think that's so.
Speaker 1:I remember him running and I see a 7, 30 ahead of me and I'm going. What? What happened? Did I miss? Did I?
Speaker 3:no, that makes total sense, though. What that allows is those and I love races that do this that allows them to cross that finish line around the same time that others are crossing. They don't feel like they're alone, and it allows them to have a race finish line experience that's on par with somebody who's not an elite, who's a mid-packer, essentially.
Speaker 2:And you're not finishing and the archway's already down and the people are already gone Exactly.
Speaker 1:Or like New York City. I know that they celebrate all the finishers in New York City, but you see some of these people finishing in the middle of the night and, like you said, they don't have people out there cheering for them, and to me, everyone deserves to get theirs at the finish.
Speaker 3:Absolutely yeah for to get a finish. Get theirs at the finish. Absolutely yeah. We're fans of that because, regardless of your time, the mile is the mile.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love it and I've and that's why I love the sport of running is that everybody talks about all runners, no matter how fast, how slow. Talk about everybody who crosses that finish line, who finished. They deserve that celebration.
Speaker 1:So I just double-checked. The cutoff time is eight hours the moment the final participant crosses the start line.
Speaker 2:Eight hours from the final, from a balloon lady or no, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding From the last person starting From the last person starting Starting.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, so it's hard to decipher, but they say it's an eight hour from that point.
Speaker 2:That's good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would have gained it like at 730.
Speaker 2:So you should say you're going to finish as early as possible so that you can be in. No, okay.
Speaker 3:So describe the course. Yeah, what can a person expect? Okay, so describe the course. What can a person expect? Is it going to be rolling hills, flat, mostly urban? You said you start in the middle of a field. What am I going to be looking at? What do I see?
Speaker 1:You see everything that makes London wonderful, from small towns to the financial district. You run by Cuddy Sark, the giant ship that's at mile six. You're literally running and it's right next to you and you're looking, looking and you take a bend around it. It's really cool, I would say it's a little hilly first and then it flattens out and then there's a little bit of an incline at the very end. But you don't feel it. It's not boston where you're getting beat up at the very end. This is, I would say, one of the flatter courses. I think, like london, chicago and berlin are like the three that to me seem like they would be the flattest of them all okay, and the most back of the pack friendly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we want to talk about energy.
Speaker 1:London brings the energy. I have never experienced anything like this in my entire life. Do tell yes the people. You start and they, they're there. It's their town and you're running through these neighborhoods and people are coming out of the pub and they're cheering for you. And I wore my singlet from the Boston Marathon but they thought my name was Boston so they kept calling me Boston all day. And these random people. But they'll run next to you and cheer you on and they'll just. I had guys from the pub trying to get me beer did you drink any on the course?
Speaker 1:no, I did not drink any beer, on course.
Speaker 2:Okay, pal, I know whiskey, anything, they were trying to give you shots or oh, they were offering whiskey too.
Speaker 1:Oh, there was whiskey being offered. There was a guy who came out of a pub with just trays, that's great in there um, but they're partying too. This is like a big day for them. They're all getting. They're partying too. This is like a big day for them. They're all getting lubricated and they're having fun.
Speaker 3:So the city really adopts the race is what I'm hearing.
Speaker 1:They just open arms, embrace the race. It's not like the only part where I don't want to say, like you're in solitude, you have to run through like a tunnel, really not a lot going there. It's towards the end of the race, like you have to run through like a tunnel, really not a lot going there. That's towards the end of the race. Like you have to go through a tunnel and kind of loop back through the financial district and just people can't be there other than that, people just running along the sides of you and just cheering you on. But there's one spot for me, so full disclosure I blew up in this race now, what do you mean I?
Speaker 1:went, went out way way too fast.
Speaker 2:Excitement.
Speaker 3:You were really excited right, so there were lessons learned in this race as well.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, oh yeah, so I started off with normally. I run with the six-hour pace group. That's kind of like my sweet spot. Okay, I decided this race. I'm feeling pretty good. Let's see if I can run with the 530 and the 545. What's the worst thing that could?
Speaker 3:happen. You tried something new on race day, huh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. And then I blew up around mile 11 or 12 and my legs were like, yeah, no, you're not running this fast anymore. So I was then, from that point on, in the pain cave. But this is where I go back to the city. You want to talk about people that see you hurting and telling you not to quit, telling you doesn't matter, you're doing this like just everybody, not just be everybody around me. And then rental. Mile 12 to 13 is what's called rainbow row and it is the most lgbtq friendly positive experience you will ever see drag queen singing, rainbow banners, music, excitement, people with flags, and it was like energize me. That was the point where it's okay, this is the kick in the butt I needed. Okay, I'm good now.
Speaker 2:And just people really embracing every single runner, and it's so unique was there, on course, entertainment that you encountered that was not like the people trying to give you shots or the rainbow row had a dj.
Speaker 1:There's a band, there were drag queens, performers and then but this is the community, not the race doing yeah, so this is all community, so the community really comes out and entertains.
Speaker 1:There was like this banging dj like mile, like 17, playing the most like amazing edm, and it was just like getting everybody all fired up. But one thing I remember I was like right after cody sark I'm running and I could hear a brass band and I don't know if you're familiar with any of like old the 1980s english music yes, and madness, yes, they were playing songs from madness on a brass band, like on the road, like next to the road, and I was like, oh my god, this is like the best day ever. They're playing one of my favorite madness songs house of fun, that's awesome give me some elo kicker.
Speaker 1:There's a guy that was playing with them. I didn't notice. He had a bib on. He finished the race playing a trombone. Yeah, so he's playing with them. And then he's running next to everybody playing a trombone. Yeah, so he's playing with them. And then he's running next to everybody playing the trombone Wow.
Speaker 2:That's super cool yeah.
Speaker 1:It was like DJs later in the course it was just. Everybody was just yeah, it was great. And the cool thing I like with London is you don't get cups of water.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:You get little bottles and they have this. It's so you grab a little bottle of water and they have this. It says drink, drain, drop. So it has a little sport top on it. So you basically squeeze the water whatever you need, or you can carry it with you, drain it when you're done with it. And then they have recycle bins. You pop in the recycle bins oh oh, that's cool, all along the course, uh yeah, that's cool All along the course. Yeah, that's, their water stops, it's drink drain drop.
Speaker 2:And then oh that's so smart. Do they? That's so cool for like management of that.
Speaker 3:For cleanup for an event that big. Can you imagine if they did the paper cup route?
Speaker 2:It takes over the whole city. Now, what about nutrition along the course? Official nutrition, or is there none?
Speaker 1:No, they had some. It was the same company that does the. I think it's Lycazade, I think is the name of the company. It's their Gatorade brand, I think. For me, I like when you have the option of doing either water or Powerade or Gatorade at every stop. This one, they had very limited electrolyte drinks.
Speaker 3:Oh that's good to know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there was only three of them.
Speaker 3:On the whole course.
Speaker 1:Yes, there was only three stops, and then there was two where they were giving away. They had their own gels from that company.
Speaker 3:Wait, I'm sorry, let me clarify. Yeah yeah, how many? You said there were only three of them on the course. Do you mean there were only three stops that had electrolyte?
Speaker 1:Lycosate, or only three stops, total Three lycosates, and that was it for their electrolytes.
Speaker 2:But there were plenty of hydration stations.
Speaker 1:Oh, they're maybe every mile three quarters.
Speaker 3:Okay, that was what I wanted, to make sure. If you were only three for the whole course, I'd be like you need to bring your own.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you need electrolytes or you need salt tabs or anything like that, then you want to bring it.
Speaker 1:You want to bring your own, and I'm going to say that their version of Gatorade is ridiculously sweet because you're getting it in pretty much little containers and it's not watered down, it's potent. I forget what flavor it was. It was like that citrus flavor that gatorade used to do the orange citrus right. Yeah I call it baby aspirin flavored. Yeah, it was overly sweet, so it was a little.
Speaker 2:It was a little hard to take down so take a little bit of it and then have some water yeah later, or have your bottle of water.
Speaker 1:You can try to water it down if you still have your bottle of water.
Speaker 2:Or go, yeah, yeah, to mix it up, but that's good to know.
Speaker 3:That is good to know.
Speaker 2:That's like a tip, because you're nervous enough and then you're like managing hydration and nutrition that you haven't seen before. So it's important and you're nervous and to your point you go out. If you go out a little fast because of the nerves and the energy and the crowd and everything, then you have to dial it in and I imagine that that that tunnel, where you don't have anybody by the finish, is a place where you can get into your head and either get ready for a strong finish or get or. There are a lot of. I would be really emotional and right before the finish, I don't and or but. You have to get, you have to get yourself ready for a strong finish and you have to get ready to party over that accomplishment. That's a big accomplishment. So how was the finish and the bling? Let's talk about that.
Speaker 1:The finish is great. I had probably one of the coolest things ever. So I have some friends from my hometown in Salem that live in Japan now and, unbeknownst to me and to my wife, they were in London and they didn't tell me and my wife was waiting at Big Ben and they were there.
Speaker 2:Oh cool.
Speaker 1:Is that?
Speaker 2:where the finish? Where's the finish?
Speaker 1:The finish is right after Buckingham Palace. Okay, so Big Ben is mile 25, and then you go from there to Buckingham Palace.
Speaker 2:Okay, for reference this is good.
Speaker 1:She always is at mile 25 at every marathon. That's just where she hangs out.
Speaker 2:It's a tradition with your wife.
Speaker 1:Yes, she did it in Boston and yeah, so she did it here. She's always at mile 25 what is your?
Speaker 2:wife's name kelly, kelly. Shout out to kelly at mile 25.
Speaker 1:Good for you so that was very emotional for me, seeing I hadn't seen them in five years. And then, like they're all of a sudden I'm running and she sticks her head out over the guardrail so I can see her because she's got bright red hair. You can't miss her. She's beautiful, she's beautiful. And then I'm getting closer, I'm like who she's standing, what who? And then all of a sudden my friend jenny lee and my friend eric turn around and I'm like oh really, guys, you're gonna make me cry at mile 25.
Speaker 2:I'm like, okay, thanks, cool did you stop and take pictures or was it that kind of like you were apart?
Speaker 1:a couple pictures. No, we took a couple pictures because they were right on the guardrail on the left-hand side of the road, so I was able to stop for a second and then reel it all in, and then I'm like I guess I gotta finish this thing now.
Speaker 3:So yeah, at that point you really can't just say I'm done, oh, 25 miles yeah, we're, it's all good, let's go get a pint and then from there it's cool.
Speaker 1:They just say how many meters to go, so it's like x amount and then 600 meters, and then, of course, you take the turn and Buckingham palace is right there. On your like, you're running in front of the gates, buckingham palace is right there, and then you turn right and then there's the finish chute and it's pretty big and there's bleachers on each side and then they have you actually run under the digital board and I didn't know you could do it, but apparently you can actually, for supporters can send digital messages and then, yeah, so like when you go over a certain timing tab, uh-huh pings your bib and then you see your messages up top oh, that's so cool how do supporters do that?
Speaker 2:do you know the app?
Speaker 1:you can do it through the app. I didn't find out until after I finished, so the London Marathon app.
Speaker 2:Yes, okay, and you got to do it beforehand.
Speaker 1:Yes, and it's a super easy app too.
Speaker 2:Good to know. Oh, that's neat For supporters, because you need that If you're there and you're probably like I would be dying at the end. I just want to finish Give me for, in your case, give me my star, give me my metal. Yeah, Speaking of metals, let's see.
Speaker 3:We were going to ask about the bling.
Speaker 2:Oh it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:So this, but it has braille on the other side.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 3:Okay, so the metal I won't describe it for everybody who's not looking at the video. This looks like it is a solid piece of metal and it's got everything carved in relief Like key landmarks of London. It's done circularly around the metal, in the middle of the metal. That looks like. I don't know if it looks like a river, like the.
Speaker 1:Thames. It's part of a loop of the course is actually you run, that's a loop that you go around the course. So that actually part of the course map right there.
Speaker 3:Okay, so that's carved out of the center of the metal, yeah, the center of it, yeah, and then on the back they have Well wait a minute.
Speaker 2:It says we finished together on the front around that.
Speaker 1:That's the slogan for the race we finish together.
Speaker 3:We finish together, that is such a cool medal.
Speaker 2:And it's big and you said on the back I'm sorry and on the back it's in Braille and that's a gorgeous medal. It says 2024. And that part of the course is the zero in the 20.
Speaker 1:Oh, and you could beat somebody with that metal and it looks like it's gold, that's a bronze color, it's like a rose gold, but from what I've been told that this is number four in this series of metals and this is actually recycled materials. Oh, here's to London for their recycling and sustainability efforts.
Speaker 3:Okay, so the bling is absolutely worthwhile.
Speaker 2:And the shirt is great too.
Speaker 3:And Amy was going to ask if you still keep the shirt from this one. You're wearing it, of course, so clearly you do.
Speaker 1:Sorry, it hasn't fallen apart yet.
Speaker 2:It's only been what A month.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a little over a month.
Speaker 2:A little over a month. About a month yeah, about a month. A A month yeah, a little over a month.
Speaker 1:A little over a month. About a month. Yeah, about a month, A little over a month.
Speaker 2:April 21st, I think it was, is there?
Speaker 1:a big finish line party?
Speaker 2:No, actually there is none Really cross the finish line, get the medal and get out pretty much.
Speaker 1:You come to the, you go to the finish line and it's, it's cool, it's a real personal thing which I do give them credit for. You finish and then they have sectioned off and then they have individuals at the end of each of these sections and, one by one, everyone goes over and you get congratulated. So it's not like handing your medal. Go about your day so they congratulate you, they put the medal over your head and then they you okay. And then you go a little bit past it and they have the photographers there. They're actually taking photos right there. When you're done, oh wow, just beyond that, you get your gatorade, your mylar blanket, which I did save. I still have my boston one too.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna do something with them oh, that'd be so cool, can't wait.
Speaker 1:Gear check is after that, and then you're go about your way.
Speaker 2:So really what you did was finish. You didn't have gear check, so you walked. I just kept walking. Point two, and did you meet up with your wife after or?
Speaker 1:my wife and my friends from Japan were actually at the hotel waiting for me. But the cool thing is when you finish at the end of the row, like you walk down and then it empties you out into travalgar square. There's pubs everywhere and people were just partying like rock stars, like come drink with us out in the sidewalks, drinking, having fun.
Speaker 1:They had balloon arches over like the over the enters of the bars and we went into a couple different ones and people just had buckets with like champagne bottles, like they were going there was. That was where the party was. The party was like the pubs near the finish line, in my opinion did you?
Speaker 2:okay, just go straight back to the hotel. What? How did you feel at the finish?
Speaker 1:I was pretty beat up. Yeah, I think that by like mile 23, I was okay. Yeah, this is enough.
Speaker 3:You said at mile 12, your legs told you're too much, we're done with this. Yeah, I think that by like mile 23, I was okay. Yeah, this is enough. You said at mile 12, your legs told you're too much, we're done with this yeah, I was.
Speaker 1:They're like you're too fast, you're too dumb, you're gonna pay for this for the rest of the race. So I finished. I wasn't in bad shape. I think I was just done and it was. Then it's you start to think and everything starts to register in your head, like what you just went through. And they met me at the bar, and it's funny though. Do you want to sit? I'm like I actually don't want to sit right now, I just want to stand still and be in the moment?
Speaker 1:yeah, because I met them in the bar inside of our hotel and like champagne's going everywhere, like people just drinking champagne, so I was like, oh well, I'll have some champagne. What's the worst that can happen?
Speaker 2:why not?
Speaker 1:I'm like, let's have some champagne yes and then after that cleaned up and I'm like, okay, I need to get food, and then we wandered off. We went to the sherlock holmes bar. It's really. Yeah, it was really cool tell us more about it oh please, it's weird knickknacks of rhyme solving.
Speaker 1:And then on the second floor there was a room dedicated to like all stuff that they curated about sherlock holmes, um, but it had that real old timey feel to it like old dark wood leather, just a real kind of dark pub, and it was I don't know. I thought it was fun, it was different. So we went there. What did you have there? I had a Pilsner Pilsner's Life and then I had a proper Sunday English roast.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry. What is that?
Speaker 1:So just almost like the version of the prime rib dinner, but it was like English roast, the Yorkshire puddings and vegetables. I had some nice pea soup Like I had a real proper.
Speaker 3:Mushy peas.
Speaker 2:And how was it?
Speaker 1:That was probably the best Yorkshire pudding I'd ever had, and I was joking around with my wife. I was like these carrots have no business being as good as they are and I can't believe I'm gushing over carrots after a race. I'm like who am I?
Speaker 3:I'm like I'm clearly you just ran 26 miles. That's what it is.
Speaker 2:It's just hits Right.
Speaker 3:Your body was craving everything that that english meal had to offer.
Speaker 1:Yeah and you're in england, you might as well get a proper roast or a proper dinner right yorkshire pudding for people who don't know what is it like I don't know it's maybe it's a new england thing, popovers like a pot pie. No, like the popover pastries, where it's like the big, okay airy top of it and the bottoms are really heavy and doughy. It's like a popover like that and they give you some it and the bottom is really heavy and doughy.
Speaker 1:It's like a popover like that, and they give you some gravy and you dip the popover or the English pudding in the gravy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, english pudding is nothing like Jell-O pudding, just FYI.
Speaker 2:It's not like chocolate pudding, it's not like a dessert.
Speaker 3:Whole different animal. I'm sorry, what is?
Speaker 2:that.
Speaker 3:Black pudding.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's tell the Runcation Nation.
Speaker 3:It's made with blood. That's what gives it the color.
Speaker 1:What Blood oats spices.
Speaker 2:Sue it.
Speaker 1:I think I'm forgetting something else.
Speaker 2:But how does it taste?
Speaker 3:Like sausage, you've had it.
Speaker 2:I have.
Speaker 3:You have.
Speaker 2:At Raglan Road. Mm-hmm, oh, we're going to have to go back and experience that again. Are there, and I know that this is a whole can of worms. Are there must-see destinations after the race is over or must-do places to eat and drink and celebrate?
Speaker 1:I think find a local pub, go where the people like the locals go, because one it's. The energy is. If you could put that in a bottle and sell it, you'd be a millionaire. But also they just celebrate you, they celebrate everything.
Speaker 2:So you wear the medal there.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I wore it on the plane. I'll tell you about that. I wore it on the plane. They gave me a bottle of Prosecco. The people on Virgin were like congratulations, here's a bottle of Prosecco, oh, that's awesome. And then don't open it in the airport. I'm like gotcha.
Speaker 2:Did you keep it or drink it?
Speaker 3:We kept it and drank it a few days later when we got home. Good for that's off to Virgin. That's awesome Hashtag. They didn't have to do that, yeah.
Speaker 1:Virgin, yeah, they were great and they congratulated everybody on the plane that had finished. But the locals were just they're in awe of what you do, just like if you were in your city and you're watching a marathon. You're in awe of what other people are doing. I think it's just. They embrace it for what it is. It's just a human achievement and I think when a city celebrates everything together, I don't know. You have to go where the locals are and they take care of it.
Speaker 3:This is one of the reasons we love the Donna weekend so much in Jacksonville.
Speaker 1:I know it's a local.
Speaker 3:It's more local. But when you see a city, do that and you see the way the people do celebrate you. It's incredible.
Speaker 1:We're going to be hopefully doing Donnana this year. We had to defer it. We couldn't actually do it this year, it was we had a schedule conflict, so hopefully this coming one we're going to be doing it so 2025 yep 2025. I'm trying to put it on the books, so I hope you do.
Speaker 2:I hope we see you there because it is. I don't know if it can compare to London, but the energy and the community and the things that you have talked about today are amazing.
Speaker 1:Amazing. It also means a little bit more. We have a common friend that is going through some stuff, so with Aaron from, we'll run for it. Yes, that's, I'm going out of my way for Donna this year for her.
Speaker 2:So we hope that they all come to Donna. We want to be there with Aaron, michael, tom and Diana. We want to run and I've always said I've never done a marathon. We trained for what? 25 miles? We talk about this all the time, almost every Runcation Recap. We got up to 25 miles because Jeff Galloway says go the distance, so you're ready, right, yep, but we and then we got the flu. I think it was more than the flu man, I think it was Whatever.
Speaker 3:We couldn't do it. It knocked us on our butts the week of, and that was back when Disney's like yeah, we don't do deferrals, so thanks for your money.
Speaker 2:So we couldn't, so we couldn't. But yeah, I've always said if I could do a marathon and if I could train for it and be healthy for it and for it the I know the donna loops twice, the same kind of for the half, yeah, but now that the new course is in their flat fast loop course. But it's worth it and if there's any marathon experience that would embrace you as a back of the packer, that would be it and celebrate what you accomplished.
Speaker 3:It sounds like it might be in par with London.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so where are you accomplishing and exploring? Next, and indulging, of course.
Speaker 1:Indulging. I live near Disney so I indulge all the time, and I'm sure you saw my food pictures from my most recent trip to California.
Speaker 2:I'm going to tell you that looked amazing.
Speaker 1:I'm just saying just that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, that was a bucket list for us. So that was um to dine at 21 royal.
Speaker 3:That was yeah, um, but you looked gorgeous. We may have to have you back on just to talk about that yeah, both of you were gorgeous in the pictures I have to look.
Speaker 1:Good, you saw who I was standing next to.
Speaker 2:Your bride.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she steals the show wherever she goes. She's beautiful. As far as next for me, chicago is the next one, and then New York, and then after that most of the larger races, like Space Ghost. Oh nice, ouc, I'm doing Dora. This is my fourth year of Dora, mount Dora, yeah, and then back doing the half at Disney in January. I'm not running at Disney until then, so this is going to be.
Speaker 2:It's been weird, it's been a long time off, so you're just doing the half. I say just Just the half no come on, you're doing the half marathon on the marathon weekend in January.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as your next time. Yeah, my wife and I are both doing it Nice.
Speaker 3:We say that because we know so many people who do goofy or dopey or one of those, and one race isn't enough.
Speaker 1:I fell into that trap, but I think it's the point in my life where I don't need to prove anything to anybody anymore. So if I don't feel like doing goofy or dopey, I'm just going to run and have fun.
Speaker 2:Your goal is the marathon majors. Yes.
Speaker 1:All the.
Speaker 2:Abbott stars marathon majors.
Speaker 1:Yes, all the abbott stars. Yeah, get my six stars and find out something else to do after that?
Speaker 2:maybe run an ultra, if my wife lets me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're not running a 50 mile where I'm like, come on, it's only I don't know greg and orlando might have like some tips or tricks or greg is a beast. He is an absolute machine the gideons to gideons he does cracks me up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man Donut to donut.
Speaker 3:Okay, but that ought to be like an official thing. I know, I'm just saying and I want to see pictures of cookies, right, At the end, or a medal. That looks like a cookie.
Speaker 2:Or he could, like you, run with donuts In Atlanta at. Jeff's race. You could run with Gideons and Alamo, anyway Do you have an LLMF.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's what I'm saying. That could be there you go. That could be amazing. There you go, if you're listening Gideons.
Speaker 1:You're missing out on money.
Speaker 2:Come on, gideons, not that you need it, but hit us up.
Speaker 3:Yeah, mike, where can the Runcation Nation connect with you online? Throw it out there.
Speaker 1:If you've got online profiles, whether personal, professional, whatever the case may be- On threads run Diznerd on Instagram You'll find really inappropriate memes and that's pretty much it.
Speaker 2:We love that I posted coffee memes.
Speaker 1:Really bad running jokes.
Speaker 2:Really bad running jokes and coffee memes and motivations and we will link to that in the show notes in case people want to reach out.
Speaker 3:And all these cool places that we've talked about too.
Speaker 2:We'll have links in the show notes to all of those, as well, I will be very busy prepping the show notes for this one, because it is a beast. I cannot thank you enough, mike, for joining us. Congratulations on completing the London Marathon, best of luck on all of the marathon majors that you have yet to go and congratulations on all the ones you have done. Happy anniversary to you and your beautiful bride, first anniversary, and thank you for being a patron and part of the runcation nation. We really hope to accomplish, explore and indulge with you really soon. Thanks, guys appreciate it.
