Mile 20 Mindset Podcast Episode 025 - Featuring Amy Hart

From Couch to Marathon: Amy Hart's Inspiring Running Journey

Introduction: In the latest episode of the Mile 20 Mindset podcast, host Allen Maldonado welcomed three-time marathoner Amy Hart to share her remarkable journey from a novice runner to completing a full marathon. Her candid insights and relatable challenges shed light on the transformative power of running, particularly during the pandemic. 

Main Content:

1. **The Start of a Running Journey**  
Amy Hart began her running journey in March 2020, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With an Apple Watch prize in hand, she decided to embark on a Couch to 5K program. "I remember I'd done my first run. I was out of breath after 30 seconds," she recalled, emphasizing her initial struggles. Despite these challenges, the lockdown provided a unique opportunity for her to focus on running, leading to a newfound love for the sport. 

2. **The Leap to Marathon Training**  
As her running evolved, Amy discovered that running offered her mental clarity amidst her chaotic mind, a struggle she faced due to her ADHD. "Running... quietens my mind," she shared, illustrating how the sport served as a form of therapy. This realization motivated her to push beyond the 5K distance, ultimately leading her to sign up for the London Marathon in 2022.  

3. **Challenges of Marathon Training**  
Training for a marathon presented its own set of challenges. Amy described the difficulty of balancing her training with work and family commitments. "Marathon training is hard... it's not just the long runs on the weekend," she stated, highlighting the importance of discipline and time management. Despite facing numerous obstacles and moments of doubt, she persevered, fueled by the vision of crossing the finish line. 

4. **Race Day Expectations**  
On the day of the London Marathon, excitement and nerves filled the air. Traveling from Liverpool to her hometown of London, Amy experienced a mix of emotions as she picked up her race bib. "You can almost feel the nerves around everyone," she noted, capturing the palpable energy of race day. As she stood at the start line, surrounded by fellow runners, Amy felt the thrill of the moment and the weight of her journey. 

5. **Navigating the Marathon**  
As the race began, Amy found herself caught up in the excitement, starting off at a pace that was faster than intended. "I thought I just need to get to mile 20," she shared, reflecting on the mental strategy many runners employ. However, reaching mile 20 revealed the daunting reality that six more miles awaited her. This moment encapsulated the mental and physical challenges of marathon running, a theme that resonates with many athletes.  

Conclusion: Amy Hart's journey from a couch to running marathons is a testament to the power of perseverance and the joy of running. Her experiences remind us that every runner faces challenges, but with determination and discipline, it's possible to achieve our goals. Whether you're a novice or an elite runner, Amy's story encourages us to embrace the journey, no matter how daunting it may seem.

Key Takeaways:  
- Starting small can lead to incredible journeys.  
- Running can serve as both physical exercise and mental therapy.  
- Balancing training with life commitments is a common challenge for runners.  
- Race day is filled with excitement and nerves, and it's essential to manage your pace.  
- Perseverance through challenges is key to achieving your running goals.

Tags: running, marathon training, Couch to 5K, mental health, London Marathon, perseverance, fitness journey, ADHD, race day experience.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Hey, what's up? It's your boy Alan Mal Donado. I am your host of Mal20 Mindset. This is a running podcast for elite runners, novice runners, and those that love supporting the runners in their lives. Man, I have an incredible runner. Um, she is a three-time marathoner. Amy Hart, welcome to the show. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 0:24

I'm good. Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Man, so so glad to finally get you on here and uh talk a little running. Um I'm very curious on how it all began. Um so where did your running truly truly start? Was it for physical? Was it for therapy? Was it for escapism? Like what was what was the why?

SPEAKER_02 0:47

So I started running in around March 2020. It was at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Um, I'd won an Apple Watch at work, wasn't exercising at the time, and I thought, do you know what? I'm gonna start couch to 5K. Um so it's like a nine-week program for complete beginners. And by the end of the nine weeks, you're meant to be able to run 5K. Um, I remember I'd done my first run, I was out of breath after 30 seconds. I was so unfit. But I was optimistic and I was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna get through this. Obviously, you know, during COVID, we're in lockdown, and I thought, I just need to get out there. Um, so I did couch to 5k, and that's where I started.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Okay, so you got this couch to 5k, um 5k to 20 point, 26.2 is a is a big jump. So, so let's let's get to how you went from couch to 26.2. Like, so where did where in the training or where in that route of the 5K did this this epiphany spark? Well, you know what? I'm gonna go for the full thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

I think I just I fell in love with how running made me feel. Um, I've got ADHD, so I've got a really chaotic mind. It's always 100 miles per an hour. Same. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

And I so you know exactly you're getting it right. Yes, yes, yes. Same, same thing.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

And it's hard work, right? Having ADHD. And I kind of found with running, not only does it like force me to be present, it just it quietens my mind. Um, so I just loved how it was making me feel. So I did the 5k, and then I thought, oh, I quite like this run-in. So I carried on. Um, throughout COVID, I did do an unofficial marathon. Don't really class it as I don't class it as my first marathon because I went home for crumpets, like I didn't run the whole way through.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Okay, okay, okay, okay. So we won't. You made a day of it, it seems like.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

Yeah. It's basically I entered uh London Marathon to do um the 2022 marathon. So the year before, entered the ballot, didn't get in. I've always heard very good things about London Marathon and thought, how how else could I do this? Um, so I applied for a charity place, got in. I don't know if I was secretly happy or disappointed because I thought, oh my god, now I've actually got to do it.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

Yeah, now you gotta really do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:24

And I feel like once I'd committed myself and got a charity place, that was it. There was no stopping me. Um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Okay, so you so you get in this charity um begrudgingly almost. Um you were surprised that it worked. Um, and now you're you're set to do this marathon. Like, let's talk about the training. Like, how did how did training work out for you and how did it change you?

SPEAKER_02 3:53

Marathon training is hard. And I think there's a lot of factors of why it is so hard. The first thing, you have a life obviously around running. So you've got work commitments, you've got family commitments. And I think at the beginning, it's great, you're really motivated, you're thinking, I'm gonna do this marathon. And then when you get further into the plan and obviously you're doing longer runs, that's where I struggled the most. Um, because it's not just the long runs on the weekend, you know, it's prepping beforehand, it's after the run. It's it's staying focused, disciplined, you know. Like I wasn't motivated the whole way through marathon training. There were some runs where I thought, why on earth am I even doing this? There were some runs that I had to miss because life was so busy. Yeah, I keep I kept at it. Um, obviously I had that end goal London, and I just I just kept thinking how good it's gonna feel when I actually crossed the finish line.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

So, so my question is, what is the what was the hardest part of it? Was it was it the training as far as uh your body, the physical, any injuries, or was it just managing managing your time? I I know how difficult that'd be. What would be the hardest thing of training that you would say was for you?

SPEAKER_02 5:06

I think it's mainly it was mainly managing my time and it was also staying disciplined. Having ADHD, I'm very much, I'm gonna do this. And then I actually realize I have to follow through. Um and I'm sure you you might know. I mean, in my house we call it a meanisms. So I get like, oh, I'm gonna start this hobby, and then I don't actually stick at it for longer than a few weeks.

SPEAKER_01 5:29

Right, right, right, right, right, right, right.

SPEAKER_02 5:31

So I kind of felt like once the novelty had run off, I was like, wow, I've actually got to do this. Um, but I'm very disciplined anyway by nature. Um I I'd set myself that target and I thought I'm gonna do it. Um, and I there were plenty of times where I didn't actually know if I had it in me, I was getting frustrated with my training. So I had really bad runs. Um, but I found that usually when you have a bad run, the next run is a really good run. And that's what kept me motivated, and I kept getting that runners high. So I just kept at it. Um, one thing I would say with marathon training, what I found really hard, especially the first time, was I had really bad maranoia. Have you heard of maranoia before?

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Mm-mm, what's that? What do you you you tell what's what's that? Like what's a maranoia? Educate me. What was that?

SPEAKER_02 6:23

So well, it's like paranoia, but it's maranoia.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

So when you're training from all right, maranoia. All right, now now it's starting to process, okay.

SPEAKER_02 6:35

Do you know what? I don't think I can take credit for that term. I actually Googled it and it is a thing. Um basically so when you're training, and obviously you taper back a few weeks before your first marathon, don't you? You know, you reduce your mileage, um, and that's when you're tapering. And it was then when I started questioning have I trained enough? Can I actually do this? Am I strong enough to run this marathon? Um, and that's what I found really hard with my first marathon because then I just questioned everything and I didn't know if I had it in me.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

Gotcha. Got you. Well, listen, the the battle was with you half of the time. I mean, not even half, 90% of the time, it's it's you versus you out there. Um so I've I've definitely had those those runs where I'm I'm negotiating all the way up until I tie my shoes up. Like I'm like, ah, does my leg hurt today? Like, oh, I could I could do a rat. Like I I found myself always um battling with myself. So uh especially through training. Um, but let's get to the race day. Let's let's you you you've trained up, you you fought yourself through this thing. Um you fought time. Um you you got in through a charity. This is your first marathon. Take take me to the day of the race and think about it from a perspective of the the listeners that have never experienced a marathon and what the excitement of race day as far as picking up your bib and all of those things. Like, and this is your first time. What were what were the things that were going through your head on race day?

SPEAKER_02 8:10

So I was so nervous um but excited at the same time. I try I'm from London originally, that's why I picked London Marathon, but I'm currently living in Liverpool. So I travelled down to London and I went to the exhibition to pick up my bib. And you know, all the runners are there collecting their bib, and it's a really exciting time, but you can almost feel the nerves around everyone. Um so this was the day before. Um, didn't sleep very well at all the night before because obviously I was so nervous.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

As most of us do, as most of us do.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

It is, and that's when you start questioning, isn't it? And you're like, have I done enough? But so I got up on uh race day and I went to my wave, and there were so many runners, and I just I felt so nervous because obviously it was my first time there, and I thought, am I gonna actually be able to do this? Um, but there's such an amazing atmosphere, you know, you're surrounded by all these runners, you know that everyone's there for different reasons, and everyone's probably had their own challenges to get there as well. And when you're on that start line and you're waiting to go, like there's no feeling like it. Like it's amazing. I mean, obviously, finishing is better.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

Right, right, right, right, right, right.

SPEAKER_02 9:23

But yeah, the start line, it's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Okay, so so so the gun goes off in you start your first few steps in this marathon. Like, what what were the what were the thoughts? What were the feels? Like, what was going through your head as you begin this 26.2 mile race?

SPEAKER_02 9:45

So I probably did what you're not meant to do, which most runners end up doing. I I started off well too fast. You know, I've got the atmosphere was going, the crowds are there, you're all running, and I just went well and above my target pace. So once I got to about mile two, mile three, I was like, right, I need to calm it down a little bit now. A marathon is a long time.

SPEAKER_01 10:09

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:10

So I would calm down my excitement a little bit. Um, and in my head, I thought, I just need to get to mile 20. Just get to mile 20. Yeah. And it's I'm sure we might go into a bit more detail in a moment, but it's funny because you think get to mile 20, but then you get to mile 20 and realize you've still got six miles to go. That's how the ends.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

It's like, wait, I got a I got a whole nother race after this. So let's let's go ahead and get into it as far as the the Mal20 mindset, as far as when you get to that wall, when you get to that place in the race where you start having these debates with yourself. Uh, I often like to use the analogy of the bully from fifth grade all of a sudden coming in front of you and these sort of undealt with traumas all of a sudden come out of nowhere. It's it's insane. So, what was that moment for you? And also, which male was it?

SPEAKER_02 11:09

So I'd just like to add, I've hit a wall in every single one of my marathons that I've run.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

Same, same.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

All 14, all 14, all 14. All 14, yeah, traumatized by everyone. It's a wall. I had to climb a wall, every one of them. Yeah, no, no, I I know, I know, I know.

SPEAKER_02 11:28

I want to say with my first marathon, it it probably started around mile 18. Okay. Um, and I just in my head, I thought, why have I signed up to this? I don't even like running, I hate running, and that was just going round and around in my head. And then you're thinking, but what can I do? You know, there's all these runners around me, there's people cheering you on.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

I've already done 18, like, wait a minute, like, like, ah, it's too far to go back. It's too far.

SPEAKER_02 11:57

And it's hard, and it's like everything in your mind is screaming at you to stop. Um, I think when you hit that mile, and I'm not a quitter, I'm very, very disciplined. I knew I was gonna get to the end, but I think, especially during marathons, they're being they're the one moment in my life where I feel like I just can't do it. But something inside you, you get this strength from somewhere. And I think what was so amazing about my first marathon, I must have looked like I was on the verge of death. And I remember this guy from the crowd, honestly. But I remember this guy from the crowd. He he looked at me and he went, Don't you dare give up, girl. And I was like, Do you know what? I'm not giving up. I'm not, I'm not doing it. And I think you just you've got to remember your why, haven't you? You've got to remember what is it that's gonna get you to that finish line. Um, and you've just got to keep reminding yourself of that. And you come out of, I think you come out of that wall. Um, it doesn't last forever, it goes on for maybe a couple of miles, but you you keep your mentality strong and you keep going.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

So let's talk about the finish line. Let's talk about you, you, you, you hop over this wall, you get through it, you get the, you get the um what I always love to say about marathons is that I could look in the crowd and it could be a complete stranger and feel the feel that they're cheering for me is earnest. Like I it's like they're really rooting for you. And that's something that is so powerful about marathons that um if you have an experience, it's one of those things you have to do it to to feel that love. So you got that encouragement from the fan, and you get to the finish line. Like, how did it feel to finally cross the line?

SPEAKER_02 13:45

Just completely overwhelming. Like, even now talking to you about it, I can bring myself back to that moment when I crossed that finish line because I I thought I was convinced I wasn't going to actually finish it, and I just felt so overwhelmed. I I cried. I think it's a really emotional time when you cross a finish line because you know that you haven't just physically put yourself through 26 miles, it's the mental strength that it took to get you there. So when I crossed that finish line in London, I was relieved, I was happy. I couldn't believe that I'd actually done it. I I was in agony. I I actually lost the toenail. If I've heard you lost a toenail, oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Oh, another one bites to death. Like I had so many people on, like, yeah, the toenail after toenail. Oh my god. So you lost a toenail.

SPEAKER_02 14:36

I did everything that you shouldn't do with your first marathon. I started too fast. I wore new running shoes. Um, I didn't have my name on um my t-shirt that I was wearing. I just did everything that you probably shouldn't do. So I'm across the finish line and I just I felt really, really emotional. And then once it had sunk in, and obviously I'd got my medal and I'd went to, you know, the charity that I'd actually run for. And I just thought, wow, like I've actually done this. And I think I I genuinely believe that everyone should run at least one marathon in their lifetime. I think it changes your life forever. And I know that might sound a little bit cringe to say, but it reminds you that you can do hard things and when you can be so structured and disciplined and actually do something when everything in your mind is screaming at you to stop and you actually achieve that. It's just great. Like it it goes over to work, to relationships, like it's positively impacted so many other areas of my life.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

So that's that's my next question, as far as like how did how did completing this marathon change you, like in your rest real relationships, your personal life, your family, your your business, your career? Like how how is crossing that line and having that moment of confidence and reassurance to yourself that you can do hard things, how is this sort of uh translated in your uh outside life?

SPEAKER_02 16:02

I think it's made me so much more resilient as a person. I think going through that experience where it was probably one my first marathon was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. And I think the fact that I went through so many moments in that race where I just wanted to quit and I didn't, the fact that I got through that, it's made me so much stronger now. And you know, things come up in my life, and I'm like, well, it's not a marathon, I can get through it. It's quite funny because my friend actually got my race picture put on a key ring for me. I've got this, I really wish I could show you. I've got this awful thing. It's like race pictures aren't nice. But that reminds me, and every time I'm struggling in life, I look at that picture and I think, I can do it, I can get through this. If I can get through that, I can get through this.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

That's beautiful. That's beautiful. So you've you've you've tackled your first one, you've you've accomplished three thus far. Like, and you said you've hit the wall at each race. Like, let's let's talk about that for a second as you are now a multi-marathon finisher, finisher. Talk about the experiences of your your second and third as far as the differences of you going into this race with this sort of confidence. I know I'm going to finish, but but but what happened? Like what happened in the two and three where it's after the butt.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

In all honesty, I think each marathon past my first has got harder. Now, the reason is because I think with your first one, you just want to finish and you don't put really any pressure on yourself to get a certain pace. So I think when you do your first marathon and then go on to do your second marathon, I mean I can only talk for myself. Well, I wanted to beat my first marathon type. Right. Right. So you put a lot more um pressure on yourself. So you know that you can finish, but then obviously you're trying to go a faster pace. So I went on to do Manchester Marathon in 2023. That was okay. Maybe it was because a few it was a few years ago now. Can't remember how bad that was. But I did London Marathon again in April last year, and that was incredibly tough for me because I had put so much pressure on myself. So the first time I ran London Marathon in 2022, I did it in like four hours 18.

SPEAKER_03 18:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

When I ran London Marathon in April just gone, my target was to get a sub free 30. Now I I knew very early on I wasn't on I wasn't on target to get a free 30, but me being me and the type of person I am, I kept pushing on and pushing on. And I ended up getting a free 44. Okay. But when I finished London the second time, so when I just did it in April, I cried again, but not the same.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

Yeah, yeah, no, I I I did the same thing. I did that, I did the same thing. I was uh at my last marathon in Vegas, I was I was going for a PR. I wanted to sub three, but it ended at Mal 23, it got it got spooky. In Mal 23, it got real spooky. Legs, spooky. Legs left me. Yeah, the legs left. The legs were done at 23. Um I got a 330. Um, and I found myself crying at the end of it, being in disappointment of me not hitting the sub three. Um, so I've definitely shared that same experience. So, so you you got there, you got to three, was it 340?

SPEAKER_02 19:44

I got 344. Um, so I went just under 345. But I think that's what makes your first marathon so special as well, because there isn't that pace pressure. Because I I actually felt really disappointed in myself that I was disappointed when I crossed the finish line in London Marathon Just Gone. And after, when I had time to reflect, I thought, you shouldn't feel like that. You've just run a marathon. But I think sometimes you can be your biggest critic, can't you? You can be so hard on yourself.

SPEAKER_00 20:16

I mean, that's the that's the battle of the that's sort of what marathons train you to as far as you getting to go up against yourself in a way that you don't normally get to do. You usually have outside forces that is your opposition, where in this marathon is you versus you, and you you often have to police your own sort of um tough love because although you you had these expectations, you still completed a marathon. No matter what time you get, it is a magnificent feat. So that's where, again, the you versus you finding ways to also push yourself, but also love yourself too. And I think that's where you have those moments where it's like, you know what, I I understand that I didn't reach my goal, but I still met my goal. And that and that's okay. Um so what about the third one? What about the third one? So you you what about the third race? That was my third one.

SPEAKER_02 21:17

That was the third one in London.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

So what was it? So what so what was the second one where you you felt that you hit the wall?

SPEAKER_02 21:24

So the second one, which was Manchester Marathon, I felt like I hit the wall. It was going solid. That was a good marathon. And I I had ran like three times a week. I didn't do like any crazy, like, you know, five days a week running plan. It was a solid three days a week, my training plan. And when I did Manchester Marathon, I felt strong. And then I must have got to about mile 22 and my legs started spasming, and I just thought, this is game over. Like, what is going on?

SPEAKER_00 21:58

Oh, the legs just want to. Start going. Okay. Yeah, no, no. I feel you. I feel you. That's what I said. Male 23, it got spooky. It got spooky.

SPEAKER_02 22:06

It's it's spooky at Male 23. It is spooky. Um, yeah, so my legs started spasming, and I thought that's game over. And I I remember stopping for about 20 seconds, and I was like, no, it's not game over. You're finishing this marathon. So off I went again. And I don't know if you've ever heard of Daniel Bedenfield, but there's this like there's this song, Gotta Get Through This. And it's a really old song. And I just listened to it on repeat. Like I was just listening, must have listened to it about a hundred times because I just thought I have to get through this marathon. And it got me through.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

That's beautiful. That's beautiful. That's beautiful, man. Um, which is which is exciting, man. I just was I was in the studio last night recording some music that is uh specifically made for that moment, for this, that for those Mal 20s, Mal 22, Mal23, sort of those motivational lyrics as um we need to hear sort of these affirmations of keep going, especially at that time. And it's it's interesting because I always look at running in sort of as parallel to regular life, and how you know, when you have support in your life, how much that can help you get through tough, tough times. And sometimes you gotta look at yourself, and that's where in the marathons you get to experience that internal conversation and also have that exterior love there as well. So it's a perfect breeding ground to do hard things. And with that being said, what would be your advice or your biggest tip to anyone that's listening right now that maybe on the fence are considering running their first marathon? What would be your biggest tip to them?

SPEAKER_02 23:53

Mind over matter. You can do it, you can do hard things. And I think if if any if everyone was to just do one marathon in their lifetime, it will change your life forever. Because I think going through that mentally for those whole 26 miles, it it will change you. It will change you as a person. And not just in running, not just in fitness, it transfers to all other areas of your life. Um, it makes you more motivated in your business, it makes you more resilient in relationships. It just transfers to so many other areas of your life. It really does change you for the better. And I think everyone has at least one marathon in them.

SPEAKER_00 24:35

I agree. I agree, I agree, I agree. Well, that gets us to our um our knees out speed question section of the of the pod, um where you answer with one word, but uh please elaborate if you need to. Um knees out means yes in knees out. Knees out means yes. In means no. Um, shout out to my crew, my running crew, uh knees out coalition. Um so the first the first question is did you ever, was there ever a time in training that you thought about quitting, but you still showed up for yourself?

SPEAKER_02 25:11

Knees out, yes.

SPEAKER_00 25:13

Okay, all right.

SPEAKER_02 25:14

I did think about quitting. I did.

SPEAKER_00 25:17

And and how often, how often did you think about quitting?

SPEAKER_02 25:21

It was towards the end. It was when the runs started getting really long. And I started to the the long runs, yeah, and life started to get really busy. That's when I thought about quitting. I thought about it, I knew I never would, but it did cross my mind.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

Let's go, let's go. All right, so my next question is and and I if you answered this, but please elaborate. Do you think everyone has at least one marathon in them?

SPEAKER_02 25:46

Absolutely. I a hundred percent think that everyone has at least one marathon in them. If if I can go from barely being able to run 30 seconds without being out of breath to then going on to run three marathons, if I can do it, anyone can do it.

SPEAKER_00 26:00

That's beautiful. That's beautiful. Um, so the next question is uh the marathon more mental are physical.

SPEAKER_02 26:10

I would say mental.

SPEAKER_00 26:12

Definitely.

SPEAKER_02 26:13

I think you need to have that base um physical fitness. Of course you do, but I would say because it's very common to for people to hit walls in marathons, you need that mental strength to get you through.

SPEAKER_00 26:26

I agree, I agree. So the next question is since you've ran uh several marathons now, uh, would you run an ultra marathon?

SPEAKER_02 26:38

Yes, yes, I would. And it's so funny because every time I do a marathon, I think, I hate running, I'm never running ever again. Why have I done this?

SPEAKER_00 26:47

As soon as you cross the line, you'll be like, oh, I love this, but I'm not this is last one. This is the last one.

SPEAKER_02 26:54

Yeah, you think this is the last one, and then your emotions settle and you reflect and you realize actually, I just love how it makes me feel. And yes, I would like to do an ultra. I have heard now, I'll probably correct me if I'm wrong. Have you done an ultra before?

SPEAKER_00 27:11

No, no, I'm interested. I mean, I'm very interested, as I think it's um a complete contrast from the marathons being that, you know, you have the fanfare and you're usually running through the city, where at these ultras, you get to be in nature. And that's something that I'm I'm I'm interested in just being in the nature for that amount of time um while having this, you know, internal one-on-one battle with myself. So, so yeah, no, I'm I'm I plan, I don't know if it's in this, it's in the cars this year. I don't know if it's in the cars this year. I got like four marathons I'm running this year. So I don't know if I can slide an ultra in there. Yeah, yeah. I did I did uh four marathons in five months one time. So um, you're amazing. Yeah, it gets it gets it's just and that was a that was a direct challenge after my first marathon, in which the my first marathon was a it was terrible. It was a terrible thing.

SPEAKER_03 28:06

Why was it terrible?

SPEAKER_00 28:08

It was for one, it was it was nobody there. It was a it was like the smallest marathon you could get into. It was 15 people in the race. No, it was barely people in the race. It was 15 people in the race 15 people. 15 people.

SPEAKER_01 28:23

Uh I I came in last. I came in last I came in last out of the 15. You know, uh I broke my foot. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:30

It was oh, it was all bad. Broke my foot, my my back went out at mile 18, my my foot broke at mile 22, did not know it broke. But yeah, it was it was it was crazy. And then um I just really got focused and determined to sort of beat the boogeyman that scared me. And uh that's when I came up with the idea to run four and five months. I ran New York, uh Disney, uh Miami, which was just this past weekend. Shout out to everybody that ran Miami.

SPEAKER_02 29:01

And then I did Miami half last year. Oh yeah, Miami.

SPEAKER_00 29:05

Oh yeah, oh yeah, I love I love Miami. Miami was great. Um and uh I did uh LA right after that. So um yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It was it was something I had to, you know, to get over. Like it was really, it was really the first thing that broke me mentally, and I didn't like that. I didn't like that. I was like, oh, I gotta go. So it it was it was it was pretty much immediately after the race that I was like, all right, I gotta figure this out. I didn't, I did not, I did not like how I showed up. I did not like how I showed up. Um so yeah, lastly, the last question is do you believe running can change a person beyond the mouths?

SPEAKER_02 29:52

Yeah, I definitely a hundred percent. I think it makes you more disciplined, it makes you more resilient. You know, we all face challenges in life, but it I think doing a marathon really makes you realise that you can live outside of your comfort zone. If you can get through running a marathon, you can get through anything. And I genuinely believe that. And I feel like since running a marathon, it's made me so much more stronger in my life. Nothing phases me now because it's not a marathon.

SPEAKER_00 30:23

Yeah, yeah, no, I agree. Not if you ran three, what would you tell your yourself or the person you were prior to running your first one? What would you tell yourself after running it three times? What would you tell yourself hey you got what would you tell yourself?

SPEAKER_02 30:53

I would tell myself that you're stronger than you think you are, and you can challenge yourself and you can do it. I think it goes back to how much it actually changes your life and how much it changes you as a person. That's what I would tell myself, and I would say to myself that you can go through these moments where every single bit of your body and mind is screaming at you to stop, but you don't stop. And if you get through that, you can get through anything, and you're gonna be okay, you're gonna be fine. Because I feel like, you know, we've been having this conversation, and when you say it out loud sometimes how difficult marathons are, it's very easy to think, well, how is that encouraging other people to run a marathon and how horrible it is? But it always goes back to how much it positively does change you. Um, and I feel like, you know, everyone that you speak to that's done a marathon, it's changed them in one way or another for the better.

SPEAKER_00 31:50

I agree. I totally agree. Um, well, beautifully said. Uh wow. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you again so much for sharing your story. I look forward to seeing more marathons and more medals come your way. Um, I know you're gonna get that sub 330. Uh you get to get it. I know, I know you are, man. And everyone out there, please follow and subscribe. This is another great episode of Mal20 Mindset. Peace, y'all.