Stimulate Run

The panel are back for the April episode. Wayne kicks it off going through his Two Oceans debrief. Unfortunately things didn't go to plan for him and he now build towards Comrades. Jade has had an ultra month and Larin continues to build and build. We discuss the taper and more.

Comrades announced a new start process and the panel kick things off with a discussion and their opinions. Jade recaps Tokyo, Larin visited Death Valley and Wayne is 20 days out from Two Oceans. Enjoy listeners and thanks for your support

Lauren Shelley has an amazing running resume. She has represented Australia in the marathon and half marathon. On this episode we chat about The experiences, the training methods she followed and much more. Lauren is also a qualified physio so we discuss the importance or recovery and looking after yourself.

The panel are back for episode 2 of Road to Comrades 2025. Larin debriefs his recent marathon. Jade is preparing to run Tokyo marathon next weekend and Wayne if ramping things up towards Two Oceans in 6 weeks.

On this episode you will learn that when it comes to endurance sport there is little that Richard Russell has not completed. Easily 100 marathons, Dusi Canoe, 15 Avon Descents, 28 Comrades Marathons and 10 Two Oceans to just touch on a few. We discuss all the above and also his choice to pursue a career in geology which has taking him across the globe. He talks about being chased by elephants and also his time in the army which he says shaped his life. For more, check out the Stimulate Run podcast instagram page. https://www.instagram.com/stimulaterunpodcast/profilecard/?igsh=aTJwbGEwc2k2ZDdshttps://strava.app.link/oYqJCjgYyPb

Sarah Klein has represented Australia at World Championship and Commonwealth Games level on multiple occasions. On this episode we chat about her running journey and also her life as a teacher. We speak about ambition and how it has a mixed reception. Are athletes role models and much more.

Lyn Foreman has a legacy with athletics that spans many years. She along with her family specifically late husband Wally have played an important role in the rich history of West Australian Sport. Lyn as an athlete achieved great things. She qualified for an olmpics only for injury to end the dream. Lyn turned her hand to coaching and what a rewarding decision it was to continue. Enjoy the chat with Lyn

Ben Green is a level 4 world athletics accredited coach and has first class honors in Sports Science. During this chat we hear about his introduction to running and move into the coaching world. We discuss the challenges of finding his place at a young age, what it’s like coaching recreation and sub elite runners and just a general discussion on the running landscape at the moment.

A rerelease of the interview with Shaun Meiklejohn. Shaun has one of the most consistent records in Comrades history capped off with a victory in 1995. During this episode Shaun shares and gives insight to what has created that consistency. Shaun achieved yet another comrades silver in 2024

The post race episode is here. Its one of the favourites as we hear all about how race day went. Marnie shares about the week prior which found her walking the streets of Durban CBD and then race day itself. Wayne takes us through race day and how it came together. Thank you to all the listeners along this series in 2024. We appreciate all the messages and feedback throughout the year. See you in 2025

Brian Lyon has been around the sport of running for a long time. He hails from Tasmania in Australia. He is a running coach and also event organiser. On this episode we discuss his running jouney, experiences and what running has giving him. As always, follow along on the social channels just search for stimulate run podcast. pop a review on apple or spotify as well. Thanks a lot

Join the panel on the pre race episode. We hear about the final month of training. Marnie has nailed her prep and now is heading to Durban to put it all in place. Wayne has finally started the taper and they will be leaving camp this week to head down to sea level. We talk about some race day plans. We also touch on some of the common things that can be done my the general runner to see improvement and the things they are doing to prevent improvement. As always head over to follow on instagram, facebook and Strava.

If you hear the name Percy Dunn you might have an idea of who is being spoken about. If you then say the man who used to run Comrades in the Licorice allsorts outfit you will be certain of who is being spoken about. An amazing history in the sport of running and so much to share about how it all came to life. Enjoy what is a small snippet of this journey.

Road to Comrades Episode 4 is in the peak phase of training. Marnie is in to the real meat of her maiden comrades voyage doing over 200km and embracing the challenge. Wayne is in camp with the nedbank happy bunch. They have just ticked off a 300km week and next week head to altitude to put the final topping on the cake. He is feeling confident heading into his favourite direction. Irwin debriefs his two oceans experience. Up run route description https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNjdQ0gRR7E&pp=ygUNdGVhbSBhc2h3b3J0aA%3D%3D

Marnie, Wayne and Irwin are back as they tick off another month towards Two Oceans and Comrades 2024. Marnie speak about how she has really started to incorporate hills into her training and her body has reacted well. Wayne has had another great month and reacted well coming off the 100km. He speaks about his plans to head to camp next month which was a positive experience last year. Irwin in in the Taper a week out from two oceans. The panel then also discuss some nutrition - general, long run and also race specific nutrition.

Johan Botha - international cricketer at test and odi level. On this episode we begin by speaking about his cricket career, the experiences and his move into coaching. We also speak about his new sport which is running in particular backyard ultras. Johans goal is to make the Australian team at this years satelite champs.

Don Wallace is a name not many will know but his history in Australian running is worth noting. Woold 100km rep, Multiple Comrades (including a gold medal), 2:20 marathon and the current course measurer for Sydney and Gold Coast Marathon. Have a listen to Don retelling some of his experiences in running, his methods for training and also takes us into the world of a course measurer.

Marnie, Wayne and Irwin and back to recap February. Marnie ticked off her goal of consistent strength training and is on the path to lifting the kms in March. Wayne speaks about his debut 100km race where he won the Australian title and came away positive about starting his Comrades build. Irwin is looking to finishing of the final month of training towards two oceans with some decent back to back long runs. The panel speak about hill running, what type of elevation people should look at doing and the long run.

New year, new panel. Welcome to the Road to Comrades 2024 with Marnie, Wayne and Irwin. Marnie and Wayne will be heading to Comrades 2024 and Irwin towards Two Oceans 2024. This series will follow their journeys and an episode will be recorded every month in the lead up. Follow along their journeys on strava and for more info follow the stimulate run social media pages (Instagram and Facebook). Enjoy episode 1.

Marnie Ponton, started her running dreams like most people with a poster of people she aspires to be on the wall. She now holds the Australian 50km female record, balances running with family and work like the everyday person and is gearing up for a big 2024 by locking in Comrades as her goal. We chat about her journey in running, what type of athlete she is, her interest in knowing why she is doing something and the future. You can find out more about Marnie on Instagram or also on her strava.

Raf Baugh is a name well known around running circles. We chat about Raf as a child and his love for sport. He moved into being a world class duathlete, studied physiotherapy and now heads up Front Runner Sports Management. Raf shares some of the important lessons he has learnt along the way, what has formed his beliefs and what pillars he has built his business and also coaching ethos around. We touch on it taking time and enjoying that journey. Being comfortable only being concerned about what she are aiming to do and escaping the thoughts of others.

Andrew Leigh, a member of the Australian Federal Labour Party and runner. During my chat, we delve into his pathway into politics and also his journey through running. He speaks about some of his experiences and what he has learnt along the way.

Piet Wiersmas profile had a meteoric rise from June 2023. It was at this point he took on the defending Comrades champion in the final stages of the Ultimate human race and made Tete really earn the title and record. Piet has since then had many choices to make regarding his future as an athlete and also on his journey towards his thesis. We discuss his background in running, his methods, the challenges a semi professional runner faces and what the near future looks like

Nick Bester or the Yster Man (Iron Man) is a life long endurance athlete. You name it in the endurance world he has done it - Comrades, Triathlon, Dusi Canoe, Argus cycling and much more. In this chat we speak about his endurance ability, his mental toughness and where it stemmed from. We talk about the change he made to his diet and advice for current day athletes

From Janaury we have been tracking along the journey of 3 amazing people towards Comrades 2023. On this episode the panel are back to take us through their big day. Caitriona had an amazing day to finish in 5th, Wayne smashed his PB and masters record and Murray as he said got his Bill Rowan. Thank you to all the listeners, supporters and families for their support this year. We all appreciate the kind words, messages and feedback. If you enjoyed the series please leave a review on apple/spotify or where you listen so others can get out of it what you did. Enjoy the downtime and maybe see you all at Comrades 2024.

The pre race episode for Comrades 2023. Caitriona, Murray and Wayne do their usual month recap and then we take a more in-depth look at the course itself. Murray shares what prep he is making when it comes to preparing to tackle the course on race day. Wayne takes us into the Nedbank camp.

Barry Hollands record in running and particularly comrades and two oceans speaks for itself. Attempting his 49TH consecutive comrades in 2023 he is a wealth of knowledge. We discussed his thoughts on training and how they have changed over the years. We spoke about having realistic goals and how to execute them. He gave course advice. Most importantly he explained planning your race and racing your plan.

Nell Rojas is a professional runner born in Boulder Colorado. On this episode we chat about her history in the sport from childhood in Boulder to now as a professional who hopes to qualify for Paris. We discuss experiences (her trip to Kenya), goals and her relationship with her dad who is also her coach. For those who haven’t check out the sweat elite video with Nell and her dad and you will see his true emotion for her running.

Allirra Jennings greet up and still lives in the Northern Territory of Australia. In this episode she shares her journey in running which started with taking a few steps all the way to completing the 6 world majors. Allirra is the first female t to complete the 6 star. We discuss her heritage and some of the social issues the has come across and currently taking place.

The panel is back for the April episode. Murray is being as consistent as ever, Caitriona has started her Comrades build with a great month and heading to the USA for a race and Wayne tells us about Two Oceans and his time in camp. A listener question to finish about training by time.

78 days to Comrades 2023 and the panel are back to tell us about how their last month has gone. Caitriona is balancing work/life and running. Murray is settling in to his new structure and increasing milage and Wayne is preparing for a big month ahead with plenty of excitement. We tackle a few listener questions about shoes, goals and changing surfaces through the week. If you have any questions please shoot them through via the social channels. If you enjoy what you are hearing - share it with your running mates, friends or colleagues you like to annoy about running. A review wherever you listen would be great to as it gets in the ears of other like minded people looking for something to enjoy. Thanks for the support Irwin, Caitriona, Murray and Wayne

Caitriona, Murray and Wayne are back for episode 2. On this episode we discuss the dangers of comparing against what others are doing. We speak about running on effort vs pace. We delve into qualifiers and what chasing a faster qualifier comes with just to save a few minutes at the start or for a better seeding pen. If you are enjoying the series please share it among your running network and also drop a review where you get your pods.

Liz CcColgan has achieved it all. Olympian, Commonwealth Games, world championships, world cross country medalist, triple world major marathon winner and MBE are just part of the long list of achievements for Liz. On this episode we discuss where it all started for her. From her humble upbringing in Scotland, to the university of Alabama which turns out shaped not only her career but her life and then now to Doha. Liz talks about how she always wanted to lift the ceiling and especially against those who said she couldn’t. Liz shares advice for parents with young kids who are showing talent in sport. We discuss her views of the state of running currently and much more. As always if you want to more follow the podcasts social channels on Instagram and Facebook. If you enjoy the podcast please pop in a review wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify etc) that would be greatly appreciated.

Reece Edwards started his sporting life as an aspiring hockey player who knew he had a little bit extra when it came to aerobic ability. As he got older he found  triathlon and then came the sole focus on running. Reece Shares his journey from 8 hour bike rides which included stops for pie and coke to now being a well credentialed marathoner. Reece most recently won UTA with minimal ultra specific experience or preparation.  Reece is a qualified physiotherapist and shares his learners he has taken from running into his professional life.  

Welcome to Road to Comrades 2023. On this episode we meet Wayne, Caitriona and Murray who will share their journey towards Durban in June. On this episode we get to meet them and learn more about their running history and what their plans are. We hope you join the rest of the episodes and enjoy them.

The name Grenville Wood might not be one at the front of many guesses when we talk about Australian running in the 80s but those in the know it certainly would be. He still the current South Australian marathon record holder. During this chat we share his experiences in running, the risks he took along the way and what are his running pillars as a coach.

Irish-born runner Caitriona Jennings first came on to the podcast in 2019. Since then she has continued to tick off achievements notably in 2022 finishing 3rd at the World 100km and 1st at the European 50km.  It was great to go back into her history prior to running and then how she continued to rise in the sport. She represented Ireland at the 2012 Olympics and what many would say might be the pinnacle was actually closer to the beginning. We speak about the highs and lows and how the benefits of hindsight might've changed the way she might've approached things.  We speak about balancing a career in accounting and law works when trying to chase your running goals.  We then finish the chat about what might be to come in 2023.  To listen to our chat from 2019 have a search in the back catalogue. We were also joined by Wayne Spies in that episode. 

Brendan Pang, started as an architecture student, while sitting as a social working in Broome he decided to enter Masterchef and hasnt looked back. He know has 2 books, a permanent fixture at a local food setting and a range stocked by Woolworths.  Brendan discovered running recently and loves his daily run as an escape from his busy day. He's a high achiever who will be chasing his running goas to match his professional goals.  Find him on instagram and also his website for more information. 

Mark Plaatjes was the winner of the 1993 World Champs Marathon. A few would know Mark and his achievements but not many would know his story.  Mark was one of the greatest in his era and amazingly due to the apartheid regime wasn't allowed to show the world. During the episode Mark talks about life during apartheid, being a straight A student but not being allowed to go to University and being cheers for on the weekend but on Monday its back to reality.  Mark speaks about his time at College, life in Boulder back in the times when training with Deek and Steve Jones.  He takes us through the 1993 World champs race and how it played out on the day.  Mark is now a Physical Therapist and owns a running store call In Motion which is based in Boulder. 

Ash Watson is an Australian runner hailing from Ballarat. Ballarat is a town filled with running history with many Olympians and some of The countries best runners either living there or spending time there to train. Ash has a great running resume with a 2:23 marathon, surf coast century ultra champion (current record holder) and two time comrades marathon finisher. On this episode we have a chat about the journey he has had in the sport, his day job and how running impacts that and then we also debrief this years Comrades.

The post race recap. During this episode the panel are all along to recap their races. Jackie World 100km and the remainder all headed to Comrades 2022. Wayne kicks us off as the fastest finisher, Jackie and Darren let their guards down and show us a side of vulnerability we havent see from the panel yet. We cover a few listener questions.  For those wondering about the man in the arena quote search Theodore Roosevelt. 

A scholar with a long list of accolades and a runner with a list of accolades to match. roger Robinson joins me to share his life story and what a story it is. From being a professor at 35 to running a 2:28 marathon as a 50 year old.  Listen to Rogers lessons on literature, language and literacy. How English has evolved and what his thoughts are on the role technology has played.  Roger shares his running history. How he has managed to continue to achieve such great results and how motivation comes from within.  Roger has released a new book and has written previous books too. 

We made it. There was times we didnt think we would be sitting 2 weeks out the next Comrades down run. The full crew are here to wrap it all up before they head to race day.  Wayne gives us an insight look to an elite camp. 300km weeks with 8 ultras in 3 weeks. How to the elite runners differ from the social runner it might surprise you.  Jackie is ready for world 100km. The rest of the crew wrap up their final touches.  We break the race into segments to finish and give you the listener an idea of how we want to feel or goals for particular sections. For those heading to Durban we will do a meet up at some stage so stay tuned to the socials.

The second to last Episode before race day. Jackie fills us in on how her build towards world 100km is going after ticking off peak week, Darren welcomed hills into his training while ticking off his big long run, He gives us a recap on Gold Coast Marathon and Sandy fills us in on how her July went in prep for the big day.  Darren takes on questions on behalf of all novices to start adding thoughts in place for race day.  Like what you hear? dont forget to rate on apple podcasts or spotify.  Follow Stimulate Run podcast on Instagram and Facebook.  If you are looking for the episode we spoke about from Barry Holland follow this link - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/episode-8-making-a-comrades-marathon-legend-with/id1622191041?i=1000569799032

Episode 42 might be the biggest to date. The whole panel had a race to report back on. Sandy and Irwin race Barossa marathon, Jackie smashed her marathon in terrible conditions, Wayne went back to back with victories and Darren perfectly executed his half marathon in preparation for Gold Coast marathon. Novice advice sprinkled throughout the whole episode. Comrades season is well and truly on with 9 weeks until race day. Do the race calculators work? Irwin thinks not for international runners but Jackie debunks that thought.

Zoe Buckman is a duel Olympian, world champs and Commonwealth games representative. On this episode she shares her journey but also takes us behind the curtain or the realities of being a professional athlete. A great listen for parents with younger children and also a great listen for adolescents who love their sport.

Many might not recognise the name Carlos Furnari but you will recognise the brands. You could say he is one of many who puts together what we see from the brands itself and the athletes who represent them.  From Radcliffe to Kipchoge. From Tinman to Strava. Carlos has worked with them all.  How did a guy of an Italian dad and country upbringing do all of this? Well listen in. 

Episode 41 of The Road to Comrades. As Bruce Fordyce called it May is the new March. Sandy, Darren, Irwin and Jackie go through the month that was. Some good overall approaches to running and races are discussed. We finish the episode with the Help a novice segment. 

Episode 40 with the full crew. Darren takes us through Canberra Marathon and his PB. Sandy nails her half marathon and the rest of the team are just building the weeks. We also introduce a new segment to help the novices.

Wayne and Irwin catch up to answer some listener questions which have come in. We hope these help as the preparation for comrades 2022 really starts to get going.