Ponteland Runners Off Road

Hi folks. Well, we made it through 2020 and for many its 'good riddance', but we can't say goodbye without hearing from our members and getting some of their thoughts on the year and how much running and the club means to them. We recap on the other stories we've heard this year's episodes and close with news of the Christmas 5k 2020. See you in 2021!

Join us for more tri talk with club tri co-ordinator Elaine Stroud as she describes how she got in to triathlon. Elaine has worked tirelessly since joining the committee building the tri activities and this has paid off as the club scooped 2 very prestigious awards - regional and England tri club of the year 2020. It's an inspiring story and offers encouragement to all of us to have a go.  

Whilst running is the activity that binds us all together, it's also for many of us so much more than that. The effect of running is not just better fitness, it can be transformational and take you on a journey you didn't think was possible for you. In this episode we hear from Sarah Levison as she describes how she went from being a slouch couch potato to tri-athlete and coach in just a few years. It's an uplifting and personal journey which might just resonate with you too. 

Join us for a chat with Sarah Gibson as she talks about how she got in to running, the importance of running form and running with a buggy!

Join us this time as Peter McCowie drops in for a chat and tells us his story of how, after some straight talking from his doctor, he changed his ways and got in to running. Hear who John McGargill votes the greatest runner of all time, and Victoria Grace expresses her thoughts on what's great about running. We even have some race results too - both real and virtual! Thanks for listening!

Something a little different this time as we get to know Ponteland Runners' very own Piano Man, Callum Ward. Listen in to this one as we explore the relationship between Callum's two passions in life - music and running. It was a real pleasure to chat with Callum and make sure you had over to YouTube and just search for 'cwardmusic' to see and hear Callum performing with his uni pals (and his brother Finlay) at his very best. 

This time we talk rubbish, or rather we talk about rubbish with Stuart Walker who founded a small charity to help encourage us runners to change our attitudes slightly and pick up litter from time to time when we're out on our run. To find out more and join the fight here. Thanks for listening and see you next time.

This time Heidi Finlay joins us for an update on her marathon training and how she's trying to lead a healthier lifestyle drinking alcohol free beer. As we're back in The Badger she gets us to try a few too and we give our verdicts. There's plenty of running talk as we bring you up to speed with our club sessions and we look beyond Amsterdam to some other smaller events coming up you might consider.

Join us this time as Laura meets up with Mark Marchant from Greener Miles and our very own Nicola Balfour as they talk about environmentally friendly running, virtual racing and what the new normal races might look like.

If you're wondering how we might move from virtual races back to running for real, well this is for you. After a quick round up we're straight in to a recording this week with Mr Run Nation himself Richard Hunter. Well known in North East England running circles and the head of Run Nation events, Richard talks to us about the reality of moving his races to the virtual world due to Covid-19, and gives us a glimpse in to how real races might look in the future.

We're joined by club Chair Abby Dorani for a round up of what's been going on behind the scenes during lockdown, Laura takes us through the Virtual Blaydon Race results, and Matty updates us on Grace and Heidi’s charity runs.

Nicola Balfour joins us for a chat about virtual racing and how the club was galvanised in to the Greener Miles virtual Team 24 hour challenge. We also have clips sent in by Abby and Ann Marie as they recollect their first, last, worst and best races. Send yours in to podcast@pontelandrunners.org.uk, thanks for listening.

There might not be any races on at the moment but we still have our memories of the races we have run that matter the most. Join us as we chat with club runners Victoria Grace and Heidi Finlay as we reminisce on our first, last, worst and best races of all time! What shines through all the stories is our pure love of running, from our first to our last race, from our worst (if there is such a thing really) to our best!

Move move over Coach Bennett (well, just this once anyway) and take us with you on your next run! It's tough running on your own sometimes, so after a quick warm up we'll distract you as we chat with Esme and Arran Stephenson. Get set and get going with plenty of light hearted banter, running talk, film reviews and plenty of bad jokes. Arran takes us back to how he met Esme and they play a quick game of Mr & Mrs (take a guess who wins). Prepare to be blown away as Arran plays us out with his new guitar solo that he has learned during the lockdown! And just when you think its all over, Matty gets locked in his bedroom. You couldn't make it up, and neither did we!

We're back, and this time you get a chance to meet one of our newer members, sports physiologist Phill Bell. He takes us in to the world of sports physiology and how he has worked with some of the world's top athletes. He shares some top training and recovery tips and answers the big question on everyone's mind at the moment - do compression tights really work? 

This time we're joined by Paul O'Neil who popped in, via Facebook messenger, for a chat. Find out how we've been occupying ourselves during the second week of lock down, we run through what must be the shortest race recap in history before Paul describes what it's like working for Nike. He gives us some great tips on how to run with the  Nike Run Club app and picks out his favourites guided runs.

You're gonna have to try harder than setting off a global virus to keep us of the air! Join us as we swap our regular spot at The Badger for our virtual studio. Club news and dodgy banter is followed by Rob Charlton giving his account of the Run Northumberland Half Marathon.

Join us for more club news and banter and hear how a couple of our members are representing GBR in European and World championships.

Join us for something a bit different as we chat about diet, nutrition and running. We aren't experts (that will become obvious!) so it goes without saying that you should take the appropriate advice if you decide to make any changes to what you eat.  Oh, and has anyone seen Matty?

Join us once again for club news and race our regular round up. We do our best to unravel what happened after the club social and Trophy-gate and Laura reports back on her trip to the most northerly parkrun on the planet.

Yay, we're back! Join us in The Badger sitting by the fire talking about our great club and what's been happening over Christmas and New Year. We give well deserved shout outs to the winners of the various club awards for 2019 and look ahead to some upcoming races. Seriously, we just couldn't stop talking so take us on your long run, or on your daily commute or by your bedside as we lull you to sleep even (right Neil?). I'm not selling this episode very well but we hope you enjoy this one and we'll see you again soon!

Join us as we recap on the Winter Club 5k handicap, Saltwell 10k and as we hear your hightlights of 2019.  And in true "it'll be alright on the night" fashion, there are a few outtakes and funny clips too so I hope you enjoy them! Thanks for listening, have a great Christmas and we'll see you in 2020! Paul, Laura and Matty

Join us for race recaps and shout outs before we catch up with busy mum Ann-Marie Shield as she describes how, after having 2 children, she got back in to running parkruns, 10 milers, half marathons and even triathlons. Wow! And you thought you were busy!

This time we met up with our very own Geordie Springbok and run leader Theo Fourie. Matty turns expert interviewer as Theo tells of his journey from South Africa to Ponteland Runners. We also talk about buses (Matty's in particular), next years race calendar and have a race round up.

Join us this time for a race recap of this year's trip to Kielder. Whether you were running the full or half marathon,  fun was pretty much the order of the day! Find out who was feeling top of the pops, who got all emotional and what our members thought of the race, the day and the driver of the bus that got you there! We give shout outs to others who have run too - from Chicago to Amsterdam, York, Hexham and back - we're running the world!

We recap on a stunning start to the Cross Country season at Wrekenton before taking you all to Berlin to run on of the worlds' great marathons.

Join us once again for more off road conversation. This time we catch up on some great performances by all our club runners at the Great North Run and at the Matfen 10k. Finally we look ahead to our Berlin trip next weekend.

Join us on another episode as Laura goes AWOL, we round up recent results and we look ahead to the Great North Run. Matty talks about his love of cross country ahead of the new season and we finish with the third of our coaching tips from Mark, this time focusing on nutrition.Thanks for listening and see you next time!

We're back in time for the holiday weekend rounding up some phenomenal club performances in local 5k and 10k road races, the Steelman triathlon, the Mouth of the Tyne Aqualthon, and Copenhagen Ironman. Matty introduces us all to his unique approach to training, before Mark carpenter tells us all how it should really be done.

Join us for another round of club news and results before we hear from Paul O'Neil on his recent trip to Holland where he took part in a 175 mile long distance relay. Part of the 'Hood to Coast' Race Series and billed as 'The Mother of All Relays', the European leg took a route from the Netherlands’ highest point to the turquoise waters of the North Sea. Not only did Paul do this on work time, he also met a couple of other runners you may have heard of by the name of Mo and Paula. Tough day eh Paul?! Thanks for listening!

Freddie once sang "get on your bikes and ride" and that's exactly what 18 Ponteland Runners decided to do in June 2019, swapping their trainers for tiny shoes clipped in to their pedals!  How did it go? How many completed it and how steep were those hills anyway? Tune in and find out if you're tough enough to have a go next year!

Listen in folks to hear all about this year's Lakesman TriAthlon event held in Keswick in June 2019. Laura, Matty and Abby describe the action and we have special voice clips from some of our athletes who took park. It was a cracking event by all accounts topped off by Ponteland scooping a number of prizes which is just fantastic when you consider both the size and nature of the event. Well done to all who took part in the event and to those who went over for the weekend to support. Thanks to Nikki, Elliot and Tina for sending in their clips. Enjoy!!

In this episode Laura catches up with our very own club social secretary Helen O'Neil. Believe it or not, Helen only got in to running within the last few years and now it's a very big part of her, and her family's, life. Listen in to hear her story as she tells us how she got started, how she managed to keep running whilst pregnant, and how she juggles a busy home and working life with the need we all have, which is just to run!.

Join us once again as we meet up in The Badger for a good old chin wag! Laura talks about the lasting impressions from her trip to Kenya, and Matty rounds up what's been a busy time in the racing calendar. We end with a look ahead to our Sprint Tri and the inaugural club Summer 5k Handicap which takes place at 7pm on Wednesday 26 June in place of the usual club session. We hope to see you ALL there and at the after race drinks & AGM at the social club!

Don't miss this special episode where you can hear all the info you need about this year's Sprint Tri in Ponteland on 30 June 2019, one of the North East Senior Grand Prix events for 2019 put on by northeast club PontelandTri. Now in our second year, our event is ideal for newcomers to the sport aswell as experienced triathletes and this year we're trying to do our bit for the environment and help a good cause along the way. What's not to like?! The closing date is 9 June and places are selling fast! Last year sold out so get your entries in via Resultsbase here and we look forward to welcoming you in Ponteland on 30 June. Thanks for listening and email any queries to info@sprinttriponteland.org.uk PontelandTri

In the episode I talk with former Falcons favourite and Scotland rugby international Allister Hogg.  Ally joined us for a run session this week and then popped in to talk about his career and his plans to take on a few triathlons, marathon walks, half marathon runs and even the Cyclone.  From playing for his school to signing his first professional contract, Ally has toured the world playing rugby for club and country. We get an insight into the world of professional sport and how sports science has influenced the game over his 16 year career. We also get a sense of the precarious nature of pro sport and how players are adapting once their playing career is over. Thanks Ally for your time, a true gent.

I am joined by new member Nicola Balfour as she talks about joining the club and the improvements she has since made to her running. We are also joined by Nicola's strengthening and conditioning expert Teleri Hamilton who has worked with elite athletes and amateurs like us. She provides an overview of her career and how she helps runners stay fit, and she gives us 3 simple exercises we can all do to make us stronger. Matty and I round up the Good Friday relays and look ahead to the next few weeks.

Matty and I round up the Manchester Marathon 2019 and Blyth 10k races and then we hear from our very own ultra runners - Arran Stephenson and Andy Hutchinson as they recount the Hardmoor Ultra in Cleveland. They ran, walked and crawled for an unimaginable 13 hours in horrendous conditions - all for a pizza ! I mean, haven't they heard you can get them delivered?! Anyway, well done guys and thanks for sharing your story, it really was an epic achievement !

We're back and this time Matty and I round up the Run Northumberland 20 miler and half marathon weekend in Ponteland, recapping on the Hardmoor 55 (50) ultra and some outstanding performances at the Rat Race Deerstalker 2019 amongst others. We look ahead to the Good Friday Relays and just have time for one of our infamous product reviews!  Email your comments & suggestions to podcast@pontelandrunners.org.uk.  Happy running everyone !

We're back! This time we round up the cross country season and look ahead to future Parkrun and Club Championship events before our main feature interview with Richard Hunter, the man behind Run Nation. His story takes him from Hexham to the USA and back to his beloved North East again where he set up Run Nation events in 2010. He's passionate about running events and now he's looking further afield with exciting new races and distances. It's a great North East success story that's entering a new chapter. Thanks as always to everyone who took part. Enjoy!

Matty and I catch up on the latest cross country shenanigans at Thornley Woods and we give a few well deserved shout outs to our great runners. Then we hear from Laura who shares her thoughts on her stint in Kenya so far, what running can mean to some of the local people there and we discuss the challenges she is facing delivering the projects she is managing and how we might be able to help.

Join me and a load of great parkrun runners, as we meet up after last Saturday's run to celebrate the 9th anniversary of Newcastle Parkrun. I ask runners "why parkrun?" and chat with event founders Angela and Ian Kirtley about how the toon parkrun got started, its success and how parkrun is spreading throughout the North East. Ably assisted again by Matty while Laura is away.Enjoy!

Join Matty and myself for another busy episode as he explains leading in the B and C sessions, we hear from Laura Kipchoake and I'm joined by Nick Settle from England Athletics for an insight in to the role of EA.

Join us in conversation with Matty Bell as he explains what he gets up to in leader sessions, we give shout outs to our fantastic members, and look ahead to the upcoming relays and cross country races. Then we feature the last of our conversation with Ray Smedley as we discuss the breaking 2 project, women's running and look ahead to the next champions. Thanks Ray, it was a pleasure!

Join us for part 2 of our conversation with Ray as we look at training and nutrition methods back in the 70's and today.

Join us as we give everyone who took part in the Christmas handicap a shoutout (and yes, we mean everyone!), then we take you to New York as Paul Doney brings his marathon experience to life with clips, chat and one of our infamous gear reviews. We finish with Matty reflecting on a job well done. 

Join us for more interesting chat this time on getting high (from Sunday's long run), we contemplate fell running, and we hear from our very own award winner Sue Heppell on her plans to turn Ponteland Tri in to a triathlon powerhouse!! We finish with another unique gear review, just in time for Christmas!

Join us as we talk about running in the rain and the perils of trying to get a run in when you're away from home with work. Laura talks about her trip to see the Kenyan's (and we don't mean Chris) and Mark shares his ideas on coaching. We end with our now famous reviews of 2 bits of kit you'll all want for Christmas! Thanks for listening and see you next time.

In a packed episode we round up club news, races, cross country and shout outs. Then join Laura and I as we pay a visit to fellow Ponteland Runner Ray Smedley who recounts his experiences competing at the Munich Olympic Games in '72 and the Commonwealth Games in '82. This is followed by a review of the latest running gear and triathlon news which is not to be missed!

In this episode, Laura and I meet for coffee to talk about upcoming races, we give our first shout outs to our fantastic runners and review some of the latest running gear. Then David talks us through 'that' accident, his incredible recovery from a broken neck, and his plans for next year.

Join Paul O'Neil, Elliot Ward and myself on a recovery run after last weekends long runs and half marathons. We run along the Derwent Valley followed by coffee and chat about Paul's outstanding year so far.

Helen introduces us to our new club mascot, Mr Bear, as he completes his first half marathon and we hear from our runners who accompanied him along the way! Oh, and stay tuned for the outtakes!

Join in the chat and banter at todays Druridge Bay XC where Daniel gathers opinions on the course & cake and James talks about cows, muffins,catching and lapping!

What a day! David's report tonight wraps up a fantastic effort from all the lads. It wasn't without incident though!

It's race day and the boys are off! Check out David's first report as the swim gets underway... good luck everyone!

David catches up with all the athletes on a very windy beach on the last day of preparations before tomorrows race. Good luck lads!

David Levison brings us the latest news from Barclona as Team Ponteland arrive at their hotel and pre-race nerves are beginning to set in. Stay tuned all weekend for the latest news.

Paul & Laura go Off Road and spend the morning in conversation catching up on long runs, half marathon exploits and this weekend's cross country shenanigans. And just how good were the cakes anyway....