Kia ora e te whānau. Mistakes were made. The first of many in this week’s episode of the AidStation was Andrew McDowall describing Matt as having a “water off a duck’s back” mentality. This is not true. Especially when the water is the wider response to the Joyline Chepgnego doping saga.That water really sank in. The duck was soaked. . Ali, Andrew, and Matt discuss this thorny issue and where responsibility for supporting athletes accused of doping sits, and is the response from sponsors and the wider bodies in the sport is up to scratch. Furthermore, do the systems that drive these athletes to chase greater riches and fame provide adequate support and guidance to avoid potential pitfalls? This (of course) leads to a conversation about why Andrew would race David Bain in a half-marathon and not Lance Armstrong. Do age group wins count? How long could a post-race funk reasonably extend? What even is Sunnyvale Baked Bean Syndrome? We touch on how running can be as much of an addiction as the next thing, and how being lubed for bear in civilian clothes when your plans change quickly feels in some way subversive.. As a parting thought, there is some comfort in that we were probably never going to get sponsored by Salomon anyway. Also, check out our show notes for a great article in iRunFar on the subject written by Eszter Horanyi.Excellent stuff.Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.--- --- --- Episode Links IrunFar Article on ChepgnegoSign up for the DCR AidStation newsletterThe Squadrun 4-Week Training Trial for DCR Listeners!Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on FacebookFurther Faster New ZealandEnjoy!Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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Justin Grunewald - The Only Way Out is Through | Dirt Church Radio 342
Kia ora e te whānau.This week, Ali Pottinger speaks with elite ultra runner and physician Justin Grunewald. Fresh off a second-place finish at the Leadville 100, Justin talks to Ali about managing his life as a parent and doctor when his wife, Amanda Basham (DCR 311) is also an elite runner. Justin’s story is intertwined with the loss of his first wife, Gabe Grunewald, to a rare form of cancer in 2019. Ali and Justin talk about living with grief, the Brave Like Gabe foundation, and how this continues to shape his life and his work. This is a beautiful conversation, and Justin’s perspective on living one’s life fully, engaged in the present, whilst holding appropriate space for the past, is one that needs to be heard. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.--- --- --- Episode Links Justin Grunewald on Instagram Brave Like Gabe AltraSign up for the DCR AidStation newsletterThe Squadrun 4-Week Training Trial for DCR Listeners!Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on FacebookFurther Faster New ZealandEnjoy!Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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Hail To The Chief | Aid Station 38
Kia ora e te whānau. We make no bones about it. Dirt Church Radio is, was, and always will be Ruth Croft Positive. Over the (at least) 7 times Croft has appeared on DCR, there has always been one constant- a focus on moving forward. Ruth is on par with the best to take the gig, a wonderful human being, and an asset to our sport. The only criminal element? You aren’t going to hear about her on the news back in little old NZ, which is probably how she likes it. So if you aren’t in the mood for three grown adults being just a bit stoked about Ruth’s win at UTMB, then turn away now. Of course there’s more to the AidStation than us speaking about the fact that RUTH CROFT WON UTMB (ahem), we touch on among other things, How much is too much when it comes to race coverage, that F%$king kelpie dog, AMCD’s war on pacers (for the elites), why are there (comparatively) no women at UTMB, bung eye, panic attacks, and the madness of the Crush The Cargill 200 miler. Excellent stuff.Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.--- --- --- Episode Links Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletterThe Squadrun 4-Week Training Trial for DCR Listeners!Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on FacebookFurther Faster New ZealandEnjoy!Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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Sean Conway– Beard, Belief, and Bad-Assery | Dirt Church Radio 340
Kia ora e te whānau.This week, Ali Pottinger and Matt Rayment speak to Sean Conway, the Zimbabwe-born, UK-based endurance adventurer whose life has been one long refusal to do things by halves. Sean’s palmarès reads like a dare whispered at closing time: cycling around the world, swimming the length of Great Britain, running across it, and then becoming the first person to complete a length-of-Britain triathlon. He’s broken the world record for the most Ironman triathlons completed on consecutive days, and carved out a niche as one of the great eccentrics of adventure sport— with his signature beard and being, as he puts it, part-terrier part-monkey. Whether he’s towing logs up mountains, riding Penny Farthings for charity, running the London Marathon dressed as Big Ben or pushing the boundaries of human endurance, Sean’s mission has always been the same: inspire others to dream bigger, be braver, and live a little wilderDirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.--- --- ---Episode LinksSean Conway HomeSean Conway Instagram Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletterThe Squadrun 4-Week Training Trial for DCR Listeners!Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on FacebookFurther Faster New ZealandEnjoy!Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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For Those About To Rock, We Salute You | Aid Station 37
Kia ora e te whānau. It’s that time of year when we start to see the end of winter and the earliest glimpses of spring. Thoughts turn to the new year, big events, and the lead-up to those events. Does one size fit all when it comes to peak months and loading during the macrocycle? This doesn’t even begin to touch on the double-edged sword of Strava and the world of socials. Luckily, Andrew and Matt get to hang out each week with one of the best coaches in the business, our own Ali P.Listen in for a timely reminder before you begin stacking the bricks for the season ahead. We also talk about gear — how much is too much, or too little? And when does something that should aid you actually get in the way?Plus, we have a listener-facilitated dolphin skull update. Excellent stuff.Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.--- --- --- Episode Links Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletterThe Squadrun 4-Week Training Trial for DCR Listeners!Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on FacebookFurther Faster New ZealandEnjoy!Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
Trail running talk and banter, delving deep to gain insight and inspiration from interesting runners in New Zealand, Australia and the world. Learn more: dirtchurchradio.com
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