Clean Break Chats

What if going alcohol-free isn’t the change … but the catalyst that unlocks every other change in your life? In this special guest episode of Clean Break Chats , Andy and Rich are joined by one of the most influential voices in the alcohol-free world - Andy Ramage (One Year No Beer / Dry / coach & author). For Andy D, this conversation is deeply personal. His alcohol-free journey began back in...

Happy New Year - and welcome to the first Clean Break Chats episode of 2026. In this conversation, Rich and Andy reflect on what 2025 really taught them: that success isn’t measured by a bank balance, but by the joy, gratitude, connection, and meaning you’re building day-to-day. They talk honestly about alcohol-free life over Christmas (what felt easy, what still shows up), the “placebo” rituals o...

In this very special Clean Break Chats Christmas Special , Andy and Rich are joined by members of the Clean Break community for an honest, moving and uplifting reflection on the year that’s been - and the year ahead. This episode isn’t about perfect training blocks, PBs or rigid plans. It’s about connection over perfection . Together, we explore: Navigating injuries, setbacks and frustration - wit...

Victory in Valencia. But not in the way most people think. In this deeply reflective episode of Clean Break Chats, Andy and Rich unpack everything that happened before, during, and after the Valencia Marathon - from the electric race-weekend atmosphere to the mental battles after 30km, the heat, the crowds, the doubts… and the breakthroughs. This isn’t a “what time did you run?” episode. It’s a co...

In this special in-person episode, Andy and Rich sit down in Spain just days before the Valencia Marathon to reflect on the year, the training blocks, and everything that’s led to this moment. They talk honestly about pre-race nerves, heat anxiety, gels, hydration, heart rate, and the mental battles that define the marathon experience. But this episode goes much deeper than pacing plans and race s...

In this week’s episode of Clean Break Chats , Andy and Rich sit down with the brilliant Denise Hamilton Mace - podcast host, writer, speaker, and one of the most insightful voices in the alcohol-free and mindful-drinking movement. Denise opens up about: Her journey from daily drinking in hospitality to becoming a leading advocate for mindful drinking Why the “messy middle” of alcohol use is where...

In this powerful episode of the Clean Break Chats Podcast, Andy and Rich sit down with running coach, speaker, and all-round mindset powerhouse John Hill - a man who has lived many lives and isn’t afraid to talk about all of them. John opens up about his early years of low self-esteem, weight struggles, and using alcohol and persona as a mask - and the moment he finally transformed everything by c...

This week it’s just the two of us - Andy and Rich - diving into all things running, mindset, training maturity, ego, taper madness, winter motivation, and what really drives long-term progress. With Valencia Marathon just 3 weeks away, we get honest about: How small, intentional actions compound into big results The power of consistency over intensity Why most runners massively overestimate effort...

In this powerful episode of Clean Break Chats , Andy and Rich sit down with performance psychologist Stu Holliday   a man who’s worked with Olympic swimmers, England Netball, Liverpool FC, and now helps endurance athletes master their mental game through his Unbreakable Athlete program. Stu shares practical, game-changing tools for managing your inner critic , building mental toughness , and findi...

Half-term fatigue, long drives, and two back-to-back half marathons… yet we’re feeling strangely good. In EP28 we unpack why: running our easy runs truly easy (heart-rate led), putting intention into the long run, and dropping the ego around paces. Rich talks skipping a 5K time trial to protect the key weekend session, how RunDot’s adaptive plans are earning our trust, and why comparison can be us...

Raw-Dogging Life: Damo on Anxiety, Running & AF Living Damian “Damo” Sharp joins Andy & Rich for a candid deep-dive into living life unfiltered — no booze, full presence. We unpack anxiety, blips, and the gritty bits of rebuilding confidence with sleep, nutrition, and those “boring” Zone 2 runs that change everything. We cover: From slips to Phase 2 sobriety: using blips as data, not drama...

This week we pick up Andy’s origin story where we left off — landing in Spain, fusing two drinking cultures, and trying to outrun anxiety with Sunday start lines. We talk about why consistency beats perfection , how to lower resistance to new habits, and what happens when you train hard and drink hard… right up to Andy’s 3:40 at the 2017 London Marathon and the family fallout that followed. We als...

In this episode of Clean Break Chats, Rich and Andy sit down with Scott Woolley , founder of Arklet , to unpack the real conversation around alcohol: not a binary “alcoholic or not,” but a spectrum shaped by culture, mental health, and choice. Scott shares his own shift from weekend binges to a decade alcohol-free, how picking up a camera opened the door to creativity and nature, and why he’s pro-...

Turning 50, mountains on the mind, and no longer chasing a single “peak.” In this solo chat, Rich guides Andy through Part 1 of his origin story - from Bristol roots, rugby and Scouts, to pub-life chaos, backpacking the world, moving to Spain, and becoming a Dad. Andy shares why “peaking” is a myth, how running taught him to love the process, why depth beats width, and how gratitude and positive p...

On the eve of Andy’s 50th, Rich and Andy welcome Kelly Harman for a grounded conversation about turning a so-called midlife crisis into a midlife awakening. Kelly shares how removing alcohol gave her clarity to recognise misalignment in career and relationships, and why she’s now building Fire & Soul around values-led work and trauma-informed conscious connected breathwork . Together we transl...

Coaching the Ego: Acceptance, Consistency, Adaptation Rain on the skylight, a snotty nose, and a missed run—perfect conditions for an ego flare-up. In Ep22, Andy and Rich get brutally honest about the ego we all carry and how to coach it rather than let it coach us. We dismantle the “minimum 5K” myth, dig into why easy ≠ pointless , and show how the 80/20 split + Zone 2 protects the only sessions...

In EP21 of Clean Break Chats , Andy & Rich sit down with Jimmy Watkins - co-founder of Running Punks , ex-elite middle-distance runner, and over 2,000 days alcohol-free - for a candid conversation about identity, creativity, and choosing a life that actually fits. Jimmy opens up about the moment he realised the live-music lifestyle was costing more than it paid back, and how going AF didn’t sh...

In our first-ever face-to-face recording, things start off a bit awkward… footsie under the table, intense eye contact, and lots of laughs — but this quickly evolves into one of the most heartfelt, honest, and reflective episodes we’ve recorded to date. Andy’s just moved back to the UK after 21 years in Spain - and he opens up about the emotional chaos that comes with big life changes: new schools...

Why do some of us seek out the hard things - 100km ultras, sleep-deprived 4x4x48s, blizzards on high ridges - when life already hurts? In this deep, honest conversation, Tony Stopforth (founder of Peaky Runners ) traces how grief, lockdown and a drifting sense of identity pulled him to the trails…and how doing “crazy” challenges became a way to heal, connect, and lead. Tony takes us from the momen...

In Episode 18, it’s just Andy & Rich - no guests, no script, just two mates talking honestly about change, expectations, and connection. Andy shares what it’s been like moving back to the UK after 21 years in Spain, while Rich opens up about parenting, letting go of control, and finding gratitude in the chaos. They also explore why September feels like a bigger reset than January , the importa...

In this special episode of the Clean Break Podcast - recorded live when Jodi Clark joined us as a guest inside the Clean Break community - Rich dives deep into Jodi’s powerful alcohol-free journey. From her first steps into sobriety to embracing running, connection, and a more balanced lifestyle, Jodi shares openly about the challenges, the breakthroughs, and the joy she’s found along the way. Her...

In this raw and reflective episode, Andy and Rich dive deep into the emotional whirlwind of midlife – from moving countries and raising teens to caring for aging parents and navigating life alcohol-free. They unpack the stress of the "sandwich generation," the evolving meaning of success, and why the question “What’s the rush?” has become central to their mindset. Expect honest chat about: Big lif...

In this powerful guest episode, we’re joined by Mark Dobbs – a design manager, husband, father, and ultrarunner – who opens up about his life-changing decision to go alcohol-free and how that decision ultimately led him to complete one of the world’s toughest endurance events: The Summer Spine Race . Mark talks about his early struggles with alcohol, the influence of the book Finding Ultra , and h...

In this episode of Clean Break Chats, Andy and Rich dive deep into the evolution of their alcohol-free journeys, exploring the powerful shifts in perspective that come with sustained change.  They talk about the complexities of day counting, the ups and downs of building new habits, and the joy and challenges that come with making long-term changes to your lifestyle. They reflect on their pasts, s...

In this episode of the Clean Break Chats Podcast, we’re joined by Henry Beercock, who shares his incredible journey from burnout, excessive drinking, and a high-stress career to embracing sobriety, veganism, and training for his first marathon. Henry’s story is one of transformation, from struggling with emotional eating and self-medicating to finding clarity and purpose through running and a comp...