Mere Mortals In Motion

Today was a return to the roots. Heavy squats, hip thrusts, overhead squats, stiff-legged deadlifts, the kind of session that reminds me why lifting heavy has always been one of the foundations of my movement. This one is not really about chasing a new PR or proving anything. It is more about fighting fragility. Fighting the slow drift backwards. Fighting the easy slide into weakness, stiffness, a...

This episode is less about running, lifting, or getting fitter, and more about what movement actually does for my head. Yesterday I didn’t train in the morning. I wasn’t sleeping well, wasn’t feeling great, and although I did get out for a walk later in the day, something was off. The day felt heavier. Work felt more frustrating. My patience was lower. My ability to handle the normal chaos of life...

The marathon is finished… but the movement hasn’t left the bloodstream. This episode is a short reflection from a morning run after the big race. No clear plan. No new 10K, half marathon, marathon or competition locked in. Just that strange post-event feeling where the thing you trained for is gone, but your body and mind are still asking for something. Maybe it becomes another race. Maybe it beco...

One week after the marathon, the mission changes. This episode of Mere Mortals in Motion is a short and sharp training note from the rebuild phase.  Connect with Mere Mortals: https://community.stan.store/meremortals/ Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Rm9Nw8uVgH Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremort...

This final episode closes the Marathon Journey series with the raw reality of race day: no sleep, injury fears, brutal cramping, blisters, walking through pain, and still crossing the finish line. More than a story about running, this is a reflection on gratitude, discipline, family, and the quiet power of finishing what you said you would start. Thank you for following the Marathon Journey series...

One week before the marathon, I finally head out for a run again. After injuries, sickness and weeks of interrupted preparation, the sensible decision may be to let the marathon go. But before making that call, I needed to test the body, move the legs and see what was still there. 00:00 - Back Running Again 00:34 - No Target, Just Testing the Body 00:58 - The Marathon Is One Week Away 01:05 - Inju...

In this episode of Mere Mortals in Motion #28, I’m back after a long break with a brutally honest update on marathon prep, injuries, ankle pain, Achilles issues, and the reality of trying to train while life keeps moving. The big lesson? Goals matter. Discipline matters. But your body gets a vote. (00:00) - Back After A Long Break (00:18) - Marathon Prep Has Been Hit By Injuries (00:58) - Your Bod...

In Episode 18 of the Marathon Series, the honest call gets made: the marathon is off. With a swollen ankle, ongoing Achilles issues, plantar fascia problems and only around two weeks until race day, pushing through would no longer be discipline. It would be ego dressed up as commitment. Connect with Mere Mortals: https://community.stan.store/meremortals/ Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.co...

30 days from the marathon, and the plan is suddenly in doubt. After Achilles pain, ankle issues and now possible plantar fascia trouble, I’m facing the uncomfortable question: is pushing through discipline, or is it just ego? (00:00) - Not the Update I Wanted to Give (00:27) - Walking Instead of Running (00:50) - Achilles, Ankle Pain and Setbacks (01:15) - The Foot Problem That Changed Everything...

In this solo takeover of the Mere Mortals In Motion, I got to pit my form against an AI critique. I break down left vs right arm differences, why fingertip support currently feels best and where hip positioning and shoulder elevation are letting me down. I also evaluate the AI’s feedback of what it nailed (hip drop on weight shifts, need for scapular elevation and cleaner transitions) and where it...

Marathon prep is not always heroic long runs, clean progress charts, and motivational music. Sometimes it’s Achilles pain after an 18km run. Sometimes it’s swapping the road for 100km on a stationary bike. Sometimes it’s feeling flat, frustrated, and out of rhythm because the routine that was holding you together suddenly disappears. In this marathon prep update, I talk through the last 10–11 days...

I wanted marathon prep to be heroic. Instead, it’s become honest. Achilles pain has forced me to stop chasing the impressive version of the story and start choosing the sustainable one. (00:00) - A Different Kind of Marathon Update (00:25) - Achilles Problems Have Arrived (00:50) - The 18km Run That Felt Good… Until It Didn’t (01:15) - Six Weeks Out & Decisions Need To Be Made (01:38) - The Tr...

After hundreds of runs, there had never been a single one that wasn’t mostly a mental challenge. Until now. This is a reflection on a speed run that felt different. The resistance was still there before getting out the door, but once the run began, something had changed. No bargaining. No internal negotiation. Just rhythm, effort, momentum and the feeling that the training was finally paying off....

Episode 13 of the Marathon Series is about the ugly side of progress. This was meant to be a 16km run. It became 13km and 80 minutes of sweat, resistance, self-talk, and grinding through the inner voice that wanted to stop almost from the very beginning. (00:00) - Drenched Before the Day Is Done (00:22) - 80 Minutes and 13km (01:21) - Just Getting Out the Door (01:33) - Trying to Start Slow (02:29...

Episode 12 of the Marathon Series is a reminder that endurance is earned in the boring moments. This one is all about the reality of preparation: running in unexpected heat, adjusting the plan, and still finding a way to get the work done. Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods I...

In this episode of the Marathon Series, we get brutally honest about what marathon training actually demands. This is not about fantasy plans, heroic delusion, or pretending you can bluff your way through 42.2 kilometres. It is about fatigue, pacing, discipline, broken sleep, heavy legs, and the deep respect required to take on a marathon properly. Also forgive the crappiolo audio, tried to fix as...

I reflect on why I always seem to overdo leg day, especially when squats are involved, even while training for a marathon. It’s a personal look at discipline, ageing, recovery, and the tension between pushing hard and training smart. (00:00) - Early Morning Start (00:24) - Why I Always Overdo Leg Day (00:52) - The Bigger Lesson Behind Doing Too Much (01:10) - From Two Leg Sessions to One (01:32) -...

In this Mere Mortals in Motion episode, I reflect on the reality of training early, especially when life gets full and the margins get tight. This is about discipline over convenience, working with your natural rhythms, and recognising that long-term consistency builds a body and mindset that can be maintained with less than what it took to build them. Connect with Mere Mortals: (00:00) - Training...

 10 weeks to go. This marathon update is a raw one. Training has been messy, life has been full, sleep has been hit hard with the baby, and the distance still feels intimidating. But the mission is simple now: build enough endurance, get to the start line, and finish what I started. Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU...

 11 weeks to go. In this marathon training update, I break down a surprisingly strong 29km week, the chaos of balancing training with a newborn, and the brutal truth that I’m already feeling over the long-distance grind. (00:00) - Welcome Back (00:18) - 29km in a Week With a Newborn (01:05) - The Treadmill Session That Fell Apart (01:24) - The Honest Truth: I’m Over the Long Runs (01:43) - Do...

 Twelve weeks out from the marathon. Four days into life with a newborn. This is where the fantasy dies. No perfect routine. No full night of sleep. No clean, optimised training block. In this episode of the Mere Mortals Marathon, I’m stepping back into training after the birth of my second daughter. Not with confidence. Not with momentum. But with a decision: start anyway. (00:00) - 12 Weeks...

 For ten weeks straight, I’ve been running. Better times. Better movement. Slightly more efficiency. And yet… it still feels just as hard as week one. Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/   Connect with Mere Mo...

 In this Mere Mortals in Motion, we cut through the productivity clichés. Yes, work smarter. But if you’re not also working hard, sweating, showing up, and getting the reps in, you hit a hard cap. Theory, gear, cadence, reviews… none of it replaces effort. Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter...

Today I ran 3.45km (just over 2 miles) at a faster pace than my usual training… and it revealed the real problem I have to solve before race day. Because this isn’t just about fitness. So this episode is about the “mental reps”: Testing speed on shorter runs (without ego-tripping) Building the volume that creates confidence Training the mind to stay calm when everything starts screaming “stop” Sub...

 Most people drift into their week. This is why they feel behind by Wednesday. In this Mere Mortals in Motion episode, I break down why Monday is non-negotiable. Why your first action of the week sets the psychological tone for everything that follows. Why one hard workout can shift your entire mental positioning. (00:00) – Welcome Back to Mere Mortals in Motion (01:05) – The Origin of “Mere...