Running Commentary

Paul's still wrestling with whether to run the Marathon Des Sables after hurting his shoulder in a fall last week - and Rob's just done the Brighton Marathon; lots to talk about! SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s...

Bad news for Paul as he takes a dramatic tumble in Highgate Woods just days out from the Marathon Des Sables. Featuring dogs, a heavy backpack, what the doctor says, shoulder comedy and shoulder care, Steve's corduroy accordion, Rob's latest parkrun and looming marathon, drinking report spousal support, the dicing of the carrots, and your brilliant PBs. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listenin...

Why does Rob need a gentle turn on Clissold Park's soft surfaces? Has Paul finally found his 'Why?' for the Marathon Des Sables? These questions and more are answered in this episode, along with the boys' musings on MDS prep, Jasmin Paris and the Barkley Marathons, searching for the hero inside yourself, questionable advice, when life outside running gets TOUGH - particularly on Rob's wife - a Hal...

A drizzly turn around Hampstead Heath, where the Spring flowers are blooming and the birds are enjoying the woods, for a good catch-up after Rob's week away. Featuring Paul's new watch - and the occasional clonk of his new bottle, muddy running, an exciting, sociable run and a relentless solitary run, gig report, the big match, the Margot Robbie double bill, and a shedload of PBs. SUBSCRIBE for ea...

Rob and Paul's mileage is into double figures as their run through the Chilterns continues - with a long long climb back up to the tops. Featuring hydration vest but no hydration, Rob's continuing thumbnail drama, a little bit of fuelling, Mothers' Day, old roads, new railways, notes on the Brits, time being called on Rob's #RunningTracksRadioHour, no poles for Paul, men's midlife medical material...

Paul and Rob's epic trot through the beautiful Chilterns draws to a close. Featuring Rob's transcendental potato, Paul's pack, a pretty park, the view from the top, a bit of yoga talk, the quest for moderation, the commitment to a twenty mile run, plans for the train home, a surprise moment of vertigo practice, the inspirational final descent and the search for inspiration in the main event, and.....

Back to the Chilterns with Rob and Paul in the second of the four episodes that make up this epic run - but will they make it to twenty miles? Featuring magic number four, that Chiltern-and-Ridgeway vibe, more posh places, gig report and the changes to the comedy circuit, Paul's pack part two, wending through Wendover, Rob sustaining a shocking, zip-based injury, the half-way obelisk objective, lo...

We join Paul and Rob in Chesham where they head off into the Chilterns in the first of the four episodes that make up this epic run - but will they make it to twenty miles? Featuring Paul's pack, Herbert's Hole, many a muddy morass, a fun parkrun, happy campers at the MDS, salt tablets, stopping and starting, posh places, Chiltern love and how to solve a drinking problem. Part Two is also availabl...

The boys head off the Heath towards Primrose Hill, Regents Park and beyond, on a windy, muddy Tonks' MDS training run. Featuring Paul kitting himself out for the MDS - technically AND spiritually, Rob mis-identifying a classic car, tough talk, the what the why and the guy on high, top hat, white tie and tails, Susie Chan and Lisa Arscott, fear of heights (untested by Primrose Hill), Rob's posh min...

A return to Edgbaston parkrun for Rob, and a chance to properly meet Lisa Arscott after they did a panel at the National Running Show last year. Featuring plenty of chat about Threshold events, Lisa's many running friends, ice underfoot, Ultra 50:50's quest for gender parity, accessibility to running in general, the Why and the Want, going back to work on Monday after running many-a-mile at the we...

Rob and Paul are already a few miles in - particularly Paul - as they head through Hightgate towards the softer parts of Hampstead. Featuring long runs on consecutive days, being buffeted by Spring, parkrun report (good), gig report (bad), Rudi's party, the beautiful - but waterlogged - Heath, lovely films, a romantic wrist injury, abstemiousness and its observation, when running feels like wading...

Tragic news broke on the sunny morning Rob and Paul ran out on this week - the untimely death of the world's fastest marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum, and his coach Gervais Hakizimana; RIP. This episode, for what it's worth, is dedicated to those guys. Also featuring memories of Abebe Bikila, Rob running with his wife, a bad beginning to a friendship, watching runners go by, not loving long training...

Rob takes Paul round the Alexandra Palace parkrun course for a review of his latest Saturday morning adventure. Also featuring party time at Tonkinson Towers, daughters going global, sociable strangers, Deering's driving adventures, gig report, your PBs and whether/how much to smoke during marathons. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's boo...

As per tradition, Paul and Rob see the new month in by taking a turn around Hampstead Heath. Featuring theatre review, max-ing the mileage and feeling the fitness, making it to parkrun then staying for the art, magpie multiples, stepping off the wagon, champagne and cinema, restaurant beef and in-car tension, pals and PBs - and signs of spring! SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and mor...

On the morning after the storm, Rob and Paul check out the sunny woods. Featuring weekend report, the clash of a training schedule with real life, struggling comedians, film talk, what lockdown did to us, Rob's next Ultra, another canine moment, Paul finding his training and his trainers, some tempting wine, a performative plank and a runners' hook-up service. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free l...

Rob ran round Battersea Park with Julia Chi Taylor, and the impressive, exciting and fun story of her running life meant neither of them noticed the rain, heavy though it was. Thanks again to Julia - her Youtube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/@RunWithJulia BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444...

Blue Monday schmoo Monday! A beautifully bright, cold, long run round Alexandra Palace and environs brings nothing but joy, pals and big plans for Rob and Paul. Featuring gig report, the irritating value of abstemiousness, concert-and-movie review, boring one's children, Rob finding his fitness, Paul's MDS prep, bumping into an old friend with a nasty bag and making a new friend with a nippy PB, p...

Rob and Paul run round Wanstead Flats on the wintriest day of the year so far. Featuring the world going back to work, domestic doldrums, getting-and-staying muddy, gig-and-no-gig report, to-do and to-don't lists, strange men in the woods, no-parkrun report, taking it slow, a little bit of snow, the man from the White Rose, noisy foxes, packing up Christmas, training in your fifties, Rob's next Ul...

Rob runs around Greenwich Park with Laura Mugford, creator and star of the play 26.2 Reasons To Stay Alive, to find out her story - without plot-spoilers, of course... Featuring her journey from lackadaisical lockdown runner to marathoner and beyond, how to stage a marathon in a small space, going on from London to Amsterdam and... Reading, all the wonders of the park, some crap history, and surpr...

Once again, Happy New Year! In a moment of surprisingly clement weather post-storm Henk, Rob and Paul catch up for a festive debrief. Featuring the darts, twixtmas gigs, good and bad shows seen, New Year's Eve adventures, parkruns attended - and not attended, getting out and about in England's beautiful North, party habits of the younger generation, the timing of the bongs, tree trouble, some impr...

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Rob and Paul start it off on Hampstead Heath, as per tradition. Featuring Paul prepping for the MDS, and writing about it, then racing all the way back to York, Rob's beef with Axl Rose, Paul's sympathy with a teeny-weeny dog, Rob running Brighton again, then maybe an Ultra... and running all the way back to York, stand-up plans, out-with-the-old, doom scrolling - or not -...

Paul's poorly and Rob's not much better as the year draws to a close, and the rain is unrelenting, but a review of the year can't help but lift the spirits. We look at how far Paul has come, Rob's ascetic mission to the mountains, the road through Cannock Chase back to York, running as a portal to emotions, the hope held out by Health Month, the life events that shaped our years in surprising ways...

As we head for the Winter solstice and Christmas itself, Paul and Rob had into the damp and gloomy woods. Featuring new insight into training-for-your-training, festive film-and-show round-up, celebrating 'winter defence festival', Rob getting ill every December, Paul's big media-and-facial-hair push, a lost rucksack and other sundry items, finding out who's naughty or nice, fatherhood expressed t...

Rob catches up with Brighton's finest, the brilliant Zoe Lyons, for a running chat that features christmas parties - and hangovers, Zoe's year - including joining the SAS, the surprising shyness and social discomfort of some show-offs, 2023 event report - with a South Coast focus, why trail-running in particular is good for the soul - although it gets your shoes dirty, Brighton events past and fut...

December's turn around Hampstead Heath sees gorgeous winter sunshine and a poorly podcast presenter. Featuring the sad end of health month, gigs in the midlands, parkrun report, a festive shopping excursion, getting into good habits, planning for just a little moderation at Christmas, not-quite parkrun tourism, trouble underfoot, getting cross about cross country, MDS training, making the best of...