The ZenRUN Podcast

This week’s mindful moment is beautifully simple and surprisingly powerful: speak one sentence slowly. Choose a sentence—like “I have time to breathe”- and say it aloud with intention. Pause between each word. Feel how the sound vibrates in your body and how your breath naturally steadies as you slow down. We often rush our words when our minds are racing, but your voice can become a tool to calm...

In this fifth Delirious 2026 check-in, Sym Mercer joins me fresh off a very eventful few days - including flood-affected roads, an unexpected overnight stop, and arriving home just in time for our chat. As always, Sym takes it all in her stride. We talk about her latest training block, racing at Hell of the West, dealing with heat, humidity, and a lingering injury that thankfully isn’t stopping he...

With Delirious WEST 2026 getting very close, Bianca O’Neill is back for Check-In 4 - and while she says she “hasn’t done much,” that turns out to be very untrue 😄 In this chat, Bianca shares how her Sandman 50K didn’t quite go to plan, with a sore knee turning the final 10K into a very determined fast walk… but thankfully with no lasting damage. From there, it’s been a full month of adventure, in...

This week’s mindful moment invites you to slow down during an everyday transition: dry yourself mindfully. After your next shower or bath, take an extra minute to truly notice the experience. Feel the towel against your skin, the contrast between cool air and warmth, and the gentle movements of your body as you reach different areas. Instead of rushing through, let this be a full-body check-in. Th...

In this episode of the ZenRUN Podcast, I catch up again with Delirious WEST 2026 athlete Nikki Frost as we enter the final stretch before the start line. And as you’ll hear… the last few weeks haven’t exactly gone to plan. Nikki has been managing a stubborn ITB injury, juggling moving house, searching for a new gym in Melbourne, and figuring out how to keep training without making things worse. Th...

In this episode of the ZenRUN Podcast, I catch up with Delirious WEST athlete Kylie Bell as the countdown to the start line gets very real. Kylie has just returned from an incredible two-week holiday in Japan — complete with runs around Lake Fuji, cooking classes, and some very adventurous food choices (including puffer fish… which she only realised after eating it!).  With around a month to go un...

In this episode of the ZenRUN Podcast, I chat with Jason Phillips – a runner whose journey into endurance running has been shaped by resilience, adventure, and some deeply personal challenges. Jason grew up in a sailing family near Newcastle in New South Wales. Boats, windsurfing, and life around the water were a huge part of his childhood. Running, on the other hand… not so much. In fact, as a ki...

This week’s mindful moment is beautifully simple: fold something slowly. Whether it’s a towel, a t-shirt, or even a napkin, take your time. Notice how your hands move across the fabric, the texture beneath your fingers, and the neat lines forming as you fold. Let the task become your anchor. As you slow the movement, notice how your breath softens and your thoughts settle. You’re not just tidying...

This week on the ZenRUN Podcast, I’m checking back in with Delirious 2026 athlete Karin Ridley — and wow… this one is full of grit, humour, and real-life curveballs. Since our last chat, Karin discovered that her “niggly hip” wasn’t just tendinopathy — it was a 4.8–9cm tear in her TFL 😳  Yes. A tear. In a tiny little muscle. And instead of spiralling (okay… maybe just briefly), she did something...

This week on the ZenRUN Podcast, I catch up with Delirious 2026 athlete Eve Knudson — and wow… real life has been LIFE-ing.  New high schooler. 12th birthday celebrations. A $40–50 million work submission. Midnight finishes. And almost no running for a week. Sound familiar? 😅 In this honest and refreshing check-in, Eve shares what it feels like when everything stacks up at once — and how sometime...

This week’s mindful moment is a simple invitation to shift your perspective—literally: sit in a different chair. Choose a seat you wouldn’t normally use—the other end of the couch, a chair in another room, or even the floor—and settle in. As you sit, notice how your posture changes, how your breath feels, and what sounds or sensations stand out from this new vantage point. It’s amazing how a small...

There’s something beautiful about “boring” training. In this fourth check-in with Matthew, nothing dramatic has happened - no injuries, no big breakthroughs, no chaos. And honestly? That’s exactly what we want. After completing an ultra just over a month ago, Matthew has dialled things back sensibly. He’s sticking to a three-hour long-run ceiling, building strength through consistent back-to-backs...

Ben is back… and the countdown is officially getting real. In this fourth check-in, we talk training adjustments, sand miles, gear lists (in spreadsheet form 😅), hyper-focus tendencies, and what it really means to approach a 100-miler with calm confidence instead of hustle culture. Ben is sitting around 50km weeks – not the 90km he once planned – and he’s completely at peace with that. No panic....

This week’s mindful moment offers a gentle way to weave awareness into your daily routine: set a mindful marker for your day. Choose one regular activity—like brushing your teeth, making a cup of tea, or starting your car—and let it become a cue to pause. Each time that moment arrives, take a deep breath, check in with your body, and ask yourself: What do I need right now? This simple habit acts a...

Under 8 weeks to go. Garmin reminders pinging daily. And Gabe Alves? Calm. Calculated. Slightly obsessed with vert… and now ketones 😅 In this Check-In #4, Gabe shares what January looked like: •8,000+ metres of vert •Around 250km on the legs •10kg weiht vest hill repeats (22 reps up a 130m climb 😳) •Lots of power hiking •Double run days •And some serious shoe hacking But the real deep dive this...

#4 Sym Mercer checks in this month… live from a 47-degree audit site, in high-vis, somewhere in outback Queensland 😅   And honestly? She sounds calm. Strong. Ready.   In this episode we talk injury management, heat acclimatisation, race planning squeezed between remote jobs, and that very familiar feeling of: “Can we just start already?” Sym has been modifying her training but still knocked out 3...

This week’s mindful moment focuses on the everyday actions we usually rush through: open or close something with full awareness. Whether it’s a door, a drawer, your laptop, or a cupboard—pause and bring your full attention to the motion. Notice how your hand moves, the sound it makes, the effort your body uses, and the breath that moves with it.   Let this tiny moment become a check-in, a groundin...

In this Delirious WEST 2026 – Check-In 3 episode of the ZenRUN Podcast , we’re catching up with Eve Knudson to see how things are really tracking as training starts to gently ramp up. Eve shares how she’s mixing running, strength training, swimming and trail time – without locking herself into a rigid weekly plan. Instead, she’s leaning into flexibility, planning ahead just enough, and fitting tra...

In this Delirious WEST 2026 – Check-In 3 episode, I catch up with Kylie Bell to see how training is tracking as the race starts to feel very real. Kylie shares how she’s juggling busy shift work, limited time, and long-term ultra prep – including running to work, doing a full shift, then running home again (yes, really). We chat about training on tired legs, getting night running dialled in, and w...

In this episode of the ZenRUN Podcast, I finally sit down with the wonderful Melissa (Mel) Clark — local legend, registered nurse, mum of twins, blueberry farmer, triathlete, ultra runner, and one of the most refreshingly honest humans you’ll ever hear on a run chat.   Mel and I wander through her life (as we do), from growing up with a twin, to juggling nursing shifts, farming, family life, triat...

This week’s mindful moment invites you to connect with the world around you in a grounded, tangible way: place your hand on a tree, fence, or wall. Wherever you are—at home, outdoors, or even in a public space—pause and rest your hand gently on a surface nearby. Feel its texture, notice its temperature, and let your breath slow as you stay in contact for a few deep inhales and exhales. This simple...

Today, we’re checking back in with my daughter (and fellow Delirious 2026 athlete), Nikki Frost - and let’s just say… it’s been a week for her.   From finally getting on top of months of gut issues (goodbye mid-run vomiting 👋) to suddenly being taken out by a painful ITB flare-up, Nikki shares the emotional and physical rollercoaster of training when your body has other ideas.   We talk honestly...

In this third check-in with Karin Ridley, we get a very real look at what the final stretch doesn’t always look like when you’re training for Delirious WEST 2026. After a nasty fall during a Christmas run, Karin has been dealing with a stubborn hip issue that’s limited her running and forced a big mindset shift. Instead of panicking, she’s doing what experienced ultra runners do best – managing wh...

Warren Page is one of those runners who makes you feel instantly calmer about your own running journey. Growing up in country Western Australia, Warren’s love for movement started early - bikes, bush, freedom, and plenty of mischief. These days, he’s a personal trainer, runner, ocean swimmer, and deep thinker who’s gradually found his way into trail running and now, ultra-distance goals (including...

This week’s mindful moment is a gentle reminder of the power in repetition: do one simple movement repeatedly. Choose a movement—like raising your arms, stretching side to side, or rolling your shoulders—and repeat it slowly and intentionally for a few minutes. Let your breath guide the rhythm: inhale as you move, exhale as you return. The repetition becomes a moving meditation, easing your body a...