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Steve and Andrew chat with Jean Beaumont - aka Jean the Machine. Jean has run Northburn Miler 5 times (winning 4 of them) as well as Big Foot 200mile, Leadville, UTMB and a short miler in Patagonia. Jean was the first woman to do the Tararua Main Range SK traverse unsupported in under 24 hours and still holds the super vet female unsupported record. She's even older than Steve and still beats him. She tells us lots of great stories that usually involve not enough sleep and too many skeletons. If you want to know how to lose your mind and your poles check it out!  

Andrew and Steve have a chat with Bernie O'Fagan and find out, eventually, he's from Christchurch. He's also done a few races including the Tahoe 200 mile race around a lake somewhere. He had a break and still finished which made us think about good tactics for finishing milers which makes us think about Great Naseby Water Race, and Matt Bixley, and going to the pub. We also cover important topics such as male pattern baldness, Andre Agassi, Catra Corbett, and altitude training to help Cantabrians coming to Crush the Cargill ( http://vertexaltitude.co.nz/  )  

Andrew (68 on Kepler waitlist) and Steve (with Kepler entry) chat with Shaun McWhirter about what’s it’s like at last place on the waitlist. Andrew feels a little bit better as Steve misquotes Bono - “Thank God it’s him and not us” or something like that. Speaking of Bono (but mostly Steve) we find out about the time Bono shot Steve in the face with a flare and about Steve’s career as an international Aussie Rules player. Running gets a mention - Shaun is quite good at it … as does Scott Running NZ and new shoes. Andrew’s shoes have now done over 2600km. https://www.achillesnewzealand.org/ https://www.change.org/p/grant-guise-make-grant-guise-give-me-a-new-pair-of-shoes-when-my-scott-supertrac-rcs-get-to-3000km/f https://www.patreon.com/crushthecargill  

On being stood up by their guest Andrew eats his spaghetti for dinner and Steve drinks a beer while having a good chat. Topics include the Great Naseby Water Race, the Wanaka Tree, Kepler, The Wild and new shoes. Blood diamonds get a mention also. Here’s the petition to sign… https://www.change.org/p/grant-guise-make-grant-guise-give-me-a-new-pair-of-shoes-when-my-scott-supertrac-rcs-get-to-3000km

Peter Thomson aka Pakeha rambling around Dunedin in the 1860s and 70s and wrote about it. In this episode Peter comes back to life to tell us of his experience in Crushing the Cargill in 1866. Lots of great tips for trail runners here… Paper roads, trees, birds, essential gear in 1866 and more… but not much more.  

Andrew and Steve call up Glenn Sutton's support crew. Glenn is going for a wee run from Milford Sound to Mt Cook. Only about 580km. He's nearly at 500km and has barely slept in 4 days. We get to chat with Bruce, Pinky and Emily. What's it like to be support for these wee runs? Why does the Otago Community Hospice need the money? What's it like having Glenn Sutton as a Dad? Why is Pinky called Pinky?  https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/sounds-2-summit    

Andrew and Steve gate-crash a party at Andrew McDowall's place to talk to Chris Bisley, winner of the Riverhead Relaps Backyard Ultra. Topics include food, mud, headspace and running in circles. And we meet Biscuit the kelpy.  

One of the stars of the book, Born to Run, Barefoot Ted describes himself as a feral child who escaped adulthood. He plays by his own rules and wants to help others also find their own inner child. He's passionate about natural movement and that led him to a fascination with the natural selection of footwear in human culture. And so Luna Sandals was born to provide people with portable ground to get that barefoot feel when you still need something rugged (Steve loves them).  Ted also talks about the Busuréliame (Inner Awakening) Project, a new cultural education project led by the Tarahumara for the Tarahumara. Read more about that here... https://lunasandals.com/blogs/luna-sandals-blog/true-messages-x-luna-sandals-collaboration?utm_source=LUNA+Sandals+Newsletter&utm_campaign=4d69d3eb71-bestsellers_COPY_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_11aae0a0a2-4d69d3eb71-344981061&goal=0_11aae0a0a2-4d69d3eb71-344981061&mc_cid=4d69d3eb71&mc_eid=f76b020ba7 https://www.barefootted.com/ https://lunasandals.com/ https://www.truemessages.org/  https://www.patreon.com/crushthecargill    

Steve talks to Lord of the Rings fan, sandal wearing ultra runner, anti-slavery campaigner, IT guru, and adopted kiwi hobbit adventurer, Naresh Kumar. We chat about his life and upbringing in poverty in Chennai to life in Silicon Valley. Somehow that changed to a life of adventure, discovery, activism and working for Lazarus Lake. In particular Naresh shares how 22 days cycling across Iran on a tandem (Freedom Seat) powered by kindness and peanut butter reinforced in Naresh the value of vulnerability and restored his faith in humanity. This is a moving and powerful story. Find out more and show your support here https://www.freedomseat.org/ And here’s the documentary https://vimeo.com/348573381 Congratulations Naresh! You qualify for Crush the Cargill!

Steve talks to young explorer, climber, runner and ecologist, Maddy Whittaker. Maddy and 3 friends took on an epic 2 month high alpine traverse of the Southern Alps over summer. She also knocked off the South Island Te Araroa trail 2 years ago as a 17 year old… Topics include facing challenges for fun, looking inward and dealing with your shit, self-esteem, team-work, vulnerability, sharing the stoke, friendships, avalanches and kea and kakapo conservation. Mostly it’s just about going after what you really love! Check out the trailer for her video here… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEwVWL9LwhI&fbclid=IwAR2rnSlRpsAHkdH91ZDLjeZDoejnn9NQVM7MDwbPUlqbmXXd1_X23RddVLU    

The boys zoom in for a chat with Scott Worthington the creator of the Revenant ultra endurance run. We hear about Scott's history in racing and always seeking another adventure. Aside from the importing of bears to Garston we chat about Volkswagon petrol gauges, travelling in straight lines, Northburn, older age winning, and plans to paddle 1000 miles. There's a few 'Wow!' moments in this one! Here's a video from Scott and Ben's recent Whanganui trek... https://www.facebook.com/100010186003497/videos/1393482467667940 Enjoy! 

Steve zooms in for a chat with Andrew Robinson, obstacle racer, adventurer and the first person to complete the 10 NZ Great Walks in 10 Days. Having previously completed 100miles running in barefoot shoes we already knew that Andrew enjoys suffering! Even though Andrew paddled one of these walks we have decided he still qualifies for Crush the Cargill. In this chat Andrew talks through the challenges and joys he faced in this epic 10 in 10 adventure including learning to paddle for a walk, facing failure on Day 1, smelling the roses his own way, logistics meeting the munchies with vegan pies, great support crews, indecent exposure, and a bit more suffering… and joy. Hopefully this inspires people to get out and enjoy this awesome country we live in! Check him out on Stuff here https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/124127655/runner-completes-nzs-10-great-walks-in-10-days And on Instagram here @hardy_kiwi #cantcancelrunning

This is probably the most beautifully crafted and executed podcast episode in the history of podcasting. Steve and Andrew catch up to discuss the history of Dunedin Pubrunners, the Three Peaks Mountain Race, toe amputation, Patreon, shit runs and Eugene Bingham's stunt double. There were a few other things talked about too but you will need to listen to find out.  Oh yeah... and we are now on Patreon...

A new year and we start with a bang... and some bad bagpipes. In this world first exclusive interview we dial in to chat with Ian Evans, sole finisher of The Revenant 2021, ultra endurance run. Subjects include, soggy feet, how to deal with ups and downs of endurance events, prickly spaniard grass, checkpoint 8 and pregnancy. Lots of useful tips for surviving all sorts of life challenges here! It is what it is!

Steve and Andrew zoom off to a camper van on the East Cape to catch up with homeless man Jim Kerse. Jim was the first kiwi to run the Western States way back in 1979, before the days of sports gels and Gurney Goo. After getting into the Coast to Coast and Ironman for a few years, he went back to USA a quarter of a century later and ran Western States again as well as  numerous other 100 miler events. Weird topics include nearly losing a leg to a spider bite but still trying to run 100 miles the week after and falling in the water 18 times during the kayaking section of the Coast to Coast. We also find out about the meaning of the word 'gooch' and discuss Andrew's body shape.

Steve and Andrew catch up with Brook and talk Te Araroa. Then Adam turns up late and we talk about stuff. Running gets a mention but so does Covid 19, Japan, Sigmund Freud (and his mother), the Crusaders and oppressive weather systems. Basically this is just a really bad episode so I wouldn't recommend listening to it. Possibly this is even worse than our first episode. Thanks to Brook for turning up. Apologies to Brook that the rest of us turned up also. The song is really good!

Everything you wanted to know but were too scared to ask! Steve zooms off to chat to Kerry Suter, a reasonably fast runner and now co-owner of Squadrun. Steve tries and fails to get answers to all the important questions like 'how to get good without training smartly' and 'why coaches are redundant'. A few other topics are covered such as cures for cramp, massage, stretching, compression tights, yoga, mind games, AERODAKS and how caffeine works as a bowel cleanser. #lifehacks #fitnesstruther https://squadrun.co.nz/

This week we bring in a couple of guest interviewers to interview Adam Keen to find out what, apart from Crush the Cargill, has made him so savage. We get the back story starting with Adam's first marathon while in the NZ Army, starting a sports coaching business and failure at the Riverhead Relaps as essential steps in the journey to the pinnacle of endurance running success - winning the 2019 Crush the Cargill 24 Hour Challenge.    

Steve meets Chris Townley, one of the founders of the Blue Lake 24 Hour Race held somewhere near the anus of New Zealand. The conversation sways between axes at weddings, working in search and rescue in the Ureweras, Waikaremoana, a race with 400 people and an even higher blood alcohol level, spa bath race briefings (with or without briefs) and what it takes to DNF everything in the South Island (probably just a lack of poles).  

Adam hits out on his own to talk to local Queenstown badass James Harcombe. James holds the fastest known time for running around Wales. He has also run a sub 30 hour Northburn 100 miler, drinks Fat Shakes and skis really steep mountains. #staysavage