WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.031 --> 00:00:18.880
I'm a person of getting mega clear on what you want to do, what makes you happy. Not what fucking your mates are doing or your mum thinks you should do or your fucking nan wanted you to do when you was younger. What you want to do, whatever that is, whether it's fucking inborn bowls or gardening or Ironman, whatever it is.
2
00:00:19.218 --> 00:00:35.941
But if you do it, fucking do it. Like, go all in on it. That's where I'm at. If I want something, I won't wait to do bollocks off to try and become the best at it that I can be. Whether that's in business, whether that's in sport, or whatever I'm doing, that's where I'm at with it. So I'm not working to stuff.
3
00:00:35.941 --> 00:00:51.787
and you fucking die at 50. I'm definitely not that. I could do a lot more with my business where I'm not as present with my kids and I'd have had a lot more money. I choose not to because I like picking my kids up from school. I like being able to see them when most lads wouldn't get to building a business. But at the same time,
4
00:00:52.276 --> 00:01:19.006
I worked my tits off to get to that point. I had to earn that. Welcome back to another podcast, guys. Today, my guest, he has one message and it has stopped over 3 million people mid-scroll. We're all going to die. And most of us are sleepwalking through whatever time we have got left. He's a dad. He's an Ironman, which is a good one. And he's also run 100 miles in one go. Plus, he's built, obviously, a pretty hefty Instagram following from his message in a very short amount of time. Luke Bland, welcome to Perform Well, man. How are we doing?
5
00:01:19.782 --> 00:01:29.182
I'm good, mate. Thank you very much. What an intro. I know, mate. Hopefully I got it right. Sometimes I don't, but all that checks out, mate. Bang on, yeah.
6
00:01:29.587 --> 00:01:54.089
Yeah. I mean, mate, as I said, the reason why, you know, we're doing this today is not the following. It's the message. It's the don't die average. I'm someone that if I was to be honest with myself, I don't want to die average. And so for me, I get sucked into things like that. And it just gives me that kind of like, what's the word? Passion, so to speak, to talk about this with you because you've lived such an insane life.
7
00:01:54.089 --> 00:02:09.935
ultra endurance type lifestyle and people like you tend to have something that a lot of people don't so I want to dive into it a little bit Yeah sounds good mate yeah yeah don't die average it was something that I come up with, I'm obsessed with not
8
00:02:10.441 --> 00:02:30.353
Being average, whatever I've ever done, whether that's good or bad, has always been the absolute extreme. Really do things by halves, whether that was drinking and doing drugs or everything I'm doing now with endurance sport or whatever. So, yeah, that's where that came from. Are you a man in your 30s, are you, by chance? 36, yeah.
9
00:02:30.691 --> 00:02:58.197
36. So we're similar age then. So we've both had a bit of a period of our life going into, well, from our 20s now moving into, what, midlife at 40, I believe. You know, if we last till 80, who knows. And it's interesting, isn't it? There's something about 35 that I've noticed that changes your thinking a little bit. Is that something that happened to you recently? Yeah, so, well, I was 32,
10
00:02:58.670 --> 00:03:27.897
Drinking, doing drugs on weekends. It was getting to a point where I'd lost control a bit. So that was my tapping point. Why I found out, like a quick backstory, why I found out. And there was a case of either knocking on the head or I was probably going to lose everything. That was a big, I'm very black and white. See, if I've got to stop doing this to not lose that, then I'm going to do it. And never had a drink again since. Never done any drugs since.
11
00:03:28.336 --> 00:03:54.661
Needed somewhere else to put all that energy and it ended up going into running and, yeah, ultra endurance sport. But it's only been, what, three, four years and I've only started doing the ultra stuff really the last year and a half, two years, to be honest. Really? What was it before that? So I did, just to start with, it was like in the year and then High Rocks, sort of like fell in love with the High Rocks stuff a lot of emotional.
12
00:03:55.420 --> 00:04:23.872
folks our age and uh but did quite a few of them and again same thing again wanted to meet more so absolutely love running always wanted to do Ironman being Ironman ever since even when I was on the pit and whatever it was always like a massive thing so signed up to Ironman Barcelona not being able to swim and gave myself about nine months to be able to get that done to you that was last year
13
00:04:25.390 --> 00:04:44.932
Yeah, talk me through that because, so you may not know this, but I'm doing Ironman, my first Ironman in August this year in Leeds. And so for me, I'm completely new. I'm trying to hopefully, you know, complete it. And the swim I've noticed is actually one of those things that I'm a little bit most nervous about. So what was your experience with the swim?
14
00:04:46.113 --> 00:05:11.510
I was exactly the same, mate. I couldn't swim nine months before. As in, literally, I could swim to the other end and I'd be absolutely blowing. Spent the whole nine months absolutely flapping about whether I was going to be able to get in. Barcelona did a sea swim as well, so I was worried about that. I'd never swam in the sea. To be honest, mate, the actual day, you don't really get much time to...
15
00:05:11.982 --> 00:05:38.392
You're running in and that's it. You're in amongst it. And you're going to get it done, aren't you, at that point? You're out in the middle of the sea. So, yeah, it was absolutely horrendous. I think I came out of the water out of the men. I think there was, like, I don't know, 1,800 in the race or something. I came out nearly last. I think I overtook about 1,000 people on the bike and the run because I just couldn't swim very well. So, yeah, I was nearly last out of the water, swallowed off the Mediterranean. And, yeah.
16
00:05:40.417 --> 00:06:04.936
Yeah, it was horrendous, absolutely horrendous, but it got done, and once you're out of the water, you sort of know at that point, you're going to get it done. I also hadn't really rode a bike massively before I started training for Ironman. Obviously, you ride a bike as a kid. I've never been on a road bike or anything like that, but you sort of fall in love with that. I'm sure you are falling in love with that pretty quick, going out and adventuring on the bike, and then running is just something that...
17
00:06:05.915 --> 00:06:34.906
I've picked up very quickly, I suppose. It's something that I've got fairly good at quite quick. So once I got into the... I think I ran a three and a half hour marathon at the end of the Ironman. So I was very happy with that. Mate, that's insane. That's actually insane. I think I'm on track for a 320 if it's just a marathon. But for this, I'm probably about four and a half hours, I reckon. Three and a half. I think you'll... I think you'll surprise yourself if you can run a 320 standalone. My...
18
00:06:36.205 --> 00:06:57.822
My first ever marathon was last year in the London Marathon. I ran a 3.05 and then I ran a 3.5. Hang on, 3.31 I think it was in Barcelona. So yeah, fuel it, mate. Absolutely big. I don't know what you said about the bike though. I think the bike is quite painful to be honest with you. I think running is more enjoyable than a bike. That might just be me though.
19
00:06:58.447 --> 00:07:16.705
See, I've had enough with the training for the bike, being able to go out and just... I live in Kent, so you get out in the countryside and just sort of on my own, just for hours on end, getting lost almost. So that's sort of what I've now fallen in love with, the ultra running, going out on the trails and just running...
20
00:07:17.178 --> 00:07:41.967
for the love of running, no looking at pace or any of that, just going out and just loving being out there and running and testing yourself. Whereas when I was training for Ironman and Marathon, all that sort of stuff, you're constantly checking your pace and you're trying to hit spits and all that sort of stuff, and you're going to the track sessions, which is all great and I love it. But I don't know, I think you evolve over time, then you find what you love. And I thought I loved the High Rock stuff and then,
21
00:07:42.338 --> 00:08:05.558
got into triathlon i was like yeah this is it but i never liked the swimming even from there was never one point where i thought not even open water swimming oh i just hated it it was so boring didn't enjoy it at all the biking i'd be able to love for but i just trust that i absolutely love running so and i love the really long stuff like that's where i think because it just tests you so much like the
22
00:08:06.520 --> 00:08:32.744
100 miles and that sort of stuff. I think many would hear you say High Rocks and then Iron Man. And I think, well, an Iron Man is like ridiculously much. This is a lot harder, right, than High Rocks, I would say. But then you do have experience before this. I'm pretty sure on your Instagram I saw something about you were in the Marines. You did Marine training at Limston. Yeah. Yeah, so when I left school, I left school early.
23
00:08:34.651 --> 00:08:58.259
the end of year nine, whatever that is. So I didn't get very far into school. And I said I wanted to join the Royal Marines. I went down and passed all the pre-selection stuff. Come back from there and said to mum, I'm going to the Royal Marines. That's it. So I didn't go to school. I left school. And yeah, I was down in Livingston for six months. I didn't pass out. I jacked. I think I was...
24
00:08:59.609 --> 00:09:22.762
I was probably a tad too young. I was just turned 17 when I left. And you're down there with like 25-year-old blokes who are a lot bigger and stronger than you. But let's have it right, I didn't get it done. I didn't finish it. And I think there's an element of that there now why I am so determined to do some of this hard stuff. There's probably something still itching away at me that I didn't quite get a job done. I got to like 20 weeks in.
25
00:09:23.791 --> 00:09:52.765
I think it's 32 weeks Royal Marine training but that was the it was the best thing I ever did and joining the Royal Marines from school because you're just exposed to such an extreme level of discipline and fundamentals at such a young age it's just something you can carry with you for like three whole lives it's something I talk to my kids about every single day it's just like I call it world class basics it's like manners being on time and working hard that's all I've really got yeah I'm not telling you anything not
26
00:09:53.407 --> 00:10:13.252
definitely not academically any good but i think them three things you can get pretty far so on top of that obviously you're getting smashed every day as well but like physically you're getting absolutely beasted so yeah there's probably an element of one talks about building your engine and stuff i was probably doing that from a very young age yeah
27
00:10:14.973 --> 00:10:35.948
I'll tell you something, mate. One thing we have in common, right, apart from our age, is I also joined the Marines when I was younger. I joined the reserves and I went through the process of going to Limston, etc. I didn't pass out either. I got to what was week 28, I think, or 26, but in the reserve capacity. So it was more like a year-long process at that point.
28
00:10:36.640 --> 00:11:04.805
Yeah, and I can't agree with you more, mate. Like, I have the same thing going on now in my life where, you know, at 35 that I'm thinking, like, I'm trying to prove myself. And it was only this year, doing the Ironman, I noticed that I was doing this not to get people's attention anymore. It was just for me to prove that I can actually complete things that I say I'm going to do. Because failing that at such a young age was pivotal. Like...
29
00:11:04.805 --> 00:11:24.160
And for anyone that doesn't know, like Marine training is insane. Like I've had the privilege of joining other regiments and like the, the level between the Marines, other regiments is like that. It's insane. Like the Marines have an insane level of organizational capacity, discipline, you know, they want you to be, you know, immaculate condition at all times, constant pressure.
30
00:11:25.561 --> 00:11:52.983
It is one of the toughest units, man. The fact that you even got 20 weeks in at such a young age without any kind of, I would say, support from anyone throughout that process, it's hard, man. You've done really well to get that far. Yeah, I think at a young age, you go down there and you're exposed to that. Effectively, you leave it home, which is something I never even thought about. It's only the last year that I really thought about it properly. And...
31
00:11:54.046 --> 00:12:16.962
Yeah, you're leaving home, you're going down there and you walk straight in on the first day and you have 60 other blokes in that foundation block and you're a young lad. Without being fucking cruel, you've never even seen a fucking other knot before. And all of a sudden there's 60 of them walking around and you're getting taught things that you never thought you even needed to know. But like, that was a bit like being amongst a group of lads and...
32
00:12:18.262 --> 00:12:43.895
like absolute just standards in every single thing you do if you're it doesn't matter if you're a second late or if you're an hour late you're gonna get absolutely rinsed for it and yeah it's something that I definitely have carried with me my whole life and always will because it's it's just fundamentals let's be honest everyone should have we should all be able to do it but especially nowadays no one can can they like being polite being on time and all that sort of stuff it's
33
00:12:44.502 --> 00:12:56.770
It's something that should just be normal, but it's not. And I talk to my kids about it all the time. I'm like, look, be polite. Be on time and work really, really hard. That's all your dad's got. And if you can do that, then you're probably not going to go too far wrong.
34
00:12:58.998 --> 00:13:23.939
Would you say that's the most important lesson you learned from the Marines that you'd want to impart on, say, your children and everyone else listening? Or is there other stuff too? Is there anything that you can take from that experience that you think that everyone could probably take away and live a much happier, healthier life? I think for me, that was such a big thing. I was a little shit before I went down there. I didn't finish school. I was a right little fucker. And
35
00:13:24.226 --> 00:13:49.758
All of a sudden you're down there. It was 2007, 2006, 2007. Afghanistan just started. These lads who were training you have just... A lot of them have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan has started. You were fully aware that if you passed out, you would be going straight to Afghanistan, basically. So it was all very real. But cutting through all that, the physical stuff and everything else...
36
00:13:50.804 --> 00:14:18.884
It's just that world-class basics. Everything they make you do is for a reason. I remember being told to do something. I was thinking, what? I thought I had the answer. I look back now and every single thing they make you do is for a reason, whether it's to try and break you or to try and... Or there is just genuinely a reason behind it. Being in that environment as well of just... Everything they do is absolutely world-class. It's contagious, isn't it? It makes you want a bit more of it. I remember leaving...
37
00:14:19.610 --> 00:14:43.201
When I pulled away on the train leaving Nymphston, I remember thinking, well, I've just turned 17. I didn't finish school, so that's a fail. And now I've just fucking failed at the one thing that I wanted to do would be a Royal Marine. You're thinking, at an early stage in your life, you've been exposed to two massive failures, effectively, early doors. So it's not looking too great. Yeah.
38
00:14:46.272 --> 00:15:13.677
What happened after that? What was the next thing that you kind of aimed for? Was it a case of you just took some time off and just fucked around or did you plan something bigger or what? So it was struck back and Dad said to me, look, I've got your job scaffolding if you want with a lad at the pub or whatever. So yeah, I went and started scaffolding and I just absolutely loved it straight away. Again, a group of lads, all a lot older than me. Scaffolders are...
39
00:15:14.082 --> 00:15:43.478
fucking nightmare and I was obviously a nightmare I know yeah they are fucking we are a nightmare and yeah just you needed to be quite fit and strong to do it and for a young lad I was fit and strong because I'd just been the Royal Marines I found it fairly easy from well go because of what I'd been doing down there and I just loved being around the boys I was a really good group of lads who looked after me and yeah I'd done that I was straight into that so any sort of fitness stuff
40
00:15:44.356 --> 00:16:09.027
went out the window for about 15 years. Yeah? The scatty diet. Yeah, got very good at drinking. Sausage rolls, energy jigs. Yeah, exactly that. I mean, in some way, when you get a group of guys together, you just have this, like, what is it? It's like there's meaning to when a group of guys are together and they're working on a job together.
41
00:16:09.820 --> 00:16:29.024
And it's hard to explain. It's a little bit like you've got this deep-seated meaning for your life when you're doing the job. But then when you don't have the job, suddenly you're left thinking like, well, what am I supposed to be doing with my life? Is that kind of what we're trying to get at in terms of like you around the group of guys, you're all having fun together, et cetera?
42
00:16:29.615 --> 00:16:54.151
Yeah, and when you're a young lad, it's especially bad. It's good, isn't it, being around boys and becoming your mates. You go out together and you come to work hanging together. It's just all part of it. I had a great, from like, what, 17 to 25. It was just brilliant. Every weekend you're out and then you come in and graft all weekend and
43
00:16:55.265 --> 00:17:16.426
with the boys that you've been with sometimes and yeah, it's just brilliant being around that, that same environment. A lot of that probably comes from, I don't know, we play football at a young age and you're a group of lads there. And then obviously I've gone in the Royal Reins and around lads there. I looked up to and stuff. And then I've always been around older people, which I've loved. I'm like a sponge. You want to learn from them. And,
44
00:17:17.118 --> 00:17:29.015
And yeah, and that's where it went. I stayed in scaffolding. I still own a scaffold firm now, so I've got lads myself. And obviously a completely different role. I'm not on the tools anymore, but yeah, I love that.
45
00:17:31.411 --> 00:17:53.956
Do you think that's essential then for like, say, a man's mental health? Because that's a big, you know, topic these days is men's mental health and talking to people. Is that the best way for men to do it? To be in groups of other men speaking to each other? Or is there another way we're supposed to do it? You know, I always find it quite difficult to know the exact answer to that. But I find those times where you're around a group of guys...
46
00:17:53.956 --> 00:18:21.496
you just sort of feel better. You don't feel like you need to necessarily hide it. I think it's when you're behind a screen all the time and you're not talking to people that it's a lot worse. Yeah, 100%. It's probably therapy without calling it therapy, isn't it? Even if you're not talking about mental health or however we want to label, whatever the problem is with whoever's going there,
47
00:18:22.154 --> 00:18:40.784
you're talking to other blokes and without even knowing it, you're probably discussing things that are bothering you or whatever. It's the same as pubs, isn't it? Like if you grew up drinking in pubs and whatever, you're in there putting the world to rights and it's just time to vent and there's probably not enough of it anymore, to be fair. You don't see that as much, do you?
48
00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:54.942
Yeah, 100%. I want to talk about dads because you're a dad. I don't know how old your kids are. Have you been a dad for a while? Yeah, I've got a six-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl.
49
00:18:57.524 --> 00:19:25.098
I mean, brilliant. So, I mean, for dads out there, many dads, in fact, a lot of them said they have no time, they're stressed, they're quiet desperation that Joe Rogan and I saw talk about once on his podcast. What can we do about these dads out there that are probably watching someone like this? They want to go out there and do something epic like you have, but they're not sure where to start. I don't think they've got the time or it in them to go and do it. What can we say to those guys? Yeah.
50
00:19:28.135 --> 00:19:57.211
Time isn't a great one with me. I don't really, I don't, I don't have that. I've had the most mental, today I've got the most mental bail. Literally physically couldn't fit anything in. To train, I was getting an hour and a half running. So last night I went to bed an hour earlier. I got up an hour and a half earlier today and I ran at 4 o'clock this morning. But I don't want a fucking medal or nothing special. But to me, that is it. If it comes down, I get hundreds of blokes messaging me.
51
00:19:57.734 --> 00:20:23.924
about many different things to do, whether mental health or training and whatever. And most of the time I do say the same sort of thing. Like if it comes down to time, you can always find it. I do genuinely believe you can always find the time. I think you're kidding yourself. If you genuinely can't find an hour, and it hasn't got to be every day, but I don't know, four hours a week to go out and train, I just think you're on another plane to keep fit. And if you're looking at,
52
00:20:24.616 --> 00:20:54.029
obviously more like the Ironman stuff. Yeah, there's a lot more involved with that. That's obviously a lot harder. But I managed to do it off the back of family, business, and all the other stuff that comes with life. So I think time's a bit of a poor one when it comes to excuses in terms of a lot of people message me and say, I'm not that, I'm not like that. I'm not fair. None of us started off like that. I couldn't swim.
53
00:20:54.670 --> 00:21:14.060
I mean I think we all try and we want the quick answer we want to be able to do it tomorrow and I was exactly saying there's no like judgement at all you do and swimming's a frustrating one but that stacking days thing just doing it over and over and over and over again it's boring as fuck no one wants to do it but that is literally the only way to get better and especially when it comes to
54
00:21:14.448 --> 00:21:39.693
running or any of that endurance stuff you've just got to keep doing it it gets fucking boring there's days where you desperately don't want to do it today was one of them but you get out the door you get it done you just stack another one up and i know it sounds cliche but it is just a bit of a mindset thing you just keep doing it and before you know it the time you thought were impossible or things you thought were impossible to do
55
00:21:40.216 --> 00:22:05.377
You're bad at doing them like it's nothing. So anyone can do it. I believe anyone can do Ironman. I used to think when I was younger, you had to be like Superman to be able to do it. And it was a massive thing for me to do Ironman because it was something that I was desperate to do. But I genuinely think if you just stack the days, then all of a sudden you are capable of getting yourself through an Ironman. It's a long fucking day, but you can get it done.
56
00:22:06.102 --> 00:22:26.318
Yeah. I say that about a marathon. I say it's just putting one foot in front of the other and not stopping. It's just that simple. Yeah, and it's the same with the training, isn't it? Yeah, you're right about it. It's just training day after day of training, together over and over again. The thing is, no one wants to do it. And years ago, I wouldn't have wanted to do it. I couldn't have thought of anything worse than...
57
00:22:27.297 --> 00:22:48.509
putting a 16-week marathon or a 12-week marathon block together. So what, go and run for a few hours and get a medal? It becomes a bit of a, it just becomes routine. It becomes normal, doesn't it? And obviously, if you can fall in love with it on the way, then great, because I have and I absolutely love running. It's the one time where I've got a very busy brain on,
58
00:22:49.066 --> 00:23:00.592
chronic overthinker and everything else. It's the one time where I can go out and thoughts will come into my head and I'll just let them go. I don't think too deeply about anything. Something might pop in about
59
00:23:01.807 --> 00:23:26.191
something really important to do with work or business or whatever and then I fly off like ass and I'm thinking about a fucking something completely different and you just let them come and go I don't ever have to get too deep about it so that's what I love about going out running now I've fallen in love with that by just doing it over and over again because when I started it I didn't like it and by forcing myself to just get better I've fallen in love with the actual sport
60
00:23:28.267 --> 00:23:52.145
Are you a runner that can do it without music or do you have to listen to tunes? Yeah, 100%. I got 22 hours into my 100 miler with no music. I didn't have music on. I will listen to music. I'll take my headphones. I have headphones on, you know, them open shocks ones. If a call comes in or whatever, and every now and again I'll put music on. But no, I can quietly run without music.
61
00:23:54.119 --> 00:24:18.166
It's like a therapy, isn't it? And there's actually a quote here. I don't normally do quotes, but there's one that kind of works well with this situation. It's the quote that the true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching. And it's the training that people don't see. So like everyone thinks of the Ironman and I think, oh, the race, you know, I'm going to be there on the day swim. I'm going to wear the trisuit. Everyone's cheering me. Get to the end of it. Get the pitches. You know, look like I've absolutely nailed it.
62
00:24:18.166 --> 00:24:48.153
But to get to that point, you have to do the training. And the training is 95% of the battle, I would say. The race is actually the fun bit. You know, that's the bit that you just, you've got the adrenaline, you've got the inspiration to go and do it. But the training is the bit that, as you were saying, is boring and dull and you have to go out there when the weather's shit or the weather's even good, to be fair. It's just everyone's enjoying themselves having a beer by the pub and you're running past it and you're thinking, I just wish I could join and have a beer with them. You know what I mean? And like, how do you get through that, Luke? Like, what's your strategies, man?
63
00:24:48.153 --> 00:25:13.094
i that that's the bit i love i love the no one watching the bit the going out and doing it when no one's and i'm not just saying that because it that's what i loved about the hundred mile iron man was amazing you write out that red carpet obviously there's hundreds of people screaming and all the music and fireworks and whatever else when i crossed the line of the hundred miler there was my wife my two kids and i think two other women stood there like
64
00:25:15.153 --> 00:25:29.294
That's it, nothing. And I thought it was just brilliant how it was so understudied. You've just done this epic thing. You've effectively ran for 23 hours straight. And there was no big fan threat at the end. And that's sort of a bit that I thought were in love with the ultra running. Because...
65
00:25:30.003 --> 00:25:49.882
Like you said, that's 95% of the battle, probably even more. You are going to turn up on the day and that is the celebration or whatever. But it's true. If you can't do it when no one's watching, especially in this endurance stuff, you've got absolutely no chance because you've got to do so much of it. Everyone loves going to the gym and having a chat and obviously like,
66
00:25:51.232 --> 00:26:20.425
do their weight session or whatever. But when you're doing all this ultra stuff, you have to do 15, 20 hour weeks. And for 95% of it, you're on your own. I run on my own every single day. At the weekend, I might run with one of my pals who comes out with me. But even then, when I go into, I'm doing a 200 miler in November. And so my tracking block started for that now. And when I go into the big stuff for that,
67
00:26:21.269 --> 00:26:50.817
which will be like back-to-back 50s and stuff like that, 50 miles. I will do the majority of that on my own because for me, it's all well and good running with someone. My mate Ben would come with me maybe and do one, and then we're there talking and you're helping each other out and whatever. If you did that the whole way through training, then I get to Manchester at the back end of November. It's pitch black, pissing down the rain, and I do it on my own. And you're used to having someone there to talk to.
68
00:26:52.640 --> 00:27:13.042
It's not really going to... I've got a challenge for you. I've got a challenge for you. If you're going to do a 200-mile run, I've got a challenge for you. I'm just going to get it up real quick. Where is it? Okay, it's called the tunnel. Have you heard of it? I've seen it, yeah. You've heard of it, yeah? The tunnel. It's an idiot. A mile back and forward. Is that right?
69
00:27:14.780 --> 00:27:41.003
No headphones. I think you get a torch. I think you're obviously allowed a light and that's about it. And then obviously your food and drink at each station. But imagine the training for that. Imagine the training for that. Yeah, well, a lot of the stuff for this 200 miler is, you can only do so much. So I was training for my 100 miler, but I was doing 40 milers back to back, then 50 milers back to back. And when you're running 100 miles in a weekend, like Saturday, Sunday, it takes up.
70
00:27:41.695 --> 00:28:10.130
nine hours a day each day. It's basically a whole day of running each day. You can't really, at that point, you can't really do any more than that. So I said to the girl who coached me, Beck, where do we go for 200 miles? She said, it'll be very, very similar to be honest. There's some sleep deprivation stuff. You might run however long and then go and rest and then go and do it through the night as well to get used to that. But even now, I mean, I've not done enough of it to know, but I don't know how you can train sleep deprivation. Surely it's just a case of,
71
00:28:11.716 --> 00:28:40.538
you just manage it. If you need to sleep that desperately, you have your 10 minutes sleep on the trail or whatever. But yeah, it's another challenge. And I'm absolutely buzzing for it. And that's how I know when I want to do something. I was actually signing up for Ironman League. And because I've done Barcelona and I was like, yeah, I think I've got the bug and that. But I just couldn't get that excited about getting into another block, doing another Ironman. And I've done the 100 miler, absolutely.
72
00:28:41.365 --> 00:29:09.412
Most unbelievable experience, probably in my life, to be honest, especially in anything to do with sport. Like being on your own for 23 hours, no one's talked to you. You are just on your own, in your own head. You've got every excuse in the world to quit. You can so easily just step off and go, no one's really going to care apart from yourself. That's when you sort of like find out who you are. So I got so much out of that. I was like, well, what's next? I think with like the 200, your men are, from what I've seen,
73
00:29:10.070 --> 00:29:38.268
Men have banked a few hundred miles, as in like a few hundred mile races. So I've booked that one for the end of the year. And yeah, I'm buzzing for it. Because again, I don't know if I can get it done. Go on, mate. Go for it. No, no, go for it. Go for it, mate. I was going to say, it's that element of you don't know if you can get it done. Like the hundred mile was exactly the same. I knew physically I could do it, but there's so much there that can go wrong, whether it's nutrition or...
74
00:29:39.078 --> 00:30:05.707
like feet management, most people, the mental side of it, you just can't hack it for that long. And this 200 is going to add a whole new aspect to that because I've done the 123 hours and something. This is going to be multi-day. I'll be running for three days upwards. So you've got so much more to add in. It's just mental now. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so, but that's what excites me now, that whole thing of, can you get it done?
75
00:30:07.951 --> 00:30:28.572
Is that what it is? Is it the challenge to know that you've got it? Or is it something else? Yeah, no, it is that. That's what draws me to this ultra stuff so much is the whole thing of... Like, for me to go and do another Ironman this year, Ironman Leagues, would have been great. But...
76
00:30:30.732 --> 00:30:52.535
And it would have been harder than Barcelona because Leeds is a tough course. So you're going to have fun there. So there is that. But it just didn't scare me. It didn't scare me enough like the 100-mile did and like the 200-mile does. That's how I know when I should sign up for something. It needs to scare me but also be equally excited. And that's exactly how I feel. I'm absolutely buzzing.
77
00:30:53.142 --> 00:31:11.570
to go out there and have a go, but at the same time, it scares the life out of me, and I genuinely don't know what to do when I'm out there doing it. Plus, it's an adventure, isn't it? 200 miles, mate. Yeah. You're out in nature, right? So you get to see things, and I can imagine, you know,
78
00:31:12.430 --> 00:31:37.642
The adventure is the ups and downs, isn't it? It's not always the good high points. In fact, the low points make the high points higher, which is what makes it so addictive. As you know, if you do a long run, even a marathon, for example, you go through phases where you have dips and then you go back up, you have dips, you go back up. And those bits that are high are so bloody, what's the word? Addictive, so to speak, that you just...
79
00:31:38.232 --> 00:32:07.055
Do it for those moments. But if you didn't have social media for a second, let's say you didn't tell anyone about this, would you still do it? 100%. Someone else asked me this, actually. And if I'm being 100% completely authentic and honest, the one thing that I've ever done that is 100% yes to that is this ultra running stuff. Iron Man...
80
00:32:07.730 --> 00:32:33.903
I wanted it desperately because I've known about it since being a little boy and that was the thing I wanted to do. But don't get me wrong, you see so much of it on social media now, there is an element of like, yeah, it's cool to do. Like you get hooked in. This ultra running stuff, no, that's all for me. Because I know how hard it is. I know how disciplined you've got to be. There's no cheating it. You're not going out there and, don't get me wrong, you're not cheating a marathon either. But there's an element of you could have a bit of natural talent with running and...
81
00:32:35.135 --> 00:33:00.110
even me like i'd never really ran and then i've done that my first marathon was like a 305 but i know if i'd have put another marathon block together there's a really good chance i'd have i'd have got my sub three that i wanted or whatever with it's ultra stuff you've you've got to be mega mega disciplined you can't be missing week to train and stuff like that it's just gonna catch up and also that thing of being out there when it's really shit like you've got to go out there and
82
00:33:00.785 --> 00:33:25.253
It's pissing down, you've got a long run. And when I say a long run, it's like 50, 60, 70k. You ain't going out and, oh, I'll miss that one. And I'll try and make up for it next week. You ain't got time to make up for it next week. You miss it, you miss it. So I don't miss sessions. I never, ever, ever miss a training session. Bex, my coach, will say that. It gets done no matter what. I'll go out in the middle of the night if I need to to get it done. I train early. I always train at the crack of dawn.
83
00:33:25.861 --> 00:33:41.133
Because I know they've done then and it takes a massive, and that's something I will say to people actually, is they're listening. I'm training and a lot of men ask me this. Funnily enough, actually, I put a story up this morning of me out riding at the crack of dawn and a couple of people messaged me saying like,
84
00:33:41.723 --> 00:34:10.782
I have every intention of doing it, but I just can't do it tonight when I get back. And for me, if you can, try and train early doors. Like, get it done as early as possible in the day. Because you can have all the will in the world to train at 7 o'clock at night. But something that's slightly wrong at work, or if you commute the train desk, or wherever, not only do you then get pissed off that all that's happened, but you're also going to miss your training, or it gets pushed further back, and then you miss family time. So for me, I just try and train as early as I can in the day, so it's done. It's banked.
85
00:34:13.398 --> 00:34:28.619
That's brilliant. That's brilliant advice for people, I think. Especially those that consider themselves night owls and they still don't do it. I want to talk about social media because you're at that kind of point whether you want to call yourself an influencer or not, but...
86
00:34:28.619 --> 00:34:55.248
you're at that point where you've got a following. People are listening in to you is the main thing, right? You get a lot of comments from people all the time. You've said earlier you get DMs, hundreds of DMs from men and probably other women as well. But with social media, do you think that's partly to blame with people's ability to not even start doing things? It's because they see the highlight reel and they just think about what it's going to look like when they get the trophy in the middle. Yeah.
87
00:34:55.248 --> 00:35:16.409
but they don't look at the actual hard graft of actually going out there and doing it. Is that what you're seeing from your side when you look at social media? Or is it a case of it's starting to shift and people are now more interested on the unsexy part, doing the hard graft every day, doing the shit stuff? I think...
88
00:35:17.692 --> 00:35:35.849
Yeah, of course, it's like anything on Instagram. You see it and you naturally think, well, you know, I want to do that or I want that. I want that in result. Fortunately, I have anything in life. It takes time. It's the same as I'm building my business. You want all the,
89
00:35:36.710 --> 00:36:00.031
the great part of the business, you have to do the really shit stuff for years and years and years first. And yeah, I don't know if social media is necessary. I know what you're saying. I don't know if it's necessarily to blame. I think that's always been the thing people think that they can have the tiny object without putting in the work. And one thing I will say is that is the fucking good bit.
90
00:36:00.740 --> 00:36:30.288
The work is the good bit. You'll look back and go, you've all done exactly the same Ironman leads. I'll tell you now, running down that carpet in Barcelona, and I've said this before, was the most underwhelming feeling I've ever had in my life. And that's not to try and piss on your parade about Ironman, but you know you see the red carpet thing and it looks fucking amazing. Mate, I... It was so underwhelming. I actually walked out of the thing to see my missus and I was gutted because I was like, that was... I couldn't believe it. Two days later, or a couple of days later, once it starts to soak in,
91
00:36:30.895 --> 00:36:55.887
I was absolutely on cloud nine. Best thing I've ever done, loved it. But then when I started to go back through why that was, none of it was to do with the race. None of it was to do with being in Barcelona. It was all the little things along the way, learning to swim. There was another lad I did who did it with me who'd never swam. We learned to do it together, basically, and we went through the journey together, and you meet new people on the way, learning new skill, getting fitter, and going through all them really shit moments that...
92
00:36:56.680 --> 00:37:21.858
when you sort of think oh do i really need to do this but you get it done anyway that's that is the fucking good bit and i've learned that there's so much stuff in life even my business i look back now and we started off with nothing we had absolutely nothing i was sitting in a freezing cold field in january painting the scaffold fittings and scaffold tubes all i wanted was the big lorries and the fucking lads working for me and all that sort of stuff and i remember my
93
00:37:22.128 --> 00:37:40.910
Business partner's dad said, enjoy this bit. You'll look back and this will be the best bit. And I was like, fuck off, Neil, not a chance. And I look back now and it is the best memories I've got by an absolute mile. We're sitting in that field dreaming about all the bits that I get now. Because we're never, we're never ever happy. We always want more than we, we always want,
94
00:37:41.264 --> 00:38:07.758
the next big thing. I think sport and endurance sports are perfect. Look at me, I'm still doing it. I've done 100 miles. I've ran 100 miles. I didn't even know that was a, two years ago, I didn't even know that was possible for anyone. I've ran 100 miles and within three days, I've got to 200 miler because it's the next thing. So I talk about it a lot. Trying to live in the moment and be present and all that. And look, it's something I'm still massively trying to work on because it's hard. You do. And people like us are like, whether you want to call it
95
00:38:08.315 --> 00:38:33.948
addictive or fucking people say adhd whatever it's yeah it's a trait that comes with it you always want more and you always want the next big thing so yeah a little lesson there now moving talking to myself still is just enjoy the actual process of doing the thing it's not always about running across that line and i can honestly say that iron man is a perfect example of
96
00:38:34.707 --> 00:38:39.027
was the least underwhelming feeling I've ever had when I crossed that line.
97
00:38:41.575 --> 00:39:09.892
I love the attitude, man. Like, that's why I was so drawn to on Instagram. It's the attitude that you've got. Like, it might be just the time of my life that I'm at the moment, but I literally, this is probably the first year, actually, where I looked at what I was doing because I've done a few crazy challenges over the years. And I was thinking, I actually don't want to post about it on Instagram anymore. Like, at the beginning, I had this big plan. I'm going to post about the Ironman, Ironman day one, Ironman day two, stuff like that. And then I just realized one day, like,
98
00:39:10.212 --> 00:39:29.517
I don't care anymore. I'm doing it for me. And yeah, I'll post the photos at the end on Instagram. I'll show people that I've done something cool and I'll be like, yeah, look at this. This is decent. But I'm genuinely at a point in my life where it's changing. Like my mindset is changing around it. And I'm not so fussed about other people seeing my accomplishments, more so...
99
00:39:29.517 --> 00:39:55.707
just proving to myself that I can do it. And then that's what I relate to you on in terms of like what I see your message kind of brings out of me. Because you're impacting everyone. You're not just impacting obviously the 92,000 people that are on your Instagram. You're impacting the people that are not following you. You know, they're listening in and thinking, shit, do you know what? I'm actually have to think about this a little bit. I don't want to die average. But then the problem that I think, say, carry on.
100
00:39:55.927 --> 00:40:19.113
Sorry, I was going to say just on that quickly, what you said there as well, like, I'm not giving advice, but also do celebrate your, like you say about the Instagram thing, I totally get it, and I don't, I've shown the odd story on when I'm out running and whatever, all the stuff that I talk about now, it's just what's in my head every day, but I think you should celebrate your wins as well, like, I think that's a massive thing, you see people now moaning about, oh, fucking hell,
101
00:40:20.024 --> 00:40:44.223
all he does is talk about Ironman or running. Like, fuck all them people. If that's what you love doing, and I believe in this massively, if that's what you love doing, then yeah, fucking fly straight wherever you want. Like, that's for you at the end of the day. I don't think that should be something that you shouldn't celebrate. If you worked your bollocks off, but I just think don't lose the...
102
00:40:45.218 --> 00:41:11.982
big reason behind it which is like why are you I remember people talk about why's and why are you doing it but why are you actually doing it for me now the ultra running stuff it's it's stuff that not many people can do it's something that it's stuff that I don't even know if I can really do and that's why I do it you find out so much about and you'll do the same when you do Ironman you'll find out across that day it's a fucking long time you find out who you really are because again you've got every excuse to step off the course and
103
00:41:12.522 --> 00:41:33.363
You can make millions of people and you're still a bit injured or you've got all the reasons in the world to stop and that's when you find out the most about yourself. But at the same time, if you do get it done, then yeah, fucking celebrate it because you've worked your tits off for it and surely that's what we're all trying to do. Everyone that's in sport and in fitness, especially us lot who are like,
104
00:41:33.869 --> 00:41:57.207
Well, we said mid-30s. You want to go and achieve these really hard things. So fucking, yeah, get it out there and let people know what you've done. But I totally get what you're saying about that's not why you're doing it now. It's not for that because you don't need everyone to see what you're doing. But I think celebrate it at the end because you fucking worked your bollocks off for it. Yeah, I love that.
105
00:41:58.085 --> 00:42:21.558
I love that. And I saw you say this in one of your reels as well, which is great. It reminded me a little bit of Gary Vee, actually, because, you know, there's a lot of negative energy on Instagram that I see in terms of like putting, when I say negative, I mean putting pressure on, pressure on, pressure on. You have to work all the time, work all the time, work all the time, hustle till you die, that kind of mentality. And I get it to a large degree.
106
00:42:22.098 --> 00:42:42.652
But then Instagram has another whole field of people that I'm seeing coming out. And you kind of fit that bracket in some of the videos I've seen. But it's about enjoying the process, being present for sure. And not just work until you die, working on something that you actually love, being passionate about it. I think it is also very important. Yeah.
107
00:42:43.647 --> 00:43:12.470
You know, I don't know, how do you sit on that side of the fence? Are you like someone that is more towards like, no, you should work because if you're not di-average, then you've got to be working all the time. You've got to push it. Like you can't have a day off, surely. Or you're the kind of person that's like, nah, chase off your dreams, do the things you love. It's going to suck a little bit. Yeah. But you're going to have ultimately a good life. I'm a person of getting mega clear on what you want to do, what makes you happy, not what fucking...
108
00:43:13.162 --> 00:43:41.512
your mates are doing or your mum thinks you should do or your fucking nan wanted you to do when you was younger. I think what you want to do, whatever that is, whether it's fucking lawn bowls or gardening or Ironman, whatever it is, if you do it, fucking do it. Like, go all in on it. That's where I'm at. If I want something, I won't wait until it bollocks off to try and become the best at it that I can be, whether that's in business, whether that's,
109
00:43:41.967 --> 00:44:11.347
in sport or whatever I'm doing, that's where I'm at with it. So I'm not work your tits off and you fucking die at 50. I'm definitely not that. I could do a lot more with my business where I'm not as present with my kids and I'd earn a lot more money, but I choose not to because I like picking my kids up from school and I like being able to see them when most lads wouldn't get to or building a business. But at the same time, I work my tits off to get to that point. I had to earn that.
110
00:44:11.667 --> 00:44:39.106
I could now go and go again, but I'm at a semi-comfortable spot where I don't need as much of that stuff. So I get a bit more, I'm very black and white. I see everything like scales, like even with time and money, like if I want more money, then I need to lose a little bit of time. If I want more time, then you're probably going to have to lose a little bit of money and pay out some more over it. And that's just how I sort of see everything. So yeah, go all in, give it your absolute fucking all, but just make sure it's what you want to be doing. I've got mates that,
111
00:44:40.456 --> 00:45:04.655
Start at five every day and finish at nine every night. For me, I couldn't think of anything worse. In jobs they don't like as well. I couldn't think of anything worse. I say it all the time, like all the fucking time. We're here once, aren't we? We get one go, literally one go, and we're all going to cop it. And I think half of us walk around thinking that we're going to live forever. And we definitely fucking aim.
112
00:45:07.270 --> 00:45:24.837
Unless you're Brian Johnson, who's trying to live forever. Which, he won't live forever, because he'll get hit by a bus. Yeah, so, well. Yeah, and do what you love. That's my big thing. Do what you fucking love doing at the end of the day. Whatever that is, do that. But just do it with everything you've got.
113
00:45:27.689 --> 00:45:57.507
I love it, man. I've got a question I ask all my guests, man. And obviously the podcast, as you know, is called the Perform Well podcast. So I'm trying to collect guests' ideas and meanings behind what it means to perform well. And I find that answer, or that question, so to speak, gives a completely different answer for each person. But what does it mean to you to perform well? Doing what I said I'd do. End of.
114
00:45:58.958 --> 00:46:24.035
If I do what I say I was going to do, then to me, I couldn't do any more. I said to my boy, Sash Stupid, in his little sports day race, Ron, he said, I'm going to try absolutely all this stuff. I said, if you come last, mate, or you come first, I'll be just as proud as long as you go out there and do exactly that, what you just said, what you can do. You can't do any more than that. For me, that's it. I'm happy to finish absolutely bang last. If I put the training in,
115
00:46:24.490 --> 00:46:46.765
I've nailed every single session and I've gone out there on the day and given my absolute everything. If I come last, then I'm absolutely... Sorry, your audio's gone there, mate. Hello? Sorry, mate, I lost you then.
116
00:46:47.980 --> 00:47:15.301
Yeah, no, I heard the audio go. I'm sure it'll be fine. Yeah, I think it's a problem. I mean, it cut off. That's okay. I got the general gist of what you said, obviously the last bit about your kids. Just to end it, obviously, is there anything that you would like to tell your kids, say they were 20 years old today and they were watching back on this, looking back at their dad on the podcast that will probably then be ridiculously everywhere? Is there anything you would like to tell them?
117
00:47:17.545 --> 00:47:44.360
Exactly what I know. It's only what I've just said to you previously. Just give me a clear up on what you want to do and go ahead and do that. Just give it to the best of your ability. That is literally it. And I'd say that to anyone. Like I said, we've all been here forever. Spend whatever time we have got doing what we want to do, not what someone else fucking tells us we should be doing. I love that, man. What's next for you, though, mate? What's next for you?
118
00:47:46.418 --> 00:48:13.334
Well, in terms of sport and fitness, it's the 200 miler in Manchester. And then next year, I'm doing the race across Scotland, which is 215 miles. So lots of running, mate. I feel like there's some public speaking coming up at some point, yeah? Yeah, there's been...
119
00:48:15.173 --> 00:48:44.333
there's been quite a few people that have asked me to do stuff. I've never done anything like that before. I've said yes to a couple and a lot of it's around mental health and stuff, which is obviously hard for a lot of people to talk about. I can only, I can only talk how I talk and see the world. I see things and learn it. When I started talking on Instagram, it was literally me six months ago in my car. I just started, I always talk to myself anyway and I just started pressing record and speaking from the heart of my thoughts out there. And I genuinely, I know everyone says it, but I genuinely mean it. I've,
120
00:48:45.430 --> 00:49:03.031
I thought if it helped someone or helped some people, then amazing. Never expected the reaction that it got and get hundreds and hundreds of messages in my inbox, like stuff. I actually, I screenshot them all now and crop them. So there's names on in them, but they're, they're absolutely, they blow my brain every day. And,
121
00:49:03.908 --> 00:49:30.942
That's why I'll keep doing it because of that. And it makes you, after a while, you start to realise, well, it's resonating with people and it's helping. So all the while it's helping, I'll keep doing it. If people want me to come and speak or whatever they want me to do, then, yeah, I'm definitely game for that. It's something I want to get better at and want to improve on. I've also got other things in the pipeline. I can't say too much at the moment, but I'm hoping they're going to come through. So, yeah, it's exciting, mate. Everything's exciting and it's all built around,
122
00:49:32.849 --> 00:49:55.445
just working hard and doing what I said I do, exactly what I just said. So let's see what's to come. I know one thing is I'll give him my absolute all whatever I do. So exciting times. Well, I love it, man. Is there anything that you want to tell the audience anywhere you want to lead them? Instagram, for example, is there anything that you wanted to promote that's coming up on your side?
123
00:49:57.301 --> 00:50:10.413
Yeah, Luke W Bland on Instagram, if anyone wants to find me. But yeah, most of it will be on there. Anything that I do coming forward as well will be on there. So that's what I mainly use, yeah.
124
00:50:12.050 --> 00:50:38.999
Yeah. Well, I mean, it's been a pleasure. Obviously, I can only say that I resonated with what you said on Instagram. I love the opportunity to talk to you on here, mate. It's been a pleasure. We could be going on for hours. I appreciate you've got things to do today, mate. So, you know, I think we'll leave it there. But by all means, come on again. Maybe we can do an in-person at some point. You never know. 100% mate. Yeah, I've been around 100 all the time. So yeah, definitely.
125
00:50:40.113 --> 00:50:49.445
Yeah, next time you get a partner for a 200 mile waist, let me know. I'll come down. I'll jump in. Yeah. All right, sweet. All right. Top guys.
1
00:00:00.031 --> 00:00:18.880
I'm a person of getting mega clear on what you want to do, what makes you happy. Not what fucking your mates are doing or your mum thinks you should do or your fucking nan wanted you to do when you was younger. What you want to do, whatever that is, whether it's fucking inborn bowls or gardening or Ironman, whatever it is.
2
00:00:19.218 --> 00:00:35.941
But if you do it, fucking do it. Like, go all in on it. That's where I'm at. If I want something, I won't wait to do bollocks off to try and become the best at it that I can be. Whether that's in business, whether that's in sport, or whatever I'm doing, that's where I'm at with it. So I'm not working to stuff.
3
00:00:35.941 --> 00:00:51.787
and you fucking die at 50. I'm definitely not that. I could do a lot more with my business where I'm not as present with my kids and I'd have had a lot more money. I choose not to because I like picking my kids up from school. I like being able to see them when most lads wouldn't get to building a business. But at the same time,
4
00:00:52.276 --> 00:01:19.006
I worked my tits off to get to that point. I had to earn that. Welcome back to another podcast, guys. Today, my guest, he has one message and it has stopped over 3 million people mid-scroll. We're all going to die. And most of us are sleepwalking through whatever time we have got left. He's a dad. He's an Ironman, which is a good one. And he's also run 100 miles in one go. Plus, he's built, obviously, a pretty hefty Instagram following from his message in a very short amount of time. Luke Bland, welcome to Perform Well, man. How are we doing?
5
00:01:19.782 --> 00:01:29.182
I'm good, mate. Thank you very much. What an intro. I know, mate. Hopefully I got it right. Sometimes I don't, but all that checks out, mate. Bang on, yeah.
6
00:01:29.587 --> 00:01:54.089
Yeah. I mean, mate, as I said, the reason why, you know, we're doing this today is not the following. It's the message. It's the don't die average. I'm someone that if I was to be honest with myself, I don't want to die average. And so for me, I get sucked into things like that. And it just gives me that kind of like, what's the word? Passion, so to speak, to talk about this with you because you've lived such an insane life.
7
00:01:54.089 --> 00:02:09.935
ultra endurance type lifestyle and people like you tend to have something that a lot of people don't so I want to dive into it a little bit Yeah sounds good mate yeah yeah don't die average it was something that I come up with, I'm obsessed with not
8
00:02:10.441 --> 00:02:30.353
Being average, whatever I've ever done, whether that's good or bad, has always been the absolute extreme. Really do things by halves, whether that was drinking and doing drugs or everything I'm doing now with endurance sport or whatever. So, yeah, that's where that came from. Are you a man in your 30s, are you, by chance? 36, yeah.
9
00:02:30.691 --> 00:02:58.197
36. So we're similar age then. So we've both had a bit of a period of our life going into, well, from our 20s now moving into, what, midlife at 40, I believe. You know, if we last till 80, who knows. And it's interesting, isn't it? There's something about 35 that I've noticed that changes your thinking a little bit. Is that something that happened to you recently? Yeah, so, well, I was 32,
10
00:02:58.670 --> 00:03:27.897
Drinking, doing drugs on weekends. It was getting to a point where I'd lost control a bit. So that was my tapping point. Why I found out, like a quick backstory, why I found out. And there was a case of either knocking on the head or I was probably going to lose everything. That was a big, I'm very black and white. See, if I've got to stop doing this to not lose that, then I'm going to do it. And never had a drink again since. Never done any drugs since.
11
00:03:28.336 --> 00:03:54.661
Needed somewhere else to put all that energy and it ended up going into running and, yeah, ultra endurance sport. But it's only been, what, three, four years and I've only started doing the ultra stuff really the last year and a half, two years, to be honest. Really? What was it before that? So I did, just to start with, it was like in the year and then High Rocks, sort of like fell in love with the High Rocks stuff a lot of emotional.
12
00:03:55.420 --> 00:04:23.872
folks our age and uh but did quite a few of them and again same thing again wanted to meet more so absolutely love running always wanted to do Ironman being Ironman ever since even when I was on the pit and whatever it was always like a massive thing so signed up to Ironman Barcelona not being able to swim and gave myself about nine months to be able to get that done to you that was last year
13
00:04:25.390 --> 00:04:44.932
Yeah, talk me through that because, so you may not know this, but I'm doing Ironman, my first Ironman in August this year in Leeds. And so for me, I'm completely new. I'm trying to hopefully, you know, complete it. And the swim I've noticed is actually one of those things that I'm a little bit most nervous about. So what was your experience with the swim?
14
00:04:46.113 --> 00:05:11.510
I was exactly the same, mate. I couldn't swim nine months before. As in, literally, I could swim to the other end and I'd be absolutely blowing. Spent the whole nine months absolutely flapping about whether I was going to be able to get in. Barcelona did a sea swim as well, so I was worried about that. I'd never swam in the sea. To be honest, mate, the actual day, you don't really get much time to...
15
00:05:11.982 --> 00:05:38.392
You're running in and that's it. You're in amongst it. And you're going to get it done, aren't you, at that point? You're out in the middle of the sea. So, yeah, it was absolutely horrendous. I think I came out of the water out of the men. I think there was, like, I don't know, 1,800 in the race or something. I came out nearly last. I think I overtook about 1,000 people on the bike and the run because I just couldn't swim very well. So, yeah, I was nearly last out of the water, swallowed off the Mediterranean. And, yeah.
16
00:05:40.417 --> 00:06:04.936
Yeah, it was horrendous, absolutely horrendous, but it got done, and once you're out of the water, you sort of know at that point, you're going to get it done. I also hadn't really rode a bike massively before I started training for Ironman. Obviously, you ride a bike as a kid. I've never been on a road bike or anything like that, but you sort of fall in love with that. I'm sure you are falling in love with that pretty quick, going out and adventuring on the bike, and then running is just something that...
17
00:06:05.915 --> 00:06:34.906
I've picked up very quickly, I suppose. It's something that I've got fairly good at quite quick. So once I got into the... I think I ran a three and a half hour marathon at the end of the Ironman. So I was very happy with that. Mate, that's insane. That's actually insane. I think I'm on track for a 320 if it's just a marathon. But for this, I'm probably about four and a half hours, I reckon. Three and a half. I think you'll... I think you'll surprise yourself if you can run a 320 standalone. My...
18
00:06:36.205 --> 00:06:57.822
My first ever marathon was last year in the London Marathon. I ran a 3.05 and then I ran a 3.5. Hang on, 3.31 I think it was in Barcelona. So yeah, fuel it, mate. Absolutely big. I don't know what you said about the bike though. I think the bike is quite painful to be honest with you. I think running is more enjoyable than a bike. That might just be me though.
19
00:06:58.447 --> 00:07:16.705
See, I've had enough with the training for the bike, being able to go out and just... I live in Kent, so you get out in the countryside and just sort of on my own, just for hours on end, getting lost almost. So that's sort of what I've now fallen in love with, the ultra running, going out on the trails and just running...
20
00:07:17.178 --> 00:07:41.967
for the love of running, no looking at pace or any of that, just going out and just loving being out there and running and testing yourself. Whereas when I was training for Ironman and Marathon, all that sort of stuff, you're constantly checking your pace and you're trying to hit spits and all that sort of stuff, and you're going to the track sessions, which is all great and I love it. But I don't know, I think you evolve over time, then you find what you love. And I thought I loved the High Rock stuff and then,
21
00:07:42.338 --> 00:08:05.558
got into triathlon i was like yeah this is it but i never liked the swimming even from there was never one point where i thought not even open water swimming oh i just hated it it was so boring didn't enjoy it at all the biking i'd be able to love for but i just trust that i absolutely love running so and i love the really long stuff like that's where i think because it just tests you so much like the
22
00:08:06.520 --> 00:08:32.744
100 miles and that sort of stuff. I think many would hear you say High Rocks and then Iron Man. And I think, well, an Iron Man is like ridiculously much. This is a lot harder, right, than High Rocks, I would say. But then you do have experience before this. I'm pretty sure on your Instagram I saw something about you were in the Marines. You did Marine training at Limston. Yeah. Yeah, so when I left school, I left school early.
23
00:08:34.651 --> 00:08:58.259
the end of year nine, whatever that is. So I didn't get very far into school. And I said I wanted to join the Royal Marines. I went down and passed all the pre-selection stuff. Come back from there and said to mum, I'm going to the Royal Marines. That's it. So I didn't go to school. I left school. And yeah, I was down in Livingston for six months. I didn't pass out. I jacked. I think I was...
24
00:08:59.609 --> 00:09:22.762
I was probably a tad too young. I was just turned 17 when I left. And you're down there with like 25-year-old blokes who are a lot bigger and stronger than you. But let's have it right, I didn't get it done. I didn't finish it. And I think there's an element of that there now why I am so determined to do some of this hard stuff. There's probably something still itching away at me that I didn't quite get a job done. I got to like 20 weeks in.
25
00:09:23.791 --> 00:09:52.765
I think it's 32 weeks Royal Marine training but that was the it was the best thing I ever did and joining the Royal Marines from school because you're just exposed to such an extreme level of discipline and fundamentals at such a young age it's just something you can carry with you for like three whole lives it's something I talk to my kids about every single day it's just like I call it world class basics it's like manners being on time and working hard that's all I've really got yeah I'm not telling you anything not
26
00:09:53.407 --> 00:10:13.252
definitely not academically any good but i think them three things you can get pretty far so on top of that obviously you're getting smashed every day as well but like physically you're getting absolutely beasted so yeah there's probably an element of one talks about building your engine and stuff i was probably doing that from a very young age yeah
27
00:10:14.973 --> 00:10:35.948
I'll tell you something, mate. One thing we have in common, right, apart from our age, is I also joined the Marines when I was younger. I joined the reserves and I went through the process of going to Limston, etc. I didn't pass out either. I got to what was week 28, I think, or 26, but in the reserve capacity. So it was more like a year-long process at that point.
28
00:10:36.640 --> 00:11:04.805
Yeah, and I can't agree with you more, mate. Like, I have the same thing going on now in my life where, you know, at 35 that I'm thinking, like, I'm trying to prove myself. And it was only this year, doing the Ironman, I noticed that I was doing this not to get people's attention anymore. It was just for me to prove that I can actually complete things that I say I'm going to do. Because failing that at such a young age was pivotal. Like...
29
00:11:04.805 --> 00:11:24.160
And for anyone that doesn't know, like Marine training is insane. Like I've had the privilege of joining other regiments and like the, the level between the Marines, other regiments is like that. It's insane. Like the Marines have an insane level of organizational capacity, discipline, you know, they want you to be, you know, immaculate condition at all times, constant pressure.
30
00:11:25.561 --> 00:11:52.983
It is one of the toughest units, man. The fact that you even got 20 weeks in at such a young age without any kind of, I would say, support from anyone throughout that process, it's hard, man. You've done really well to get that far. Yeah, I think at a young age, you go down there and you're exposed to that. Effectively, you leave it home, which is something I never even thought about. It's only the last year that I really thought about it properly. And...
31
00:11:54.046 --> 00:12:16.962
Yeah, you're leaving home, you're going down there and you walk straight in on the first day and you have 60 other blokes in that foundation block and you're a young lad. Without being fucking cruel, you've never even seen a fucking other knot before. And all of a sudden there's 60 of them walking around and you're getting taught things that you never thought you even needed to know. But like, that was a bit like being amongst a group of lads and...
32
00:12:18.262 --> 00:12:43.895
like absolute just standards in every single thing you do if you're it doesn't matter if you're a second late or if you're an hour late you're gonna get absolutely rinsed for it and yeah it's something that I definitely have carried with me my whole life and always will because it's it's just fundamentals let's be honest everyone should have we should all be able to do it but especially nowadays no one can can they like being polite being on time and all that sort of stuff it's
33
00:12:44.502 --> 00:12:56.770
It's something that should just be normal, but it's not. And I talk to my kids about it all the time. I'm like, look, be polite. Be on time and work really, really hard. That's all your dad's got. And if you can do that, then you're probably not going to go too far wrong.
34
00:12:58.998 --> 00:13:23.939
Would you say that's the most important lesson you learned from the Marines that you'd want to impart on, say, your children and everyone else listening? Or is there other stuff too? Is there anything that you can take from that experience that you think that everyone could probably take away and live a much happier, healthier life? I think for me, that was such a big thing. I was a little shit before I went down there. I didn't finish school. I was a right little fucker. And
35
00:13:24.226 --> 00:13:49.758
All of a sudden you're down there. It was 2007, 2006, 2007. Afghanistan just started. These lads who were training you have just... A lot of them have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan has started. You were fully aware that if you passed out, you would be going straight to Afghanistan, basically. So it was all very real. But cutting through all that, the physical stuff and everything else...
36
00:13:50.804 --> 00:14:18.884
It's just that world-class basics. Everything they make you do is for a reason. I remember being told to do something. I was thinking, what? I thought I had the answer. I look back now and every single thing they make you do is for a reason, whether it's to try and break you or to try and... Or there is just genuinely a reason behind it. Being in that environment as well of just... Everything they do is absolutely world-class. It's contagious, isn't it? It makes you want a bit more of it. I remember leaving...
37
00:14:19.610 --> 00:14:43.201
When I pulled away on the train leaving Nymphston, I remember thinking, well, I've just turned 17. I didn't finish school, so that's a fail. And now I've just fucking failed at the one thing that I wanted to do would be a Royal Marine. You're thinking, at an early stage in your life, you've been exposed to two massive failures, effectively, early doors. So it's not looking too great. Yeah.
38
00:14:46.272 --> 00:15:13.677
What happened after that? What was the next thing that you kind of aimed for? Was it a case of you just took some time off and just fucked around or did you plan something bigger or what? So it was struck back and Dad said to me, look, I've got your job scaffolding if you want with a lad at the pub or whatever. So yeah, I went and started scaffolding and I just absolutely loved it straight away. Again, a group of lads, all a lot older than me. Scaffolders are...
39
00:15:14.082 --> 00:15:43.478
fucking nightmare and I was obviously a nightmare I know yeah they are fucking we are a nightmare and yeah just you needed to be quite fit and strong to do it and for a young lad I was fit and strong because I'd just been the Royal Marines I found it fairly easy from well go because of what I'd been doing down there and I just loved being around the boys I was a really good group of lads who looked after me and yeah I'd done that I was straight into that so any sort of fitness stuff
40
00:15:44.356 --> 00:16:09.027
went out the window for about 15 years. Yeah? The scatty diet. Yeah, got very good at drinking. Sausage rolls, energy jigs. Yeah, exactly that. I mean, in some way, when you get a group of guys together, you just have this, like, what is it? It's like there's meaning to when a group of guys are together and they're working on a job together.
41
00:16:09.820 --> 00:16:29.024
And it's hard to explain. It's a little bit like you've got this deep-seated meaning for your life when you're doing the job. But then when you don't have the job, suddenly you're left thinking like, well, what am I supposed to be doing with my life? Is that kind of what we're trying to get at in terms of like you around the group of guys, you're all having fun together, et cetera?
42
00:16:29.615 --> 00:16:54.151
Yeah, and when you're a young lad, it's especially bad. It's good, isn't it, being around boys and becoming your mates. You go out together and you come to work hanging together. It's just all part of it. I had a great, from like, what, 17 to 25. It was just brilliant. Every weekend you're out and then you come in and graft all weekend and
43
00:16:55.265 --> 00:17:16.426
with the boys that you've been with sometimes and yeah, it's just brilliant being around that, that same environment. A lot of that probably comes from, I don't know, we play football at a young age and you're a group of lads there. And then obviously I've gone in the Royal Reins and around lads there. I looked up to and stuff. And then I've always been around older people, which I've loved. I'm like a sponge. You want to learn from them. And,
44
00:17:17.118 --> 00:17:29.015
And yeah, and that's where it went. I stayed in scaffolding. I still own a scaffold firm now, so I've got lads myself. And obviously a completely different role. I'm not on the tools anymore, but yeah, I love that.
45
00:17:31.411 --> 00:17:53.956
Do you think that's essential then for like, say, a man's mental health? Because that's a big, you know, topic these days is men's mental health and talking to people. Is that the best way for men to do it? To be in groups of other men speaking to each other? Or is there another way we're supposed to do it? You know, I always find it quite difficult to know the exact answer to that. But I find those times where you're around a group of guys...
46
00:17:53.956 --> 00:18:21.496
you just sort of feel better. You don't feel like you need to necessarily hide it. I think it's when you're behind a screen all the time and you're not talking to people that it's a lot worse. Yeah, 100%. It's probably therapy without calling it therapy, isn't it? Even if you're not talking about mental health or however we want to label, whatever the problem is with whoever's going there,
47
00:18:22.154 --> 00:18:40.784
you're talking to other blokes and without even knowing it, you're probably discussing things that are bothering you or whatever. It's the same as pubs, isn't it? Like if you grew up drinking in pubs and whatever, you're in there putting the world to rights and it's just time to vent and there's probably not enough of it anymore, to be fair. You don't see that as much, do you?
48
00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:54.942
Yeah, 100%. I want to talk about dads because you're a dad. I don't know how old your kids are. Have you been a dad for a while? Yeah, I've got a six-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl.
49
00:18:57.524 --> 00:19:25.098
I mean, brilliant. So, I mean, for dads out there, many dads, in fact, a lot of them said they have no time, they're stressed, they're quiet desperation that Joe Rogan and I saw talk about once on his podcast. What can we do about these dads out there that are probably watching someone like this? They want to go out there and do something epic like you have, but they're not sure where to start. I don't think they've got the time or it in them to go and do it. What can we say to those guys? Yeah.
50
00:19:28.135 --> 00:19:57.211
Time isn't a great one with me. I don't really, I don't, I don't have that. I've had the most mental, today I've got the most mental bail. Literally physically couldn't fit anything in. To train, I was getting an hour and a half running. So last night I went to bed an hour earlier. I got up an hour and a half earlier today and I ran at 4 o'clock this morning. But I don't want a fucking medal or nothing special. But to me, that is it. If it comes down, I get hundreds of blokes messaging me.
51
00:19:57.734 --> 00:20:23.924
about many different things to do, whether mental health or training and whatever. And most of the time I do say the same sort of thing. Like if it comes down to time, you can always find it. I do genuinely believe you can always find the time. I think you're kidding yourself. If you genuinely can't find an hour, and it hasn't got to be every day, but I don't know, four hours a week to go out and train, I just think you're on another plane to keep fit. And if you're looking at,
52
00:20:24.616 --> 00:20:54.029
obviously more like the Ironman stuff. Yeah, there's a lot more involved with that. That's obviously a lot harder. But I managed to do it off the back of family, business, and all the other stuff that comes with life. So I think time's a bit of a poor one when it comes to excuses in terms of a lot of people message me and say, I'm not that, I'm not like that. I'm not fair. None of us started off like that. I couldn't swim.
53
00:20:54.670 --> 00:21:14.060
I mean I think we all try and we want the quick answer we want to be able to do it tomorrow and I was exactly saying there's no like judgement at all you do and swimming's a frustrating one but that stacking days thing just doing it over and over and over and over again it's boring as fuck no one wants to do it but that is literally the only way to get better and especially when it comes to
54
00:21:14.448 --> 00:21:39.693
running or any of that endurance stuff you've just got to keep doing it it gets fucking boring there's days where you desperately don't want to do it today was one of them but you get out the door you get it done you just stack another one up and i know it sounds cliche but it is just a bit of a mindset thing you just keep doing it and before you know it the time you thought were impossible or things you thought were impossible to do
55
00:21:40.216 --> 00:22:05.377
You're bad at doing them like it's nothing. So anyone can do it. I believe anyone can do Ironman. I used to think when I was younger, you had to be like Superman to be able to do it. And it was a massive thing for me to do Ironman because it was something that I was desperate to do. But I genuinely think if you just stack the days, then all of a sudden you are capable of getting yourself through an Ironman. It's a long fucking day, but you can get it done.
56
00:22:06.102 --> 00:22:26.318
Yeah. I say that about a marathon. I say it's just putting one foot in front of the other and not stopping. It's just that simple. Yeah, and it's the same with the training, isn't it? Yeah, you're right about it. It's just training day after day of training, together over and over again. The thing is, no one wants to do it. And years ago, I wouldn't have wanted to do it. I couldn't have thought of anything worse than...
57
00:22:27.297 --> 00:22:48.509
putting a 16-week marathon or a 12-week marathon block together. So what, go and run for a few hours and get a medal? It becomes a bit of a, it just becomes routine. It becomes normal, doesn't it? And obviously, if you can fall in love with it on the way, then great, because I have and I absolutely love running. It's the one time where I've got a very busy brain on,
58
00:22:49.066 --> 00:23:00.592
chronic overthinker and everything else. It's the one time where I can go out and thoughts will come into my head and I'll just let them go. I don't think too deeply about anything. Something might pop in about
59
00:23:01.807 --> 00:23:26.191
something really important to do with work or business or whatever and then I fly off like ass and I'm thinking about a fucking something completely different and you just let them come and go I don't ever have to get too deep about it so that's what I love about going out running now I've fallen in love with that by just doing it over and over again because when I started it I didn't like it and by forcing myself to just get better I've fallen in love with the actual sport
60
00:23:28.267 --> 00:23:52.145
Are you a runner that can do it without music or do you have to listen to tunes? Yeah, 100%. I got 22 hours into my 100 miler with no music. I didn't have music on. I will listen to music. I'll take my headphones. I have headphones on, you know, them open shocks ones. If a call comes in or whatever, and every now and again I'll put music on. But no, I can quietly run without music.
61
00:23:54.119 --> 00:24:18.166
It's like a therapy, isn't it? And there's actually a quote here. I don't normally do quotes, but there's one that kind of works well with this situation. It's the quote that the true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching. And it's the training that people don't see. So like everyone thinks of the Ironman and I think, oh, the race, you know, I'm going to be there on the day swim. I'm going to wear the trisuit. Everyone's cheering me. Get to the end of it. Get the pitches. You know, look like I've absolutely nailed it.
62
00:24:18.166 --> 00:24:48.153
But to get to that point, you have to do the training. And the training is 95% of the battle, I would say. The race is actually the fun bit. You know, that's the bit that you just, you've got the adrenaline, you've got the inspiration to go and do it. But the training is the bit that, as you were saying, is boring and dull and you have to go out there when the weather's shit or the weather's even good, to be fair. It's just everyone's enjoying themselves having a beer by the pub and you're running past it and you're thinking, I just wish I could join and have a beer with them. You know what I mean? And like, how do you get through that, Luke? Like, what's your strategies, man?
63
00:24:48.153 --> 00:25:13.094
i that that's the bit i love i love the no one watching the bit the going out and doing it when no one's and i'm not just saying that because it that's what i loved about the hundred mile iron man was amazing you write out that red carpet obviously there's hundreds of people screaming and all the music and fireworks and whatever else when i crossed the line of the hundred miler there was my wife my two kids and i think two other women stood there like
64
00:25:15.153 --> 00:25:29.294
That's it, nothing. And I thought it was just brilliant how it was so understudied. You've just done this epic thing. You've effectively ran for 23 hours straight. And there was no big fan threat at the end. And that's sort of a bit that I thought were in love with the ultra running. Because...
65
00:25:30.003 --> 00:25:49.882
Like you said, that's 95% of the battle, probably even more. You are going to turn up on the day and that is the celebration or whatever. But it's true. If you can't do it when no one's watching, especially in this endurance stuff, you've got absolutely no chance because you've got to do so much of it. Everyone loves going to the gym and having a chat and obviously like,
66
00:25:51.232 --> 00:26:20.425
do their weight session or whatever. But when you're doing all this ultra stuff, you have to do 15, 20 hour weeks. And for 95% of it, you're on your own. I run on my own every single day. At the weekend, I might run with one of my pals who comes out with me. But even then, when I go into, I'm doing a 200 miler in November. And so my tracking block started for that now. And when I go into the big stuff for that,
67
00:26:21.269 --> 00:26:50.817
which will be like back-to-back 50s and stuff like that, 50 miles. I will do the majority of that on my own because for me, it's all well and good running with someone. My mate Ben would come with me maybe and do one, and then we're there talking and you're helping each other out and whatever. If you did that the whole way through training, then I get to Manchester at the back end of November. It's pitch black, pissing down the rain, and I do it on my own. And you're used to having someone there to talk to.
68
00:26:52.640 --> 00:27:13.042
It's not really going to... I've got a challenge for you. I've got a challenge for you. If you're going to do a 200-mile run, I've got a challenge for you. I'm just going to get it up real quick. Where is it? Okay, it's called the tunnel. Have you heard of it? I've seen it, yeah. You've heard of it, yeah? The tunnel. It's an idiot. A mile back and forward. Is that right?
69
00:27:14.780 --> 00:27:41.003
No headphones. I think you get a torch. I think you're obviously allowed a light and that's about it. And then obviously your food and drink at each station. But imagine the training for that. Imagine the training for that. Yeah, well, a lot of the stuff for this 200 miler is, you can only do so much. So I was training for my 100 miler, but I was doing 40 milers back to back, then 50 milers back to back. And when you're running 100 miles in a weekend, like Saturday, Sunday, it takes up.
70
00:27:41.695 --> 00:28:10.130
nine hours a day each day. It's basically a whole day of running each day. You can't really, at that point, you can't really do any more than that. So I said to the girl who coached me, Beck, where do we go for 200 miles? She said, it'll be very, very similar to be honest. There's some sleep deprivation stuff. You might run however long and then go and rest and then go and do it through the night as well to get used to that. But even now, I mean, I've not done enough of it to know, but I don't know how you can train sleep deprivation. Surely it's just a case of,
71
00:28:11.716 --> 00:28:40.538
you just manage it. If you need to sleep that desperately, you have your 10 minutes sleep on the trail or whatever. But yeah, it's another challenge. And I'm absolutely buzzing for it. And that's how I know when I want to do something. I was actually signing up for Ironman League. And because I've done Barcelona and I was like, yeah, I think I've got the bug and that. But I just couldn't get that excited about getting into another block, doing another Ironman. And I've done the 100 miler, absolutely.
72
00:28:41.365 --> 00:29:09.412
Most unbelievable experience, probably in my life, to be honest, especially in anything to do with sport. Like being on your own for 23 hours, no one's talked to you. You are just on your own, in your own head. You've got every excuse in the world to quit. You can so easily just step off and go, no one's really going to care apart from yourself. That's when you sort of like find out who you are. So I got so much out of that. I was like, well, what's next? I think with like the 200, your men are, from what I've seen,
73
00:29:10.070 --> 00:29:38.268
Men have banked a few hundred miles, as in like a few hundred mile races. So I've booked that one for the end of the year. And yeah, I'm buzzing for it. Because again, I don't know if I can get it done. Go on, mate. Go for it. No, no, go for it. Go for it, mate. I was going to say, it's that element of you don't know if you can get it done. Like the hundred mile was exactly the same. I knew physically I could do it, but there's so much there that can go wrong, whether it's nutrition or...
74
00:29:39.078 --> 00:30:05.707
like feet management, most people, the mental side of it, you just can't hack it for that long. And this 200 is going to add a whole new aspect to that because I've done the 123 hours and something. This is going to be multi-day. I'll be running for three days upwards. So you've got so much more to add in. It's just mental now. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so, but that's what excites me now, that whole thing of, can you get it done?
75
00:30:07.951 --> 00:30:28.572
Is that what it is? Is it the challenge to know that you've got it? Or is it something else? Yeah, no, it is that. That's what draws me to this ultra stuff so much is the whole thing of... Like, for me to go and do another Ironman this year, Ironman Leagues, would have been great. But...
76
00:30:30.732 --> 00:30:52.535
And it would have been harder than Barcelona because Leeds is a tough course. So you're going to have fun there. So there is that. But it just didn't scare me. It didn't scare me enough like the 100-mile did and like the 200-mile does. That's how I know when I should sign up for something. It needs to scare me but also be equally excited. And that's exactly how I feel. I'm absolutely buzzing.
77
00:30:53.142 --> 00:31:11.570
to go out there and have a go, but at the same time, it scares the life out of me, and I genuinely don't know what to do when I'm out there doing it. Plus, it's an adventure, isn't it? 200 miles, mate. Yeah. You're out in nature, right? So you get to see things, and I can imagine, you know,
78
00:31:12.430 --> 00:31:37.642
The adventure is the ups and downs, isn't it? It's not always the good high points. In fact, the low points make the high points higher, which is what makes it so addictive. As you know, if you do a long run, even a marathon, for example, you go through phases where you have dips and then you go back up, you have dips, you go back up. And those bits that are high are so bloody, what's the word? Addictive, so to speak, that you just...
79
00:31:38.232 --> 00:32:07.055
Do it for those moments. But if you didn't have social media for a second, let's say you didn't tell anyone about this, would you still do it? 100%. Someone else asked me this, actually. And if I'm being 100% completely authentic and honest, the one thing that I've ever done that is 100% yes to that is this ultra running stuff. Iron Man...
80
00:32:07.730 --> 00:32:33.903
I wanted it desperately because I've known about it since being a little boy and that was the thing I wanted to do. But don't get me wrong, you see so much of it on social media now, there is an element of like, yeah, it's cool to do. Like you get hooked in. This ultra running stuff, no, that's all for me. Because I know how hard it is. I know how disciplined you've got to be. There's no cheating it. You're not going out there and, don't get me wrong, you're not cheating a marathon either. But there's an element of you could have a bit of natural talent with running and...
81
00:32:35.135 --> 00:33:00.110
even me like i'd never really ran and then i've done that my first marathon was like a 305 but i know if i'd have put another marathon block together there's a really good chance i'd have i'd have got my sub three that i wanted or whatever with it's ultra stuff you've you've got to be mega mega disciplined you can't be missing week to train and stuff like that it's just gonna catch up and also that thing of being out there when it's really shit like you've got to go out there and
82
00:33:00.785 --> 00:33:25.253
It's pissing down, you've got a long run. And when I say a long run, it's like 50, 60, 70k. You ain't going out and, oh, I'll miss that one. And I'll try and make up for it next week. You ain't got time to make up for it next week. You miss it, you miss it. So I don't miss sessions. I never, ever, ever miss a training session. Bex, my coach, will say that. It gets done no matter what. I'll go out in the middle of the night if I need to to get it done. I train early. I always train at the crack of dawn.
83
00:33:25.861 --> 00:33:41.133
Because I know they've done then and it takes a massive, and that's something I will say to people actually, is they're listening. I'm training and a lot of men ask me this. Funnily enough, actually, I put a story up this morning of me out riding at the crack of dawn and a couple of people messaged me saying like,
84
00:33:41.723 --> 00:34:10.782
I have every intention of doing it, but I just can't do it tonight when I get back. And for me, if you can, try and train early doors. Like, get it done as early as possible in the day. Because you can have all the will in the world to train at 7 o'clock at night. But something that's slightly wrong at work, or if you commute the train desk, or wherever, not only do you then get pissed off that all that's happened, but you're also going to miss your training, or it gets pushed further back, and then you miss family time. So for me, I just try and train as early as I can in the day, so it's done. It's banked.
85
00:34:13.398 --> 00:34:28.619
That's brilliant. That's brilliant advice for people, I think. Especially those that consider themselves night owls and they still don't do it. I want to talk about social media because you're at that kind of point whether you want to call yourself an influencer or not, but...
86
00:34:28.619 --> 00:34:55.248
you're at that point where you've got a following. People are listening in to you is the main thing, right? You get a lot of comments from people all the time. You've said earlier you get DMs, hundreds of DMs from men and probably other women as well. But with social media, do you think that's partly to blame with people's ability to not even start doing things? It's because they see the highlight reel and they just think about what it's going to look like when they get the trophy in the middle. Yeah.
87
00:34:55.248 --> 00:35:16.409
but they don't look at the actual hard graft of actually going out there and doing it. Is that what you're seeing from your side when you look at social media? Or is it a case of it's starting to shift and people are now more interested on the unsexy part, doing the hard graft every day, doing the shit stuff? I think...
88
00:35:17.692 --> 00:35:35.849
Yeah, of course, it's like anything on Instagram. You see it and you naturally think, well, you know, I want to do that or I want that. I want that in result. Fortunately, I have anything in life. It takes time. It's the same as I'm building my business. You want all the,
89
00:35:36.710 --> 00:36:00.031
the great part of the business, you have to do the really shit stuff for years and years and years first. And yeah, I don't know if social media is necessary. I know what you're saying. I don't know if it's necessarily to blame. I think that's always been the thing people think that they can have the tiny object without putting in the work. And one thing I will say is that is the fucking good bit.
90
00:36:00.740 --> 00:36:30.288
The work is the good bit. You'll look back and go, you've all done exactly the same Ironman leads. I'll tell you now, running down that carpet in Barcelona, and I've said this before, was the most underwhelming feeling I've ever had in my life. And that's not to try and piss on your parade about Ironman, but you know you see the red carpet thing and it looks fucking amazing. Mate, I... It was so underwhelming. I actually walked out of the thing to see my missus and I was gutted because I was like, that was... I couldn't believe it. Two days later, or a couple of days later, once it starts to soak in,
91
00:36:30.895 --> 00:36:55.887
I was absolutely on cloud nine. Best thing I've ever done, loved it. But then when I started to go back through why that was, none of it was to do with the race. None of it was to do with being in Barcelona. It was all the little things along the way, learning to swim. There was another lad I did who did it with me who'd never swam. We learned to do it together, basically, and we went through the journey together, and you meet new people on the way, learning new skill, getting fitter, and going through all them really shit moments that...
92
00:36:56.680 --> 00:37:21.858
when you sort of think oh do i really need to do this but you get it done anyway that's that is the fucking good bit and i've learned that there's so much stuff in life even my business i look back now and we started off with nothing we had absolutely nothing i was sitting in a freezing cold field in january painting the scaffold fittings and scaffold tubes all i wanted was the big lorries and the fucking lads working for me and all that sort of stuff and i remember my
93
00:37:22.128 --> 00:37:40.910
Business partner's dad said, enjoy this bit. You'll look back and this will be the best bit. And I was like, fuck off, Neil, not a chance. And I look back now and it is the best memories I've got by an absolute mile. We're sitting in that field dreaming about all the bits that I get now. Because we're never, we're never ever happy. We always want more than we, we always want,
94
00:37:41.264 --> 00:38:07.758
the next big thing. I think sport and endurance sports are perfect. Look at me, I'm still doing it. I've done 100 miles. I've ran 100 miles. I didn't even know that was a, two years ago, I didn't even know that was possible for anyone. I've ran 100 miles and within three days, I've got to 200 miler because it's the next thing. So I talk about it a lot. Trying to live in the moment and be present and all that. And look, it's something I'm still massively trying to work on because it's hard. You do. And people like us are like, whether you want to call it
95
00:38:08.315 --> 00:38:33.948
addictive or fucking people say adhd whatever it's yeah it's a trait that comes with it you always want more and you always want the next big thing so yeah a little lesson there now moving talking to myself still is just enjoy the actual process of doing the thing it's not always about running across that line and i can honestly say that iron man is a perfect example of
96
00:38:34.707 --> 00:38:39.027
was the least underwhelming feeling I've ever had when I crossed that line.
97
00:38:41.575 --> 00:39:09.892
I love the attitude, man. Like, that's why I was so drawn to on Instagram. It's the attitude that you've got. Like, it might be just the time of my life that I'm at the moment, but I literally, this is probably the first year, actually, where I looked at what I was doing because I've done a few crazy challenges over the years. And I was thinking, I actually don't want to post about it on Instagram anymore. Like, at the beginning, I had this big plan. I'm going to post about the Ironman, Ironman day one, Ironman day two, stuff like that. And then I just realized one day, like,
98
00:39:10.212 --> 00:39:29.517
I don't care anymore. I'm doing it for me. And yeah, I'll post the photos at the end on Instagram. I'll show people that I've done something cool and I'll be like, yeah, look at this. This is decent. But I'm genuinely at a point in my life where it's changing. Like my mindset is changing around it. And I'm not so fussed about other people seeing my accomplishments, more so...
99
00:39:29.517 --> 00:39:55.707
just proving to myself that I can do it. And then that's what I relate to you on in terms of like what I see your message kind of brings out of me. Because you're impacting everyone. You're not just impacting obviously the 92,000 people that are on your Instagram. You're impacting the people that are not following you. You know, they're listening in and thinking, shit, do you know what? I'm actually have to think about this a little bit. I don't want to die average. But then the problem that I think, say, carry on.
100
00:39:55.927 --> 00:40:19.113
Sorry, I was going to say just on that quickly, what you said there as well, like, I'm not giving advice, but also do celebrate your, like you say about the Instagram thing, I totally get it, and I don't, I've shown the odd story on when I'm out running and whatever, all the stuff that I talk about now, it's just what's in my head every day, but I think you should celebrate your wins as well, like, I think that's a massive thing, you see people now moaning about, oh, fucking hell,
101
00:40:20.024 --> 00:40:44.223
all he does is talk about Ironman or running. Like, fuck all them people. If that's what you love doing, and I believe in this massively, if that's what you love doing, then yeah, fucking fly straight wherever you want. Like, that's for you at the end of the day. I don't think that should be something that you shouldn't celebrate. If you worked your bollocks off, but I just think don't lose the...
102
00:40:45.218 --> 00:41:11.982
big reason behind it which is like why are you I remember people talk about why's and why are you doing it but why are you actually doing it for me now the ultra running stuff it's it's stuff that not many people can do it's something that it's stuff that I don't even know if I can really do and that's why I do it you find out so much about and you'll do the same when you do Ironman you'll find out across that day it's a fucking long time you find out who you really are because again you've got every excuse to step off the course and
103
00:41:12.522 --> 00:41:33.363
You can make millions of people and you're still a bit injured or you've got all the reasons in the world to stop and that's when you find out the most about yourself. But at the same time, if you do get it done, then yeah, fucking celebrate it because you've worked your tits off for it and surely that's what we're all trying to do. Everyone that's in sport and in fitness, especially us lot who are like,
104
00:41:33.869 --> 00:41:57.207
Well, we said mid-30s. You want to go and achieve these really hard things. So fucking, yeah, get it out there and let people know what you've done. But I totally get what you're saying about that's not why you're doing it now. It's not for that because you don't need everyone to see what you're doing. But I think celebrate it at the end because you fucking worked your bollocks off for it. Yeah, I love that.
105
00:41:58.085 --> 00:42:21.558
I love that. And I saw you say this in one of your reels as well, which is great. It reminded me a little bit of Gary Vee, actually, because, you know, there's a lot of negative energy on Instagram that I see in terms of like putting, when I say negative, I mean putting pressure on, pressure on, pressure on. You have to work all the time, work all the time, work all the time, hustle till you die, that kind of mentality. And I get it to a large degree.
106
00:42:22.098 --> 00:42:42.652
But then Instagram has another whole field of people that I'm seeing coming out. And you kind of fit that bracket in some of the videos I've seen. But it's about enjoying the process, being present for sure. And not just work until you die, working on something that you actually love, being passionate about it. I think it is also very important. Yeah.
107
00:42:43.647 --> 00:43:12.470
You know, I don't know, how do you sit on that side of the fence? Are you like someone that is more towards like, no, you should work because if you're not di-average, then you've got to be working all the time. You've got to push it. Like you can't have a day off, surely. Or you're the kind of person that's like, nah, chase off your dreams, do the things you love. It's going to suck a little bit. Yeah. But you're going to have ultimately a good life. I'm a person of getting mega clear on what you want to do, what makes you happy, not what fucking...
108
00:43:13.162 --> 00:43:41.512
your mates are doing or your mum thinks you should do or your fucking nan wanted you to do when you was younger. I think what you want to do, whatever that is, whether it's fucking lawn bowls or gardening or Ironman, whatever it is, if you do it, fucking do it. Like, go all in on it. That's where I'm at. If I want something, I won't wait until it bollocks off to try and become the best at it that I can be, whether that's in business, whether that's,
109
00:43:41.967 --> 00:44:11.347
in sport or whatever I'm doing, that's where I'm at with it. So I'm not work your tits off and you fucking die at 50. I'm definitely not that. I could do a lot more with my business where I'm not as present with my kids and I'd earn a lot more money, but I choose not to because I like picking my kids up from school and I like being able to see them when most lads wouldn't get to or building a business. But at the same time, I work my tits off to get to that point. I had to earn that.
110
00:44:11.667 --> 00:44:39.106
I could now go and go again, but I'm at a semi-comfortable spot where I don't need as much of that stuff. So I get a bit more, I'm very black and white. I see everything like scales, like even with time and money, like if I want more money, then I need to lose a little bit of time. If I want more time, then you're probably going to have to lose a little bit of money and pay out some more over it. And that's just how I sort of see everything. So yeah, go all in, give it your absolute fucking all, but just make sure it's what you want to be doing. I've got mates that,
111
00:44:40.456 --> 00:45:04.655
Start at five every day and finish at nine every night. For me, I couldn't think of anything worse. In jobs they don't like as well. I couldn't think of anything worse. I say it all the time, like all the fucking time. We're here once, aren't we? We get one go, literally one go, and we're all going to cop it. And I think half of us walk around thinking that we're going to live forever. And we definitely fucking aim.
112
00:45:07.270 --> 00:45:24.837
Unless you're Brian Johnson, who's trying to live forever. Which, he won't live forever, because he'll get hit by a bus. Yeah, so, well. Yeah, and do what you love. That's my big thing. Do what you fucking love doing at the end of the day. Whatever that is, do that. But just do it with everything you've got.
113
00:45:27.689 --> 00:45:57.507
I love it, man. I've got a question I ask all my guests, man. And obviously the podcast, as you know, is called the Perform Well podcast. So I'm trying to collect guests' ideas and meanings behind what it means to perform well. And I find that answer, or that question, so to speak, gives a completely different answer for each person. But what does it mean to you to perform well? Doing what I said I'd do. End of.
114
00:45:58.958 --> 00:46:24.035
If I do what I say I was going to do, then to me, I couldn't do any more. I said to my boy, Sash Stupid, in his little sports day race, Ron, he said, I'm going to try absolutely all this stuff. I said, if you come last, mate, or you come first, I'll be just as proud as long as you go out there and do exactly that, what you just said, what you can do. You can't do any more than that. For me, that's it. I'm happy to finish absolutely bang last. If I put the training in,
115
00:46:24.490 --> 00:46:46.765
I've nailed every single session and I've gone out there on the day and given my absolute everything. If I come last, then I'm absolutely... Sorry, your audio's gone there, mate. Hello? Sorry, mate, I lost you then.
116
00:46:47.980 --> 00:47:15.301
Yeah, no, I heard the audio go. I'm sure it'll be fine. Yeah, I think it's a problem. I mean, it cut off. That's okay. I got the general gist of what you said, obviously the last bit about your kids. Just to end it, obviously, is there anything that you would like to tell your kids, say they were 20 years old today and they were watching back on this, looking back at their dad on the podcast that will probably then be ridiculously everywhere? Is there anything you would like to tell them?
117
00:47:17.545 --> 00:47:44.360
Exactly what I know. It's only what I've just said to you previously. Just give me a clear up on what you want to do and go ahead and do that. Just give it to the best of your ability. That is literally it. And I'd say that to anyone. Like I said, we've all been here forever. Spend whatever time we have got doing what we want to do, not what someone else fucking tells us we should be doing. I love that, man. What's next for you, though, mate? What's next for you?
118
00:47:46.418 --> 00:48:13.334
Well, in terms of sport and fitness, it's the 200 miler in Manchester. And then next year, I'm doing the race across Scotland, which is 215 miles. So lots of running, mate. I feel like there's some public speaking coming up at some point, yeah? Yeah, there's been...
119
00:48:15.173 --> 00:48:44.333
there's been quite a few people that have asked me to do stuff. I've never done anything like that before. I've said yes to a couple and a lot of it's around mental health and stuff, which is obviously hard for a lot of people to talk about. I can only, I can only talk how I talk and see the world. I see things and learn it. When I started talking on Instagram, it was literally me six months ago in my car. I just started, I always talk to myself anyway and I just started pressing record and speaking from the heart of my thoughts out there. And I genuinely, I know everyone says it, but I genuinely mean it. I've,
120
00:48:45.430 --> 00:49:03.031
I thought if it helped someone or helped some people, then amazing. Never expected the reaction that it got and get hundreds and hundreds of messages in my inbox, like stuff. I actually, I screenshot them all now and crop them. So there's names on in them, but they're, they're absolutely, they blow my brain every day. And,
121
00:49:03.908 --> 00:49:30.942
That's why I'll keep doing it because of that. And it makes you, after a while, you start to realise, well, it's resonating with people and it's helping. So all the while it's helping, I'll keep doing it. If people want me to come and speak or whatever they want me to do, then, yeah, I'm definitely game for that. It's something I want to get better at and want to improve on. I've also got other things in the pipeline. I can't say too much at the moment, but I'm hoping they're going to come through. So, yeah, it's exciting, mate. Everything's exciting and it's all built around,
122
00:49:32.849 --> 00:49:55.445
just working hard and doing what I said I do, exactly what I just said. So let's see what's to come. I know one thing is I'll give him my absolute all whatever I do. So exciting times. Well, I love it, man. Is there anything that you want to tell the audience anywhere you want to lead them? Instagram, for example, is there anything that you wanted to promote that's coming up on your side?
123
00:49:57.301 --> 00:50:10.413
Yeah, Luke W Bland on Instagram, if anyone wants to find me. But yeah, most of it will be on there. Anything that I do coming forward as well will be on there. So that's what I mainly use, yeah.
124
00:50:12.050 --> 00:50:38.999
Yeah. Well, I mean, it's been a pleasure. Obviously, I can only say that I resonated with what you said on Instagram. I love the opportunity to talk to you on here, mate. It's been a pleasure. We could be going on for hours. I appreciate you've got things to do today, mate. So, you know, I think we'll leave it there. But by all means, come on again. Maybe we can do an in-person at some point. You never know. 100% mate. Yeah, I've been around 100 all the time. So yeah, definitely.
125
00:50:40.113 --> 00:50:49.445
Yeah, next time you get a partner for a 200 mile waist, let me know. I'll come down. I'll jump in. Yeah. All right, sweet. All right. Top guys.
