MARATHON PREP Like a Pro: My Wife's Surprising Insights! #611

In this episode of the Man That Can Project podcast, Lachlan and Amy discuss the upcoming marathon challenge Lachlan is undertaking, exploring the dynamics of their relationship as he prepares for this significant physical endeavor.

They delve into the importance of support, the physical and logistical challenges of running multiple marathons, the financial aspects of sponsorship, and the nutritional needs for such an undertaking.

Additionally, they touch on the charity aspect of the challenge, emphasizing the importance of community involvement and mental health awareness.

Mentioned On Today's Show:
🤝 It's important to give time and space to achieve goals.
🤝 Sponsorship and financial planning are key to undertaking large projects.
🤝 Compromises in relationships can lead to greater support.

https://www.instagram.com/amysheppardpie/p/CyWxl3krCs6/?hl=en

Chapters

• 0:00 Marathon Preparation and Relationship Dynamics
• 10:05 Fundraising Challenges for Athletic Endeavor
• 16:30 Preparation and Planning for Adventure

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome back to the man that Can Project podcast. This is our first podcast we're recording in Australia, since we're back for a couple of weeks, which is going to be cool, and we've got the old school headset back on.

Speaker 2: 0:11

And, to be fair, I think I like it. What do you think I like it? Much better than what we've been using in Nashville.

Speaker 1: 0:17

Microphones. But today is going to be a fun one. Obviously, we run a podcast together called Couple Goals, and if you guys haven't or weren't aware of that and haven't listened to it, you can check that one out for all your. Basically, you just hear about us complaining about each other Pet peeves, pet peeves.

Speaker 1: 0:34

But this episode I wanted to bring Amy on to talk about the marathons. I thought it would be cool to find out, I guess, questions that she has about the run and also ask her questions, because I think a really important thing that I want to get across throughout this obviously the training block, but then also being apart for pretty much two months how we're going to try and navigate it from a relationship standpoint and why you're not allowing me to do it, because I think you would allow me, but I think in relationships, something of this significance in regards to time and it is very selfish you're allowing me to do that, so that's probably a good place to start. Why are you, as my wife of three years in 10 days' time, as my wife of three years in 10 days' time, allowing me to take on such a big adventure and, I guess, experience?

Speaker 2: 1:40

Well, I guess it would be very rich of me to deny you that experience, after you've sacrificed so much for my career and my goals and dreams. I really would love to see you achieve that for yourself, and I know that you can do it, and I think it's okay to be selfish for a couple of months, and I think you need to be selfish to achieve something so big. So I think, yeah, it's important that I give you the time and space to do that.

Speaker 1: 2:06

How do you think you're going to cope two months without me?

Speaker 2: 2:09

I think I didn't really think it was going to. I knew it was like 58 days. We didn't really think about how long, that is Significance in time. And we've spent a lot of time apart in the past, but it's been a long time since we've spent that long apart.

Speaker 1: 2:22

It's probably been about six years since we've spent two months apart oh my goodness at least I would say like probably the longest now is maybe 2022, when you're in nashville while I was doing my rowing for a month geez so, yeah, it's been a been a fair while um, so it'll be an interesting experience yeah, it's a.

Speaker 2: 2:42

I wish that I could be there more, because I want to be there for you, like you've been there for me. But I think maybe it'll be a good thing that I'm not there, because I think I'd be worried about you and stressing if you, you know, have a break.

Speaker 1: 2:56

Lose a toe now.

Speaker 2: 2:57

I think I would be just like that's it, you're done. I'd be more inclined to pull the plug, but maybe it's a good thing that I'm not there for all of it. I will try and get to some in Australia.

Speaker 1: 3:08

What do you feel like? Based off of what you know about me, but even just like, I guess, your understanding from marathons because you rode a marathon with me, I want to give people the understanding that it's not like you've never rode a marathon or anything like that, and obviously I'm running them. This time it's a little bit different, but there's still four hours plus, or potentially, of doing a physical challenge.

Speaker 2: 3:32

I think, with something like that, if you haven't done any marathons or challenges which take a long time, I think people think that it's going to be tough in terms of like cardio fitness. You know, that's what I always thought it would be like, oh, you're's going to be tough in terms of like cardio fitness. You know, that's what I always thought it would be like, oh, you're not going to make it. Like you don't have to like give up because your lungs give out. But it's not that. It's more like maybe like the blisters or the.

Speaker 1: 3:57

My feet look disgusting.

Speaker 2: 4:00

Or it's so cold that you can't see. You know, little things like that can. That's what makes a marathon or a challenge really, really difficult. I fully believe that you're going to get through, physically or in terms of, like, fitness-wise, you're going to make it. I do worry about your knees.

Speaker 1: 4:20

My knees.

Speaker 2: 4:22

Or your feet.

Speaker 1: 4:23

My feet yeah. I worry about the cold because it's gonna be snowing and, um, I don't know if you've ever experienced no like new york in winter is just the well, I haven't, definitely haven't been in new york in winter and you're going colder places like alaska and that's where we starting, obviously. But in my defense, like I've been to some cold places Japan, but even Nashville was minus 15 for a good week- you went running outside? Yeah, I was, were you. Yeah, yeah, remember, I bought that blue bandana, that's right.

Speaker 1: 4:58

So I understand what that feels like. However, I was only doing like max 10K, so I'm very intrigued to see how my body responds. But even having like the right shoes so they don't get cold and I don't get frostbite- yeah, because that's a real concern.

Speaker 2: 5:13

You might not even feel it, but you might get wet in a certain area.

Speaker 1: 5:17

Lose a toe.

Speaker 2: 5:18

Oh my God, Please don't do that.

Speaker 1: 5:19

It would be interesting. But yeah, it's going to be a fun challenge and that's the reason why I went and decided to go in winter was because you were playing a festival, so I really only had this small window right. So when I first talked to Amy about it, I remember I just interviewed the Iron Cowboy who did 50 Ironman in 50 days across 50 states, and I was really inspired by that. And one of the things that he said to me was, in order to do these things, like, you need the buy-in of especially if you're married like the buy-in of your family to do such a selfish because it is selfish such a selfish goal and you need to work out, like, how they can be involved and what the actual goal is, aside from just ticking that box. Like for me, you know, for him it's like how can he turn things that he loves and and build that into his career? You know he does public speaking and all of that sort of stuff.

Speaker 1: 6:16

And for me, being in the position I'm in in the US where I can't work, um, on the visa that I'm on and it's really hard to get an O1 visa unless you're like a special talent it sort of like ticked all of those boxes.

Speaker 1: 6:27

I've done multiple challenges before. It's perfect because I want to see more of the country in such a unique way, and it's also something that, like, scares me a little bit, but it's a story that no one can really tell because people have done the. You know, people keep tagging me saying you're not the first person, I'm not the first person to run 50 marathons in 50 days across 50 states. I'll be the first person to do all 50 states of America, then straight into Australia, with no rest, and so it's like the logistics of the time zone management and doing all of that, and that excites me because I chose to finish in Brisbane rather than start in Australia, so I finished with the home crowd, which is cool, but then you're playing a festival that day or the next day, depending on whether I miss any day. So when we sort of spoke about that, it's like, oh, if I go when I originally was going to go, which was April, till April.

Speaker 2: 7:17

May.

Speaker 1: 7:17

June till June. I would have missed all the tours and festivals and I didn't want to do that. So then it was like I do it now. Like, as we're speaking, it's September, which was my only other window. However, you got the Australian tour and I didn't want to miss that. So it left winter and I'm like, oh, I don't particularly want to run in the snow, but that's like the compromise. There's always a trade-off and I think it's a good thing from a relationship standpoint. There's always a trade-off and I think it's a good thing from a relationship standpoint. There's always trade-offs and compromises and it's like what's going to work for both of you, because maybe it would have been a bit harder, I think it would have been harder for both of us if you were touring.

Speaker 2: 7:54

For sure. And I was doing this and imagine if it was stinking hot Like that would be funny, though.

Speaker 1: 8:00

No, yeah, I think the cooler temperatures are going to be better on my heart rate and my recovery, like straight after a run. Just strip down into my jocks and lay in the snow.

Speaker 1: 8:12

Like that should be fun. But it is going to be interesting with the travel Like we got to experience that over the last couple of days, like we've been traveling a lot the last 10 weeks. So then also to be able to fly out of la to hawaii to sydney, which is going to be my I'll be going san fran to hawaii to sydney to to make it over to australia to experience what that feels like. And I got off and did you know I did a 25, 26k run in la before we got on the flight to hawaii. Then in hawaii I got off and did a run and then did a run the morning before we got on the flight to Hawaii. Then in Hawaii I got off and did a run and then did a run the morning before we flew back to Sydney. So it was like cool to be able to test that out and see how the body responded.

Speaker 2: 8:53

Yeah, how did it go?

Speaker 1: 8:54

It went pretty well. My feet are pretty sore at the moment, to be fair, which is a little bit frustrating.

Speaker 2: 9:00

It's a bit of a worry.

Speaker 1: 9:02

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 9:02

But anyway.

Speaker 1: 9:04

We will see what happens there, we will see. I have had this pain in my feet before when I was doing CrossFit, so I'm hoping it's just because I haven't done much strength training because we've been on the road, so a little bit of strength training will help.

Speaker 2: 9:14

Yep, and if you can prevent yourself from getting blisters, I think that'll help.

Speaker 1: 9:19

Yeah, band-Aid. My feet look horrible at the moment my heels and my toes.

Speaker 2: 9:24

They're about to get a whole lot worse. Yeah, they're about to get a whole lot worse, that's for sure.

Speaker 1: 9:29

What do you think are some things that maybe I'm not thinking about, that I should consider for this. Runner.

Speaker 2: 9:35

I was wondering like I'm a little worried about sponsorship and like how that's progressing, and what happens if you don't reach your targets? Like, who's going to pay for these flights? Because we're sure as hell, yeah well, yeah, that's the other challenge.

Speaker 1: 9:55

Like I think the biggest question I get asked or even not even a question, it's like a statement of how are you going to do it physically? And physically, I know the work that I'm putting in, I understand my mindset, so I think that for me, is not even a stress. The biggest stressor is how am I going to raise the funds to be able to keep my feet on the roads? Because essentially, I'm taking two weeks, two months off of work and even now, like now that we're back in Australia, I've got to double down on my training. Like I've got to be training 20 plus hours a week, which means and that's not including recovery Like I'm going to be pretty fatigued. So it's like a six-month commitment.

Speaker 1: 10:35

So to be able to make sure that I can still pay rent and, you know, do all those sorts of things pay for flights, pay for food, pay for our van that we're taking around the US. That's like a problem that's ahead of me. So I'm very fortunate that I have some great clients and some good contacts that have put their hands up, but obviously no money has come through yet. So this week I have some meetings on Tuesday and then next week I have four or five and also meeting with a PR firm as well. So I've got a plan on how to raise money, and if that doesn't work, well, I don't know this like is the challenge.

Speaker 1: 11:24

Off then no, it can't be on off because I've committed to it. So if I can't if I can't raise, if I can't raise even the money to just get over there and get started yeah, but as many about the flights and the van and the food and the shoes.

Speaker 1: 11:46

Yeah, like for me, I just don't see that as an option. Like, I'm very happy to call people and do all of that sort of stuff because I do believe that, like no one's ever done this before and the reason why we're doing it is, I believe it's like a powerful message and I think people want to be part of that and buy into that. So I feel like for me, from a sales standpoint, it's an easy sale because it's like you get to be part of something that's completely new and unique. It's part of a bigger picture for more people, and to be a brand that's partnered with that and helped me do that is like a big opportunity, especially when I know there's other ones. If I succeed with this one, there's, you know, other ones coming to be able to do that as well.

Speaker 1: 12:35

And look, I thought it'd be a lot easier than it has been. Like I thought I would have announced it and I would have had a hundred grand straight away. But then I realized like when I did the 30 marathons in 30 days, I didn't really do that well. Like I did the challenge well, but I didn't raise funds, I didn't document it well, I didn't do all the PR stuff and that's what businesses want, because they want to know what the ROI is on their thing, on their investment. So I'm very lucky that Liam, who's coming with me, him and I can live off the smell of an oily rag.

Speaker 1: 13:13

So I think, you know, we've got flights to go back already, so like that's one cost taken out. However, it's then like, okay, well, how do we get the van, how do we get food, like food and supplements? You know, if we've got a meeting with a company, I've just bought, literally yesterday, 300 bucks worth of their salts and electrolytes and gels, just because you need to keep your carbohydrates up and like with my running, I should be eating, having a lot of those so I recover better and feel better. But so I've just until and if hopefully, they jump on board, but if they don't, it's like, well, I've got to pay for that stuff as well. So at the moment, I'm just putting my own cash into it, which is because I believe in it and I want to do it, and we'll see what happens. I'll figure it out. I've always figured it out.

Speaker 2: 14:08

And the other question I had was if something happens, god forbid um you, you break your leg or whatever you breaking your legs. Pretty extreme running I'm just saying like yeah, yeah whatever you can't continue. Yeah, um, but sponsors have put in 90 grand or whatever, like what happens then? Do you just postpone it or do you give the money back? Like how does that work?

Speaker 1: 14:30

Well, that's probably going to be a conversation to have with them then. But I think, when you're my way of viewing, it is like you're supporting the cause. Obviously I'm going to do it again because I want to complete it. I want to, that's the goal. You're not just going to, like, hit a hurdle on day two and run away with a hundred grand or whatever it is. So it depends on when it happens. Like, if it happens, if I were to get interested, I'm saying when it happens as if it's going to happen.

Speaker 1: 14:56

But, for example, if it were to happen within the first two weeks, then you'd be like, okay, we're going to postpone it. And you'd have those conversations. You'd say to the people hey, this is based off the injury, this is when I'm looking to redo it. Do you just want to stay on board doing your money? Like I think I'd navigate that as it goes. My biggest thing is, like all the people that I'm reaching out to, I would be sponsoring with how my mind thinks, like I'd be sponsoring now because you get more exposure, because it's like I'm documenting all the training and doing all of that, and if you're a part of that from the beginning, as opposed to just jumping on board for the last, all the actual runs in itself, you're getting more exposure and more time Now. So I don't also believe I'm going to get injured Like I think.

Speaker 2: 15:41

Yeah, I'll have some sore feet, some sore knees, as I had with all the rows, but I think eventually my body is just going to be good to go. Yeah, yeah, I believe that too. I'm just, you know, wondering.

Speaker 1: 15:54

Wondering what else are you wondering?

Speaker 2: 15:57

Scenarios who's cooking. Like what is your image in your head?

Speaker 1: 16:02

That's also a good question. Well, I have this idea that if we get the right van, I'll be able to cook, because Liam's doing all the driving and I think the driving is going to be harder than the. Maybe you want to sit up?

Speaker 2: 16:16

I'm just trying to get like really comfy here. Yeah, it's not very comfy, but it's got to look good on the camera yeah, we're doing it once again.

Speaker 1: 16:22

We don't have a studio here, we're just we've set up the podcast stuff and letting it rip so we can get it out. I think the like I'm going to meet with a nutritionist and just have a very simple plan that's pretty much going to be cut copy every day.

Speaker 2: 16:36

Do you think you'll do like meal prep before and have frozen meals?

Speaker 1: 16:40

No, we're going to be meal prepping because, like we just won't have the space to have the meals. I'm not sure what size fridge, but based off the vans we've been looking at, it's like you're probably going to be able to have two days' worth of stuff.

Speaker 2: 16:56

I reckon you should have some reserved meals, in case I don't know, you get stuck in a blizzard. Yeah, or you need a quick meal and you're not going to be like, oh, I'm going to chop the onions.

Speaker 1: 17:06

Yeah, no, a blizzard yeah, but or you need a quick meal and you're not gonna be like, oh my god, chop the onion. Yeah, no, like I don't think we'll be even. I think the plan that I would like would be something that's super easy, like nutrient dense, calorie dense, and very easy because I know that you know, for example, if we don't raise enough funds to have more than liam and myself on the team coming, because obviously people need to be paid for their time and everything like that, so if it's just Liam and I, not only do I have to run but I probably have to sit at the front and make sure he doesn't fall asleep, and vice versa, because we got some long snowy rides. So I think that point it would just be like okay, the goal is to recover as best as we can, which means I need to get in X amount of calories. What is the easiest meal that we can do, based upon the situation? So you know, I'm not a fussy eater like I'll eat whatever. So that will be the plan from a nutrition standpoint. If we, you know, are fortunate enough to have a third person, then maybe that's going to be their role, like you know.

Speaker 1: 18:05

Still, once again, very simple stuff that doesn't require a lot of mucking around or preparation, like 15-minute whip together and maybe another 15-minute cooking time, and that would be pretty cool. So I don't know. I've got to eat a lot On the run. I'll be eating like 6,000 to 8,000 calories a day, which is one other thing that I've had to think about is, you know, I eat about 2,000 calories a day. Now my coach, dean, has said I need to be eating 4,000, and even trying to get the 4,000 at the moment is a task. So that's another thing I actually got to train to do is eat enough calories so that my stomach can handle it. Like you can't just go from eating 2,000 to 6,000 to 8,000 calories a day. It's not possible.

Speaker 1: 18:57

So, like that is part of the training now, which then also increases the cost of my investment in this now to pay for more food and things like that. So I can see why no one's done it. Um, that's for sure. So, um, yeah, I'm not too stressed about the cooking. I was thinking about it the other day because I was looking at a van last night and they were just talking about, like how beautiful it is, uh, going around america in winter, but like things to be mindful of. And it's like the van freezing over, like your fluids in the van um your water freezing ice on the road yeah, ice on the road, obviously, and I'm crap, I didn't think about like.

Speaker 2: 19:31

Tires.

Speaker 1: 19:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah, all of that sort of stuff. So like there's going to be definitely things that we can prepare for and I'm watching so many YouTube videos, I'm reading so much information to try and best prepare and I'm speaking to people who've done similar things to pick their brains but there's also going to be shit that doesn't work out for us. That's part of the journey. Yeah, that's what makes it fun. So that was touching on food and also, like I think I'll have, you know, I'll have all my run nutrition, which will be like a high-carb drink. I've been looking at a drink called Scratch, which is like 100 grams of carb that you can run with, which is a lot of calories, and also the one that I've just bought yesterday, which is gels and salt tablets and whatever. Like I won't need too much salt because it won't be cramping, like too hot, until the Australian leg, but things like that, like that's super easy. It's just like rip and grip. You look so tired.

Speaker 2: 20:36

I am, I'm still jet lagged.

Speaker 1: 20:38

She's either super interested or tired, Both but so yeah, that'll be fun.

Speaker 2: 20:47

And what's the charity that you're? Are you doing this for charity?

Speaker 1: 20:50

Yes, I am.

Speaker 2: 20:50

What's the charity?

Speaker 1: 20:51

Mental Awareness Foundation, so I haven't spoken about that yet because I've got a meeting with them next Tuesday.

Speaker 2: 20:57

Is it an Australian?

Speaker 1: 20:58

charity it is. It's a good friend of ours, wesley, and I've done stuff with them for like the last five years, so the thing that I like about them is like not only are they just a great charity doing good things, but they're part of our local community, like the gym that we go to function well, and they do stuff for a lot of other charities as well, so it's like a really cool charity. And I also know that the guys don't take a wage from it, like a lot of and this is nothing against charities, because I understand people need to get paid, but they've got successful businesses outside of the Mental Awareness Foundation so they don't take a wage. So you know that more money is going back to where we think it's going yeah, which is cool.

Speaker 1: 21:42

Yes, do you have any other questions? Concerns anything?

Speaker 2: 21:55

What happens if mine minor or like safety concerns, if there's an emergency, like I don't know? I think my biggest worry is that that hurricane there will be an emergency, and then it's just like I don't know the health care in America is not enough. Healthcare does suck Like uh, what were you?

Speaker 1: 22:09

no, yeah, yes, I once again not thinking too much about it because I'm not worried about it physically, but if things were to happen, I would deal with that when it happens. Cross that bridge, cross that bridge. Like I'm not going to be in any way, shape or form, going out there to put myself at risk so no running on any frozen lakes, please fuck.

Speaker 1: 22:37

No, I'm not that dumb I've seen too many movies where that happens, but we will. I do have a goal while we're in minnesota to go to sauna camps. Sauna camps look sick, which is like saunas on the edge of the lake and they chop like chainsaw through the lake and then you have ice baths there. So that would be a cool, because I'm very excited for the experiences and that's where I'm like a little bit sad that you guys aren't coming, because it's like it will be like such an epic adventure, um, that you don't get to be part of like face to face yeah which sucks, yeah, which sucks.

Speaker 1: 23:10

So there's pros and cons, but it's also good, because it's very easy to focus when you're not around.

Speaker 2: 23:16

Yeah, I think you know in life there'll be such few opportunities for you to have experiences alone or just with you and the guys. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 23:26

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 23:27

So I think you just have to enjoy that and remember that it's a rare opportunity, an adventure.

Speaker 1: 23:34

Indeed, indeed, so I think. So we don't just keep talking around in circles, like that is. I was curious to have you on because I wanted to know what your concerns were, but also how people think about if they're going to do things like this or just anything in life. And there's got to be compromise. Have people think about if they're going to do things like this or just anything in life. There's got to be compromise. You need to have the buy-in of your significant others or family when you're doing these things. And obviously you know I have a few browning points because we moved overseas for you, so it's like I got a few in the bank, but it's also then giving me this opportunity.

Speaker 1: 24:10

And, for those who are listening, I've been doing the YouTube series where I'm trying to show as much as possible around, like, obviously, my training, working with my coach, but then reaching out to sponsors, trying to raise those funds, and then, once I've had that meeting with Wesley and the Mental Awareness Foundation, we'll do a big piece on that and start raising funds and we'll have how much, much we want to raise goal as well for that and the route and all the other sort of ins and outs, because I would love.

Speaker 1: 24:34

You know, I just remember years ago watching, like when I was crossfitting, like matt fraser and rich phoning doing all these things, and I'm like I wish they would show you like what they're actually doing, like people do, like bits and pieces videos, but there's still so many unanswered questions around various things. So I hope that by showing how I raise money and all of that sort of stuff, it gives some people who want to do similar things a greater understanding of what it's going to take, because it's not just running, it's a lot more than that, a lot of sacrifice.

Speaker 1: 25:07

Shitload of sacrifice. And the next, yeah, like I was even thinking about it on the way down, so the next six months, you know, even when you guys go do things and I'm like I can't do that because I have to go run, like small things like that. Like once I start running, it's fine, but like when you have to miss out on things, it's like a sacrifice to achieve something that's still four months away, as much as I'd rather, potentially at that time, be going to the beach with you or whatever it is. It's like it's a sacrifice, but at least you don't make me feel guilty for it.

Speaker 2: 25:39

No, I don't do I.

Speaker 1: 25:42

Never.

Speaker 2: 25:43

No, you don't, You're good.

Speaker 1: 25:45

Cool, Well guys. Thank you for tuning in and, as I've said over the next couple of Mondays, Cool, Well guys. Thank you for for it what his training was like, what it was like actually backing up day after day to do those marathons, because I need to get as well prepped as I can for this. So, if you have people that maybe you follow on social media, or even just the stuff that I'm talking about raising funds, driving in the snow, meal preps, potentially like stuff like that like reach out, because I definitely need to continue learning so that I can minimize my risk of failure. I don't want to fail.

Speaker 1: 26:41

You're not going to fail Not going to fail. Thank you guys for tuning in. If you got value, make sure you share the episode, subscribe and head over to the YouTube channel if you want to see more of the 58 Marathons prep. And obviously, kicking off January 21 is going to be our first one in Alaska, so follow along. Thank you guys for being here. We'll see you for Thursday's episode.