An interview with Lizzie diamond - balancing parenting & high level running
Episode 11 - Recovery Nutrition for Runners
This week on Cook Eat Run, Charlie chats with Lizzie Diamond, known on Instagram as @runnerof4. Lizzie shares her inspiring journey of balancing marathon training with raising four children, her reasons for running, and how she fuels for her races. Dive into her story and discover practical tips for managing a busy life while pursuing running goals.
Lizzie's Running Journey
Lizzie reveals how she started running in 2017 after having three children and preparing for her wedding. Learn about her transformation from a theatre enthusiast to a marathon runner with a personal best of 2:47. Lizzie's passion for running and her drive to push her limits are truly inspiring.
Balancing Training and Family
Discover how Lizzie juggles marathon training with family life, thanks to the support of her husband, Ben. She shares her tips for finding a balance, including early morning runs and flexible strength training. Lizzie also talks about the importance of having a supportive network and how her children understand and support her running journey.
Marathon Training Insights
Lizzie provides a glimpse into her marathon training routine, including her weekly mileage, interval sessions, and long runs. She discusses the emotional and mental challenges of marathon training and the importance of recovery. Learn how Lizzie stays motivated and overcomes the difficulties of balancing training with other responsibilities.
Nutrition and Recovery
Charlie and Lizzie discuss the importance of nutrition in marathon training. Lizzie shares her pre-run and post-run nutrition strategies, including her favourite snacks and recovery foods. Find out how she fuels her long runs with gels and electrolytes and the importance of practising with different nutrition products.
Top Tips for New Runners
Lizzie offers valuable advice for new runners, including the importance of pushing boundaries, joining a local running club, and setting goals by booking races. Her tips are designed to help runners stay motivated and accountable, especially during the challenging winter months.
Connect with Lizzie on Instagram at @runnerof4 to follow her journey and get inspired by her dedication and enthusiasm for running.
Connect with Charlie online @therunnerbeans / www.therunnerbeans.com
Grab a copy of Charlie’s book ‘Cook Eat Run’
The Cook Eat Run Podcast is sponsored by XMiles - the One Stop Nutrition Shop - use discount code COOKEATRUN for 10% off site wide at Xmiles.co.uk
This podcast is produced by Buckers at Decibelle Creative decibellecreative.com / @decibelle_creative
Transcript
>> Charlie: Hello and, welcome back to another episode of the Cook Eat Run podcast
Speaker:with X Miles. Today on the podcast, I'm chatting with Lizzie
Speaker:Diamond, better known on Instagram as runner of
Speaker:four. We chat about running goals, her reasons
Speaker:for running, balancing marathon training with four kids,
Speaker:and obviously how she feels for her races.
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Speaker:So, Lizzie, thank you so much for joining me
Speaker:today. I'm so excited to have you on the podcast. We've
Speaker:met in real life a couple of times. We actually got
Speaker:to have your post
Speaker:Berlin marathon celebration drinks last
Speaker:year.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: We did.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, in a nutshell, I am a member
Speaker:for children and
Speaker:I teach dance,
Speaker:I coach, and
Speaker:I'm a kind of, What do they say when you've got, like,
Speaker:jack of all trades? That's the one. A bit of everything.
Speaker:so, yeah, just busy, busy, but in a really, really good
Speaker:way. And that is me. Yeah.
Speaker:>> Charlie: And you've gotten to say that you are a really fast
Speaker:runner.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Oh, my gosh. It's all relative.
Speaker:It's all relative. well, I'm just trying. I
Speaker:genuinely am just trying to,
Speaker:Just to see how far I can push myself. That is the
Speaker:truth. I want to see
Speaker:what I can unleash within me. and,
Speaker:yeah, and that's my goal in
Speaker:life, really, for as long as I can do.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I love that. But it's not. Well, it is all
Speaker:relative. But when you win races, that's
Speaker:fast. You are, Is it?
Speaker:Oh, what am I? I'm going to butcher it. 247, what's your
Speaker:marathon pb?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yes. No, that's it. It's perfect. Yeah,
Speaker:247, don't forget the 4 seconds.
Speaker:>> Charlie: On the end, which I'm one for each, kidde.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: I just want to. Exactly that. I just want to shave
Speaker:those four off. Yeah, but, yeah. Two, four, seven.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Amazing. I mean, that is very,
Speaker:very fast to me. And I'm sure for a lot of people that can
Speaker:only dream of running
Speaker:247, some people listening, that's probably
Speaker:their half marathon time and you're there
Speaker:trotting out 26 miles.
Speaker:What? When did you start running? How did
Speaker:you get into it? Have you been running since you were little? Or is it something
Speaker:you got into in later life?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: No, it was definitely later life thing. it's really funny,
Speaker:actually, because a lot of my high school
Speaker:friends that I still talk to now, ah.
Speaker:Like, I don't understand it. Like, where has
Speaker:this even come from? Because you didn't. Like, I was the
Speaker:total opposite end of this spectrum
Speaker:and I really do mean that.
Speaker:so I was more into theatre more than anything.
Speaker:That was my thing. but anyway, I started running in
Speaker:2017 and that was just in a bid
Speaker:to feel I'd had three children by
Speaker:then. so I just wanted to feel better about myself. I
Speaker:wanted a bit of me time. And I, was getting married
Speaker:that year. So I thought, you, know, what better excuse
Speaker:to go out and just kind of be the best
Speaker:version of me, than having those goals, you
Speaker:know?
Speaker:>> Charlie: I love that. And I think a lot of people can relate. I feel like running
Speaker:something that a lot of people come to later in life,
Speaker:it's not as intimidating as maybe
Speaker:joining like, a netball team later, or you can
Speaker:go out, you can do it on your own, you can try and fit it
Speaker:around life. It's
Speaker:about you and your times and your goals
Speaker:and your distances. So I think that's something that. Yeah, a lot of
Speaker:us have come to it as a way of
Speaker:having something outside of maybe work or family life that's
Speaker:just about you.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, I totally agree. and the nicest thing about
Speaker:that, having said that, is there was nothing
Speaker:to compare it to with running. It
Speaker:really. It's just you and your journey
Speaker:and. Yeah. The beauty of running is that you find this community and you
Speaker:find this crowd and it's
Speaker:absolutely amazing. Like, I love it so much. But when you first
Speaker:start, it's really exciting because you get to build
Speaker:this, this new you and.
Speaker:And there's nothing to compare it to, so you can just do you.
Speaker:And sometimes there's just. It's just really
Speaker:exciting. I can't really kind of explain what
Speaker:it feels like, but, it's just a new chapter
Speaker:that you're giving yourself the opportunity
Speaker:to create.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I mean, your passion for running is so
Speaker:obvious just from your words.
Speaker:What's the kind of thing that drives you forward?
Speaker:Who go after these girls to shave off the 4 seconds, which
Speaker:is. Sounds like a small amount, but actually,
Speaker:when you're that kind of end of the
Speaker:timescale, that is hard. And it takes
Speaker:a lot of dedication. What keeps you motivated to kind
Speaker:of push through the dark winter training
Speaker:months.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, you're right. It is
Speaker:really hard, Charlie. It is.
Speaker:I think. Do you know what running did for
Speaker:me is that. I don't know. I didn't think I had any
Speaker:depth with running. I just thought it would just be just a
Speaker:hobby. And. And I really did. I just fell
Speaker:in love because what it did for me
Speaker:is it created something inside of me that
Speaker:made me think, oh, my gosh, I could be
Speaker:really good at this if I try.
Speaker:And so all I do is think in my head,
Speaker:you've just got to keep trying because you don't know where it's going to
Speaker:stop. Like I said, because it's my own journey. I'm not
Speaker:comparing to anybody else because there isn't really anybody else like you.
Speaker:You are your own person. So when I go out there,
Speaker:I just think I'm just going to do me and I'm going to try
Speaker:my absolute best. And, yeah, it's going to really hurt.
Speaker:But if I don't go past that, that barrier of
Speaker:pain, I am never going to know what I'm capable of. And that's why every
Speaker:time I race, it doesn't matter what happens on the race. It doesn't
Speaker:need to be a PB. But for me, it's
Speaker:overcoming the pain barrier. It's
Speaker:overcoming the mental barriers that keep going. You
Speaker:can't do it. You can't. You can't hold on to this. And I think, you know
Speaker:what? I am going to hold on. And if I don't hold on to the pace, I don't
Speaker:care, as long as I just get to the. The end. So,
Speaker:for me, my goal in
Speaker:every race I run is never to
Speaker:win because winning, for me is just getting to the end. I just
Speaker:want to get to the end. That's all I need,
Speaker:and that's my goal. And, everything else is just a
Speaker:huge bonus.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Honestly, I love that. And, I mean,
Speaker:you obviously are at the front end of races and you've got your family
Speaker:there and you always seem to have
Speaker:such a. A massive smile on
Speaker:your face. When I see your photos from the end races, I have
Speaker:seen some mid race, which I am like, oh,
Speaker:yeah, there's a bit of a grimace there. She is working
Speaker:hard. But, yeah, you just always seem to be
Speaker:so happy and so joyful and so
Speaker:supportive of others that are, running around you and
Speaker:running beside you. And running behind you and
Speaker:that. Yeah. I just think you're a great asset to the running
Speaker:community. So I think we're really lucky.
Speaker:Lucky to have you in it.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: That's so lovely, Charlie, but I feel
Speaker:equally as lucky. And I
Speaker:just go by that in my head and looking around
Speaker:me, I think anybody, and I mean, anybody who
Speaker:just gets out of bed and just tries
Speaker:is already a winner. I just think, do you know what?
Speaker:Well done for trying. That's all you've got to do is just
Speaker:try. And I just think it's really brave.
Speaker:It's really brave, Charlie. Some people just don't. They're
Speaker:too scared. And, I get it. You
Speaker:know, maybe I was scared. Maybe I'll ask why I didn't do it all those
Speaker:years ago. But I relate totally. And I just think, do you
Speaker:know what? Good on you. Like, it doesn't matter what
Speaker:time you're running. And I can't stand getting caught up in it, even though
Speaker:I am caught up in it. because I just think.
Speaker:And when I went to support the ten k on the weekend,
Speaker:I was just like, every single one of you are just amazing. Like,
Speaker:you've got up and you've shown up, including Mister
Speaker:Bean. I mean,
Speaker:I can't dress as Mister Bean, but honestly. Yeah. And it is,
Speaker:it's true. We all, we all just want each other to win.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Yeah. And I think that's so evident in marathons for
Speaker:me. I go and I watch marathons and I cry, like,
Speaker:almost non stop. Like watching people from the
Speaker:very first runners that I know how much
Speaker:dedication has gone into it to the people
Speaker:that are walking or doing it in
Speaker:memory of someone or just, you know, maybe not having the day that they
Speaker:had hoped for. And you just know that that
Speaker:is months and months of work
Speaker:and it's hours
Speaker:of pain on the course.
Speaker:It's just. Yeah, I love it. I, love the
Speaker:marathon for that reason, because you're like, we're all in this together. We've
Speaker:all gone through a similar, whatever your
Speaker:training looked like a similar couple of months build up to
Speaker:this, and we're all here for different
Speaker:reasons, but ultimately with the same goal, to
Speaker:finish.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, yeah, exactly that. And I think that's why
Speaker:I love marathon so much, is because the
Speaker:whole thing, the whole lead up is
Speaker:a journey. Like, there are
Speaker:some real dark days in marathon training
Speaker:and I know there are dark days in all, in all aspects of
Speaker:distances, but with the marathon, I
Speaker:just think we're all warriors.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Yeah.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Getting through the war, honestly.
Speaker:Oh, gosh. Yeah.
Speaker:>> Charlie: So you are, I feel like extra warrior. You,
Speaker:you kind of juggle four kids,
Speaker:the cutest dog, your husband,
Speaker:and, work around quite,
Speaker:quite a decent mileage. Usually every week
Speaker:I often see you getting up at the crack of
Speaker:dawn. You're out running with your, with your eyes
Speaker:on. you always look amazing. I'm like barely
Speaker:able to see and I'm like, you look great.
Speaker:But how do you juggle
Speaker:training at such a high level with, you know,
Speaker:a lot going on in your life?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: so I do give credit to Holly, my coach,
Speaker:because she
Speaker:adapts everything to the kind of
Speaker:person that I am because I'm just not, I'm not really a straightforward
Speaker:client, put it that way. so I always
Speaker:have. Well, no, let's talk about the juggle first.
Speaker:it has to be Ben, really. Ben is my
Speaker:support network and without him it absolutely wouldn't
Speaker:be possible. Because even if I am getting up when they're all in bed and
Speaker:I come back when they're pretty much all in bed, I do
Speaker:need a responsible adult with them. And he is that
Speaker:person and he is always,
Speaker:always asking like what's okay, what's training looking
Speaker:like? Where are you going? I think there's a balance to be
Speaker:found with a lot of compromise so I don't
Speaker:hog it and I'm never like, but I need to do this.
Speaker:It's always like, okay, so if I do this early,
Speaker:then, you're free to go basically when you finish work and do what you want.
Speaker:And I think that's what keeps it so like the
Speaker:happy medium. and then I'll fit strength training
Speaker:in kind of wherever it kind of fits. It's a bit
Speaker:more flexible strength training. I just, yeah,
Speaker:so that's fine. And that is a necessity. I have to
Speaker:add that, the kids, yeah,
Speaker:do you know what? They're the tonic that I need to this marathon
Speaker:training actually. Like they're, that I come home and I'm
Speaker:just like, okay, now that's actually going to be a really
Speaker:fun day, especially over the summer holidays.
Speaker:And they get it too. They get the fact that
Speaker:the parenting is amazing. It's
Speaker:incredible. But it can be really difficult as
Speaker:well. And there are times when I
Speaker:feel like I'm bubbling inside and
Speaker:it's starting to boil a bit to the brim and
Speaker:I'm like, yeah, okay, so this is why I need to
Speaker:run. And actually the older the children get,
Speaker:they're recognising like the other kids
Speaker:behaviours. So Veloforte, my near 13 year
Speaker:old, will be like, boys,
Speaker:what are you doing? And then she starts getting
Speaker:aggie, and then she's like, oh, my gosh. Maybe,
Speaker:like, how do you even deal with this? And I'm like, this feeling that
Speaker:you're experiencing, is why I run.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Yeah.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: So I'm just like, so we just have to breathe,
Speaker:and we just have to remain calm in this situation.
Speaker:Just try and balance. But honestly, if
Speaker:I didn't go running to just, you know,
Speaker:expel all those high
Speaker:tension feelings, I probably wouldn't be as good
Speaker:a parent as I try to be, because I'd just be
Speaker:like, all the time.
Speaker:>> Charlie: There's been no outlet for you to kind of let off steam. And
Speaker:I think that's totally normal also, for it to, things to suddenly
Speaker:be like, actually, this is frustrating,
Speaker:and you never want to take it out on your kids, so
Speaker:how else can you
Speaker:productively let out that. Yeah.
Speaker:That kind of energy somewhere.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah. It was really sweet the other day, actually. I was, We just had a really
Speaker:lovely day out, and it was, like, quite late. Well, you know, it was
Speaker:630 ish. And I was really like, oh,
Speaker:God, I should go to the gym. I just really don't
Speaker:want to. And then Veloforte was like, have you done
Speaker:any exercise today? And I was like, no, but I've done, like, loads of, like,
Speaker:you know, active walking with you guys. I had a great day.
Speaker:And then she was like, you should go, and I'll, just make you feel much
Speaker:better. And I was like, bella,
Speaker:like, okay, thanks. Yeah, I'm gonna go. And I
Speaker:was like, I think it might be rubbing off, this. This whole
Speaker:thing. so that was, you know, a really nice moment, but I think they
Speaker:just. They kind of get it, too. but, yeah,
Speaker:there's a happy medium to be found as well, so,
Speaker:yeah. I feel really lucky, though, Charlie. I do have a lot of
Speaker:support from the family, and they
Speaker:ask, when I'm racing, they want to come and see me.
Speaker:and it's really lovely. Yeah. And for me, it's a massive
Speaker:help, because I just think if I just get to this mile, I'm going to see them, and
Speaker:then, you know, what happens? You see them and it just gives you
Speaker:this massive boost, doesn't it? And then you can't breathe because there's a lump in your
Speaker:throat from the emotion.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Yeah. I can't wait for Bertie to
Speaker:be old enough to kind of understand, whereas my mum
Speaker:brought him when I did Royal parks half, and he was basically asleep every time
Speaker:I ran past him. I was like, great. I mean, I'm
Speaker:glad he's being well behaved and sleeping and making it easier for my
Speaker:mum, but also, like, I thought it would be this
Speaker:lovely moment and I was like, okay, never
Speaker:mind, try again another time.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: It's a start, though. It's a start.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Do they run with you? Like, I've seen them at park runs and track
Speaker:sessions and that sort of thing.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yes. So, I coach at track,
Speaker:but I actually don't coach them. I coach. Well, I do. I coach the
Speaker:boys. I, don't coach the older girls.
Speaker:So Veloforte, ah, likes
Speaker:to run with me, but she loves the short distances. So me
Speaker:and her are, not a happy marriage make
Speaker:because I'm literally like, well, you're just gonna beat me. Just,
Speaker:just. Can you just run a marathon with me?
Speaker:but no, they, they don't want to run junior park run with
Speaker:me anymore, which I think is like, I love that.
Speaker:Yeah, they're just like, no, you watch. And like, we're gonna show
Speaker:you. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, yes, please.
Speaker:Yeah, so we've built that up from running with them and
Speaker:supporting them to now they just. They've flown
Speaker:and, you know, you give them roots, don't you? And
Speaker:then they give their wings to fly and all that. And I'm just. Yeah,
Speaker:so we're just on the sidelines now, which is
Speaker:really rewarding.
Speaker:>> Charlie: So is that your rest day now or do you try and get fit your run
Speaker:in before junior park run?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Oh, no. So junior park runs a Sunday. So that's my. I
Speaker:fit my long run in before that to
Speaker:then meet them there, or if I am
Speaker:lucky, get home and we go all together. So I'll either meet them there. So
Speaker:I'll run there. Oh, yeah, we'll go all
Speaker:together. But. So this Sunday, Toby's got his first
Speaker:football match. Big news. So I'll go out
Speaker:like, super early because I've got 20 miles,
Speaker:and then we'll all go together then. And.
Speaker:Yeah, so that's, you know, it's the.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Squeeze, but we get there, 20 miles. So
Speaker:what, you must have a marathon, like, right on the doorstep.
Speaker:What's coming up for you?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, so I didn't actually announce this marathon,
Speaker:but it was because of the pressure that I was putting on
Speaker:myself. But actually, I'm at a point now
Speaker:where there isn't any tracking and
Speaker:it's just been music to my ears. Just
Speaker:knowing that I'm just going to be out there on my own is actually
Speaker:something that I am so excited about. so
Speaker:it's Abingdon. I'm going to go to Abingdon. Yeah. And
Speaker:I'm just going to. Yeah, I'm looking forward to
Speaker:it. yeah, I'm training hard and of course
Speaker:I have these ideas in mind of what may happen,
Speaker:but I'm just really grateful that I'll be able to run a marathon this
Speaker:year because I didn't do the spring one. And so just to
Speaker:run one marathon this year and get to the end and get my
Speaker:little medal, I'll be really chuffed. I really will
Speaker:be chuffed.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Oh, well, it's near me. I won't come and, you know,
Speaker:put you off, but it's near me and.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: I'll be thinking of you if you can. Yeah, no,
Speaker:please come. I love support and I do love
Speaker:support, and I just, I think what happens is
Speaker:I just put myself in a place sometimes
Speaker:that then puts too much pressure on myself. It's no
Speaker:one else. But Merlin,
Speaker:was, Berlin was
Speaker:wonderful. and I kind of just forgot, you know, I did
Speaker:that whole forget everything and run, rather than
Speaker:being fearful of everything, and I, and I did just
Speaker:that. But I think sometimes when you've had a knock in
Speaker:confidence from an injury, you come
Speaker:back and you're scared about the world watching you.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Yeah. Do you feel like social media and, you know, having a presence
Speaker:online adds to that?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Absolutely. Because, you know, I always
Speaker:say this, there will always be people that want you to win, but there
Speaker:will always be people that want you to fall as well. And that,
Speaker:that's absolutely fine. But unfortunately, it's always
Speaker:like, it's all, you know, when people criticise you and it's
Speaker:always the bad thing that someone says that sticks rather
Speaker:than 150,000 good things that someone says.
Speaker:and no one has actually said anything
Speaker:bad. It's all in my head. but
Speaker:I just think, I need to do this for
Speaker:me. And I don't want people
Speaker:telling me, oh, you can do this and you can do that, even though they're saying it in a
Speaker:really supportive, positive way. Because then I think,
Speaker:well, I didn't do that, and maybe I've let them
Speaker:down and let myself down. I just need to go and see what I can do
Speaker:because I don't actually know, after having the spring off
Speaker:and having the whole back thing, what I can
Speaker:do, even though I'm gonna train like never
Speaker:before and, I'm, I've still got goals, I'm gonna
Speaker:go for it, you know, I always do. And I will lay it out
Speaker:there and I will run my heart out,
Speaker:but you just don't know what's gonna happen.
Speaker:>> Charlie: And I mean, especially with, like, the marathon weather can play a
Speaker:huge factor. Your stomach, like, what's going on? Kind
Speaker:of stress around, like, life stress
Speaker:around that weekend. It's so, it's so
Speaker:hard when such a big chunk of
Speaker:time has gone into training. And actually, that two,
Speaker:three, four, 5 hours can be so
Speaker:determined by things outside of your control.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, exactly. That, sometimes
Speaker:you can look at it in two ways. You can look at it as well,
Speaker:actually, it's, a tornado outside.
Speaker:So we can just relieve all the pressure and just go out there and
Speaker:enjoy it. but also, it can be really
Speaker:deflating knowing that you've, you know, you've
Speaker:built up 16 weeks, whatever it might be,
Speaker:of, like, hard training. Hold on one day,
Speaker:and then you just know it's not going to go to plan. but also,
Speaker:I guess training is never wasted. It's never wasted, and
Speaker:it's, it's a, I just, you know, marathon
Speaker:training, it really does shape you in
Speaker:so many ways. They just,
Speaker:especially mentally. And, you know, what I didn't understand until
Speaker:I did marathon training. And again, this is another thing that Holly
Speaker:said to me is that she said, you need to recover
Speaker:not just physically, but mentally. And I was
Speaker:like, oh, gosh, no. Don't know. I'm,
Speaker:just, you know, I'll be exhausted physically, of course. But
Speaker:she is absolutely 100%
Speaker:right. Because it takes so
Speaker:much energy to get yourself to a place
Speaker:where you block out the noise. It
Speaker:does. And to hold it, to, like,
Speaker:to hold that when things are really hurting.
Speaker:So, yeah, it's that as well. It's just training
Speaker:your mind. Gosh, so difficult.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I feel like certainly there's an aspect
Speaker:of marathon training that has the kind of
Speaker:the mental that the emotional burden of the
Speaker:fact that you, it's the juggle, it's the, how can I
Speaker:fit this in? It's the guilt of, like, I'm taking
Speaker:time away from family or friends or work or whatever that
Speaker:is. And that takes its toll, as
Speaker:well as the build up of the miles and the
Speaker:kind of the training your gut and training your legs
Speaker:and doing the strength training, which I don't
Speaker:do anywhere near enough. and that is a
Speaker:priority. Needs to be a priority for me. But, yeah,
Speaker:I feel like that's something that's not talked about
Speaker:very much, and maybe that's just something that I have experienced,
Speaker:but that juggle and the seeing each week and thinking
Speaker:a bit of like, kind of stress around. How am I going to get in
Speaker:20 miles before a football match at 09:00
Speaker:a.m. or whatever it is. that kind
Speaker:of is a, is an aspect of training that
Speaker:many of us are juggling alongside
Speaker:work, you know, work, family,
Speaker:etc. Etc.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah. Do you know what? I totally agree. It isn't talked
Speaker:about enough. it is
Speaker:emotionally so difficult.
Speaker:I want to cry pretty much on every single run.
Speaker:Every single, like, speed or difficult
Speaker:run. and then you've got, you've got to come home and you've got to
Speaker:then keep that energy to go to
Speaker:work and to be a parent and to
Speaker:whatever else you need to do, during the day.
Speaker:And when I find
Speaker:that when I finish a marathon, I feel
Speaker:like the weight of the world is just lifted off my shoulders
Speaker:and it is. And I feel so
Speaker:emotional. I feel so emotional because I just
Speaker:think I did it. Like,
Speaker:not, not just the marathon day. Like, I got
Speaker:through that whole thing. Like,
Speaker:it's. Yeah, you're absolutely
Speaker:right. It's huge. And it is a constant,
Speaker:it's a constant mind thing. I keep
Speaker:forgetting things because I'm like, there's just so much to think about.
Speaker:With all the first day back at school and all the uniform shopping
Speaker:and all the emails that I got to answer that I haven't answered because
Speaker:of the fact that I've been trying to be a good mum and then I've been doing the training
Speaker:around everything else, then you've got to do coaching, you've got to pick up here and
Speaker:it does, it's so much in there.
Speaker:So, yeah, it's a huge relief.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels like that. What does
Speaker:a kind of typical week of training, it doesn't sound like there is
Speaker:a typical week, but what does, like a week of marathon
Speaker:training look like for you? How many days a week are you running? What sort of
Speaker:mileage are you running?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: So we have, we have ramped up the mileage a little bit
Speaker:now. so I'm doing around about 65 miles a
Speaker:week, which for me, for me personally
Speaker:is big. And whenever any,
Speaker:whenever anyone goes, how's the training going? I'm like,
Speaker:yeah, just completely fatigued all the time.
Speaker:But actually, I just think it's a constant level,
Speaker:actually, even without the marathon training of just, you know what it's like, we just
Speaker:fly, don't we? By the seat of our pants.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Yeah. it doesn't help that it's summer holidays for a lot of that
Speaker:training where you're like kids all day, every day.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: But I did this to myself again. Keep
Speaker:saying again, again and
Speaker:again and again. I like the challenge.
Speaker:So, yeah, so I'll do six days a week
Speaker:and I will always have one day rest, which I absolutely
Speaker:relish. No strength, nothing, not even a stretch,
Speaker:nothing. Just my rest is my rest day and I
Speaker:absolutely love it. and I'll do, I am going to
Speaker:say, like m Monday, let's say that's
Speaker:my best day. Tuesday, will be easy.
Speaker:Wednesday will be, some kind of interval session.
Speaker:So, for example, this week I've got, eight by five
Speaker:minutes, half marathon kind of
Speaker:feel. And then I've got two minutes recovery.
Speaker:This is a Delos week, but that's just an example.
Speaker:Thursday, easy, quite long miles.
Speaker:Friday then will be more of a, like a threshold
Speaker:endurance. Then Saturday, easy
Speaker:miles again, seven, 8 miles. And then
Speaker:Sunday is then a long run, which, can
Speaker:have pace in it, but also 20 miles. This week
Speaker:is completely easy because it's a deload. Although
Speaker:20 miles is still not normal.
Speaker:It's just not normal, is it?
Speaker:>> Charlie: I mean, I did 16 on Sunday and I literally felt like I'd run a
Speaker:marathon. But then, like you say, you have to then go straight
Speaker:into. I had to like jump in the shower and then go and look after my son
Speaker:and take him out for lunch with a friend and go to the playground. And
Speaker:I'm like that. Yeah, active recovery.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, exactly
Speaker:that. You don't really get a chance to think about what you've just
Speaker:done. You're just like right up, shower. Let's go, let's go. Let's
Speaker:go. Get in the car. We've got to go. And then I just
Speaker:think, when's the next coffee happening? Because I need some.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Yeah. so talking about kind of coffee, this is obviously a nutrition
Speaker:podcast. What, what
Speaker:do you use in terms of, like, you
Speaker:finished your 20 miles, you're going to get in the car and go and watch Toby play
Speaker:football. How do you make sure that you're getting in
Speaker:your recovery? Nutrition, your pre race,
Speaker:pre run nutrition, that kind of thing. And
Speaker:yeah, what is your kind of nutrition for peak
Speaker:marathon training look like?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: So I will always get up
Speaker:earlier, usually an hour before I'm about to leave
Speaker:to ensure that I get some breakfast in.
Speaker:I will admit that years and years ago, when I first started,
Speaker:didn't have much knowledge about this. I
Speaker:wouldn't. And, well, I ended up getting
Speaker:injured. That's the long and short of it. So from
Speaker:then on, I was like, I will do this
Speaker:properly. I'll have something like,
Speaker:something light. So whether that be a piece of toast
Speaker:or. I like those, those little, waffles. You know, those sweet
Speaker:waffles you can get.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Oh, yeah.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: So they're brilliant for me. They're really light and I'm good to
Speaker:go. Maybe a banana. And then I'll take
Speaker:loads of gels because I'm trying to take them every 30 minutes
Speaker:on the run to get my gut, prepared and
Speaker:ready, as well as some electrolytes. and then when
Speaker:I get home, I will literally always have a
Speaker:bagel and that will be with peanut butter,
Speaker:and maybe jam. But usually just peanut butter is fine for
Speaker:me. and then what we do
Speaker:is, this isn't definitely not an advert because we pay for it, but, you
Speaker:know, there's, like the. Hello. Fresh. A little bit like that. It's the
Speaker:gusto. So we'll have that as well along
Speaker:the week, just because we find that that ticks all
Speaker:the boxes. And, I just have so many
Speaker:snacks as well as I do, like,
Speaker:eat the kids leftovers as well. I will say
Speaker:that. I mean, that's just extra carbs.
Speaker:but I will then snack throughout the day as
Speaker:well as having normal meals.
Speaker:But I do find that I am so constantly hungry
Speaker:that I'm constantly snacking all the time. So loads of protein
Speaker:bars. And I've got this protein
Speaker:shake as well that I take.
Speaker:what else have we got? oat bars, nuts. Those
Speaker:lovely little packets of nuts that you can have.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Cashews.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: and all that stuff. And they're nice.
Speaker:do you feel like that's more.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Than kind of the snacking that increases when
Speaker:you're marathon training rather than kind
Speaker:of trying to do bigger portions or change what
Speaker:you're actually having at meal times.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, 100%. And also, what I will say is
Speaker:that I find it really difficult to eat a straight
Speaker:after a run. And, I still do because I know that I need
Speaker:to and I. And I know that I, like, I'm out on the run and I'm on the
Speaker:hop, so I need to take something with me. but, yeah,
Speaker:because I can still only eat a certain amount in
Speaker:one time in a meal anyway. Otherwise I just feel a bit
Speaker:icky. so the meal sizes are the same,
Speaker:but, yeah, it's the snacking. Constantly
Speaker:hungry. Yeah, constantly hungry.
Speaker:I mean, it's great. Ah, but also as well as,
Speaker:you know, it's rinsing my bank account.
Speaker:Yeah, just, just eating all the
Speaker:food. but, yeah, and obviously we've got, like, really nice,
Speaker:like the yazoo, I've got to say, yasu milk
Speaker:drinks that, for the kids, I just take loads of them as
Speaker:well because they are just absolutely delicious. And protein.
Speaker:Yeah, there we go. That's me.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I drink these. Yeah, Arla protein drinks that
Speaker:taste like chocolate milk and are absolutely delicious. And you were saying they're
Speaker:expensive. I put them on my shopping list and my husband went the other day and
Speaker:he was like, they are over two pounds per one.
Speaker:He was like, do you really need them? And I was like, yes, they're
Speaker:so convenient for after, like, the
Speaker:long run to like, get in the car straight away or
Speaker:in the morning, if I run before work, I'll take them. But I was like,
Speaker:yeah, like, it's cheaper than a coffee
Speaker:out is how I've justified it to myself.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, yeah, fair play. It is, actually.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah. And you know what? You've got to do what works for
Speaker:you as well, though, because there are so many other things
Speaker:that people, there are still some people that don't eat
Speaker:before these 20 ma runs. And I'm just like, wow.
Speaker:But then, you know, you've got to do you. But for
Speaker:me, I've learned from my own mistakes in the past and I
Speaker:make sure now that I do it properly. But what
Speaker:I do say, and I am going to say this, is that I
Speaker:100% eat chocolate
Speaker:and I'll have crisps. Crisps are my absolute weakness,
Speaker:I have to admit. because, yeah, a life is
Speaker:too short and I only ever eat it completely in
Speaker:moderation. So I'm just like, yeah, I'm
Speaker:going to have that chocolate bar and I will have that croissant. I love a
Speaker:croissant. yeah, so
Speaker:have your cake and eat it.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Absolutely. What are your favourite crisps?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Oh, my gosh, now we're talking. Well, it's the
Speaker:marks and it's Marks and Spencers. I've got my bougie
Speaker:marks. It's the marks and
Speaker:Spencer's, like smoky bacon flavour. They are
Speaker:my absolute favourite thing.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I've tried those.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Oh, my gosh, they're so, like, they're my favourite. My mum
Speaker:introduced them to me and I was like, oh, I can't ever
Speaker:not get them when I'm in m and s. They crinkle
Speaker:cut, though. And I think that's what does it for me now
Speaker:on holiday.
Speaker:>> Charlie: That's my literal favourite thing is the crinkle
Speaker:crisps.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: It's the crinkle, yeah.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Just like plain, ready, salted on
Speaker:holiday, maybe a gin and tonic in
Speaker:the evening. Crinkle crisp.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: It's a game changer. Yeah, it is.
Speaker:I'm a massive fan of, sensations,
Speaker:I've got to admit. And then if I am out with the kids having
Speaker:a picnic, a little bit of a weakness is giant wotsits.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Oh, wow.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: I know, but it's when the kids have them and I'm like,
Speaker:oh, go on, I'll have a handful of them. so bad.
Speaker:But yeah, I do, yeah, I love. I'm a crisp person and I
Speaker:think the stronger the flavour, the better.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Okay, interesting.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, yeah, I'm a beefy girl. Rather
Speaker:than salt and vinegar, you know.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I'm beef hula hoops. And
Speaker:beef, like the steak
Speaker:McCoy. Yeah, beef hula
Speaker:hoops.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Honestly, six pack easy.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Back to kind of nutrition. So everything in
Speaker:moderation, there's room for everything, but
Speaker:focusing on like, what you're eating before, what you're
Speaker:eating afterwards to make sure you're fueling your run
Speaker:and recovering afterwards. But you
Speaker:mentioned that you're trying to have gels every 30 minutes. What gels do
Speaker:you use and what's been the kind of process to finding the
Speaker:gels that hopefully work for you?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, so, I've used in Morton,
Speaker:because, well, they're fantastic, personally,
Speaker:because they are, for me, the ones that
Speaker:are the easiest on the stomach. I
Speaker:think I said once upon a time I had a weak
Speaker:stomach, but I'm beginning to believe that it's
Speaker:getting stronger. Maybe, it's because my children
Speaker:give me so many bugs that actually it's now
Speaker:made of steel.
Speaker:But who knows? I
Speaker:went through lots of gels and there were lots that didn't agree with
Speaker:me. And then I tried the Morton and,
Speaker:Yeah, I found that they were the best. Not the caffeine, though.
Speaker:Unfortunately, I can't quite get on board with
Speaker:any caffeine gels yet. We're working on
Speaker:it. and when it comes to the fueling,
Speaker:I'm taking them every 30 minutes so that
Speaker:a. I am always topped up
Speaker:and never running low because I can't stand that
Speaker:feeling of just being completely gassed out. And obviously they do take
Speaker:a, you know, 20 minutes or so to kind of get in and have
Speaker:that effect. and, yeah, I'm
Speaker:just trying to think. And the carb drink is brilliant
Speaker:as well. I won't have that when I'm out. If
Speaker:I'm going to have that, I'll have that perhaps like the night before,
Speaker:or I'll have a few sips before I go out. But I don't
Speaker:want to take too much water on before I go for a run on, you know,
Speaker:before, because I just need the toilet. but, yeah, so
Speaker:that's what I'm doing at the moment. It's just practising the gels
Speaker:and, it does work. It does. So by the time that I get to
Speaker:marathon day, it's just, it's fine. I will say
Speaker:by mile, like 22, it's
Speaker:beginning to just take its toll a little bit
Speaker:and it is starting to just cramp up. But
Speaker:so far so good.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I mean, Lizzie, you're only having to have like three or four. Think about our,
Speaker:slower runners. I have to have like seven
Speaker:and think about just where I have to put all of
Speaker:that. Logistical nightmare.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Do you know what? That is so naive of me, you know,
Speaker:because I actually am lucky because I
Speaker:actually, there are points when I'm like, I can't actually take any more
Speaker:on. Like, it is hard, isn't it?
Speaker:>> Charlie: It is. And that's why I think it's so important that people
Speaker:practise with a range of different gels. Because
Speaker:there's like, Morton for me, doesn't have the
Speaker:right texture, but for so many people, it works
Speaker:amazingly. Whereas, like,
Speaker:the ones that I use have a slightly thinner texture. I can sort
Speaker:of chew them a little bit. And, it's taken me a while
Speaker:to find ones that work for me. So I think
Speaker:just, you know, people, blanket statement, oh, my stomach can't
Speaker:take them. I don't like them, actually. There's so
Speaker:many different gels and different textures and
Speaker:chews and bars and things out there that just give them a
Speaker:try, actually. Funny, we talk
Speaker:about this, Morton. This month,
Speaker:podcast listeners can save 10%
Speaker:off, Morton gels with the
Speaker:code cook, eat, run from xmiles. So use
Speaker:that. And then also this, something called
Speaker:active root. Have you heard of active root?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yes, I have heard of active root. There's the ginger, the
Speaker:ginger drink. Is that right?
Speaker:>> Charlie: Yeah, that's one of them, yeah.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: So that's at Abingdon.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Oh, yeah. Is it?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yes. Yeah. They're offering it at the aid station.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Perfect. So you can also save 10% on that. It's as if
Speaker:I planned it, but we didn't. I just tried their
Speaker:new gels, a lemon gel that's all kind of natural.
Speaker:So it's like tapioca syrup and brown rice syrup for people
Speaker:that do struggle with the kind of more synthetic
Speaker:gels. So we've got Morton, which is very,
Speaker:like, kind of high performance and, kind of
Speaker:manufactured. And then you've got active root, so you can give
Speaker:them both a try. 10% off.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Ah.
Speaker:>> Charlie: With the code cookeat run.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: That is brilliant. That is so good as well,
Speaker:because we do need to get, like, bulk
Speaker:orders in when you have a big training
Speaker:block. So 10% is
Speaker:good. Yeah, get on it.
Speaker:>> Charlie: And those running Abingdon especially stock up because
Speaker:then you can get the on course nutrition. Give it a try
Speaker:in training, which we always recommend.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yes. Yeah, I know. Is that funny?
Speaker:Our stars aligned
Speaker:beautifully.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Did you, did you try any gels that you
Speaker:like? Immediately we're like, absolutely not. That.
Speaker:The minute I've tried some that I've put them in my mouth and been
Speaker:like, no, there was.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Oh, yeah, I have, I have.
Speaker:so it was. It was high five.
Speaker:nothing against high five. It was just. It was just me.
Speaker:But actually, for me, it was too sweet. Yeah, it was
Speaker:too sweet. And it was very, It was almost like a syrup. And
Speaker:I. So for me, but then also, as well, I
Speaker:do get the texture of Morton. I mean, how different are they in textures? You've
Speaker:got Morton that you have to chew, and then you've got
Speaker:high five. That's like a squash.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Yeah.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: And I think sometimes, though, there are the new runners that are coming
Speaker:into running.
Speaker:they don't know about fueling necessarily.
Speaker:And so I think, yeah, I
Speaker:think we should encourage people to have a little go as well,
Speaker:because it's so important to keep those runs fuel
Speaker:so you don't gas out.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I feel awful. 100%.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah.
Speaker:>> Charlie: So, yeah, both of us do. Every 30 minutes,
Speaker:I take one in the start corral. Do you do that or are you
Speaker:sipping on your drink or.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: No, I don't. So I will have. I
Speaker:actually do I have the Morton solid bar.
Speaker:so if I've got, like, a marathon day or a half marathon, one of
Speaker:those longer, races, I'll get up early. Early and
Speaker:have a oats. I'll have porridge always. And then
Speaker:when it gets to about an hour before the race, I'll have a solid bar,
Speaker:because that's also oats as well. And I find that
Speaker:that sustains me,
Speaker:basically until my first gel. And I feel really
Speaker:like, I feel good and it's light enough to kind of
Speaker:run at pace with and it not repeat on me.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Perfect. Okay, so we're going to wrap up because
Speaker:it's both of our bedtimes. But do you have
Speaker:any tips or kind of words of
Speaker:encouragement for people that have maybe
Speaker:started running recently or they've been running a while
Speaker:and want to see where their potential is?
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, I do, actually. well, the first tip would be never be
Speaker:afraid to push your boundaries. because a lot of us
Speaker:are, including me, we
Speaker:all have to push our limits, don't we? I think as
Speaker:well. I really do encourage
Speaker:trying to join a local club if you can, because
Speaker:there is nothing better than having those people around you
Speaker:who have all started where they have
Speaker:started. and, you know, it's nice to be around like minded people all
Speaker:the time. And also that's what I
Speaker:did. And they had so much advice and so
Speaker:much guidance. And I did my first marathon training block with my
Speaker:club doing 30 miles weeks. And
Speaker:it was the best experience because every single run I did was
Speaker:with people. it was so good. And then I
Speaker:think last but I know means least.
Speaker:perhaps book. Book a race.
Speaker:Book a race as a goal, you know, maybe it could
Speaker:be in six months time, whatever it might be. And it doesn't matter what distance
Speaker:it is, but maybe, you know, target something
Speaker:and it'll make you
Speaker:accountable for getting out of bed,
Speaker:you know? because it's too easy to miss a run,
Speaker:especially when it's dark. The mornings are
Speaker:getting so dark and you could just roll over and be all
Speaker:cosy. But yeah, it's about
Speaker:being uncomfortable. So you get out of bed, that
Speaker:cosy blanket. But yeah,
Speaker:I think that's that.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I love that. Thank you so much, Lizzie, and good luck in Abingdon.
Speaker:Thank you, bing. And where can people find you if they want to
Speaker:follow? Not track you, but follow your journey
Speaker:through kind of training and life.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: I guess just run her a four on, instagram.
Speaker:Yeah, I mean, I am terrible on Strava, so I'd be like, you
Speaker:can have a look at my strava if you want, but I don't name any of
Speaker:my runs. You wouldn't have a clue what on earth was going on on a daily basis. Not
Speaker:even my races.
Speaker:>> Charlie: I know, morning run, evening run.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Yeah, even the
Speaker:races. Just, you know, an evening PB.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Oh, perfect. Well, we will look for you on
Speaker:instagram, but yeah. Thank you so much. And, thank you for having
Speaker:me.
Speaker:>> Lizzie Diamond: Thanks, babe. Thank you so much for having me. It's so kind of you.
Speaker:>> Charlie: Loved having you on. Thank you so much for listening
Speaker:to this week's episode. I hope you enjoyed listening. As much as I enjoyed
Speaker:chatting with Lizzie, her huh? Enthusiasm for running is
Speaker:just so contagious. Please do leave the show a rating
Speaker:and review if you enjoyed it. And don't forget to send us some topics
Speaker:you'd like covered in future episodes. We'll also be
Speaker:sprinkling in some more real runner stories after getting
Speaker:requests for some. Next time on the show, I'm chatting
Speaker:with Amy, aka the running dietitian, about
Speaker:how to fuel for ultra marathons. She's just
Speaker:finished an 100 miler and I cannot wait to hear about
Speaker:what nutrition she took, how she trained, and
Speaker:how the race went. So don't forget to
Speaker:subscribe, download, and make sure you're following
Speaker:the show so that you never miss an episode. See you
Speaker:next time.
