The Tea & Trails Podcast

We are back! Thank you all so much for your patience while we both grabbed some much‑needed family time. I’d love to say we’re refreshed… but the grind never really stops, and the heroic amount of food and drink Gary put away is starting to take its toll. Time to slam the cookie jar shut before he’s forced into a full wardrobe update.

Thank goodness Rebecca is part of our coaching team, because this week&rsq...

This week’s guest turned a 2025 DNF into a winning performance. After the heartbreak of last year, Ed Payne came back swinging, and what a comeback it was. A superb race saw him kiss the wall in just over 82 hours, taking the overall win at the 2026 Montane Summer Spine.

Eddie’s flying solo on hosting duties, while Ed takes us through all the deets, the highs, the lows, the finish‑line feels, and exactly what it takes to...

Western States weekend delivered in style, and how good was it to see Fi Pascall smashing a huge course PB. Absolutely massive effort, kudos, Fi.

We’ve also got a very emotional listener intro, live from the 2026 Summer Spine Race, Rebecca helps runners who are finding their running legs again after surgery.

Strava is overflowing with inspiration, big miles & big smiles. Heavy Flex is stacked, Tales from the Trails brings e...

This week, we sit down for a chat with Ultra Scotland 100 champion, Anna Rutherford.

Anna made history as the first ever female to win the Ultra Scotland 100-mile ultramarathon.

Not only did she take the overall win, she smashed the previous course record — finishing in 20 hours, 53 minutes, and 25 seconds, cutting more than three hours off the old record of 24:19:25.

In doing so, she also became the first ever female to win out...

Both hosts have actually been out running this week, nothing wild, still baby steps for them both, but you can hear it already… that little lift in their voices. They’re loving having the wind in their faces again, even if it’s only for a few miles at a time.

The coaches dive into a great question from an athlete with some big goals, but who might just need a proper cheerleader in her corner.

Strava, as always, doe...

This week we were lucky enough to spend an hour with the incredible David Miller. It was such a treat to hear the stories behind so many of the iconic images that define our sport. It turned into a super‑relaxed chat about running, Zoom vs Teams, the Barkley Marathons, and of course his upcoming book — SPINE: The Story of the Montane Winter Spine Race.

SPINE is the definitive visual story of Britain’s most brutal ultrama...

It’s a bit of a rambling episode this week, but both hosts are noticeably more upbeat, and it won’t be long before they’re uploading runs to Strava again. We cover cross‑training, breastfeeding while training, pleasuring yourself (yes… that happened), and the all‑important question, who would be your dream pacer in a race.

There are loads of competitions happening over on Instagram right now, so make...

Inov‑8 athlete and past Tea & Trails guest Laura Swanton‑Rouvelin joins us this week for another deep dive into all things Hardmoors 200. It was a gutsy move from Laura to come back and defend her title especially in a race where there is so much jeopardy.

But she did it. Laura crossed the line in first place, bagging herself a course PB for good measure too.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. Far from it. Laura takes us...

Even though Eddie and Gary are on the rebuild, they’re still somehow busier than a Greggs on match day. Gary’s had a short stay in the comparison trap, but a chance encounter with a real‑life hero gave him the reality check he needed.

Both hosts also find themselves openly thirsting over an A‑list movie star. Zero shame from both. We also sing the praises of the humble home gym. We’re not talking squat racks. We me...

This week we’re sharing the mics with friend of the show Katie Kaars-Sijpesteijn. A Salomon and GB athlete, Katie has lined up, and podiumed, at some of the most competitive races out there.

But the last 12 months have taken her down a very different path as she chased a sub‑3 road marathon. Not exactly the classic tune‑up for UTS by UTMB 100K, yet it clearly worked… because she stormed her way to 2nd place in a serious...

This week, both hosts are… well, struggling. Gary is still absolutely smashed to bits from his first 200‑mile adventure, and Eddie is improving, but living with the uncertainty of injury is tough. So, for Brew with the Coaches, it’s just Gary and Trish, which basically means Trish is doing all the heavy lifting while Gary sits there like a man held together by tape, tea, and wishful thinking.

We chat about how an indoor...

Ten years ago, Gary popped his 100‑mile cherry on the Cleveland Way. Countless miles have been covered between then and now, but after a bit of refocusing found himself back on a start line, this time for the Hardmoors 200.

Starting in Hull, the route winds through wooded slopes, over rolling hills, and down into deep valleys, before eventually climbing onto the northern escarpment and dropping toward the final stretch of the Wolds ...

This week, Gary is back from a very successful Hardmoors 200. It’s not our full recap, but he shares some thoughts and takeaways from the whole 200 mile experience, and it’s fair to say his emotions are easily triggered right now. Eddie is still on the injury bench, which is rough. Small gains, but sad times for our Eddie.

The coaches tackle a listener question from someone who wants to become a coach, and we chat throug...

We’re incredibly lucky this week to share the mics with a true legend of our sport. Kim Collison has taken on, and completed, some of the UK’s roughest, toughest challenges. And it’s not all about going long either. He’s just as happy toeing the line at a local fell race.

Kim joins us to talk about his recent Lakes, Meres & Waters record‑breaking run, but the conversation wanders beautifully through all s...

It’s finally here. The training is done, the excuses are gone, and Gary, along with a whole crew of wonderfully stubborn athletes, is about to set off on an adventure that will push every limit they’ve got. There’ll be moments of doubt, a few questionable life choices, and probably more than one internal conversation about retiring from running altogether.

But there will also be magic. A full weekend of grit, laugh...

This week we’re joined by physics teacher and West Highland Way – Great Glen FKT holder, Freya Shepherd.

It’s an incredible story of learning, grit and resilience. After her first attempt ended early at Fort William, Freya dusted herself off, rallied an army of friends and family, and went back out to complete the full 175‑mile journey in 2 days, 15 hours, 43 minutes and 16 seconds.

She talks us through the highs, t...

This week on the Tea & Trails podcast, Gary squeezed in a Bob Graham support and a race. Not exactly the textbook taper, but he had such a cracking weekend and wouldn’t change a thing. And unbelievably, after all those months of graft, the Hardmoors 200 is now just one week away.

Meanwhile, Eddie is on the injury bench with a herniated disc flare‑up. Grim timing as she gears up for the Spine, and we’re all crossing f...

We are so lucky to bring you the brilliant Stu Edwards this week. Stu is part of the team behind the Reverse London Marathon, and if you’re wondering what that is, you’re in for a treat. It’s an incredible community who gather in Trafalgar Square the night before the London Marathon and run the entire route in reverse.

It’s a magical way to see the city at night, and it’s all wrapped up in some seriousl...

This week on the Tea & Trails podcast we’re talking all things Stair Stepper, how to use it, when to use it. Neither Gary nor Eddie are exactly Stepper superfans, but we know plenty of you swear by it for your vert, so we’re diving in.

Eddie also pops on her coaching hat to chat about the classic back‑to‑back long run versus Gary’s preferred method: the double… but absolutely not back‑to‑back long runs.

W...