September 30, 2025 • 28 mins
Episode Description:
Running on fumes, bargain shoes, and one unforgettable start line moment.
In this first full episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Lisa Bird to hear the hilarious, gritty, and downright unbelievable stories behind her running journey.
From pacing a half marathon on just 30 minutes’ sleep, to tackling an overseas marathon in $60 shoes, to the plastic bag incident you have to hear to believe... Lisa proves that every runner has a story worth sharing.
In this episode:
- How Lisa first got into running
- The half marathon paced on almost no sleep
- An overseas marathon in $60 shoes
- That infamous plastic bag moment
- What running means to Lisa today
Runbelievable: real runners, unreal stories.
Follow us on Instagram @rnblv_official
Got a Runbelievable story or interested in being a guest on the show? Hit us up on socials or email us at joshua@runbelievable.au
🎧 New episodes drop fortnightly; hit follow so you don’t miss a lap!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Josh (00:00):
I'm actually going to be honest with you.
I'm thinking of ditching theconcept of running tights
altogether.
Matt (00:05):
Okay.
Josh (00:06):
Did I tell you about Charlie's feedback?
Matt (00:09):
No.
Josh (00:10):
So when I first debuted the now defunct tights, I went
in the kitchen.
Charlie was in theredemolishing a bowl of custard or
something.
And he then added, oh, dad, Ican see a world through that
thing.
Yeah.
Hello everybody and welcome toRun Believable, the podcast
(00:31):
where everyday runners sharetheir not-so-everyday stories.
I'm your host Josh Rishon andI'm here to bring you stories of
grit, glory and overcomingadversity.
Each episode we'll dive deepinto what first got people into
running and what keeps themlacing up day after day.
From the laughs and the lessonsto being angled by fishing
line, we're here to share whatmakes running a truly human
(00:55):
experience.
And later in this episodeyou'll meet a runner who's
discovered that less sleepequals more pbs trust me you
don't want to miss this onemaddie welcome back clearly i
didn't damage you too much withour first episode no
Matt (01:10):
no no it's great to be back um great to hear another
story i'm really looking forwardto
Josh (01:17):
it Yes, Matty, it is awesome to have you joining me
once more.
Thank you.
Let's get stuck into somethingcalled the Run Believable
Rundown.
Now, I should explain, the RunBelievable Rundown is a segment
where we share highlights,mishaps, and little wins.
It's Really going to be thesort of stuff that our listeners
will send in.
(01:38):
However, given that thispodcast is brand new and by the
time people are listening, wewill probably have four
listeners, including immediatefamily by this stage.
So what I might do, Matty, ifit's okay with you, is kick us
off with something that's been abit of a bugbear of mine.
I am in the market for newrunning shorts.
(01:59):
That is running tights.
Yeah.
Now, as I may have told you, mylast pair pulled the pin.
in roughly 16Ks into a 33K longrun.
A long time to run with runningtights that aren't serving
their purpose.
Now, as much as the boysdownstairs were enjoying the
extra breeze from Moreton Bay,I'm not really in the mood to
(02:22):
face charges of indecentexposure.
So, Matty, it's time to shoparound.
Yep.
Matt (02:28):
Sounds like it.
Josh (02:30):
Yeah.
Now, I'm actually going to behonest with you.
I'm thinking of ditching theconcept of, running tights
altogether.
Um, yeah, there's a fewreasons.
I mean, I haven't had a lot ofluck with longevity, but I also,
did I tell you about Charlie'sfeedback?
Matt (02:46):
No.
Josh (02:48):
So when I first debuted the now defunct tights, um, I
went in the kitchen to fill upmy water bottle.
Now, Charlie was in theredemolishing a bowl of custard or
something.
And you know when you'redriving at either sunrise or
sunset time and you get to thecrest of a hill and the sun just
(03:08):
happens to be perfectlypositioned at the top of the
road to cast a blinding light?
Well, that was the boy'sreaction as he went to shield
his eyes when he saw me wearingthis little green number.
Anyway.
As you know, he's not reallyone to keep his feelings to
himself.
He then added, oh, dad, I cansee a world through that thing.
(03:31):
So, yeah, I'm actually thinkingmaybe there's a better
solution.
Matt (03:37):
Well, I have the same pair and they're still in the bag.
I haven't worn them because Idon't know what they'll go with
because of the colour.
Josh (03:45):
I think for you, Matty, you can get away with wearing
anything.
Anything pairs well with Matty,I think.
Thank
Matt (03:52):
you.
Josh (03:53):
Oh, Anytime.
That's why we're here.
And look, it is truly insane tothink that barely a week goes
by without some kind of crazymishap or adventure.
But look, still, it's allreally good content for the
show.
So if you have something thatyou'd like to contribute to the
Run Believable rundown, thensend it our way.
Now, Maddy.
Matt (04:15):
Yes.
I
Josh (04:16):
know you're excited.
I
Matt (04:18):
am very excited.
I
Josh (04:18):
haven't told you about this.
It's time for our first game.
Oh, no.
Here we go.
Here we go.
So.
We'll see whether or not thisone stands the test of time.
Now, I've called this game overor under, and here's how it's
going to work.
I'm going to throw out somerunning-related stat or trivia,
(04:41):
and Matty, you have to guess ifthe real number is over or
under.
Matt (04:46):
Okay.
Josh (04:47):
Now, feel free to play along at home or if you're
listening.
Today's questions are all aboutthe Sydney Marathon, which was
held at the end of August.
Matt (04:57):
That's right.
Josh (04:58):
Are you ready?
Matt (04:59):
Yep.
Josh (05:00):
Question number one.
A record number of finisherscompleted the full marathon.
And that's true, by the way.
Mm-hmm.
34,512.
Is the real number higher orlower?
Matt (05:15):
Lower.
Josh (05:18):
You are correct.
32,885.
And the
Matt (05:22):
reason I thought that was because there was 35,000 people
in the event.
Yep.
So you're going to have peoplethat didn't finish.
Josh (05:29):
Yep.
And a few that didn't start aswell.
Matt (05:33):
That's right.
Josh (05:35):
Yeah, geez, I really should have gone with a lower
number.
Anyway, let's learn from me.
A Guinness Book of WorldRecords was broken.
The most pair of underpantsworn for a marathon, 53.
Now, by the way, that is fact.
Some dude managed to win forwearing 53 pairs of underwear.
The total weight of saidunderpants was 4.2 kilograms.
(06:01):
Was the real number higher orlower?
Matt (06:05):
higher
Josh (06:07):
yes five kilograms is the estimated weight of those undies
can you imagine running withfive
Matt (06:14):
but why why like
Josh (06:16):
do you know what i actually think maddie i reckon
there's a bunch of people thatsimply go through the Guinness
Book of World Records and lookfor something that hasn't been
done.
Matt (06:24):
Yeah, of course.
But, yeah, again, why?
I
Josh (06:30):
don't know.
Well, to get yourself in thenews, that's how I found it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, true, true.
And do you want to knowsomething?
This dude actually broke theprevious record by just one
solitary pair.
So you know what I'm going tobe doing next year, Matty, don't
you?
Matt (06:46):
No
Josh (06:48):
more tights in the underwear.
And question number three,final question.
The age range of finishers hadthe youngest being 18 and the
oldest being 86.
Was the real oldest age of theoldest finisher higher or lower
(07:10):
than 86?
I'd go higher.
You are correct.
87, Matty.
Yeah.
That's impressive.
Had you held home?
Like, honestly, three fromthree, I'm pretty impressed,
dude.
Well, you've seen me at trivia
Matt (07:27):
before when it comes to
Josh (07:28):
running.
I know, I know.
I'm going to have to– I don'tknow if this segment's going to
stand the test of time.
No, I read too much stuff.
Yeah.
I'm going to have to try andtrip you up somehow.
Now, Maddy, this show isn'tabout us, and as I mentioned
earlier, each episode willfeature a star guest with their
own run-believable story.
Our first guest would ratherlace up and run a parkrun PB
(07:50):
than go back to bed afterworking a night shift.
From pacing a half marathon onjust 30 minutes sleep to making
it through an overseas marathonwith stellar shoes and a chest
infection, her story is equalparts resilience and a whole lot
of humour.
She's promised to open up onthe less commonly known uses for
So please, let's all welcomeLisa.
Matt (08:13):
Hi, guys.
Hey, Lisa.
How are you going?
Good.
Thanks for having me.
First guest.
This is exciting.
Very exciting.
Josh (08:21):
Yeah.
Yeah, we're really, reallyexcited, Lisa.
I mean, it's no secret that wecertainly know you and we've
been running with you for quitesome time.
Before we get into things, I'vegot to ask how the thumb's
going.
And just for a bit of context,I mean, it's kind of perfect
timing that we've got a podcastcalled Run Believable, and you
(08:41):
would not believe what happenedto Lisa.
In fact, I'll let you share thestory of what was about a week
ago, a week and a half ago.
What happened, Lisa?
Lisa (08:48):
Well, I thought, yeah, just preparing for this today, I
thought, you know, there's acouple of questions like what
obstacles and that and and thatI was like oh perfect I've got
some content so yeah um you knowjust our standard Sunday run
and um yeah I thought my shoeswere a bit clunky and heavy and
maybe I was a bit tired I forgotmy watch as well so but you
(09:10):
know you just power on I've gota marathon to train for so um
and we weren't even running farso yeah by this time I was with
Josh um you know 15 15 out atRedcliffe and I've, yeah,
tripped along the boardwalk andyeah, I knew I was going down so
(09:30):
flat on my face pretty muchand, but yeah, I've hit my hand
and straight away everyone'slike, oh, your leg's okay, your
leg's okay.
I'm like, yeah, my legs arefine.
I
Josh (09:42):
was worried about my hand.
He goes to show the mindset ofrunners when someone falls over
and he's like, the leg's okay,the leg's okay.
Lisa (09:50):
But yeah, and yeah, it wasn't that painful I was like
oh I've hurt my hand a littlebit but uh yeah a couple days
later I was like oh my thumb'sswelling up a bit I better go to
the doctor and yeah what do youknow it's a broken thumb so
yeah um I actually thought likewhen you found out it was broken
I actually thought you knowwhat better like body part to
(10:14):
break as a runner it's yourthumb it doesn't do anything
like you know you can still youcan still run it's not going to
put you out so you did well wellthat's a bit debatable so yeah
I mean one it's good it's myleft hand and not my right hand
um yes I can run yes I can typefor work so it's not affecting
(10:35):
my work but then other thingslike putting my hair up doing my
buttons um cutting a piece ofsteak you do use two thumbs so I
have had to adjust but but yeahI thought you know get straight
back out there becauseobviously I was worried about
tripping again um so I was likeno just get back out there
change your shoes some lightershoes and don't worry about
(10:57):
tripping and yeah so thefollowing weekend I felt a lot
better and I'm like okay yepthat's helped you know it's just
one of those days unfortunatelyso you just went out and ran a
30k just to make sure the thumbworks at a decent pace as well
yeah life goes on and yeah I metanother girl Amber she was
(11:21):
lovely And, yeah, I just startedrunning with hair.
And it took my mind off it,actually, because I was
obviously getting to know hair.
And I was like, oh, I've justrun another 10Ks and I haven't
thought about tripping in mythumb again.
Josh (11:36):
Yeah.
Oh, that's fantastic, Lisa.
And, yeah, so as long as youcan get your shoelaces done up
somehow, who really cares aboutthe rest?
Yeah, that's right.
So we've got to ask, Lisa, sowhy running?
When did you first get started?
Lisa (11:51):
um I guess oh there's a couple of stories I thought of I
guess with that I think thefirst one would be when I joined
the police so I think naturallyyou just have to be fit for the
police and there was a 2.4k runthat you have to do in a
certain time so I just rememberrunning laps of a football oval
to make sure I get under that Ithink it was like 13 or 14
(12:13):
minutes um yeah and you know Iwasn't really into running then
but I just maintained my fitnessbut when I did join the police
and then I had some um some highadrenaline jobs I guess and
then you know I finished work atlike 10 o'clock at night say
and that adrenaline would stillbe going and I'd be wired and I
(12:34):
was like oh I can't really sleepnow so that's when I was like
oh how do I get this adrenalineout and um yeah that's when I
was like oh running gets it allout and then I realized it was
it was a big lifestyle changeI'm like okay it's not just
running it means I'm going tosleep better.
It means I'm going to handleshift work better.
(12:54):
Yeah, and just that feelingafterwards, I'm like I got all
that adrenaline out.
I feel relaxed now.
And, yeah, I think that justcontinued on too with pretty
much park runs existed afterthat.
And I was like, oh, this is afree run and they time you and
(13:17):
I've got to beat that guy nextweek to beat me.
There's so much to it, isn'tthere?
Like, I mean, you know, beforeI started running, you think
running is just emotion.
You know, why would you do it?
That's like, you know, buteverything that goes with it,
that feeling, that better sleep,that better lifestyle, all of
(13:37):
that sort of stuff, it's why wedo it.
Yeah, eating canned donuts.
Yeah, that's right.
I have to run now for what Ieat.
Oh.
I'm
Josh (13:52):
the same.
So can you tell me what yourfirst running event was, Lise?
Lisa (13:57):
Good question.
Besides park runs, well,actually...
I'm just trying to think.
Because of COVID, we weren'table to do any running events
and I really wanted to run amarathon.
And I was like, oh, I wanted torun a marathon.
(14:18):
But COVID and then the secondyear of COVID and then that's
when I was like, oh, you knowwhat, I'm just going to run a
marathon myself.
And I did.
And everyone was like, Lisa,that's a really good thing.
You run a marathon withouthaving a race.
Sorry.
It was just slowly, but, yeah,I just had some friends, Pete
(14:40):
and Jules supporting me, and,yeah, just laps of Sandgate
pretty much.
So I think that was my first,well, that I can remember anyway
before actual events that Icould actually do.
You did that this year.
You ran the virtual, was itCabri?
(15:01):
That's right, the Cabri one.
Marathon, and you told no one,and we found one.
You ran 42 kilometres thatmorning.
Yeah, I was just going to go byfeel really.
You know, I guess I didn't wantthe pressure like, right, I'm
going to run this virtualmarathon.
I thought, okay, I'll just picka day and if it works, it
(15:22):
works.
If it doesn't, I'll just do itanother day.
So I think that's why I waslike, oh, there's no point
telling everyone I'm going to dothis on this day.
But, yeah, I really wanted thatmedal.
Josh (15:32):
I actually have documentary evidence.
Not only did you neglect totell people, I recall sending
you a message, I think, the daybefore saying, what are you up
to on the weekend?
And you went, yeah, not much.
Oh,
Lisa (15:44):
my God.
I know.
Well, it was a very last-minutedecision.
I had to check the weather andeverything.
I was like, okay.
Josh (15:52):
Yeah.
Waking up early in the morning,what am I going to do?
Just go out and run a marathon.
Why not?
Now, one thing which I'm sortof keen to explore, Lise, it's
incredible what we tend to seeoutwardly on Strava and just
assume well a lot of peopleassume that that's just our
lives that we just get out thereand run but you know you work
full-time you've had a historyof doing shift work you're
(16:16):
paying off a house you've got agorgeous dog but my goodness
Benji's hard work what's it liketrying to fit all that in
trying to find space for forrunning
Lisa (16:28):
Yeah, good point.
You've got to manage it well.
Like, you know, you've got toprioritize, I guess.
And yeah, sometimes otherthings get in the way of
running.
So I'm like, no, okay, thismonth or this week, sleep comes
first.
And then, well, especially whenI got the dog, I'm like, well,
he's just a puppy.
And yeah, so especially gettingup at bloody three o'clock in
(16:51):
the morning and that, so he cango to the toilet.
Okay, now I need sleep, notrunning again.
Yeah, it's hard to find thatbalance sometimes, but you just
can't do everything, can you?
Yeah, so sometimes you get itright, sometimes you don't get
it right, but then you learn.
So that's why I've always notput the pressure on myself, I
(17:17):
guess.
I don't have to run a certainamount of kilometers to run a
marathon.
It's just when I can fit therunning in or fit the training
of the dog in or fit the sleepin around shift work.
Yeah.
And I mean, that's evident withyou.
Have a look at your Strava andwhat you're running each week
is, you know, you're doing whatyou need to do because you've
(17:37):
got experience and, you know,you can run a marathon with the
training that you do.
And it's quite phenomenal.
It's really impressive.
Josh (17:45):
It really is.
And I don't know anyone else,Lisa, that seems to thrive on,
maybe I shouldn't say thrive onsleep deprivation, but the way
that you can manage sleepdeprivation is unlike anyone
else I know.
And amongst other things, ifmemory serves correctly, you
paced a half marathon down inTasmania off only 30 minutes
(18:05):
sleep.
Wow.
Matt (18:08):
You might as well just say no sleep, no sleep.
Josh (18:12):
Tell us about that.
How was that trying to sort ofstay focused after not having
much sleep and still, and wemust know how you went with the
pacing, by the way.
Lisa (18:20):
yeah okay well first of all I was successful so that was
that was good that was a weightoff my shoulders I guess but
but the lead up to that was justyeah I just let the stress
build up on me I guess umbecause um I've just always
wanted to pace a major event soI'm just signing up to any event
that'll take me really um andthen I got this one two hours
(18:44):
and I'm like oh yeah okay I canyeah I can run two hour half
marathon that'll be fine youknow not you know not easily but
yeah I can do it but then I hadthat realization of like crap
that's right Tassie has a lot ofhills and I was like maybe
maybe this half marathon isgoing to be a little bit more
difficult than I thought butthat's okay I can still do it um
(19:06):
yeah so I think I had a fewthings on my mind like that and
then when I got to Tassie youknow just settling into the
accommodation and then also thedaylight savings that's what
really messed me up so I thinkthat change of going from one to
the other, at 3 a.m.
in the morning, I was like,hang on, I couldn't figure out
(19:26):
whether to set my alarm twohours before or like two hours
ahead.
And I did stuff that up.
My alarm went off and mypartner at the time was like,
hang on, Lisa, it's midnight.
I'm like, what?
It's not midnight.
It's like 4 a.m., isn't it?
We've got to get up and havebreakfast and stuff.
So, yeah, but still, yeah, Justthinking about that, you know,
(19:52):
being my first major pacingevent, you know, if I can do it,
you know, if I can encourageothers, if I'm going to fail, if
I'm going to.
But, yeah, I think I justremember the conditions in
Tassie are a lot better thanBrisbane, less humidity, and
that definitely helped.
(20:12):
So, yeah, you know, and hillsdon't scare me too much anymore.
So, you know, with strongerlegs, I think, and the training.
But, yeah, so I love thatevent.
I'd recommend that event toanyone.
What was the experience like,though, pacing?
As you said, it's somethingyou've always wanted to do.
Yeah, how did you find it?
(20:34):
I had another pacer with me, soit was good to get to know him
and chat and, yeah, and justmonitor others who were with us
and wanted to run that sub toour half marathon.
So, you know, yeah, justreminding them to get their
nutrition in and, um, yeah.
And what's coming up, there'sdrink stations coming up,
(20:57):
there's a hill coming up, youknow, to not worry about the
hill because it would be goingslightly faster down the other
side of the hill.
And, um, and yeah, so, um,yeah, it was a great event.
Um, as I said, I recommend
Josh (21:11):
it.
Yeah.
Obviously the time zonedifference, the lack of sleep
and just the travel factordidn't turn you off, um,
exploring far and wide forrunning events because it was
after that that you decided totravel to Chicago, I believe,
for your first overseasmarathon.
(21:31):
Tell us about that.
That sounds like it was a lifeexperience in itself.
Lisa (21:40):
Well, yes.
I think you just reminded me ofgetting that balance right.
I think, you know, sometimes Ido take on too much and I think
this might have been one ofthose times.
But, yeah, you know, It's justlive and learn, I think.
So, you know, I'd never been toChicago before.
I wanted to make a holiday outof it, obviously, too.
And then, yeah, I got sick,unfortunately.
(22:04):
I get sick every time I go on aplane, I swear.
You didn't just get
Josh (22:09):
on one plane.
How many flights was it to getthere?
Lisa (22:12):
Oh, yeah, at least two or three.
Yeah, I stopped in Hong Kongfirst.
I think it was four.
I think
Josh (22:17):
you had four flights.
Lisa (22:19):
That's kind of rude.
remember now was it like goingto Sydney or Melbourne first
then Hong Kong then Chicagosomething like that yes so yeah
I think it was about 27 hourslater I think so yeah and then
yeah so staying in an Airbnb tooyeah and I couldn't find
(22:42):
couldn't find it right and yeahin the middle of the night in
Chicago a female by herself Iwas a little bit worried.
I was like, okay, this is, yep,this is the US, this is
Chicago.
No wonder I got sick, I think.
Josh (23:02):
It's amazing the things that we tend to overlook.
And I remember when I saw youractivity come up on Strava, I
was like, you know, what afantastic effort and a fantastic
experience.
But I guess what Strava doesn'tshow is the journey, even just
to get to the start line.
I mean, I...
You can't even stop to thinkabout issues to do with, you
(23:23):
know, like you say, safety ormanaging illness, logistical
challenges.
From what I know, it took you,even getting to the start line,
how long did that take you?
Was it a couple of hours orsomething or more?
Lisa (23:35):
Yeah, oh, at least a bus and a train, so at least an
hour.
Gee.
Yeah, so then, you know, yourroutine kind of goes out.
Yeah.
And then you line up to go tothe toilet and whatever.
So, yeah, the lineup for thetoilet was ridiculous.
So I'm like, okay, I can't goto the toilet.
So I'll go while I'm on course.
(23:57):
Well,
Josh (24:00):
not everyone lines up to go to the toilet, Lisa.
Yeah, that's right.
This is probably going to setthe tone for this podcast.
A plastic bag, Lisa.
Not you, I might add.
Oh, I thought you were going tosay that's what Lisa did.
I was like, wow.
Oh, look, when you've got togo, you've got to go.
And let's be honest.
(24:20):
It's wonderful that this personwas reasonably well prepared.
I mean, was it one of thoselittle doggie plastic bags that
she had on hand?
It
Lisa (24:31):
was one of those plastic bags where you get your bib and
I think your T-shirt orwhatever.
So it was a big enough bag.
But yes, I got to see somecrawling activities in a bag and
the boyfriend standing behind.
(24:51):
And it really made me think.
I guess,
Matt (24:54):
you know, when you've got to go, you've got to go.
And I guess.
There's limits.
There's limits to that.
There's limits.
Yeah.
Lisa (25:02):
And I agree with you, Matt.
I think there is.
Yeah.
That's what I mean.
A limit.
And like, so my thought is,yes, I need to go to the toilet
too, but I'm going to wait untilthe first toilet comes, you
know, in five Ks or, or yeah.
Run back to that.
from the first hotel
Josh (25:22):
walk.
The thing that I haven'texplored with you, and I am
curious, I mean, after she pooedin the bag and tied it off,
what happened?
I mean, is it kind of like whenyou take off, you know how we
all take the throwaway jumpers?
Like, did she just, like, hurlit off into the crowd and hope
for the best?
Matt (25:37):
It's Chicago.
I wasn't looking.
Like, I was, like, almostfeeling sick at the sight of it,
so I didn't want to lookanymore.
Josh (25:46):
I guess we all need to wee and we all need to poo.
But, yeah, it sounds like shewas well prepared.
But I think from what you'vetold me, Lise, having that
experience, I mean, you wouldhave been exhausted by the time
you crossed the start line.
Like, that just sounds–
Matt (26:04):
I was going to say your pre-race prep was out the
window.
Josh (26:08):
Exactly.
I would have been celebratingas I crossed the start line.
Yeah.
Lisa (26:14):
Yeah, I pretty much was.
Yep, just get this done.
It's, you know, 50,000 people.
Yeah, and the atmosphere wasunreal, though.
Yeah, so, yes, I definitelyrecommend it.
It is a PB course if you canget your stuff together, I
(26:35):
guess, and find a toilet.
Josh (26:38):
Oh, that's fantastic.
What an adventure that soundslike.
Rip, should I tell you?
taking the time to um to sharethat with us um lisa thanks so
much for joining us on runbelievable we'll let you go and
get some sleep deprivation howdoes that sound yes
Matt (26:55):
thank you yes always good day with more sleep thank you
thanks lisa that was great yeahthanks guys see ya
Josh (27:04):
wow um don't know about you maddie but i'm truly blown
away by lisa's adventures um wow
Matt (27:12):
yeah yeah it's amazing it's amazing She's really good
to run with.
She's great company and thestuff that she does, I think
eight marathons and more maybe,unbelievable.
I
Josh (27:28):
think Lisa's story is proof that running is much more
than what we see that pops up onStrava.
I think quite often we canforget that the hardest part of
the journey quite often is evenjust making it to the start
line.
All right, and that's it fortoday.
Have you got a run believablestory of your own?
We'd love to hear it.
Follow, rate and share thispodcast with your running mates
(27:51):
and we'll see you for the nextadventure.
I'm actually going to be honest with you.
I'm thinking of ditching theconcept of running tights
altogether.
Matt (00:05):
Okay.
Josh (00:06):
Did I tell you about Charlie's feedback?
Matt (00:09):
No.
Josh (00:10):
So when I first debuted the now defunct tights, I went
in the kitchen.
Charlie was in theredemolishing a bowl of custard or
something.
And he then added, oh, dad, Ican see a world through that
thing.
Yeah.
Hello everybody and welcome toRun Believable, the podcast
(00:31):
where everyday runners sharetheir not-so-everyday stories.
I'm your host Josh Rishon andI'm here to bring you stories of
grit, glory and overcomingadversity.
Each episode we'll dive deepinto what first got people into
running and what keeps themlacing up day after day.
From the laughs and the lessonsto being angled by fishing
line, we're here to share whatmakes running a truly human
(00:55):
experience.
And later in this episodeyou'll meet a runner who's
discovered that less sleepequals more pbs trust me you
don't want to miss this onemaddie welcome back clearly i
didn't damage you too much withour first episode no
Matt (01:10):
no no it's great to be back um great to hear another
story i'm really looking forwardto
Josh (01:17):
it Yes, Matty, it is awesome to have you joining me
once more.
Thank you.
Let's get stuck into somethingcalled the Run Believable
Rundown.
Now, I should explain, the RunBelievable Rundown is a segment
where we share highlights,mishaps, and little wins.
It's Really going to be thesort of stuff that our listeners
will send in.
(01:38):
However, given that thispodcast is brand new and by the
time people are listening, wewill probably have four
listeners, including immediatefamily by this stage.
So what I might do, Matty, ifit's okay with you, is kick us
off with something that's been abit of a bugbear of mine.
I am in the market for newrunning shorts.
(01:59):
That is running tights.
Yeah.
Now, as I may have told you, mylast pair pulled the pin.
in roughly 16Ks into a 33K longrun.
A long time to run with runningtights that aren't serving
their purpose.
Now, as much as the boysdownstairs were enjoying the
extra breeze from Moreton Bay,I'm not really in the mood to
(02:22):
face charges of indecentexposure.
So, Matty, it's time to shoparound.
Yep.
Matt (02:28):
Sounds like it.
Josh (02:30):
Yeah.
Now, I'm actually going to behonest with you.
I'm thinking of ditching theconcept of, running tights
altogether.
Um, yeah, there's a fewreasons.
I mean, I haven't had a lot ofluck with longevity, but I also,
did I tell you about Charlie'sfeedback?
Matt (02:46):
No.
Josh (02:48):
So when I first debuted the now defunct tights, um, I
went in the kitchen to fill upmy water bottle.
Now, Charlie was in theredemolishing a bowl of custard or
something.
And you know when you'redriving at either sunrise or
sunset time and you get to thecrest of a hill and the sun just
(03:08):
happens to be perfectlypositioned at the top of the
road to cast a blinding light?
Well, that was the boy'sreaction as he went to shield
his eyes when he saw me wearingthis little green number.
Anyway.
As you know, he's not reallyone to keep his feelings to
himself.
He then added, oh, dad, I cansee a world through that thing.
(03:31):
So, yeah, I'm actually thinkingmaybe there's a better
solution.
Matt (03:37):
Well, I have the same pair and they're still in the bag.
I haven't worn them because Idon't know what they'll go with
because of the colour.
Josh (03:45):
I think for you, Matty, you can get away with wearing
anything.
Anything pairs well with Matty,I think.
Thank
Matt (03:52):
you.
Josh (03:53):
Oh, Anytime.
That's why we're here.
And look, it is truly insane tothink that barely a week goes
by without some kind of crazymishap or adventure.
But look, still, it's allreally good content for the
show.
So if you have something thatyou'd like to contribute to the
Run Believable rundown, thensend it our way.
Now, Maddy.
Matt (04:15):
Yes.
I
Josh (04:16):
know you're excited.
I
Matt (04:18):
am very excited.
I
Josh (04:18):
haven't told you about this.
It's time for our first game.
Oh, no.
Here we go.
Here we go.
So.
We'll see whether or not thisone stands the test of time.
Now, I've called this game overor under, and here's how it's
going to work.
I'm going to throw out somerunning-related stat or trivia,
(04:41):
and Matty, you have to guess ifthe real number is over or
under.
Matt (04:46):
Okay.
Josh (04:47):
Now, feel free to play along at home or if you're
listening.
Today's questions are all aboutthe Sydney Marathon, which was
held at the end of August.
Matt (04:57):
That's right.
Josh (04:58):
Are you ready?
Matt (04:59):
Yep.
Josh (05:00):
Question number one.
A record number of finisherscompleted the full marathon.
And that's true, by the way.
Mm-hmm.
34,512.
Is the real number higher orlower?
Matt (05:15):
Lower.
Josh (05:18):
You are correct.
32,885.
And the
Matt (05:22):
reason I thought that was because there was 35,000 people
in the event.
Yep.
So you're going to have peoplethat didn't finish.
Josh (05:29):
Yep.
And a few that didn't start aswell.
Matt (05:33):
That's right.
Josh (05:35):
Yeah, geez, I really should have gone with a lower
number.
Anyway, let's learn from me.
A Guinness Book of WorldRecords was broken.
The most pair of underpantsworn for a marathon, 53.
Now, by the way, that is fact.
Some dude managed to win forwearing 53 pairs of underwear.
The total weight of saidunderpants was 4.2 kilograms.
(06:01):
Was the real number higher orlower?
Matt (06:05):
higher
Josh (06:07):
yes five kilograms is the estimated weight of those undies
can you imagine running withfive
Matt (06:14):
but why why like
Josh (06:16):
do you know what i actually think maddie i reckon
there's a bunch of people thatsimply go through the Guinness
Book of World Records and lookfor something that hasn't been
done.
Matt (06:24):
Yeah, of course.
But, yeah, again, why?
I
Josh (06:30):
don't know.
Well, to get yourself in thenews, that's how I found it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, true, true.
And do you want to knowsomething?
This dude actually broke theprevious record by just one
solitary pair.
So you know what I'm going tobe doing next year, Matty, don't
you?
Matt (06:46):
No
Josh (06:48):
more tights in the underwear.
And question number three,final question.
The age range of finishers hadthe youngest being 18 and the
oldest being 86.
Was the real oldest age of theoldest finisher higher or lower
(07:10):
than 86?
I'd go higher.
You are correct.
87, Matty.
Yeah.
That's impressive.
Had you held home?
Like, honestly, three fromthree, I'm pretty impressed,
dude.
Well, you've seen me at trivia
Matt (07:27):
before when it comes to
Josh (07:28):
running.
I know, I know.
I'm going to have to– I don'tknow if this segment's going to
stand the test of time.
No, I read too much stuff.
Yeah.
I'm going to have to try andtrip you up somehow.
Now, Maddy, this show isn'tabout us, and as I mentioned
earlier, each episode willfeature a star guest with their
own run-believable story.
Our first guest would ratherlace up and run a parkrun PB
(07:50):
than go back to bed afterworking a night shift.
From pacing a half marathon onjust 30 minutes sleep to making
it through an overseas marathonwith stellar shoes and a chest
infection, her story is equalparts resilience and a whole lot
of humour.
She's promised to open up onthe less commonly known uses for
So please, let's all welcomeLisa.
Matt (08:13):
Hi, guys.
Hey, Lisa.
How are you going?
Good.
Thanks for having me.
First guest.
This is exciting.
Very exciting.
Josh (08:21):
Yeah.
Yeah, we're really, reallyexcited, Lisa.
I mean, it's no secret that wecertainly know you and we've
been running with you for quitesome time.
Before we get into things, I'vegot to ask how the thumb's
going.
And just for a bit of context,I mean, it's kind of perfect
timing that we've got a podcastcalled Run Believable, and you
(08:41):
would not believe what happenedto Lisa.
In fact, I'll let you share thestory of what was about a week
ago, a week and a half ago.
What happened, Lisa?
Lisa (08:48):
Well, I thought, yeah, just preparing for this today, I
thought, you know, there's acouple of questions like what
obstacles and that and and thatI was like oh perfect I've got
some content so yeah um you knowjust our standard Sunday run
and um yeah I thought my shoeswere a bit clunky and heavy and
maybe I was a bit tired I forgotmy watch as well so but you
(09:10):
know you just power on I've gota marathon to train for so um
and we weren't even running farso yeah by this time I was with
Josh um you know 15 15 out atRedcliffe and I've, yeah,
tripped along the boardwalk andyeah, I knew I was going down so
(09:30):
flat on my face pretty muchand, but yeah, I've hit my hand
and straight away everyone'slike, oh, your leg's okay, your
leg's okay.
I'm like, yeah, my legs arefine.
I
Josh (09:42):
was worried about my hand.
He goes to show the mindset ofrunners when someone falls over
and he's like, the leg's okay,the leg's okay.
Lisa (09:50):
But yeah, and yeah, it wasn't that painful I was like
oh I've hurt my hand a littlebit but uh yeah a couple days
later I was like oh my thumb'sswelling up a bit I better go to
the doctor and yeah what do youknow it's a broken thumb so
yeah um I actually thought likewhen you found out it was broken
I actually thought you knowwhat better like body part to
(10:14):
break as a runner it's yourthumb it doesn't do anything
like you know you can still youcan still run it's not going to
put you out so you did well wellthat's a bit debatable so yeah
I mean one it's good it's myleft hand and not my right hand
um yes I can run yes I can typefor work so it's not affecting
(10:35):
my work but then other thingslike putting my hair up doing my
buttons um cutting a piece ofsteak you do use two thumbs so I
have had to adjust but but yeahI thought you know get straight
back out there becauseobviously I was worried about
tripping again um so I was likeno just get back out there
change your shoes some lightershoes and don't worry about
(10:57):
tripping and yeah so thefollowing weekend I felt a lot
better and I'm like okay yepthat's helped you know it's just
one of those days unfortunatelyso you just went out and ran a
30k just to make sure the thumbworks at a decent pace as well
yeah life goes on and yeah I metanother girl Amber she was
(11:21):
lovely And, yeah, I just startedrunning with hair.
And it took my mind off it,actually, because I was
obviously getting to know hair.
And I was like, oh, I've justrun another 10Ks and I haven't
thought about tripping in mythumb again.
Josh (11:36):
Yeah.
Oh, that's fantastic, Lisa.
And, yeah, so as long as youcan get your shoelaces done up
somehow, who really cares aboutthe rest?
Yeah, that's right.
So we've got to ask, Lisa, sowhy running?
When did you first get started?
Lisa (11:51):
um I guess oh there's a couple of stories I thought of I
guess with that I think thefirst one would be when I joined
the police so I think naturallyyou just have to be fit for the
police and there was a 2.4k runthat you have to do in a
certain time so I just rememberrunning laps of a football oval
to make sure I get under that Ithink it was like 13 or 14
(12:13):
minutes um yeah and you know Iwasn't really into running then
but I just maintained my fitnessbut when I did join the police
and then I had some um some highadrenaline jobs I guess and
then you know I finished work atlike 10 o'clock at night say
and that adrenaline would stillbe going and I'd be wired and I
(12:34):
was like oh I can't really sleepnow so that's when I was like
oh how do I get this adrenalineout and um yeah that's when I
was like oh running gets it allout and then I realized it was
it was a big lifestyle changeI'm like okay it's not just
running it means I'm going tosleep better.
It means I'm going to handleshift work better.
(12:54):
Yeah, and just that feelingafterwards, I'm like I got all
that adrenaline out.
I feel relaxed now.
And, yeah, I think that justcontinued on too with pretty
much park runs existed afterthat.
And I was like, oh, this is afree run and they time you and
(13:17):
I've got to beat that guy nextweek to beat me.
There's so much to it, isn'tthere?
Like, I mean, you know, beforeI started running, you think
running is just emotion.
You know, why would you do it?
That's like, you know, buteverything that goes with it,
that feeling, that better sleep,that better lifestyle, all of
(13:37):
that sort of stuff, it's why wedo it.
Yeah, eating canned donuts.
Yeah, that's right.
I have to run now for what Ieat.
Oh.
I'm
Josh (13:52):
the same.
So can you tell me what yourfirst running event was, Lise?
Lisa (13:57):
Good question.
Besides park runs, well,actually...
I'm just trying to think.
Because of COVID, we weren'table to do any running events
and I really wanted to run amarathon.
And I was like, oh, I wanted torun a marathon.
(14:18):
But COVID and then the secondyear of COVID and then that's
when I was like, oh, you knowwhat, I'm just going to run a
marathon myself.
And I did.
And everyone was like, Lisa,that's a really good thing.
You run a marathon withouthaving a race.
Sorry.
It was just slowly, but, yeah,I just had some friends, Pete
(14:40):
and Jules supporting me, and,yeah, just laps of Sandgate
pretty much.
So I think that was my first,well, that I can remember anyway
before actual events that Icould actually do.
You did that this year.
You ran the virtual, was itCabri?
(15:01):
That's right, the Cabri one.
Marathon, and you told no one,and we found one.
You ran 42 kilometres thatmorning.
Yeah, I was just going to go byfeel really.
You know, I guess I didn't wantthe pressure like, right, I'm
going to run this virtualmarathon.
I thought, okay, I'll just picka day and if it works, it
(15:22):
works.
If it doesn't, I'll just do itanother day.
So I think that's why I waslike, oh, there's no point
telling everyone I'm going to dothis on this day.
But, yeah, I really wanted thatmedal.
Josh (15:32):
I actually have documentary evidence.
Not only did you neglect totell people, I recall sending
you a message, I think, the daybefore saying, what are you up
to on the weekend?
And you went, yeah, not much.
Oh,
Lisa (15:44):
my God.
I know.
Well, it was a very last-minutedecision.
I had to check the weather andeverything.
I was like, okay.
Josh (15:52):
Yeah.
Waking up early in the morning,what am I going to do?
Just go out and run a marathon.
Why not?
Now, one thing which I'm sortof keen to explore, Lise, it's
incredible what we tend to seeoutwardly on Strava and just
assume well a lot of peopleassume that that's just our
lives that we just get out thereand run but you know you work
full-time you've had a historyof doing shift work you're
(16:16):
paying off a house you've got agorgeous dog but my goodness
Benji's hard work what's it liketrying to fit all that in
trying to find space for forrunning
Lisa (16:28):
Yeah, good point.
You've got to manage it well.
Like, you know, you've got toprioritize, I guess.
And yeah, sometimes otherthings get in the way of
running.
So I'm like, no, okay, thismonth or this week, sleep comes
first.
And then, well, especially whenI got the dog, I'm like, well,
he's just a puppy.
And yeah, so especially gettingup at bloody three o'clock in
(16:51):
the morning and that, so he cango to the toilet.
Okay, now I need sleep, notrunning again.
Yeah, it's hard to find thatbalance sometimes, but you just
can't do everything, can you?
Yeah, so sometimes you get itright, sometimes you don't get
it right, but then you learn.
So that's why I've always notput the pressure on myself, I
(17:17):
guess.
I don't have to run a certainamount of kilometers to run a
marathon.
It's just when I can fit therunning in or fit the training
of the dog in or fit the sleepin around shift work.
Yeah.
And I mean, that's evident withyou.
Have a look at your Strava andwhat you're running each week
is, you know, you're doing whatyou need to do because you've
(17:37):
got experience and, you know,you can run a marathon with the
training that you do.
And it's quite phenomenal.
It's really impressive.
Josh (17:45):
It really is.
And I don't know anyone else,Lisa, that seems to thrive on,
maybe I shouldn't say thrive onsleep deprivation, but the way
that you can manage sleepdeprivation is unlike anyone
else I know.
And amongst other things, ifmemory serves correctly, you
paced a half marathon down inTasmania off only 30 minutes
(18:05):
sleep.
Wow.
Matt (18:08):
You might as well just say no sleep, no sleep.
Josh (18:12):
Tell us about that.
How was that trying to sort ofstay focused after not having
much sleep and still, and wemust know how you went with the
pacing, by the way.
Lisa (18:20):
yeah okay well first of all I was successful so that was
that was good that was a weightoff my shoulders I guess but
but the lead up to that was justyeah I just let the stress
build up on me I guess umbecause um I've just always
wanted to pace a major event soI'm just signing up to any event
that'll take me really um andthen I got this one two hours
(18:44):
and I'm like oh yeah okay I canyeah I can run two hour half
marathon that'll be fine youknow not you know not easily but
yeah I can do it but then I hadthat realization of like crap
that's right Tassie has a lot ofhills and I was like maybe
maybe this half marathon isgoing to be a little bit more
difficult than I thought butthat's okay I can still do it um
(19:06):
yeah so I think I had a fewthings on my mind like that and
then when I got to Tassie youknow just settling into the
accommodation and then also thedaylight savings that's what
really messed me up so I thinkthat change of going from one to
the other, at 3 a.m.
in the morning, I was like,hang on, I couldn't figure out
(19:26):
whether to set my alarm twohours before or like two hours
ahead.
And I did stuff that up.
My alarm went off and mypartner at the time was like,
hang on, Lisa, it's midnight.
I'm like, what?
It's not midnight.
It's like 4 a.m., isn't it?
We've got to get up and havebreakfast and stuff.
So, yeah, but still, yeah, Justthinking about that, you know,
(19:52):
being my first major pacingevent, you know, if I can do it,
you know, if I can encourageothers, if I'm going to fail, if
I'm going to.
But, yeah, I think I justremember the conditions in
Tassie are a lot better thanBrisbane, less humidity, and
that definitely helped.
(20:12):
So, yeah, you know, and hillsdon't scare me too much anymore.
So, you know, with strongerlegs, I think, and the training.
But, yeah, so I love thatevent.
I'd recommend that event toanyone.
What was the experience like,though, pacing?
As you said, it's somethingyou've always wanted to do.
Yeah, how did you find it?
(20:34):
I had another pacer with me, soit was good to get to know him
and chat and, yeah, and justmonitor others who were with us
and wanted to run that sub toour half marathon.
So, you know, yeah, justreminding them to get their
nutrition in and, um, yeah.
And what's coming up, there'sdrink stations coming up,
(20:57):
there's a hill coming up, youknow, to not worry about the
hill because it would be goingslightly faster down the other
side of the hill.
And, um, and yeah, so, um,yeah, it was a great event.
Um, as I said, I recommend
Josh (21:11):
it.
Yeah.
Obviously the time zonedifference, the lack of sleep
and just the travel factordidn't turn you off, um,
exploring far and wide forrunning events because it was
after that that you decided totravel to Chicago, I believe,
for your first overseasmarathon.
(21:31):
Tell us about that.
That sounds like it was a lifeexperience in itself.
Lisa (21:40):
Well, yes.
I think you just reminded me ofgetting that balance right.
I think, you know, sometimes Ido take on too much and I think
this might have been one ofthose times.
But, yeah, you know, It's justlive and learn, I think.
So, you know, I'd never been toChicago before.
I wanted to make a holiday outof it, obviously, too.
And then, yeah, I got sick,unfortunately.
(22:04):
I get sick every time I go on aplane, I swear.
You didn't just get
Josh (22:09):
on one plane.
How many flights was it to getthere?
Lisa (22:12):
Oh, yeah, at least two or three.
Yeah, I stopped in Hong Kongfirst.
I think it was four.
I think
Josh (22:17):
you had four flights.
Lisa (22:19):
That's kind of rude.
remember now was it like goingto Sydney or Melbourne first
then Hong Kong then Chicagosomething like that yes so yeah
I think it was about 27 hourslater I think so yeah and then
yeah so staying in an Airbnb tooyeah and I couldn't find
(22:42):
couldn't find it right and yeahin the middle of the night in
Chicago a female by herself Iwas a little bit worried.
I was like, okay, this is, yep,this is the US, this is
Chicago.
No wonder I got sick, I think.
Josh (23:02):
It's amazing the things that we tend to overlook.
And I remember when I saw youractivity come up on Strava, I
was like, you know, what afantastic effort and a fantastic
experience.
But I guess what Strava doesn'tshow is the journey, even just
to get to the start line.
I mean, I...
You can't even stop to thinkabout issues to do with, you
(23:23):
know, like you say, safety ormanaging illness, logistical
challenges.
From what I know, it took you,even getting to the start line,
how long did that take you?
Was it a couple of hours orsomething or more?
Lisa (23:35):
Yeah, oh, at least a bus and a train, so at least an
hour.
Gee.
Yeah, so then, you know, yourroutine kind of goes out.
Yeah.
And then you line up to go tothe toilet and whatever.
So, yeah, the lineup for thetoilet was ridiculous.
So I'm like, okay, I can't goto the toilet.
So I'll go while I'm on course.
(23:57):
Well,
Josh (24:00):
not everyone lines up to go to the toilet, Lisa.
Yeah, that's right.
This is probably going to setthe tone for this podcast.
A plastic bag, Lisa.
Not you, I might add.
Oh, I thought you were going tosay that's what Lisa did.
I was like, wow.
Oh, look, when you've got togo, you've got to go.
And let's be honest.
(24:20):
It's wonderful that this personwas reasonably well prepared.
I mean, was it one of thoselittle doggie plastic bags that
she had on hand?
It
Lisa (24:31):
was one of those plastic bags where you get your bib and
I think your T-shirt orwhatever.
So it was a big enough bag.
But yes, I got to see somecrawling activities in a bag and
the boyfriend standing behind.
(24:51):
And it really made me think.
I guess,
Matt (24:54):
you know, when you've got to go, you've got to go.
And I guess.
There's limits.
There's limits to that.
There's limits.
Yeah.
Lisa (25:02):
And I agree with you, Matt.
I think there is.
Yeah.
That's what I mean.
A limit.
And like, so my thought is,yes, I need to go to the toilet
too, but I'm going to wait untilthe first toilet comes, you
know, in five Ks or, or yeah.
Run back to that.
from the first hotel
Josh (25:22):
walk.
The thing that I haven'texplored with you, and I am
curious, I mean, after she pooedin the bag and tied it off,
what happened?
I mean, is it kind of like whenyou take off, you know how we
all take the throwaway jumpers?
Like, did she just, like, hurlit off into the crowd and hope
for the best?
Matt (25:37):
It's Chicago.
I wasn't looking.
Like, I was, like, almostfeeling sick at the sight of it,
so I didn't want to lookanymore.
Josh (25:46):
I guess we all need to wee and we all need to poo.
But, yeah, it sounds like shewas well prepared.
But I think from what you'vetold me, Lise, having that
experience, I mean, you wouldhave been exhausted by the time
you crossed the start line.
Like, that just sounds–
Matt (26:04):
I was going to say your pre-race prep was out the
window.
Josh (26:08):
Exactly.
I would have been celebratingas I crossed the start line.
Yeah.
Lisa (26:14):
Yeah, I pretty much was.
Yep, just get this done.
It's, you know, 50,000 people.
Yeah, and the atmosphere wasunreal, though.
Yeah, so, yes, I definitelyrecommend it.
It is a PB course if you canget your stuff together, I
(26:35):
guess, and find a toilet.
Josh (26:38):
Oh, that's fantastic.
What an adventure that soundslike.
Rip, should I tell you?
taking the time to um to sharethat with us um lisa thanks so
much for joining us on runbelievable we'll let you go and
get some sleep deprivation howdoes that sound yes
Matt (26:55):
thank you yes always good day with more sleep thank you
thanks lisa that was great yeahthanks guys see ya
Josh (27:04):
wow um don't know about you maddie but i'm truly blown
away by lisa's adventures um wow
Matt (27:12):
yeah yeah it's amazing it's amazing She's really good
to run with.
She's great company and thestuff that she does, I think
eight marathons and more maybe,unbelievable.
I
Josh (27:28):
think Lisa's story is proof that running is much more
than what we see that pops up onStrava.
I think quite often we canforget that the hardest part of
the journey quite often is evenjust making it to the start
line.
All right, and that's it fortoday.
Have you got a run believablestory of your own?
We'd love to hear it.
Follow, rate and share thispodcast with your running mates
(27:51):
and we'll see you for the nextadventure.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.