November 11, 2025 • 55 mins
Episode Description
Some running stories start with a race. Nicole’s started with a pair of worn Reeboks and a cotton T-shirt.
The day before her 40th birthday, she went for her first jog; a spontaneous decision that changed everything. From San Rafael to New York, Nicole discovered how running could rebuild confidence, reshape body image, and connect her to a global community.
In this funny, fearless, and deeply human episode, Joshie and Matty chat with Nicole about juggling hypoglycaemia, recovering from a stress fracture, and the kind of race-day mishaps you just can’t make up.
In this episode:
- How Nicole’s first 5K sparked a lifelong love of running
- Managing hypoglycaemia while training and racing
- Finding connection through international run clubs
- Rebuilding after injury and rediscovering confidence
- Rituals (cough; superstitions) and what’s on her running horizon
Runbelievable: real runners, unreal stories.
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/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.
Matty (00:07):
Um a br that they've got leaves in clumps on branches,
and one was hanging low and ithit me in the eye.
The open eye.
You run with one eye open andone eye shut.
No, I I just didn't see it.
I see what you mean.
Yeah, and and kept running.
Um, and then I thought, hold ona second, I can feel like a
lump on my eye.
I came home and um had a lookin the mirror, and to me, it
(00:30):
looked like half my eye wasmissing, and I panicked, like I
really panicked, and made hercall an ambulance.
Joshie (00:39):
Hello everybody and welcome to Unbelievable, the
podcast where everyday runnersshare their not-so everyday
story.
I'm your host, Josh Trichin,and I'm here to bring you
stories of grit, glory, andovercoming adversity.
Each episode, we'll dive deepinto what first got people
running and what kept themlacing up day after day.
From the laughs and the lessonsto 65 kilometre an hour
(01:02):
headwinds, we're here to sharewhat makes running a truly human
experience.
I can see you laughing, Maddie.
And later in this episode,you'll meet a runner who shakes
off gashes and broken bones likeit's merely a fly on the face,
and I can't wait to hear herstory.
Maddie, welcome back.
Now, as co-host, you typicallydon't get to share.
(01:24):
I'm sorry I interrupted youthere.
Matty (01:27):
Um, how are you?
Yeah, I'm good, thank you.
I'm just I'm just thinking of65 kilometre headwinds.
Um it's quite quite a regularthing that we experience.
Joshie (01:35):
It is indeed.
Now, look, uh, I must admit, asco-host, uh you typically don't
get much of an opportunity toshare that much about yourself.
Now, I've had a couple oflisteners suggest that we
sprinkle in a little bit aboutourselves.
So if you don't mind, are youhappy to share what's on the
agenda for you, say next year,running-wise?
Is there anything inparticular, you know,
(01:56):
goal-related that you've gotyour site set on?
Matty (01:59):
So I am someone that's very organized.
So you can see well, you can'tsee, but within my phone, I have
um a page of notes, which is2026 um events.
So I think I've got about sixin there.
There's halves and there's onefull.
Um so I I have been thinkingthat I want to run a full
(02:21):
marathon next year and wouldlike to run Gold Coast.
Um I also I'm not finished withhalf marathons though either.
So um I'm pretty much at thebeginning of half marathons, so
I'm learning lessons every timeI run one.
And I really want to sort ofchase that.
I want to go under 145 or 145and under, I should say.
(02:42):
Um yeah, to chase that um andand see how I go.
But I also want to, I'vestarted doing a bit more speed
work as well because I want toum throw in not so much in an
event or a race, it could be apark run.
Um, I want to start seeing if Ican go under that 20-minute um
5k.
Joshie (03:03):
Oh, that magical barrier.
Matty (03:04):
That's right.
Joshie (03:05):
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, jeez.
Uh I'm I'm impressed.
Gosh, you sound incrediblyawful.
Feel like I could instill someof that discipline here.
Gosh, you got a tab for 2026goals.
Have you got a tab for today'schore list as well?
Yeah, mate.
Matty (03:22):
Yeah, yeah.
I set reminders every day ofthings I need to do and get
done.
So yeah.
Joshie (03:28):
Oh, I love that.
Um, okay, so let's get into theunbelievable rundown.
And just a reminder, this iswhere we share highlights,
mishaps, little wins, the kindof stuff that Strava simply
can't capture.
Now, I mentioned that today'sguest has some weird and wacky
injuries, which made me a littlebit curious about yourself,
(03:49):
Maddie, because you're hardlyimmune to these weird and
wonderful injuries yourself.
Now, look, in addition, andit's all this year, by the way,
in addition to having a gash legfrom running with your phone in
your pocket and being bitten byan on-lead dog.
Earlier this year, you somehowmanaged to run into a tree
branch.
How on earth did that happen?
Matty (04:11):
Yeah, so I went for a night run.
Um I'm trying to think of whenit was.
It must have been the beginningof um the cooler season, so it
was cooling down.
I went um for a run justlocally um and was running under
some, I think they're Pointianatrees.
And um that they've got leavesin clumps on branches, and one
(04:32):
was hanging low, and it hit mein the eye, uh the open eye,
like I didn't close it.
And um I thought you actuallyrun with one eye open and one
eye shut.
No, but like normally I'dflinch or move or something.
I just didn't see it.
Joshie (04:45):
Um I see what you mean.
Matty (04:47):
Yeah, and and kept running.
Um, and then I thought, hold ona second, um, I can feel like a
lump on my eye, and it'sstarting to feel like this
wasn't a sting, it was more of apain.
Um, so I stopped and called mywife and said, Look, I need you
to come and pick me up.
And when she saw it, she goes,Okay, uh, we're gonna have to go
(05:08):
to emergency.
And I came home and um had alook in the mirror, and to me,
it was just the colour of theeye, so it was extremely red.
Um, and there was a bit of likegrey and around the iris, and
like in a bit of a V, and itlooked like half my eye was
(05:28):
missing, like I'd taken a chunkout of the eyeball.
Um, and I panicked, like Ireally panicked, and made her
call an ambulance.
Um, very dramatic, verydramatic.
And got the ambulance basicallycalled back and said, Look,
we're pretty busy, um, we don'tthink it's necessary.
So I went up to emergency andthinking, you know, I've lost
(05:48):
half my eye, and uh, what'sgonna happen?
I'm gonna have to go on forsurgery.
And went in and they said,You've got a hematoma on your
eye, they're very common, it'llgo away in about two to three
days.
Joshie (05:58):
So after all that, oh gosh.
But yeah, I can be able to dothat.
Listen to this bit of a profileof your actually that reminds
me.
I remember being on this likecub count, uh, not cub count,
sorry.
Um what is it called?
Scouts, cub camp.
That's the word I'm lookingfor.
And oh my gosh, Maddie, we'reon this hike, and all of a
(06:20):
sudden, there's this massivepool of blood in my sock, my
shoes soaked through.
I'm like, oh my god, and Istart panicking, I like lie
down.
And I remember the the uh cubcamp leader just came over and
he was like, you know, medic.
And so take my shoe off, it'slike it's white shoes, and it's
like completely covered inblood.
They take my sock off, and thenone of the guys who was also
(06:44):
one of the um one of the uh cubstook his top off and like does
his compression.
Oh no, no, he he he had mercyon me.
He just applied like acompression bandage, yeah.
And so they eventually unwrapthis thing after applying for
ages and they start like dabbingaway all the blood to get to
(07:04):
the source of the wound, and itturns out I'd like just been
bitten by a leech.
And then the cubcap uh leadersuddenly just screams out, can
we have a band-aid?
Matty (07:22):
You thought you were in World War III.
Joshie (07:24):
Next thing you know you need a band-aid, yeah.
Oh man, so no, I'm not gonnapoke any more fun at you for
being dramatic because I havebeen there myself.
Oh, geez.
Look, we better keep moving.
We have a guest patientlywaiting for us.
Now, Maddie, I'm going to besomewhat generous today and give
you another crack at Shoe Am I.
Okay.
Now, just to remember, uh,remember, just a reminder,
(07:47):
Maddie, that the objective ofShoe Am I is to guess the make
and model of a shoe.
I'm going to give you up tofive clues, five points if you
correctly guess after one clue,four points after two clues, so
on and so forth.
Now I also realise, Maddie,that if you get this after one
or two guesses, it means thatpeople playing along at home
(08:10):
won't be able to complete thegame.
That's too bad.
Yeah.
Or what I was going to suggestis write your answer down when
you think, and I'm obviouslytrusting you here, when you
think you have an answer, andthen we'll keep playing through
until the end.
I'm sure this will all workonce we go through this.
(08:30):
So let's just get stuckstraight into it with clue
number one.
Shoe am I.
I was released in 2024 with aretail price of 300 US dollars,
which is roughly 460 Australiandollars.
Did you want to have a go?
Matty (08:51):
Actually, no, if you think there were only a couple
of shoes that went over the 400.
Joshie (08:56):
That's true.
Now, I'll tell you what, don'tI just remember, don't scream
out the answer.
I think you've got it.
No, no, no, won't.
If you think you've got it, sayso and write your answer down.
And what I'll get you to do isthere a way you can hold up the
answer in front of your phone soI can see it after you're going
to get it.
You might not be able to readmy I can see that.
What we'll do is we willcontinue right along.
Matty (09:19):
Okay.
There's another one and I can'tremember it.
Joshie (09:22):
Clue number two.
With a stack height of getthis, 50 millimeters, I was
definitely not legal.
Maddie's already had a go.
No, you can't.
I can see you trying to.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm just gonna write it down.
Yep.
You're done and dusted, myfriend.
Matty (09:39):
Yeah.
Joshie (09:39):
Do you think you're right, by the way?
Matty (09:41):
With your answer.
I don't know, because I don'tknow if it was that much money,
but clue number three.
Joshie (09:48):
I weight a whopping 306 grand.
Oh standard, I know these soundlike clodhoppers.
Standard men's size nine.
Do you think you're correct, bythe way?
Yeah, I know it now.
Yeah, yeah.
You know it.
Write down your second answer.
Show it to me.
Matty (10:04):
Yeah, yeah.
Joshie (10:04):
So um I do apologize.
This is an audio podcast, so Ido apologize for listeners that
you will not be able to see whatMatt is writing down, but all
will be revealed at the end.
I'll let you write that down.
The bottom one.
We'll keep moving right now.
Wow.
Actually, show that again.
Your handwriting is terrible.
Oh mate, I can't write.
(10:25):
Yeah.
And no, I don't think you'recorrect with that one.
Okay.
Clue number four.
My midsole boasts Light StrikePro Foam with energy core and
dual carbon plates.
Matty (10:38):
Oh, yep, yep, yep.
I know it now.
I hundred percent know it.
Well, I'll tell you what, afterthat.
Joshie (10:44):
But you gave it away.
You gave it away with the foam.
With the foam?
Oh, with the foam.
Well, you know, well, it's thefourth clue.
There's only one more to go.
So I'll tell you what, I'llgive you the last clue.
Clue number five.
With comfort in mind, my upperwas made from technology called
strung.
So Maddie's.
Matty (11:01):
Yeah.
Adidas strung too.
Joshie (11:03):
It is indeed, yeah.
Adidas 80, strung two.
Now, you had a crack after oneclue, and I think you wrote
Sicconi Elite.
Matty (11:14):
Yeah, because they were the I think the first ones that
came out that were over $400,and they were 415 or 420.
And then when you mentioned interms of the stack height, I
went the Puma Fast and then theHawker.
Joshie (11:30):
So zero points for you, Maddie.
How did you go at home?
Feel free to let us know.
Today's guest lined up for hervery first run the day before
her 40th birthday.
In worn reebox and a cottont-shirt, I might add.
Since then, running has takenher places that she never
expected, across continents,through challenges, and right
(11:53):
into a community that's reshapedhow she sees herself.
She's faced setbacks, foundconfidence, and built rituals,
or should I say superstitions,that keep her focused.
Her story is every bit ascomical as it is fearless, and a
reminder that every runner'sjourney starts somewhere.
Please let's all welcome NicoleRobinson.
Matty (12:15):
Welcome.
Nicole (12:16):
Thanks, guys.
Joshie (12:18):
Not a problem, Nick.
Now, tell us about that firstrun.
What sparked your decision?
What do you remember about yourfirst run?
Nicole (12:27):
Um, we had moved overseas um to a lovely little
place um called Marin County,which is a very expensive county
to live in, just outside SanFrancisco.
And my husband Craig is arunner from way back, and he
decided to get back into it.
It's fitness when we're overthere.
And so I thought, oh, you know,I've been running at the gym on
(12:50):
a treadmill, you know, how hardcan this road running thing be?
So yeah, it turned out that theum day before I turned 40,
there was this 5k race in ourlocal downtown community, San
Rafael.
And we signed up for it.
And like I said, Craig wasgetting back into running, so he
didn't have any fancy geareither.
But yeah, I rock up in my oldreebox that I've been wearing to
(13:11):
the gym and you know, my cottonshirt, and I think I probably
had a backpack as well.
And I was just so happy becauseI didn't get lost, uh, even
though it was in downtown.
Um, I ran the whole thing and Ithink I finished in like 36
minutes or whatever, and it wasa totally different experience
to what I'd had running on atreadmill.
Um, hadn't realized howdifferent it was going to feel
(13:35):
and the fact that I survived andfelt good, and as we say, Craig
created a monster.
Um he didn't know what he wascreating at the time.
He may have since come toregret creating said monster.
Um, but yeah, that that was it.
And I thought, well, okay, thisthis running thing's pretty
cool.
Joshie (13:55):
That's awesome.
And so you you said that youstarted as a a treadmill runner.
I don't I'm just trying tothink if that's a a normal pro
uh progression for people to gofrom running on treadmills to
running on road.
Maybe maybe it is.
Um do I recall correctly thatyou've run potentially as far as
surely not a half marathon on atreadmill.
Nicole (14:18):
Yeah.
Um, except the thing was Iwasn't a runner.
I was a gym junkie, and I hadno idea I was actually running
that far.
I had no idea how far a halfmiles one was.
I just went to the gym withsome workmates.
Yeah, I just went to um the gymwith some workmates, and we all
just used to try and outdo oneanother on the treadmill.
Matty (14:37):
I've never run on one.
Nicole (14:39):
Oh, I can't do it anymore.
Matty (14:41):
Never ever stood on the treadmill.
Nicole (14:44):
Keep it that way.
Joshie (14:46):
I'll tell you what, if you want to have a laugh, and
I'm and I shouldn't say a laughbecause it is at someone else's
expense, but geez, there aresome incredible fails like
treadmill fails that you can.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Nicole (14:56):
Yeah.
Joshie (14:57):
And often it's people just trying to do stupid shit,
let's be honest.
But um yeah, oh, I can't fathomNicola half marathon on a
treadmill.
Nicole (15:06):
Like I said, I had no idea.
I was just a gym junkie and Ihated doing weights.
I, you know, I still hate doingweights at the gym, let's be
honest.
Um and so I would go and go onthe treadmill.
And first I wasn't running, butthen I got into the running and
it would get longer and longer,and then one of the guys I'd
work with, he would turn up atthe gym and he'd just saunter
(15:27):
over and have a look at how farI'd gone and how fast I was
going, and give me a thumbs upand go, You're good.
And then you know, sometimes myother workmates, if you're on
same shift, would turn up andyeah, it just became something
like we did.
I hadn't, like I said, I had noidea.
Matty (15:41):
Yeah, you didn't know any different, yeah.
Nicole (15:43):
Yeah, yeah.
Joshie (15:46):
Now you've lived in quite a few places, both
Australia and overseas, from SanRafael, if I recall correctly,
to New York.
That's right.
How did running help you findconnection wherever you were?
Nicole (15:59):
Um, that's a really good question because as you guys
know, um, we don't have kids.
And so moving overseas when youdon't have children, to when
you when you move overseas andyou have kids, you have no
choice because you've got toorganise their schooling.
You you are forced to meetpeople whether you want to or
not.
Whereas for us, the people wewere meeting were the members of
the complex we were living in,Craig's work community.
(16:22):
Um, and when I got my workvisa, my work community.
But um when we got intorunning, in particular the um
trial running community, itopened up um another sort of
like friendship group to us.
And while we mightn't havesocialized a lot with these
people, it ended up that we gotso into the running over there.
We were seeing these peopleevery weekend, sometimes two
(16:43):
days in a row.
Um and that became that sort ofbecame our like one group in
particular, they're calledBrazen Racing.
Um, we got heavily into theirevents, they're very well
organized, very family-orientedfor everyone events.
Um, and they sort of became ourracing family overseas.
Matty (17:04):
I love that.
Yeah, that's brilliant.
I think um, I think likerunning communities for me, and
what you know, what I see isyou've got like-minded people um
who do the same thing.
Um, and that's what I that'swhat I love about it.
You you you're in the samething, you do the same thing,
you talk the same thing, you arethe same.
Nicole (17:23):
Yeah, yeah, and and often you're all questioning
your life choices at the samepoint in time.
But yeah, to the point, yeah,I'd say they're like running
community to the point where wemet this lovely couple, um,
Richard and Christina Jennings.
And what you're gonna rememberhere, guys, is we were in our
40s, um, these guys were intheir 60s, and they're still
(17:45):
winning their age groups.
And they were so cute becausethey'd run together and hold
hands crossing the finish line.
And I had to laugh when Ijoined Strava like years ago.
You know, we left, we came backhere, we said goodbye to our
running community, a phenomenalrunning event they had over
there.
Um and they were my firstfollowers on Strava.
Joshie (18:05):
Yeah, that's running across the oh my gosh, I'm gonna
ask Nat to do that with me.
I I have no doubt that she'llsay no, but I uh absolutely have
to ask the question.
Nicole (18:16):
It wasn't just one race, it was every race.
And if one of them got injuredor something, then the other
would stay and just yeah,they're just they're just
lovely, they're really cute,really lovely couples.
Matty (18:26):
That's awesome.
Yeah, I love that.
Love it.
That is fantastic.
Joshie (18:31):
Now, look, Nicole, you've talked about how
running's influenced how you seeyourself, um, especially around
you know, body image and thelike.
What would you say has changedfor you since those early days
and how running has sort ofhelped foster how you see
yourself?
Nicole (18:48):
Um, I'd say probably when I first got into running,
um, because right before we likeI've always had body image
issues.
It goes back to when I was akid.
I'd say I probably started inabout probably grade four or
five at primary school.
But nobody talked about itthose days.
Um, and so I've had stages inmy life where I've either been
underweight or a lot overweight.
(19:10):
And I think running came intoplay for me because before we
moved overseas, I'd hit my maxweight.
I was nearly 80 kilos.
Um and that wasn't a good lookon me because as you both know,
I'm not overly blessed withheight.
Um so, and it was starting toborder unhealthy.
So Craig had been workingoverseas a lot and he went on
(19:31):
one trip, and I just decidedthat's it.
I don't want to look like thisanymore.
And I took myself off to JennyCraig and started my journey on
re-educating myself about foodas well as the training.
Um, might have taken it onboard a bit too much to the
point where when we were movingoverseas with the stress of
moving overseas and everythingthat was going on there, I'd
(19:51):
actually lost 10Ks more than mygoal weight.
And they were thinking wassending me to, if I lost any
more, they were going to send meto a psychiatrist.
And I'm like, um, no, it'sokay.
I am actually eating.
I'm just exercising a lot.
And I've got an internationalmovie to organize, which can be
quite stressful.
Um, so yeah, I'd say like thatcame into play.
So I kept up the healthy eatingfor a bit overseas.
(20:14):
Um, but yeah, when I startedrunning, I was I was definitely
quicker because I was weighingless, but I was probably when I
started my journey, I wasprobably under an underweight
runner, surviving on basicallyuh diet Pepsi and 90 calorie
bars, which isn't good racefueling, I can tell you.
Um and then I sort of had torethink that um and take it from
(20:41):
there.
But I'd say it's probably onlysince I've really moved back to
Australia, been back six years,that I reached a point, and
we're moving back, I wasweighing myself three times a
day, and it just got ridiculous,and I said, no, I'm just not
gonna do that anymore.
And so I don't step on a scalenow unless I absolutely have to
for a medical appointment.
Joshie (20:59):
Yeah.
Nicole (21:00):
I do try to eat healthy, but let's face it, I've never
met an unhealthy snack I didn'tlike.
Um so I've learned to balanceout, especially during marathon
training, like when you're doingthe 30k long lines and stuff
like that, that's when you havethe cheap night and you come
home and you have the pizza andthe glass of wine with dinner,
and then when you're not doingas much, you go back to your
(21:22):
routine of trying to eat healthyand stuff like that.
And I think, particularlyoverseas, because Americans can
stuff up bread.
Let's face it, I don't know howyou can stuff up one of the
basic staple foods sospectacularly, but oh boy, did
they stuff it spectacularly?
Um, and because we're inCalifornia, I also the takeaway
(21:45):
I got addicted to there wasn'tall their fast fatty food
joints, it was like really goodMexican.
Um so that was you know one ofthe things we used to have was
really good Mexican close by.
So really sort of that was likea go-to food as well.
Um and I think part of thereason I didn't eat much over
there is because you know youcouldn't get Alan's lollies or
(22:07):
any of the things I really likedwithout you know having to sell
the kidney.
So that probably helped.
But yeah, so it's just learningabout now doing it even this
week.
It's like, okay, so I was upthe coast last night with some
girlfriends, and okay, so eathealthy through the day, try not
too much because you knowyou're gonna go out and have a
lovely meal with these ladies,and just yeah, and always
(22:30):
constantly in the back of mymind, like, yeah, okay, I've had
this recent injury, so Ihaven't been able to run as
much, so let's go to the gym anddo some solid sessions.
So you're still burningcalories because you're still
taking in calories.
Um, so I don't calorie count assuch, but I sort of do try to
have a balance um of good andbad.
(22:54):
And like we eat a lot ofvegetables in this house, which
is the good.
And there are certain foods Idon't have in the house.
Like I have chips that Craiglikes, I don't buy the flavour I
like because impulse control,you know, you'd sit down to eat
one serving and oh look, apacket would be gone.
And so, yeah, yeah, some foodsI'm really good around and I can
have in the house, and some Ideliberately choose not to have
(23:16):
because I know it overindulge.
Matty (23:18):
And there's probably out there, Nicole, there's probably
a lot of people that uh have asimilar experience um in terms
of what you're talking aboutwith body image, and it's a huge
thing in this day and age,especially with young kids as
well.
But I think um, and I learntthe hard way because I, you
know, I have always wanted to belighter so I could run faster.
Um, but nutrition is soimportant.
(23:39):
So and it's not it's not justnutrition, it's about education
of what to eat, when to eat, howto eat.
Um it's huge.
Nicole (23:47):
Yeah, it is huge, and for me, I think I was telling
you, Josh, it's still a strugglebecause I was doing, you know,
I think I told you, I was umpassing out after some of my
longer runs, my quicker runs,and I was going what's called
hypoglycemic.
I didn't have enough sugar inmy system.
Joshie (24:03):
Yeah, okay.
Nicole (24:04):
Um, and so I had to rethink my fueling, and it's
only since I've started, youknow, I haven't done that many
marathons.
Um it's only since I reallystarted training for them and
doing them that I've forcedmyself to take the fuel on board
because I'd run a half marathonwithout gel or anything.
I'd have water and stuff forwater stations, but I wouldn't,
(24:24):
you know, I'd run it on half abanana beforehand and no gels
because that was just how Irolled.
Joshie (24:30):
Yeah.
I mean, that's an added layerof complexity that I guess most
of us don't have to worry about.
I mean, with your hypoglycemia,is that something that you
found um easier to work with themore that you've understood how
your body responds to differentfoods?
Nicole (24:48):
Yeah, because it it's pretty scary.
Um and I think because youcan't, it's one of those things
where you feel fine at the endof the race, and then all of a
sudden you're not fine, and I'dturn around and say, Okay, I
don't feel and then I'll be onthe ground.
Joshie (25:01):
Oh, really?
Nicole (25:02):
You know, people leaning over going, Do you want me?
I'm like, no, just give me somesugar and I'll be fine.
Um, but and then I learned thatokay, I can't do that anymore.
So I'm going to have to take uhI got into Harborough gummy
bears, little tiny satchets ofthem.
And so I'd carry them when Irun and I wouldn't feel like it,
but halfway through I'd haveone of those and solve the
problem, be fine.
So it hasn't happened in ages,which is good.
(25:25):
Um and that's so I've learnedthat okay, so number one, you
have to eat a bit more beforeyou go out for a big training
session.
You have to do your fueling,um, especially on race day.
That's just you know, andespecially Craig's really good
at pacing, and he's also reallygood at pacing me, and that
he'll say, Okay, we're eight Ksand you haven't had a gel, you
(25:47):
have to have that gel.
I know you don't want to, butyou have to take that gel.
And he'll be really on at meabout that because unfortunately
he's a person who's had to dealwith me when I haven't at the
end.
Joshie (25:57):
It sounds like there isn't much that will keep you
down, Nicole, whether it'shyperglycemia or or injuries.
I mean, every runner's got astory that makes people say, You
did what?
Now, when I sat down beforethis um conversation today, you
shared no less than threestories of something crazy
that's happened to you on a run.
(26:18):
And I I absolutely need to hearmore about your Angel Island
experience.
Wow.
Yes.
Nicole (26:25):
That's yeah.
Um, Angel Island is an oldquarantine station off the coast
of um San Francisco.
It's it's closer to where Iused to live in Marin County,
and you can't you can only getthere by ferry.
And these lovely people, um uhUrban Coyote had a race there
(26:47):
one time, and we signed uptogether and we did it, and it
was great.
And I always wanted to go backand do it again.
And this was just as we were weknew we were leaving, and it
was on the bucket list of thingsto complete before we went home
because you could spend thewhole day over at Angel Island,
go swimming.
There's like a littlequarantine station tour you can
do.
They take you around a littletrain, it's cute, beautiful
running trails and a littlecanteen.
(27:08):
So we'd we'd signed up for thisrace, we'd got the ferry over,
everything was going good beforethe run, talking about what
we're gonna do that day.
Had you know bags with beachtowels, snacks, stuff in it.
And so um, we were we were, youknow, we started the run and
it's going okay, and it's goingokay.
And then I think probably atabout the last mile and a half,
(27:30):
I was getting a bit annoyed atmyself, going, Okay, you're not
running as good as you want tobe.
You're not gonna be third girlacross the finish line.
You're not even gonna place inyour age group.
What is wrong with you,Robinson?
Pull your crap together and wejust come around a beautiful
band where you look out and youcross the bay and here's San
Francisco, and it's absolutelysorry about hand gestures,
absolutely gorgeous.
Um, and you had to duck up andunder this tree.
(27:50):
I ducked under and up, I duckedunder, but I came up too quick
and smacked my head.
Now um I was I don't run incaps, I wear visors.
I was wearing a visor and Ithought, oh, it's one of those
ones where instant pain.
I'm like, oh man, that reallyhurt, you know?
Oh man.
So I put my hand up to my faceand I'm like, see blood, and I'm
(28:11):
like, oh man, I think I'vebroken my nose.
Oh, that's right.
And I'm like, well, what am Igonna do?
You know, I've got to finishoh, I'll be fine, I'll finish.
So luckily I didn't black outor see stars or anything.
Anyway, so I keep going andlike probably about 300 meters
down the track, the guy in frontof me, I could see him.
He was like, he sort of did histumble.
He sort of went like he wasgonna trip and he didn't.
(28:33):
I yelled out, mate, are you allright?
And he didn't look back and hewaved over his shoulder and
went, Yeah, I'm good, keepgoing.
He kept going.
Anyway, I crossed the finishline, having no idea what I look
like, and all I can hear ismedic, medic, medic, go to the
medic.
So I went to the medic andhere's Craig getting his wrist
bandage.
He's finished before me.
And I look at him and go,What's wrong with you?
And Craig just went white, likethe whitest shade of white.
(28:55):
And he just thought, You bettersit down.
I ended up with 16 stitches inmy head.
I've still got the scar uphere.
Um yeah, and apparently Ilooked like something from The
Walking Dead.
We actually, I can't find it,otherwise I'll give it to you.
Um, there's a photo of my visorafter it was a pink visor, it
(29:15):
was red with blood.
And of course, I had blood alldown my face and everything.
It was quite hilarious.
And they were um, so the medicis patching me up and he didn't
put the stitches in, I got themlater.
But you know, when they see thecartoon characters and they
have the big bandage wrappedaround their heads, yeah.
That's what they did to me, andit was pretty tight, it was
(29:36):
pretty funny.
And then he's saying, and I'msaying, okay, so you know, after
this, he's like, Hey, gettinghome, and I'm like, Well, we're
gonna walk to the ferry, andobviously, well, my day's been
wrong, but I'll walk to theferry and we'll go home from
here.
And he's going, You're notwalking anywhere.
Yeah.
And I went, Oh, and I'm sayingto him, I'm not gonna need
stitches, am I?
Because you know, I really hatestitches.
And he's going, You might begetting some stitches.
And um, so, but they were alsoreally funny because this is a
(30:00):
national park, right?
And they're saying, So, wherewhere was the tree?
And we're about to record.
So I think that tree's days, Inever got to go back and see if
that tree's days were numbered,but I think that tree was gonna
go.
And you know, the funniestthing was we're sitting on the
ferry on the way home, and thepeople are looking at me going,
Oh my god, are you all right?
You're a little girl who fell.
And I'm like, Yeah, fine, don'tworry, I'm still gonna have to
(30:22):
dinner with friends.
And we did.
Matty (30:24):
Oh wow.
Nicole (30:26):
Yeah.
But yeah, it was just one ofthe th I I had no idea what I
looked like until I actually gotto a medical center and they
actually sent me to a bathroomwith some wipes and said, Um,
can you just clean a bit of theblood off?
Yeah.
Matty (30:38):
Oh my god.
Joshie (30:40):
So clearly that wasn't enough of an experience for you
because something very similarhappened, I believe, at Wandai
um years later.
Nicole (30:48):
Yeah, it wasn't the head this time.
Managed to avoid that.
Yep.
One day trail run.
Um, that's only the second timewe did it.
And, you know, I I like trailrunning.
It's it's fun.
You walk up hills, you rundown.
You know, not I don't rock itdown like I used to, obviously.
Um, but yeah, and so probablyagain, last part of the race,
(31:09):
probably only about 3k fromhome.
Um, you're running, and they dotell you before the race, they
said, look, this this trail willtry and cue you.
It's pretty, it's actually it'sa not a lot of elevation, but
it's technical in that you'rerunning on a biking trail, a BMX
bike trail.
So there's lots of ups anddowns.
So again, I'd come up and down,just put a foot wrong, and I
(31:29):
was at the stage where I didn'thave a phone when I ran.
I had my old iPod and it wasattached like with an iPod
holder on my left arm.
And for some reason I fell onmy left arm and my shoulder took
a heavy hit, and it was instinky mud because it had been
raining before.
Come in and a bit dirty, and itwas but luckily it was near an
A station, and this lady knewshe just knew what to get me
(31:51):
going.
She goes, Okay, you can pullout if you want.
Are you alright?
And I said, I'm fine, justdignity so it.
And she's like, Well, if youget up and keep going, you'll be
the third female.
And I'm like, Right, I'm on it.
Podium fine.
Yeah, you don't see it.
So I got up, I crossed thefinish line, I got my little
third trophy.
This picture of me up on thepodium with my arm kind of like
(32:14):
hugged to my body and all dirtyand smelly and my smelly shirt
and everything.
And we just thought, like,because it didn't, it didn't
bruise, it was a little sore, abit awkward.
So we just thought, oh well,Craig had a physio appointment
on a Monday.
We thought, oh, I'll just takethat physio appointment, Josh
will pap make a kid, no damagedone.
So again, showered, yeah,getting me a sports bar off was
a bit fun, but managed it.
(32:34):
Got changed, went to dinner.
Um, next day got up, ran the10k.
Um, you know, that felt prettyalright too.
Um, I was just pretty consciousof okay, dag arm can't move
much, but you know, this arm'salright, I'll I can still do
this.
So we did that, and we droveall the way home, and then I
think I got the physioappointment, and he took one
look at it and he went, Yeah,you've broken a bone in your
(32:56):
shoulder, you're in a sling.
Matty (32:58):
Oh wow.
Nicole (33:00):
So yeah, I turned up to training on the Tuesday with my
trophy under my arm in a sling.
Joshie (33:06):
God what a just a wonderful tale of resilience.
My goodness.
And still loving it, and stillstill loving it.
So if this person hadn'tinformed you that you were the
third female, would you havepulled the pin?
Like, was it God no?
Nicole (33:23):
I was gonna finish.
God no, no, that was just abonus.
It was just, it was just, youknow, I seriously like again,
like I had a bit of bark off me,no bruising, you know, nothing
to majorly think, no swelling,nothing to think I'd done
anything.
And I'm just like, oh my god,how embarrassing.
I have to get to, you know, um,you know, have to get out of
here.
Um so yeah, so now when I doone day no do the trail, there
(33:46):
are very strict stipulationsfrom certain certain party in
our household.
Yes.
Joshie (33:52):
So you're not allowed to break your arm again.
Nicole (33:54):
No, I'm not allowed to break things.
I have to slow down and watchwhere I'm going more.
Joshie (34:00):
Now, look, uh I say that it's impossible to keep you
down, but unfortunately, youhave had a rather unfortunate
stress fracture that has keptyou on on the sidelines of late.
Firstly, how's the leaguefeeling and how's it responding
to getting back into running?
Nicole (34:17):
Um, it's it's actually feeling really good today.
I haven't run today, I'm beinga good girl.
Um because I had a meeting withum Coach Margot Manning from In
Training um on Thursday to gothrough my next marathon plan.
Because I actually did it onthat stupid, horrible Hornybrook
Bridge, week one into a verylong, long marathon training
(34:39):
plan.
Um which is good that I did itwhen I did.
Um so yeah, it's it'sresponding quite well, but I
have been told that I'veprobably been doing too much too
soon and to rein it in.
So I am taking that on board.
Um and is it bad when you'rehappy to hear a coach tell you
you don't have to do too muchtoo soon?
(35:00):
That made me a very happy girl.
Matty (35:03):
I think we're all the same.
Nicole (35:06):
Yeah, that made me very happy on that so night.
Um so but yeah, it's it's good.
I admit I um I probably willsee if I can get a bone density
scan, given that this one wasprobably the one that's out of
all the stupid things I've doneto myself, this is probably the
one that got to me the most.
(35:27):
Um has forced me to take themost time off and has worried me
the most in that I'm runningwhen I run on it's only light,
I'm running with a very lightankle support and compression
socks.
Now, I've run in compressionsocks before, but I got really
got out of the habit.
But I'm finding they're justreally helping at the moment
(35:48):
with everything.
And I'm hoping as it gets a bitstronger that maybe I can lose
the compressions and just keepthe little like it's it's really
like yeah, it's just a littleslip-on brace, it goes over your
sock, it's nothing huge.
Um and I'll just probably keepthat.
But yeah, just to just to checkout the bone strength and you
know how how things are goingthere would probably be a good
(36:09):
idea.
But so far, everything'sholding up well.
Yeah.
Joshie (36:15):
You're pretty committed to your rehab, and you also
didn't just sit on thesidelines.
I know I said before thatyou've been on the sidelines,
but you pretty much thefollowing day got stuck straight
back into the gym.
You did whatever you could,whether it was getting on the
bike, even just lightly.
Um was it how how challengingwas it to, I guess, try and find
some kind of meaning or purposethrough activities that aren't
(36:39):
running?
Nicole (36:40):
Um, it probably given that I used to be a great gym
junkie before, and knowing mylove of any form of cardio I can
possibly do, um it the hardestwas probably the first two
weeks.
Um, and possibly the first fourdays were the hardest because I
did it, you know, like I had uhI went and cheered you guys on
(37:00):
and jetty to jetty and stuff.
That's right.
It was it was I think thehardest thing was actually to
say when I actually got to thephysio and came home with
crutches in a moon boot.
And Craig was upstairs and hehe was on a work call.
And so I had let myself in andhe sort of yelled down over the
banister, goes, How's it going?
And I said, Come and see.
I'm in, I'm on crutches in amoon boot.
(37:20):
Um, that might have been theday I threw the pity party for
myself.
Um and then Josh, my beautifulphysio, he had given me rehab
exercise that I could startdoing at home.
He said, just start these thenext day, just do as much or as
little as you can, but I wantyou to do this, this, this, and
this three times a day.
And so I got straight intothat.
So that still felt good becauseI was still working some parts
(37:43):
of my body.
Yeah.
And then I was lucky that Icould go back to the gym really
quickly.
Like as soon as he said you cango to the gym, I went straight
there on my, you know, I was oncrutches and a moon boot when I
walk in to join the gym.
Doesn't everyone.
And um they they just looked atme and I'm like, it's okay,
here's my physio clearance, Ican be here.
Um, and yeah, it really savedme.
Like pedaling to nowhere's beengreat because there was in in a
(38:06):
way it forced me to have abreak.
My body, apart from the injury,probably needed.
Joshie (38:10):
Yeah.
Nicole (38:11):
Um, and it's been great.
I think I've read about eightbooks, Pedaling to Nowhere at
the Gym.
Matty (38:16):
Okay.
Joshie (38:17):
Wow.
So you haven't just beensedentary, that's for sure.
You know, when I saw you thereat Jetty to Jetty in the Moon
Boot, I thought, oh, she'shaving a crack.
You know what?
It wouldn't have surprised meif you still decided to have a
go that day.
Nicole (38:32):
Well, look, I I would have, but I could have.
And um, my physio might know,but my husband does.
I did do a 5k in the moon boot.
I did walk it.
Matty (38:41):
Oh, wow.
Wow.
Joshie (38:44):
Was it hard to sit down?
Nicole (38:45):
I think it's a week before the moon boot came off.
Joshie (38:47):
Did you find it difficult at all to sit down and
watch other peopleparticipating, especially given
it would have been all so rawand so fresh for you at the
time?
Nicole (38:54):
Um look, it was I I sort of kept those moments to
myself.
They were it was more likebecause I knew how hard my
running crew, my girls hadtrained and were going to hit
their goals.
I was just really disappointedthat I couldn't um like be out
on course more to see some ofthem whether or achieving that.
(39:15):
But I was just really happy tobe there cheering them on at
Sunny Coast and Jetty and seetheir amazing results and their
hard work pay off.
What got to me though wasseeing my regular runners who I
wave to on the path, whose namesI don't know, you know, don't
go to running with, just goingpast every day, going sitting
there with the dog who loved themoon boot because it was a
(39:35):
great place to rest your headbut hated the crutches.
Um and just seeing them runpast every day, just wishing you
could be out there doing that.
Because see, this is the firsttime I've injured any part of my
leg or my foot, which meant Icouldn't walk at least when I
did the head, when I did thearm, at least I could still go
for a walk.
Um so yeah, that's where it gotme.
Matty (39:57):
How did Craig how did Craig find it?
Um, because uh Craig being yourpartner and um you obviously
run together, but then how didyou find it as well?
So both sides, how did he findit?
But then how did you find itwhen he was going out?
Nicole (40:11):
Um I I'm lucky in that Craig is very supportive of me
in most of the batshit crazythings I do, and is actually
probably responsible for halfthe batshit crazy things I do.
But um he's very good in thathe's very selfless and paces me
for a lot of races we dotogether.
But in training, we don't everrun together.
Joshie (40:29):
Oh, okay.
Nicole (40:30):
He does he does his thing and I do mine.
And I think he felt I think hesort of felt a bit guilty going
out, but and he'd he'd say, youknow, oh I'm gonna, you know,
I've got a bit on today.
And I'd be like, don't not runbecause of me.
I want you to go out and dowhat you can do because you're
doing a really good job.
Like the first week and a half,he did everything around the
(40:52):
house.
He looked after the dog, he hadto walk the dog, as well as
working full-time, as well astraining, um, doing everything,
preparing meals because Icouldn't do any of that.
Um and so he just went intooverdrive and was fantastic when
he thought my medical teamwon't do enough for me.
You know, he went intooverprotective hubby mode, and
(41:13):
um yeah, he was really great.
So it was really important forhim to keep running in that for
his sanity because it was extrapressure on him than stuff he
was to do.
And Craig's job can be, youknow, like he works for a
company that operates around theworld and the team he's in, he
was having still having to getup at three o'clock sometimes to
take a meeting with a differentcountry, so it could be very
(41:34):
difficult for him.
So that's why it was importantto keep him running.
And I wanted him to get thatbecause we both knew eventually
I'd get to the stage where Icould get back out there and do
something.
And I think he was almost asrelieved as I was when he heard
I could join the gym and go offto the gym.
Matty (41:49):
Now that's awesome, and that's how it kind of works,
doesn't it?
When you when you train, Iguess, like like we sort of do,
where it's every every day orevery second day, whatever it
may be, and long runs, you haveto have that support, you have
to have that encouragement andsupport from your partner.
Um, it just wouldn't work.
Nicole (42:07):
No, and it's just like you know, I do worry about him
because he goes out, you guyshave seen his strawberry, he
goes out in some crazy hot timesbecause unfortunately that's
the part of his day where he canfit that in.
Um but yeah, no, it's yeah, soall in all, it's been a learning
experience.
But like I said, you know, onceI got over the pity party,
because you've got to look atsome of our other running
buddies and some of thehorrendous, her truly horrendous
(42:29):
things that have happened intheir life and they just suck it
up and get on.
So, you know, it's like whenthings get hard, I just tell
myself, hey, look at thatperson, suck it up, princess,
get your shit together.
Joshie (42:38):
Yeah, yeah.
It sounds like you also took amoment though to I think you
said throw yourself a pityparty.
So, you know, you stillacknowledge you still took the
time to acknowledge that itsucked.
I mean, it's yeah, it's it'sstill okay to go, you know, this
is really shit.
You know, other people are ableto get out there and run and
achieve their goals, and I'msort of standing on the
sidelines.
And you know, some people findit easier to get through those
(42:59):
tough times being around acommunity, such a good, you
know, great community thatrunning is then there are others
that just find it hard that italmost reinforces how crap
they're feeling.
So good on you for um for stilltaking the time to I guess
assess where you're at, umdedicate the time that you have
into your rehabilitation, stillbeing very much part of the
(43:21):
running community, and you know,look, you're you're bouncing
back, and I think you're doingan awesome job.
And you're silently very umdedicated to your to your
training, and there's you know,um, there's a lot that people
don't know about how you know, Iguess the commitment that you
put into your into your runningoutside of just what we see on
Strava.
So I guess with all that beingsaid, you know, you've you've
(43:44):
put together a lot of time andeffort into achieving goals and
have subscribed to plans thathave helped you get those
outcomes.
What would you say sits atopthen is your proudest running
moment, your proudest runningachievement?
Nicole (44:00):
Um, it's probably not the race I did best in.
Um, in that I probably couldhave pushed and run it slightly
quicker, but I have to admit,last year's Berlin Marathon was
a big one for me.
Um I had a training plan, itwent really well, I was doing
well in it.
(44:21):
Um again, it was from Margot,and when we went into it, she
had a lot more faith in what Icould do than I did.
Um and I just remember being atthe start line, I was a bit
nervous.
Craig started before me, he wasa different corral, and but I'd
also seen some in-trainingpeople who'd gone over with a
different group and were doing,you know, different things to us
(44:43):
as well.
But I knew these people, I'drun with them on trail before
and familiar faces.
So it really was nice to seethat familiar face at the start
line, and you know, we kind oflike to start together.
But just even I hadn't actuallyrun a whole marathon before
that.
I'd done two previously, whichended up having to be run walks
(45:05):
and stuff like that.
One, because my first one, Iwas halfway in and I got really
bad leg cramps, which I'd neverhad in training.
The second one was when we didNew York in 2022, and instead of
being freezing and having towait around and freezing cold
and rain for four hours, we werewaiting around in a heat wave.
Um and everyone had to adjusttheir expectations.
(45:25):
And so that ended up being uhrun walk as well.
So I hadn't actually run thewhole thing before, but in
Berlin I ran all of it.
I felt good, I felt happy.
I just um well, I probablystill went out too fast and I
know I went out too fast atfirst hand, so I ran I knew I
did it, so I reined it in.
And then I just thought, youknow what?
(45:47):
I'm pretty sure I can do thisand what I want to do this, but
it's gonna be what it'll be.
And I just really want to enjoythe experience of being here,
even though I'm with 55,000 ofmy nearest and dearest people,
and getting to an aid station isalmost a contact sport.
Um it was like, you know, likeI said, I could have, could I, I
could probably could haveknocked another five seconds off
(46:07):
what turned out to be amarathon PB for me if I hadn't
have turned around at mile 36 togo back and get a cup of flat
coke.
Because I ran past it, notrealizing what it was and went,
oh, I want one of those and wentback and got one.
Um flat coke.
Joshie (46:20):
Is that what is that unusual thing that they put out
at eight uh to eight stations?
Nicole (46:25):
Yeah, they do flat coke a bit, um, mainly overseas in
the last stages.
Yeah, and what you had toremember is it wasn't paper cups
either, it was actual plasticcup that you had to grip, slug
down, and then throw in one ofthe bins.
Matty (46:39):
It's not easy, yeah.
Nicole (46:40):
So no.
And I look, I was so ecstaticand so happy with how I ran that
I got to the finish line and itsaid, Oh, marathon PB, yay! And
I'm like, Oh, that's excellent.
And then I was so focused onfinding Craig and the traveling
fit group who are fantastic, whowe went with.
I forgot to ring a P Bell, PBbell, didn't even see it.
And there are all these peoplegetting stuff, and I'm like, oh,
(47:01):
that must be the people whoordered the ponchos.
No, that was your goodie bagfor after the end.
I I even forgot to get one ofthem.
Just on that runners high.
And so just and then so I wasso focused then on finding my
drop bag that I had, which I hadsome gummies and a banana in.
And I was a good girl thistime.
I had taken all my gels oncourse and they all sat well,
everything went fine.
(47:21):
Um, and I was so focused onfinding Craig and getting my
bag, finding Craig and the team,which was really easy in the
end, um, that I didn't do any ofthat.
It was just like, oh man, Imissed all that.
But yeah, just remembering likehow good I felt afterwards um
and feeling fine and feelingokay.
I did have a moment when westopped and Craig had actually
(47:44):
had time to go home and showerand come back.
Um, and he said, Um, okay,let's go.
And he looked at me and hewent, Are you okay?
And I said, I think I'm justgonna sit down and have this
banana that's in my bag.
Once I had that extra potassiumbanana enough, and I was fine,
and that was it.
I was fine for the you knowrest of the time.
Didn't have didn't really havethat sore legs the next day,
(48:05):
which I was very happy about.
Joshie (48:07):
Wow.
Nicole (48:07):
Um, yeah.
Joshie (48:10):
So you've completed how many world majors now?
Nicole (48:15):
Two.
I'm going for number three.
Joshie (48:18):
I'm not doing seven.
Nicole (48:19):
No, I'm not doing seven.
No, no, no.
Um, no.
Oh, look, I figured out if I'm85, I might qualify for Boston
if they don't keep changing it.
Um Tokyo's too hot and hilly.
And I just like I'll have runin the three cities I wanted to
run in.
Um, like Berlin for us wasjust, oh, let's do the Berlin
(48:41):
marathon for our yeah, it'stheir 50th year.
That was a big thing.
It wasn't a special year in ourhousehold or anything.
New York, just because we wecould, um, and we love, well,
yeah, we do both love New YorkCity and we both love London,
and we figure what, you know,that that'll that'll be it for
me.
Craig may go on and do more,but I will probably call it at
(49:03):
that.
Matty (49:04):
London will be awesome.
I uh when I uh lived overthere, I went and watched it one
year, and from what I couldsee, the support on the
sidelines and the and and thepeople was amazing, and I had no
idea what I was watching, butbut it was such a um a goosebump
moment watching people runpast.
Nicole (49:22):
I think it's gonna be a lot like New York, and like I
said, New York was really like Iwas going for under five hours.
I revised to 515, and like Isaid, I walked a fair bit of
that and I did it in 506, so Iwas happy with that.
But ironically, I'm in mile 25,26, and Craig's messaging me
going, I'm back at the hotel,I've had a share.
I'm like, I'm still finishing,I'll talk to you when I'm back.
(49:44):
Um, which is hilarious.
That cracked me up.
But realistically, the waitingin that one gets you.
But I was lucky enough to beable to finish on the top of the
Staten Island Bridge, right upnear where they fire the cannon.
It's nothing like having acannon go off near your ear to
get you running.
But once you get down, once youget fast past that first mile
(50:05):
where they can't havespectators, it's like a block
party until the end.
It was awesome.
And the whole city embraces it.
Like the week before it's onthe news every night, which was
nice in a way.
And the day after, you'rewalking around your middle and
people, strangers stopping yourstreet.
Oh, you did it,congratulations.
Oh, I was at mile 15 cheeringpeople and blah, blah, blah.
(50:27):
And yeah, it was it was areally lovely thing.
Whereas Berlin was what I likedabout Berlin is even though it
was a big year for them, therewas it was it was quiet hype.
It was very low-key hype, whichwas which was great.
Um, but yeah, I love them bothfor different reasons.
So yeah, I am looking forwardto the atmosphere in London, and
I'm in total denial about thedistance and actually having to
(50:49):
do like getting to the startline and having to get my butt
to the finish.
Joshie (50:53):
Oh gosh, we wish you the best of luck with it, that's
for sure.
Now, look, before we finish up,I mentioned at the at the start
that you've uh built rituals.
I think I said, uh, or should Isay superstitions.
Uh yeah, I've heard a lot ofquirky rituals, Nicole, but
nothing quite like what yoursare.
I've absolutely got to hearabout them.
Nicole (51:13):
Okay, you're talking about toenails, aren't you?
Yeah.
Joshie (51:16):
I'm talking about toenails, indeed.
Well, I I And by the way, mytoenails few of us runners that
are lucky enough to still havetoenails, so well, I seem to be
a quirky runner in that.
Nicole (51:28):
I think I've only ever lost one, so maybe I'm not a
real runner yet, but I have aritual of the night before a
race, even like even if it's aBrisbane Roadrunners, I will
paint my toenails.
Joshie (51:39):
Okay.
You know, there's a fine linebetween a ritual and a
superstition.
I mean, if you didn't paintyour nails, your toenails for
one reason or another, would youstill turn up to the event?
Nicole (51:50):
Of course I would.
Of course I would.
But if I didn't do well, I'dblame the fact I didn't paint my
toenails.
Matty (51:55):
I wish I could paint mine because there's about four that
are black.
Joshie (51:59):
So Well, you've just got one that you just got one that
you need to paint then.
Nicole (52:04):
I have interesting colours.
And I I have got out of onlyrunning in pink and purple,
which is a thing I got intooverseas.
So I had a lot, I still have alot of pink and purple running
clothes.
But I I got over that one.
But I'm a big fan of the flatlay.
Gotta be a flat lay girl.
I've only recently got thehusband into the flat lay.
He used to stress me out and noend on race morning.
Um flat flat lay.
(52:25):
Yeah, laying out your stuff thenight before, pending your race
behind.
Joshie (52:29):
Yeah, I did it.
Yeah, perfect.
Nicole (52:31):
Gotta do your flat lay.
Yeah, gotta do that.
I even actually like I've gotmy clothes laid out for tomorrow
morning when I'm only running6K.
Matty (52:37):
I've got my clothes laid out for after this.
Nicole (52:40):
Yeah, yeah.
See, you get it.
I do.
Joshie (52:47):
Yeah, you've got to take a photo.
All the cool kids are doing it.
Oh, I love it.
Nicole (52:53):
Yeah.
Joshie (52:55):
So that's the uh the recipe for running a low
two-hour marathon is the flatlay.
Nicole (53:00):
Yep.
Joshie (53:01):
I love it.
Now look, um, Nicole, thanks somuch for joining us on Run
Believable.
Good luck with the um with themarathon next year.
Thanks, guys.
If there's um if there's anyother goals you're working
towards or any um any shout-outsthat you would like to make now
is a good time for that.
Nicole (53:21):
Yep.
Um I'd just like to give ashout-out to all my running
crew.
They're amazing.
Um, Robert Jameson inparticular, because he supports
all of us no matter what crap wedo.
Um and yeah, just girls, Kateand Rifa, because they will
train with me even when they'renot having to.
So yay.
Joshie (53:38):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Love that.
Nicole, thanks again forjoining us today.
You're an inspiration to therunning community, and it's been
a pleasure speaking with you.
Thank you.
Nicole (53:47):
Thanks, guys.
Joshie (53:48):
Thanks, Nicole.
Well, Maddie, what'd you thinkspeaking to Nicole?
Matty (53:52):
Yeah, yeah, it was really good um to hear hear about um
you know different experiencesthat she's had in particular,
um, the the the injuries thatshe's dealing with has overcome
and is dealing with.
Um, but also, you know, I wasvery interested in terms of the
world majors that she's run.
So um from a perspective thatit's something that I would like
(54:17):
to do, I'm sure a lot of peoplewould like to do.
Um you know.
Joshie (54:21):
Tell you what though.
She completes a race afterhaving broken an arm.
Yeah.
She completes another raceafter having gashed her head and
getting what, 14 stitches orsomething like that?
And you called for an ambulanceafter having a leash.
Matty (54:40):
Are you at least?
You thought you you thoughtyou're in the wolf.
Joshie (54:45):
Yeah, but I'll edit that bit out so no one gets to hear
it.
Oh, look, that's it for today.
Have you got a run believablestory of your own?
We'd truly love to hear it.
And if you'd like to be a gueston the show, please hit us up.
Finally, this podcast relies onyour continued support.
So please follow, rate, andshare this podcast with your
(55:06):
running mates, and we'll see youfor the next run believable
adventure.
Thanks, buddy.
That's good.
That's good.
Sorry about that at the end.
Um a br that they've got leaves in clumps on branches,
and one was hanging low and ithit me in the eye.
The open eye.
You run with one eye open andone eye shut.
No, I I just didn't see it.
I see what you mean.
Yeah, and and kept running.
Um, and then I thought, hold ona second, I can feel like a
lump on my eye.
I came home and um had a lookin the mirror, and to me, it
(00:30):
looked like half my eye wasmissing, and I panicked, like I
really panicked, and made hercall an ambulance.
Joshie (00:39):
Hello everybody and welcome to Unbelievable, the
podcast where everyday runnersshare their not-so everyday
story.
I'm your host, Josh Trichin,and I'm here to bring you
stories of grit, glory, andovercoming adversity.
Each episode, we'll dive deepinto what first got people
running and what kept themlacing up day after day.
From the laughs and the lessonsto 65 kilometre an hour
(01:02):
headwinds, we're here to sharewhat makes running a truly human
experience.
I can see you laughing, Maddie.
And later in this episode,you'll meet a runner who shakes
off gashes and broken bones likeit's merely a fly on the face,
and I can't wait to hear herstory.
Maddie, welcome back.
Now, as co-host, you typicallydon't get to share.
(01:24):
I'm sorry I interrupted youthere.
Matty (01:27):
Um, how are you?
Yeah, I'm good, thank you.
I'm just I'm just thinking of65 kilometre headwinds.
Um it's quite quite a regularthing that we experience.
Joshie (01:35):
It is indeed.
Now, look, uh, I must admit, asco-host, uh you typically don't
get much of an opportunity toshare that much about yourself.
Now, I've had a couple oflisteners suggest that we
sprinkle in a little bit aboutourselves.
So if you don't mind, are youhappy to share what's on the
agenda for you, say next year,running-wise?
Is there anything inparticular, you know,
(01:56):
goal-related that you've gotyour site set on?
Matty (01:59):
So I am someone that's very organized.
So you can see well, you can'tsee, but within my phone, I have
um a page of notes, which is2026 um events.
So I think I've got about sixin there.
There's halves and there's onefull.
Um so I I have been thinkingthat I want to run a full
(02:21):
marathon next year and wouldlike to run Gold Coast.
Um I also I'm not finished withhalf marathons though either.
So um I'm pretty much at thebeginning of half marathons, so
I'm learning lessons every timeI run one.
And I really want to sort ofchase that.
I want to go under 145 or 145and under, I should say.
(02:42):
Um yeah, to chase that um andand see how I go.
But I also want to, I'vestarted doing a bit more speed
work as well because I want toum throw in not so much in an
event or a race, it could be apark run.
Um, I want to start seeing if Ican go under that 20-minute um
5k.
Joshie (03:03):
Oh, that magical barrier.
Matty (03:04):
That's right.
Joshie (03:05):
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, jeez.
Uh I'm I'm impressed.
Gosh, you sound incrediblyawful.
Feel like I could instill someof that discipline here.
Gosh, you got a tab for 2026goals.
Have you got a tab for today'schore list as well?
Yeah, mate.
Matty (03:22):
Yeah, yeah.
I set reminders every day ofthings I need to do and get
done.
So yeah.
Joshie (03:28):
Oh, I love that.
Um, okay, so let's get into theunbelievable rundown.
And just a reminder, this iswhere we share highlights,
mishaps, little wins, the kindof stuff that Strava simply
can't capture.
Now, I mentioned that today'sguest has some weird and wacky
injuries, which made me a littlebit curious about yourself,
(03:49):
Maddie, because you're hardlyimmune to these weird and
wonderful injuries yourself.
Now, look, in addition, andit's all this year, by the way,
in addition to having a gash legfrom running with your phone in
your pocket and being bitten byan on-lead dog.
Earlier this year, you somehowmanaged to run into a tree
branch.
How on earth did that happen?
Matty (04:11):
Yeah, so I went for a night run.
Um I'm trying to think of whenit was.
It must have been the beginningof um the cooler season, so it
was cooling down.
I went um for a run justlocally um and was running under
some, I think they're Pointianatrees.
And um that they've got leavesin clumps on branches, and one
(04:32):
was hanging low, and it hit mein the eye, uh the open eye,
like I didn't close it.
And um I thought you actuallyrun with one eye open and one
eye shut.
No, but like normally I'dflinch or move or something.
I just didn't see it.
Joshie (04:45):
Um I see what you mean.
Matty (04:47):
Yeah, and and kept running.
Um, and then I thought, hold ona second, um, I can feel like a
lump on my eye, and it'sstarting to feel like this
wasn't a sting, it was more of apain.
Um, so I stopped and called mywife and said, Look, I need you
to come and pick me up.
And when she saw it, she goes,Okay, uh, we're gonna have to go
(05:08):
to emergency.
And I came home and um had alook in the mirror, and to me,
it was just the colour of theeye, so it was extremely red.
Um, and there was a bit of likegrey and around the iris, and
like in a bit of a V, and itlooked like half my eye was
(05:28):
missing, like I'd taken a chunkout of the eyeball.
Um, and I panicked, like Ireally panicked, and made her
call an ambulance.
Um, very dramatic, verydramatic.
And got the ambulance basicallycalled back and said, Look,
we're pretty busy, um, we don'tthink it's necessary.
So I went up to emergency andthinking, you know, I've lost
(05:48):
half my eye, and uh, what'sgonna happen?
I'm gonna have to go on forsurgery.
And went in and they said,You've got a hematoma on your
eye, they're very common, it'llgo away in about two to three
days.
Joshie (05:58):
So after all that, oh gosh.
But yeah, I can be able to dothat.
Listen to this bit of a profileof your actually that reminds
me.
I remember being on this likecub count, uh, not cub count,
sorry.
Um what is it called?
Scouts, cub camp.
That's the word I'm lookingfor.
And oh my gosh, Maddie, we'reon this hike, and all of a
(06:20):
sudden, there's this massivepool of blood in my sock, my
shoes soaked through.
I'm like, oh my god, and Istart panicking, I like lie
down.
And I remember the the uh cubcamp leader just came over and
he was like, you know, medic.
And so take my shoe off, it'slike it's white shoes, and it's
like completely covered inblood.
They take my sock off, and thenone of the guys who was also
(06:44):
one of the um one of the uh cubstook his top off and like does
his compression.
Oh no, no, he he he had mercyon me.
He just applied like acompression bandage, yeah.
And so they eventually unwrapthis thing after applying for
ages and they start like dabbingaway all the blood to get to
(07:04):
the source of the wound, and itturns out I'd like just been
bitten by a leech.
And then the cubcap uh leadersuddenly just screams out, can
we have a band-aid?
Matty (07:22):
You thought you were in World War III.
Joshie (07:24):
Next thing you know you need a band-aid, yeah.
Oh man, so no, I'm not gonnapoke any more fun at you for
being dramatic because I havebeen there myself.
Oh, geez.
Look, we better keep moving.
We have a guest patientlywaiting for us.
Now, Maddie, I'm going to besomewhat generous today and give
you another crack at Shoe Am I.
Okay.
Now, just to remember, uh,remember, just a reminder,
(07:47):
Maddie, that the objective ofShoe Am I is to guess the make
and model of a shoe.
I'm going to give you up tofive clues, five points if you
correctly guess after one clue,four points after two clues, so
on and so forth.
Now I also realise, Maddie,that if you get this after one
or two guesses, it means thatpeople playing along at home
(08:10):
won't be able to complete thegame.
That's too bad.
Yeah.
Or what I was going to suggestis write your answer down when
you think, and I'm obviouslytrusting you here, when you
think you have an answer, andthen we'll keep playing through
until the end.
I'm sure this will all workonce we go through this.
(08:30):
So let's just get stuckstraight into it with clue
number one.
Shoe am I.
I was released in 2024 with aretail price of 300 US dollars,
which is roughly 460 Australiandollars.
Did you want to have a go?
Matty (08:51):
Actually, no, if you think there were only a couple
of shoes that went over the 400.
Joshie (08:56):
That's true.
Now, I'll tell you what, don'tI just remember, don't scream
out the answer.
I think you've got it.
No, no, no, won't.
If you think you've got it, sayso and write your answer down.
And what I'll get you to do isthere a way you can hold up the
answer in front of your phone soI can see it after you're going
to get it.
You might not be able to readmy I can see that.
What we'll do is we willcontinue right along.
Matty (09:19):
Okay.
There's another one and I can'tremember it.
Joshie (09:22):
Clue number two.
With a stack height of getthis, 50 millimeters, I was
definitely not legal.
Maddie's already had a go.
No, you can't.
I can see you trying to.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm just gonna write it down.
Yep.
You're done and dusted, myfriend.
Matty (09:39):
Yeah.
Joshie (09:39):
Do you think you're right, by the way?
Matty (09:41):
With your answer.
I don't know, because I don'tknow if it was that much money,
but clue number three.
Joshie (09:48):
I weight a whopping 306 grand.
Oh standard, I know these soundlike clodhoppers.
Standard men's size nine.
Do you think you're correct, bythe way?
Yeah, I know it now.
Yeah, yeah.
You know it.
Write down your second answer.
Show it to me.
Matty (10:04):
Yeah, yeah.
Joshie (10:04):
So um I do apologize.
This is an audio podcast, so Ido apologize for listeners that
you will not be able to see whatMatt is writing down, but all
will be revealed at the end.
I'll let you write that down.
The bottom one.
We'll keep moving right now.
Wow.
Actually, show that again.
Your handwriting is terrible.
Oh mate, I can't write.
(10:25):
Yeah.
And no, I don't think you'recorrect with that one.
Okay.
Clue number four.
My midsole boasts Light StrikePro Foam with energy core and
dual carbon plates.
Matty (10:38):
Oh, yep, yep, yep.
I know it now.
I hundred percent know it.
Well, I'll tell you what, afterthat.
Joshie (10:44):
But you gave it away.
You gave it away with the foam.
With the foam?
Oh, with the foam.
Well, you know, well, it's thefourth clue.
There's only one more to go.
So I'll tell you what, I'llgive you the last clue.
Clue number five.
With comfort in mind, my upperwas made from technology called
strung.
So Maddie's.
Matty (11:01):
Yeah.
Adidas strung too.
Joshie (11:03):
It is indeed, yeah.
Adidas 80, strung two.
Now, you had a crack after oneclue, and I think you wrote
Sicconi Elite.
Matty (11:14):
Yeah, because they were the I think the first ones that
came out that were over $400,and they were 415 or 420.
And then when you mentioned interms of the stack height, I
went the Puma Fast and then theHawker.
Joshie (11:30):
So zero points for you, Maddie.
How did you go at home?
Feel free to let us know.
Today's guest lined up for hervery first run the day before
her 40th birthday.
In worn reebox and a cottont-shirt, I might add.
Since then, running has takenher places that she never
expected, across continents,through challenges, and right
(11:53):
into a community that's reshapedhow she sees herself.
She's faced setbacks, foundconfidence, and built rituals,
or should I say superstitions,that keep her focused.
Her story is every bit ascomical as it is fearless, and a
reminder that every runner'sjourney starts somewhere.
Please let's all welcome NicoleRobinson.
Matty (12:15):
Welcome.
Nicole (12:16):
Thanks, guys.
Joshie (12:18):
Not a problem, Nick.
Now, tell us about that firstrun.
What sparked your decision?
What do you remember about yourfirst run?
Nicole (12:27):
Um, we had moved overseas um to a lovely little
place um called Marin County,which is a very expensive county
to live in, just outside SanFrancisco.
And my husband Craig is arunner from way back, and he
decided to get back into it.
It's fitness when we're overthere.
And so I thought, oh, you know,I've been running at the gym on
(12:50):
a treadmill, you know, how hardcan this road running thing be?
So yeah, it turned out that theum day before I turned 40,
there was this 5k race in ourlocal downtown community, San
Rafael.
And we signed up for it.
And like I said, Craig wasgetting back into running, so he
didn't have any fancy geareither.
But yeah, I rock up in my oldreebox that I've been wearing to
(13:11):
the gym and you know, my cottonshirt, and I think I probably
had a backpack as well.
And I was just so happy becauseI didn't get lost, uh, even
though it was in downtown.
Um, I ran the whole thing and Ithink I finished in like 36
minutes or whatever, and it wasa totally different experience
to what I'd had running on atreadmill.
Um, hadn't realized howdifferent it was going to feel
(13:35):
and the fact that I survived andfelt good, and as we say, Craig
created a monster.
Um he didn't know what he wascreating at the time.
He may have since come toregret creating said monster.
Um, but yeah, that that was it.
And I thought, well, okay, thisthis running thing's pretty
cool.
Joshie (13:55):
That's awesome.
And so you you said that youstarted as a a treadmill runner.
I don't I'm just trying tothink if that's a a normal pro
uh progression for people to gofrom running on treadmills to
running on road.
Maybe maybe it is.
Um do I recall correctly thatyou've run potentially as far as
surely not a half marathon on atreadmill.
Nicole (14:18):
Yeah.
Um, except the thing was Iwasn't a runner.
I was a gym junkie, and I hadno idea I was actually running
that far.
I had no idea how far a halfmiles one was.
I just went to the gym withsome workmates.
Yeah, I just went to um the gymwith some workmates, and we all
just used to try and outdo oneanother on the treadmill.
Matty (14:37):
I've never run on one.
Nicole (14:39):
Oh, I can't do it anymore.
Matty (14:41):
Never ever stood on the treadmill.
Nicole (14:44):
Keep it that way.
Joshie (14:46):
I'll tell you what, if you want to have a laugh, and
I'm and I shouldn't say a laughbecause it is at someone else's
expense, but geez, there aresome incredible fails like
treadmill fails that you can.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Nicole (14:56):
Yeah.
Joshie (14:57):
And often it's people just trying to do stupid shit,
let's be honest.
But um yeah, oh, I can't fathomNicola half marathon on a
treadmill.
Nicole (15:06):
Like I said, I had no idea.
I was just a gym junkie and Ihated doing weights.
I, you know, I still hate doingweights at the gym, let's be
honest.
Um and so I would go and go onthe treadmill.
And first I wasn't running, butthen I got into the running and
it would get longer and longer,and then one of the guys I'd
work with, he would turn up atthe gym and he'd just saunter
(15:27):
over and have a look at how farI'd gone and how fast I was
going, and give me a thumbs upand go, You're good.
And then you know, sometimes myother workmates, if you're on
same shift, would turn up andyeah, it just became something
like we did.
I hadn't, like I said, I had noidea.
Matty (15:41):
Yeah, you didn't know any different, yeah.
Nicole (15:43):
Yeah, yeah.
Joshie (15:46):
Now you've lived in quite a few places, both
Australia and overseas, from SanRafael, if I recall correctly,
to New York.
That's right.
How did running help you findconnection wherever you were?
Nicole (15:59):
Um, that's a really good question because as you guys
know, um, we don't have kids.
And so moving overseas when youdon't have children, to when
you when you move overseas andyou have kids, you have no
choice because you've got toorganise their schooling.
You you are forced to meetpeople whether you want to or
not.
Whereas for us, the people wewere meeting were the members of
the complex we were living in,Craig's work community.
(16:22):
Um, and when I got my workvisa, my work community.
But um when we got intorunning, in particular the um
trial running community, itopened up um another sort of
like friendship group to us.
And while we mightn't havesocialized a lot with these
people, it ended up that we gotso into the running over there.
We were seeing these peopleevery weekend, sometimes two
(16:43):
days in a row.
Um and that became that sort ofbecame our like one group in
particular, they're calledBrazen Racing.
Um, we got heavily into theirevents, they're very well
organized, very family-orientedfor everyone events.
Um, and they sort of became ourracing family overseas.
Matty (17:04):
I love that.
Yeah, that's brilliant.
I think um, I think likerunning communities for me, and
what you know, what I see isyou've got like-minded people um
who do the same thing.
Um, and that's what I that'swhat I love about it.
You you you're in the samething, you do the same thing,
you talk the same thing, you arethe same.
Nicole (17:23):
Yeah, yeah, and and often you're all questioning
your life choices at the samepoint in time.
But yeah, to the point, yeah,I'd say they're like running
community to the point where wemet this lovely couple, um,
Richard and Christina Jennings.
And what you're gonna rememberhere, guys, is we were in our
40s, um, these guys were intheir 60s, and they're still
(17:45):
winning their age groups.
And they were so cute becausethey'd run together and hold
hands crossing the finish line.
And I had to laugh when Ijoined Strava like years ago.
You know, we left, we came backhere, we said goodbye to our
running community, a phenomenalrunning event they had over
there.
Um and they were my firstfollowers on Strava.
Joshie (18:05):
Yeah, that's running across the oh my gosh, I'm gonna
ask Nat to do that with me.
I I have no doubt that she'llsay no, but I uh absolutely have
to ask the question.
Nicole (18:16):
It wasn't just one race, it was every race.
And if one of them got injuredor something, then the other
would stay and just yeah,they're just they're just
lovely, they're really cute,really lovely couples.
Matty (18:26):
That's awesome.
Yeah, I love that.
Love it.
That is fantastic.
Joshie (18:31):
Now, look, Nicole, you've talked about how
running's influenced how you seeyourself, um, especially around
you know, body image and thelike.
What would you say has changedfor you since those early days
and how running has sort ofhelped foster how you see
yourself?
Nicole (18:48):
Um, I'd say probably when I first got into running,
um, because right before we likeI've always had body image
issues.
It goes back to when I was akid.
I'd say I probably started inabout probably grade four or
five at primary school.
But nobody talked about itthose days.
Um, and so I've had stages inmy life where I've either been
underweight or a lot overweight.
(19:10):
And I think running came intoplay for me because before we
moved overseas, I'd hit my maxweight.
I was nearly 80 kilos.
Um and that wasn't a good lookon me because as you both know,
I'm not overly blessed withheight.
Um so, and it was starting toborder unhealthy.
So Craig had been workingoverseas a lot and he went on
(19:31):
one trip, and I just decidedthat's it.
I don't want to look like thisanymore.
And I took myself off to JennyCraig and started my journey on
re-educating myself about foodas well as the training.
Um, might have taken it onboard a bit too much to the
point where when we were movingoverseas with the stress of
moving overseas and everythingthat was going on there, I'd
(19:51):
actually lost 10Ks more than mygoal weight.
And they were thinking wassending me to, if I lost any
more, they were going to send meto a psychiatrist.
And I'm like, um, no, it'sokay.
I am actually eating.
I'm just exercising a lot.
And I've got an internationalmovie to organize, which can be
quite stressful.
Um, so yeah, I'd say like thatcame into play.
So I kept up the healthy eatingfor a bit overseas.
(20:14):
Um, but yeah, when I startedrunning, I was I was definitely
quicker because I was weighingless, but I was probably when I
started my journey, I wasprobably under an underweight
runner, surviving on basicallyuh diet Pepsi and 90 calorie
bars, which isn't good racefueling, I can tell you.
Um and then I sort of had torethink that um and take it from
(20:41):
there.
But I'd say it's probably onlysince I've really moved back to
Australia, been back six years,that I reached a point, and
we're moving back, I wasweighing myself three times a
day, and it just got ridiculous,and I said, no, I'm just not
gonna do that anymore.
And so I don't step on a scalenow unless I absolutely have to
for a medical appointment.
Joshie (20:59):
Yeah.
Nicole (21:00):
I do try to eat healthy, but let's face it, I've never
met an unhealthy snack I didn'tlike.
Um so I've learned to balanceout, especially during marathon
training, like when you're doingthe 30k long lines and stuff
like that, that's when you havethe cheap night and you come
home and you have the pizza andthe glass of wine with dinner,
and then when you're not doingas much, you go back to your
(21:22):
routine of trying to eat healthyand stuff like that.
And I think, particularlyoverseas, because Americans can
stuff up bread.
Let's face it, I don't know howyou can stuff up one of the
basic staple foods sospectacularly, but oh boy, did
they stuff it spectacularly?
Um, and because we're inCalifornia, I also the takeaway
(21:45):
I got addicted to there wasn'tall their fast fatty food
joints, it was like really goodMexican.
Um so that was you know one ofthe things we used to have was
really good Mexican close by.
So really sort of that was likea go-to food as well.
Um and I think part of thereason I didn't eat much over
there is because you know youcouldn't get Alan's lollies or
(22:07):
any of the things I really likedwithout you know having to sell
the kidney.
So that probably helped.
But yeah, so it's just learningabout now doing it even this
week.
It's like, okay, so I was upthe coast last night with some
girlfriends, and okay, so eathealthy through the day, try not
too much because you knowyou're gonna go out and have a
lovely meal with these ladies,and just yeah, and always
(22:30):
constantly in the back of mymind, like, yeah, okay, I've had
this recent injury, so Ihaven't been able to run as
much, so let's go to the gym anddo some solid sessions.
So you're still burningcalories because you're still
taking in calories.
Um, so I don't calorie count assuch, but I sort of do try to
have a balance um of good andbad.
(22:54):
And like we eat a lot ofvegetables in this house, which
is the good.
And there are certain foods Idon't have in the house.
Like I have chips that Craiglikes, I don't buy the flavour I
like because impulse control,you know, you'd sit down to eat
one serving and oh look, apacket would be gone.
And so, yeah, yeah, some foodsI'm really good around and I can
have in the house, and some Ideliberately choose not to have
(23:16):
because I know it overindulge.
Matty (23:18):
And there's probably out there, Nicole, there's probably
a lot of people that uh have asimilar experience um in terms
of what you're talking aboutwith body image, and it's a huge
thing in this day and age,especially with young kids as
well.
But I think um, and I learntthe hard way because I, you
know, I have always wanted to belighter so I could run faster.
Um, but nutrition is soimportant.
(23:39):
So and it's not it's not justnutrition, it's about education
of what to eat, when to eat, howto eat.
Um it's huge.
Nicole (23:47):
Yeah, it is huge, and for me, I think I was telling
you, Josh, it's still a strugglebecause I was doing, you know,
I think I told you, I was umpassing out after some of my
longer runs, my quicker runs,and I was going what's called
hypoglycemic.
I didn't have enough sugar inmy system.
Joshie (24:03):
Yeah, okay.
Nicole (24:04):
Um, and so I had to rethink my fueling, and it's
only since I've started, youknow, I haven't done that many
marathons.
Um it's only since I reallystarted training for them and
doing them that I've forcedmyself to take the fuel on board
because I'd run a half marathonwithout gel or anything.
I'd have water and stuff forwater stations, but I wouldn't,
(24:24):
you know, I'd run it on half abanana beforehand and no gels
because that was just how Irolled.
Joshie (24:30):
Yeah.
I mean, that's an added layerof complexity that I guess most
of us don't have to worry about.
I mean, with your hypoglycemia,is that something that you
found um easier to work with themore that you've understood how
your body responds to differentfoods?
Nicole (24:48):
Yeah, because it it's pretty scary.
Um and I think because youcan't, it's one of those things
where you feel fine at the endof the race, and then all of a
sudden you're not fine, and I'dturn around and say, Okay, I
don't feel and then I'll be onthe ground.
Joshie (25:01):
Oh, really?
Nicole (25:02):
You know, people leaning over going, Do you want me?
I'm like, no, just give me somesugar and I'll be fine.
Um, but and then I learned thatokay, I can't do that anymore.
So I'm going to have to take uhI got into Harborough gummy
bears, little tiny satchets ofthem.
And so I'd carry them when Irun and I wouldn't feel like it,
but halfway through I'd haveone of those and solve the
problem, be fine.
So it hasn't happened in ages,which is good.
(25:25):
Um and that's so I've learnedthat okay, so number one, you
have to eat a bit more beforeyou go out for a big training
session.
You have to do your fueling,um, especially on race day.
That's just you know, andespecially Craig's really good
at pacing, and he's also reallygood at pacing me, and that
he'll say, Okay, we're eight Ksand you haven't had a gel, you
(25:47):
have to have that gel.
I know you don't want to, butyou have to take that gel.
And he'll be really on at meabout that because unfortunately
he's a person who's had to dealwith me when I haven't at the
end.
Joshie (25:57):
It sounds like there isn't much that will keep you
down, Nicole, whether it'shyperglycemia or or injuries.
I mean, every runner's got astory that makes people say, You
did what?
Now, when I sat down beforethis um conversation today, you
shared no less than threestories of something crazy
that's happened to you on a run.
(26:18):
And I I absolutely need to hearmore about your Angel Island
experience.
Wow.
Yes.
Nicole (26:25):
That's yeah.
Um, Angel Island is an oldquarantine station off the coast
of um San Francisco.
It's it's closer to where Iused to live in Marin County,
and you can't you can only getthere by ferry.
And these lovely people, um uhUrban Coyote had a race there
(26:47):
one time, and we signed uptogether and we did it, and it
was great.
And I always wanted to go backand do it again.
And this was just as we were weknew we were leaving, and it
was on the bucket list of thingsto complete before we went home
because you could spend thewhole day over at Angel Island,
go swimming.
There's like a littlequarantine station tour you can
do.
They take you around a littletrain, it's cute, beautiful
running trails and a littlecanteen.
(27:08):
So we'd we'd signed up for thisrace, we'd got the ferry over,
everything was going good beforethe run, talking about what
we're gonna do that day.
Had you know bags with beachtowels, snacks, stuff in it.
And so um, we were we were, youknow, we started the run and
it's going okay, and it's goingokay.
And then I think probably atabout the last mile and a half,
(27:30):
I was getting a bit annoyed atmyself, going, Okay, you're not
running as good as you want tobe.
You're not gonna be third girlacross the finish line.
You're not even gonna place inyour age group.
What is wrong with you,Robinson?
Pull your crap together and wejust come around a beautiful
band where you look out and youcross the bay and here's San
Francisco, and it's absolutelysorry about hand gestures,
absolutely gorgeous.
Um, and you had to duck up andunder this tree.
(27:50):
I ducked under and up, I duckedunder, but I came up too quick
and smacked my head.
Now um I was I don't run incaps, I wear visors.
I was wearing a visor and Ithought, oh, it's one of those
ones where instant pain.
I'm like, oh man, that reallyhurt, you know?
Oh man.
So I put my hand up to my faceand I'm like, see blood, and I'm
(28:11):
like, oh man, I think I'vebroken my nose.
Oh, that's right.
And I'm like, well, what am Igonna do?
You know, I've got to finishoh, I'll be fine, I'll finish.
So luckily I didn't black outor see stars or anything.
Anyway, so I keep going andlike probably about 300 meters
down the track, the guy in frontof me, I could see him.
He was like, he sort of did histumble.
He sort of went like he wasgonna trip and he didn't.
(28:33):
I yelled out, mate, are you allright?
And he didn't look back and hewaved over his shoulder and
went, Yeah, I'm good, keepgoing.
He kept going.
Anyway, I crossed the finishline, having no idea what I look
like, and all I can hear ismedic, medic, medic, go to the
medic.
So I went to the medic andhere's Craig getting his wrist
bandage.
He's finished before me.
And I look at him and go,What's wrong with you?
And Craig just went white, likethe whitest shade of white.
(28:55):
And he just thought, You bettersit down.
I ended up with 16 stitches inmy head.
I've still got the scar uphere.
Um yeah, and apparently Ilooked like something from The
Walking Dead.
We actually, I can't find it,otherwise I'll give it to you.
Um, there's a photo of my visorafter it was a pink visor, it
(29:15):
was red with blood.
And of course, I had blood alldown my face and everything.
It was quite hilarious.
And they were um, so the medicis patching me up and he didn't
put the stitches in, I got themlater.
But you know, when they see thecartoon characters and they
have the big bandage wrappedaround their heads, yeah.
That's what they did to me, andit was pretty tight, it was
(29:36):
pretty funny.
And then he's saying, and I'msaying, okay, so you know, after
this, he's like, Hey, gettinghome, and I'm like, Well, we're
gonna walk to the ferry, andobviously, well, my day's been
wrong, but I'll walk to theferry and we'll go home from
here.
And he's going, You're notwalking anywhere.
Yeah.
And I went, Oh, and I'm sayingto him, I'm not gonna need
stitches, am I?
Because you know, I really hatestitches.
And he's going, You might begetting some stitches.
And um, so, but they were alsoreally funny because this is a
(30:00):
national park, right?
And they're saying, So, wherewhere was the tree?
And we're about to record.
So I think that tree's days, Inever got to go back and see if
that tree's days were numbered,but I think that tree was gonna
go.
And you know, the funniestthing was we're sitting on the
ferry on the way home, and thepeople are looking at me going,
Oh my god, are you all right?
You're a little girl who fell.
And I'm like, Yeah, fine, don'tworry, I'm still gonna have to
(30:22):
dinner with friends.
And we did.
Matty (30:24):
Oh wow.
Nicole (30:26):
Yeah.
But yeah, it was just one ofthe th I I had no idea what I
looked like until I actually gotto a medical center and they
actually sent me to a bathroomwith some wipes and said, Um,
can you just clean a bit of theblood off?
Yeah.
Matty (30:38):
Oh my god.
Joshie (30:40):
So clearly that wasn't enough of an experience for you
because something very similarhappened, I believe, at Wandai
um years later.
Nicole (30:48):
Yeah, it wasn't the head this time.
Managed to avoid that.
Yep.
One day trail run.
Um, that's only the second timewe did it.
And, you know, I I like trailrunning.
It's it's fun.
You walk up hills, you rundown.
You know, not I don't rock itdown like I used to, obviously.
Um, but yeah, and so probablyagain, last part of the race,
(31:09):
probably only about 3k fromhome.
Um, you're running, and they dotell you before the race, they
said, look, this this trail willtry and cue you.
It's pretty, it's actually it'sa not a lot of elevation, but
it's technical in that you'rerunning on a biking trail, a BMX
bike trail.
So there's lots of ups anddowns.
So again, I'd come up and down,just put a foot wrong, and I
(31:29):
was at the stage where I didn'thave a phone when I ran.
I had my old iPod and it wasattached like with an iPod
holder on my left arm.
And for some reason I fell onmy left arm and my shoulder took
a heavy hit, and it was instinky mud because it had been
raining before.
Come in and a bit dirty, and itwas but luckily it was near an
A station, and this lady knewshe just knew what to get me
(31:51):
going.
She goes, Okay, you can pullout if you want.
Are you alright?
And I said, I'm fine, justdignity so it.
And she's like, Well, if youget up and keep going, you'll be
the third female.
And I'm like, Right, I'm on it.
Podium fine.
Yeah, you don't see it.
So I got up, I crossed thefinish line, I got my little
third trophy.
This picture of me up on thepodium with my arm kind of like
(32:14):
hugged to my body and all dirtyand smelly and my smelly shirt
and everything.
And we just thought, like,because it didn't, it didn't
bruise, it was a little sore, abit awkward.
So we just thought, oh well,Craig had a physio appointment
on a Monday.
We thought, oh, I'll just takethat physio appointment, Josh
will pap make a kid, no damagedone.
So again, showered, yeah,getting me a sports bar off was
a bit fun, but managed it.
(32:34):
Got changed, went to dinner.
Um, next day got up, ran the10k.
Um, you know, that felt prettyalright too.
Um, I was just pretty consciousof okay, dag arm can't move
much, but you know, this arm'salright, I'll I can still do
this.
So we did that, and we droveall the way home, and then I
think I got the physioappointment, and he took one
look at it and he went, Yeah,you've broken a bone in your
(32:56):
shoulder, you're in a sling.
Matty (32:58):
Oh wow.
Nicole (33:00):
So yeah, I turned up to training on the Tuesday with my
trophy under my arm in a sling.
Joshie (33:06):
God what a just a wonderful tale of resilience.
My goodness.
And still loving it, and stillstill loving it.
So if this person hadn'tinformed you that you were the
third female, would you havepulled the pin?
Like, was it God no?
Nicole (33:23):
I was gonna finish.
God no, no, that was just abonus.
It was just, it was just, youknow, I seriously like again,
like I had a bit of bark off me,no bruising, you know, nothing
to majorly think, no swelling,nothing to think I'd done
anything.
And I'm just like, oh my god,how embarrassing.
I have to get to, you know, um,you know, have to get out of
here.
Um so yeah, so now when I doone day no do the trail, there
(33:46):
are very strict stipulationsfrom certain certain party in
our household.
Yes.
Joshie (33:52):
So you're not allowed to break your arm again.
Nicole (33:54):
No, I'm not allowed to break things.
I have to slow down and watchwhere I'm going more.
Joshie (34:00):
Now, look, uh I say that it's impossible to keep you
down, but unfortunately, youhave had a rather unfortunate
stress fracture that has keptyou on on the sidelines of late.
Firstly, how's the leaguefeeling and how's it responding
to getting back into running?
Nicole (34:17):
Um, it's it's actually feeling really good today.
I haven't run today, I'm beinga good girl.
Um because I had a meeting withum Coach Margot Manning from In
Training um on Thursday to gothrough my next marathon plan.
Because I actually did it onthat stupid, horrible Hornybrook
Bridge, week one into a verylong, long marathon training
(34:39):
plan.
Um which is good that I did itwhen I did.
Um so yeah, it's it'sresponding quite well, but I
have been told that I'veprobably been doing too much too
soon and to rein it in.
So I am taking that on board.
Um and is it bad when you'rehappy to hear a coach tell you
you don't have to do too muchtoo soon?
(35:00):
That made me a very happy girl.
Matty (35:03):
I think we're all the same.
Nicole (35:06):
Yeah, that made me very happy on that so night.
Um so but yeah, it's it's good.
I admit I um I probably willsee if I can get a bone density
scan, given that this one wasprobably the one that's out of
all the stupid things I've doneto myself, this is probably the
one that got to me the most.
(35:27):
Um has forced me to take themost time off and has worried me
the most in that I'm runningwhen I run on it's only light,
I'm running with a very lightankle support and compression
socks.
Now, I've run in compressionsocks before, but I got really
got out of the habit.
But I'm finding they're justreally helping at the moment
(35:48):
with everything.
And I'm hoping as it gets a bitstronger that maybe I can lose
the compressions and just keepthe little like it's it's really
like yeah, it's just a littleslip-on brace, it goes over your
sock, it's nothing huge.
Um and I'll just probably keepthat.
But yeah, just to just to checkout the bone strength and you
know how how things are goingthere would probably be a good
(36:09):
idea.
But so far, everything'sholding up well.
Yeah.
Joshie (36:15):
You're pretty committed to your rehab, and you also
didn't just sit on thesidelines.
I know I said before thatyou've been on the sidelines,
but you pretty much thefollowing day got stuck straight
back into the gym.
You did whatever you could,whether it was getting on the
bike, even just lightly.
Um was it how how challengingwas it to, I guess, try and find
some kind of meaning or purposethrough activities that aren't
(36:39):
running?
Nicole (36:40):
Um, it probably given that I used to be a great gym
junkie before, and knowing mylove of any form of cardio I can
possibly do, um it the hardestwas probably the first two
weeks.
Um, and possibly the first fourdays were the hardest because I
did it, you know, like I had uhI went and cheered you guys on
(37:00):
and jetty to jetty and stuff.
That's right.
It was it was I think thehardest thing was actually to
say when I actually got to thephysio and came home with
crutches in a moon boot.
And Craig was upstairs and hehe was on a work call.
And so I had let myself in andhe sort of yelled down over the
banister, goes, How's it going?
And I said, Come and see.
I'm in, I'm on crutches in amoon boot.
(37:20):
Um, that might have been theday I threw the pity party for
myself.
Um and then Josh, my beautifulphysio, he had given me rehab
exercise that I could startdoing at home.
He said, just start these thenext day, just do as much or as
little as you can, but I wantyou to do this, this, this, and
this three times a day.
And so I got straight intothat.
So that still felt good becauseI was still working some parts
(37:43):
of my body.
Yeah.
And then I was lucky that Icould go back to the gym really
quickly.
Like as soon as he said you cango to the gym, I went straight
there on my, you know, I was oncrutches and a moon boot when I
walk in to join the gym.
Doesn't everyone.
And um they they just looked atme and I'm like, it's okay,
here's my physio clearance, Ican be here.
Um, and yeah, it really savedme.
Like pedaling to nowhere's beengreat because there was in in a
(38:06):
way it forced me to have abreak.
My body, apart from the injury,probably needed.
Joshie (38:10):
Yeah.
Nicole (38:11):
Um, and it's been great.
I think I've read about eightbooks, Pedaling to Nowhere at
the Gym.
Matty (38:16):
Okay.
Joshie (38:17):
Wow.
So you haven't just beensedentary, that's for sure.
You know, when I saw you thereat Jetty to Jetty in the Moon
Boot, I thought, oh, she'shaving a crack.
You know what?
It wouldn't have surprised meif you still decided to have a
go that day.
Nicole (38:32):
Well, look, I I would have, but I could have.
And um, my physio might know,but my husband does.
I did do a 5k in the moon boot.
I did walk it.
Matty (38:41):
Oh, wow.
Wow.
Joshie (38:44):
Was it hard to sit down?
Nicole (38:45):
I think it's a week before the moon boot came off.
Joshie (38:47):
Did you find it difficult at all to sit down and
watch other peopleparticipating, especially given
it would have been all so rawand so fresh for you at the
time?
Nicole (38:54):
Um look, it was I I sort of kept those moments to
myself.
They were it was more likebecause I knew how hard my
running crew, my girls hadtrained and were going to hit
their goals.
I was just really disappointedthat I couldn't um like be out
on course more to see some ofthem whether or achieving that.
(39:15):
But I was just really happy tobe there cheering them on at
Sunny Coast and Jetty and seetheir amazing results and their
hard work pay off.
What got to me though wasseeing my regular runners who I
wave to on the path, whose namesI don't know, you know, don't
go to running with, just goingpast every day, going sitting
there with the dog who loved themoon boot because it was a
(39:35):
great place to rest your headbut hated the crutches.
Um and just seeing them runpast every day, just wishing you
could be out there doing that.
Because see, this is the firsttime I've injured any part of my
leg or my foot, which meant Icouldn't walk at least when I
did the head, when I did thearm, at least I could still go
for a walk.
Um so yeah, that's where it gotme.
Matty (39:57):
How did Craig how did Craig find it?
Um, because uh Craig being yourpartner and um you obviously
run together, but then how didyou find it as well?
So both sides, how did he findit?
But then how did you find itwhen he was going out?
Nicole (40:11):
Um I I'm lucky in that Craig is very supportive of me
in most of the batshit crazythings I do, and is actually
probably responsible for halfthe batshit crazy things I do.
But um he's very good in thathe's very selfless and paces me
for a lot of races we dotogether.
But in training, we don't everrun together.
Joshie (40:29):
Oh, okay.
Nicole (40:30):
He does he does his thing and I do mine.
And I think he felt I think hesort of felt a bit guilty going
out, but and he'd he'd say, youknow, oh I'm gonna, you know,
I've got a bit on today.
And I'd be like, don't not runbecause of me.
I want you to go out and dowhat you can do because you're
doing a really good job.
Like the first week and a half,he did everything around the
(40:52):
house.
He looked after the dog, he hadto walk the dog, as well as
working full-time, as well astraining, um, doing everything,
preparing meals because Icouldn't do any of that.
Um and so he just went intooverdrive and was fantastic when
he thought my medical teamwon't do enough for me.
You know, he went intooverprotective hubby mode, and
(41:13):
um yeah, he was really great.
So it was really important forhim to keep running in that for
his sanity because it was extrapressure on him than stuff he
was to do.
And Craig's job can be, youknow, like he works for a
company that operates around theworld and the team he's in, he
was having still having to getup at three o'clock sometimes to
take a meeting with a differentcountry, so it could be very
(41:34):
difficult for him.
So that's why it was importantto keep him running.
And I wanted him to get thatbecause we both knew eventually
I'd get to the stage where Icould get back out there and do
something.
And I think he was almost asrelieved as I was when he heard
I could join the gym and go offto the gym.
Matty (41:49):
Now that's awesome, and that's how it kind of works,
doesn't it?
When you when you train, Iguess, like like we sort of do,
where it's every every day orevery second day, whatever it
may be, and long runs, you haveto have that support, you have
to have that encouragement andsupport from your partner.
Um, it just wouldn't work.
Nicole (42:07):
No, and it's just like you know, I do worry about him
because he goes out, you guyshave seen his strawberry, he
goes out in some crazy hot timesbecause unfortunately that's
the part of his day where he canfit that in.
Um but yeah, no, it's yeah, soall in all, it's been a learning
experience.
But like I said, you know, onceI got over the pity party,
because you've got to look atsome of our other running
buddies and some of thehorrendous, her truly horrendous
(42:29):
things that have happened intheir life and they just suck it
up and get on.
So, you know, it's like whenthings get hard, I just tell
myself, hey, look at thatperson, suck it up, princess,
get your shit together.
Joshie (42:38):
Yeah, yeah.
It sounds like you also took amoment though to I think you
said throw yourself a pityparty.
So, you know, you stillacknowledge you still took the
time to acknowledge that itsucked.
I mean, it's yeah, it's it'sstill okay to go, you know, this
is really shit.
You know, other people are ableto get out there and run and
achieve their goals, and I'msort of standing on the
sidelines.
And you know, some people findit easier to get through those
(42:59):
tough times being around acommunity, such a good, you
know, great community thatrunning is then there are others
that just find it hard that italmost reinforces how crap
they're feeling.
So good on you for um for stilltaking the time to I guess
assess where you're at, umdedicate the time that you have
into your rehabilitation, stillbeing very much part of the
(43:21):
running community, and you know,look, you're you're bouncing
back, and I think you're doingan awesome job.
And you're silently very umdedicated to your to your
training, and there's you know,um, there's a lot that people
don't know about how you know, Iguess the commitment that you
put into your into your runningoutside of just what we see on
Strava.
So I guess with all that beingsaid, you know, you've you've
(43:44):
put together a lot of time andeffort into achieving goals and
have subscribed to plans thathave helped you get those
outcomes.
What would you say sits atopthen is your proudest running
moment, your proudest runningachievement?
Nicole (44:00):
Um, it's probably not the race I did best in.
Um, in that I probably couldhave pushed and run it slightly
quicker, but I have to admit,last year's Berlin Marathon was
a big one for me.
Um I had a training plan, itwent really well, I was doing
well in it.
(44:21):
Um again, it was from Margot,and when we went into it, she
had a lot more faith in what Icould do than I did.
Um and I just remember being atthe start line, I was a bit
nervous.
Craig started before me, he wasa different corral, and but I'd
also seen some in-trainingpeople who'd gone over with a
different group and were doing,you know, different things to us
(44:43):
as well.
But I knew these people, I'drun with them on trail before
and familiar faces.
So it really was nice to seethat familiar face at the start
line, and you know, we kind oflike to start together.
But just even I hadn't actuallyrun a whole marathon before
that.
I'd done two previously, whichended up having to be run walks
(45:05):
and stuff like that.
One, because my first one, Iwas halfway in and I got really
bad leg cramps, which I'd neverhad in training.
The second one was when we didNew York in 2022, and instead of
being freezing and having towait around and freezing cold
and rain for four hours, we werewaiting around in a heat wave.
Um and everyone had to adjusttheir expectations.
(45:25):
And so that ended up being uhrun walk as well.
So I hadn't actually run thewhole thing before, but in
Berlin I ran all of it.
I felt good, I felt happy.
I just um well, I probablystill went out too fast and I
know I went out too fast atfirst hand, so I ran I knew I
did it, so I reined it in.
And then I just thought, youknow what?
(45:47):
I'm pretty sure I can do thisand what I want to do this, but
it's gonna be what it'll be.
And I just really want to enjoythe experience of being here,
even though I'm with 55,000 ofmy nearest and dearest people,
and getting to an aid station isalmost a contact sport.
Um it was like, you know, likeI said, I could have, could I, I
could probably could haveknocked another five seconds off
(46:07):
what turned out to be amarathon PB for me if I hadn't
have turned around at mile 36 togo back and get a cup of flat
coke.
Because I ran past it, notrealizing what it was and went,
oh, I want one of those and wentback and got one.
Um flat coke.
Joshie (46:20):
Is that what is that unusual thing that they put out
at eight uh to eight stations?
Nicole (46:25):
Yeah, they do flat coke a bit, um, mainly overseas in
the last stages.
Yeah, and what you had toremember is it wasn't paper cups
either, it was actual plasticcup that you had to grip, slug
down, and then throw in one ofthe bins.
Matty (46:39):
It's not easy, yeah.
Nicole (46:40):
So no.
And I look, I was so ecstaticand so happy with how I ran that
I got to the finish line and itsaid, Oh, marathon PB, yay! And
I'm like, Oh, that's excellent.
And then I was so focused onfinding Craig and the traveling
fit group who are fantastic, whowe went with.
I forgot to ring a P Bell, PBbell, didn't even see it.
And there are all these peoplegetting stuff, and I'm like, oh,
(47:01):
that must be the people whoordered the ponchos.
No, that was your goodie bagfor after the end.
I I even forgot to get one ofthem.
Just on that runners high.
And so just and then so I wasso focused then on finding my
drop bag that I had, which I hadsome gummies and a banana in.
And I was a good girl thistime.
I had taken all my gels oncourse and they all sat well,
everything went fine.
(47:21):
Um, and I was so focused onfinding Craig and getting my
bag, finding Craig and the team,which was really easy in the
end, um, that I didn't do any ofthat.
It was just like, oh man, Imissed all that.
But yeah, just remembering likehow good I felt afterwards um
and feeling fine and feelingokay.
I did have a moment when westopped and Craig had actually
(47:44):
had time to go home and showerand come back.
Um, and he said, Um, okay,let's go.
And he looked at me and hewent, Are you okay?
And I said, I think I'm justgonna sit down and have this
banana that's in my bag.
Once I had that extra potassiumbanana enough, and I was fine,
and that was it.
I was fine for the you knowrest of the time.
Didn't have didn't really havethat sore legs the next day,
(48:05):
which I was very happy about.
Joshie (48:07):
Wow.
Nicole (48:07):
Um, yeah.
Joshie (48:10):
So you've completed how many world majors now?
Nicole (48:15):
Two.
I'm going for number three.
Joshie (48:18):
I'm not doing seven.
Nicole (48:19):
No, I'm not doing seven.
No, no, no.
Um, no.
Oh, look, I figured out if I'm85, I might qualify for Boston
if they don't keep changing it.
Um Tokyo's too hot and hilly.
And I just like I'll have runin the three cities I wanted to
run in.
Um, like Berlin for us wasjust, oh, let's do the Berlin
(48:41):
marathon for our yeah, it'stheir 50th year.
That was a big thing.
It wasn't a special year in ourhousehold or anything.
New York, just because we wecould, um, and we love, well,
yeah, we do both love New YorkCity and we both love London,
and we figure what, you know,that that'll that'll be it for
me.
Craig may go on and do more,but I will probably call it at
(49:03):
that.
Matty (49:04):
London will be awesome.
I uh when I uh lived overthere, I went and watched it one
year, and from what I couldsee, the support on the
sidelines and the and and thepeople was amazing, and I had no
idea what I was watching, butbut it was such a um a goosebump
moment watching people runpast.
Nicole (49:22):
I think it's gonna be a lot like New York, and like I
said, New York was really like Iwas going for under five hours.
I revised to 515, and like Isaid, I walked a fair bit of
that and I did it in 506, so Iwas happy with that.
But ironically, I'm in mile 25,26, and Craig's messaging me
going, I'm back at the hotel,I've had a share.
I'm like, I'm still finishing,I'll talk to you when I'm back.
(49:44):
Um, which is hilarious.
That cracked me up.
But realistically, the waitingin that one gets you.
But I was lucky enough to beable to finish on the top of the
Staten Island Bridge, right upnear where they fire the cannon.
It's nothing like having acannon go off near your ear to
get you running.
But once you get down, once youget fast past that first mile
(50:05):
where they can't havespectators, it's like a block
party until the end.
It was awesome.
And the whole city embraces it.
Like the week before it's onthe news every night, which was
nice in a way.
And the day after, you'rewalking around your middle and
people, strangers stopping yourstreet.
Oh, you did it,congratulations.
Oh, I was at mile 15 cheeringpeople and blah, blah, blah.
(50:27):
And yeah, it was it was areally lovely thing.
Whereas Berlin was what I likedabout Berlin is even though it
was a big year for them, therewas it was it was quiet hype.
It was very low-key hype, whichwas which was great.
Um, but yeah, I love them bothfor different reasons.
So yeah, I am looking forwardto the atmosphere in London, and
I'm in total denial about thedistance and actually having to
(50:49):
do like getting to the startline and having to get my butt
to the finish.
Joshie (50:53):
Oh gosh, we wish you the best of luck with it, that's
for sure.
Now, look, before we finish up,I mentioned at the at the start
that you've uh built rituals.
I think I said, uh, or should Isay superstitions.
Uh yeah, I've heard a lot ofquirky rituals, Nicole, but
nothing quite like what yoursare.
I've absolutely got to hearabout them.
Nicole (51:13):
Okay, you're talking about toenails, aren't you?
Yeah.
Joshie (51:16):
I'm talking about toenails, indeed.
Well, I I And by the way, mytoenails few of us runners that
are lucky enough to still havetoenails, so well, I seem to be
a quirky runner in that.
Nicole (51:28):
I think I've only ever lost one, so maybe I'm not a
real runner yet, but I have aritual of the night before a
race, even like even if it's aBrisbane Roadrunners, I will
paint my toenails.
Joshie (51:39):
Okay.
You know, there's a fine linebetween a ritual and a
superstition.
I mean, if you didn't paintyour nails, your toenails for
one reason or another, would youstill turn up to the event?
Nicole (51:50):
Of course I would.
Of course I would.
But if I didn't do well, I'dblame the fact I didn't paint my
toenails.
Matty (51:55):
I wish I could paint mine because there's about four that
are black.
Joshie (51:59):
So Well, you've just got one that you just got one that
you need to paint then.
Nicole (52:04):
I have interesting colours.
And I I have got out of onlyrunning in pink and purple,
which is a thing I got intooverseas.
So I had a lot, I still have alot of pink and purple running
clothes.
But I I got over that one.
But I'm a big fan of the flatlay.
Gotta be a flat lay girl.
I've only recently got thehusband into the flat lay.
He used to stress me out and noend on race morning.
Um flat flat lay.
(52:25):
Yeah, laying out your stuff thenight before, pending your race
behind.
Joshie (52:29):
Yeah, I did it.
Yeah, perfect.
Nicole (52:31):
Gotta do your flat lay.
Yeah, gotta do that.
I even actually like I've gotmy clothes laid out for tomorrow
morning when I'm only running6K.
Matty (52:37):
I've got my clothes laid out for after this.
Nicole (52:40):
Yeah, yeah.
See, you get it.
I do.
Joshie (52:47):
Yeah, you've got to take a photo.
All the cool kids are doing it.
Oh, I love it.
Nicole (52:53):
Yeah.
Joshie (52:55):
So that's the uh the recipe for running a low
two-hour marathon is the flatlay.
Nicole (53:00):
Yep.
Joshie (53:01):
I love it.
Now look, um, Nicole, thanks somuch for joining us on Run
Believable.
Good luck with the um with themarathon next year.
Thanks, guys.
If there's um if there's anyother goals you're working
towards or any um any shout-outsthat you would like to make now
is a good time for that.
Nicole (53:21):
Yep.
Um I'd just like to give ashout-out to all my running
crew.
They're amazing.
Um, Robert Jameson inparticular, because he supports
all of us no matter what crap wedo.
Um and yeah, just girls, Kateand Rifa, because they will
train with me even when they'renot having to.
So yay.
Joshie (53:38):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Love that.
Nicole, thanks again forjoining us today.
You're an inspiration to therunning community, and it's been
a pleasure speaking with you.
Thank you.
Nicole (53:47):
Thanks, guys.
Joshie (53:48):
Thanks, Nicole.
Well, Maddie, what'd you thinkspeaking to Nicole?
Matty (53:52):
Yeah, yeah, it was really good um to hear hear about um
you know different experiencesthat she's had in particular,
um, the the the injuries thatshe's dealing with has overcome
and is dealing with.
Um, but also, you know, I wasvery interested in terms of the
world majors that she's run.
So um from a perspective thatit's something that I would like
(54:17):
to do, I'm sure a lot of peoplewould like to do.
Um you know.
Joshie (54:21):
Tell you what though.
She completes a race afterhaving broken an arm.
Yeah.
She completes another raceafter having gashed her head and
getting what, 14 stitches orsomething like that?
And you called for an ambulanceafter having a leash.
Matty (54:40):
Are you at least?
You thought you you thoughtyou're in the wolf.
Joshie (54:45):
Yeah, but I'll edit that bit out so no one gets to hear
it.
Oh, look, that's it for today.
Have you got a run believablestory of your own?
We'd truly love to hear it.
And if you'd like to be a gueston the show, please hit us up.
Finally, this podcast relies onyour continued support.
So please follow, rate, andshare this podcast with your
(55:06):
running mates, and we'll see youfor the next run believable
adventure.
Thanks, buddy.
That's good.
That's good.
Sorry about that at the end.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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
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.