Great British Adventures – Details, episodes & analysis

In loving memory of Dean Jones, a much beloved member of the Midnight Runners Community who sadly passed a few days after this recording.

Ben Palmer joins the podcast in the first of a new regular series of check-ins where we dive into his and Tom's latest adventures—and misadventures.

As a highly skilled runner and founder of Trailside Coffee, Ben brings the perfect blend of insight and humour to which I know will be a great addition to the podcast. Together, we'll take a lighter view on life, while also digging into topics that matter to us deeply.

In this inaugural episode of the series, Ben shares his secrets to breaking the 2:40 marathon barrier and reveals what makes a truly great coffee.

We also celebrate Tom’s recent personal milestone -completing his 1,001-day run streak, and discuss how he feels after finally giving it up, with a few listener questions thrown in for good measure.

We also discuss Tom’s recent cycling tour across Europe, where he passed through 9 countries across 29 days. But while his photos and videos may have looked great, did he really enjoy it?

And finally, we check in with two podcast alumni who are on their own incredible journeys. We play exclusive update from Deo Kato, currently running from Cape Town to London, and Jonty Brown, fresh off the launch of his exciting new venture, RunLimited.

Support the podcast:Get a whopping 65% off your first Gousto box at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=TOM42277653⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in the Podcast

Trailside coffee:https://trailsidecoffee.co.uk/

Wilding:https://www.isabellatree.com/books

Dr Greger’s Daily Dozen:https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen/

Sean Conway’s new book:https://amzn.eu/d/8KGACNs

Follow Deo Kato’s Journey:https://www.instagram.com/deoruns/

Jonty’s RunLimited:https://runlimited.co/

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:34 Who is Benny P?

06:48 Advice from a sub 2:40 marathoner

14:15 Ben’s Trailside Coffee and Renee

20:14 The key to a great coffee

24:49 Tom’s Current Nomadic Lifestyle

28:45 Learning hard lessons on where to focus your energies

37:32 Future Podcasts Guests

39:22 Six Inches of Soil Success on YouTube

44:00 Hustling for more guests

48:41 Tom’s 1,001 day run streak

01:10:31 Listener question: Knees

01:14:34 Listener question: Shoes

01:18:42 Listener question: Protein

01:24:02 Tom’s recent cycle across Europe

01:38:25 The hardest part of the trip

01:46:32 Update from Deo Kato

01:59:42 Update from Jonty & RunLimited

02:06:34 Ben’s winter running goals

02:08:19 Tom’s winter writing challenge

“Despite all our accomplishments, we owe our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.” – Paul Harvey

Claire Mackenzie and Colin Ramsay are the visionary filmmakers behind the independent, British documentary, "Six Inches of Soil", that is pioneering conversations about the future of farming and the environment not just in Britain, but around the world.

Their film follows three young British farmers who are working to restore soil health and promote biodiversity in response to the environmental challenges posed by industrial farming practices.

Recorded in January this year, Claire and Colin share their journey from concept to screen and how their film is sparking discussions across the country, bringing attention the importance of soil not just as the foundation of agriculture but as a natural solution for our fight against climate change, particularly in storing carbon and water retention.

Watch Six Inches of Soil now: Vimeo: https://sixinchesofsoil.vhx.tv/   Prime: https://amzn.to/3YgExpU

Two of the farmers featured in this film have already been on this podcast. Listen to their episodes here:

Anna Jackson - City Photographer to Regenerative Farmer: https://spoti.fi/3tKgZ1c

Adrienne Gordon - The Organic Market Garden Set Up From Scratch: https://spoti.fi/4f8yhXM

Support the podcast: Get a whopping 65% off your first Gousto box at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=TOM42277653⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in the Podcast:

Dirt To Soil by Gabe Brown: https://chelseagreen.co.uk/book/dirt-to-soil/

Groundswell - ⁠https://groundswellag.com/⁠

Adrienne Gordon’s Sweetpea Market Garden - ⁠https://sweetpeamarketgarden.co.uk/⁠

Cambridge Organic - ⁠https://cambridgeorganic.co.uk/⁠

Hodmedod’s. Pulses, Grains, Seeds and Flour from British Farms - ⁠https://hodmedods.co.uk/⁠

Riverfood - ⁠https://www.riverford.co.uk/⁠

Get Fair About Farming campaign has now changed to: https://www.sustainweb.org/news/sep24-farmers-against-farmwashing-campaign/

Marina O'Connell features in this film and was mentioned. Sadly, since this recording, Marina passed away: ⁠https://www.apricotcentre.co.uk/in-memoriam-marina⁠

Get in contact:

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@tombryanyeah⁠⁠⁠

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:17 It’s all about the soil

06:12 Claire’s connection to where food comes from

09:15 Seeing the comparison between healthy and unhealthy soil

12:56 The problem with industrial farming

19:06 The current system is wrong, not the farmers

21:22 The nature of soils in the UK

24:30 What Regenerative Agriculture is

27:36 Buzzwords and Greenwashing

35:03 The benefits to farmers

39:03 The three stories chosen in the film

43:53 Anna and her family’s regenerative farm

46:04 Adrienne’s organic market garden, Sweetpea

53:37 Ben’s regeneratively farmed cattle

59:24 The problem with meat

01:02:38 Big Industry’s influence

01:11:10 Labelling of food

01:16:31 The benefits of healthy soil

01:22:11 The erosion of UK soil

01:24:55 Marina O’Connell’s casestudy

01:26:47 Working out what to fit in the final film

01:35:34 Funding and teaming the film

01:42:04 Enjoying the distribution journey

Jessica Hepburn is the only woman in the world to have swam the English Channel, run the London Marathon, and climbed Mt. Everest - the so called 'Sea, Street, Summit Challenge.'

She also claims to be the only person to have listened to every available episode of the popular BBC Radio 4 show, Desert Island Discs (there's over 3,000!)

But that is just the adventure headlines.

And at the heart of Jessica's story is one of loss, heartbreak, trauma, and ultimately how she has been able to own the adversity in her life, and turn it into something that creates positive change for herself and others.

Jessica is an adventure activist, arts producer and author of three books, her latest, Save Me From The Waves is an adventure story with a difference.

Documenting her quest to climb the largest mountain in the world, coupled with her desire to listen to every episode of Desert Island Discs it is a beautifully written story of how the show's Castaway's and their music choices have inspired and helped Jessica make sense of her own life.

In this conversation we discuss Jessica's love of lists, how the comedian Jimmy Carr initially inspired her, how she's been part of a movement to change the stigma on infertility, why and how she swam the channel, her journey to summiting Everest, why everyone should tell there life story creatively, how her destination was not what she was expecting and how she was able to make meaning out of it through art.

Mentioned in the podcast

Buy Jessica’s New Book: Save Me From The Waves: https://geni.us/SaveMeFromTheWaves

Desert Island Discs: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr

Swimquest: https://swimquest.uk.com/

Serpentine Swim Club: https://serpentineswimmingclub.com/

Ramblers: https://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/ramblers-groups

Get in contact:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@greatbritishadventures

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro 01:30 Desert Island Discs Superfan 05:10 A Lover of Lists 07:51 Jimmy Carr and What do You Want? 11:40 Turning adversity into positive change 14:35 Writing her first book 19:17 Changing the stigma on infertility 23:12 A disease of the mind 28:39 Have another life alongside your fertility journey 30:36 Deciding to swim the Channel 35:29 Learn from those who have been before 42:07 Mental vs Physical Strength 51:31 Chomolungma 53:01 Deciding to take on Everest 56:19 Hanging out with celebrities 58:42 Training in Scotland for Everest 01:01:01 Technical Skills 01:02:49 Making training a way of life 01:04:54 Processing a delay 01:07:07 2nd attempt 01:11:17 Bad press about Everest 01:15:35 Jessica's work of art 01:19:04 3rd attempt 01:25:25 The descent story 01:32:39 Jessica's relationship with anger 01:34:55 Tell your life story creatively 01:38:53 Destinations and goals vs the journey

In May 2023, Geraldine McFaul set off from her home in Glasgow to walk all the way to Rome.

She had two rules, she was not carrying a rucksack, and she was not going over the Alps.

With a buggy in tow, Geraldine passed through 6 countries, walking a distance of 2,000 miles on a journey that took her 6 months.

But Geraldine's story is more than just a long walk to Rome.

At it's heart, this journey was a reminder of the kindness of humanity.

It is a story of strangers taking her into their homes, buying food for her, donating to her two charities, Mary's Meals and Dementia UK, and letting her camp in back gardens, church grounds and on village greens.

She calls it 'kind-napping' and it happened regularly throughout her journey in Britain and beyond.

In this conversation we break down the why and how Geraldine covered such a huge distance on foot, how to break down a journey of such magnitude and how she was inspired with confidence by her experience in the Yes Tribe.

We discuss how Geraldine never knew exactly where or how she was sleeping every night, how the kindness of strangers made her journey more fulfilling, why travelling at a slow pace is a lovely way to experience the world, and Geraldine talks through her once in a lifetime experience being presented to a very important person when she arrived in Rome.

Follow Geraldine's Story: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090430727501

Donate to Geraldine's Cause:

Dementia UK: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/geraldine-mcfaul

Mary's Meals: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/geraldine-mcfaul1

Mentioned in the Podcast

The Yes Tribe: https://sayyesmore.com/tribes

Podcast w/Emma & Dave Cornthwaite: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3CWceGYO8wANjAA1FkCw7P?si=3b37801b96e54f86

Big Sky Hideaway: https://bigskyhideaway.com/

Dementia UK: https://www.dementiauk.org/

Mary's Meal's: https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/

Get in contact:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@greatbritishadventures

As a former world champion in triathlon, Kate Strong knows what it takes to be at the very top of her game. But she also knows what it feels like to fall back to zero, such is the fragility of competitive sports, and the reality of getting injured as an athlete.

Starting again from the bottom with the bare minimum, Kate built herself back and aimed to be the first woman to set a world record for the greatest distance cycled on a static bike in 24 hours.

And Kate not only rode an astonishing astonishing 433.1 miles in 24 hours, she also claimed the 12 hour and the 1 hour record at the same time, as well as making waves in showing what women in sport can do.

Eager to continue using sport to make an impact on others, last summer Kate cycled 3,000 miles around Britain, connecting with 50 different communities, organisations & charities that positively impact climate change. She called it the Climate Cycle.

In this conversation, we talk about what it takes to become a triathlon world champion, how Kate felt after being injured and having to start again from zero, how discovering the lack of female records in sport inspired Kate to take on the 24 hour cycle, and how her first failure inspired her eventual success.

We talk about her Climate Cycle, how she deals with climate deniers, how the 'vegan' label can be quite limiting, and we talk about some of the places she visited on her epic 3,000 mile ride.

Follow Kate:

https://katestrong.global/

https://www.instagram.com/katestrong01/

Mentioned in the conversation:

Green football weekend: https://www.greenfootballweekend.com/

Forest Green Rovers: https://www.fgr.co.uk/

Lobster Hatchery: https://nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk/

Lake District Foraging: https://totallywilduk.co.uk/

Seaweed Farm: https://www.projectseagrass.org/

Building from rubble: https://www.ediblemadog.co.uk/

Get in contact:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@greatbritishadventures

Louis Alexander boasts a pretty awesome job title: Professional Explorer.

And it's certainly one he merits, having recently completed 7 marathons on each of the 7 continents - a feat only a few hundred people in history have ever accomplished.

But what is more remarkable about Louis, is that he has achieved all this at the age of 24.

And this is just the tip of his adventurous CV.

Louis' achievements also include rowing the English Channel, swimming across from Alcatraz (without a wetsuit), Summiting Mount Blanc and a much, much more.

Louis owes his adventurous career down to one man - his Grandad, who Louis witnessed battle dementia for 17 years of his life.

After his Grandad sadly passed, Louis made a promise, that he would support the fight against dementia until the day we find a cure.

In this conversation, Louis talks about how he was able to honour his grandad with his first professional project - running 17 marathons in 17 days, his sketchy moment on Mount Blanc, why he undertakes challenging swims, and why he wanted to run 7 marathons across 7 continents.

We discuss the state of dementia in the UK, how his preparation for challenges have evolved, how he got an invite to 10 Downing Street to deliver a letter to the Prime Minister, and his hopes and dreams for pioneering future expeditions.

Follow Louis: https://www.instagram.com/louisalexanderexplorer/

https://www.louisalexander.org/

Mentioned in the Podcast:

Body Lab: https://www.thebodylablondon.com/

Thomas Franks: https://thomasfranks.com/

Sean Conways 496 Challenge: https://www.seanconway.com/the-496-challenge.html

Damian Hall: https://www.instagram.com/ultra_damo/?hl=en

Lewis Pugh: https://www.lewispugh.com/

Get in contact:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@greatbritishadventures

There are many athletes that are great at doing one thing, but few master multiple disciplines, especially ones as wild as MMA, ultra-endurance triathlons and weight lifting. Justin True really does it all.

And Justin's most recent adventure, lifting the famous 'Dinnie Stones' in Scotland (which have a combined weight of 332kg) is a feat very few people have ever managed. Far more have scaled Everest than have lifted these stones unsupported.

But while Justin may look like a hardened man of steel, behind his athletic physique is a complex story of childhood trauma and depression which has led Justin to want to focus his life on helping others. Justin's story is one you will want to hear.

Growing up in a troubled household in the US, Justin found an escape in the gym and was soon thrown into the world of Mixed Martial Arts - with multiple wins to his name.

But fighting in the octagon was nothing compared to the fights he battled with his brother at home, and this childhood, along with the trauma he face when he found out his mum had been stabbed, led Justin to spiral into depression and attempt to end his own life.

When these attempts failed, Justin emerged wanting to turn his life around, and help others,

In this conversation Justin breaks down his experience attempting to lift the Dinnie Stones. We delve into Justin's violent childhood and how he was able to navigate through the trauma after discovering his mum had being stabbed.

Justin breaks down his 'toolbelt' for dealing with depression, he tells his hilarious story of climbing the UK's 3 peaks in 24 hours, alongside what it really felt like after pulling a car for a whole marathon, how he was abducted in Egypt, and how he resolved his relationship with his brother after taking on America's longest continuous triathlon

Follow Justin:

https://www.instagram.com/therealjustintrue/

https://www.justintrueofficial.com/

Mentioned in the Podcast

The Dinnie Stones: https://www.thedinniestones.com/

Peak District Dinnies: https://www.instagram.com/peakdistrictdinniestones/

Mark Haydock: https://www.instagram.com/haydockmark/

Get in contact:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@greatbritishadventures

Growing up, Anna Jackson was encouraged by her farming parents to leave the family farm and get a proper job.

And she soon found herself working as a busy photographer in London and all over the world.

But when Covid hit, her work immediately dried up and she was forced to move back home to the very farm she grew up on.

Initially having no interest in farming, Anna's life changed when she was given the responsibility of rearing an orphaned lamb, Timmy.

And when she found out her dad had been transitioning to regenerative farming, her interest in farming as a career blossomed.

Anna's life took a new direction and she is now a regenerative farmer in Lincolnshire.

In this episode, we discuss Anna’s transition from city life to rural farmer, how regenerative farming works, why we should wear more wool, the importance of diversity, not only on the fields, but also in the farming business, her involvement in the recent 6 Inches of soil documentary, the challenges she faces being a female farmer, and her thoughts on the plant based diet.

Follow Anna:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farmerannajackson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annaracheljackson/

Pink Pig Farm: https://www.pinkpigfarm.co.uk/

Mentioned in the Podcast

TheRunnerBeans: https://www.instagram.com/therunnerbeans/

Midnight Runners: https://www.instagram.com/midnightrunnerslondon/

Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown: https://www.waterstones.com/book/dirt-to-soil/gabe-brown/9781603587631

Groundswell: https://groundswellag.com/

Farm Carbon Toolkit: https://farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk/

Regen Consultant Ben Taylor-Davies https://www.regenben.com/

Woven Beyond: https://wovenbeyond.com/

Six Inches of Soil: https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/

Riverfood: https://www.riverford.co.uk/

Future Food Movement: https://futurefoodmovement.com/

Environmental Farmers Group: https://www.environmentalfarmersgroup.co.uk/

Get in contact:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@greatbritishadventures

Jeric Yuen is a digital GPS artist who uses running to create incredible pieces of art. This year he was recognised in Strava’s Year In Sport 2023 Awards with a nomination for Strava’s Artist of the Year

With over 50 detailed GPS drawings to his name, including a collection of animals, a rhino, a tiger and a giraffe to name but a few, Jeric really is a master of his craft.

In this episode, Tom joins Jeric to run his festive edition of GPS Art, on a route that Jeric says will span somewhere between 35-45km. Tom has no idea what this route will look like until the end.

This is a conversation on the road, recorded while running with Jeric, and breaks down how he is able to create these masterpieces, what he uses to plan these routes, what inspires his drawings, how anyone could start creating GPS art themselves, and why he's committed to running so many of these artworks over the past few years, as he attempts to raise as much money as he can for Spinal Research, and spread so much joy to those view his artworks online.

To view the GPS art we created on this run: https://www.strava.com/activities/10399495950

Follow Jeric:

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/10399802440

IG: https://www.instagram.com/coderunnerguy/

Mentioned in the Pod:

PlotARoute: https://www.plotaroute.com/

Jeric's Fundraiser for Spinal Research: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jeric-yuen

All That Falafel: https://www.allthatfalafel.co.uk/

Get in contact:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@greatbritishadventures

John Willis was born without fully formed arms and legs and grew up in a time where there were no opportunities for someone like him to play sport.

In a bid to change this, John set up the charity Power2Inspire with the mission to provide opportunities for everyone to play sport together, regardless of their ability or disability.

To celebrate the charity’s 10 year anniversary John embarked on an 8 day, 108mile paddle down the river Thames, linking up with different paddling communities and partnering with different people along the way.

In this conversation we discuss what life was like for John growing up in a world where he had no disabled role models to inspire him on what could be possible.

Yet John is no stranger to challenging himself. He has completed a triathlon with abled bodies and celebrated not coming last. He once completed 50 1000 metre swims across 100 days whilst touring the UK and speaking in schools. And in the lead up to the Rio Olympics, he tried every single sport that the olympics feature.

To find out more about Power2Inspire please visit: https://www.power2inspire.org.uk/

Mentioned in the Conversation:

Jonnie Peacock: https://www.instagram.com/04jonpea/

Ellie Simmonds: https://www.instagram.com/elliesimmonds/

Tanni Grey-Thompson: http://www.tanni.co.uk/

John's Road to Rio Challenge Film: https://youtu.be/sP8zTmB96jA?si=jQY7ptdHyRZ2O9L2

Accessible Boating Thames: https://accessibleboatingthames.org/

Get in contact:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@greatbritishadventures

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombryanyeah