Hey I'm Tom! I'm a film-maker, adventurer and former BBC journalist. Join me in conversation with those who chose a life of adventure, those who don't take normal as normal and those with incredible stories to tell.
If you think you know someone who has a Great British Adventure story to tell, please get in contact: https://linktr.ee/tombryanyeah
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How Do You Prepare for the Transcontinental Race? | Sarah Ruggins on Ultra Cycling, Sleep, Route Planning & Mindset
Episode 54
Monday, July 20, 2026 • Duration 28:17
Ultra-endurance cyclist Sarah Ruggins, and two-time Transcontinental Race rider, gives me some valuable advice before my first attempt (and first bike race!)
We talk consecutive 250-300km days on the bike, managing sleep deprivation, route planning, rough sleeping, nutrition, charging electronics, pacing yourself through the opening week, and the mindset needed when everything inevitably starts going wrong.
We also discuss why the race isn't really against other riders, but against yourself, and how some of Sarah's most memorable moments came not from racing, but from unexpected acts of kindness across Europe.
This interview was recorded before Sarah went on to break the outright European record for cycling the length of Europe last month - an extraordinary achievement that makes her advice here even more remarkable.
As for me, I've now rolled away from the start line.
This year's Transcontinental Race will see me attempt to ride almost 5,000km from Trondheim, Norway, to Kalamata, Greece, crossing Europe entirely self-supported. Riders must plan their own routes between checkpoints, navigate compulsory race sectors, solve every problem themselves, and average around 240km every single day just to finish before the race cutoff.
When I return, I'll be sharing the full story of what happened out on the road. But before all of that unfolded, this was the advice I received from someone who's already been there.
UK Bikepacking routes, Oslo Athletics, Heatwaves & Camping in Storms - Misadventures 6
Episode 53
Monday, June 29, 2026 • Duration 02:01:11
Britain's in the middle of another heatwave, but Benny P's got a good store of ice to keep us all cool.
We chat about what these increasingly extreme summers might mean for the future, how the sunshine transforms life behind the Trailside Coffee van, and Ben's recent trip to Norway simply to watch some world-class athletics.
Tom's turning awkward coach journeys into mini-adventures, camping through storms in the Lake District, and why sometimes the best training plan is simply to head outside and see where the road takes you.
It's a conversation about coffee, cycling, travel, endurance, curiosity and finding adventure in the everyday - with plenty of questionable life advice thrown in for good measure.
Joy Is The Strategy, Not The Reward - Dating Yourself, Self-Trust & Taking Messy Action with Meg Holloway
Episode 52
Monday, June 15, 2026 • Duration 02:12:29
What if joy isn't something you earn after you've fixed your life - but the thing that helps you build it in the first place?
This week I'm joined by life coach, retreat host and founder of The Joy Project, Meg Holloway.
After leaving a corporate career and moving to the Lake District, Meg trained as a coach and built a business around a simple but powerful idea: joy is not the reward at the end of the journey - it's the strategy that helps you navigate it.
In this conversation we explore how Meg transformed herself from someone who describes her younger self as "proper glass half empty" into a coach who helps people get out of their own way and take action on the things that matter most.
We talk about:
Why so many people are waiting for permission before they start the business, launch a project, change careers or pursue the life they really want.
Meg's philosophy of "messy action" and how tiny imperfect steps build self-trust far more effectively than endless planning.
Fear of failure, fear of judgement and the stories we tell ourselves that keep us stuck.
Why community, connection and finding "your people" matters more than ever.
Why learning to "date yourself" can be one of the most powerful things you do.
Finding joy during one of the most difficult periods of her life following a serious health challenge, and why that experience ultimately reinforced everything she teaches.
If you've ever felt stuck, waited for permission, or wondered whether it's too late to make a change, I think you'll get a lot from this one.
Danny Bent's Primal Age Might Be Just What We All Need Right Now - Danny Bent
Episode 51
Monday, June 1, 2026 • Duration 02:08:10
Danny Bent has spent years chasing adventure.
From ultra-endurance survival challenges to being marooned on a deserted island in the Maldives, he's built a life around pushing boundaries and stepping into the unknown.
But recently, his focus has shifted.
The next challenge isn't about going further, faster, or enduring more. It's about becoming more human.
In this deeply personal conversation, Danny reflects on a journey that began with an ayahuasca retreat and led him towards what he calls his "primal age" - a growing desire to reconnect with the experiences that shaped us long before modern life arrived.
We talk about swimming in near-freezing water, spending a week alone in a remote Norwegian cabin, learning to hunt deer, disconnecting from technology, the importance of play, self-love, masculinity, and why shared adversity brings people together like nothing else.
At its heart, this is a conversation about stripping life back to its essentials. Less noise. Less distraction. More presence, connection and adventure.
Because perhaps the wildest thing we can do in the modern world is return to what made us human in the first place.
How To Cycle 300+km A Day Across Europe - Esther Lloyd
Episode 50
Sunday, May 17, 2026 • Duration 02:15:35
Esther Lloyd didn’t grow up as a cyclist, and she didn’t ease her way into the sport either.
What started as a complete beginner journey just a few years ago, has turned into racing across continents in some of the toughest ultra-endurance events in the world, including the Transcontinental Race (TCR).
Along the way she’s taken on brutal challenges like finishing third in the Trans Pyrenees Race and completing epic audaxes such as All Points North, building a reputation as someone who goes long and deep when many others would stop.
In this conversation, recorded as I prepare for my own first attempt at the Transcontinental Race, Esther generously opens up everything she’s learned from her rapid rise in the world of endurance cycling.
We get into the practical realities like where to sleep, what to eat, how to actually prepare, and what training really looks like when the distances start stretching beyond logic.
But beyond the logistics, this is really about how someone who only recently discovered cycling can become the kind of rider who lines up for one of the hardest bike races on the planet.
If you’re new to cycling and curious about how far it can take you, or if you’re already drawn to ultra-endurance racing and want a grounded, honest look at what it takes, this conversation is for you.
Follow Esther:
https://www.instagram.com/vistadelmotrone/
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Misadventures 5 - Training to Race Across Europe - Burnout, Healing & The Courage of Solo Adventures
Episode 49
Monday, April 13, 2026 • Duration 01:54:50
In this episode, Tom shares his journey behind training for his first bike race (and it's a big one!)
After a period of burnout, mental health struggles, and being forced to step away from life for a short while, this episode is more about what it really means to rebuild - physically and mentally and how “pushing through” doesn’t always work (Tom found out the hard way.
Ben's been on a solo ski tour outside of Europe and gives all his tips and advice for travelling further afield for some good times.
We dive deep into the importance of boundaries, processing anger, and the importance of protecting your energy.
And of course - Tom dips into the jar of Great British Misadventures to regale a story from his own misadventures.
Building a Life of Gratitude - From Rehab to a Global Movement - Mark White
Episode 48
Monday, March 30, 2026 • Duration 01:55:08
For Mark White, gratitude is more than just a word.
It’s a daily practice that helped him rebuild his life - from rehab for drug addiction to creating a movement that encourages others to live with more intention, connection, and perspective.
Now celebrating 23 years of sobriety, Mark has built gratitude into his daily life.
He is the founder of Run Grateful, Your Town CIC, and the Daily Five app - a platform designed to promote wellbeing in simple, five-minute daily practices.
In this conversation, we explore how gratitude became the one thing that stuck when nothing else did. Mark opens up about not being ready to change, how addiction can feel like a solution rather than a problem, and why gratitude isn’t about ignoring difficult thoughts and feelings.
We also talk about the reality of showing up when you don’t want to, the importance of building evidence over time, and how small, consistent actions can begin to shift the direction of your life.
Mr Possible: Nick Butter Ran the World - But the Real Journey’s Just Begun
Episode 46
Monday, November 10, 2025 • Duration 01:48:58
Nick Butter is a man who’s turned the word “impossible” into a to-do list.
Once a finance professional chasing bonuses and deadlines, a chance meeting with a terminally ill runner made him completely reimagine his life.
Within a few years, he’d left his job, sold his possessions, and embarked on one of the greatest endurance and logistically challenging feats ever attempted: running a marathon in every one of the world’s 196 countries.
It took him two years, 450 flights, and over a million pounds to complete - but it also transformed how he saw the world and what matters most.
Since that record-breaking run, Nick’s life hasn’t slowed down.
He’s run the entire length of Italy, set a world record running 5,500 miles around the coast of the UK (averaging two marathons a day), recently appeared on the BBC’s Destination X, and launched Run Weekends - global running adventures where pace doesn’t matter, but connection and joy do.
He also founded The 195 Foundation, a charity supporting causes in which give back to the places he’s visited.
In this episode, we dive into what “home” feels like after years of life on the move, the lessons Nick learned from running a marathon in every country on Earth, and how he’s built a life centred on adventure, generosity, and human connection.
We also talk about why he believes that a life well lived matters far more than a life well financed, and what his next big expedition might look like - and why, no matter what comes next, he’ll always be “Mr Possible.”
Cycling The Coast of Wales, Garlic Ice Cream and Lifesaving Lambs - Misadventures#4
Episode 45
Monday, October 27, 2025 • Duration 01:54:23
Benny P is back to co-host another episode of Misadventures.
In this episode, Tom reflects on his ride around the coast of Wales - a three-week journey of endurance, reflection, and a new love for the sea he never knew he needed.
Ben brings stories from Chamonix, convincing us all we need a slice of that alpine magic next summer.
Along the way, we dive into Tom’s unlikely love affair with volunteering at Reading Festival (yes, that Reading Festival) and Ben’s debrief from the Berlin Marathon.
Throw in some parkrun tourism, a pinch of the Isle of Wight, a dash of indie sleaze nostalgia, and a ridiculous story from the Great British Misadventures jar – and trust us, this one’s guaranteed to make you laugh.
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