Explore every episode of the podcast Two Average Runners
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| Ep 28. Huw quit running? Facing big scary goals, dealing with DNFs, and what fuels the passion for running | 29 Sep 2026 | 00:27:13 | |
This week it's just Huw. With Alice out for work, he's taking on the listener questions solo. He's been trying something different on his long runs, and walks us through how a hot 20-miler in Texas went. Then it's on to your questions: what really fuels a passion for running, how to face a big scary goal like a first 100-miler, and dealing with DNFs in running and in life. Huw also gets asked the closest he's ever come to quitting running. Plus, a listener's daughter has some questions after hearing Huw get numbers from strangers on Strava. Contact us | |||
| Ep 27. Huw has exciting news! Plus runners’ pet peeves, and can you negative split a 100-miler? | 22 Sep 2026 | 00:34:27 | |
Alice is three weeks out from the Chicago Marathon and in her last big week of training. Huw shares his big plans coming up in 2027. Alice's afternoon run clashes with school closing time, and a pavement full of scooters sets us off on our running pet peeves. Then we go down the rabbit hole about negative splitting a 100-miler, sparked by a friend’s comment. We close on an old UTMB story and Huw's pacing plan for November. Contact us | |||
| Ep 26. What Huw learned from combing through 14 years of training data (assisted by AI..). And find we are in violent agreement on what actually matters for runners | 15 Sep 2026 | 00:45:57 | |
This week, Huw has been up past his bedtime feeding 14 years of training data into an AI, and he walks us through what came back. Alice ran the Big Half with 25,000 other people, and Huw has a different view about her finish time. Then a listener asks us to rank the things that actually matter for runners, which gets Alice going about people fuelling long runs on low-sugar drinks, and the man who turned up to a race having eaten one banana. Contact us | |||
| Ep 25. The line between healthy vs unhealthy ambition, training camps, and building grit at 41 | 08 Sep 2026 | 00:46:37 | |
This week, Alice has the Big Half on Sunday, her last race before Chicago, and a Strava crown on a segment she’s fairly sure nobody else has ever attempted. Huw is back from two weeks in Wales and already thinking about his next trip away to train, which takes us into a deep chat about training camps - what they look like, what the point of them actually is, and more. Then it’s on to listeners’ questions. The first: where do we draw the line between healthy and unhealthy ambition, from someone whose partner reckons he’s already crossed it. The second comes from a 41-year-old who took up running two years ago and still fights the instinct to quit when things get uncomfortable - can that kind of grit be built later if you didn’t grow up with parents who pushed you? Contact us | |||
| Ep 24. The psychology of tanking on race day. Plus getting faster in your fifties, Huw's new coach, and a Leadville comeback | 01 Sep 2026 | 00:42:45 | |
This week, Huw has a new coach and a hundred-miler on the calendar for the first time in two years. He gets into why he picked this one. Alice went under 39 at a 10K in Battersea, fuelled by half a Monster and very little sleep afterwards. After two marathons that went sideways, a call with a sports psychologist has her wondering whether the problem is her legs at all. She may have just discovered what really went wrong. We get into whether you can still get faster in your forties and fifties, sparked by a chat about a 52-year-old who beat Alice at that 10K and then apologised for being slow. Huw shares an inspiring Leadville comeback story about his friend's first 100-miler. And we close on a Strava message from a listener who's pretty sure we talked about him on the podcast and is pleased about it. Contact us | |||
| Ep 23. Where our drive comes from, and fuelling a 6-year-old at parkrun | 25 Aug 2026 | 00:46:34 | |
Huw is back on proper leg sessions with his trainer after Soft Rock. Alice has a 10K coming up and no plans to taper for it. Then we get into a stack of listener questions. The first sends us both a long way back - to where the drive to chase hard goals actually comes from, and the earliest signs of it (folk dancing, eisteddfods, and a public speaking contest Alice decided she was going to win). Then the best things running has given us that have nothing to do with running. And finally, what to feed a six-year-old before and after his first 2K junior parkrun, which brings us right back to the orange at the finish line.
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| Ep 22. A half marathon PB, fuelling under peer pressure, and gun time vs chip time | 18 Aug 2026 | 00:58:32 | |
Huw is three weeks post-Soft Rock and, in his words, so close to being back. Alice comes home from 8.75 laps of a London park with a half marathon PB, some strong opinions on gun time versus chip time, and a story about the peer pressure around fuelling - how much is too much, whose plan do you actually trust, and what happens when you stick to your own. We get into running in a pack, how A, B and C races fit into a training block, and the small comment from a friend that opened up a bigger conversation on how "easy" is always relative. We close on a warm-up tweak Alice has found that's making a real difference.
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| Ep 21. The comparison trap, Strava egos, and running with people faster than you | 11 Aug 2026 | 00:49:59 | |
Huw is deep in the recovery grind after Soft Rock. Alice’s running is finally starting to click. Then we get into a deeper conversation, sparked by a listener question, on the comparison trap: what it’s like running with people faster than you, whether Strava makes it worse, and where we land on being competitive with others versus mostly competing with ourselves. Contact us | |||
| We made it to ep 20! Plus race gear that let us down, pre-race rituals, and the best way to pee before a race | 04 Aug 2026 | 00:54:19 | |
This week, Huw is a few days back from Soft Rock and shares how the recovery is going and what he's eyeing next. Alice has a 5K PB to celebrate and a growing collection of oddities from her Battersea Park loops. We give a Tour de France debrief (with a favourite Pogačar moment thrown in), and get through a stack of listener questions: the worst post-race goodie bags, our weirdest pre-race superstitions, returning to running post-baby and building back to half-marathon shape, and the eternal question of what to do when you need to pee at the start line. Contact us | |||
| Ep 19. Huw's Soft Rock ordeal. Plus Josh Kerr's mile, the Tour de France, and fear vs your body actually protecting you | 28 Jul 2026 | 01:01:11 | |
Huw is back from Soft Rock. A multi-day version of the Hardrock 100 he ran with a friend across the Colorado mountains. Wildfire smoke, altitude sickness, closed sections of trail, moments he thought about quitting, and moments he pushed on; a rollercoaster of an event, having to adapt and problem solve under pressure. We talk about Josh Kerr's mile world record and the moment that finish landed, get into the Tour de France, and share a solid training update from Alice. Then we close on a listener question about how to tell the difference between your brain genuinely protecting you and your brain just being scared. Contact us | |||
| Ep 18. Soft Rock is here! Plus best taper, panic in a pen of 18,000 runners, and Huw's about to meet the pain cave. | 21 Jul 2026 | 00:54:34 | |
This week, Huw is days out from being three days deep in the Colorado mountains. He shares that he hasn't finished a big race since his dad passed, which is clearly on his mind heading into this one. We get into what he expects to happen when it gets brutal. Alice leads us into a proper conversation about pressure, sparked by a chaotic 10K start line and a very different approach to pain, courtesy of her partner, Dale, who apparently has a few choice words for himself when things get hard. Also, it turns out a toddler on a balance bike might be the most effective taper strategy in sport.Contact us | |||
| Ep 17. Huw's biggest adventure yet! Plus AI vs human running coaches, a topless parkrun stalker, and running advice that turned out wrong | 14 Jul 2026 | 00:56:16 | |
This week, Huw talks about being just days out from his biggest mountain adventure yet. Alice has a situation developing at parkrun: a topless, Scandinavian-looking stranger who's been quietly clocking her splits for months, and has just started acting on it. We get into two listener questions this week. First, whether to run with headphones in. Then, whether AI running apps and coaches actually work, plus a run through running advice we were both given that turned out to be completely wrong for us. Also, apparently the Tour de France might come through the Brecon Beacons next year, and Huw's already planning the family road trip.
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| Ep 16. Western States 100 recap, plus the Fuelin app, and how we deal with a bad race | 07 Jul 2026 | 01:04:03 | |
This week we recap Western States: course records broken, three men under 14 hours for the first time, and Molly Seidel's remarkable finish after things went sideways at mile 94. We get into the Fuelin app: how we're both using it, what's working, and what it revealed to Alice about her own fueling. Huw's been rethinking his goals with his UK move on indefinite pause. We answer a listener question on how we deal with a race that goes badly. Plus updates on our own running and Serena Williams' return to Wimbledon - with a surprising mindset going in. Contact us | |||
| Ep 15. Running in a heatwave, where to live as a runner, and Alice's solo 5K caper | 30 Jun 2026 | 00:52:33 | |
This week, the UK is in a heatwave, and Huw (from Texas) is unimpressed. We get into how to actually use the heat to your advantage with heat training, plus tips for surviving it, and answer a listener question on the same. Alice has moved house, which sent us down a rabbit hole on what to look for in a place to live when running is a deciding factor. She also tells the story of her solo 5K attempt after the real one didn't happen. We get into what getting older means for your speed, and Huw gives us a preview of Western States this weekend: why it could be one of the fastest on record, and what Molly Seidel's move to trails means. Contact us | |||
| Ep 14. We committed to a 90K race on air. Plus an accidental ultramarathoner, and Comrades marathon history | 23 Jun 2026 | 00:50:18 | |
This week, Huw rocks up to his Harvard Business School reunion, and barely anyone recognises him. Alice dives into the history of Comrades, and why it's called the greatest human race - by the end of it, we commit to running it together in 2027! Huw's sister, Nia, set out to walk a marathon in the Brecon Beacons for Alzheimer's UK in memory of their dad, and Strava makes her an ultramarathoner. And following our chat last week about weight loss and performance, a listener sent in a video of a cyclist who did the same race heavier, with more muscle - interesting results. Link in the show notes on YouTube. Contact us | |||
| Ep 13. £750 for an MRI in a thunderstorm. Western States, strength training, and the grand piano at 32km | 16 Jun 2026 | 01:02:36 | |
This week, £750, a tube strike, and a thunderstorm later, Alice has her MRI results. Huw walks us through Western States and the Golden Ticket races, for anyone who's wondered what the fuss is about. We share our top strength exercises (Bulgarian split squats are still the worst). And we close on a listener email about whether we all over-fear the marathon, and the grand piano that's meant to land on your back at 32K. Contact us | |||
| Ep 12. Alice is foolish and runs 30K with the flu. Plus Ozempic, when to push through, and a Cape Town storm story | 09 Jun 2026 | 00:51:57 | |
This week, Alice is recording with a full flu, having already run 30K on no sleep 3 days before, convinced it was just hay fever. We get into when to push through running sick and when to stay home. Plus Ozempic and what it might mean for runners. And because we recorded on Global Running Day, we end with @gingerwithagopro - a Cape Town runner who stopped during an epic storm to help a stranger in a wheelchair, and ended up changing his life. Contact us Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates 02:55 Reflections on Running and Life Changes 05:56 Excitement in San Antonio: Spurs and Community Vibes 09:01 Training Challenges and Personal Struggles 12:01 Health Concerns and Decision-Making in Running 14:58 Coping Mechanisms: Running as Therapy 18:01 Community and Connection Through Running 20:48 Mindset and Nutrition in Running 23:59 Cross-Training and Alternatives to Running 27:46 Injury and Adaptation: The Journey of Recovery 29:41 Listener Engagement: Exploring Weight and Performance 30:56 The Weight Debate: Health vs. Performance 32:32 Ozempic and Running: A Complicated Relationship 36:15 Nutrition and Performance: The Importance of Fueling 40:46 The Risks of Weight Loss Drugs in Athletics 44:58 Community and Connection: The Power of Running 50:57 Inspiring Stories: Running for a Cause | |||
| Ep 11. The good, bad, and ugly of running. Garmin lies, Huw ditched 75hard, and Alice is dreading an upcoming 5k race. | 02 Jun 2026 | 01:03:09 | |
This week, things get a little vulnerable. We talk about the good and bad of running; what it gives us, what it costs us, and when it starts to become a crutch. Alice shares more about what she thinks has really been going wrong in her marathons. Huw quit 75 Hard on day 72 to eat birthday cake with his family. Alice came home at 2 am after drinks with her cousins; her Garmin told her she was dying, but she went for her long run anyway. Also, she has three park runs coming up in three weekends and is absolutely dreading every single one of them. Contact us | |||
| Episode 10! Track etiquette, a Comrades horror story, and what Alice is quietly plotting | 26 May 2026 | 00:46:27 | |
Huw is in London, so we're finally recording in the same room. Alice shares what she thinks keeps going wrong at the same point in every marathon, and what she's started working on to fix it. Huw plans a 20-mile run all over London past Goldman Sachs, the bars and clubs from his banking days. We get into track etiquette: people running the wrong direction, men with their shirts off, and the ones who suddenly decide they want to race you mid-interval. Then the episode lands on Alice's partner, who once ran Comrades in brand new shoes, ended up in intensive care, and threw his medal into the sea. It turned up in a stranger's Airbnb years later. | |||
| Ep 9. Running 250 miles in 56 hours with only 19 minutes of sleep! Plus, carbon shoes, chest phlegm, and best places to run in London. | 19 May 2026 | 01:00:39 | |
This week, we go down a few rabbit holes. We discuss the mind-blowing Cocodona 250 performance by Rachel Entrekin, a woman who beat everyone, including the men, on 19 minutes of sleep. Alice gives Huw a full running tour of London ahead of his visit this week. We answer a listener's question about post-race chest phlegm, which turns out to be more common than you'd think. And we get into carbon shoes; how much is too much, and how many races do they actually last? Also, Huw shares how he ran his first-ever marathon unplanned, at night, fueled only by nuts and water. Contact us | |||
| Ep 8. Post-marathon blues, cross-training, and could you run without a goal? | 12 May 2026 | 01:01:43 | |
Post-marathon, two camps form in Alice's house. Dale's done with the whole thing for now, Alice is already plotting what's next. We get into the blues that follow a big race, and both share how we feel in the days after. Alice's mum has been asking whether she could ever just run without a goal or a purpose attached, and we have a proper go at answering it. Plus, what motivates each of us right now: Alice is chasing performance and how fast she can really be; Huw's been captured by a 250-mile trail race and the mental game of long ultras. A lot of it comes back to where you don't know how you'll hold up until you're deep in it. There's also backyard ultras (Huw's hunting for one and we even floated hosting our own), cross-training (how to pick it, what works, what doesn't), and a listener's question on getting back into exercise after a long break. And Huw's son spent several hours on his balance bike this weekend, powered entirely by free popsicles. Very ultra motivated. Contact us | |||
| Ep 7. London Marathon done. Plus a fridge, a hosepipe, and a 77-year-old paddler | 05 May 2026 | 00:53:15 | |
Alice made it to London (PB and all), and this week we unpack the lot. A weekend that rewrote the record books in a watershed moment for the sport. A young man running 33 marathons with a 25kg fridge on his back, for a cause that's deeply personal. The Paris marathon handing everyone a collapsible cup and a hosepipe and calling it a water station. And Alice's dad paddling to Robben Island at nearly 77, because apparently that's how her family spends a bank holiday Monday. Underneath it all, a conversation about belief, and what happens when someone shows you a thing is possible. Contact us | |||
| Bonus Pod! Preview of Alice's London Marathon result | 01 May 2026 | 00:04:22 | |
We had listeners asking how Alice got on at the London Marathon last weekend. We record on a Monday, and our episodes come out a week later, so here's a quick bonus preview on how Alice did straight from this week's recording. The full debrief episode drops next week Tuesday. Contact us | |||
| Ep 6. Hippy hill and taper tantrums… Plus our biggest running achievements and most epic failures. | 28 Apr 2026 | 01:07:49 | |
We had so much fun recording this episode. Alice is one week from London, and the stress fracture scare is mostly behind her. Alice's mum wants to know why you'd bother running at all the week before a marathon, so it led to a proper chat about the taper. Huw talks about spending his weekend doing the Hippie Hill Challenge, which crazily starts at 4:20 am. We also answer a listener's question about our biggest running achievements and failures and the lessons we have (or have not!) learned.Contact us | |||
| Ep 5. Two weeks to the London Marathon - will Alice make it to the start line? Plus how we make our running friends, and is a running coach worth it? | 21 Apr 2026 | 01:02:34 | |
This week, things got a little messy before London. Is Alice experiencing maranoia, or are her stress fractures back? This episode features being bitten by a dog on the way to a session run, and we answer listener questions about whether having a running coach is worth the investment, plus how we make and meet our running friends. Huw is moved to tears again! This time by Rory McIlroy and Wout van Aert. Plus loads more fun topics! Contact us
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| Ep 4. Race week update! Plus gels, rugby, and juggling running with a non-runner partner. | 14 Apr 2026 | 01:07:12 | |
This week, Alice shares how her tune-up half-marathon went: her Nomio experiment, race kit, and why she may or may not have come third. We get into race day, gels, and pre-race breakfast. We also answer a listener's question about juggling big races when your partner doesn't run. Then, somehow, with a Welshman and a South African on the mics, it was inevitable that the subject would turn to the great game of Rugby, and what it was like growing up in very proud Rugby-playing nations. We ended up talking about rugby for quite a while. And we learnt someone else also cried all the way through Project Hail Mary, which Huw is very pleased about. Contact us
Chapters 00:00 Easter Reflections and Weekly Scores 02:57 Training Updates and Race Preparations 05:52 Race Day Experience and Nutrition Strategies 08:48 Mental Strategies for Endurance Running 11:57 The Nomeo Experiment and Performance Insights 21:38 Managing Nausea During Races 22:59 Choosing the Right Gels for Performance 24:33 Race Preparation and Nutrition Strategy 27:44 Mental Readiness and Tapering for the Marathon 28:11 The Cultural Significance of Rugby 29:32 Personal Rugby Memories and Experiences 34:30 Rugby as a Unifying Force in South Africa 44:00 Cultural Pride in Sports 50:59 The Connection Between Sports and Personal Identity 01:00:12 Balancing Family Life and Athletic Pursuits | |||
| Ep 3. Our first listener corner! Plus stress fractures, running shoes, and dealing with grief. | 07 Apr 2026 | 01:04:17 | |
This week, we respond to our first non-family listener comment. She asked us to share the weird running experiments we try on ourselves. So we did. We also get into Alice's ongoing sock crisis, returning from a stress fracture, some strides Huw is doing, and has warned everyone not to try. Huw shares how the podcast started on the first anniversary of his father's passing. Plus a lot more fun topics. Also, Huw's mum follows him on Strava and has never given him a single kudos. Contact us Email: twoaveragerunners@gmail.com Instagram: @huwjedwards @dralicepenn @two.average.runners Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Weekly Ratings 02:58 Running Experiences and Upcoming Races 06:06 Work-Life Balance and Procrastination 09:02 Stress Fractures and Running Trends 11:47 Listener Engagement and Running Experiments 15:01 Pre-Race Preparations and Gear Selection 21:33 The Importance of Socks in Running 25:11 Toenail Troubles and Tips 27:43 Trail Running Challenges 29:48 Experimenting with Trail Shoes 30:54 Incorporating Strength Training 39:41 Navigating Injury Recovery 41:57 Building Back from Injury 46:12 The Importance of Patience in Recovery 51:04 Seasons of Running and Life 58:01 Reflections on Family and Heritage | |||
| Ep 2. The journey so far! Training, adventures and crying in movies. | 31 Mar 2026 | 01:05:16 | |
This week, we discuss the big running goal we are each working towards and the why behind doing so, given we are two average runners who aren’t elite or getting paid to do this! Alice shares her journey recovering from stress fractures and her aspiration to run a sub-3-hour marathon. Huw shares his plans to move back to the UK and his interest in attempting the Paddy Buckley Round, a challenging trail run in Snowdonia. We also discovered we both cried watching a movie this past week, and share the lessons we are taking from it in both running and non-running life. Finally, we answer a spicy listener question regarding societal perceptions of gender in sports. Plus more fun topics. Contact us Email: twoaveragerunners@gmail.com Instagram: @huwjedwards @dralicepenn @two.average.runners Chapters 00:00 Weekly Check-In: Training and Life Scores 02:58 Home Alone: Finding Joy in Solitude 05:57 Movies and Reflections: Immersive Experiences 08:58 Setting Goals: Adventures in Trail Running 12:01 The Challenge of Unstructured Goals 14:58 Breaking Away from Corporate Races 17:53 Exploring the Beauty of Wales: Hiking Adventures 20:52 Embarking on New Adventures 21:21 The Beacons Way 100 Race Experience 23:13 Alice's Marathon Journey and Challenges 24:37 The Allure of the Sub-Three Marathon 26:25 Injury Setbacks and Future Goals 27:43 The Competitive Spirit in Running 31:39 Why Marathons? The Appeal of Long-Distance Running 34:36 The Journey of Improvement in Running 36:57 Exploring New Challenges in Running 41:24 Pacing Challenges and Race Experiences 43:07 Inspiration from Film: I Swear 47:14 Existential Themes in Project Hail Mary 51:17 Overcoming Doubt and Taking Action 55:04 Listener Questions: Gender Assumptions in Running | |||
| We started a podcast! + how we got into running | 24 Mar 2026 | 01:00:23 | |
We talked about how we fell in love with running as a lifestyle, the childhood experiences that play a role in this exciting yet not so exciting journey, and how it affects our lives and work. Plus other great topics! Contact us Email: twoaveragerunners@gmail.com Instagram: @huwjedwards @dralicepenn @two.average.runners Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Running and Life 02:47 Perspectives on Running and Achievement 05:54 Cultural Differences in Sports and Exercise 08:59 Early Experiences with Running and Fitness 11:52 The Social Aspect of Running 14:57 Discipline and Consistency in Running 18:00 Motivation and Mastery in Running 21:05 The Role of Running in Personal Life 23:52 Finding Balance Between Work and Personal Goals 27:05 The Journey of Mastery in Running 30:22 The Allure of Social Media and Consumerism 32:56 Nutrition and Performance: The Science of Supplements 37:07 Consistency in Training: The Key to Improvement 39:40 Identifying Weaknesses: The Role of Coaching 41:01 Patterns of Behavior: Learning from Past Mistakes 46:14 The Ego and Commitment: Pushing Through Challenges 50:28 The Mental Game: Managing Expectations on Race Day 55:51 Future Conversations: Exploring Personal Stories and Lessons | |||