Spill The Watts

After months of preparation, the Yorkshire Marathon finally arrived. In this episode, I break down the final days of tapering, carb loading, race-day strategy and, ultimately, how the marathon unfolded.For the first 18 miles, everything felt like it was coming together. The pacing was controlled, the legs felt good and I was confident there was plenty more to give. Then, almost without warning, things started to unravel.I reflect on what happened, the frustratingly familiar quad issues that brought my race undone, and the questions I'm now left trying to answer.A 3:01:41 finish, plenty of frustration, and a reminder that marathon running has a way of exposing even the smallest limitations.Not quite the ending I'd hoped for, but certainly plenty to learn from.

Two weeks to go until the York Marathon, and the taper is officially underway.After months of building fitness, the focus is now shifting towards recovery, freshness and getting to the start line in the best possible shape.In this episode, I break down the first week of tapering, the reduction in training load, how the body is responding and the mental side of doing less after doing so much.I also talk about a few things I am factoring in this week and the days leading into the event, including the pacing strategy and nutrition. The hard work is done. Now comes the challenge of trusting it.

This week on Spill The Watts, I’m joined by Isla Short — British XCO Champion, World Championship top-five finisher and one of Britain’s leading mountain bikers.Most recently, Isla took on the iconic 3 Peaks Cyclocross for the first time — winning the race, taking all three summit primes and breaking a women’s course record that had stood since 2003.We go deep into exactly what went into that performance: the research, specific training, running and hiking, carrying the bike, equipment choices, course recce, fuelling, pacing and how she executed it all on race day.But this episode goes much further than 3 Peaks.We go right back to Isla’s unusual route into professional cycling — growing up in a cycling family, attending a specialist music school, and eventually choosing bikes over a potential career in music.We talk through the highs and lows of her career, racing at the highest level of XCO, finishing fifth at the World Championships, becoming British Champion, finally cracking the Elite World Cup top 10, and why achieving those things ultimately changed what she wanted from the sport.Isla also speaks incredibly openly about a much more serious experience within professional cycling that she specifically wanted to use this podcast to talk about.This ended up being one of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking conversations I’ve had on Spill The Watts. Isla is incredibly open, self-aware and willing to question her own experiences and feelings, and I came away from this one thinking about quite a few things differently.🎙️ Spill The Watts with Isla Short.

Three weeks to go until the York Marathon.This week was the final big week before the proper taper begins — including my hardest session of the entire build, some very bad nights of sleep, and a few reminders that marathon training doesn’t always happen in perfect conditions.I break down the key sessions, how the legs are feeling, where I think my fitness is at, and what I’ve taken from the week as race day gets very real.The big work is done. Now it’s time to freshen up and get ready to race.

Welcome to The York Build.Over the next few weeks, I’m documenting the reality of my build towards the York Marathon — the training, the good sessions, the bad ones, what I’m learning and everything that happens in between.In episode 3 (4wks to go), we go through the weeks training in the lead up to the marathon, we talk through what was arguably the hardest session of the whole block, and how sometimes getting stuff done - regardless of how it feels is sometimes exactly what you need.

Welcome to The York Build.Over the next few weeks, I’m documenting the reality of my build towards the York Marathon — the training, the good sessions, the bad ones, what I’m learning and everything that happens in between.In episode two, we go through the weeks training in the lead up to the marathon. How I have recovered from my half, and the BEST RUN IN MY LIFE.

This week on Spill The Watts, I’m joined by Jenson Young — The current British Gravel Champion, UCI Gravel race winner, 3 Peaks Cyclocross winner and course record holder, and one of the UK’s leading gravel racers.Jenson races professionally for the Ribble Outliers and has quickly established himself at the sharp end of international gravel.In this podcast, we go right back to Jenson’s beginnings in Yorkshire cyclocross, racing from the age of seven, before getting properly into what has made him the rider he is today.We talk training volume, threshold, strength training, fuelling 100g+ of carbohydrate per hour, recovery, race craft and the specific training he used to prepare for the 3 Peaks.We also get into the less serious side of life — including airport lounge tactics, and his inability to deal with blood.Jenson is incredibly humble and down to earth, and this was a fascinating insight into what it actually takes to turn a talented young cyclist into a British Champion.If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure you are subscribed and have notifications turned on, and of course you can always buy me a coffee at; Spill The Watts🎙 Spill The Watts with Jenson Young.

Welcome to The York Build.Over the next few weeks, I’m documenting the reality of my build towards the York Marathon — the training, the good sessions, the bad ones, what I’m learning and everything that happens in between.In episode one, I give a bit of context on why I’m doing this, where my running is currently at, before breaking down 6wks to go.

This week I'm joined by British Gravel Champion Sophie Wright.Sophie turned professional at just 19 and spent six years racing at the highest level on the road before making the decision to step away from the WorldTour and return to her off-road roots.We talk about the reality of life as a professional cyclist, spending years working as a domestique, knowing when it's time to change direction, and why gravel has allowed Sophie to rediscover the freedom and competitiveness that made her fall in love with racing in the first place.But this one goes well beyond cycling. We get into Sophie's childhood, motocross, heart surgery, moving around Europe, independence, taking ownership of your life, and plenty of stories supplied by her dad along the way.A really open conversation about ambition, identity, happiness and backing yourself — with someone who now gets to do it all in a British Champion's jersey.You can buy me a coffee at Buymeacoffee;Spill The Watts

On the surface, Kate Richardson is one of the UK's top cyclists. A Commonwealth Games athlete, national champion and one of the most exciting talents in British racing.But this conversation goes far beyond results.We talk about her rapid rise from triathlon to the GB programme, the reality of life as an elite cyclist, dealing with injuries, teams folding, a hit-and-run incident, and the setbacks that shaped her career.More importantly, Kate opens up about a childhood marked by adversity, how those experiences fuelled her drive, and why she's now happier, healthier and performing better than ever.This is an honest conversation about resilience, identity, perspective and the person behind the race numbers.I genuinely think you'll take something away from this one.