#126 - Paywalls are Bullshit with Ian Williams

Another year, another year-end podcast detailing why that year was bullshit. We share our high-, but mainly, low-lights, as well as some top content from our listeners who are generally as miserable as we are. We also reveal alarmingly different race stats for the year, and inevitably not talk about running as much as we can.   Episode dedicated to Rain 🐾

We've got a guest! Local runner to us, different point of view, setting up something for a particular group that we don't know much about? You know we love that kind of thing. Stu loves talking about canicross and Amy loves ignoring signs which may have prevented her having a bad time. We refuse to learn from our mistakes.

This might have been the Halloween episode, but it isn't. Amy gets judged by local shopkeepers, didn't lose her dog, and her mum runs a bit. Stu goes for a walk, watches some runners, and reflects on post-industrial decline across the UK’s marginalised communities, citing how political choices have dismantled local economies and hollowed out the sense of civic pride and cultural belonging.

Welcome to the Number 1 Pheasant podcast, with more phun phacts than anyone else,  maybe. We also talk about running for a bit as Stewart gets injured and ignores it (LIKE A MAN) and Amy has another tale that could have only happened to her.  PinSkinMan IRL, arses, gout, and we want to sue Garmin for some reason

Amy had a close encounter of the rural kind, while Stu had a shit race and then a nice race. There is talk of rare pheasants, mysteriously intentioned portaloos, race mayonnaise, the Lincoln Showground (IYKYK), a TV show we've never heard of, and Amy loses her mind because someone jumped.

An all-time classic rant from us as Salomon invent a new genre of running that no one asked for. Stu attends his first Barkrun, Amy isn't keen on sexy pace, and our listeners have some spectacular levels of bullshit ranging from the miraculous to the miserable.

Amy moved house, so the delayed episode was all her fault. She uses it as an excuse to not run, which is actually pretty reasonable compared to some of the others we've heard... Stu is very much back at it, racing silly races, getting wet and miserable and competing with children at parkrun. Our listeners chime in with stories of epic failure, being heckled (maybe), making other runners cry and one of them gets just the tip.

Roll up, roll up and slag off geographical features right here! Got a hill that's a bit too steep? A trail that's a bit too fiddly? A forest that looked at you a bit funny? We want to hear about them. We get some top listener advice on making women feel safe when running, Stu didn't have enough blood to run, and Amy isn't completely appalled at the idea of running the world's deepest marathon.

Men being creepy is obviously bad, but it really does make good entertainment as Amy gets all riled up. She also encounters a closed trail, runs down it, and realises it was closed for a reason.  Stu claims vengeance, ponders racelessness, swears at a hill, but wants to go to an even bigger hill in Colorado.

Amy has another animal encounter, but this one is a lot more mythical than usual, and we're pretty sure it was totally real. We talk about repairing shoes, and hope this will turn out to be a good idea. Our listeners get poisoned, look at some puffins, get cramp and  get stung in the foot. Hot, isn't it?