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Beep Beep!  Elite Level Speed with Running Champ Verity Breen

Beep Beep! Elite Level Speed with Running Champ Verity Breen

Introduction

It's an honor to welcome Verity Breen to the podcast. Verity has been racing competitively for over 30 years - and has won many prestigious races. We’re talking about big events like the being Australian Marathon Champ, Australian 50k road race champ, being selected to the Australian Prime Ministers 5, and events like the Nike Women’s marathon, Maui Marathon, and US Half Marathon.

After transitioning from triathlons to running - Verity has won events at nearly every distance from cross country to 50ks. And she continues to set the bar by winning races in her 50s. We’re not talking about age group champ - she’s outright crushing competitors 30 years her junior.

On top of that, she’s fun and spunky - and will give you her trademark “beep beep” - if she’s about to zoom by you on the trail. This is just a fun - all-encompassing conversation - and honestly, we could have just kept going.

In fact - we have some bonus conversation and material that we'll likely include in the future. If you want exclusive access to it - just sign up for our email list - or shoot us an email at [email protected].

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Podcast Transcription

The following transcript is provided for your convenience. It was created through a program, and may not be entirely accurate to our conversation.
Verity Breen: [00:00:00]

I think it's very easy to sabotage yourself because you're afraid of failure. So back yourself, don't undersell yourself, take the free stuff. Don't be shy, be shy, and then be afraid to make mistakes. Because the amount of knowledge I have now is through trial and error.

Kevin Chang: [00:00:25]

Hello, and welcome to the RaceMob podcast.
This is episode number 10. I'm Kevin entrepreneur technology and fitness nerd, and the founder of RaceMob. I'm joined by master motivator, founder of Too Legit Fitness co-chair of the Taji 100, RRCA certified coach, USA track and field certified official, the incomparable Bertrand Newson.
We're so excited to welcome Verity Breen to the podcast.
Verity has been racing competitively for over 30 years. And has won many prestigious races. We're talking about big events like being the Australian marathon champ, the Australian 50 K road race champ. And big events like the Nike women's marathon. Now a marathon and us half marathon after racing competitively in triathlons varied, he decided to switch to running and she's won nearly every distance from cross country races all the way up to 50 Ks.
And she continues to set the bar and wins races in her fifties. We're not talking about being the age group champ. She's outright crushing competitors that are 30 years, her junior on top of that, she's fun. And she's spunky. And she'll give you her trademark. Beep beep if she's about to zoom by you on the trail, this is just a fun, all encompassing conversation.
And honestly we could have just kept going and going. So this is definitely a to be continued episode. All the show notes can be found online at dot com slash podcast. This episode is brought to you by race, mob, and inclusive community for fitness enthusiasts, whether you're brand new to fitness or a veteran athletes, we all need support motivation.
And accountability. We're launching a brand new community sites where you'll be able to interact with our guests, coach B and myself. And we're going to be launching a brand new training program that's led by coach B. So go to dot com. Sign up for your free account today. And you'll be notified when these projects go live.
And without further ado, here's our conversation.
all right. We are so excited to welcome the one, the only Verity Brene to the podcast. Welcome Verity.

Verity Breen: [00:02:36]

Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

Kevin Chang: [00:02:39]

So for those that don't know about you, I mean, we can rattle off a list of accomplishments, but, in your own words, how would you describe yourself?

Verity Breen: [00:02:48]

it's a really, it's like most awkward questions. When someone asks you, describe yourself? I think really, in terms of my running, I like the word, uh, wanderlust.
Um, and I think that predominantly, that is me. I'm a prolific racer, not just marathons road, track, cross country. and I just think I love the art of it. I love strategy. So I think. I think when I described myself on being interested in all aspects of the sport, I didn't want to fundamentally just be like a one man show like, Oh, I'm a marathon runner, I'm a road runner.
Um, so I wonder last is probably me and that I've explored heavily just about every aspect of the sport I can within reason. , and I just love racing the traveling, and the, the things that can happen. You know, during a race one, the last as a runner is probably me

Kevin Chang: [00:03:43]

Bring us back, I guess how you got into the sport

Verity Breen: [00:03:46]

you want me to go back to what made me start running?

Kevin Chang: [00:03:48]

Yeah. Yeah. So I mean, how you got into it,

Verity Breen: [00:03:51]

I got engaged, it's supposed to be married. I'd say, can I do this? You'd say, when does it start? How much does it cost? How are you going to get there?
How are you going to get home? And he gave me the money and said, if you don't finish the season, don't ask me for any more money. So I think looking back what it did, it seems a bit rough. Like, Oh, he's not going to drop me off. He's not going to pick me up. He's not going to come and watch me all the time, but it actually made me very independent and organized.
So then anyway was seven months out from being married. He calls it off. We bought a house, we booked the wedding. I mean, can you imagine. And it was a pivotal point in my life because he was a triathlete and I was following him around. So then I was like, wow. So all of a sudden, I wasn't going to get married.
Had children live in the house. We bought near the beach. I was now single again with the bundle of money that I got back from the house. And I was like, Oh my God, what am I going to do? That I realized that I really liked the running. And the stuff that I was falling human doing, and I was in the final year of senior high school.
I was a school SUNY champion. Um, it's swim. So then I thought, I know what I'll do. I'll take a job somewhere else that people don't feel sorry for me. And that's so good. It's great job up in Queensland. Then I bought a car. I'd never bought a car. I never had a car. I bought a bike, but running shoes and some really cool clothes.
And my mum and dad sounds cliched, wave me off in the driveway. And I drove by, and then two years later I was in the Australian triathlons. So what I did, and I say, if your heart's broken or your mind feels broken, or you just feel obviously dislocated in some way, I just got busy. I'm like, I kind of was a relief.
You can look back at things and think, Oh God, that was so shit. But I look back and I think I, you, God, that, yeah. So then I just started, I was writing and training and I was, I got a job at the Sheraton is an aerobics instructor had on my LA CRA. Wow. That was good. So that's how it started. And, but what I had an important point is the triathlon led me to running because, or we get off the bike like an automaton and I would have the math down every time.
Like I would study the Switzer, the other girls. And I'd be like pack. And so then I was, Oh, I feel sorry for anyone. I was hunting down and off that bike. I mean, I was relentless, so that's how it started. Okay. So now that boring word today, so does the Australian team Adrian team, and that's when they selected people and you had to wait for the magazine.
Guess how old I am. You guys look so young to me. So in those days, You didn't find out if you were selected until the magazine came out.

Kevin Chang: [00:06:53]

Wow.

Verity Breen: [00:06:54]

You had the white. Yes, it was very, and you know what? It was really exciting because they had all the races. So you did, they had all the races that were part of the strategy and selection.
And you did the rices and you earn your points. Then there's a selection team. And those are only five men and five women in the 25 to 29. She can imagine he's very competitive in those days in the heyday. Yeah. So, um, yeah, magazine came out and someone came up to me. They had it before. I mean, I bought like five copies of the magazine and they went to my parents.
It's so silly, but it was so exciting. You know, and then, then, uh, I started getting close to like what they what's called going pro. Like I started becoming, you know, getting up in the top three in these Olympic distance races. Right. But then I had another blow because they, they introduced drafting. You remember when they introduced drafting and triathlon?
I don't know if you remember that. No. No. What is that? They introduced drafting, which is they allowed in a lesson that you could ride. The hind, the bikes in front of you. So beforehand there had to be a three byte gap. There was non rafting race. And then they allow drafting because I wanted to make it more consumer friendly.
And that's when they started putting triathlon on TV televising it.

Kevin Chang: [00:08:19]

So, so why was it that you felt after they introduced drafting that you could no longer compete?

Verity Breen: [00:08:25]

I mean, I still have done triathlon since then, but it made it very difficult. Cool shadows that didn't come out of like a pro sort of swimmer.
Like most of the triathletes we're winning an Olympic stuff, came from a very, very powerful swimming background. I was a pretty good swimmer, but I would come out in the second pack so that there'd be like 10 girls would come out in the first and then another 10, 15 or 20 of us would come in a minute behind 30 seconds or minutes.
But if they're on that bike before me five, six, seven girls. Then they can all hook up and help each other, but I've missed that boat. And so if they get off the bike, the 10 K run and they've all helped each other by drafting got faster, faster. If I come into the transitionary for the run and they've already left.
To run 60 seconds before me. I've a 10 K. Even if I dropped down to 37, yeah. Minute 10 K or something. It's really difficult to pull them back over that distance. Right. So in Ironman, really great runner. You can pull them back. We both say that. And anyway, I think to be honest, running was eventually where I would end up, I think all these things we do, I just earned is towards the ultimate conclusion, right?
Yeah. It's like a big photo say, you know, life's like a big so you see what's left. So I went from triathlon to running and then, um, I've been here Annie as well. She's Australian. Yeah. Mountain running team, open women's to Italy. That was really difficult to get on that team. It was a, yeah, very tough race against very strong competitors.
No done anything, but I decided that it'd be really cool to give it a go. You had to, you had to run a fast time. You had to come and chop three. So you couldn't just come in the top three at the Australian championships, you had to run a time, so you could come third. And run slow and sorry. You're out. So it was pretty brutal.

Kevin Chang: [00:10:24]

And what distance was that? That was a mountain.

Verity Breen: [00:10:27]

Well, mountain running for those that aren't familiar with it is they alternate years. So one year would be a scent and then it will be a cent decent. So the year I was going or wanting to be selected, it was a scent decent. So it's through it's eight kilometers for the women, 12 kilometers for the men.
The Australian championship was a cent decent. And, uh, I'm the decent, I. I wish I could run as fearlessly and is relentlessly ridiculously out of control. As I ran the day, I made that team because I swear to God, I've never been able to duplicate the hanger. So it made the team super cool. That was Italy.
So the thing about Italy when I went 2001 was a summit. Wait for the assist, bizarre summit, Bangkok airport, waiting for a connection to Frankfurt. There's all these people crowding around every TV screen in the, in the, in the place. And I'm like, what's going on? I walk over and I'm like seeing the buildings on fire.
So I'm in transit to well, mountain running and the twin towers were on fire. Right. And then I go to Frankfurt airport then anyway. So that's why that trip was memorable. The span cock marathon is the Australian team with the mountain running. I've represented Australia at a world, 50 K roads as a consequence of winning the Australian 50 K championships.
Let's see. I'm just trying to make sure I can smile.
It's funny. I use that term consequence. It's cause you win, you win stuff right in Australia, then you go, where am I going? And they go, are you going to go to Gibraltar? And I'm like, where's that? And I knew there was a big rock there because I'd studied it at school and I'm like, I'm at a joke. I go, well, how big is his rock?
We're running around. And they're like, it's not like that. Wow. Verde, just for a point of reference, um, timewise 50 K winning times. So for those listening, the Australian 50 K road championships was held in conjunction with the Canberra marathon, which I've done many times. You have to run through the finish line and you have to keep going.
Everyone else around you is stopping. Right. So for a few years, The ultra running table guy, Ian dirty, come on, come on, do it, do it. And I go out and I validate and I Stanford ready, but then I just do it. I like basically do it. Is sign your name on a piece of paper, put a pink ribbon on saying. Yeah, I'm doing it.
And then at the back of my mind, I'm like, I don't think so, but I just wanted to make him happy, but it doesn't matter if you don't do it right now in case no one remembers anyway, but I'll be honest a few years. I just did put the ribbon on and then I crossed the finish line in second or third or fourth one, the CAMBA marathon, but I've come secondary and fourth there.
I don't know. A lot of times prize money goes to fifth. So I'd always think, Oh, you better get on the goddamn podium and pick up some cash, right? Yeah. Cash is King. So then this year, 2009, I had met Randy, who I'm now married to a mood dating and he was in town. You see? So I might, I'm doing it. Randy's coming with me.
Got my boyfriend. Yep. No one would ever see me to race with a guy. That's another thing about me. I told Randy, I'm going to do this 50 K race part of the marathon. And he said, well, I'll do the marathon and I'd never seen him run a marathon, but I was like, Oh, good on ya. So he, he was staying with me for about six weeks cause he was coming from America to, to where I was.
And I had this little apartment in chronology. The last run before the race, the championship race was torrential, rain, wind, like the worst possible. You know, you look out your window, you guys have done it. You know, you gotta do your long run and you look out the window in the morning, go, Oh

Kevin Chang: [00:14:18]

yeah,

Verity Breen: [00:14:23]

disgusting weather. Right. And I don't really feel like being in that shit show. They're like, I knew I had to be out there. I'd have to run very solidly under four hours to win this thing, because I knew the woman that had one yeah. Every year had been running about three hours, 41. Right. So I said to Randy, look, this is really vile lightning.
I said to him, well, let's hold off. I don't normally do it in the afternoon, but I'm going to do it in the afternoon. Hopefully it will change. And you don't have to come with me. I said to him, you don't have to come with it. Cause I've got the poor guy. Like I was worried. It would put him off actually continuing to date me.
I mean, yeah, she's going to go out and run the ride. And that I knew in the lightning, like an idiot to like, sorry. And Randy's like, no, I'll come with you. I actually mentioned that I had a mild case of not key idea. I picked up like a bacterial thing from the one of the local pools, and I've been battling this for weeks and I was like, this day, it sort of was acting out.
So you've got to go to the toilet all the time. Okay. So. Listeners without boring. The minutia of this run, we're out there four and a half hours. So King wet pummeled in the disgusting rain. And when then, Oh, wait, I counted how many times I went to the toilet. It's risky because I felt mentally I'm set physically.
It's taken out of me. It gets worse, but better. So the day before the race, I felt a bit off and I'm like, Oh, come on. I've done all this work. You know, I was doing big miles and let's be honest. I don't say I'm going to put on a show, but I wanted to make Randy proud. I wanted to show him, this is what I do.
God now keeps sort of talking to myself, just relax. He doesn't care. He doesn't, he's not going to change what he thinks about you. If you screw up, blah, blah, blah, blah. So then wait for it. Okay, ladies, here we go. Cut to the chase. I've thought, Oh my God, I'm going to get my period. I knew it. I could feel it.
And then my buddy I'm like, God damn it. So we go to the, get the farmers. So we get the staff, Randy's driving me around Canberra, but then I'm thinking if it starts before the race, I'm solid gold, man. I'm ready to rage. And Randy is watching this.

Kevin Chang: [00:16:29]

What did you get at the pharmacy?

Verity Breen: [00:16:31]

I made it my business to work out how to manage this stuff and not to just get, get a handle on it.
So what I know for me. I absolutely have to tighten a product in Australia, the products person, and it's, it's great. And it's not hard on the stomach. So, so you take the nap, the naprogesic, the Naprosyn is what. Totally blocks the pain. Some women have fine. And if you're like me, I can, I can muscle through it.
I've been in races where it started Kaiser, Kaiser half's last five K I'm like, Oh, thank you, Jesus. Sort of like, like people want to talk to you at the end of the race. And you're like, cause you're not going to talk about that. No one wants to know about that. Yeah. Naprosyn so is in America, it's called a leave.
A leave is my go to, I make sure I've got it. Some of it around in the car, just in case, you know, I think for a marathon, um, I'll have two of those two, any more than two, two of those with some food. So in the morning I just took those, I think at that time I was eating rice pudding before, but yeah, I mean, it was fine.
And, um, I just had a total. Gangbuster race. What? I try to use this race as an example of it's just because everything feels like it's going wrong, or you have this very treacherous challenging lead up. It doesn't mean that it's not going to go right on the day I look back and it did powerful lessons because we can all get to places in life where we think, Oh, I'm.
So if one more thing goes wrong, I'm just going to flip a lid. And then I think it was almost, to me, it's a relief to when the gun went off, I'm like now I get to do it. And all those things are behind me and I just completely let it rip. I just go into that and at the whole race was great. Anyway, in answer to your question, but chinned gone around the long way.
Is ran three 38. And that, that woman that always, always wanted, wow. She came second and she was really wonderful person. And I did what I knew I had to do would be to go under three 40. Would be the win cause she would sort of run around the same time. Then she was fairly uncontestable like no one had really come along that had sort of got in the mail.
But since then we've had a good friend of mine has passed away. Jackie Fairweather, one of Australia's greatest athletes on multiple levels. So she dropped it down dramatically. And then we've had multiple girls. So that was sophisticated

Kevin Chang: [00:19:12]

and a three 38 out of 50 K. Do you know what pace that is?

Verity Breen: [00:19:16]

Oh, man.

Kevin Chang: [00:19:18]

I hate that as kilometers to,

Verity Breen: [00:19:21]

well, let's just say it's respectable.
Gibraltar came from that. So then I also won the Australian marathon championship in a hundred degrees. This is your temperature. Uh, that was insane. That was brutal. What year? 2000 finishing time to go to three hours, two 59. And, and some, some journalists joker. He made some comment about the time and I'm like, okay, buddy.
You get out there and do it. You go out there and run a hundred degrees on a very technical course. I just played it smart. It was a war, a lot of runners drop. So a lot of just people that are just brings people on down extreme heat. It can just really do your head in. I think if you're not ready for it, it's the same as extreme cold too, you know, like.
Either ends of the spectrum, but he in a marathon can be very debilitating, but that was a good day at the office. And my dad was there and he had hardly ever watched me do anything. And I said to him, maybe come out, cut, promise you anything. This is always very cut and dried as an account. Woo. Here we go again.
You know that he came here and he was so excited and anyway, he was excited. And then I got selected into this thing called the prime minister's five, which would be. In America probably be called the president's five. So it was a team of five men and five women. And this was really cool. So you got given, um, $15,000 to spend during the year.
The deal was you would pay for whatever races you're going through out of your own pocket. And then you would send the receipt. And they would send you a check. So if I, if I wanted to go to somewhere and I would spend $500, so I'd send them receipts and they'd give me a check $5 to spent my 15,000 some dollars.
So it was really cool program because it made you accountable. And, you know, so I was like, Oh my God. Like for me, it just was like, I can finally go to this race. I can finally go to this race. And then that next year was awesome because of the winning my first straight championship, but also getting this opportunity.
Just to have some money to go places. Um, but then happily, sadly. So I use some of that money to go to the Perth city to surf, which is the other side of Australia. And it's a big race. And, um, I, I, again, it was one of those races where I'm like, damn, how did I do that? One of those races. And I think we all have them.
We do things in life. When we think if I could just duplicate that, I just had an, that ripper. It was 14 kilometers. One way I was terrified in the last mile because I don't know what's behind me. And I'm like, Oh my God, I'm so close to pulling this off. Right. And it was just insane. And, uh, my mum, I rang her now without getting emotional.
So after I won that, I rang home. And I said, it's me and mum, because mum, my mum and dad hadn't traveled. They haven't really gone anywhere apart from like dad's town. They haven't, they never went overseas. They're passed away now, but they was so excited as all our parents are to see us do things they they'd never got to do.
Alright. And I ring her and she goes, I was in purse. She gets what's birth light. She didn't ask me about their eyes and I go, it's cool. It's hilly. And she goes, where did you go? How'd you go? And she yelled out to my dad using the bed. Oh, is it? My dad was always in the back yard to be yelling and I'll have to wait for it to stop yelling at him to tell her the good news.
She said, okay, now tell me he's here I go. Well, I want, she goes, yeah. What, and I dare to go, I'm standing beside. Yeah. Do you don't have to touch it. And that was so funny and she was so excited and it was filled, but then she passed away. Let me think. Not long after that phone call, like it was like, it would have been a matter of weeks, right.
Suddenly, so what's cool. Is that I got to make her proud. That was memorable from that perspective. Cause that's the last race I had. I want to get all mushy on you guys. Do I think we've all everyone listening. We all go through grief, but I think what this is making me think about is that a lot of the memory timelines are tied into other timelines.
Do you guys find that, you know, with your races with your life and I could even you Bertrand, you said that when we met that day, you had never normally raised. Right. And certainly Andrew. Yeah. So the Australian championship and what else have I been. Oh, 2011, I went with the Australian team to Wales with the old chair, my first old chair representation.
So that was the ultra trail in Wales. And that was hard and we got bronze and I was. Marriage Randy by then. So the span of the teams has been from 1990. One was the Australian team 2011 was the ultra trout team. So that's the wingspan of, of representation, right? 20 years. And so I used it as a reference point to developing athletes.
Some people think it's over like that. You have to be young. We have, you know, what are your thoughts on that? I think it's,

Kevin Chang: [00:24:27]

I mean, you're still crushing it. You're still, so we were just talking about it just a minute ago, how you're brushing and all these races that no, you don't have to be young. You absolutely don't have to be young and you can still continue to get better.

Bertrand Newson: [00:24:39]

And aid is all in how you feel. And I know people that are in their twenties that feel much older. You know, I know people that are older and feel much younger and it's all a state of mind at all in how you feel and you, as you've talked about, and thanks for sharing your trail and road accomplishments, is there any, do you prefer road versus trail?
Is anyone
one of those two, a little bit more.
You get into some of the difference in training between those two. That's a good question.

Verity Breen: [00:25:07]

I mean, see, I dabbled in the trail. So the mountain running team going to ELEAGUE, I'll be honest. It scared the crap out of me, like on the climb, I was still like in the top 10 and I'm like, yeah, I got it on the downhill.
I was like, what the hell is this?
This is the most treacherous Nally, bloody the Italians. They do it on purpose. Say they know, they know this is their background, this is their backyard. We come in we're like, what is this scared? The living daylights out of me, I could never been so happy to get down the bottom of a 3000. So I dabbled in it.
Right. So, yeah, so I did that Australian mountain, Australian mountain running team, and then I was a big, big fan of interests on before any of this stuff, I was very aware of who she was. And I was like, this woman is something else. One day, one day, I'm going to get in, I'm going to have the courage to get in this.
Then I, then I went to the ultra trail in Wales, 2011. So there's these hiatus. So I come to America, I'm married and I'm, this trial seems developing and I'm thinking, okay, You know, I'm, I'm coming here and I'm just totally hammering out. I'm just throwing myself into the American road racing scene, like a, like a drag, like it was like, it was like putting a kid in a lolly shop and the sun have whatever you want.

Bertrand Newson: [00:26:33]

What about the caliber of competition? Was there a change from when you're running back home versus coming to the States?

Verity Breen: [00:26:38]

It's like big fish, little fish, big pond. And upon you make a decision, you can, I can be the King of my little castle and. And be my own personal hero, my little pond, but I like to surround myself in the big kids and I, in Australia, it's less people, but the ones that are competing, the women and the men that are competing in Australia, then I muck around.
I mean, it's man, it's game on, man. It might be less people, but you again, have to work real hard to establish yourself because then everyone knows everybody here. Everyone knows everyone. After a while I realize, you know, it's the same community, just much, much bigger. The caliber of running. When I came here and I came here in pretty good shape.
I mean, I've just come 2009. I've just won the 50 K right. I'm married. I'm in love. I'm here. I don't know anyone apart from my husband. It's so weird. I, I come here and I'm like, Oh crap. This is a whole nother playing field. These women over 40 are animals
brutal, but lovely. But when that gun goes off, I was just blown away. So I found it exciting and then like, I responded to that by just sort of recalibrating and I think trail wise, it's hard not to be attracted to it. I mean, Marin originally I was in Berlin games, so it was easy to ignore it.
You know, I thought I was really like, Charging it up on soya camp trial who jumping rattlesnakes. Oh man. But the thing is in Marine, you come into this whole new world and then the more I started doing the trial, I mean, at first, so I'll be, I mean, look hopeless. I mean, when I first started doing trail running here, I was like, it was weird because road running and trail running.
Yesterday. I w I went out on China camp, right. And the day before I'd done this full on fartlek in my foot and my road shoes. And then yesterday I'm at China camp. And I was like, Oh, come on. Do running is different. I actually land completely differently. And I'm on the trail. My, the length of my stride is totally different.
And just back to backing, like often I'll do fast fight late Saturday, and I'm ripping along Crissy field. And I'm just, you know, the music glaring. Cause I just. Something to do. And I like listened to my eighties music,
but the thing is they're different. So, so the training's different. You have to really be honest with yourself about what you're crap at and, and my downhill tragic. It was tragic. It's much improved and it's still nowhere near the likes of a lot of people, but it's improved. And a lot of it's just fear based.
K Kevin. So. The differences between road and trail, you fall down on the road, like it's kind of going to be a little awkward and you might get some go of it. You fall on the trail and yeah, you can get pretty messed up. Um, but I love them both. And now I find myself becoming more and more attracted to the trail.

Kevin Chang: [00:29:43]

Let's talk about the time that you came over to the States. Um, those first couple of races that you're now kind of, you know, there's a new pond, there's new fish out there. Walk us through those first races. And then you said that you basically recommitted yourself to. Getting to the top of that pack. So what was that training like

Verity Breen: [00:30:03]

using only the eight week block at 200 kilometers?
Because I just thought I want to explore to see how do I respond to that? Is that something that would take me to the other level? Like you hear a lot of these talk about these. Big monitoring. So I did that. I did it for eight weeks and I don't really feel like it contributed a lot more to, to my running or racing in some ways it's detrimental.
Cause you're just sort of chewing up time. And I think for ultra running the interesting, but I wasn't doing ultra running and I think my sweet spot in miles was, is about 80. So I realized when I came here, I thought I'd probably have to have to go back up to at least 120 Ks a week minimum to be competitive.
And then. Every now and again, I've been here 10 years every now and again, I'd bump it up a little bit. So I knew that I wanted to ride race and be more and more competitive, but I also wanted to keep my hand in the pot to be ready to run the marathon. So I've always set myself in marathon ready shape.
So if you said to me, Bertrand said to me, they're already, why don't you come on out next week and jot down a marathon with me somewhere. I'd be like next week. And you'd be like, yeah. And I'd be like, okay, I I'm kind of
remember, this is being recording 40. You can have your word. What I did was I went back to the fundamental principles of. Monday easy Tuesday speed. When Wednesday long Thursday speed, Friday easy Saturday could be speed depending on how it absorbed the other two speed session. Maybe Saturdays lead or not Sunday long run.
And then I would, yeah, back on the track Tuesday track track speed, Thursday road speed. And then I'm here, I'm here. And I'm like, I want a piece of the action, right? Mmm. Yeah. And then I started, um, pick it up. Some wins us half marathon, the Nike women's marathon, um, Maui marathon. I mean, there's a blurred, like there's a lot of there's wins and there's a lot of seconds and.

Bertrand Newson: [00:32:03]

Let's not gloss over those. We're not talking about age placement winds. We're talking about first female overall wins Nike women's marathon.

Verity Breen: [00:32:13]

And I was in my forties. So we've got to remember for those beautiful ladies out there. Well, you gals. So I was 40. Well, I mean, yeah, it was 43, 44 and I came here. So, I mean, I think there's part of me that thinks are not now I should just roll over and I'm like, yeah, no, I'm going to step it up a notch.
And I'm really glad I did. I think coming to America, I was like, wow. Oh, man, I got two choices here, you know, either get in there and start scrapping around and having to read them. Yeah, yeah, totally intimidated. And just put the towel between my legs. Just yeah, just get lost, you know, but I I'm really glad.
I mean, it's been, ah, it's been amazing. Like the, some of the, even the hard fought division wins. I remember winning, winning the masters at the, um, PA cross country champs. I mean, yeah. I used every trick in the book, man. I even did a massive tree block. I was brutal. I feel sorry for those women. I had, I had three masters right behind me.
We're all in a row and there's an second lap. They do one lap and there's this big tree, right? I'm going to share a little sneaky tip here for the viewers. Yeah. This is what you do. You got people behind you and this is cross country. I mean, I just had to do it. I had no option. I was desperate woman. I was a desperate woman.
So you come up to the tree, right. It goes up and it goes over. So this one in golden gate park, it goes up. And then down, and then you're on the second loop and there's lots of people watching. So it's like, well, I'm like, okay, so you got to look like you're taking it wide. The trees on my right. So you come up at speed, you crank up the Hill, you look like you're going to go wide.
So the other women behind you home extremely intelligent, of course, they're gonna think I'm gonna go on the inside. Take her out me, take me out downhill. But as soon as I get up from the tree, I've taught myself that dynamic like that. I just went boom and jumped in that space that they all thought they were about to go in
crafty. They're crafty. It's like a slip. No, but it's like, you know, when you watch football. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I did a little like little. Yeah. So then, then they'd have to sort of forces them to sort of break pace. Then I regrouping. And by that time I'm down the Hill and I'm like
but I mean, that was a game changer, cause I just felt it was a bit bad, but a couple of coaches come up after this classic, it's a classic. And I said, look, I feel bad, but I just that's racing.

Kevin Chang: [00:34:56]

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tell, tell us the story of a Nike one. I know we talked a little bit about it earlier. .

Verity Breen: [00:35:20]

The Nike thing. I miss the jump on entering it. And in my mind, I was like, I'm going to do this. And then I was like, Oh no, are you an idiot? I forgot to like set a reminder to enter it.
Like whatever the process Nike had, there's always, Nike has always got some game, like. Just if you are lucky, but you're not really lucky cause they make you feel special, but they're just chicken. Yeah.

Kevin Chang: [00:35:44]

Everyone's fighting for those necklaces. Tiffany necklaces, the firefight. Yeah. Yeah. I knew so many people that was their first.
That was their marathon. That was the one that they were fighting to get into. So,

Verity Breen: [00:35:55]

so I missed the entry game and I was like, damn it. I know. I like their Facebook page. And then maybe they'll put up some entries, right. Sure enough. I liked the page and I get this alert or see something that says, Hey people lucky 10, whatever.
She's at $250. I think it was so, so that's 2012, right? So that was a reasonable chunk of change. Okay. So then I'm like, yep, I'm going to do it. So I buy my Charlie and the chocolate factory ticket, one of my favorite books too. So I bought that. And then the morning of the race, um, my husband said, um, listen, one only give you a lift in, um, cause I was going to drive myself in and I was a little nervous about it because so thought parking's going to be crazy.
And so the thing is, um, he dropped me off and I found, I went straight. Uh, someone pointed me in the direction of the start on it was packed and. You know, Cheryl shorter and I'm like, okay, come on. Let's go. That was just a strategic race because all the half marathon, instead of marathon, it's sort of, sort of a little doc, like it wasn't.
Yeah. Quite sunrise yet. I don't know what's going on here. This is super hectic. And it rolled out of the city and you can imagine like ours is a women and.

Kevin Chang: [00:37:09]

Were you in the first wave or were you, you said that there were a lot of people so

Verity Breen: [00:37:13]

started right at the front. I went and put myself at the front, I've got a few dirty looks that happens.
Yeah. You do little, do you know you, do you get a look? Some people like, uh, excuse me, you know? Cause I just walk up and I think I've got to give myself the best shot I've got to get out of here, man. Cause part of the thing is too. I don't want to. Can't tell me what they can do, but you should ideally do that.
If you genuinely think you want to have the shot and you don't want to get caught up and you don't want to be rude to people, you don't want to be like pushing and say yeah, but you do get the looks like, well, yeah, pretty confident from an old girl, everyone was really nice. And then I waited to Chrissy field to start trying to see if I could see the lead bike.
And then I spotted it. And I thought, okay, that's the lead by for the marathoner? And I'm like excellent to myself. Cause I thought I'm only a mile. Like I could see it. So I might, I mean, then I stayed near that until the field split. And then at one point all the half mirror of some women head down towards the great ocean beach.
So we're before the halfway Mark of the marathon, because they're, they've still got to run down the Hill and. So, I guess we're at like 10 mile, 10 mile into it, maybe going to move it up to the second and then coming around the Lake, I'm just totally solo. And I'm, I really am very, very, um, into cutting every tangent possible.
And it, if you're here listening and you're beginner runner or ambitious runner, or you want to say, how the hell can I shave a minute off to get under? X time tangents. That would be the best. One of the best tips you have to police your tangents. You have to drop him down.

Kevin Chang: [00:39:05]

Tangent. We mean run the inside corner

Verity Breen: [00:39:08]

angle.
And it's not always even like sometimes like, you know, they Mark the blue line. A lot of times, these marathons that the, at the world class levels, I mean the blue line doesn't always go where you think it goes, but that's professionally marked by a tangent crusher. Right. And for someone like I am a self professed, not.
Great lover of math, but the thing is, so the tangent can be just Australia's point from a to B. So when I'm running, I'm always looking for that. Cut. I'm looking for that point. I'm looking for the cookie cutter point. I'm looking for like, I'm going to go there. I'm going to go there. I'm going to go there.
I'm going to go there. So the bicycle guy was in my tangent and I said, excuse me, I'm running, I'm racing. I, again, excuse me. Excuse me. He's like, she's talking to me. I go, um, I'm mean my tangent.
The then I'm four miles I'm coming and going, right. I'm like, okay, man, can't believe it. I'm this is really happening. And it's sort of real, but those of you, I mean, I I'm thankful too experience these things and it doesn't really matter what you're winning. It's the local 5k, but well, the, the, the raffle, you know, that the Chuck raffle winning is cool and it's, it's sometimes weird.
Like, and then I'm like, yeah, I can't believe this is happening. Like, I'm just going to have to just, just wait for miles to go. You, I was trying to put this in the right words. So you, you don't assume anything. You don't go yet. It's all mine or, yep. I'm good as gold or the money's in the bank or blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Because, because there's something that's very humbling about marathoning is that things could go wrong. And so I don't, um, sort of, you don't count chicken. So I was sort of very calm and, and just like focused on bringing it in. And I don't really like. To me, um, release emotions much till, you know, what studies done.
And I'm probably the same in business and I'm the same. I'll just sort of sit back. And so in money, someone says 30 seconds, someone knows someone like those people sort of starting to watch from there, you know? And I was like, Oh my God. And I thought there's someone 30 seconds behind me. And I didn't turn around.
Like my real racing was some people turn around. I don't want to know. I usually I can hear something, but it's really windy there as a reference point. So you can't hear anything it's windy. Um, and then I have one do left note, not sponsored by you. So, so I pull it out. I was so thankful that I had this left and I thought I can't take that.
And I just started cranking because I also save a little penny, you know, there's that. Parents who they'll make sure you save a penny for a rainy day. And I always save little up the sleeve, you know, and I always say to people, you can recover from certain things in a marathon, but you, you will be a very lucky to recover from, from spending pennies to too early.
And it doesn't really matter who you are. We've all seen world-class marathon runners come, right. We're only on stock. You know, at the critical moment. So that's a class above me, so they know I took that and I just started charging it. And also I was pretty confident, um, that, uh, I was close to breaking three house, but I, I D I didn't, I just chose not to wear a watch.
And then I saw the clock and I still don't know what's coming, but at this time I'm like, whatever, I can't control whatever this chick's doing. Um, and then I thought I'm going to go for this, get on this three. And I laid down and almighty massive, ridiculous, a drop down like surge and got on the three.
And it was just a really good day. I think the funny part of it was being a bar defines ring my husband too. Cause he said, just call me when I'm. Do you want me to come pick you up? So I thought I'm a bit of coin because yeah, by the time we finished, they were almost to talk to you and in all of our online, and then you've got to do this to go do that.
So there's those of you that are, don't know what goes on behind the scenes you finish. And then people start talking to you and then Nike wants you to change into their clothing right down to your undies. They want you in all their gear, right? So that, that happened. So I want to, I'll give you whatever, whatever you want for free.
To get you to change, change shoes. What size are you? They'll bring back the shoes. It's kind of fun. So there's all that that goes on and you got to get up to the stage and then, um, get your trophy, my husband. And I said, um, Oh, Hey, I'm a I'm I'm I'm done. He goes, Oh, is everything okay? Cause it. He knew I'd roughly would have finished a certain time again.
No, no, yeah, yeah. Sorry. Sorry. I got held up. I kind of set him up for it. I go, I'm really sorry. Sorry. I got held up and he goes, Oh, really is everything all right. And I go, you know, everything's good. And I dragged it out because have any, any problems I go now, I just have one problem. Because I know what happened.
I go, I would
laughing and he goes bullshit. He goes, I mean, I know you can you believe it? So that was nice. And I wanted to say this because a lot of the viewers might know Shalane and, um, Joan Benoit and, um, I'm blank. I'm Kara,

Kevin Chang: [00:44:31]

Tara, you

Verity Breen: [00:44:32]

gotta say with my American accent, Kara. Tara in the lift at Boulder Boulder care.
And I were in the lift together and I didn't realize who she was. And I just said to her, Hey, are you going? You know, it's like Australia is she has good and went, Oh, that's good. This is after the race for context last night, did you race this morning? This is a pro race. And, uh, she's like, no. Don't get me the wrong way.
People. I know she's very nice person, but I think she was annoyed with me. There's too many questions. And I said, Oh, so you training then. Cause again, I'm still asking questions. She's like, Oh my God. I just want to get away from this woman. And she has, yes. Went off. What are you training for
the Olympics? And I'm like, Oh crap. I mean, well, no wonder. And I said, so, and then she just goes, I'm Kara Goucher. Cause she's probably like. You shouldn't have. And I said, I just wondering why it looks so familiar. Cool. And then when I said that, the poor thing I said to why we're here, why don't we get a out, I'm sorry, shameless, because I thought this is Facebook.
Gold. Right. And then she's like, Oh my God, I can't. So, cause she can't sing

Kevin Chang: [00:45:49]

well, she's stuck in the lift with you guys.

Verity Breen: [00:45:52]

I, you know, I sort of had the cleanup, excuse me. And she's like, yes, I got a photo, so, okay. So I'm there poor cars. Haven't got a photo. It was a great photo, but then what I'm getting to.
It's I've had to go out at this stage at the Nike. Is there again? And here I am, again,

Kevin Chang: [00:46:11]

this was like around the same time. It was weeks later.

Verity Breen: [00:46:18]

And I was like, this is so hilarious and circular and just absurd because I think she just thought I was such a Dropkick. Like, you're just, I don't know who you are, but you need to get away from me. And so I come up and she's going to hand it to me and she just looked at me like, Oh my God, it's that woman.
I know. And then. Oh, wait, I get it. I put my hands up and I go, thank you so much because it's got to say that in America to say thank you so much. Not just thank you. Okay. Thank you so much. And again, he hits me again.
I just couldn't help myself. And I just was like, even now I have tears in my eyes. It just a pure comedy of the hurt is going, Oh my God. It's and so everything happens in threes. So I have a feeling carer carer, and I still have a third meeting somewhere in there.

Bertrand Newson: [00:47:19]

Well, you know what very, we salute you.
Congratulations on that. Win. Now we're going to get into our RaceMob. Fast five quick speed round here. First question. Favorite race.

Verity Breen: [00:47:35]

It's such a mean question.
For Somebody who races so much. I'm going to have to say Maui marathon. Not because it's just such a beautiful, I love one way races. I love going one.
The one way marathons. Not easy to find, but I'd have to say Maui. Yeah, it's kind of just beautiful and you finish at the resort. We can go straight to the bar.
That's good.

Bertrand Newson: [00:48:00]

And, uh, finishing time you won that race, I assume.

Verity Breen: [00:48:04]

Yes. Yeah, but even if I didn't, I mean, it could be both. I mean, I could be biased, but even if I came last, I'd do it a lot.

Bertrand Newson: [00:48:11]

We're not gonna let you off the hook. We want this there's one or no. What was your finishing time for one of your wind?

Verity Breen: [00:48:17]

Nothing very fancy. It was just like three Oh four, but it was hot before it was hot.

Bertrand Newson: [00:48:24]

Come on. We salute you. Fantastic. All right. Question number two. Proudest to PR.

Verity Breen: [00:48:32]

Okay. So, so my marathon, a half marathon PR time is one 18 on a very rough and ready course States or back home in Australia. In Australia. And I, I, uh, appeared in the car pack the, before the race with 15 minutes at my slave to the gun, went off, hadn't even entered.
And, uh, it was on these gravel country roads in a town called Bathurst, which is where my dad grew up. So, so dad's alive. Yeah. Yeah. My dad was really sick and I drive to Beth. Uh, again, Randy is smartly charm. Randy's with me. He was a little horrified that we'd arrived so closest to that line. And I'm like, yep, no worries.
Yep. Sign the piece of paper. Yep. Give them 35 bucks, whatever it was. And I'd just be smarter this scene. And probably because that's where my dad came from and it was not the first course. So I think that I just, just went gung ho and I ran one w it was a, it was one 17, but then I think it was, it was. Gun nit time, maybe one 18, um, on a, on a hardcore.
So I'd say, I'd say that was, that was pretty. That was pretty good day at the office considering, uh, I arrived 15 minutes for the gun went off, so that was, that was a killer,

Bertrand Newson: [00:49:57]

great work strong work. All right. Question number three, um, kind of on the opposite spectrum, biggest crash at the time you hit the wall, the hardest

Verity Breen: [00:50:08]

I've hit the wall in training once and I've hit the wall in a marathon once.
And that was at the, my very first, uh, Queensland, which is a state in Australia. It's a state, state marathon championships, and I was. So a rookie really. I mean, like I was still cutting the chief on it, but I was really in good shape. And I, um, if you won the marathon championship, you got, you got a trip to Japan.
So I'm like, I really want to go to Japan. That was one of my first trips to Japan. So now I've blown the end of the story, but I kid you not 37 kilometers into it. I remember it so clearly. I started getting this sort of brain fog. Now, I don't know what your experiences are with this thing. I can only say from mine, but hitting the wall is obviously a depletion of some sort, whether that's fuel hydration, poor loading, where the can can be.
But, uh, I had a pretty awful night before, which is why I probably don't stay with people anymore because these people were very insistent. I stayed at their place. Alright. I was young, the dinner that they served just really bad. It was what, my worst, not me. And I was like, Oh my God, I cannot eat this, but I wanted to be polite, you know?
And I'm like, Oh my God. So I think that was part of it. So I hit 37. I started getting the brain fog. What I try to do as a coach is to, to explain what it is, what it's going to feel like. So people can recognize this. Demon monster when it appears it's it's crap. It's awful. And it's like, you're trapped in your body.
And so what I find weird about it and fascinating is that in your mind, you kind of, you're still thinking pretty clearly, like in your mind. So your self talk is there and that's why when you see that Paul, and you'd be, you know, that there's pictures of people, you know, they're like crawling, I didn't get to that, but I made it in and I won the state title and I obviously dropped time.
No. I mean, it was early trees when the time was three something, this woman she says to me, my friends are laughing. She's like, are you okay? Are you okay? Love? I said, yeah. Yeah, I'm good. I'm good. Just need something to eat. Do you need something to drink? Can hardly talk. She's like my mouth, your mouth turned to light.
Like you just ate concrete or something and she's like, are you sure? And apparently I was walking like sideways, but I kept saying I was fine, like walking anyways. So I want it. But yeah, that was pretty rough. But after that, I said to myself, don't stay within or the night before. And most of your a hundred percent sure that they're on board.
With proper food. So that's it. So I've hit the wall once in a race and had a reasonably happy ending and once during training and then never again, favorite pre-race mill, we probably know it. Wasn't what you had when you were in Japan.
Yeah. Japan. There's lots of food in Japan because Japan. Yeah, your GoTo, Millmore more important. What's your go to pre-race either the night before morning of, Oh, wait the night before I'll have like fish. A little bit of, um, vegetable, not much. And then I actually really liked to go for the like, um, very crispy, like I'm having fights, I'm known to like chippies and margaritas.
Um, avocado has got good fats, so it'd be like, Oven fries, some sort of protein and little salad. Um, but I really do a lot of stuff between 10 and three, but at nighttime it's a nice clean meal usually. Yeah. I usually pretty much for marathon. If you want to go hide, it will be. Uh, chips like, um, wedges, a little bit of extra carbs on top of that, of her during the day
secrets. My grandma's sweet chili sauce, big fan now, and I'm not sponsored by them either, but they can, if I want to, and I know it's supposed to be quick, but of course I do have a margarita as well. Favorite post-race grub recovery, something as satisfying. What is your go to item? If you had to choose immediately after I'll go something cool.
I, I scream is a common thread in my life from childhood to now, but I would go for like a burger or something pretty sort of fatty, you know, like be battered fish with like, so I'll go for the salt. And the sort of sodium. Yeah. I'll go for the salt, the savory sweet. Not so much because yet you get this like, you know, well walk, jewel, marathon, marathon, mouth.
Cause you had the gurus and the drinks. It's a sin. I don't want to see one more, you know, whatever. I don't want to know about it. Yeah. I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to, I want to go to the good stuff. So yeah. I don't mind the odd. Yeah. Some salty and oily, but not, not gross.

Kevin Chang: [00:55:18]

What's what's maybe a piece of advice you would give your younger self.

Verity Breen: [00:55:22]

Okay. I like that question. I've been asked that one sometime, but it's a really good question is, um, here we go. I, if I could talk to little Verity climbing up the tree of running, trying to, to, I would say back yourself, you know, because I think. I think it's intimidating. And I think I wish that I knew then more what I know now that, you know, you just got to back yourself and tell yourself you belong.
I think for a while I felt like, like an outsider, like an outlier. And I think I, you know, I would look at the girls sitting here and think, Oh, like, is that a club that maybe going to belong two? And it's all the time decision in your own mind. So it's a back itself. Don't sabotage yourself. Like, I think it's very easy to sabotage yourself because you're afraid of failure.
So back yourself, don't undersell yourself, type the phrase. Don't be shy, don't be shy and then be afraid to make mistakes because the amount of knowledge I have now is to trial and error. Yeah, like you gotta be prepared to come unstuck. And this is a quote I would say to myself, well, if I knew it then, but I didn't know this now.
And I really like it for as long as you do you care about what other people think you'll always be a prisoner to it? I think, yeah. I'd say those things. Don't be a prisoner to other people. What you think other people think of you? Let us let it go. Be yourself back yourself, make mistakes when you make mistakes, pay attention to them and do not rework a failed solution.
A lot of runners, they go and they do the same thing. That EFA probably you say, it's probably a good idea if you're not doing that now. And then you're like, Oh my God, they just went, do that again. If somebody doesn't work, it doesn't work. That's it. And work out how to change it.

Kevin Chang: [00:57:16]

That's a great answer. And I think it's a great answer for all listeners, no matter where you are in the pack, if you're in the front of the pack in the middle of the back, the back of the pack, back yourself, especially for marathons, I mean, people have kind of preconceived notions about what the body types should be or what, what a marathon runner

Verity Breen: [00:57:35]

they run on.
Know,

Kevin Chang: [00:57:36]

there are no exactly.

Verity Breen: [00:57:38]

We've all been passed by people and you think, are you kidding me? You get passed by someone I've been passed by guys or whatever. And I'm like, Oh my God, I would never pick that. It doesn't matter, because guess what guess what's inside the body that doesn't necessarily look like it's supposed to a VAT.
That's right. And that da engine is dropping down on you and they're gone, gone. And you know, we're all shapes and sizes from the front to the back to the middle. And I've been in the middle. I've been in the back of, I've been through all the different parts of the pack and it, it keeps you centered. You know, I didn't wake up with my late start.
I didn't wake up one morning and go here. I am, let's go. Cause you know what? I think we've all got our cheerleaders. People go, you've got this. The people that aren't cheering you on and you have to be your own best, you know, you have to get up in the morning and you have to love yourself and you have to.
I'm not perfect. You know, I can be a jerk. I have a temper not explosive.
Yeah. Back yourself. Would you put that on too? Shit.

Kevin Chang: [00:58:47]

That's right. One more question I have is just, how has training changed now that you've gotten older? How have you adapted your training and, and, um, are there things that you do now that you didn't do years ago?

Verity Breen: [00:58:59]

That's fair question. And it's a good question because you have to be realistic about, um, do you want to stay in the game?
I call it staying in the game. You will stay in the game and keep cars on the table. You want to be

Kevin Chang: [00:59:09]

and keep winning races. Like, like you're still, still winning.

Verity Breen: [00:59:13]

I still want to off a few for sure. I mean, I'm, I'm still dreaming dreams, but the thing is so. Now 53. So I decided that every five to 10 years I would reassess.
And I think you just reassess, it's like pressing the refresh button, you know, when we had to try and work out this thing, like you press the refresh button, let's do a hard reset. Huh? Reset can be having a good, goddamn long look at yourself in the mirror. Being honest with yourself and saying, am I really training in such a way that still is competitive or I'd assume imagining that I am like cutting corners.
So. Or do I still want to do it? I haven't happened yet, but if I genuinely lose the desire to race, race rates, then that's okay. But right now I still have it. And I reset and hard reset every five to 10 years. So now I'm 30 years. So I haven't had a hiatus. Like I haven't had a patch where I've gone. Nah, screw that.
I'm not running for three months stuff. It, I haven't had that patch. So that's an advantage with aging because it's like, it's like keeping a car, you know, in good neck, putting in the workshop, doing all the things that you look, the cars, everything you've taken care of, the vehicle, the, you haven't just put it in the garage.
You put anything in the garage for a while and things I've changed here. Let's cut to the chase. So, so I know I'm Monday. Um, which is today, I at 15 three, I need rest. Right. I'm going to right. So try and hide on the weekend. I'm going to coach people. I'm going to lead the 18 year olds through the marathon or whatever I'm doing.
Monday's rest day. I had mandatory rules. So if I do our very hard session, Or had rice it's 48 hours locked down, locked down. So very popular word right now. That doesn't mean not late, uh, 48 hours of active recovery. And that is a rule I do not break. I give myself disciplined. And organized risks. Um, so I do that.
And then generally, if I haven't raced Monday's easy day and tomorrow I'll be, I'll go and do some speed work. So rest, I also, now, since my forties, I take one week off a year of running. I don't, I play set wherever. I decide it best fits. So there's no running. You gotta, you gotta give your body a fall. You know, it's just like any relationship.
It doesn't matter how much you love the person. Sometimes you just need to just for a week or you go on vacation there or you, you go somewhere with the kids or it's all very healthy. It doesn't change. My love for running, not running for a week. Doesn't mean anything other than I'm allowing my body to have a complete.
Break to the deeper parts of the body, to the deeper parts of my muscles and my bones and my hips. And it also reminds you how much you love it. You remove it for a week. You cross train. I'm not sitting around the ice cream.
Yeah.
But I'm active, but I'm doing other things. I might read a book. I might use that time. You've got all this extra time. It's still wonderful feeling to be motivated. So you've got to find ways to keep motivated. Like I'll set goals. I'll think of like, what is it I want to do? So you gotta keep re-engineering your goals.
You know, like now what do I do now? What do I do? And don't keep doing the same things. I think you've got to really mix it up. Put yourself out of your comfort zone with the races. Go go somewhere else, do something else, Smiths other people, you know, um, sort of shake it up a bit. So that's sort of the things that I, I do training wise.
I, my quality is quality and I probably don't the three sessions a week of speed I do too, but I keep the heels in because you've got to keep the strength. I think if you start like cutting corners, as you get older, you're kind of kidding yourself a little bit. What do you think?

Kevin Chang: [01:03:17]

And if you hear a little BP on the trail,

Verity Breen: [01:03:21]

sit down, understand the big beep context, because they're probably like, okay, so here's the thing.
So when I first started doing lots of the trout training, every time I said on your left, people will move to the left because they're hearing less and I'm like, ah, anyway, and then you go on your right and guess what? They're going to move to the right. And I thought this is just not working for me. And then I've got my accent as well.
So then they don't even understand me, start off with, cause I'm an Australian guy. So then I thought, what can I do? That's more fun and get them to do what I want them to do and not sound like I'm abnoxious or expecting like you will move for me because you're ICOM and I started saying PB. So I liked that cartoon too.
Cause I always thought it was such an annoying cartoon, but funny at some time. So I go beep beep and then guess what? Guess what? They move to the right and like, Oh my God, this is a game changer. And then I go, beep beep. And then they move and I go, yeah, do something ridiculous. And, and people love it.
Cause it's friendly and fun. Also the very important thing tonight. And then we're going to hang up here. Is that I'm very light on my feet and I have managed to scare the absolute crap out of some people. Absolutely joking have had a total conniption and almost heart attack. When I'm there and they go clutching their chest, like Jesus.
Oh my God. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Like I was like, I really, really need to give these people some warning because I can never forgive myself if someone had, you know, I mean, so as I'm coming towards them, I go beep beep and they always look around and it's much more relaxing.

Kevin Chang: [01:05:20]

They'll know, it's Verity here on the trail.

Verity Breen: [01:05:23]

Occasionally I do it on the road racing. If I know someone I'll go past and go, beep beep thank you, Kevin.

Kevin Chang: [01:05:29]

And I am so happy

Verity Breen: [01:05:31]

that we got this whole technological aspect together. So people listening, I hope you've been able to understand my Australian accent.

Kevin Chang: [01:05:44]

Of course, of course.

Bertrand Newson: [01:05:46]

Absolutely. Yeah. Uh, Hey, love you guys.
You were awesome. And I'm hoping to see around the races and, um, Bertrand harassed you at some other event in the car. Yeah. Looking forward to it. Remember you said, when I call you out for a marathon that you would make yourself available. So I have the big server virtual on the horizon, New York marathon, virtual on the horizon, and probably one more before the year was over.
So take two, I'm kind of gonna regret saying that now. Tick tock.

Kevin Chang: [01:06:21]

Well, I hope you enjoyed this episode of the RaceMob podcast. Check out all of the show notes or find a running buddy online at dot com. Please subscribe to us on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your podcasts and leave us a review until next time. Keep on moving.