[audio:https://runrunlive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi119.mp3|titles=Episode 119 – Alex Vero]

Show intro by:

Jaydub – from Sydney Australia.

http://www.corsolameta.blogspot.com/

@jaydub

Intro:

Hello and welcome to episode 119 of the RunRunLive Podcast. We’ve got a great show for you today. I interview Alex Vero who sent me a copy of his documentary in which he decides to run a 2:30 marathon and trains in Ethiopia it’s really interesting.

I just wrapped up weeks and weeks of training and racing and various and sundry feats of freneticism. Had a great race at Boston…why was it great? Because I decided it was that’s why. Pulled off the 19^th Groton Road Race this past weekend. Met a couple folks who are friends of the show who traveled out to run the race. Thanks to Doug from Vermont and Doug “reallynotarunner” from twitter who came up and introduced themselves to me at the race.

So now what? Well I’m signed up of the Wilderness 101 mountain bike ultra. I’m excited about riding again. It will be a nice change. Refreshing.

Thanks to JayDub for doing the intro for me. All of you listeners should send in an intro and give a shout to your blog or podcast or charity or your running club… It would be cool to hear about your running clubs. Because you don’t want to just have me yakking… on with the show.

Audio clips in this episode:

Chris in car – Boston race strategy

Chris at boyscout bridge on Mizuno scan tool

Chris down pond slump talk

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Skits, commercials and parodies in this episode:

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Story time:

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Equipment Check:

Mizuno scan tool

Featured Interview:

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Links

Quick Tip:

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Outro:

Ok folks that’s it you have stood up in the saddle and powered your way to the top of the hill that was episode 119 of the RunRunLive Podcast. Hope you enjoyed it.

I’ve got a lot to share with you – but I’m exhausted tonight and my bed calls.

So let me share with you the story of Xenophon. He was a Greek adventurer a couple hundred years before Alexander the Great. He joined a Greek army of mercenaries contracted out to Cyrus the younger brother of Artaxerxes who ruled Persia at the time. Cyrus attempted a failed coup on his brother with the Greek mercenary force. Cyrus was killed and the Greeks, known as the ten thousand, found themselves in the middle of Persia after the battle.

Artaxerxes invited the Greek generals and officers to a parley, double crossed them and had them all killed. So now the ten thousand were stuck in the middle of a hostile country with no leaders. So what did they do? They elected new leaders, including Xenophon, and fought their way north to the Black Sea and eventually back to Greece.

It’s a great story. Interestingly enough there was a movie in the 70’s based on the same plot line but set in New York called “The Warriors” that those of you who are old enough may remember caused a big stink at the time.

But, you should read Xenophon. It has some interesting lessons. A small, well-disciplined, cohesive force with their backs to the wall can out maneuver and out fight a much larger force. A democracy Is much more resilient than a dictatorship. In a dictatorship you only have to cut off the head. In a democracy there will always be another leader that will rise from the ranks of the meritocracy to fill the void. And finally the universal lesson that even when things are at their hardest you can turn it around and be successful with focus, discipline, guile and hard work.

So focus yourselves on how you are going to fight your way out of your own spiritual cul de sacs and as you do I will see you out there.

Music tonight is by the Whack Ass Egyptians and it’s called ‘side B’. All the music used or sampled in the show is from the podsafe music network. Enjoy your weekend.