Interview with Podcaster Dominic Brown from Outside and Active Part Two.

Well , today . I started off by asking him how the podcast has changed from being just an audio format to video . I really hope you enjoy our chat and don't forget , another episode of this discussion is coming out next week .

I mean , the thing with one of the things I like about it and I know it's kind of a little bit of a debate about the fact that you video , you know you can watch it on YouTube . I mean , was that decision made earlier on or was it something kind of oh , you know it was audio first and then we'll transition to video .

I don't think I like all of them video , or some are and some aren't .

And then I started to film all of them , or a few of them , at one of the running shows a couple of years ago , from a point of view of filming the guest . So then I could then do little clips to put out on social media and thought they'll be quite nice piece of content marketing the podcast .

And my colleague , tom , who does the commercial side of things , said I actually prefer watching podcasts or having it on in the background at home . You know I'm not there for the massive sets or whatever and Stephen Barlett , the CEO , full high quality set type thing , but I'd like watching it , I like having it there , whether I'm working , whatever .

And I thought , oh OK , let's , let's film them . I have had a camera camera that I've had for years and then a company camera . It's all one man band . I don't know if you've ever seen a photo of my LinkedIn or a photo around of not sending it to you , of what the studio quote , unquote setup is at a show . If I'm recording in person .

But it's two banners , two cameras , a couple of seats and a table . But if you make it look a certain way , it looks , you know it just has the outside native in the background and I'm just filming it from two point of view . But it's quite stressful to film and then back up and then make sure you double .

I don't know if you've had it before when you film something and then realize that you didn't press go or you didn't press the door . First thing ever from a podcasting point of view . But it just helps with . You know , it's another avenue for people to watch it slash , listen to it . It also helps with creating some clips as well . Yeah .

Yeah For that , for the outside and active , and is it so ? So is the company can have a much broader view about what people do you know in terms of the exhibitions they can offer . you know , like you talked about equine , you talked about snowboarding , you talked about the running show and whatever , and so it can be all things to all people .

You mentioned equine there , which we've deliberated bringing in because obviously there's a connection to the show , but actually does it quite fit in with the demographics we have at the moment ? Probably not . We have . I think we started with four or five cat's degrees and then it grew to add in snow sports and cycling . Oh yeah , quite thin .

Because if you're looking to target like you know , Brian's run pod is very clear about what you're targeting is targeting runners predominantly , and realize that we have circumnavigated around running quite a lot I'm sure we're going to talk about .

Talk about running , yeah , it is quite broad and it can be quite challenging at times , but I think the overall thing , the three words that I boiled it down to I think I mentioned it earlier inspiration , education and entertainment I think if there's something or a piece of content that covers one of those three sort of mission values , then it helps .

Inspiration that's what I've gathered a lot from the last couple of years of doing this and speaking to people . People want to have an inspiration . People want to go oh , I can do this . This person who never had run in their life has now run three Mariner than Desarbe . They never realised they could do that .

Maybe I could go and take my first , take on my first couch to 5K or even take on my first marathon . Inspiration is a massive part of it . Education is also massive , from anything from top tips and how-to's of what's Nordic walking to what's carbon-plated running shoes . That's so important as well , because I want to do things that I'm inspired to do it now .

But how do I do it Then ? Entertainment is another element , because sometimes you just want to have fun . Sometimes you just want to oh , AI has just organised my marathon plan , how it's going to work . It's not going to really educate someone , but it's a little bit entertaining .

I think the most viewed article on our site is what the five scariest ultra-marathons in the world . It's not going to inspire you to run any of those , but it might do . It might inspire you . It's not going to quite educate you in what they are , but it's more like entertaining .

Oh , I didn't know there was a 125-mile ultra-marathon through the sand in the desert . I didn't know there was an ice ultra , I think , as long as the content hits those three verticals . But running is the flagship for this organisation . We're outside of NatSiv and I would say covers the majority of our community running . That's the reason I just explained .

In terms of the shows , are there any particular themes or is it just very much the people who either have been cast to 5Ks and transitioning to the next level , either to 10Ks or even to half-marathons , marathon type of people ?

. Actually , the beginning of I was basically the people that engaged with the national running show were ultra marathon runners about , you know , real hardcore runners , that the real niche market , and over the past six years that it's now been and Outside and that's if has sort of grown .

With that it's , you see , a lot more of the casual runner , of the , the new runner , the , the five to ten Ks , the people that might run a half marathon every now and then . It's become a lot more community based . Now , don't get me wrong , we have an ultra marathon stage .

We have an ultra stage that's run by the amazing guys a bad boy running hilarious guys , a bad boy running the and that stage is always absolutely packed . So ultra running still very much a part of it . I think the tagline that the team go with , that we go with , is that you know you take one step outside .

You're a runner , no matter how far or fast you go . Whether you want to run multi-day ultra marathons , whether you want to plot around in your park , run with your family or colleagues or friends every week at 5k , there's something for you at this show and I would like to say that we sort of mirror that outside native and say whether you want to .

Scott Jenkins is an unbelievable ultra marathon runner . Been fortunate enough to chat to him , get advice about ultra marathons , and then someone that I've been connected with through outside native , who was a listener or was , was a follower and then became a contributor Writing while I was and has been on the podcast , nikki Chisholm .

She she kind of was more casual runner means she's now done half marathons and the Antarctic and Unbelievable challenges , but she considers themselves to be like an everyday runner . So it's everything in between really .

But but also at the other end , you know , post pandemic , you , you're getting .

I couldn't go to the gym , I couldn't play cricket , I couldn't do any of those things . I thought , well , I can't just sit down , I have to do something . That's so many Netflix movies . Yeah , I'm just sitting in a room getting cabin fever that you can do , and especially since I was still working at the university .

So I was still sort of very much in isolation , I wasn't kind of with people or in family . So I thought , okay , I'll run .

And I distinctly remember going for my first run , and whether I can call it a run or not , and getting a kilometer in and collapsing to the floor because firstly , I was out of breath but my back , my lower back , was in so much pain . But hold on , I've been playing football for three years . Yes , maybe there was going out three times a week at university .

That doesn't help , but I've been playing football for three years . My fitness should be fine . Why can't I run a kilometer ? Why can't I do this and why is my back hurting ? And then I realized that running was a different beast all of a sudden in its own , completely different . And then it still was a chore . Still , I have to go out and do my 5K .

And then it became oh , I have to go and beat my time , I have to go and see what other people are getting on Strava . I can't . If I'm running with people that are slower , then I have to make sure I put in Strava . Oh , it's running with friends , slow run , and I don't remember what it was .

But part of that transition was joining where I am now joining the National Running Show , and our CEO , mike Seaman , is a runner . I mean , he's been in the events industry for years and years , but he is a running nerd . He loves it .

That's why we do what we do , I hope he's not listening to this because it would be a massive stroke to his ego , but he was the person that really kind of changed my viewpoint towards running .

Him starting it , but then also having the conversations with the people that we've spoken about before and different runners have changed my mindset from being running to chore . Running something I do to get fit , something that I do to be times to be other people's times . I'm very , very competitive with myself and with other people .

And something switched and all of a sudden I went I don't care if I'm running slow , I don't care if I've only run two miles or I don't care if I'm doing interval training because it comes up as a weird time .

I'm going to run because I enjoy it , because it's time for me to get out in the outdoors hopefully when it's not freezing , cold and dark in the outdoors and just enjoy that run as high . Like you never regret a workout or a run . I challenge someone If you have , then I don't know what's happened , but you never do .

Because that feeling that you get , the endorphin release that you get , is something that I don't even get from playing football or cricket . It's completely different , that sort of feeling of completion and achievement . And the hardest thing is getting outdoors .

And I know it's a privilege to be able to have the Will , power or motivation to be able to get outdoors and do it , and I know it can be tough sometimes . But once you do that , once you get , don't forget about the 5k , forget about the kilometer . Just get to the end of the road .

Just start with that and then you'll find that you'll go 10 times the distance after that . So yeah , my running journey has really gone from being I hate running to running has Is now a massive part of my life and always probably will be .

And she just said , look , just go out for a run , even if it's just a kilometer or a couple of kilometers , and before you know it you're thinking I'll do more . You know all that kind of thing . And how he started out . You know one of my first interviews , john .

You know he said his first run was he did a kilometer , tripped over and felt sick , which is exactly like what you said , exactly like what you said . But then he said , you know he came back . He said , look , I mean , you know I kind of enjoyed it .

You know I'll go back to it the following day and in some ways you know that you know for people who are possibly listening to this or maybe your podcast or whatever it is . It's something that you can come back to and you know , I always talk about this .

My youngest daughter , you know , and she isn't , you know , no way is she an active runner when she left school and she was going to university . But she lives , you know , right by Swansea Beach . It's a beautiful beach , it's one of the most you know , and so she goes running along there and it's fantastic . You know , you get the sea , air and everything .

But she is not , you know , and she's doing , you know she's faster than me , I mean , okay , I'm a lot older , but you know , but she's enjoying it and she just enjoys going outside and you know you can introduce them to you know , different apps and whatever , but you know she's .

I think it helps in terms of I mean , we always talk about this , I'm sure you do in terms of the mental health benefits and as well as not only your . You know your physical benefits in terms of heart and lungs .

I have to run quickly , and 80% of your runs should be slow , should be a walking pace . Yes , I think that .

Yes , yeah , it should be , and it feels weird and it feels wrong , but actually you're going to enjoy it more , you're going to feel the benefits of it more , and it means that actually you'll be able to get out and run the next day or the day after instead of being , oh , I've just tried to run my fastest for 5-10K and now I'm going to be broken for the

next three days . So , yeah , I think , once you and I feel like you have to do all of these rights of passage , to then get to the point where I'm still learning , obviously and I'm not trying to say that I'm an expert at running and mindset , but going through the whole competitive and strava times and running pace is all that type of thing .

So then get to the point where I am now was kind of like hoops that I had to get through ?

I say that as an example of breaking through barriers , which is a massive thing that I will come to your question . A second , but a massive thing that people get once they hear from people that I've interviewed whether it's running or anything different as oh , I didn't realize I could do 5K , what else can I do ?

I didn't realize I could do a 10K , what else can I do ? And all of a sudden these little steps build up to the point where you go oh well , actually I can achieve that and that feeling of being able to break through the glass ceiling is unbelievable . And I then was training , for I've weirdly never actually done a marathon race event .

I've done a couple of marathon supporting with challenges that we've done at work , but I've never done an actual race . So twice now I've started . I mean , there's lots of different training apps out there . But I have used the runner app RUWNA , which I think works with me . It works with my watch , it does a great training plan .

It introduced me to lots of different the slow runs , the interval training , which I never would have thought of was actually refreshed my running . It doesn't have to be through that app , it can be . I'm sure you can Google it and find anything else .

That's just what worked for me and I think it's a really good product and so I have done these training things and it really really does work , whether you want to do 8 , 12 , 16 training weeks . I haven't quite got to the end yet because I've always quite injured my own fault , nothing to do with the training .

I did use it a little bit for the ultramarathon . Didn't train as much as I should have for that , but I definitely recommend it if people can find a training plan that works for them around their work , because work-life balance is tough . But if they can find it , then great . I would highly recommend rather than just winging it .

Because , yes , if you're running three times a week and you're running your 5Ks at your average pace of 5.5-minute kilometers , great . But you could be doing better by doing some of them slower , some of them as intervals and some of them as tempo runs . So , yes , that would definitely be a piece of advice that I would give .