- Hi Henri, what made you start running, do you have a specific moment?
I think it must have been sometime around November 2023 when a bunch of us boys decided to raise some money for the Movember Foundation. We had planned to do a half marathon at the end of the month and I knew I wanted to be more competent. If I’m thinking of a specific moment though, I didn’t really find my love for running until I was in Lagos last year. I was feeling slightly lost in a city across the world and didn’t know how to help myself. I woke up early the next morning with such a determination to prove myself wrong that I decided to go for an impromptu half-marathon. It definitely hurt a lot! But I felt such a high of knowing I could push myself to do that and I think that’s where it all started.
- What’s been the biggest lesson running has taught you so far?
I’ve learnt so many things from running. The biggest one is probably that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. In running, the goalposts always move. When I did my first half, I distinctly remember thinking that there’s no way I could go further and then all of a sudden you’ve trained for and completed a marathon, and then a 60km, and then 24-Hours of running. I think it’s such a good representation of continuing to challenge yourself to do what you think is hard now in an effort to move those goal posts and see where they really are.
- How important is your strength and conditioning training and how does it look?
As I’ve run more, I’ve definitely seen the value of strength and conditioning in service of running. The more supportive muscle you have to assist you means the more power you can generate and withstand over long durations. For me, this is full-body mobility and calisthenics training. An emphasis on legs is obviously important but some focus on the supporting muscles like your core and back should also be prioritised. This means I stay lean and limber but can increase my output, which is important for running.
- What’s one thing you wish someone told you before you started marathon training?
Try no to go into it with any ego. It’s so easy to make your training about getting your 10K PB or smashing out a 3km run in the fastest time possible, but you have to run slow to run fast and it won’t help your training in the long term.
- Any mental tricks you use to keep going when it gets really hard?
Reminding myself that the hard moments are why I’m out there or that giving up in those moments would be a harder pill to swallow than getting to the end. Sometimes I also have mantras that I repeat to myself like a crazy person
- If you had 30 seconds to motivate someone who just signed up for their first marathon or race, what would you say?
The sense of achievement that you will undoubtedly gain from this will be a moment you remember for the rest of your life.
- How do you deal with the days when you really don’t want to lace up?
That’s when you have to check in and remember that you’ve never regretted going out and getting it done, you just have to show up. Those days can often end up being the best ones
- What’s your go-to running fuel: banana, gel, or “absolutely nothing”?
I love a spoon of honey before a run or a gummy dinosaur during
- Favourite type of run: long and slow, fast and short, or hill sprints (if you’re feeling wild)?
Each has their place in my heart but I’ve learned to love to long ones because of what you get out of putting yourself in the "pain cave"
- Best gear investment you’ve made so far?
Puma ForeverRun Nitros. I’m on my second pair now and they were only 97 bucks!!
- Funniest thing that’s happened to you mid-run?
Definitely @thecharityboys turning up at 9pm during our 24-hour run on enough caffeine to unalive an elephant! Their yarns were exactly what I needed during that graveyard shift to get me through to the early hours of the morning. Total chaos in the best way possible
- What song gets you way too hyped on a run?
The Chain by Fleetwood Mac. Every. Single. Time. It makes me want to sprint a 60K so I just play it on repeat if it’s getting tough
- If you could run a race anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I would love to race in Chamonix. It looks like such a beautiful and challenging landscape with an electric energy on UTMB race days