[00:00:02] Kim: [00:00:02] This episode is sponsored  by mid strike magazine, the first diverse digital runner’s magazine visit Mitch strike magazine.com to keep up to date on all of your diverse running news.

[00:00:20] Kicking off women’s history month with Stephanie AKA, the faux athlete.

[00:00:36] Hey everybody. Welcome back to another episode of The Run Wave podcast. I am your host Kim. If this is your first time tuning in, welcome to the show. I am so happy to have you here. If you are a return, this scenario, welcome back to the show. I so appreciate you for tuning into the podcast week after week.

[00:00:56] If you didn’t know, March is women’s [00:01:00] history month and for the rest of the month, this show is being dedicated to. Everything woman. So I’m going to have three incredible women on the show, telling their stories and sharing their expertise. First up on the show, I have Stephanie AKA, the fo athlete. She is a London.

[00:01:22] Base runner. And I wanted to have her on the show because she is just so open and authentic online. And she talks about the things that people like to keep hush, hush, but she is putting it out there. She is sharing her stories and she is making a difference and making an impact on other people’s lives.

[00:01:43] So I just had to have her on, we had a great hook. It was nice to get to know her, to get to know her. Story. And I think that you would really enjoy what she had to say and just open your eyes to certain things [00:02:00] that, you know, come with a stigma that we don’t talk about, especially as a black communities.

[00:02:05] So here is what Stephanie had to say. Okay. So I would like to welcome Stephanie AKA, the fo athlete to The Run Wave podcast. How are you, Stephanie? 

[00:02:17] Stephanie: [00:02:17] Very good. I’m very good. Thank you for having me. 

[00:02:19] Kim: [00:02:19] And you know, I always have this discussion with some friends. They think F a U X is Fox and I’m like, no, it’s fo like fo for it’s not Fox.

[00:02:28] It’s fun.

[00:02:32] It’s not a British term. It 

[00:02:35] Stephanie: [00:02:35] might be the photo is it’s it’s French. It’s a French word. Look at me. I’m just 

[00:02:41] Kim: [00:02:41] look I’m wrong about where it comes from, but I know how to pronounce it. It’s fun.

[00:02:51] Stephanie: [00:02:51] Invitation. Yes. 

[00:02:55] Kim: [00:02:55] That’s a little bit about yourself. Where are you originally from? 

[00:02:59] Stephanie: [00:02:59] Where am I [00:03:00] from as in my family or where was I born? Where were you born? How did, how did you want me to go? We were going to go 

[00:03:05] Kim: [00:03:05] get all that. I want to know where you were born, your family, all of that. 

[00:03:09] Stephanie: [00:03:09] Okay, cool. I was born in a place called Luton in England.

[00:03:13] Uh, Newton’s a small town, about 30 to 40 miles North of London. Um, yeah, I was born in England, but my family is actually from Jamaica in the Caribbean. 

[00:03:24] Kim: [00:03:24] And you know what, everyone that I speak to that is. What’d you characterize yourself as black, British now? Yeah. Okay. So everyone has like black British, their family is always from somewhere else in the Caribbean or a country in Africa.

[00:03:37] So that’s so interesting. So your family came to the London area 

[00:03:44] Stephanie: [00:03:44] from Jamaica? Yes, my grandparents, my grandparents were the ones that brought us here. Um, they both came over and around about the sixties, I believe. Um, so my mom’s parents still live here in the same house that they bought when they first got here.

[00:03:59] They’ve lived in the [00:04:00] house forever. Uh, but my dad’s parents actually moved to Canada about four years ago or so 40, 50 years ago. 

[00:04:07] Kim: [00:04:07] Wow. So you get to visit 

[00:04:08] Stephanie: [00:04:08] Canada as well. I do I do. It’s a nice, I was going to say it’s a cheap trip, but it’s not cheap at all, but it isn’t easy,

[00:04:19] but 

[00:04:19] Kim: [00:04:19] it wasn’t easy. Canada is like a Commonwealth of, um, Britain, right? Yeah. But 

[00:04:25] Stephanie: [00:04:25] it’s still 4,000 miles away.

[00:04:31] Kim: [00:04:31] I know, you know, I haven’t even been to London, which is crazy, but like when you Paris is close. So when you go to Paris, it’s like a, I think it’s like a five, six hour flight from here. So it’s about the same for you to get to Canada? 

[00:04:44] Stephanie: [00:04:44] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Kind of. It’s about seven, seven or eight hours. But, um, normally when I go, I’m going for weeks, like I’m going for like two, three, four weeks and just burdening, my grandparents would want that, that 

[00:04:55] Kim: [00:04:55] house.

[00:04:57] So can you travel to Canada [00:05:00] now during COVID times? Or is there like a. Is it still for everyone or 

[00:05:06] Stephanie: [00:05:06] UK board has been closed for a good little while now. Um, but the Canadian border has been closed for longer. So, um, they turned around and said, no, you ain’t coming in. You can try. 

[00:05:18] Kim: [00:05:18] You’re not getting in. 

[00:05:20] Stephanie: [00:05:20] So parents was supposed to go in August last year and up until like two days before they were just like, Sorry.

[00:05:30] Kim: [00:05:30] I know that they don’t want Americans or Canada. I knew that, but I felt like other countries had like some kind of leeway. 

[00:05:36] Stephanie: [00:05:36] No, no. We’ve got the cooties as well, because there was a marrying of the, of the virus that started in the UK. The whole world is like, Oh, we were abandoned from other countries for awhile.

[00:05:52] Cause we had, we had the greediest. 

[00:05:56] Kim: [00:05:56] So are you still in the same area town or have you moved [00:06:00] away from there now? So 

[00:06:01] Stephanie: [00:06:01] I moved to London, so I grew up in Lynn, um, for much of my life. And then I moved to London a good couple of years ago for work. And I, I lived in not far from central London and did the whole lifestyle.

[00:06:14] Um, But when I, I actually went traveling a couple of years ago and just before I went traveling around the world, I gave up my flat my problem and, uh, put all of my belongings into storage and. Kicked off 6,000 miles East. I went to Asia for a couple of months 

[00:06:31] Kim: [00:06:31] for a couple of months. Where did you visit?

[00:06:34] Yeah, 

[00:06:35] Stephanie: [00:06:35] I started in Beijing in China and it was a solo trip. It was one of those things. Like I’m going to reveal age. I turned 30 and I had, I freaked out and was like, what am I doing with my life? What have I done? So, uh, yeah, I quit my job. I gave up my apartment. I booked a one way to get to Beijing. And then just kind of figured it out.

[00:06:55] So I went to mainland China and then I went over to Japan then [00:07:00] to Hong Kong, then to Vietnam, I traveled down for Vietnam, into Cambodia, from Cambodia to Malaysia, from Malaysia to Bali, then Indonesia, and then back up to Singapore. And then I landed back in London, Heathrow on Christmas Eve because I’ve told him I’d come home for Christmas, 

[00:07:18] Kim: [00:07:18] living the life and solo.

[00:07:21] Yeah. I just wanted like the courage to travel. Like I’ve been to Miami for like two days by myself, but that’s it. I don’t think I could go for months by myself. How was 

[00:07:33] Stephanie: [00:07:33] that? One of the most incredible experiences of my life. It is the moment you have only your own company to rely on. You learn a lot by yourself, but you really learn to appreciate your own company.

[00:07:45] Um, you can wake up every single day and just say, what does Steph want to do? And I’ve got no one else to consider no one to compromise with. Just what do I want to do? It was, uh, Such fun memories. I [00:08:00] get emotional. When I think about it, 

[00:08:02] Kim: [00:08:02] I was going to ask you your age kind of on a DL, but I wanted to know because you got like with black people, you can’t tell how you look like you could be like 21 years old.

[00:08:11] I swear. 

[00:08:14] Stephanie: [00:08:14] Two liters of water a day.

[00:08:21] Kim: [00:08:21] Good looks great. I mean like, is she 21? Is she 41? Like. You can never tell, but 

[00:08:29] Stephanie: [00:08:29] yeah, that was my best. Kept secret intimate. I’ll say something I’m like, Ooh, they didn’t know that, but now it’s out there. I am. I’m 32. I’m 33 this year. 

[00:08:44] Kim: [00:08:44] Listen, I have a few years on you. So enjoy, enjoy thirties while you can. I know this is like, I can’t believe this is still going on.

[00:08:56] Like. We thought we were going to be out of work for two weeks. So [00:09:00] they go back, but we’re still here a year later. 

[00:09:03] Stephanie: [00:09:03] That’s the one you had the best to be like, what are you going to do? Right guys, we’re going to get dressed up for the one year on a pass. 

[00:09:11] Kim: [00:09:11] So what is it that you do in London? How do you make your coins?

[00:09:16] How 

[00:09:16] do 

[00:09:16] Stephanie: [00:09:16] I pay my bills? So I like in sales, I work in tech sales. Um, I worked for a startup that’s based in London and I’ve been in sales for about seven years now, but it’s not where I started. One of my degrees are actually in, um, social care and social sciences. So psychology, criminology. And I started my working life and doing early prevention work for frontline social services.

[00:09:39] So I can have young people in their families. Yeah. But then ended up in sales. 

[00:09:46] Kim: [00:09:46] Okay. And how are you liking that? The sales world. It just seemed like that, like a free kind of person, like you have nose rings, right. But you had the hoop, you know, when people have the hoops they’re way cooler

[00:10:03] [00:10:00] Stephanie: [00:10:03] got tattoos. I didn’t know him. Um, Sales, I enjoy sales. It’s the whole reason I got for it. Cause it’s always a weird story when people are like, how’d you go from social care to say it was, but it was, it was quite simply that like sales afforded me the lifestyle that I wanted to live. And so, and by that, I mean the ability to travel, uh, relatively freely to afford to travel, but also to travel with work.

[00:10:30] Um, so I, I enjoy sales. I enjoy the, um, The commission that brings, but, but it was so loud. Right. Um, but I guess director of some awesome brands, some really early stage brands that are doing really cool things in lots of different spaces. And I get to interact with them very early on in their growth, their growth journeys, and almost helped to kind of map some of that out with them.

[00:10:59] Um, [00:11:00] which is really cool. 

[00:11:01] Kim: [00:11:01] Yeah. Sounds cool. So let’s get into your running a little bit, because this is a running podcast. So what sneakers are you currently running in? 

[00:11:12] Stephanie: [00:11:12] I’ve got a pair of Brooks or running shoes. I think the adrenalin ones that I bought in 2019. And they haven’t reached the end of their life cycle just yet 

[00:11:24] Kim: [00:11:24] from 2019.

[00:11:27] Stephanie: [00:11:27] Listen, I’ve got no app telling me when I got changed.

[00:11:33] Kim: [00:11:33] I don’t follow those apps. I look at the soles of my shoe when the soles of my shoes get worn. That’s when I got the sneakers, because those apps say like 300 miles, like I can go longer than 300 miles in my shoes. There 

[00:11:47] Stephanie: [00:11:47] is that there is, I guess, where the shops have been closed. I like to go and like, try them on, you know, getting a feel for it, jump around, run on there, or like the treadmill and they’d been closed.

[00:11:56] So I’m, I’m so scared of buying shoes blind, and then getting here [00:12:00] and then not be a to be, and then I’ve worn them. So I can’t send them back. 

[00:12:05] Kim: [00:12:05] So is London still shut down or are you guys like gradually opening? 

[00:12:10] Stephanie: [00:12:10] No. We, we said today is actually the very first day of the restrictions being lifted for phase one.

[00:12:17] We’ve been knocked down for basically five months. Um, like official lockdown is for two months, but we were on this tiered system before that, which meant the much of the country were basically on lockdown since Halloween or just after Halloween. Wow. 

[00:12:35] Kim: [00:12:35] Wait, so what’s, what’s you guys’ definition of lockdown because of the lockdown here in the us is like a joke, like, are all the stores close the bars, like what’s open.

[00:12:46] What can you go to 

[00:12:48] Stephanie: [00:12:48] supermarkets open? Uh, the school was actually had been closed for the past two months. So schools went back today. Really? Yeah. Yeah, schools, colleges, universities have been closed. Non-essential stores have been [00:13:00] closed. So it’s mainly supermarkets. Um, the little corner shops that managed to get away with saying they’re essential because they sell, sell some drinks, like lockdowns been locked down.

[00:13:12] Wow. Stay at home orders. Yeah. 

[00:13:15] Kim: [00:13:15] That’s that’s it’s still unbelievable. Like I’m pretty much okay. I’m not locked down per se, but I stay home most of the time, you know, I’m just like, yeah, like I’m just trying to be as cautious as possible though. My husband goes to work every day and the kids go to school, most things.

[00:13:33] But yeah, for me, I feel like I’ll be the one to get COVID and give it to everybody else. Like if I go on a run, so I’m like, let me just stay here. And talk to people like you. 

[00:13:50] Stephanie: [00:13:50] I haven’t done a great deal. Like even supermarket shopping. I’m like, do I need to eat this week? Do I really need to eat? Do I have to go to the shops?

[00:13:58] Kim: [00:13:58] I’m the same [00:14:00] way? Like, do you guys have, you don’t have target in London, right? 

[00:14:03] Stephanie: [00:14:03] No, we don’t enable our equivalent is like as there and Tesco and Sainsbury’s so the big supermarkets. Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:14:10] Kim: [00:14:10] So like, I don’t like going to the supermarket because it’s so. Like crowded almost. And I just feel like ski, when I saw I have to do all my shopping at target and we like rarely have meat around here unless my husband buys it because like, um, I can’t go through the supermarket anymore.

[00:14:25] It’s just me out. It’s 

[00:14:26] Stephanie: [00:14:26] crazy. Yeah. It’s where people go to spend time now because they’ve got nothing else to do.

[00:14:39] Kim: [00:14:39] Good. The supermarket is like the new cafe or the new bar, which is crazy. Yeah. 

[00:14:45] Stephanie: [00:14:45] It was just hanging out in the frozen line.

[00:14:50] Kim: [00:14:50] I wonder, like what, what are we going back to when this is over? Like, yeah, 

[00:14:56] Stephanie: [00:14:56] I do wonder this or not because I’m really quite an extrovert. I’m quite a social [00:15:00] person. The last time when we had like a little blip in our locked down where they, they gave us like a little taste of freedom and my mouth pumped, some colleagues, I didn’t know how to act.

[00:15:08] I was like, I don’t know how to interpret to you anymore. Cause you 

[00:15:11] Kim: [00:15:11] can’t like hug people. There’s no kissing, no handshakes. Like what do you do? 

[00:15:17] Stephanie: [00:15:17] Yes. I’ve seen this for the past five months. 

[00:15:21] Kim: [00:15:21] Craziness. So tell me about your running journey. When did you get into running? 

[00:15:28] Stephanie: [00:15:28] So it’s, uh, I think to answer that question, I have to go back into the bath, take a step back.

[00:15:32] So I, I got back into running two years ago, so, uh, the roundabout May, 2019. Uh, but I stopped running. Before I had my, well, when I had my accident in my teens, um, that led to my hip replacement. So I used to be really athletic. I used to be used to run. I used to do trips well, John and long jump and javelin and discus.

[00:15:55] And yeah, I was a very, very athletic person, but when I had my accident that [00:16:00] 13, it just, it brought into all of it. And then I hadn’t run well in nearly 20 years. By the time I got back into it two years ago. Wow. 

[00:16:09] Kim: [00:16:09] So what, what, what was your accident? What happened? 

[00:16:13] Stephanie: [00:16:13] So I was in, I was part of a school, um, competition.

[00:16:18] So I was doing, discuss. Javelin and long jump. Those are my, my three events. Then my events, I went and sat down, got myself ready to like eat and drink and just chill out. And then my coach asked me to take upon the four by 100 relay because someone had to drop out and I didn’t want to cause it wasn’t my, it wasn’t my event and I’d call it down.

[00:16:41] And like, I was ready to go home. I’m waiting for the bus. Like I’m ready to go. And long story short, I ended up doing it, taking part in it and. On that very first leg I’m coming around the corner and I felt something just go in my leg and I was furious. I was so angry. Cause I’m like, I didn’t want to do this anyway.

[00:17:00] [00:17:00] You made me do it. I pulled a muscle. Um, went to the doctor. They said, yeah, you pulled a muscle. And it just deteriorated over the next eight weeks. And then eventually I was at a swimming pool and I slipped on a step and my hip just, gosh. So how would you. I was 13. I was, it was about three weeks before my 40th birthday.

[00:17:24] Kim: [00:17:24] Wow. So when did you have the hip replacement at that time? When I was 19, 19. So years later? 

[00:17:30] Stephanie: [00:17:30] Yeah. Yeah. So they did lots of, um, they tried to do a lot of like preventative surgeries because I hadn’t had my first grand spur. I have my very first worst spot in the hospital that week after the seven days, the nurse looked at me and was like, Are you tall?

[00:17:48] Are you longer? And mom’s like, she doesn’t, she doesn’t don’t go. Well, I think my very first Bruce, but in the hospital, but they couldn’t do anything major until I’d finished [00:18:00] growing, because if they did a hip replacement then, or did anything else, it was a bit more severe. I would have had extra complications once I started to grow.

[00:18:08] So they tried to put it off 

[00:18:09] Kim: [00:18:09] for as long as possible. And you know what I saw your pulse. I don’t know if it was like a year ago. And you had like a, you showed your scar and it was like, you’re one of the, like most transparent people that I follow on Instagram. And it’s. I admire that because you know, a lot of us keep quiet about so many things, but you put it out there.

[00:18:31] Yeah. Yeah. And by you putting it out there, it encourages other people to do the same thing. But when I saw your scar, I said this 21 year old, what is she doing with the hip

[00:18:46] Stephanie: [00:18:46] that’s . You had a woman and I’m like, yeah, but I had one of them like, great.

[00:18:59] Kim: [00:18:59] So what [00:19:00] kind of hip did they give 

[00:19:00] Stephanie: [00:19:00] you? So I’ve got a portion in here, which again, people are like, what’s the give your first name here? And I’m like, wait, it’s really durable. It’s like, it’s really strong. It’s really durable. But if I fall over and it shatters, then it’s game over. So I’ve got to be very careful.

[00:19:17] To protect my hip, but they, they gave me porcelain. Um, and it’s now that hip is now coming up 13 years old. It’s been 13 years since I became bionic. 

[00:19:31] Kim: [00:19:31] So how does a hip replacement word does it last forever? Do you have to get it replaced at a certain point in time? 

[00:19:37] Stephanie: [00:19:37] So they, at the time when I had my hip replacement, um, obviously, cause I was so young, normally MC is much older people having care replacements, but they were like, we think you’ll get maybe 10, 20 years out of it.

[00:19:49] They don’t know I’m 19 years old. And they’re like, we don’t really know what someone like you is going to do with their hip. So they were like, you might get 10, 20 years. [00:20:00] Um, I went for my 10 year post-op checkup a couple of years back, and then I said, it’s good. You’ll easily get like another 10 years, Alex.

[00:20:07] It’s stable. It’s not squeaking. It’s not, it’s not rocking. Not squeaking. Yeah, because sometimes people’s week or grind or Creek. Yeah. So it’s so far so good. I am hoping for another 10 years, but then yeah, they have a lab, like a lifecycle where they’ll start to where eventually, and they’ll need to be replaced again.

[00:20:32] Kim: [00:20:32] So were you, did you go back to being an athlete after your hip replacement? 

[00:20:38] Stephanie: [00:20:38] Not immediately. So for the first two years post replacement, you have to kind of take it relatively easy whilst it sells into its new body, your muscles have to repair, it has to stabilize correctly. So for the first two years, it was just.

[00:20:52] Relearn how to walk properly because it’s six years of being in a wheelchair and on crutches and having [00:21:00] secondary issues with my knees and my, on my spine and my shoulders. So it was really just the first two years were just learning how to do the basics, sitting down, standing up, walking straight. And then after two years I joined the gym again and it’s just been a steady 10 year journey of rehabilitation.

[00:21:17] Wow. Just to do more and more. 

[00:21:19] Kim: [00:21:19] So what brought you back to running two years ago? 

[00:21:23] Stephanie: [00:21:23] So, yeah, it all happened. It was started in Asia. So previously I’d have to be really, really strict with my, with my workouts because the moment I stopped it’s like my body just seized up. So I had to be really conscious of keeping myself active, keeping myself moving to keep my.

[00:21:42] Hip and my comfort at its optimal level. When I went to Asia, there was no gym. I wasn’t going traveling to go to the gym every day. Yeah. So, so, but I, it was the heat really helped. So the heat helped enough that I didn’t need to exercise everyday. Just keep myself moving. So I’m walking a lot. [00:22:00] I was hiking.

[00:22:01] I was climbing volcanoes. I was, I was doing all sorts. I was doing all of these things I’d never done before or, or never thought I was capable of doing before, because I was always so cautious about. About damaging my hip. And then when I got back, I was so empowered by what are these new experiences that I’d had?

[00:22:17] I’m like, I want to, I want to keep this up. I wanna do something else. I kind of challenged myself. So in that gap between me coming back from Asia and going to the U S cause I traveled around the U S after that I messaged one of my friends. He does obstacle course racing. That’s that’s his thing. He did the four by four by 48 this weekend.

[00:22:34] Like he’s he’s into those challenges. Yeah. Wow. I messaged him and I’m like, I’ve got to go this year. I need to do two obstacle course races. That’s it. So I’m like, sign me up, sign me up to, to thinking he’s going to be like, yeah. A 5k fun run, you know, maybe some inflatables. It’ll be great. Yeah. So the email confirmation I got was a 10 mile tough Mudder full and I’m like, Dude [00:23:00] the first one and the second one was a 10 K inflatable race.

[00:23:06] And I’m like, I haven’t run in over a decade, dude. What are you trying to kill me? What have I done to you? Um, so when I came back from America in the, uh, April, I was like, okay, we need to, we need to prepare for this. Otherwise I’m going to look stupid. So I started doing the cash to 5k. I’m like let’s, let’s try the couch to 5k.

[00:23:27] Let’s just start slow. See if it works, has been recommended. And that’s how I got into running. I swear by the couch to 5k is a phenomenal program. That’s how I got 

[00:23:37] Kim: [00:23:37] into running as well. Calcified 

[00:23:39] Stephanie: [00:23:39] it’s it’s so it’s remarkable. I love it. I love 

[00:23:43] Kim: [00:23:43] it. So what is, what did you do after you finish your C to 5k that you like into races?

[00:23:51] What was your next move? 

[00:23:53] Stephanie: [00:23:53] So it finished, um, just before the 10 mile tough motor fool. So straight forward, [00:24:00] straight from the five gain on the company, crazy. Like 

[00:24:02] Kim: [00:24:02] who, who does that? Especially like talk monitors are hard. Like that’s not easy. That’s like running and then some. 

[00:24:12] Stephanie: [00:24:12] I never told him why was terrifying, terrible, but I’m that research and like, what happens?

[00:24:18] Like I know at the end of some of the, when they had the electric and the electric wires and I’m like, that might kill me and my buddy that way I couldn’t do. I’m like, he’s trying to kill me. He’s obviously done. So I’ve done something to him. So yeah, it was, it was, it was a tough metaphor and that was the next, the next step.

[00:24:37] And then after that was the 10 K in player, boom, about a month after. And I did. What else did I do? And then I’m planning to do so that was kind of towards the end of 2019. And then my plan in 2020 was to do more racist. I’m like, cool. I’ve got two under my belt. I got one of the hardest done. Let’s try some other things.

[00:24:56] Um, but 20, 20 wasn’t to be. 

[00:24:58] Kim: [00:24:58] I know [00:25:00] crazy. So what is like the run scene in your area? Are there running clubs that you are a part of or want to be a part of. 

[00:25:09] Stephanie: [00:25:09] There. What? So there’s, I think there’s two, but they’re on the other side of town. The one that I really wanted to get into was, um, It’s it’s like this gym run thing where like you run, you do things for the community.

[00:25:20] You’re like give back to the communities and you run between the destinations. So you meet in one place and you might run to someone’s house in like an elderly person’s house. Um, and then you help them with the gardening and then you run back at the end and that’s kind of how you spend that evening.

[00:25:34] They hadn’t started one in my town just yet, but they had like a waiting list I’d signed up to. Um, and then, and then COVID happened. So we do have a park run. I used to go to on Sunday mornings, uh, bright and early nine, o’clock go down to the park run and do the 5k around the park. Um, yeah, that was, that was really what I was involved in.

[00:25:55] Kim: [00:25:55] Well, you know, a few weeks ago I interviewed these fellows from London. That call, they have a group [00:26:00] called more than running. I don’t know if you heard of them. I have. Yes. So they meet weekly on, um, I think Saturdays or Sundays in South park. Is that a place. I can’t remember. Sorry.

[00:26:16] Stephanie: [00:26:16] Sorry, I’m just thinking of the cartoon. I 

[00:26:18] Kim: [00:26:18] know. No, but I think it’s South something. It’s, it’s some, it’s it? He said it’s in a posh area. Like when he, when I sleep, when I say the video, no, they’re not in Kensington. They’re out. Like, I don’t know. I’ll let you know later, but when I see them running, cause they post videos of all their runs.

[00:26:36] There’s like dads with strollers jogging in the park, but. Yeah. If you’re looking for a group to run with those guys, they’re like dope and they welcome everyone into their fold, then 

[00:26:47] Stephanie: [00:26:47] no, there were so many in London. I’m following a couple, like they got the fly girl collective as well. I’m following quite a few, but they’re just like 40 miles away.

[00:26:56] Yeah. Yeah. It’s like a train journey or like [00:27:00] a 45 minute hour drive. So it’s not that I should do is start one round here in like a post COVID world. 

[00:27:06] Kim: [00:27:06] That would be a good idea. Cause you know, there’s probably people at home just like you and they’re like, I’m going to run with some people and you know, that’s how these run clubs and crews start with one person saying, you know, who wants to head out for a run with me?

[00:27:21] You’re onto something.

[00:27:26] Stephanie: [00:27:26] Yeah. Maybe I will consider it. Cause I love parkrun. Like parkrun was the only thing that could drag me out of bed on a Saturday morning. However or not, I was going to run that park. Um, I, yeah, I, I do really like running clubs and maybe, maybe that is a shell. Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:27:41] Kim: [00:27:41] What are you doing? Are you doing anything else other than running to stay fit?

[00:27:47] Because I don’t think gyms are not open there. Right? 

[00:27:49] Stephanie: [00:27:49] No gyms had been closed since locked, locked down before knocked down months. I actually built my own home gym because I was so fed up of, um, Them closing and then [00:28:00] opening and closing and an opening. I built my own home gym. So I’m doing lots of strength work during the week.

[00:28:05] Um, yoga really got into yoga in January. I love me some yoga, um, and cycling. I got back into cycling, uh, during lockdown and one last year. So I’ve really been enjoying cycling 

[00:28:20] Kim: [00:28:20] Peloton. 

[00:28:22] Stephanie: [00:28:22] No I’m working on it. I’m working on getting the Peloton. Yeah. Everyone 

[00:28:28] Kim: [00:28:28] has a Peloton. I’m like, what is the big deal with this Peloton bike?

[00:28:32] Goodness, 

[00:28:33] Stephanie: [00:28:33] what it is about it, but it captivates me. I want one, I’m going to get it’s on my list. Some list of things to acquire. Um, but now I cycled out on the roads. That’s like a lot on the roads. I’m quite lucky in that where I live is surrounded by farms and Hills and green spaces. So going on a bike ride, especially when the weather’s nice, this is.

[00:28:54] Such a good experience. 

[00:28:56] Kim: [00:28:56] That’s nice when you live outside of the city and you know, you [00:29:00] can experience, uh, fresh air and just open roads. Yeah. Yeah. I follow these girls on, um, YouTube, like Lydia Millan and Patricia Bright and, um, you know, they’re always going for these long walks in the countryside and I love it.

[00:29:18] And the wellies. 

[00:29:19] Stephanie: [00:29:19] Oh, yeah, 

[00:29:22] Kim: [00:29:22] I know. I know they’re called wellies. Now you yacht. It’s the tall boots by like, we only have like Hunter. I know you guys have Hunter. I have like a couple of pair of those, but I only bought them for style, not for like the mud.

[00:29:37] Stephanie: [00:29:37] I know, 

[00:29:39] Kim: [00:29:39] I hear that rubber boots that we wear for style in the States, they call wellies, 

[00:29:46] Stephanie: [00:29:46] I’ve got, I’ve got pairs of hugs and I’m like this. It’s not cold enough.

[00:29:53] It’s so extra. 

[00:29:56] Kim: [00:29:56] Oh, Jesus could be my jam, man. I had like 10 pairs in so many