The Thickness - tales of grit, growth and glory
Sep 28, 2026 · 37 min · 11 segments
The advice every runner needs when motivation disappears: slow down, stop chasing numbers, and remember why you started.In this honest solo episode, Niall shares how he nearly fell out of love with…
There's something I've been thinking about a lot lately.
That is that sometimes you can work really hard towards something that you actually forget why you started doing it in the first place, you know.
And I think that's probably where I found myself lately with running, especially after the Ultra.
You know, I'd spent months folding towards the Blue Stack Ultra.
Months and months.
Training, running, jiu-jitsu, long runs, fueling, gear, worrying, second-guessing, and doing all the things that you're supposed to do.
And then eventually...
And eventually it was over, just like that, you know.
And I deliberately at that stage took two weeks off after the ultra.
And I wanted to let the body recover, you know.
It needed time.
I needed time.
And after the two weeks, the plan was straightforward enough.
Get back run.
Simple.
Keep building the momentum.
When I started running again, I just...
I just fucking hated it.
And I won't lie, I was not enjoying it.
I don't know why.
But running felt like a chore.
It felt like something I had to do.
It's going out because I felt like I should be going out running rather than You know, it being something that I wanted to go and do.
And the more I wanted to enjoy it, the more I was putting off runs.
There's something I've been thinking about a lot lately.
That is that sometimes you can work really hard towards something that you actually forget why you started doing it in the first place, you know.
And I think that's probably where I found myself lately with running, especially after the Ultra.
You know, I'd spent months folding towards the Blue Stack Ultra.
Months and months.
Training, running, jiu-jitsu, long runs, fueling, gear, worrying, second-guessing, and doing all the things that you're supposed to do.
And then eventually...
And eventually it was over, just like that, you know.
And I deliberately at that stage took two weeks off after the ultra.
And I wanted to let the body recover, you know.
It needed time.
I needed time.
And after the two weeks, the plan was straightforward enough.
Get back run.
Simple.
Keep building the momentum.
When I started running again, I just...
I just fucking hated it.
And I won't lie, I was not enjoying it.
I don't know why.
But running felt like a chore.
It felt like something I had to do.
It's going out because I felt like I should be going out running rather than You know, it being something that I wanted to go and do.
And the more I wanted to enjoy it, the more I was putting off runs.
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