Turning 50, mountains on the mind, and no longer chasing a single “peak.” In this solo chat, Rich guides Andy through Part 1 of his origin story - from Bristol roots, rugby and Scouts, to pub-life chaos, backpacking the world, moving to Spain, and becoming a Dad.

Andy shares why “peaking” is a myth, how running taught him to love the process, why depth beats width, and how gratitude and positive psychology re-framed the last decade.

He also connects the dots between ADHD, spontaneity, job-hopping, and the old chase for dopamine.

Part 2 (coming soon) dives into the Spain years and his evolving relationship with alcohol.

Highlights

• 50th reflections: joy > happiness, journey > destination
• Peaks & valleys: why the high is brief and what to do after
• ADHD threads: rejection sensitivity, spontaneity, and work
• Parenting, purpose, and simplifying life for more depth

If this resonates: follow, rate, and share with a friend who’s redefining midlife.

On the eve of Andy’s 50th, Rich and Andy welcome Kelly Harman for a grounded conversation about turning a so-called midlife crisis into a midlife awakening. Kelly shares how removing alcohol gave her clarity to recognise misalignment in career and relationships, and why she’s now building Fire & Soul around values-led work and trauma-informed conscious connected breathwork.

Together we translate the science into plain English - how stress “shortens” the breath, what a safe, facilitated session looks like (including breath analysis, acupressure and affirmations), and how polyvagal theory helps you spot when you’re in green/amber/red and use the breath to return to calm. You’ll get a live 4-7-8 downshift you can use before meetings or bedtime, a practical chat on running and breathing (nasal vs. mouth and why easy runs should feel easy), and a look at modelling alcohol-free norms for kids and schools.

We close with smart guidance on choosing accredited facilitators in a fast-growing space and a reminder that midlife isn’t a cliff; it’s a powerful pivot when habits match your values.

HOW TO WORK WITH ANDY AND RICH - Check out the Website - take-a-cleanbreak.com and grab a 30 day FREE Group Coaching experience with our Silver Starter membership.

Coaching the Ego: Acceptance, Consistency, Adaptation

Rain on the skylight, a snotty nose, and a missed run—perfect conditions for an ego flare-up. In Ep22, Andy and Rich get brutally honest about the ego we all carry and how to coach it rather than let it coach us.

We dismantle the “minimum 5K” myth, dig into why easy ≠ pointless, and show how the 80/20 split + Zone 2 protects the only sessions that need to be hard: your long run and your quality workout. We talk practical execution—leave 1–2 reps in the tank, keep your intervals even—and map that to the body’s energy systems (ATP/CP, lactate, aerobic) so gains compound instead of stall.

Rich shares a 5K PB (–16s) while running less weekly mileage than his last block, thanks to truly easy recovery and a smarter plan. Andy opens up about moving back to the UK, training for Valencia, and the mindset swings that come with ADHD, self-worth, and FOPO (fear of people’s opinions). There’s a shout to first-timers lining up in Berlin, a debrief on inclusivity vs elitism in big-city marathons (rhino suit memories included), and a riff on The Power of Now—why chasing outcomes can’t fill the hole the ego promises it will.

If you run, you’re a runner. Your job? Acceptance. Consistency. Adaptation. Ours? Giving you the plan and the community to make that stick.

In this episode

• Coaching the ego: from comparison to acceptance
• 80/20 & Zone 2: the science behind running slow to run fast
• Quality sessions that stay quality (stop burning all your matches)
• PBs on lower mileage, and why it works
• Gatekeeping, FOPO, and building an inclusive running culture
• Brick-by-brick progress: cutback weeks and long-game thinking