Runbelievable: Real Runners, Unreal Stories

Ep 8: From Cotton Tees to Confidence: Nicole’s Robinson's Fearless Running Journey

• Josh Rischin • Season 1 • Episode 8

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Episode Description

Some running stories start with a race. Nicole’s started with a pair of worn Reeboks and a cotton T-shirt.

The day before her 40th birthday, she went for her first jog; a spontaneous decision that changed everything. From San Rafael to New York, Nicole discovered how running could rebuild confidence, reshape body image, and connect her to a global community.

In this funny, fearless, and deeply human episode, Joshie and Matty chat with Nicole about juggling hypoglycaemia, recovering from a stress fracture, and the kind of race-day mishaps you just can’t make up.

In this episode:

  • How Nicole’s first 5K sparked a lifelong love of running
  • Managing hypoglycaemia while training and racing
  • Finding connection through international run clubs
  • Rebuilding after injury and rediscovering confidence
  • Rituals (cough; superstitions) and what’s on her running horizon

Runbelievable: real runners, unreal stories.

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Got a Runbelievable story or interested in being a guest on the show? Hit us up on socials or email us at joshua@runbelievable.au

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Matty:

Um a br that they've got leaves in clumps on branches, and one was hanging low and it hit me in the eye. The open eye. You run with one eye open and one eye shut. No, I I just didn't see it. I see what you mean. Yeah, and and kept running. Um, and then I thought, hold on a second, I can feel like a lump on my eye. I came home and um had a look in the mirror, and to me, it looked like half my eye was missing, and I panicked, like I really panicked, and made her call an ambulance.

Joshie:

Hello everybody and welcome to Unbelievable, the podcast where everyday runners share their not-so everyday story. I'm your host, Josh Trichin, and I'm here to bring you stories of grit, glory, and overcoming adversity. Each episode, we'll dive deep into what first got people running and what kept them lacing up day after day. From the laughs and the lessons to 65 kilometre an hour headwinds, we're here to share what makes running a truly human experience. I can see you laughing, Maddie. And later in this episode, you'll meet a runner who shakes off gashes and broken bones like it's merely a fly on the face, and I can't wait to hear her story. Maddie, welcome back. Now, as co-host, you typically don't get to share. I'm sorry I interrupted you there.

Matty:

Um, how are you? Yeah, I'm good, thank you. I'm just I'm just thinking of 65 kilometre headwinds. Um it's quite quite a regular thing that we experience.

Joshie:

It is indeed. Now, look, uh, I must admit, as co-host, uh you typically don't get much of an opportunity to share that much about yourself. Now, I've had a couple of listeners suggest that we sprinkle in a little bit about ourselves. So if you don't mind, are you happy to share what's on the agenda for you, say next year, running-wise? Is there anything in particular, you know, goal-related that you've got your site set on?

Matty:

So I am someone that's very organized. So you can see well, you can't see, but within my phone, I have um a page of notes, which is 2026 um events. So I think I've got about six in there. There's halves and there's one full. Um so I I have been thinking that I want to run a full marathon next year and would like to run Gold Coast. Um I also I'm not finished with half marathons though either. So um I'm pretty much at the beginning of half marathons, so I'm learning lessons every time I run one. And I really want to sort of chase that. I want to go under 145 or 145 and under, I should say. Um yeah, to chase that um and and see how I go. But I also want to, I've started doing a bit more speed work as well because I want to um throw in not so much in an event or a race, it could be a park run. Um, I want to start seeing if I can go under that 20-minute um 5k.

Joshie:

Oh, that magical barrier.

Matty:

That's right.

Joshie:

Yeah, yeah. Oh, jeez. Uh I'm I'm impressed. Gosh, you sound incredibly awful. Feel like I could instill some of that discipline here. Gosh, you got a tab for 2026 goals. Have you got a tab for today's chore list as well? Yeah, mate.

Matty:

Yeah, yeah. I set reminders every day of things I need to do and get done. So yeah.

Joshie:

Oh, I love that. Um, okay, so let's get into the unbelievable rundown. And just a reminder, this is where we share highlights, mishaps, little wins, the kind of stuff that Strava simply can't capture. Now, I mentioned that today's guest has some weird and wacky injuries, which made me a little bit curious about yourself, Maddie, because you're hardly immune to these weird and wonderful injuries yourself. Now, look, in addition, and it's all this year, by the way, in addition to having a gash leg from running with your phone in your pocket and being bitten by an on-lead dog. Earlier this year, you somehow managed to run into a tree branch. How on earth did that happen?

Matty:

Yeah, so I went for a night run. Um I'm trying to think of when it was. It must have been the beginning of um the cooler season, so it was cooling down. I went um for a run just locally um and was running under some, I think they're Pointiana trees. And um that they've got leaves in clumps on branches, and one was hanging low, and it hit me in the eye, uh the open eye, like I didn't close it. And um I thought you actually run with one eye open and one eye shut. No, but like normally I'd flinch or move or something. I just didn't see it.

Joshie:

Um I see what you mean.

Matty:

Yeah, and and kept running. Um, and then I thought, hold on a second, um, I can feel like a lump on my eye, and it's starting to feel like this wasn't a sting, it was more of a pain. Um, so I stopped and called my wife and said, Look, I need you to come and pick me up. And when she saw it, she goes, Okay, uh, we're gonna have to go to emergency. And I came home and um had a look in the mirror, and to me, it was just the colour of the eye, so it was extremely red. Um, and there was a bit of like grey and around the iris, and like in a bit of a V, and it looked like half my eye was missing, like I'd taken a chunk out of the eyeball. Um, and I panicked, like I really panicked, and made her call an ambulance. Um, very dramatic, very dramatic. And got the ambulance basically called back and said, Look, we're pretty busy, um, we don't think it's necessary. So I went up to emergency and thinking, you know, I've lost half my eye, and uh, what's gonna happen? I'm gonna have to go on for surgery. And went in and they said, You've got a hematoma on your eye, they're very common, it'll go away in about two to three days.

Joshie:

So after all that, oh gosh. But yeah, I can be able to do that. Listen to this bit of a profile of your actually that reminds me. I remember being on this like cub count, uh, not cub count, sorry. Um what is it called? Scouts, cub camp. That's the word I'm looking for. And oh my gosh, Maddie, we're on this hike, and all of a sudden, there's this massive pool of blood in my sock, my shoes soaked through. I'm like, oh my god, and I start panicking, I like lie down. And I remember the the uh cub camp leader just came over and he was like, you know, medic. And so take my shoe off, it's like it's white shoes, and it's like completely covered in blood. They take my sock off, and then one of the guys who was also one of the um one of the uh cubs took his top off and like does his compression. Oh no, no, he he he had mercy on me. He just applied like a compression bandage, yeah. And so they eventually unwrap this thing after applying for ages and they start like dabbing away all the blood to get to the source of the wound, and it turns out I'd like just been bitten by a leech. And then the cubcap uh leader suddenly just screams out, can we have a band-aid?

Matty:

You thought you were in World War III.

Joshie:

Next thing you know you need a band-aid, yeah. Oh man, so no, I'm not gonna poke any more fun at you for being dramatic because I have been there myself. Oh, geez. Look, we better keep moving. We have a guest patiently waiting for us. Now, Maddie, I'm going to be somewhat generous today and give you another crack at Shoe Am I. Okay. Now, just to remember, uh, remember, just a reminder, Maddie, that the objective of Shoe Am I is to guess the make and model of a shoe. I'm going to give you up to five clues, five points if you correctly guess after one clue, four points after two clues, so on and so forth. Now I also realise, Maddie, that if you get this after one or two guesses, it means that people playing along at home won't be able to complete the game. That's too bad. Yeah. Or what I was going to suggest is write your answer down when you think, and I'm obviously trusting you here, when you think you have an answer, and then we'll keep playing through until the end. I'm sure this will all work once we go through this. So let's just get stuck straight into it with clue number one. Shoe am I. I was released in 2024 with a retail price of 300 US dollars, which is roughly 460 Australian dollars. Did you want to have a go?

Matty:

Actually, no, if you think there were only a couple of shoes that went over the 400.

Joshie:

That's true. Now, I'll tell you what, don't I just remember, don't scream out the answer. I think you've got it. No, no, no, won't. If you think you've got it, say so and write your answer down. And what I'll get you to do is there a way you can hold up the answer in front of your phone so I can see it after you're going to get it. You might not be able to read my I can see that. What we'll do is we will continue right along.

Matty:

Okay. There's another one and I can't remember it.

Joshie:

Clue number two. With a stack height of get this, 50 millimeters, I was definitely not legal. Maddie's already had a go. No, you can't. I can see you trying to. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just gonna write it down. Yep. You're done and dusted, my friend.

Matty:

Yeah.

Joshie:

Do you think you're right, by the way?

Matty:

With your answer. I don't know, because I don't know if it was that much money, but clue number three.

Joshie:

I weight a whopping 306 grand. Oh standard, I know these sound like clodhoppers. Standard men's size nine. Do you think you're correct, by the way? Yeah, I know it now. Yeah, yeah. You know it. Write down your second answer. Show it to me.

Matty:

Yeah, yeah.

Joshie:

So um I do apologize. This is an audio podcast, so I do apologize for listeners that you will not be able to see what Matt is writing down, but all will be revealed at the end. I'll let you write that down. The bottom one. We'll keep moving right now. Wow. Actually, show that again. Your handwriting is terrible. Oh mate, I can't write. Yeah. And no, I don't think you're correct with that one. Okay. Clue number four. My midsole boasts Light Strike Pro Foam with energy core and dual carbon plates.

Matty:

Oh, yep, yep, yep. I know it now. I hundred percent know it. Well, I'll tell you what, after that.

Joshie:

But you gave it away. You gave it away with the foam. With the foam? Oh, with the foam. Well, you know, well, it's the fourth clue. There's only one more to go. So I'll tell you what, I'll give you the last clue. Clue number five. With comfort in mind, my upper was made from technology called strung. So Maddie's.

Matty:

Yeah. Adidas strung too.

Joshie:

It is indeed, yeah. Adidas 80, strung two. Now, you had a crack after one clue, and I think you wrote Sicconi Elite.

Matty:

Yeah, because they were the I think the first ones that came out that were over $400, and they were 415 or 420. And then when you mentioned in terms of the stack height, I went the Puma Fast and then the Hawker.

Joshie:

So zero points for you, Maddie. How did you go at home? Feel free to let us know. Today's guest lined up for her very first run the day before her 40th birthday. In worn reebox and a cotton t-shirt, I might add. Since then, running has taken her places that she never expected, across continents, through challenges, and right into a community that's reshaped how she sees herself. She's faced setbacks, found confidence, and built rituals, or should I say superstitions, that keep her focused. Her story is every bit as comical as it is fearless, and a reminder that every runner's journey starts somewhere. Please let's all welcome Nicole Robinson.

Matty:

Welcome.

Nicole:

Thanks, guys.

Joshie:

Not a problem, Nick. Now, tell us about that first run. What sparked your decision? What do you remember about your first run?

Nicole:

Um, we had moved overseas um to a lovely little place um called Marin County, which is a very expensive county to live in, just outside San Francisco. And my husband Craig is a runner from way back, and he decided to get back into it. It's fitness when we're over there. And so I thought, oh, you know, I've been running at the gym on a treadmill, you know, how hard can this road running thing be? So yeah, it turned out that the um day before I turned 40, there was this 5k race in our local downtown community, San Rafael. And we signed up for it. And like I said, Craig was getting back into running, so he didn't have any fancy gear either. But yeah, I rock up in my old reebox that I've been wearing to the gym and you know, my cotton shirt, and I think I probably had a backpack as well. And I was just so happy because I didn't get lost, uh, even though it was in downtown. Um, I ran the whole thing and I think I finished in like 36 minutes or whatever, and it was a totally different experience to what I'd had running on a treadmill. Um, hadn't realized how different it was going to feel and the fact that I survived and felt good, and as we say, Craig created a monster. Um he didn't know what he was creating at the time. He may have since come to regret creating said monster. Um, but yeah, that that was it. And I thought, well, okay, this this running thing's pretty cool.

Joshie:

That's awesome. And so you you said that you started as a a treadmill runner. I don't I'm just trying to think if that's a a normal pro uh progression for people to go from running on treadmills to running on road. Maybe maybe it is. Um do I recall correctly that you've run potentially as far as surely not a half marathon on a treadmill.

Nicole:

Yeah. Um, except the thing was I wasn't a runner. I was a gym junkie, and I had no idea I was actually running that far. I had no idea how far a half miles one was. I just went to the gym with some workmates. Yeah, I just went to um the gym with some workmates, and we all just used to try and outdo one another on the treadmill.

Matty:

I've never run on one.

Nicole:

Oh, I can't do it anymore.

Matty:

Never ever stood on the treadmill.

Nicole:

Keep it that way.

Joshie:

I'll tell you what, if you want to have a laugh, and I'm and I shouldn't say a laugh because it is at someone else's expense, but geez, there are some incredible fails like treadmill fails that you can. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Nicole:

Yeah.

Joshie:

And often it's people just trying to do stupid shit, let's be honest. But um yeah, oh, I can't fathom Nicola half marathon on a treadmill.

Nicole:

Like I said, I had no idea. I was just a gym junkie and I hated doing weights. I, you know, I still hate doing weights at the gym, let's be honest. Um and so I would go and go on the treadmill. And first I wasn't running, but then I got into the running and it would get longer and longer, and then one of the guys I'd work with, he would turn up at the gym and he'd just saunter over and have a look at how far I'd gone and how fast I was going, and give me a thumbs up and go, You're good. And then you know, sometimes my other workmates, if you're on same shift, would turn up and yeah, it just became something like we did. I hadn't, like I said, I had no idea.

Matty:

Yeah, you didn't know any different, yeah.

Nicole:

Yeah, yeah.

Joshie:

Now you've lived in quite a few places, both Australia and overseas, from San Rafael, if I recall correctly, to New York. That's right. How did running help you find connection wherever you were?

Nicole:

Um, that's a really good question because as you guys know, um, we don't have kids. And so moving overseas when you don't have children, to when you when you move overseas and you have kids, you have no choice because you've got to organise their schooling. You you are forced to meet people whether you want to or not. Whereas for us, the people we were meeting were the members of the complex we were living in, Craig's work community. Um, and when I got my work visa, my work community. But um when we got into running, in particular the um trial running community, it opened up um another sort of like friendship group to us. And while we mightn't have socialized a lot with these people, it ended up that we got so into the running over there. We were seeing these people every weekend, sometimes two days in a row. Um and that became that sort of became our like one group in particular, they're called Brazen Racing. Um, we got heavily into their events, they're very well organized, very family-oriented for everyone events. Um, and they sort of became our racing family overseas.

Matty:

I love that. Yeah, that's brilliant. I think um, I think like running communities for me, and what you know, what I see is you've got like-minded people um who do the same thing. Um, and that's what I that's what I love about it. You you you're in the same thing, you do the same thing, you talk the same thing, you are the same.

Nicole:

Yeah, yeah, and and often you're all questioning your life choices at the same point in time. But yeah, to the point, yeah, I'd say they're like running community to the point where we met this lovely couple, um, Richard and Christina Jennings. And what you're gonna remember here, guys, is we were in our 40s, um, these guys were in their 60s, and they're still winning their age groups. And they were so cute because they'd run together and hold hands crossing the finish line. And I had to laugh when I joined Strava like years ago. You know, we left, we came back here, we said goodbye to our running community, a phenomenal running event they had over there. Um and they were my first followers on Strava.

Joshie:

Yeah, that's running across the oh my gosh, I'm gonna ask Nat to do that with me. I I have no doubt that she'll say no, but I uh absolutely have to ask the question.

Nicole:

It wasn't just one race, it was every race. And if one of them got injured or something, then the other would stay and just yeah, they're just they're just lovely, they're really cute, really lovely couples.

Matty:

That's awesome. Yeah, I love that. Love it. That is fantastic.

Joshie:

Now, look, Nicole, you've talked about how running's influenced how you see yourself, um, especially around you know, body image and the like. What would you say has changed for you since those early days and how running has sort of helped foster how you see yourself?

Nicole:

Um, I'd say probably when I first got into running, um, because right before we like I've always had body image issues. It goes back to when I was a kid. I'd say I probably started in about probably grade four or five at primary school. But nobody talked about it those days. Um, and so I've had stages in my life where I've either been underweight or a lot overweight. And I think running came into play for me because before we moved overseas, I'd hit my max weight. I was nearly 80 kilos. Um and that wasn't a good look on me because as you both know, I'm not overly blessed with height. Um so, and it was starting to border unhealthy. So Craig had been working overseas a lot and he went on one trip, and I just decided that's it. I don't want to look like this anymore. And I took myself off to Jenny Craig and started my journey on re-educating myself about food as well as the training. Um, might have taken it on board a bit too much to the point where when we were moving overseas with the stress of moving overseas and everything that was going on there, I'd actually lost 10Ks more than my goal weight. And they were thinking was sending me to, if I lost any more, they were going to send me to a psychiatrist. And I'm like, um, no, it's okay. I am actually eating. I'm just exercising a lot. And I've got an international movie to organize, which can be quite stressful. Um, so yeah, I'd say like that came into play. So I kept up the healthy eating for a bit overseas. Um, but yeah, when I started running, I was I was definitely quicker because I was weighing less, but I was probably when I started my journey, I was probably under an underweight runner, surviving on basically uh diet Pepsi and 90 calorie bars, which isn't good race fueling, I can tell you. Um and then I sort of had to rethink that um and take it from there. But I'd say it's probably only since I've really moved back to Australia, been back six years, that I reached a point, and we're moving back, I was weighing myself three times a day, and it just got ridiculous, and I said, no, I'm just not gonna do that anymore. And so I don't step on a scale now unless I absolutely have to for a medical appointment.

Joshie:

Yeah.

Nicole:

I do try to eat healthy, but let's face it, I've never met an unhealthy snack I didn't like. Um so I've learned to balance out, especially during marathon training, like when you're doing the 30k long lines and stuff like that, that's when you have the cheap night and you come home and you have the pizza and the glass of wine with dinner, and then when you're not doing as much, you go back to your routine of trying to eat healthy and stuff like that. And I think, particularly overseas, because Americans can stuff up bread. Let's face it, I don't know how you can stuff up one of the basic staple foods so spectacularly, but oh boy, did they stuff it spectacularly? Um, and because we're in California, I also the takeaway I got addicted to there wasn't all their fast fatty food joints, it was like really good Mexican. Um so that was you know one of the things we used to have was really good Mexican close by. So really sort of that was like a go-to food as well. Um and I think part of the reason I didn't eat much over there is because you know you couldn't get Alan's lollies or any of the things I really liked without you know having to sell the kidney. So that probably helped. But yeah, so it's just learning about now doing it even this week. It's like, okay, so I was up the coast last night with some girlfriends, and okay, so eat healthy through the day, try not too much because you know you're gonna go out and have a lovely meal with these ladies, and just yeah, and always constantly in the back of my mind, like, yeah, okay, I've had this recent injury, so I haven't been able to run as much, so let's go to the gym and do some solid sessions. So you're still burning calories because you're still taking in calories. Um, so I don't calorie count as such, but I sort of do try to have a balance um of good and bad. And like we eat a lot of vegetables in this house, which is the good. And there are certain foods I don't have in the house. Like I have chips that Craig likes, I don't buy the flavour I like because impulse control, you know, you'd sit down to eat one serving and oh look, a packet would be gone. And so, yeah, yeah, some foods I'm really good around and I can have in the house, and some I deliberately choose not to have because I know it overindulge.

Matty:

And there's probably out there, Nicole, there's probably a lot of people that uh have a similar experience um in terms of what you're talking about with body image, and it's a huge thing in this day and age, especially with young kids as well. But I think um, and I learnt the hard way because I, you know, I have always wanted to be lighter so I could run faster. Um, but nutrition is so important. So and it's not it's not just nutrition, it's about education of what to eat, when to eat, how to eat. Um it's huge.

Nicole:

Yeah, it is huge, and for me, I think I was telling you, Josh, it's still a struggle because I was doing, you know, I think I told you, I was um passing out after some of my longer runs, my quicker runs, and I was going what's called hypoglycemic. I didn't have enough sugar in my system.

Joshie:

Yeah, okay.

Nicole:

Um, and so I had to rethink my fueling, and it's only since I've started, you know, I haven't done that many marathons. Um it's only since I really started training for them and doing them that I've forced myself to take the fuel on board because I'd run a half marathon without gel or anything. I'd have water and stuff for water stations, but I wouldn't, you know, I'd run it on half a banana beforehand and no gels because that was just how I rolled.

Joshie:

Yeah. I mean, that's an added layer of complexity that I guess most of us don't have to worry about. I mean, with your hypoglycemia, is that something that you found um easier to work with the more that you've understood how your body responds to different foods?

Nicole:

Yeah, because it it's pretty scary. Um and I think because you can't, it's one of those things where you feel fine at the end of the race, and then all of a sudden you're not fine, and I'd turn around and say, Okay, I don't feel and then I'll be on the ground.

Joshie:

Oh, really?

Nicole:

You know, people leaning over going, Do you want me? I'm like, no, just give me some sugar and I'll be fine. Um, but and then I learned that okay, I can't do that anymore. So I'm going to have to take uh I got into Harborough gummy bears, little tiny satchets of them. And so I'd carry them when I run and I wouldn't feel like it, but halfway through I'd have one of those and solve the problem, be fine. So it hasn't happened in ages, which is good. Um and that's so I've learned that okay, so number one, you have to eat a bit more before you go out for a big training session. You have to do your fueling, um, especially on race day. That's just you know, and especially Craig's really good at pacing, and he's also really good at pacing me, and that he'll say, Okay, we're eight Ks and you haven't had a gel, you have to have that gel. I know you don't want to, but you have to take that gel. And he'll be really on at me about that because unfortunately he's a person who's had to deal with me when I haven't at the end.

Joshie:

It sounds like there isn't much that will keep you down, Nicole, whether it's hyperglycemia or or injuries. I mean, every runner's got a story that makes people say, You did what? Now, when I sat down before this um conversation today, you shared no less than three stories of something crazy that's happened to you on a run. And I I absolutely need to hear more about your Angel Island experience. Wow. Yes.

Nicole:

That's yeah. Um, Angel Island is an old quarantine station off the coast of um San Francisco. It's it's closer to where I used to live in Marin County, and you can't you can only get there by ferry. And these lovely people, um uh Urban Coyote had a race there one time, and we signed up together and we did it, and it was great. And I always wanted to go back and do it again. And this was just as we were we knew we were leaving, and it was on the bucket list of things to complete before we went home because you could spend the whole day over at Angel Island, go swimming. There's like a little quarantine station tour you can do. They take you around a little train, it's cute, beautiful running trails and a little canteen. So we'd we'd signed up for this race, we'd got the ferry over, everything was going good before the run, talking about what we're gonna do that day. Had you know bags with beach towels, snacks, stuff in it. And so um, we were we were, you know, we started the run and it's going okay, and it's going okay. And then I think probably at about the last mile and a half, I was getting a bit annoyed at myself, going, Okay, you're not running as good as you want to be. You're not gonna be third girl across the finish line. You're not even gonna place in your age group. What is wrong with you, Robinson? Pull your crap together and we just come around a beautiful band where you look out and you cross the bay and here's San Francisco, and it's absolutely sorry about hand gestures, absolutely gorgeous. Um, and you had to duck up and under this tree. I ducked under and up, I ducked under, but I came up too quick and smacked my head. Now um I was I don't run in caps, I wear visors. I was wearing a visor and I thought, oh, it's one of those ones where instant pain. I'm like, oh man, that really hurt, you know? Oh man. So I put my hand up to my face and I'm like, see blood, and I'm like, oh man, I think I've broken my nose. Oh, that's right. And I'm like, well, what am I gonna do? You know, I've got to finish oh, I'll be fine, I'll finish. So luckily I didn't black out or see stars or anything. Anyway, so I keep going and like probably about 300 meters down the track, the guy in front of me, I could see him. He was like, he sort of did his tumble. He sort of went like he was gonna trip and he didn't. I yelled out, mate, are you all right? And he didn't look back and he waved over his shoulder and went, Yeah, I'm good, keep going. He kept going. Anyway, I crossed the finish line, having no idea what I look like, and all I can hear is medic, medic, medic, go to the medic. So I went to the medic and here's Craig getting his wrist bandage. He's finished before me. And I look at him and go, What's wrong with you? And Craig just went white, like the whitest shade of white. And he just thought, You better sit down. I ended up with 16 stitches in my head. I've still got the scar up here. Um yeah, and apparently I looked like something from The Walking Dead. We actually, I can't find it, otherwise I'll give it to you. Um, there's a photo of my visor after it was a pink visor, it was red with blood. And of course, I had blood all down my face and everything. It was quite hilarious. And they were um, so the medic is patching me up and he didn't put the stitches in, I got them later. But you know, when they see the cartoon characters and they have the big bandage wrapped around their heads, yeah. That's what they did to me, and it was pretty tight, it was pretty funny. And then he's saying, and I'm saying, okay, so you know, after this, he's like, Hey, getting home, and I'm like, Well, we're gonna walk to the ferry, and obviously, well, my day's been wrong, but I'll walk to the ferry and we'll go home from here. And he's going, You're not walking anywhere. Yeah. And I went, Oh, and I'm saying to him, I'm not gonna need stitches, am I? Because you know, I really hate stitches. And he's going, You might be getting some stitches. And um, so, but they were also really funny because this is a national park, right? And they're saying, So, where where was the tree? And we're about to record. So I think that tree's days, I never got to go back and see if that tree's days were numbered, but I think that tree was gonna go. And you know, the funniest thing was we're sitting on the ferry on the way home, and the people are looking at me going, Oh my god, are you all right? You're a little girl who fell. And I'm like, Yeah, fine, don't worry, I'm still gonna have to dinner with friends. And we did.

Matty:

Oh wow.

Nicole:

Yeah. But yeah, it was just one of the th I I had no idea what I looked like until I actually got to a medical center and they actually sent me to a bathroom with some wipes and said, Um, can you just clean a bit of the blood off? Yeah.

Matty:

Oh my god.

Joshie:

So clearly that wasn't enough of an experience for you because something very similar happened, I believe, at Wandai um years later.

Nicole:

Yeah, it wasn't the head this time. Managed to avoid that. Yep. One day trail run. Um, that's only the second time we did it. And, you know, I I like trail running. It's it's fun. You walk up hills, you run down. You know, not I don't rock it down like I used to, obviously. Um, but yeah, and so probably again, last part of the race, probably only about 3k from home. Um, you're running, and they do tell you before the race, they said, look, this this trail will try and cue you. It's pretty, it's actually it's a not a lot of elevation, but it's technical in that you're running on a biking trail, a BMX bike trail. So there's lots of ups and downs. So again, I'd come up and down, just put a foot wrong, and I was at the stage where I didn't have a phone when I ran. I had my old iPod and it was attached like with an iPod holder on my left arm. And for some reason I fell on my left arm and my shoulder took a heavy hit, and it was in stinky mud because it had been raining before. Come in and a bit dirty, and it was but luckily it was near an A station, and this lady knew she just knew what to get me going. She goes, Okay, you can pull out if you want. Are you alright? And I said, I'm fine, just dignity so it. And she's like, Well, if you get up and keep going, you'll be the third female. And I'm like, Right, I'm on it. Podium fine. Yeah, you don't see it. So I got up, I crossed the finish line, I got my little third trophy. This picture of me up on the podium with my arm kind of like hugged to my body and all dirty and smelly and my smelly shirt and everything. And we just thought, like, because it didn't, it didn't bruise, it was a little sore, a bit awkward. So we just thought, oh well, Craig had a physio appointment on a Monday. We thought, oh, I'll just take that physio appointment, Josh will pap make a kid, no damage done. So again, showered, yeah, getting me a sports bar off was a bit fun, but managed it. Got changed, went to dinner. Um, next day got up, ran the 10k. Um, you know, that felt pretty alright too. Um, I was just pretty conscious of okay, dag arm can't move much, but you know, this arm's alright, I'll I can still do this. So we did that, and we drove all the way home, and then I think I got the physio appointment, and he took one look at it and he went, Yeah, you've broken a bone in your shoulder, you're in a sling.

Matty:

Oh wow.

Nicole:

So yeah, I turned up to training on the Tuesday with my trophy under my arm in a sling.

Joshie:

God what a just a wonderful tale of resilience. My goodness. And still loving it, and still still loving it. So if this person hadn't informed you that you were the third female, would you have pulled the pin? Like, was it God no?

Nicole:

I was gonna finish. God no, no, that was just a bonus. It was just, it was just, you know, I seriously like again, like I had a bit of bark off me, no bruising, you know, nothing to majorly think, no swelling, nothing to think I'd done anything. And I'm just like, oh my god, how embarrassing. I have to get to, you know, um, you know, have to get out of here. Um so yeah, so now when I do one day no do the trail, there are very strict stipulations from certain certain party in our household. Yes.

Joshie:

So you're not allowed to break your arm again.

Nicole:

No, I'm not allowed to break things. I have to slow down and watch where I'm going more.

Joshie:

Now, look, uh I say that it's impossible to keep you down, but unfortunately, you have had a rather unfortunate stress fracture that has kept you on on the sidelines of late. Firstly, how's the league feeling and how's it responding to getting back into running?

Nicole:

Um, it's it's actually feeling really good today. I haven't run today, I'm being a good girl. Um because I had a meeting with um Coach Margot Manning from In Training um on Thursday to go through my next marathon plan. Because I actually did it on that stupid, horrible Hornybrook Bridge, week one into a very long, long marathon training plan. Um which is good that I did it when I did. Um so yeah, it's it's responding quite well, but I have been told that I've probably been doing too much too soon and to rein it in. So I am taking that on board. Um and is it bad when you're happy to hear a coach tell you you don't have to do too much too soon? That made me a very happy girl.

Matty:

I think we're all the same.

Nicole:

Yeah, that made me very happy on that so night. Um so but yeah, it's it's good. I admit I um I probably will see if I can get a bone density scan, given that this one was probably the one that's out of all the stupid things I've done to myself, this is probably the one that got to me the most. Um has forced me to take the most time off and has worried me the most in that I'm running when I run on it's only light, I'm running with a very light ankle support and compression socks. Now, I've run in compression socks before, but I got really got out of the habit. But I'm finding they're just really helping at the moment with everything. And I'm hoping as it gets a bit stronger that maybe I can lose the compressions and just keep the little like it's it's really like yeah, it's just a little slip-on brace, it goes over your sock, it's nothing huge. Um and I'll just probably keep that. But yeah, just to just to check out the bone strength and you know how how things are going there would probably be a good idea. But so far, everything's holding up well. Yeah.

Joshie:

You're pretty committed to your rehab, and you also didn't just sit on the sidelines. I know I said before that you've been on the sidelines, but you pretty much the following day got stuck straight back into the gym. You did whatever you could, whether it was getting on the bike, even just lightly. Um was it how how challenging was it to, I guess, try and find some kind of meaning or purpose through activities that aren't running?

Nicole:

Um, it probably given that I used to be a great gym junkie before, and knowing my love of any form of cardio I can possibly do, um it the hardest was probably the first two weeks. Um, and possibly the first four days were the hardest because I did it, you know, like I had uh I went and cheered you guys on and jetty to jetty and stuff. That's right. It was it was I think the hardest thing was actually to say when I actually got to the physio and came home with crutches in a moon boot. And Craig was upstairs and he he was on a work call. And so I had let myself in and he sort of yelled down over the banister, goes, How's it going? And I said, Come and see. I'm in, I'm on crutches in a moon boot. Um, that might have been the day I threw the pity party for myself. Um and then Josh, my beautiful physio, he had given me rehab exercise that I could start doing at home. He said, just start these the next day, just do as much or as little as you can, but I want you to do this, this, this, and this three times a day. And so I got straight into that. So that still felt good because I was still working some parts of my body. Yeah. And then I was lucky that I could go back to the gym really quickly. Like as soon as he said you can go to the gym, I went straight there on my, you know, I was on crutches and a moon boot when I walk in to join the gym. Doesn't everyone. And um they they just looked at me and I'm like, it's okay, here's my physio clearance, I can be here. Um, and yeah, it really saved me. Like pedaling to nowhere's been great because there was in in a way it forced me to have a break. My body, apart from the injury, probably needed.

Joshie:

Yeah.

Nicole:

Um, and it's been great. I think I've read about eight books, Pedaling to Nowhere at the Gym.

Matty:

Okay.

Joshie:

Wow. So you haven't just been sedentary, that's for sure. You know, when I saw you there at Jetty to Jetty in the Moon Boot, I thought, oh, she's having a crack. You know what? It wouldn't have surprised me if you still decided to have a go that day.

Nicole:

Well, look, I I would have, but I could have. And um, my physio might know, but my husband does. I did do a 5k in the moon boot. I did walk it.

Matty:

Oh, wow. Wow.

Joshie:

Was it hard to sit down?

Nicole:

I think it's a week before the moon boot came off.

Joshie:

Did you find it difficult at all to sit down and watch other people participating, especially given it would have been all so raw and so fresh for you at the time?

Nicole:

Um look, it was I I sort of kept those moments to myself. They were it was more like because I knew how hard my running crew, my girls had trained and were going to hit their goals. I was just really disappointed that I couldn't um like be out on course more to see some of them whether or achieving that. But I was just really happy to be there cheering them on at Sunny Coast and Jetty and see their amazing results and their hard work pay off. What got to me though was seeing my regular runners who I wave to on the path, whose names I don't know, you know, don't go to running with, just going past every day, going sitting there with the dog who loved the moon boot because it was a great place to rest your head but hated the crutches. Um and just seeing them run past every day, just wishing you could be out there doing that. Because see, this is the first time I've injured any part of my leg or my foot, which meant I couldn't walk at least when I did the head, when I did the arm, at least I could still go for a walk. Um so yeah, that's where it got me.

Matty:

How did Craig how did Craig find it? Um, because uh Craig being your partner and um you obviously run together, but then how did you find it as well? So both sides, how did he find it? But then how did you find it when he was going out?

Nicole:

Um I I'm lucky in that Craig is very supportive of me in most of the batshit crazy things I do, and is actually probably responsible for half the batshit crazy things I do. But um he's very good in that he's very selfless and paces me for a lot of races we do together. But in training, we don't ever run together.

Joshie:

Oh, okay.

Nicole:

He does he does his thing and I do mine. And I think he felt I think he sort of felt a bit guilty going out, but and he'd he'd say, you know, oh I'm gonna, you know, I've got a bit on today. And I'd be like, don't not run because of me. I want you to go out and do what you can do because you're doing a really good job. Like the first week and a half, he did everything around the house. He looked after the dog, he had to walk the dog, as well as working full-time, as well as training, um, doing everything, preparing meals because I couldn't do any of that. Um and so he just went into overdrive and was fantastic when he thought my medical team won't do enough for me. You know, he went into overprotective hubby mode, and um yeah, he was really great. So it was really important for him to keep running in that for his sanity because it was extra pressure on him than stuff he was to do. And Craig's job can be, you know, like he works for a company that operates around the world and the team he's in, he was having still having to get up at three o'clock sometimes to take a meeting with a different country, so it could be very difficult for him. So that's why it was important to keep him running. And I wanted him to get that because we both knew eventually I'd get to the stage where I could get back out there and do something. And I think he was almost as relieved as I was when he heard I could join the gym and go off to the gym.

Matty:

Now that's awesome, and that's how it kind of works, doesn't it? When you when you train, I guess, like like we sort of do, where it's every every day or every second day, whatever it may be, and long runs, you have to have that support, you have to have that encouragement and support from your partner. Um, it just wouldn't work.

Nicole:

No, and it's just like you know, I do worry about him because he goes out, you guys have seen his strawberry, he goes out in some crazy hot times because unfortunately that's the part of his day where he can fit that in. Um but yeah, no, it's yeah, so all in all, it's been a learning experience. But like I said, you know, once I got over the pity party, because you've got to look at some of our other running buddies and some of the horrendous, her truly horrendous things that have happened in their life and they just suck it up and get on. So, you know, it's like when things get hard, I just tell myself, hey, look at that person, suck it up, princess, get your shit together.

Joshie:

Yeah, yeah. It sounds like you also took a moment though to I think you said throw yourself a pity party. So, you know, you still acknowledge you still took the time to acknowledge that it sucked. I mean, it's yeah, it's it's still okay to go, you know, this is really shit. You know, other people are able to get out there and run and achieve their goals, and I'm sort of standing on the sidelines. And you know, some people find it easier to get through those tough times being around a community, such a good, you know, great community that running is then there are others that just find it hard that it almost reinforces how crap they're feeling. So good on you for um for still taking the time to I guess assess where you're at, um dedicate the time that you have into your rehabilitation, still being very much part of the running community, and you know, look, you're you're bouncing back, and I think you're doing an awesome job. And you're silently very um dedicated to your to your training, and there's you know, um, there's a lot that people don't know about how you know, I guess the commitment that you put into your into your running outside of just what we see on Strava. So I guess with all that being said, you know, you've you've put together a lot of time and effort into achieving goals and have subscribed to plans that have helped you get those outcomes. What would you say sits atop then is your proudest running moment, your proudest running achievement?

Nicole:

Um, it's probably not the race I did best in. Um, in that I probably could have pushed and run it slightly quicker, but I have to admit, last year's Berlin Marathon was a big one for me. Um I had a training plan, it went really well, I was doing well in it. Um again, it was from Margot, and when we went into it, she had a lot more faith in what I could do than I did. Um and I just remember being at the start line, I was a bit nervous. Craig started before me, he was a different corral, and but I'd also seen some in-training people who'd gone over with a different group and were doing, you know, different things to us as well. But I knew these people, I'd run with them on trail before and familiar faces. So it really was nice to see that familiar face at the start line, and you know, we kind of like to start together. But just even I hadn't actually run a whole marathon before that. I'd done two previously, which ended up having to be run walks and stuff like that. One, because my first one, I was halfway in and I got really bad leg cramps, which I'd never had in training. The second one was when we did New York in 2022, and instead of being freezing and having to wait around and freezing cold and rain for four hours, we were waiting around in a heat wave. Um and everyone had to adjust their expectations. And so that ended up being uh run walk as well. So I hadn't actually run the whole thing before, but in Berlin I ran all of it. I felt good, I felt happy. I just um well, I probably still went out too fast and I know I went out too fast at first hand, so I ran I knew I did it, so I reined it in. And then I just thought, you know what? I'm pretty sure I can do this and what I want to do this, but it's gonna be what it'll be. And I just really want to enjoy the experience of being here, even though I'm with 55,000 of my nearest and dearest people, and getting to an aid station is almost a contact sport. Um it was like, you know, like I said, I could have, could I, I could probably could have knocked another five seconds off what turned out to be a marathon PB for me if I hadn't have turned around at mile 36 to go back and get a cup of flat coke. Because I ran past it, not realizing what it was and went, oh, I want one of those and went back and got one. Um flat coke.

Joshie:

Is that what is that unusual thing that they put out at eight uh to eight stations?

Nicole:

Yeah, they do flat coke a bit, um, mainly overseas in the last stages. Yeah, and what you had to remember is it wasn't paper cups either, it was actual plastic cup that you had to grip, slug down, and then throw in one of the bins.

Matty:

It's not easy, yeah.

Nicole:

So no. And I look, I was so ecstatic and so happy with how I ran that I got to the finish line and it said, Oh, marathon PB, yay! And I'm like, Oh, that's excellent. And then I was so focused on finding Craig and the traveling fit group who are fantastic, who we went with. I forgot to ring a P Bell, PB bell, didn't even see it. And there are all these people getting stuff, and I'm like, oh, that must be the people who ordered the ponchos. No, that was your goodie bag for after the end. I I even forgot to get one of them. Just on that runners high. And so just and then so I was so focused then on finding my drop bag that I had, which I had some gummies and a banana in. And I was a good girl this time. I had taken all my gels on course and they all sat well, everything went fine. Um, and I was so focused on finding Craig and getting my bag, finding Craig and the team, which was really easy in the end, um, that I didn't do any of that. It was just like, oh man, I missed all that. But yeah, just remembering like how good I felt afterwards um and feeling fine and feeling okay. I did have a moment when we stopped and Craig had actually had time to go home and shower and come back. Um, and he said, Um, okay, let's go. And he looked at me and he went, Are you okay? And I said, I think I'm just gonna sit down and have this banana that's in my bag. Once I had that extra potassium banana enough, and I was fine, and that was it. I was fine for the you know rest of the time. Didn't have didn't really have that sore legs the next day, which I was very happy about.

Joshie:

Wow.

Nicole:

Um, yeah.

Joshie:

So you've completed how many world majors now?

Nicole:

Two. I'm going for number three.

Joshie:

I'm not doing seven.

Nicole:

No, I'm not doing seven. No, no, no. Um, no. Oh, look, I figured out if I'm 85, I might qualify for Boston if they don't keep changing it. Um Tokyo's too hot and hilly. And I just like I'll have run in the three cities I wanted to run in. Um, like Berlin for us was just, oh, let's do the Berlin marathon for our yeah, it's their 50th year. That was a big thing. It wasn't a special year in our household or anything. New York, just because we we could, um, and we love, well, yeah, we do both love New York City and we both love London, and we figure what, you know, that that'll that'll be it for me. Craig may go on and do more, but I will probably call it at that.

Matty:

London will be awesome. I uh when I uh lived over there, I went and watched it one year, and from what I could see, the support on the sidelines and the and and the people was amazing, and I had no idea what I was watching, but but it was such a um a goosebump moment watching people run past.

Nicole:

I think it's gonna be a lot like New York, and like I said, New York was really like I was going for under five hours. I revised to 515, and like I said, I walked a fair bit of that and I did it in 506, so I was happy with that. But ironically, I'm in mile 25, 26, and Craig's messaging me going, I'm back at the hotel, I've had a share. I'm like, I'm still finishing, I'll talk to you when I'm back. Um, which is hilarious. That cracked me up. But realistically, the waiting in that one gets you. But I was lucky enough to be able to finish on the top of the Staten Island Bridge, right up near where they fire the cannon. It's nothing like having a cannon go off near your ear to get you running. But once you get down, once you get fast past that first mile where they can't have spectators, it's like a block party until the end. It was awesome. And the whole city embraces it. Like the week before it's on the news every night, which was nice in a way. And the day after, you're walking around your middle and people, strangers stopping your street. Oh, you did it, congratulations. Oh, I was at mile 15 cheering people and blah, blah, blah. And yeah, it was it was a really lovely thing. Whereas Berlin was what I liked about Berlin is even though it was a big year for them, there was it was it was quiet hype. It was very low-key hype, which was which was great. Um, but yeah, I love them both for different reasons. So yeah, I am looking forward to the atmosphere in London, and I'm in total denial about the distance and actually having to do like getting to the start line and having to get my butt to the finish.

Joshie:

Oh gosh, we wish you the best of luck with it, that's for sure. Now, look, before we finish up, I mentioned at the at the start that you've uh built rituals. I think I said, uh, or should I say superstitions. Uh yeah, I've heard a lot of quirky rituals, Nicole, but nothing quite like what yours are. I've absolutely got to hear about them.

Nicole:

Okay, you're talking about toenails, aren't you? Yeah.

Joshie:

I'm talking about toenails, indeed. Well, I I And by the way, my toenails few of us runners that are lucky enough to still have toenails, so well, I seem to be a quirky runner in that.

Nicole:

I think I've only ever lost one, so maybe I'm not a real runner yet, but I have a ritual of the night before a race, even like even if it's a Brisbane Roadrunners, I will paint my toenails.

Joshie:

Okay. You know, there's a fine line between a ritual and a superstition. I mean, if you didn't paint your nails, your toenails for one reason or another, would you still turn up to the event?

Nicole:

Of course I would. Of course I would. But if I didn't do well, I'd blame the fact I didn't paint my toenails.

Matty:

I wish I could paint mine because there's about four that are black.

Joshie:

So Well, you've just got one that you just got one that you need to paint then.

Nicole:

I have interesting colours. And I I have got out of only running in pink and purple, which is a thing I got into overseas. So I had a lot, I still have a lot of pink and purple running clothes. But I I got over that one. But I'm a big fan of the flat lay. Gotta be a flat lay girl. I've only recently got the husband into the flat lay. He used to stress me out and no end on race morning. Um flat flat lay. Yeah, laying out your stuff the night before, pending your race behind.

Joshie:

Yeah, I did it. Yeah, perfect.

Nicole:

Gotta do your flat lay. Yeah, gotta do that. I even actually like I've got my clothes laid out for tomorrow morning when I'm only running 6K.

Matty:

I've got my clothes laid out for after this.

Nicole:

Yeah, yeah. See, you get it. I do.

Joshie:

Yeah, you've got to take a photo. All the cool kids are doing it. Oh, I love it.

Nicole:

Yeah.

Joshie:

So that's the uh the recipe for running a low two-hour marathon is the flat lay.

Nicole:

Yep.

Joshie:

I love it. Now look, um, Nicole, thanks so much for joining us on Run Believable. Good luck with the um with the marathon next year. Thanks, guys. If there's um if there's any other goals you're working towards or any um any shout-outs that you would like to make now is a good time for that.

Nicole:

Yep. Um I'd just like to give a shout-out to all my running crew. They're amazing. Um, Robert Jameson in particular, because he supports all of us no matter what crap we do. Um and yeah, just girls, Kate and Rifa, because they will train with me even when they're not having to. So yay.

Joshie:

Yeah, that's awesome. Love that. Nicole, thanks again for joining us today. You're an inspiration to the running community, and it's been a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you.

Nicole:

Thanks, guys.

Joshie:

Thanks, Nicole. Well, Maddie, what'd you think speaking to Nicole?

Matty:

Yeah, yeah, it was really good um to hear hear about um you know different experiences that she's had in particular, um, the the the injuries that she's dealing with has overcome and is dealing with. Um, but also, you know, I was very interested in terms of the world majors that she's run. So um from a perspective that it's something that I would like to do, I'm sure a lot of people would like to do. Um you know.

Joshie:

Tell you what though. She completes a race after having broken an arm. Yeah. She completes another race after having gashed her head and getting what, 14 stitches or something like that? And you called for an ambulance after having a leash.

Matty:

Are you at least? You thought you you thought you're in the wolf.

Joshie:

Yeah, but I'll edit that bit out so no one gets to hear it. Oh, look, that's it for today. Have you got a run believable story of your own? We'd truly love to hear it. And if you'd like to be a guest on the show, please hit us up. Finally, this podcast relies on your continued support. So please follow, rate, and share this podcast with your running mates, and we'll see you for the next run believable adventure. Thanks, buddy. That's good. That's good. Sorry about that at the end.