WEBVTT - Yes It’s Random, But We’re In Sweden! 0:00:02.160 --> 0:00:02.759 Hey that folks. 0:00:02.800 --> 0:00:08.039 It is Sunday, August thirty first, and picture this Amy 0:00:08.080 --> 0:00:12.600 and TJ sitting in a hotel room and Stockholm, Sweden, 0:00:12.680 --> 0:00:16.800 in white robes, a cup of coffee in robox, hand, 0:00:17.520 --> 0:00:19.279 a metal around my neck. 0:00:19.480 --> 0:00:21.920 Now with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. 0:00:22.040 --> 0:00:24.120 I just described to you the exact scene. And there's 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:27.040 a reason we are sitting like this looking like this. 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:29.040 There's a metal, a cup of coffee, and two folks 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:33.839 in robes because we just actually did something robes we 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:36.960 should maybe be a little more proud of and not 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:39.400 just say all, wait, runner, it's no big deal. We 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:42.839 just completed the Stockholm half marathon yesterday. 0:00:43.240 --> 0:00:45.479 You know, it is pretty cool. And I was it's 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:47.640 one of those things where I think, whatever you do 0:00:47.680 --> 0:00:49.720 in life, sometimes you have to remind yourself when you're 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:52.280 doing it that it's actually pretty cool that you're doing it, 0:00:52.440 --> 0:00:55.680 especially when it's a struggle. But I was actively thinking 0:00:55.720 --> 0:00:59.080 about that yesterday. I was like, I'm in Sweden and 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:01.920 I'm running a half marathon right now, that's a kind 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:07.200 of awesome and random. Yes, everyone has been asking questions 0:01:07.600 --> 0:01:09.400 and are puzzled when they say, oh, you're running a 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:13.240 half marathon where and then just casually drop Stockholm and we'll. 0:01:13.080 --> 0:01:14.800 Explain that's a very good reason why we end up 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:18.280 in random places. But as we sit here, Rodes is 0:01:18.319 --> 0:01:20.640 doing great, great, great, great physically, how are you feeling? 0:01:20.640 --> 0:01:21.880 You had to tell there's always something. 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:25.679 I actually, for the first time, there's nothing. I am 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:27.240 fine head to toe. 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:29.480 And we say this. Marathons are the ones that do 0:01:29.600 --> 0:01:32.160 us in at least physically. We're not usually too bad 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:34.360 off after a half marathon. We've been doing this a 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:36.720 while and that's great, and we're blessed to have that. 0:01:36.800 --> 0:01:40.319 This was a tougher half marat the toughest half marathon 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:43.679 for me because I've been injured, and we'll get into 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:46.360 the aftermath of that, which was ugly and nasty and 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:50.640 involved the toilet. We'll explain that. But my feet are 0:01:50.640 --> 0:01:53.400 actually killing me. But we made it through. But we 0:01:54.160 --> 0:01:57.560 the rose. This was one that we set a goal 0:01:57.760 --> 0:02:02.400 in May of doing this random and it was random 0:02:02.440 --> 0:02:05.280 because you and I these days, as much as we travel, 0:02:05.840 --> 0:02:08.600 we don't travel by ourselves as much anymore. 0:02:08.760 --> 0:02:12.040 No, we usually have at least one daughter tagging along, 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:14.320 sometimes all three, and then sometimes some of their friends 0:02:14.320 --> 0:02:17.360 come with them as well, so we usually have a 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:21.359 gaggle of teens and young adults with us. 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:24.000 So this was an opportunity where we were looking at 0:02:24.000 --> 0:02:27.400 the schedule earlier this year and we were like, Okay, 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:31.400 we're going here with Ava, We're going here with Sabine, 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:33.880 and Lisa is going to roll here and then we're 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:36.480 going to see anal. So we're planning all these things 0:02:36.480 --> 0:02:38.519 and we realized, ah, we haven't done a lot for ourselves. 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:41.760 We look up for something to do and this was random. 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.400 We get into a you can explain as best and 0:02:44.440 --> 0:02:46.840 however you want to how we get into these moods 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:49.200 where I say, babe, just book it. I'll go wherever 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:50.920 you want to go. And we were having one of 0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:51.600 those days. 0:02:51.639 --> 0:02:55.240 Look your look and I have I've admired this in you, 0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:59.560 and I've it's attractive to me. You have. I've joked 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:01.560 about it. But you do have some OCD and it's 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:04.080 a serious disorder for some, but you're low on the spectrum, 0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:06.160 but you have it enough where you like things a 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:08.639 certain way, and so sometimes when you get in these 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:11.359 more relaxed moods, you're like, you know what I'm not 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:14.519 I'm not going to say, just book it, just wherever 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:16.200 you want to go, let's just go. So I kind 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:17.799 of wait for these moods that I'm like, all right, 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:19.640 I pull out the computer and I just start looking 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:20.880 at playing tickets where. 0:03:20.760 --> 0:03:21.880 We ended up because of that. 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:27.320 Oh it's rome me really, And then the next day 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:32.160 I will say, you know, I actually booked that that trip, 0:03:32.200 --> 0:03:33.760 and you're like, did you? I was like, no, Like, 0:03:33.840 --> 0:03:37.600 the tickets are booked. I found the hotel because sometimes 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:40.560 also with we like to do airbnbs or hotels, but 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:43.840 you just painstaking all the choices, all the options, and 0:03:43.880 --> 0:03:45.680 so you kind of almost you have to get into 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:48.160 this mood where you're just like ropes picket and so 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:50.320 then I feel free to go ahead and do it 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:53.200 because otherwise there's so much overthinking going on about well 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:55.440 this place is that, and that place is this, from 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:59.160 the location to the hotel to what airline we're traveling on. 0:03:59.240 --> 0:04:01.760 It's just sometimes it's overwhelming. So I wait for you 0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:04.360 to get into these moods and then I just book it. 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:07.280 Now, this is what you have to know about this one, folks. 0:04:07.320 --> 0:04:10.680 I was in that mindset. But we were both looking 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:12.720 around for things, and I gave you option. I think 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:15.560 we were actually getting frustrated with being unable to find 0:04:15.560 --> 0:04:19.039 something that timing didn't work out. I sent you probably 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:21.800 no more than three, but maybe two real options, and 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:24.360 one of them and this was, Hey, we were looking 0:04:24.400 --> 0:04:27.000 for a half marathon of something to do. It happens 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:29.760 to be one on the weekend that we can get away, 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:32.760 and it happens to be in Stockholm. 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:36.000 Right. So I was laughing because the places we've gone 0:04:36.120 --> 0:04:40.719 have been well, very white, and we were talking about 0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:43.240 maybe going to a place that had more diversity, just 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:47.480 some you know, black folks, some black folks. And then 0:04:47.560 --> 0:04:51.840 when one of your options was Stockholm, I started laughing. 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:55.640 Why it's a diverse country. 0:04:55.839 --> 0:04:56.839 Everyone looks like me. 0:04:57.440 --> 0:05:03.200 It's so funny, so weird. Look my whole life career. 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:05.480 I mean, I'm used to being around and being the 0:05:05.520 --> 0:05:08.800 only black guy. I'm not that's in a room, not 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:11.120 usually being the only black guy in a country in 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:14.719 a seventeen block area. As we walk around and we 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:19.240 talked about, look, that's fine. I am twenty five thousand, 0:05:19.880 --> 0:05:24.159 ran this half marathon yesterday. I can remember the four 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.120 black people I saw, and if you put them in 0:05:26.120 --> 0:05:28.040 a lineup, I could pick them out. 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:28.840 I actually could too. 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:31.920 The two brothers that were running together, that was one sister. 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:34.240 With them a lot for the whole time. I feel 0:05:34.279 --> 0:05:36.400 like I was in between them half the time I 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:36.839 was running. 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:39.320 I couldn't figure them out how they were running. But 0:05:39.360 --> 0:05:41.320 then there was a sister that looked like Amanda Gorman 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:43.200 to me. She had the long brands. Yeah, and then 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:45.080 there was another system. Yeah, that's all. I remember. 0:05:45.560 --> 0:05:48.359 You just nailed all four who I saw twenty five 0:05:48.400 --> 0:05:52.320 thousand people and me, right, so you gave me. I 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:54.840 forgot what the other options were. But when you said 0:05:54.880 --> 0:06:00.120 half marathon, that was the hook. And I have been struggling. 0:06:00.160 --> 0:06:02.520 I think if anyone has been listening to this podcast, 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:04.680 they know that I the last my last couple of 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:09.320 marathons have been really, really tough and have actually really 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:12.839 shaken my confidence as a runner because I just felt 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:14.560 like I couldn't trust my body. I didn't know what 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:17.560 it was going to do. I just have been I've 0:06:17.600 --> 0:06:20.240 had major issues with my stomach. I just could not 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:22.839 stop vomiting. It was just and it's so wretching that 0:06:22.880 --> 0:06:24.760 it doesn't stop for like the rest of the day, 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:28.000 like it to the point where I don't want to 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:31.839 run another marathon. I just felt so terrible, and even 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:34.800 the half marathon thing like long runs, I just I 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:38.039 was nervous. I just I was shaken. So for me, 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:43.919 the opportunity to try and reclaim my confidence, I wanted to. 0:06:44.120 --> 0:06:46.000 I wanted to do it. So that's what sold me 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:46.640 on Stockholm. 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:48.480 And then we always look at for somewhere to go, 0:06:48.960 --> 0:06:51.720 something new, something neither of us have ever been to, 0:06:51.839 --> 0:06:54.400 So Stockholm made sense. And yes, half marathon, I'm trying 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:56.920 to get ready for the New York City Marathon in November, 0:06:56.960 --> 0:07:02.560 so this all made perfect, perfect sense. Now we get here, 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:05.480 here's one thing, we haven't stopped working. By the way, folks, 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:07.520 have you all been keeping up? We have been. Yes, 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:10.280 we have been putting out the same schedule the podcast 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:13.360 the whole time we're here, which happens to be six 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:17.280 hours ahead of New York, which has called some frustrations. 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:19.960 Right, so it's nice because we actually get to sleep in, 0:07:20.560 --> 0:07:24.040 but then we did not account for the fact that 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:26.440 we would be having to work all throughout the day, 0:07:26.480 --> 0:07:28.600 where normally you would want to be sightseeing and going 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:31.360 around and looking at stuff. So what we've done is 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:33.280 we go out for a couple hours, then we come 0:07:33.320 --> 0:07:35.000 back and work. Then we go out for a couple hours, 0:07:35.000 --> 0:07:37.400 can we come back and work. So the first day 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:40.640 where we actually we got ahead of ourselves. We tape 0:07:40.680 --> 0:07:42.280 some podcasts ahead of time so we could have a 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:44.400 nice weekend, and then we realized the first free day 0:07:44.440 --> 0:07:47.120 we had, well, we just casually ran a half marathon. 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:48.360 That was our free day. 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:52.320 It's our free day where we had already recorded some 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:54.480 podcasts so we didn't have to work on Saturday. But 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:57.680 then we worked our bodies for two hours straight. 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:01.320 And while Robes has been struggling with your stomach that 0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:05.440 you've talked about those well documented incidents, my issue has 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:09.600 been my foot. First the achilles, which I finally got better, 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:12.280 and then I had a foot sprain that hit me 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:14.280 last year. Was it August? 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:16.680 Yeah, because you were overcompensating for your achilles, But that 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:17.840 was August, right, yeah? 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:20.640 So yes, Okay, So you all remember that I ended 0:08:20.680 --> 0:08:22.920 up in an ambulance at the end of the Chicago Marathon. 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:26.840 That was one year ago this month as well. 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:30.480 No, that was early October was the Chicago's early. 0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:33.400 So that injury, which is almost a full year ago 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:36.640 now is the same issue giving me a problem here? 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:39.920 And this is a race, and we got going, and 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:42.680 we will take it in chronological order of the day 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:45.520 when we the race, first of all, wasn't until three 0:08:45.600 --> 0:08:48.640 in the afternoon, which is bizarre any runner listening has 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:51.120 done a race, Like what the hell I was? 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:54.960 I was spiraling about what to eat and maybe more importantly, 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:57.439 what not to eat, because yes, all those stomach issues 0:08:57.480 --> 0:08:59.560 I just talked about, like that's a huge concern for 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:03.240 any run, and so I just thought, what is one? 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:06.520 I know me and I need food, So there's no 0:09:06.640 --> 0:09:09.080 way I could just fast all day and then run 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:11.800 a half marathon. But normally when you wake up and 0:09:11.840 --> 0:09:14.480 you run a half marathon, which is what I've always done, 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:18.000 I'll take a banana and some peanut butter and that 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:20.840 gets me through and you know, maybe some little gummies 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:23.440 along the way. But I was like, what am I 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:26.640 supposed to eat or not eat? You didn't really eat 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:27.320 anything yesterday. 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:29.160 No, I wasn't a big I wasn't. I don't do 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:31.200 that even in the morning, no matter. 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:33.600 When you have boundless energy. I don't understand. 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:35.480 I don't know what that. I just don't like stuff 0:09:35.480 --> 0:09:37.080 on my stomach when I'm running like that. I didn't 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:39.280 stop at all for water station yesterday during the race. 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:40.200 I don't think you stop. 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:43.200 I stopped at one and I just I literally just 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:46.040 took a small sweag. Look what I have to say. 0:09:46.080 --> 0:09:50.319 The weather not perfect for you for summer vacation, but 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:54.720 perfect for running. It was mid sixties overcast, so I 0:09:54.720 --> 0:09:56.560 couldn't have asked for better weather. That has a huge 0:09:56.559 --> 0:10:01.040 impact on my physical being, and so it's true for 0:10:01.640 --> 0:10:04.239 just about any runners. So that was ideal conditions. 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:10.160 That was an adjustment for folks like us because you 0:10:10.160 --> 0:10:12.559 actually have to go to bed so early the night 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:15.160 before usually because you're getting up at three four am 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:17.960 to try to maybe travel over to get to an area. 0:10:18.200 --> 0:10:21.000 So for us to not have to be somewhere until three, 0:10:21.360 --> 0:10:23.800 we happen to have a place where staying a hotel. 0:10:24.360 --> 0:10:27.040 Literally we could walk out the door, make a left, 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:29.320 and within five minutes we were at our starting corral. 0:10:29.400 --> 0:10:31.720 It was remarks, that was beautiful. 0:10:31.760 --> 0:10:36.080 Now you found this out. The reason they started so late, 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:38.679 I kind of applaud them for it. It makes sense. 0:10:39.200 --> 0:10:42.160 They don't want to disrupt the city. So the fact 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:45.400 is if they when they do it later. They truncate 0:10:45.440 --> 0:10:47.640 the amount of time they allow runners to run, so 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:50.480 basically and they were like clockwork. I mean when they 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:55.560 say the start time was for each corral, basically you 0:10:55.559 --> 0:10:58.640 get a corral number or a corral letter. It was 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:01.960 right on time. And and so I think the first 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:03.840 gral was at three thirty. We ended up running at 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:07.520 three fifty and at seven pm it's done. It's over. 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:10.400 If you have not finished the race, bye, too bad, 0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:13.000 you just are a non finisher. And so they keep 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:15.480 it really truncated, and in the afternoon they can just 0:11:15.559 --> 0:11:18.319 keep it into a small amount of disruptions for the 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:20.480 rest of the city. And that's how they did it. 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:24.040 When you start out early, people linger, it goes on it. 0:11:24.440 --> 0:11:26.200 It's very disruptive to the traffic flow. 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:28.400 And this isn't a New York city, right that spread 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:30.320 out the way we are that has all of the 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:33.160 public trends that we have where people can still get around. Hell, 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:36.439 every Saturday in August they shut down what fittety streets? 0:11:36.520 --> 0:11:37.520 Yeah it's Park Avenue. 0:11:37.800 --> 0:11:40.720 Yeah, they shut it down, and the city functions just fine. 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:42.800 Here it's a little different. Two and a half million people. 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:45.559 You got a few main arteries where this race is running. 0:11:45.600 --> 0:11:47.719 You shut those down, the city's going to shut down, right, 0:11:47.760 --> 0:11:50.000 So I thought that was all. I didn't think about that. 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:52.120 We were thinking, well they do that. They have a. 0:11:52.200 --> 0:11:55.679 Verious The Scandinavians are efficient, they really are. And you 0:11:56.240 --> 0:11:57.920 really get a sense of the culture. And when you 0:11:57.960 --> 0:12:00.439 see even how people run in the race, you get 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:03.280 a sense of how different cities and different cultures are. 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:05.560 So it was kind of interesting running. And by the way, 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:08.760 when we went to go get our bibs the day before, 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:10.400 which is what runners do, you go and you get 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:12.880 your your number and your packet so that you're official 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:16.040 for the race we had. This was the second day 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:17.960 and almost at the end of the day and the 0:12:18.040 --> 0:12:19.880 guy who was giving me my bib said, Wow, you're 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:23.199 the first American I've met today. How did you guys? 0:12:23.280 --> 0:12:24.720 Why are you guys coming all the way here to 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:27.920 run this race? So we this was a very local race. 0:12:29.200 --> 0:12:31.360 I did not see one other America. Did you see 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:35.360 another American there? No, So you really get a sense 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:37.400 of the culture and the people who you're running with, 0:12:37.440 --> 0:12:39.680 and it's a very different experience. It was a different 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:40.480 experience we had. 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:42.880 The one the only American reference saw was a guy 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:45.440 who had a tag on the back of his shirt 0:12:45.440 --> 0:12:49.440 that said fuck Trump. Yes, even but that could have 0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:53.720 been from anywhere. Yes, that was I don't know why, 0:12:53.760 --> 0:12:56.920 and I'm saying because against the President, I'm saying something 0:12:56.960 --> 0:12:59.560 about that made it feel like home. As crazy as 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:01.720 that's not, I was like, Oh, I'm used to seeing 0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:03.079 that sentiment. That's okay. 0:13:03.679 --> 0:13:06.400 But what was really interesting is that when you run 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:08.959 American races, and granted we're running races in New York 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:11.520 and Chicago, where you've got serious runners who are really 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:15.440 caring about their about pring getting a personal record, and 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:17.640 I was like thinking, hey, I'm feeling pretty good. And 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:19.400 the moment I started off, I was like, I'm feeling 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:23.280 really good. I could maybe best my best. The problem was, 0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:27.960 it's a very different experience running here in Sweden. It 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:31.040 seemed as though nobody was out to run fast, no 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:34.319 one was out to beat any record or to make 0:13:34.320 --> 0:13:36.480 it to the finish line. It a certain so everyone 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:40.440 was slow and casual, and it was tight and it 0:13:40.559 --> 0:13:44.800 was narrow, and I bet you, I think the best 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:46.400 way for me to describe this I ran it about 0:13:46.400 --> 0:13:48.400 eighty percent of what I could have run, and that 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:51.520 was frustrating to me as the competitive American that I am. 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:55.840 I wanted and I could not get past people period. 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:57.920 For almost the entirety of the race. There were a 0:13:57.960 --> 0:14:00.439 couple stretches where it opened up. Did you see me 0:14:00.480 --> 0:14:02.839 the one time? I opened my arms like a like 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:04.160 an eagle because I was like, oh. 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:05.960 Finally I had to hit that lady in the face. 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:09.040 I did well. She came around. I was like, maybe 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:09.719 I shouldn't have done it. 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:11.880 She came around what she was running, having. 0:14:11.840 --> 0:14:15.360 Real space for her. Then I realized I won't do 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:17.880 that again. But I was just so excited to actually 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:20.400 be in my actual gait, to be running at the 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.680 pace I wanted to be running at. It was a 0:14:22.760 --> 0:14:25.800 short little sprint over the bridge, but I was so 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:28.600 happy to be running. I felt like I was holding 0:14:28.640 --> 0:14:29.640 back the entire run. 0:14:29.720 --> 0:14:32.440 So our excitement about this race was the fact that 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:35.600 we got a tour of Stockholm the way most people can't, 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:39.120 because we literally ran thirteen miles around the city. So 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:43.160 we were very excited about that. It was I will 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:46.920 say this might be the most polite race I've ever run, 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:51.000 in that the people around were not pushing and shoving 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:54.640 and being asses like we have often seen in raising. 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:57.119 Nobody cared about their time, and I guess. 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:01.720 We ran most of our races in New York, but 0:15:01.920 --> 0:15:05.600 it was that part of the experience I liked. This 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:10.480 might be a close second or competitor for first of 0:15:10.520 --> 0:15:13.240 the worst runs I've ever had and experiences I've ever 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:17.200 had running, and that had to do not with necessarily 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:21.280 the people the temperature, but it had to do with 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:25.760 the course in particular. And even though we finished, the 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:28.160 weather was great, the people were great and had a 0:15:28.160 --> 0:15:32.000 great experience. Why in God's name did I spend so 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:35.600 much of my evening at the toilet? 0:15:36.080 --> 0:15:37.760 Before we go to break, I have to tell you 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:40.880 about new leggings I've been living in lately. 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Tona's on a mission 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:14.480 to end teen suicide and self harm, which we think 0:16:14.560 --> 0:16:17.720 is so important and incredible, So we've partnered with Tona 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:21.160 to give you twenty percent off your order and free shipping. 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:24.880 Head to tonaactive dot com and use code iHeart for 0:16:25.000 --> 0:16:37.520 twenty percent off and free shipping. Welcome back to this 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:41.360 half marathon edition of Amy and TJ, coming to you 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:45.880 from Stockholm, Sweden, where we just completed. Do you have 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:47.880 account of how many half marathons you've done? 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:50.080 Some seven eight nine? 0:16:50.120 --> 0:16:54.320 Maybe I actually don't have account I mean official half marathons, 0:16:54.320 --> 0:16:56.680 because when you're training for every marathon that we've run, 0:16:56.840 --> 0:17:00.240 you run at least I don't know, the equip run 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:03.280 at least two, and then you do beyond it. So 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:05.160 I have absolutely lost count. 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:07.119 I think that's right. I should know because of the 0:17:07.119 --> 0:17:08.439 metal count we have at the house, But I think 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:09.119 seven eight or nine. 0:17:09.200 --> 0:17:11.080 We do keep all of our medals displayed, so we 0:17:11.080 --> 0:17:13.040 should go back and count because I really don't know 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:14.880 how many half marathons I've run. 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:17.560 We'll go through all this and not keep your metal 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:19.480 We have them displayed, folks. Yes, they are up on 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:19.840 the wall. 0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:23.200 We bought as I packed. Nikki is the one who 0:17:23.640 --> 0:17:26.600 showed me this very cool, my friend Nikki, who also 0:17:26.760 --> 0:17:31.120 is a runner, how you can put a metal rod 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:33.760 up on your wall and just display your medals. My 0:17:33.880 --> 0:17:35.960 daughters came in and made fun of me, like really, mom, 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:38.320 are you like eight years old with your gymnastics medals? 0:17:38.359 --> 0:17:41.160 And I said to them, you run a half marathon, 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:43.520 you run a marathon, and then you tell me what 0:17:43.560 --> 0:17:45.080 you want to do with those medals. 0:17:44.760 --> 0:17:47.880 And yeah, I got tattoos to commemorate because I ain't 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:50.920 ever gonna forget and stop reminding y'all, but I ran 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:54.320 a marathon. At some point, you talked about bid pick up. Now, 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:57.280 this is something we kind of were grading or judging 0:17:57.359 --> 0:18:00.399 Stockholm half Marathon by New York City half marathon and 0:18:00.480 --> 0:18:02.280 marathon standards, and there were some things we saw is 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:04.680 that hey, New York can learn from this, like hey, 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:07.159 Stockholm can learn from New York. One thing we loved 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:10.680 they put the names on the bibs. Everybody's first name 0:18:10.720 --> 0:18:12.320 was on their bib. Now, they don't do this for 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:14.360 the marathon. They don't do it for the half either, 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:14.960 right now, No. 0:18:14.880 --> 0:18:17.439 You so, I know that you can get them printed 0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:19.720 out for the for the like put it on your back. 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:21.760 But the fact that everyone's bib looked the same and 0:18:21.800 --> 0:18:24.320 everyone had their first name, what it made it seem 0:18:24.440 --> 0:18:27.720 for me was just intimate and communal. I felt like 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:29.480 I knew the people I was running with. When you 0:18:29.520 --> 0:18:31.480 see someone's name and you put it to their face, 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:33.720 you feel like you know them, you're with friends. It 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:36.600 created a much different atmosphere. 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:39.280 And the only things I've understood that people have said 0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:41.800 to me in Swedish this week was TJ when they 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:43.879 said my name. You know, I'm saying. When we were running, 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:46.920 I hear them and then they say my name. I 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:50.680 know they're rooting for me. That's the only to hear 0:18:50.800 --> 0:18:56.399 someone from Stockholm yell out my name to it was Lo. 0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:58.480 It was Lou, you had Lou on your eye. 0:18:58.520 --> 0:19:00.480 But to hear that as you're going to your point 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:03.360 of it being personal, that was very cool. The thing 0:19:04.280 --> 0:19:06.960 that they absolutely got wrong was the bip pick up 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:09.919