Your Running Form Is Slowing You Down | Bronson Hearn-Smith

0:01Bronson Hearn-Smith, welcome to Untappd. Thank you for having me. It's such a pleasure. I remember seeing this clip of you. I think it might have been in the Daily Mail or the Sun or something like that a little while ago, where it literally looks like you are, you know, late for class, annihilating everyone else in the field. Look, you're not, you're not, there's no heavy breathing. You've seen it before. How do you feel when you see this video? It kind of really put you on the map did it not i think that's the my my entry into the social media world the backstory behind it all uh i had relay practice in basildon after on the same day so i kind of had to cruise 100 didn't want to get too tired because i wanted to show out of the relay practice give a good impression and then this is the product of it yeah so you're already obviously a very established runner by this point but i mean your style feels especially in this video you know very unique very casual you've just said there that obviously you're not hammering it you still win though quite easily what was the time here for the 100?

1:01I think it was roughly 1068. 1068 and you're just cruising there? Just cruising. It does genuinely look like you're jogging? Yeah it definitely does at the end I mean my process going into the race if I can remember correctly it was to drive out to 40 power a little bit more to 60 than just cruise. Obviously 100 meters isn't a very long distance to run but most people you know really give it 100 % and just power through it you genuinely look like you've just rolled out of bed had you I'd say around the same time yeah I could just woke up it's pretty amazing the Colchester race video garnered you over 50 million views give or take last year Usain Bolt is liking your Instagram posts Stormzy follows you on Instagram what's it like to go so stratospheric like that when you're 16 years old yeah it's mind-blowing um yeah at the time when it when it all kind of erupted um i just tried to stay away from it because i know it's all a distraction at the end of the day even if i do reel in these brands or whatever it's all just a big distraction from training is how i feel but it's also a distraction from school because obviously I was at school at the time.

2:16GCSEs were coming up, so quite a monumental time for me. So I just kind of had to stay away from it all and maybe come back to it once all that's done. What was it like being at school? How did your friends react to all of this? Like, you know, quite a few people challenged me to like races, but I kind of had to say no. Either it's my rest day or I don't want to embarrass you. I'm joking. I'm joking. Not that, no. it's yeah rest day or I just I'm getting like Peter Parker Spider-Man vibes at school where like you know everyone kind of wants to mess with him yeah yeah sort of like that's so funny but is it odd to your friends that Stormzy follows you I don't even know if they know to be honest I mean they probably we're telling them I haven't been to school since I can't even remember when I broke up from school but a lot of this stuff like European under 18 hasn't happened since I've been back to school so when I go back for my results day I think there'll be a couple people saying like well done or or whatever like oh storms you followed you or something so I think they might pick up but we'll see your style gets called effortless is it effortless and what are you what's what's what's cooking beneath it all So it does look effortless.

3:37I can see that from looking back, but I'm using all my muscles to like the most extent. I can't use them anymore. I can't go any quicker than that. It's just, it's kind of a blessing, my technique, but it's also kind of a bit disappointing that people can't see that I'm actually trying. I'm actually sort of quick, but it just doesn't look it. But it's, it's, it's me, isn't it? It's how I run. It's unique to me. So I've got to be grateful for it. At what stage in your life did you realise that you had a gift or that you were very fast? Well, I'd say roughly year six when I was around like 11 or 12.

4:15It was sports day for me. My natural ability kind of stood out to everyone. You kind of gapped everyone in the race. And also my dad will like this story. He got me to jump onto a bench. Sounds like nothing. but yeah I sprung up onto the bench and he could kind of see the the springs I've had in my legs and then from there stay consistent in running and then obviously he's paid off a little bit now so it's been a journey what are your kind of current accolades you're you're the under 18 champion over European champion over 200 200 meters that's yeah that's it where is this is this going for you are we are we hoping for Olympic gold I mean what are your dreams LA 28 is definitely in my sights.

5:03Maybe not like the individual race. I think the relay team is even a really big chance for me to have, if that makes sense. So if I can get there, I'd be over the moon. The 100-meter relay? 100-meter, yeah, 4x1, yeah. For GB? For GB, yes, that's it. How far off the pace, if at all, are you? I'd say to really have a good chance to get on the team about 0.3, 0.4 seconds away. Okay. But obviously that's going to be a lot more difficult than it has been to shave that off my time. But as long as I stay patient, stay grounded, which I have been, I think there's a chance. But what's truly remarkable is that you're 16 years old, you're still growing.

5:50You're six foot three. That's such a strange concept for me who, by the way, could be your father. you're easily the youngest guest we've ever had on the show what's the minimum amount of track training that somebody should do if they're still interested in becoming faster i don't think you should go over three three times a week on the track because recovery is just as important if not more important than actually sprinting there's so much force going into not only your legs, but pumping your arms. There's so much force being used. So you need to actually allow adequate recovery so you don't...

6:32Overcook it. Yeah. That is that. What are your habits? Okay, so on a training day, I imagine you eat lots of calories and stuff. What time do you go to bed? Do you have a strange routine? I go to sleep around half 11, 12-ish. Really? I don't really set an alarm unless I've got a call in the morning. or whatever so it's around eight nine ten is my wake-up time might get seven hours sleep might get nine but I'm getting more consistent I'm getting I'd say average averaging eight eight and a half hours which is which is definitely good you need that for sprinting I can't really run in like less than if I get less than six hours sleep which I rarely get like once in a like four four to eight months like once um yeah just can't run because your body is just so tired you really do feel it you really do feel you're lacking something and it is that sleep so sleep is the most important Do you sauna, ice bathe, anything like that?

7:33No, not really I just stay away from exercising when it's my recovery day I just sit in my room, just about it So sprinters need their rest how do you handle recovery around max effort sessions? For me it's just staying away from any other maximal exercise you do. I mean, I used to play football and then once it kind of got serious, I had to stop. But yeah, you can't really do any other activities like to a great extent during recovery because you're not going to get anything from it. But yeah, you need recovery or else you're just not going to perform to your best. I was about to ask if you drank alcohol, but you're 16.

8:15Oh, no. No alcohol for me. Never? Never. Never. And how often do you train? So I train three times a week on the track and then one to two in the gym weekly. But I feel like for me, that's the optimum. I can't really do any more. And then I can't really do any less because it's obviously going to hinder my progression. You're running three times a week at the track and then lifting lower body work, I'm assuming. Yeah. The other two days and then you take two full days off a week. Yeah, that's right. Right. I've been kind of only doing one gym session, but it is heavy, like compound lifts, if that makes sense.

8:50Getting quick bar movements with quick, like heavy weights. But yeah. What gym workouts do you think make for more explosive, powerful running? So if somebody is listening to this looking to just get faster, whether that be over 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 5K, 10K, whatever. what are useful things that they should be doing in the gym to prime their body for exertion in that way? For me, it's plyometric training. I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but it's basically these quick movements like jumps, like bounds, like box jumps for one, like lunge bounds, just getting them quick movements in repetitively for your body to kind of endure.

9:35It's just so good for me. I mean, I'd recommend to anyone watching, do box jumps. It's kind of that stuff that people know is good for them, but everyone avoids. Yeah, it just seems too good to be true, really. But honestly, it does help you dramatically. It's the best, the best for you, 100%. What are the most common mistakes that you think everyday runners make? That's a good question. Thank you. People tend to miss the dry phase. this is more amateurs we'll start there but yeah they just kind of pop up from the blocks but think of it i've been taught as an airplane you don't go directly up it's almost a takeoff yeah you just got to kind of um keep your head down just get in the quick steps and then you can kind of open up your stride and then carry that velocity and momentum you've built up and then use it to your advantage.

10:33So what would you be running as, you know, take a typical hard session. What are you doing at the track? Obviously, you're, you know, warming up for a bit. And that's another question I've got for you. Do you need to warm up in the same way that other people do? Obviously, if I go and, you know, run 400 meters as fast as I can, if I'm not warmed up, I'm going to, you know, I'll be out of action. But like, you know, as a 16-year-old who's still growing, I'm assuming that it's probably less important for you to warm up Or because you're so explosive, you need to warm up? Yeah, warm up is crucial for me.

11:03I take my time with it. It's a very slow warm up. Half an hour to 45 minutes warm up. I obviously warm up more for competitions because I'm going quicker. I'm going maximal. I usually go an hour. Really? Yeah. Also going back to during training, like a hard session, maybe like eight 200s with short recovery. and then like time runs like 25, 30 seconds for like a couple sets. But yeah, it does. Do you walk your... Therapy's biggest impact doesn't show up in some dramatic breakthrough. It shows up in the smallest moments. You bite your tongue instead of escalating. You put your phone down instead of firing off that text.

11:47You say what you actually mean instead of what would hurt someone else the most. Nobody applauds those moments, but they quietly change your life. That's what growing feels like. And that's exactly what Grow Therapy is here for. Grow is therapy that works, covered by insurance. Sessions average$21 with insurance and some pay as little as$0 depending on their plan. There are no subscriptions, no long-term commitments. You just pay per session. Grow connects you with thousands of high-quality licensed therapists across the U.S. offering both virtual and in-person sessions, nights and weekends. You can search by what matters, like insurance, specialty, identity, or availability.

12:28And you can book a therapy session in minutes and begin in as little as two days, not the national 48-day average. See if you could pay as little as$0 for therapy in seconds at growtherapy.com. That's growtherapy.com. slash start now. Growtherapy.com slash start now. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. Mod.com is changing the way people battle excessive fatigue. Ever hit a wall in the middle of the day and a third coffee just doesn't do it anymore? Here's what's actually happening. Coffee only briefly blocks adenosine, the chemical that tires you out. When it stops working, your system is flooded and you crash.

13:16Modafinil is a prescription treatment that works in a completely different way. Modafinil works by stimulating multiple receptors in the brain associated with wakefulness, including dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, histamine, glutamate, and orexin. It's a more complete solution that gives you 10 to 12 hours of steady focus and energy. To learn more, go to mod.com. Fill out your intake form, meet with a licensed provider, and if approved, ModAlert ships straight to your door. Go to mod.com to get started. That's M-O-D dot com. Hey, it's Hannah Burner from Giggly Squad and the holidays are around the corner, which means I'm officially entering my hostess Hannah era with Arm & Hammer Hardball Cat Litter.

14:03You guys know I love cats and fostering, but when I'm hosting, I do not want my house smelling like cats. I want people focusing on my hosting skills. That's why I love Arm & Hammer Hardball Cat Litter. It delivers long-lasting odor control and forms compact clumps that make cleanup easy. So that's one less thing I need to worry about when people come over. Be guest ready with Arm & Hammer Cat Litter. Find it now at Walmart or Amazon. Recovery or do you stand still for it? It depends. Some sessions we do. Sometimes it's timed. But I do like walking actually as a recovery because I usually say this a lot.

14:38I like to kind of have the views of the track. to my benefit. Kind of takes away the pain sometimes, which is definitely handy. Eight 200s, and you're hitting those at what, you know, 90%, 90%. 80, 90%, so looking for like around 23, 24 seconds, but it's hard. It's wild. Do you know what your 400 metre time would be if you gunned it? I've got a nice estimate. I think I'd break 50 seconds. Really? I think so. If I can go 21. 50 seconds is wild. Yeah. It's all right, actually. It's not the quickest by any means. No, but it's still very impressive. Of course, yeah. To put that into context for people.

15:25I know that people who listen to this show are enthusiastic runners, but breaking 60 seconds, really, for 400 metres is a good step. Yeah, 100%. I'm not – I don't – you need to be a runner to do that. you're not turning up to the track and just giving it a blast compared to an average person who do some exercise but not like regular in comparison to like a minute 400 metres it's wild it's so funny as well one loop of the track as you say it's such a mental game I love the track I just love the track Battersea track is closed at the moment I'm absolutely devastated it is a shame actually and it's I love it it's just such the 400 meters which is as everyone knows one lap of the track it always feels it's well within reach obviously when you give it a good blast because it's just the one lap but it does always feel a little bit longer than you would hope to feel that last 100 I can imagine is so grueling I mean I've never had to do a 400 yet yet I find it so funny that you know because we've got I've had the luck of being able to chat to lots of Olympic track athletes and I always am slightly curious how people find their niche and what they're incredible at and then they simply just don't bother with the other distances like you know when nowhere near the same league but when we go to the track we'll run reps of 2k, reps of a k, reps of 1800, 400m reps, 100m reps 200m, we'll just mix it up vary it depending on what we're looking to achieve but you guys really just stick in your lane.

17:09You just don't, like, I would have thought you would just know your 400 meter time, like, just even for the fun of it. Yeah. I've done one, like, in training, obviously not that serious. I got about 56. But, yeah, I was definitely, I didn't run it well for one. Two, it was a cold, miserable, rainy night. And three, I wasn't really bothered. But, to a degree, I mean, yeah, my first ever, like actual 400 so i can learn from that a lot but i think in the future we might we might say no more say no more i'm not sure i think your you know your stride and the way that you run i would have thought and i'm of course no expert uh that you would be a great 400 meter runner i think it like and by the way you're there's no need for you to run outside of what currently it's completely amazing uh but you know when i when i look at you run i think oh wouldn't it be amazing to to see you at the 400 yeah no i i think not next season uh maybe the season after we might do like a four by four relay not an actual 400 but it just depends because i just want to be cautious i don't want to do anything that my body's not ready for I'm doing okay in the one and two so if it ain't broke don't fix it that's why I go by a lot Which do you prefer?

18:41I think the two I do prefer the two it's probably because I'm better at the two but I do like the one as well it's a lot easier than the two so that definitely plays a part in my liking for it Do you have to take into consideration that you're still growing and is your calorific intake difference than it would be if you weren't? It's just something that I've not thought about before, obviously. Oh, yeah, it's a challenge. To start off with, my training program is very, very safe. We're not doing anything that I'm not used to, nothing my body isn't prepared to face, if that makes sense. So I'm not going to do anything that's going to harm myself, which is going to obviously hinder my progression.

19:28Nutrition-wise, I can kind of eat what I want. Obviously, trying to stay a little bit healthy. Not looking to patronise you at all, but one of my sons is soon to be 80 years old. He can eat whatever he likes, right? Because he just plays so much football and he's always out and about. And he's like a little machine. It doesn't really matter what he eats, right? He can eat crisps and sweets and burgers and chips and milkshakes. It doesn't matter, right? Because he's shooting up. Yes. So at what point do you care about your nutrition? Do you count your, do you measure your macros? Do you count your calories?

20:02Like, are you in that phase of your athletic development or do you just do what you want at this stage? Well, it's kind of 50-50. I used to track my, like, calorie intake, protein intake, all that stuff. And I kind of stopped because I feel like I was obsessing over, if that made sense, and that kind of led me down a path. Didn't really want to follow. A difficult path with food? Yeah, just being obsessed with it, wanting to get so much calories in my body, it just became unhealthy doing it. But recently, like a year, two years ago, I've been having these microwave meals which have all the ingredients that are like necessary for a sprinter.

20:50Yeah. Sort of. But yeah, I've definitely been in a more healthy like nutrition pathway compared to three, four years ago. How important is great coaching? What kind of difference has that made to you in your life? Having a good coach is definitely the deciding factor whether you're amateur, you're decent, or you're professional, you're elite. There is a middle ground, but it kind of tends to sway more to the amateur side. But having a good coach, I don't think you can really self-train, if that makes sense. You need someone watching you from either the side, behind, whatever, just watching you and kind of guiding you in the right direction because obviously they're going to have more experience than you because they're obviously going to have taught more athletes so they kind of know what to do with you.

21:49Can you remember some of the first advice that was given to you from your coach? So when you arrived... Yes, I got shipped in. I'm assuming he had seen you run but wanted to see you run again. You're in the blocks, go, buff, you run off and then he comes back and he says what? I think the first thing he said was my knees are going up too much instead of going forward. So I was getting all my force going into the ground was coming back up instead of being like, I wasn't pushing off the ground using it as kind of like a claw. It was just kind of going like that, if that made sense. Yeah, well, that's interesting that you should use the word claw.

22:29Yeah. We were chatting to someone the other day who, I'm not sure if it was in the episode or not, but I'll put it in this one just in case. because I was asking him about you know racing a 5k for example and whether or not making an effort to lean forward would help in a 5k distance and he said not necessarily the forward lean but you should run looking to kind of scrape crap off your shoe so like if you had dog shit on your shoe how would you look to get it off and like you should run and claw away at the ground essentially and really try and make an effort to kind of dig that because it's that forward like forward yeah it's that forward propulsion isn't it off the ground because if you're kind of just going into the ground you're just going to get it back up yeah so when you put it like in and then pull yeah it's that pull through yeah but that's actually what makes you go forward but it's yeah I mean you've got Justin Gatlin I'm not sure yeah if you've yeah he's quite famous but he tends to have a forward lean yeah but that's good but it also limits your like knee height because you sprinters you sprinters come out and you kind of drive forward and you stay quite low actually some of you and then you kind of straighten out after kind of 50-60 metres do you not or is that too long it's different for everyone but I think 50-60 is the ideal range do you know how many breaths you take?

24:03Do you hold your breath? Do you breathe normally? Do you even know? I've got no idea. I just breathe normally. Kind of like huffing and puffing, which is not the best. I mean, you're allowed to huff and puff. You're allowed to eat, you know? But it kind of makes you tense up like your jaw, if that makes sense. And that can kind of lead to other muscles being tensed, which is obviously not good because you're just going to run slower if you tense up. But I've got an interesting one. I think the amount of strides I took over that 100 at the schools was 41.6. Over 100 metres? 41 strides, yeah. That's insane.

24:43Yeah. What's normal? Not that. I think 48 to 50, I'm not sure, but Bolt was around low 40s. So there's a similarity. There is a similarity, but it's just whether I can kind of translate some of them, like longer strides into more powerful, so I can obviously run quicker. In this now incredible blossoming career of yours, what's been the most exciting moment?

25:22Therapy's biggest impact doesn't show up in some dramatic breakthrough. It shows up in the smallest moments. You bite your tongue instead of escalating. You put your phone down instead of firing off that text. You say what you actually mean instead of what would hurt someone else the most. Nobody applauds those moments, but they quietly change your life. That's what growing feels like. And that's exactly what Grow Therapy is here for. Grow is therapy that works, covered by insurance. Sessions average$21 with insurance, and some pay as little as$0, depending on their plan. There are no subscriptions, no long-term commitments.

25:59You just pay per session. Grow connects you with thousands of high-quality, licensed therapists across the U.S., offering both virtual and in-person sessions, nights and weekends. You can search by what matters, like insurance, specialty, identity, or availability. and you can book a therapy session in minutes and begin in as little as two days, not the national 48-day average. See if you could pay as little as$0 for therapy in seconds at growtherapy.com slash start now. That's growtherapy.com slash start now. growtherapy.com slash start now. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

26:41Mod.com is changing the way people battle excessive fatigue. Ever hit a wall in the middle of the day and a third coffee just doesn't do it anymore? Here's what's actually happening. Coffee only briefly blocks adenosine, the chemical that tires you out. When it stops working, your system is flooded and you crash. Modafinil is a prescription treatment that works in a completely different way. Modafino works by stimulating multiple receptors in the brain associated with wakefulness, including dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, histamine, glutamate, and orexin. It's a more complete solution that gives you 10 to 12 hours of steady focus and energy.

27:24To learn more, go to mod.com. Fill out your intake form, meet with a licensed provider, and if approved, ModAlert ships straight to your door. Go to mod.com to get started. that's m-o-d dot com hey it's hannah burner from giggly squad and the holidays are around the corner which means i'm officially entering my hostess hannah era with arm and hammer hardball cat litter you guys know i love cats and fostering but when i'm hosting i do not want my house smelling like cats i want people focusing on my hosting skills that's why i love arm and hammer hardball cat litter it delivers long-lasting odor control and forms compact clumps that make cleanup easy so that's one less thing I need to worry about when people come over.

28:07Be guest ready with Arm & Hammer Cat Litter. Find it now at Walmart or Amazon.

28:16I think the stand-up moment has to be ready. Going out there, third quickest, not looking to win it by everyone's standards. First time flying, first time abroad, first time in 40 degree weather it's just it's a miracle uh I went out there hoping to get in the final um obviously did get in the final and then smashed out of the park in my standards but it's yeah I just it hasn't sunk in either which is the crazy thing what was it that you think gave you the edge on that morning adrenaline really I think I put I actually did put some pressure on myself to go out there and perform because obviously my heat um 21 37 wasn't up to my standard the semi-final was a pb so it was definitely up to my standard and then i knew in the final i could get it done if i just executed properly but yeah i feel like adrenaline and also that pressure i put on myself definitely helped me perform to my to my best what kind of pressure comes with being a 16-year-old champion.

29:27So now having the target on your back versus being the underdog, I think obviously it's a tale as old as time and people understand this, but probably easier walking onto a big stage as an underdog, less pressure. And you can go out and really rip into it, give it your best effort. And if you're not expected to win, then there's no fallout, there's no downside when you don't. And if you pull it off, you know, it's glory. Yes, yeah. Bit of an opposite situation when you are the target, you know, when you are the champ. At your age as well, you know, people are going to want to come for you. Do you feel that pressure and does it impact your performance?

30:12Yes, there is definitely a newfound bit of pressure having European under 18, 200 meter on your back. But I don't think it's anything I can't handle personally. I mean I've only ran one race since that final it was okay it wasn't up to my standard but it's a good end to my season but I feel like going into the final I was second youngest I think I think so I didn't really I kind of take away the pressure of performing when I know I'm one of the youngest if that makes sense it just works for me I just there's no pressure for me but I can also put pressure back on myself when I need to and that's a way for me to perform to my best.

30:57Is the reality of racing against some of your idols exciting to you? Yeah, 100 % yeah. It's kind of like, I don't know what the saying is but it's just like when you get better than your idol or something like that, it's just, it feels good but you also to feel like you're betraying them slightly but it goes hand in hand with each other it's definitely more of a positive because there'll come a time i'm assuming that you'll be lined up against noah lyles oh let's hope so yeah what a feeling that would be can you jump the way he can jump you know the beginning yeah yeah the big jump like his feet are above like people's heads i've always thought i've always looked at that and thought that's wild like you know it's such a high jump that he does before he races i think i can get up there you know i'll be close i'm not sure if I get to his height, but I'm up there.

31:50I'm in touching distance, definitely. It must be such an interesting feeling being as young as you are, you know, with such a long career ahead of you and so much to go after. You know, in an ideal world, short of winning Olympic gold, what are the steps to get there? What are you focused on next? And do you find running to be a punishing sport? You know, you've repeatedly in this interview used, not up to my standard obviously every run can't be to your standard you're a you know under 18s world champion so there will be days that are worse than other days how do you manage that at your age well i i see track as a is a physical sport but it also breaks away at your mind so it's the way that these athletes deal with either losing not performing to their best it's how they get back up from that which is one of the hardest aspects of it all but I feel like that's kind of a area where I not shine but I'm kind of used to because I've been running for so long I kind of know how to get past all these competitions where I don't perform to my to my standard but yeah it's it's hard to get past times that are like gruelling but for me I love training especially winter training, in the dark, all these hard sessions, long sessions, just lactic acid everywhere in your arms, your legs.

33:23I love the feeling of it. You get lactic in your arms when you run 100 metres? Yeah. Well, when they're in training, we don't really do 100. We rarely ever actually do 100. We do a lot longer than that. I have some notes here from your father. Okay. there's nothing there's nothing to be worried about so the Colchester race video last year yeah it garnered 50 million views across social media give or take yeah give or take we'll take we'll take them all yeah yeah we'll take what was that like for you as a young man kind of suddenly being propelled into you know stratospheric virality online of course to be honest I don't really take much notice of it to start with.

34:11Obviously, I saw the views going up and my dad was like, oh my gosh, we're going viral around the house a lot. And then the comments started to come in. I was like, oh my gosh, there's so many nice people out there. And that obviously kind of motivated me to keep going. Did you want to be a professional sprinter before? It might sound like a stupid question because obviously you've been training since you were 10. and obviously you're a very gifted runner, but was this always the plan for you? To go viral, no, that wasn't really in the books, in the scripts. But to be a professional sprinter, yeah.

34:54Because I have obviously done a lot more events. I used to do hurdles, used to do long jump. They kind of never really stuck to me, like the sprints. so they were kind of like a side event if that makes sense but I've always had sprints in me, always been a decent sprinter. I've obviously got better during the years but I'd say I was very average about 12, 13 and then 14 was kind of almost a take-off for me, I think around 10, 9. Good, yeah. At 14? At 14, yeah, 10, 9, 9. So it was okay and then 15. 10.6 and then now 10.3. So it's consistent, which is good, but yeah. Do you ever feel like you're plateauing?

35:45So have you yet, like you've just, what you've just described there is almost lovely, predictable growth. Have you, have you felt that at any point that you can't get any faster or are you excited to become faster? Like, is it a known thing in your mind that you're definitely going to become faster. And what is that like for a sprinter? I think, you know, if you're looking at marathon runners, not the elite lads who run 159.30 who probably won't get much faster than that, but ordinary people, let's say, who are tackling the marathon can shave off considerable amounts of time if they train properly, act dial into it you know are disciplined you know it's easy to see big gains for you over such short distances every millisecond you know really matters have you felt like you've ran the perfect race i mean you were just describing one of your your greatest moments winning the um under 18s when you crossed the finish line that day did you say to yourself god it's gonna be hard to you know run faster than that to be honest i wasn't thinking of that at all um my mind was just racing back and forth i've just won kept yeah still hasn't sunk in before i mentioned that again um yeah i when was it how long ago was it um it was the i think it was july do you think it will ever sink in no i mean it's been a while it's been a while it's been a while it still doesn't feel any more real so yeah but to be honest I obviously want to think I'm going to get quicker but I kind of know to myself it's not going to be at the same rate as it's been it's going to be a lot harder so I know I'm going to have to train harder I'm going to have to focus harder I'm going to have to do all these stuff more precise what are the things that make the biggest difference in sprinting so you know in slightly longer distances if you take advice from a great coach and they literally show you how to get faster and you listen to them you get faster yeah and you know full stop when you're gunning it as hard as you possibly can over 100 metres where do you find your edges for me because I'm quite tall I think my start is where is isn't the best.

38:23I've obviously improved it a lot because I can run 6.8 in the 60 meter, which is, yeah, that blew my standards. But I feel like once I get my start even more pinned down, that's when I can improve my 100 time, obviously. But also it's just because I'm a bouncy runner, if that makes sense, I kind of tend to go up and down, up and down instead of forwards. I feel like if I can get rid of that bounce a little bit I'm going to run quicker Quite a few people have commented that your biomechanics for running and form are better than those of Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell What do you reckon? I mean two of the greats are sprinting I'd love to be in that conversation but I don't know if I'm ready yet I don't think I've showed enough to be in that conversation but obviously one day it's my dream to be up with them too this is a really random question but before your gb call up you you you just you said earlier which i wasn't aware of that you'd never flown on a plane before how did that feel like so like when you again nothing much to do with the interview but quite quite a fun point oh yeah like when you sat on the plane the plane took off how did you feel about that?

39:45I was shivering. I was shaking. It's so funny. I was watching a movie. I can't remember what I was watching now, but just kind of had to focus in on that a little bit because, yeah, I wasn't used to anything happening. So, yeah, I was proper scared and all my GB teammates can tell you the same. That's like... And you were sick as well, right, before? No, not due to the flight. No, not the flight, but because of the heat, I think? Yeah, the heat. You were really quite sick, which makes your win from lane eight even more remarkable. Yeah, so the semi-final and the final on the same day. After the semi-final, I was sick around eight to ten times.

40:28Yeah, the heat really, really got to me. I probably was a little bit dehydrated, to say, as well. But I just, it was the feeling after I was sick, because I think you know the feeling when after you're sick, you feel a lot better. So I feel like that helped me get the edge over the other competitors. So yeah, that's definitely, I feel like that could have been why I won because I was sick and I felt a lot better, kind of boosted my overall morale. So that could definitely be why. It's interesting that as like a reset, I was quite violently sick last weekend, which isn't something that I'm used to.

41:10Yeah, I ran one of the best sessions of my life. Like two days after it cleared up, just went out and just felt like free and cleansed. It's a reset, isn't it? That's what I felt, yes. My mate said he was jealous. I said you shouldn't be. What's your favourite food? What do you love eating? I love margarita pizza. Do you? It's the staple, isn't it? It's classic. it's basic but it works so well it's so good it's so you're like Basil on it like you're just playing you're playing Jane just playing just playing I do like Meat Feast as well yeah yeah yeah I do love a chicken chicken and rice for me yeah and then yeah like cod are you obsessed with rice?

41:51sort of we had Hugo Fry in here do you know who he is? he's like a he's a run fluencer he wouldn't be he wouldn't like to be called that he's like he is a run fluencer but he's a he's a kind of he's also a sub-elite marathon runner, but he worked a full-time job in marketing for a very long time and ran 160K a week. And like, he's now kind of known for, for running, you know, pretty good marathons. He runs a 217, I think. Rice obsessed. Yeah. The whole thing is rice. To be honest, white rice for me is a bit, is a bit plain. I'd have to have some sauce on there for me. But did I hear correctly that Usain Bolt liked one of your Instagram posts.

42:30Yeah, my friend, Aaron Brown, he's a track influencer. He done a video of me last year and then he sent me the DM that Usain Bolt liked the video and I was like, what the hell is going on? That's pretty cool. Yeah, yes. That is pretty cool. Do you reckon you can get him in? Give him a call? Bolt, pick up the phone, Bolt, please. Just say, listen, Daddy Bolt, I did a podcast which was awesome and I think you should do it too. What do you reckon? I think you're in a position to do that. Okay, we'll give him... Stormzy follows you. You're like a track rock star. Yeah, okay. That's what you are. I wonder what being a phenom would be like.

43:11I like, you know, it's exciting, isn't it? Being like the best in the world at your age or something. Yeah, being one of the best is obviously a really good feeling. You said it's not sunk in though. How does it feel to hear, not even hear, to know that you are the best in the world at something in your age group. Isn't that cool? It is cool. It is really cool. But it also tries to bring you down. But also bring you up as well, like your ego. Like a yo-yo. Yeah, like a yo-yo because it tries to drag you down, tries to bring you down because you've got all the other people trying to get above you.

43:50But then you've got your ego inflating. And then you become ungrounded because you're obviously getting brought up. You seem quite grounded to me though. Thank you. Do you feel like you're erupting into superstardom? I feel like I'm going up, but I'm trying so hard. I'm trying so hard to stay on the floor, keep my feet on the ground. On the deck? Yes. On the track? On the track, yep. I'm trying so hard, but I feel like I'm doing a decent job. So Stephen Garnham came out of retirement to coach you once he left Chelmsford. guessing there was no one appropriate there to train you age 13. What would you say the three biggest learnings from being coached by Stephen?

44:37So the first one is get your knees up but claw them back. Second one is stay in your lane. Keep a clear head. Don't get cocky. And then the third one is not really a concrete third one for me but it's just have fun. take it serious, but have a day off. Don't, because if you stay in that mindset where it's all serious, serious, serious, you're going to fall out of love with the sport so quickly. So if you just have fun when you can, you're going to love it longer. That's great advice. Thank you. What are the kind of life lessons that he's taught you? Oh, he's just shaped me as a, not only a sprinter, but as a human as well.

45:21He's just such a nice, nice man. so knowledgeable as well in the sport so we just kind of get along so well and stick like Lou so looking forward to the Olympics are you going to win 100 and 200 metre gold? let's go I'd love to you can do it now maybe not now but if training goes the way it should if training goes the way I want it to I think we'll be up there in the podium what do you think is going to win what kind of time is going to win the 100 metre? In the Olympics, because obviously in Paris, Noah Lars ran 9.79, but Kishane also ran 9.79. So it's around that sub 9.8 will definitely guarantee you a gold or silver.

46:13But yeah, I feel like it will be that again. It will be maybe mid 9.7s to win 100. And then going to the two, I think sub-19-6 should win or silver. Depends. Sub-19-6 is insane. Yeah. No, it is crazy. What's your PBs in both? So my PB in the 100 is only 10-3. And I say only 10-3. I'm so happy with it. 10-36. Windy. Yeah, a little bit of wind. It wasn't too much, actually. and then for the 200s, 20.7 flat so I've got around a second to shave off that too to get hopefully in the Olympics, fingers crossed I'm not guaranteed anything but we'll see how far we can get, how close we can get to that Are these good sprinting shoes?

47:05Oh yeah, I've been looking at these I love them ones They're called Nike Max Flies I think they're the Max Fly 2 and then the Max Fly 1 or they're like the blueprint for the 2s I embarrassingly bought those for myself a while ago when I wanted to start working on speed at the track because I wanted to get faster. And then people were like, but like, obviously don't wear spikes for that. So I literally bought both pairs for myself. And I was just like, I'm going to run like 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters. and they're like, yeah, just do that in your normal shoes, obviously, because you're looking to get fast.

47:48That's not the end of your event. And I was like, okay, great. So I've never worn them. They do look good on display, I'll have to say. No, thank you. Well, I mean, at least they're being put to some use. Yeah, exactly that. They were at home just collecting. They're quite expensive, I think, as well. Oh, yeah. I think when they first came out, they're both$200. Yeah, well, at least they're decorating the sets. They look so good. I love them so much Do you ever go for just like a jog? No, never No, I do a warm-up lap and that's about it One warm-up lap? Just one 400 before I start warming up properly In spikes?

48:24No, it's in flats and trainers What flat shoes do you have? Oh, I've got some new ones I think they're called Nike They're either Streak Fly or Zoom Fly Something like that But they're nice, bright yellow But I love them if somebody was looking to get into sprinting what spikes would you recommend? Oh okay so I'd like to say don't go for these the flashy Max Flies to start off with Right Just what? Because you need to be because I feel you need to be quite full on to pull those off to you Yeah Basically if you turn up to a track wearing those and you're not fast do you look like a No it's got no it's not that I wouldn't say but I feel like you have to get used to a spike without a bubble because they've got bubbles in and obviously it gives you that more bounce.

49:14So, I mean, I started off with, I don't even know what they're called, just some, the standard Nike spikes. And then when you get to a level where you are half decent, I think that's when you do get into the max flies because you tend to get some injuries as well from them. This is a kind of all the gear, no idea type thing. Vibe. Yeah. I'm actually I'm really happy firstly that I never turned up to the track wearing those because I think as cool as they look yeah I think you know unless you're going to string together some pretty wild stuff I think you know thinking about it now those are very Larry yeah the bubbles also like I've popped about three pairs as in like the bubbles but yeah I do train in them still not the not the pop ones no but it's just i feel like they complement the way i run because obviously i'm bouncy yeah so the bubbles help me get that extra propel what advice would you give to somebody your age that wants to start running one you have to have an element of patience um you can't go out and rush everything like your experience like you've been running for five years you can't do that you have to take small baby steps I know as harsh as it sounds but you just have to take your time with everything because it's such a such a long sport um as in like you peak it takes about five I'd say five to eight years before you actually peak but it's obviously different for everyone else but you have to have the right mindset as well you can't go in thinking you're the best every competition well that's a lie you need to go in with some confidence but not too much confidence otherwise now just track yourself down and yeah it's just not healthy it's almost um when you're blinded by too much ambition and too much confidence you're almost setting yourself up for failure as well 100 % yeah you know it depends on the day and it depends on other people 100 % you're not really competing with yourself obviously you're literally lining up against other people who are also talented but a big opponent is yourself definitely when you get on that start line it's hard to control what you think about but you just have to try your best to keep a clear head have the confidence you need but not too much of it and just getting past that line knowing you've done your best Bronson thanks so much for joining us of course thank you for having me on It's been a pleasure.

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