Running Commentary

Try this delicous recipe after a long run on a cold day. Whether you're vegan or a carnivore, it's a real treat - just choose your sausages accordingly...Full credit to Meera Sodha - Rob & Julia have just tinkered with her original recipe to make this hearty meal.Serves 4; halve for two - obv!INGREDIENTS2 leeks2 tins of butter beans800-900g potatoes200-300g spinach1 fresh long red chilli4-6 sausages...and, for the pesto:130g sun-dried tomatoes (drained weight)50g cashew nuts40g fresh basil (you can include the stems)4 cloves of garlic2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp of 'nooch' - nutritional yeast, e.g. Engevitajuice of 1 lemonteaspoon of salt...don't worry too much about those measurements; if in doubt, be generous.METHODHeat the oven to 200-220c. While it's warming up, chop the leeks and the potatoes - do the leeks how you like, the potatoes even and small-ish. Choose your sausages! Once you've done all that, dinner will be ready in half an hour. Phase one: put the sausages in the oven, heat a little oil and add the leeks, on a low heat, and put the potatoes, covered in slightly salted cold water, on to boil in a lidded pan. Set a timer for eight minutes. Sort out your pesto ingredients, stirring the leeks every now and then. Phase two: after eight minutes, the potatoes should be coming to a boil. Add the butter beans, liquid and all, to the leeks, and set the timer again, for ten minutes this time. In a food mixer - or with a hand blender in a bowl - whizz up all the pesto ingredients. Phase three: after ten minutes, set the timer for another ten. Check the potatoes are tender with a sharp knife - they should be just about ready. Add the pesto and the spinach to the leek-and-butter-bean mix - stir; you might find it easier to put a lid on for a minute or two to wilt the spinach first. Drain and mash the potatoes to your liking; the Deering method calls for sunflower spread, a splash of soya milk and black pepper, but you know best, and you might want real dairy in there. Trim and de-seed the chilli and chop it finely - don't touch your eyes, wash your hands well when you're done! Stir the chilli into the stew and take it off the heat. As the timer beeps the sausages should be perfect; now to assemble. Spoon the stew over a good dollop of the mash, with a sausage or two on top of that, and serve with real or plant-based mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.Enjoy!

Rob and Paul's first run of 2025 finds them on a chilly Hampstead Heath. Featuring delayed abstemiousness, new and returning runners, New Year's Eve adventures in Hackney, the first gigs of the year, trouble with gates and gorse, running-related Christmas presents, offloading old stuff, big new exercise plans - particularly pertaining to press-ups - avoiding photoshoots, and dogs, and keeping on running.SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and exciting bonus episodes... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s book 26.2 Miles to Happiness here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/26-2-miles-to-happiness/paul-tonkinson/9781472975270You can download Rob's show Long Distance Man here: gofasterstripe.com/ldThanks for listening, supporting, and sharing your adventures with us. Happy running.

You know what Rob and Paul did running-wise during the holidays - and what they ate and drank - but what visual treats did they indulge in? Find out here.

It's our HOLIDAY SPECIAL! ...part two - the long run to the supermarket continues. Striking out across Hackney Marshes, up the hill in Springfield Park and through the sprawling metropolis that is South Tottenham, Rob and Paul look ahead to 2025.SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s book 26.2 Miles to Happiness here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/26-2-miles-to-happiness/paul-tonkinson/9781472975270You can download Rob's show Long Distance Man here: gofasterstripe.com/ldThanks for listening, supporting, and sharing your adventures with us this year. Happy running, and happy holidays.

It's our HOLIDAY SPECIAL! ...part one. On the first half of a long run from Wanstead Park to a big festive shop, the boys look at back at their - and your - 2024; all the highs, lows and non-specific ridiculousnesses. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s book 26.2 Miles to Happiness here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/26-2-miles-to-happiness/paul-tonkinson/9781472975270You can download Rob's show Long Distance Man here: gofasterstripe.com/ldThanks for listening, supporting, and sharing your adventures with us this year. Happy running, and happy holidays.

Rob and Paul's penultimate run of the year, and the whole world is ramping up - and/or winding down for the holidays. Featuring Christmas trees, festive viewing review, the storm before the calm and the joy before the sadness, gig report, Rob's ambitious plan for 2025 - and Paul's literary hopes, turning the clock back, making contact with people new to running, or marathons... and drinking their blood.SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s book 26.2 Miles to Happiness here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/26-2-miles-to-happiness/paul-tonkinson/9781472975270You can download Rob's show Long Distance Man here: gofasterstripe.com/ldThanks for listening, supporting, and sharing your adventures with us this year. Happy running, and Merry Christmas.

Against the backdrop of festive film season, Rob and Paul head out into the chilly aftermath of Storm Darragh. Featuring another ongoing aftermath in the Tonkinson house, pathetic fallacy, Rob running through an I-don't-want-to phase, the Christmas crescendo, giving up on parkrun, festive fun vs the sadness of the season, the return of the progeny, heckling Chris Rea, mindfulness and moderation, running and writing, plank philosophy, Paul breaking the green cross code, Rob starting to plan for the New Year, and some Flaming Lips-based inspiration.SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s book 26.2 Miles to Happiness here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/26-2-miles-to-happiness/paul-tonkinson/9781472975270You can download Rob's show Long Distance Man here: gofasterstripe.com/ldThanks for listening, supporting, and sharing your adventures with us. Happy running.

After George and Paul both, in their different ways, had to abandon their Yorkshire Marathon plans, they catch up to put 2024 plans. But first: postmen.BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s book 26.2 Miles to Happiness here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/26-2-miles-to-happiness/paul-tonkinson/9781472975270You can download Rob's show Long Distance Man here: gofasterstripe.com/ldThanks for listening, supporting, and sharing your adventures with us this year. Happy running, and Merry Christmas.

Paul and Rob take to Hampstead Heath to see in December.CONTENT WARNING: topics of conversation include death and suicide, so if you think you'll find that upsetting, do stop after the first twenty minutes of this one.As Rob starts his fifty-third year, he surprises himself at parkrun - and not in a good way - and generally considers all the shenanigans of ageing. Paul, meanwhile, was facing down a tough week when we last heard from him, but he wasn't to know haw bad it would turn out to be.But a run in the countryside with a friend is always good for the soul, so thanks for listening, and giving us such a good excuse to get out there.SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s book 26.2 Miles to Happiness here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/26-2-miles-to-happiness/paul-tonkinson/9781472975270You can download Rob's show Long Distance Man here: gofasterstripe.com/ldThanks again for listening, supporting, and sharing your adventures with us. Happy running.