Overcoming Loss Through the Power of Running with Harry Marshall Ep. 176

How do you find hope and healing after unimaginable loss? Join us as we sit down with Harry Marshall, aka "Scrambled Legs" on Instagram, who opens up about his profound journey through grief and recovery. Living in Canada but originally from West Yorkshire, Harry shares how running became his lifeline after losing his brother to suicide and his mother to heart complications. Tune in to hear how Harry's dedication to running 5 kilometers daily for a year across three continents helped him cope with his grief, offering a powerful testament to the mental and emotional benefits of physical movement.

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Chapters

• 0:10 Grief Healing Through Running
• 13:03 Endurance Running Challenges and Goals
• 22:18 Social Media Presence for Runner

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:10

Welcome to Ella Go. My name is Lisa. Join me on the journey in having real raw and uncomfortable discussions about fitness, health and everything in between, because, let's be honest, this journey would suck if we don't get our shit together. Welcome everyone to the Elego Podcast. My name is Lisa and today's guest is Harry Marshall. Harry, welcome.

Speaker 1: 0:44

Thank you very much.

Speaker 2: 0:45

So I was looking at Harry's profile, I think, harry, you reached out to me and we connected on Instagram. You followed me, I followed you back and when I read Harry's profile, it was very profound, because that's and I'll tell you a little bit more about it Obviously, ella Goh is about empowering women through fitness, health and everything in between, and not just women everybody. Okay, and we're doing coaching for running, but we're using running as a way to heal, to release, to empower. So when I read your profile, it really resonated with me because I'm like this is exactly why I do what I'm doing. So, before we get into all that, why don't you introduce yourself to the listeners?

Speaker 1: 1:36

My name is Harry Marshall. I'm from West Yorkshire originally, but I'm currently living in Canada and my alter ego is scrambled legs, and which is my running profile? Um, and yeah, that's that's me okay, where did that come from?

Speaker 2: 1:54

I saw that scrambled legs. What is that?

Speaker 1: 1:56

it started. I was um halfway through my first running challenge and I was in the process of creating an Instagram page, so I put, put it out to my like, my normal account, um, and sort of let people fire ideas at me, and that was the most popular, so that's what I went with interesting, harry, that's interesting yeah. Yeah, there was a few of the wild ones out there, so that was the best pick.

Speaker 2: 2:24

Okay, Okay. So I wanted to ask you were you always a runner?

Speaker 1: 2:29

No, never actually. So yeah, I started. Well, the first running challenge I did was five kilometers a day every day for a year, but before that I'd been on probably maybe 20 runs in my life, played sport obviously quite a bit when I was younger, but yeah, I never ran sort of consistently.

Speaker 2: 2:52

So yeah, straight in the deep end with that one. So, as I was mentioning, on your profile it says found a passion for running through my journey of grief. So can you explain what that's all about?

Speaker 1: 3:04

Yeah, so in 2019 2019 I lost my brother to suicide, um, and then, a couple years later, my mom always had, um, quite a lot of like heart complications and stuff growing up, but nothing, nothing too serious um. And then, yeah, and then after my brother passed away, it sort of just progressively got worse and then, yeah, we lost my mum two years later. So obviously, I was in a pretty dark time of my life, like I was really struggling and didn't really know how to navigate through sort of I've never lost anyone so close to me before, especially two people so close together. So it was sort of my own journey and it sort of brought me to running randomly. I'm not sure how it happened, so I stumbled across it, but it's definitely been the best thing that's happened to me since.

Speaker 1: 3:58

It's well, it has changed my life really and helped me get through that time, and now it's just sort of something that I really enjoy and found a passion for and sort of give me a little bit of purpose in life, um, which is what I needed at that time as well. So, yeah, that's that's why I started and, uh, first challenge I did was in memory of my brother, um, and it was, yeah, 5 a day for 365 days, uh, across three continents actually, cause we um started in England and it was going back to Australia, um, and then we were moving to Canada after his visa was up in Australia. So it was a tough one with all the flights and stuff in between and the um time differences, but I got there in between and the time differences, but I got there.

Speaker 2: 4:47

Let me ask you this because I think that a lot of people don't realize how movement, what it does for them, Because normally you know, as humans, when something bad happens, we feel like stuck, we really get into our little like cocoon and we don't want to move. We're just in this distraught feeling. So for you, when you started first with your brother, what was that feeling? What did it feel like? If you can even remember when you started moving your body and running, what was it doing for your mindset and your mental health?

Speaker 1: 5:27

yeah. So before I started the running challenge, obviously I was in a dark place. As I said, I was drinking a lot and sort of had I had no motivation to do anything really and setting that challenge for myself it was sort of I mean, it was 5k a day, which obviously isn't huge, but it was more the ritual of right I've got to get up and I've got to get this done and get moving, and every morning I had something to get up for, if that makes sense, even though it was only 25 minutes, 30 minutes of my day, or whatever. It got me up, got me out, got and it was just just found it a really good way to start my day, um, and it sort of set me up for the rest of the day then feeling positive and sort of already like I'd achieved something, um, and yeah, and then I guess that's why I've I've carried on ever since.

Speaker 2: 6:17

So when you said that it gave you some purpose with the movement of running and it's, it was a great way to put you in a positive way right. Because you're you know it gave you some positivity. Um, would you say that were endorphins kicking in, or were you saying things to yourself as you were doing your runs?

Speaker 1: 6:40

Um, it was a mixture of everything. Definitely endorphorphins. Like any exercise makes you feel good. Um, for me as well it was also I I have sort of trouble, I don't know, with my brother and my mum sometimes. I don't try and like I always want to remember them, but on a day-to-day basis I feel like if I think about them all the time it just zaps me of energy and I don't know. It's so like my day-to-day day is sort of very busy, trying to keep myself occupied and sort of put that stuff to the back of my mind. But when I'm running and it just gives me time to think, I'm sort of away with my own thoughts. That is like the main time that I do get to think about them, and it's usually in a positive way because I'm out in nature and stuff like that. So for me it was sort of my little escape for for the day where I got to sort of think about them and remember the good things rather than sort of all the the negatives that came with it yeah, that's.

Speaker 2: 7:42

yeah, you know, when you're outside in nature, you feel present and, um, I had someone on here that was, uh, you know, I think she was a, a forest therapist, believe it or not, and she said that the trees actually release a chemical um that keeps us, you know, present and calm, um, um, which was really interesting. So when you're doing these runs, are you wearing like, are you listening to music, are you listening to mantras or are you just keeping it like raw without anything?

Speaker 1: 8:16

oh, it's been a. It's been sort of an evolution, I think. When I first started, I was doing like predominantly road running, which is Pretty boring at times. So yeah, I was always like listening to podcasts or music and stuff with that. But I've slowly sort of transitioned into trail running and I refuse to wear headphones when I'm trail running. So it's like when I'm road running I do, and when I'm trail running I'm sort of just in nature and that's when I'm sort of most like alone with my thoughts and stuff and where I see like the biggest progression.

Speaker 2: 8:56

So, yeah, yeah, definitely a little bit of variety, but I prefer it without. I think it's very hard to do without, but it's very uh. But then when you do it without and you you're actually a little bit more grateful. I feel like you know, you feel like you're more present with um world.

Speaker 1: 9:08

Yeah, it's more rewarding.

Speaker 2: 9:09

Yeah, yes, it's more rewarding, okay, so another question I want to ask you is you know you said that you started with, you know, with your brother first, and how it, you know, helped you progressively in your grieving. Where are you now in that process, like you know? Obviously, I could just imagine, like at the beginning, when those emotions are still raw, you're running Like if we were to do a comparison what was your running back then with your brother and your mother, versus now?

Speaker 1: 9:44

I was definitely a lot more emotional during some of my runs at the start. I was definitely a lot more emotional during some of my runs at the start. Like sometimes I just break into tears mid-run, obviously thinking about them and stuff. As time's gone on, obviously I've had a lot longer to sort of understand things and sort of come to terms with it myself. But I'm in a really good place now. I'm really happy. Like me and my partner, we're living in Canada, sort of living out our dream, as as we always planned, um, and just yeah, I just feel really positive, really grateful. I'm doing a lot better um than I was probably two, three years ago. Um, so as long as I keep making progression, I'm, I'm happy, okay, good, of course, obviously okay.

Speaker 2: 10:32

So you mean, I see you running all over the damn place, um, um. And, by the way, speaking of which, like Harry, uh, how do you do that like, do you have a nine-to-five job or are you just like winging it?

Speaker 1: 10:45

no, no, I do do, I do, I do work. A lot of people don't think I do, but yeah, for me it's, it's. I don't find running a chore, so like to go out after work for a couple of hours, that's sort of my sort of downtime. As crazy as it sounds, but yeah, I think if you're doing something that you enjoy it's, you always find the time, like, whether you have to get up at 4 am and go fora, run or whatever. But yes, I feel worse on the days that I don't go, even when it's supposed to be my like scheduled rest. Um, I find it really difficult, like that's sort of when I get in my head a little bit and I don't know what to do with myself. So yeah, for me I just run as much as possible and whenever I can sort of squeeze it in, I will.

Speaker 2: 11:30

Well, also, where you run is absolutely gorgeous, harry. I mean it's not like we're running on the road in the city or anything like that.

Speaker 1: 11:40

No, no, I'm very, very lucky. Yeah, I got the mountain two-minute walk from my house.

Speaker 2: 11:44

Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1: 11:45

It's amazing.

Speaker 2: 11:47

Okay, so the process, obviously the running process. It really helped you, and you're saying that you're in a good place now and I was going to ask you what do you think about now when you are running?

Speaker 1: 12:03

To be honest, I'm not going to sit here and say every time I go for a run I'm thinking about my mom and my brother, because I'm not but definitely on like big challenges, um, and big runs when I'm really really struggling, um, especially the challenges that I've, I've done, uh, in memory of my mum and brother or to raise money for charities, and that's sort of like a big motivator at the end, when I'm really struggling, a lot of the time there's just not a right lot going on in my head. It's sort of just blank, which is nice because, as I say, my day-to-day I'm pretty bad with always having to be busy and always try to tick jobs off and stuff like that. So it's nice just sometimes for not a right lot to be going on inside my head, which is good.

Speaker 2: 12:52

Yeah, that's a good thing. That's meditation, people. Okay, that's meditation. That's why you meditate, so that you're not thinking about anything. That is the goal, all right. So let's talk a little bit more about your running. Let's switch here. So you know, you did your, uh, your 5k's every day. Um, and then when did it, like you went from 5k to what? Please don't tell me 5k to marathon? Did you do that, harry?

Speaker 1: 13:20

so. So the 5k day was sort of it was 5k minimum, um, and like, as I got into it more and more obviously, when I first started out I was just doing the bare minimum. But as I got into it more and more obviously, when I first started out I was just doing the bare minimum, but as I got more and more into it I started to enjoy it more. So I set myself little challenges. During that year period I did seven half marathons in seven days and then I finished the last day with my own marathon Um, my first ever one.

Speaker 2: 13:46

Um okay, hold on, hold on, harry, hold on. Wait a minute. Did you just say seven half marathons in seven days? Yeah what you did. A man like a like monday, monday half marathon, tuesday have you did that?

Speaker 1: 14:06

yeah, yeah, so it was. It was like, because it was a year-long challenge, it was hard to keep people interested in the challenge and keep donating. I kept just coming up with wild ideas to sort of keep people engaged. I had to do a Mancini run on the beach, which were pretty embarrassing. But yeah, I did the seven half marathons. It was sort of in preparation for the final day, because I knew I was going to be doing the marathon and I didn't really know how to train for it, sort of just winged it. But yeah, and then after the challenge finished, I was obviously as I say, I had that purpose for that year.

Speaker 1: 14:44

And then the year finished, I sort of felt myself slowly slipping back into like old habits. I started drinking a bit more and stuff like that. So I was like, right, I know that when I'm running and I've got sort of stuff planned, I'm a lot better. So then that's when I booked um. I booked Vancouver Marathon two months after I'd finished and then, once I'd completed that, then I decided I wanted to do another challenge and decided to set myself seven marathons in seven days. After completing the previous two, that was my next challenge.

Speaker 2: 15:18

Did you just say seven marathons in seven days?

Speaker 1: 15:24

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 15:24

Harry, you're not normal. You're not normal, Harry. Let me ask you this have you had an injury?

Speaker 1: 15:37

No, I don't know how. I've had aches and pains and niggles and stuff like that, but never really a proper full-blown injury.

Speaker 2: 15:45

So okay, you're yeah you're probably the second person ever that I've interviewed that said that they never had an injury, which is interesting. I mean, I'm serious, like the first woman, the one woman. She's native american and she was. She was brought up running barefooted and that's in the you know, that's in the genes like she is just you know, I asked her she ever had an injury?

Speaker 2: 16:14

and she's like, nope, and she does, ironman, she does. She's like I'm like that's crazy. And now you're telling me so how many years have you been running total? Um, it'll be two and a half years okay, you got time right yeah, yeah, yeah, there's plenty of time wow, you did a lot of running in that short amount of time. That's insane, okay, um, so what is uh in the horizon, like? What are? What are races that you are training for now, or are you training for anything?

Speaker 1: 16:47

I'm always training, yeah. So, like since I started, I've just honestly just kept booking challenges in and races just to sort of keep me motivated, I think. Since I started, obviously, I did the full year every day and then after that I've probably been running at least four times a week, five times a week, every every week since, um, but yeah, yes, I did the seven marathons. Once I'd finished, um, I had quite a bit of time off, um, uh, sort of just relaxing and enjoying myself because the training had been quite intense, um, so I enjoyed the christmas period and then, come january, decided to set myself another challenge, which was the most recent one, which was 10 marathons in 10 days in 10 countries, which completed this July, just just gone June July okay, harry, hold on a second here.

Speaker 2: 17:37

So 10 marathons in 10 different countries? Okay, how do you? What about the traveling like? How did that work?

Speaker 1: 17:46

so we it was me and my partner um and we just hired a camper van and just it was through europe.

Speaker 2: 17:53

Uh started in the netherlands and finished in slovenia okay, so wait, let me, let me, so everyone who's listening to this. Okay, so, like day one, you did a marathon, then you got on a plane, arrived at the no, no, just in the camper van.

Speaker 1: 18:10

So yeah, we started in the Netherlands. Woke up in the morning, ran the marathon, got in the camper van, drove to Belgium. Woke up in the morning, ran in Belgium and rinse and repeat for 10 years.

Speaker 2: 18:23

You're not normal. I hate that. Wow, okay, that's incredible. Um okay, so can I ask you this Do you ever see yourself like slowing down?

Speaker 1: 18:37

Um, I don't know. To be honest, like I've got so many, I've got, I've got so many other things that I want to do, I almost feel like there's too much that I want to do and not enough time. I mean, I'm sure obviously at some stage I'll take a back seat, Maybe if I get an injury it might give me a nice few months off. But for the now that's sort of just what I'm enjoying doing. I love training and love having something sort of to focus on. Winter is coming up in canada, which always makes it more difficult to train with the snow and stuff, um, and the skiing through the winter. So probably take a little bit of a back seat on the running, still run. But yeah, I'll have other focuses as well, um, but I've just got so many races and stuff coming up that I can't really afford to to slack off do you read, watch a movie?

Speaker 2: 19:28

I mean what?

Speaker 1: 19:30

I do read. I've just started reading, actually the first book since leaving school. Um, I'm 60 pages deep, so do you watch movies?

Speaker 2: 19:40

do you watch tv?

Speaker 1: 19:43

yeah, yeah, I love to watch. I love to watch tv when I have the time.

Speaker 2: 19:47

I feel like you don't have a lot of time to watch tv, which is kind of crazy. Um, wow, harry, okay. So let me ask you this when you think about so, because you've done road racing, you've done trail racing, race racing, yeah, and do you do any? Have you done any ironman or anything like that?

Speaker 1: 20:07

no, I haven't. Um, I've tried. I would like to definitely do an ironman at some point. Um, my friend's training for a half at the minute so he's doing a lot of like open water swims and stuff and I did go on one of them with him, but it's. The skills are definitely not transferable. It was pretty tough. So I definitely think I maybe need some swimming lessons or something like that to sort of improve on that before I take that step, but that is in the pipeline at some point.

Speaker 2: 20:37

What are you looking to do, like, where do you see yourself in? Probably don't even know, you're probably not even thinking about this. Where do you see yourself in? Probably don't even know, you're probably not even thinking about this. But where do you see yourself, like in like five or 10 years, with your racing? Do you feel like you're still going to be, you know, going, going, going? Or do you feel like you know, if I do this one big race, then I feel like I've accomplished it?

Speaker 1: 21:03

Or what are your thoughts with that? My five-year plan is well, I've got one like big, big goal. That's sort of like my end goal. I don't know if I'd do anything that surpasses that um, which is to run across america. Um, but you only get a three-month visa, so I'd have to do it in 90 days, which is, I think it worked out at out, around 70K a day for three months, with no rest days, obviously, because then you'd have to make up the extra. So I'm a long way off that obviously. Yeah, it's like huge, but that is my sort of end goal.

Speaker 2: 21:42

Okay, well, harry, when you do it, stop by in upstate New York, okay. So, um, harry, thank you so much for being a part of this. All of this gave you this fire and and, like you said, it's giving you this purpose, and you're not just running, you're actually raising money. You're you're, you know you're doing things for other people. You know again, um, that gave you this, this fire. Your experiences gave you this fire to continue with this journey. So, thank you again so much for being a part of this. And, um, where can people find you? Like? I know you have, you just have instagram. Do you have a website or what? What's that all about?

Speaker 1: 22:25

uh, just mainly instagram. Yeah, I do have a tiktok, but I'm uh, I'm not very tech savvy, so I'm still sort of learning not learning the ropes for the tiktok stuff, but yeah, mainly just instagram. Um, scrambled legs.

Speaker 2: 22:40

Underscore, underscore, underscore okay, all right, so everyone, I will put his uh how to get a hold of him on the show notes. And again, harry, thank you for being a part of this.

Speaker 1: 22:51

Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2: 22:52

All right. Thanks everyone for joining us. Bye For you.