Noel Armstrong Podcasts

There are some things you just have to know to keep up with the headlines. Things that, in some cases, provide crucial insights into who we are and how we and the universe we are part of work. It might be that a big picture concept of the fundamental building blocks of reality is one of those things. If you, like me, really want to understand somet…

I recorded this episode with James two days after he completed the very first Winter Wainwrights Round which entails 325 miles across the 214 Wainwright Peaks which has a mind blowing 36,000 metres of ascent. He was met with snow swept hills and strong winds, the severe winter conditions made this an even bigger achievement for James and his crew. …

We have a great episode for you this week with local lad 'Ireland' Graeme Black who finally gets to realise a dream as he takes part in the 2022 Barkley Marathon. Graeme is no stranger to the Frozen Head Park in Tennessee as he’d raced there in the Barkley Fall Classic however this time he returns to compete along side some of the worlds most infor…

Yesterday I had the pleasure of breaking down the latest Backyard event with the winner of the 2022 Castle Ward back yard Keith Russel who was taken to 37 loops by up and coming ultra runner Cathal McParland. Some you might be aware that we have had Keith on the podcast previously firstly for his amazing story with Alana that starting his running j…

Today we cover the story of Charles Whitman, the erstwhile normal and successful young scout, altar boy, and marine sharpshooter who, in the course of 24 hours, killed his mother and wife, climbed the tower at UT Austin, and sniped at innocent civilians for an hour and a half. After he was killed, his autopsy revealed, possibly, a structure that mi…

A super Art O’Neill special this week featuring Ellen Vitting who was first lady home in the Art O'Neill Challenge in a great time of 7:05:18 just a couple of minutes ahead of second place, and Alastair Higgins who won the overal race in a pretty incredible time of 5:53:33. For those who haven’t heard of The Art O'Neill Challenge it is a unique eve…

A late entry into the worst people ever compendium, Tomas de Torquemada, the first and greatest Grand Inquisitor of The Spanish Inquisition. A man who began with a broad national mandate to root out heretics and insincere converses, and ended so loathed by everyone in Spain that he needed armed escorts wherever he went. A zealot so intransigent tha…

It’s been a couple of weeks since the last episode was released but the wait was worth it as we have a 2hr feature with the round machine himself Ross Jenkin, who earlier this year completed all four of the UKs infamous Mountain Rounds within the same week. The well known English Bob Graham, The Welsh Paddy Buckley, The Scottish Charlie Ramsay and …

In this episode we conclude our series on the inquisition with the story of Joan of Arc with her three "trials:" 1. The Examination at Poitiers (link to a summary: https://www.jeanne-darc.info/trials-index/the-examination-at-poitiers/) 2. The 1431 Trial of Condemnation before the Inquisition (link to fulll transcripts: https://www.jeanne-darc.info/…

This week we have a local club runner who I have been watching with almost misbelief over the last couple of years as he has gone from strength to strength. Gareth King from Tandragee County Armagh who back in Aug this year not only become the National 100km champion, but he smashed the Northern Ireland record by 22 minutes in time of 7:12:30 secon…

Once again we have the pleasure of Noel Hanna on the podcast, some of you will remember Noel from episode #51 where we unpack his adventure on the 135 mile Bad Water race across death valley, and his succesful summit of K2 the Savage Mountain amongst other crazy endurance accompishments. In this episode we discuss his recent winter attempt on K2 wh…

Here it is: the pious childhood, the voices, the missions, the uncanny miraculous insights, the fearless warring, the taunting and threatening, the temper, the visions and prophesies, and the prodigious feats of the Maid of Orleans. According to Twain, this was far and away the most amazing human being to ever live, and that is saying an awful lot.…

In this episode we set the stage for the story of Joan of Arc, one of the most enigmatic and fascinating people in history. To understand Joan we have to understand the Hundred Years' War, the festering quagmire into which she was born, and which she helped put an end to. Herein are dragons and whirlwinds, blood-soaked Vikings, slaughtered monks, b…

It's hard to know where to begin with Liz Canty, an immense rugby player who changed direction and ended up on rat jaw, what more can be said.... Liz really hasn't held back in any way or form, starting on the road and moving to the trails she has gone from strength to strength racing numerous 50k to 100 mile races and although realtively new to th…

Epic episode with Irish Backyard record holder Keith Russell who ran an amazing 63 loops back in May during the Atlas Running event in N.Ireland. Last week he competed in the 100k Anglo Celtic Plate gracing his first Irish International vest which was a very proud moment for the relatively new ultra runner. In this episode we break down how to isol…

They are one of the two most implicated groups in the history of conspiracy theories. But their real history is, if less mysterious and ominous, just as unsettling. From a humble beginning, to becoming the richest order in Christendom, to being imprisoned, tortured, persecuted and executed. This is the story of the Knights Templar.…

What a treat we have for you this week with one of Ultra Runnings most interesting runners Vajin Armstrong, not only has he podiumed some of the worlds toughest races but he brings with him a different dimension into the sport. A follower of the Indian Spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy creator of the Sri Chinmoy Self Transcendence race in New York, Vaji…

We have a very interesting guest this week, Dr. Rebecca Robinson. Sports and Exercise Medical Consultant who has represented GB in the marathon distance gracing a 2hr 36min pb, along with a 33min 09sec 10k, she is also an absolutely awesome mountain runner winning team gold with GB in 2015. In this episode we unpack RED-S (Relative Energy Deficienc…

I can’t believe we have been absent for almost four months I'd just like to thank everyone for their continued support, and who better to start off with than fellow club mate Slieve Gullion Runners Paddy Hamilton who at his first attempt in the world of ultra smashed the field to take first place in the 100km Race to the Stones. Paddy is more commo…

We continue our series on the Inquisition with the campaigns to suppress the Waldensians. These "Poor Men (and Women!) of Lyon" were known for their sandals and their beards; but mostly for their Christian piety, humility, and charity. So of course they had to die. And die they did, in the tens, hundreds, and thousands.…

In this episode we begin a full immersion experience into that most infamous of offices, The Inqusition. From the forces at play in the persecution society where it began, through a few early burnings, to the papal bull that started it all, we refuse to shrink from staring it in all its repressive sanctimony. We also cover some of the early heretic…

In this episode Steve Rathje, social psychologist specializing in social media and political polarization, explains to us why we are prone to conspiratorial thinking, and how we got into the state we find ourselves in Western societies. Virality, engagement, fake news, motivated reasoning, negativity bias, and much more are covered the way only Ste…

It's been a while since I've released an episode, the joys of setting up a new business however no better place to start of again than the Barkley Marathon. Karen McNeany gained her entry into the Barkley by being the first lady across the line in the Barkley Classic however that didn't stop Laz giving her race number one the human sacrifice, her p…

In this episode I speak to Professor Jan Bremer about human sacrifice. We touch on Greek, Roman, Maya, Indian, Aztec, Druid, Egyptian, Chinese, and other instantiations of this most intentionally terrifying of all practices. Who were the victims? How common was it? What motivated it? The answers, from Prof. Bremer, were suprising. I will not say he…

Conclusion (at last) of a three-part episode on the ways our perceptions and processing distort reality. For the stalwart (and patient) seekers of knowledge only. 0:00 Groupthink 6:13 Halo Effect 10:41 Just World Fallacy 17:21 Negativity Bias 22:16 Optimism and Pessimism Bias 27:19 Reactance 31:44 Self-Serving Bias 34:41 Sunk Cost Fallacy 39:40 The…

Today I begin a pedantic journey into the tragicomic ways our perceptions and judgments are altered and distorted by our own cognitive processes -- goofy, heartbreaking, and humorous all at once, Index of topics included: 0:00 Intro 04:52 Anchoring Bias 08:59 Availability Heuristic 13:25 Backfire Effect 16:05 Barnum Effect 19:45 Belief Bias 23:06 B…

Short intro to this weeks guest Gary House from the run strong club, an ultra runner himself signing up for races such as UTMBS TDS and The Dragon's Back he has earned himslef an indepth knowledge on coaching techniques which he shares through the club. Check him out on Instagram if you want to be entertained, or if your interested in being coached…

In which we continue to Dumbest things in history series by looking at some of the glitches in us that make them possible. And also that they are not the result of our lizard brain, because we don't have one. In this episode, we cover conspiracy thinking and theories and the apophenia that makes them possible, including pareidolia, the gambler's fa…

George is very talented Mountain Runner who focuses on shorter sharper mountain races, however last October during the nations lock down he took on the Bob Graham round and beat Billy Bland's time which had previously stood for 36 years prior to Killian Jornet breaking it. At 13hrs 44min it hit the running community with a wave of amazement and tru…

A bad decision for the ages--welcoming a pretentious narcissistic ignoramus into your family to weaken your already precarious hold on power, ignoring all warnings and thumbing your nose at the public outrage it engendered. And worse, taking said lecher's advice on all matters, sacred and secular, because he claimed it came from God himself. It sou…

We have one of if not the best coach that I have had the pleasure of talking to Martin Cox from Vo2 Max Coaching, he is a world class athlete who has been on the top flight in mountain running for numerous years. He has rubbed shoulders with some of the best coaches the world has ever seen which along with his own experience in racing is where he l…

I've been back in the hills with a new set of tyres, the Inov-8 Terraultra G270s. I was so blown away by them that I had to invite the Inov-8 team on to the podcast to find out more about the product and the people behind this increasingly competitive brand. Not only is Bodil Oushoorn the Design Manager at Inov-8 but she is also a kick ass ultra ru…

This is a release of an interview I did a year and a half ago, but have not released due to some technical -- and technique -- difficulties. Despite that, I have always wanted to clean it up as much as possible and release it, in large part because Dr. Tiesler is a world renowned expert on the topic and was very generous to grant the interview.…

A 17hr Bob Graham, seven times winner of the OMM, winner of the infamous 2012 Dragons Back race, and former record hold of the wainrights, not to mention author of one of the best Mountain books out there There is no Map in Hell. If only I had half the knowledge that Steve Birkinshaw carries, it was great sitting down with him, I’ve been in awe of …