Twice-around-the-world sailor runs 30 marathons in 30 days
Monday 26 October 2020
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Danny Watson, the director of sailing for charity CatZero, has undertaken a series of thirty back-to-back marathons in thirty days.
Danny Watson, after successfully running more than 800 miles.
The money raised from the feat will go towards the charity’s Full Families programme, which works with young people and families who are experiencing a crisis.
Mr Watson started at Brighton Pier on 23 September and finished in Hull on 22 October, passing near Lincoln around halfway through.
The Linc spoke to him just after his twentieth marathon.
Mr Watson said CatZero started in 2009, with sailing at its core.
“The charity came about with a round-the-world yacht race. I was a skipper on the boat Humber. On that boat, we had ten young people with a background of not being in education, employment or training.”
It was such a success that he decided to investigate how they could take it to a wider audience. With co-founders Dave Bertholini and Jim Dick, CatZero began, working across places such as the Humber, Grimsby and Scunthorpe.
“CatZero stands for Category Zero. There is a yacht at the heart of the programme. Category Zero means the yacht can go anywhere in the world; it has no limits. The only limits are the ones you set yourself.
“We promote learning from mistakes, volunteering and encouraging people to fail and learn from that. The journey is massive but it’s taking that first step that’s important.”
As for the marathons, Mr Watson explained his crucial energy-boosting diet.
“I’m using about 3000 to 3500 calories on each marathon,” he said. “The challenge is to get 6000 calories in each day, which isn’t easy to consume whilst running.”
“I wake up about 5:15am. I have a big bowl of porridge and protein shake. I have a carbohydrate powder drink, which keeps my carbohydrate levels up. The body burns up carbohydrates most easily, then turns to fats after.”
“Originally I was doing two pit stops now I’m doing three. I’ll have a crumpet or a bagel – both plain but quite high on the glycemic index. I also have a glug of coconut oil, which is fat but good fat.”
“As soon as I finish, I’ll have a couple of white wraps, with rice and maybe some tofu. I’m plant-based.”
Two hours after the day’s exercising, Mr Watson drinks a shake of soy milk with berries, banana, spinach, chia seeds and blueberries.
But he didn’t always have such a focus on fitness. Nine years ago, Mr Watson was on the brink of obesity.
“At that point, I decided to go for a mile run. After half a mile I was out of breath.”
“That was the turning point to look at nutrition. I did some high-intensity workouts and lost the weight quite quickly. I lost about three stone and that’s stayed off since.”
Over the next seven years, he participated in annual challenges, including cycling from Liverpool to Hull and running from Carlisle to Newcastle in 13.5 hours.
This year, Mr Watson combined all of the physical and mental training.
“The balance is getting the body ready enough, and enough training to test the body to give it enough that then you can take on the event.
Marathon runner Danny Watson standing next to the yacht which is at the heart of the CatZero programme.
“It’s a mental game, it’s 30 separate events, which you need to take it one day at a time. You need a strong ‘why’. I’m doing this to help families.
“It’s bringing it back to the smallest increment which is putting one foot in front of the other.”
To deal with the mental struggle that can accompany marathons, he uses Paula Radcliffe’s technique of counting to 100, which distracts the mind from the running.
“Tie that in with breathing, it’s like meditation,” Mr Watson said.
His first two days of the marathons were quite hilly with northerly winds, and still more winds by day four. He shared his thought process with The Linc, which enables him to cope with these challenges mentally.
“Don’t add to the pain. Accept the pain and try to run upright and take the pressure off, it’s one step at a time.”
Originally, thirty people were planned to run alongside Mr Watson and stay in hotels. Due to COVID-19, the event had to be altered, with the others staying in self-contained camper vans instead.
“It wasn’t the vision but was still lovely running around and seeing the country. The key is to raise money and continue the important work we’re doing.”
Summarising his journey, Mr Watson said: “When I was speaking to young people and participants on the boat, there was an element of talking the talk but not walking the walk.
“I applied the principles of the programme to myself. I became vegan and went alcohol-free six years ago, to be a role model and inspiration to my family.”
While not suggesting that everybody should be running thirty marathons in thirty days, he explained that it’s just about showing people they can get out there and accomplish goals.
“It all comes back to CatZero’s saying; there are no limits. Everything is an opportunity to learn.”
Mr Watson completed his challenge on Thursday 22 October, having covered more than 800 miles.
You can still donate to Mr Watson’s 30in30. His Virgin Money Giving page is: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DannyWatson30in30.
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