Fresh off the back of competing in the Olympic Marathon Trials, you could forgive Andrew Davies for having a breather – but the Welsh international marathon & mountain runner was in energetic mood when we chatted with him and is clearly not ready to stop soon!
I first started marathon running as a bit of an accident!
“I went travelling around the world in 2006 and there was a marathon in Christchurch, NZ in 3 weeks time when I was in Sydney. So I did 3 weeks training in the blue mountains and managed to achieve 2:52 on my first attempt.”
Andrew has competed across the world – for Team GB at the World Athletics Championships, Wales at the last two Commonwealth Games – and is even the current over 40 British record holder in the marathon.
His most recent marathon was in London’s Kew Gardens, the latest of 25 – 9 of those coming home under an incredible 2:20. Remembering them back, he says many of the courses are a blur, but one stands out –
One that was iconic and such a tough course was New York. The course was rolling up and down all the way – I was not expecting that!
“Also, with 2 massive bridges in there, Central Park and other sights – it was such an amazing experience and hopefully I’ll be able to do in the future again.”
Andrew’s passion for running is clear, whether on roads across the world or over Welsh mountains.
“Running for Wales is always a proud moment, even my 1st time when I was 14 at the World Mountain Running Championships in Germany 1994. Even now, I think when I got the Vet 40 record in Valencia for the marathon was one of my favourite achievements – just to think that no one else in Britain over 40 has ever got any quicker than that!”
One reason he’s been able to sustain his times and go back again and again is thanks to supporting his body – even competing now whilst a teacher in Newtown.
“Nutrition & hydration are key components to a successful athlete. These are the things that make the body function and be able to keep up with the demands of the training. A poor diet and lack of hydration will lead to poor training and results. I also have a balanced diet, obviously lots of carbohydrates for the fueling of my training and racing and another important aspect is protein, to repair my muscles after my 95+ miles a week.”
Hence why Andrew is a firm believer in Get Jerky – with 19g of protein for 40g pack, it helps him recover.
“I love eating Get Jerky, as it helps me repair my muscles straight after training or racing – and it tastes fantastic too.
It’s great to have a snack handy on the road and after, that I can reseal for later if I don’t eat it all!”
For any exercise, but especially running and tackling Wales’ mountains, it’s vital to get carbohydrates & protein within 20 minutes for maximum effect. Having the beef jerky with me allows me to get my protein needs straight away.”
Whatever the situation, Get Jerky is tasty enough to get Andrew picking open a pack.
“I eat loads of the flavours, but it depends what mood i’m in. If I play it safe I will go for the black pepper. If I’m up for a challenge I’ll go for the Spicy Chilli. If i’m going all out, i’ll attack the Devil’s Wrath, but only 1 piece at a time!”
