Meg Lane on Tracking Every Poo (652 and Counting)

Paul sits down with Meg, a Bridgwater runner, hockey player and fellow Watergate Studios regular. They first crossed paths at the gym's 24-hour running challenge, when Meg turned up at 2am with a pair of drinking straws as glasses and joined in. Meg is coming up to the two-year anniversary of her first ever 5K, and she still insists she isn't a runner. Since then she has run the London Marathon for Brain Tumour Research, raising around £7,000, and she's now the race director of the Bad Rats' Bolt. Meg and Paul talk about how a Santa Fun Run, a Christmas lights jingle and a spontaneous half marathon on a random Sunday turned into a love of running. The big story of the episode is poo. Meg tracks her monthly poo count (652 and counting, with 700 in her sights), photographs the best ones and sends them to her aunt. She also took a selfie from a portaloo at mile 21 of the London Marathon and added the mid-race poo to her tally. Paul shares the story of an infamous run on the marshes that he accidentally filmed. Under the laughs is a heartfelt conversation about food. Meg talks about getting down to size 12 after joining a commercial slimming club, how it left her counting calories and punishing herself on the scales every Monday, and the moment she saw her young daughter dancing in front of her and decided she didn't want her to grow up around that. She explains why she stopped counting calories, what she does when old habits creep back after a few too many biscuits, and the plate-smashing analogy that Paul says he'll be borrowing. They also talk about how a running club friend spotted the signs and helped. Along the way: why Meg would rather be "all right at three or four things" than brilliant at one, what it's like to walk into a gym for the first time, the lesson she learned from a badly fuelled 8K, and plans for next year, including a Bad Rats club place draw for London that's a long shot. Funny, honest and very warm. This episode is about community, not taking yourself too seriously, and why a runner is whoever turns up. --- The PKS Running Club Podcast is a running motivation podcast for everyday runners — real personal stories, honest conversations about health and fitness, and a growing community built around showing up, not chasing elite times. Hosted by Paul, it's a health & fitness podcast and community sports podcast for anyone running at their own pace, from first 5Ks to ultramarathons. New episodes every Wednesday. Follow @thepksrunningclub on Instagram, subscribe on your podcast platform of choice, and share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it.