[Kamal] Welcome Andrew to the podcast. I'm very excited to have you here. Let's start with quickly sharing your background then. [Andrew] Yeah, well, let's say on my professional background, I'm now working for a I'm the president of an NGO that tries to transform schools into places where kids learn how to live healthy by the experience living, being there and everything at the school. We try to change and transform the whole school into a place where kids will be more active during the day, we'll have always healthy nutrition options and as well we'll learn about and we'll have homeworks like be healthy, leisure. This is more or less my background. I'm living at home with my wife. My dog there is always most, most of the time he's training with me. He's coming there for a run every day in the morning. And our four kids, that our kids are quite grown up. One is 21, the other is 19, 16 and the smallest is 10 years old. The 16 and 10 years old are also very passionate about running. They are going to athletics activities and well the third one is a really quick runner, not like me that I'm becoming a little old. [Kamal] So you have a busy household for sure then? [Andrew] Yeah, but if you really want, you always find a slot for going for a run. In my case, I prefer going to run in the morning, so the whole day is much better because the important part of the day is done at a very early morning. You have the feeling of accomplishment that you accomplish something and that keeps you going for the day for sure. [Kamal] And where are you based at Andrew? [Andrew] I'm based in Madrid. I've been living in Madrid. I was born in Barcelona. I'm Andorran citizen. And maybe I am one of the few endurance marathoners that are covering the major marathons. If I'm not wrong, I think when I complete the six majors hopefully next year in New York, I will become the third Andorran in history to cover the six major marathons. [Kamal] Wow that would be a pretty amazing accomplishment. I'm looking forward to it and cheer for you that you are able to do that and be the first one for Andorra to do that. Awesome. So it looks like you're already chasing World Majors and you ran Berlin this year. [Andrew] Yes, Berlin was my third major...Everything started well, I was running marathons before. I have been running marathons since 2012 but at the beginning I was running marathons all over Spain because it was close to home and funny enough. But I had some friends that were running or involved in some major marathons and they convinced me, telling me you have to try this because it's completely different from running a standard marathon and it really is. It started in 2018. I decided to try going to Boston. I got the qualifying time to get to go to Boston 2020. But then we had the COVID times and Boston was postponed, then it was going to be held virtually. I have my medal about completing Boston virtually... When Boston was postponed, Chicago also that I got the qualifying time for was postponed. That was my second planned marathon for 2020 and when it really started because in 2021 we were not allowed to go to United States, the Europeans to run in your marathons because of the COVID restrictions, everything started with the major marathons at the London Marathon in 2022. I ran London and then the week after I went to Chicago. London was a great experience. Chicago was incredible, I've never been in such a marathon. It was amazing, everybody cheering. Before, during and after the marathon is something that for me was the best experience in my life running a marathon. Then I had the option to go to Berlin and because it was going to be my third major, Berlin really fulfilled all my expectations...Comparing for example with London Marathon that you feel completely free when you're running, you see that people are allowed to cross or come near the runner. In London everything is closed off, so you're running and people are not allowed even to touch or get to you. In Berlin, you feel that you're running more freely. [Kamal] Yeah, looks like you definitely enjoyed the things on the course, which is a lot like every corner. There's something going on, a performance or somebody cheering, a group cheering for their country. I think that's why I say, you know, you may have goals, but it's important that we enjoy the journey because as you said, each major is an experience in itself and it's more fun if you're enjoying the experience along the way as you're chasing your goals. [Andrew] Yes, that's awesome...So this is your third major you completed. It looks like you're doing Boston next year, right? [Kamal] And first I have to go to Tokyo because I was glad to have a slot for Tokyo...I got one by running the virtual Tokyo marathon challenges...Tokyo Marathon is something like for many runners completing the six majors, it used to be the last one because it's so hard to get a place to go to Tokyo. I'm really lucky, I got the opportunity to go to Tokyo immediately in March. And then I've got the qualifying time for Boston and I believe I'll be running in Boston in April, about 5 weeks after Tokyo Marathon. That will be my fifth major and the only one left will be New York. [Kamal] Oh great. Wow. So you are pretty much wrapping up the 6 majors by next year if everything goes as planned, which is awesome. So let's go back. You say that you started to run marathons around 2012, so it's a little over 10 years. You just started to run long distance like that, or there was a journey towards getting into long distance running? [Andrew] Well in my life, sport has been always present...I was running 3 hours, 10-15 marathons a year. Now I suffer a few injuries as well, I'm getting older. Maybe in five years I'm much slower, running marathons in 3 hours and 30 minutes. But I'm really not worried about the time, it's about the satisfaction, the happiness...I have the pictures from Berlin and I see my face at the finish line. I'm so happy, so satisfied with my third kid that came with me to cheer me, to support me during the marathon and was running from one point to another telling me "come on daddy, you're doing it incredibly well, you're the best dad in the world" and it's something incredible when you get to the finish line and you have a hug with him. It's the best sensation you can never have in your life. [Kamal] It is so true. I'm really moved with your story, Andrew, and you're absolutely right. Like one of the biggest things for any race that I participate in, I have a 10 year old son, I look forward to is at the finish line when he'll come running and give me a hug. The feeling of it is just unexplainable. But it's amazing to hear your story