When Martyn Davies stopped drinking 8 years ago, he had one question that wouldn't leave him alone. What would a comedy club look like without alcohol?

The answer he got from the industry he'd spent 20 years in? Laughter. At him. Nobody's going to come to a comedy club without a drink. You need alcohol to laugh.

He did it anyway.

This week Rich and Andy sit down with Martyn - founder of Sober is Fun and the London Alcohol-Free Comedy Club - for one of the most honest, warm, and at times raw conversations we've had on the podcast. Martyn takes us right back to the beginning: the 90s rave scene, a party lifestyle that lit him up on the outside while quietly falling apart on the inside, and a 27-year relationship with alcohol and substances that eventually took him to a very dark place. Behind closed doors, isolated, pushing away everyone who loved him - until his brother staged an intervention in their parents' front room with printed-off emails and their mum sat on the sofa.

That Saturday evening, Martyn said yes to getting help. It changed everything.

He talks about his month in rehab, what it really took to build a life in recovery, his recent ADHD diagnosis and how it re-framed so much of his story, and why giving back - to the rehab, to an addiction charity, and eventually through Sober is Fun - became the foundation everything else was built on.

And yes, we do get into running. Because of course we do.

If you've ever been told your idea is ridiculous, or you're in a place right now where you can't quite see the way out - this one's for you.

SOBER IS FUN WEBSITE - https://www.soberisfun.co.uk/

We've all heard of the comfort zone. But what if it doesn't actually exist? This week, Rich and Andy make a distinction that changes everything - it's not a comfort zone, it's a familiar zone. And familiar isn't the same as comfortable. It's just easier than facing what's underneath.

They explore how alcohol keeps people locked in cycles they know are hurting them - the Sunday bottle of wine, the Monday shame, the white - knuckling through Thursday - and why that loop can run for years without anyone around you even noticing. Then the conversation goes deeper. Andy opens up about his ADHD diagnosis and the uncomfortable truth that for neurodiverse people, alcohol isn't just a social habit - it's often self-medication. When your brain is running 40 tabs at once and never truly quiets down, a drink that silences the noise isn't a reward. It's a relief. And that's a very different thing.

They also get into dopamine, rejection sensitivity, the post-marathon crash, and why going alcohol-free takes far more courage than most people give it credit for.

If you've ever felt like you were outrunning something but couldn't quite name what - this episode is for you.

Most people know Georgie Bingham as the voice they heard on Saturday mornings on TalkSport. What most people didn't know was what was happening behind the mic.

In this episode, Rich and Andy sit down with broadcaster-turned-coach Georgie Bingham for one of the most honest, raw and genuinely moving conversations we've had on the pod.

Georgie opens up about 25 years of early alarms, no weekends, and a career she slowly fell out of love with. About drinking alone in a house that never really felt like home. About a moment where she realised she was pretty much suicidal - and didn't even clock how serious that was at the time. And about how sobriety didn't just change her habits - it gave her back herself.

We talk about:

• The "midlife funk" - and why it's not a crisis, it's a calling
• Why giving up alcohol is the bravest thing you'll ever do
• The toxic lad culture she navigated as the only female voice at TalkSport
• FOMO, loneliness, and what it means to finally stop being a sheep
• How coaching is helping people do in 5 months what took Georgie 5 years

This one hit differently. Whether you're sober-curious, deep in your own midlife moment, or just need to hear someone be brilliantly, unapologetically honest - this episode is for you.

Find Georgie: themidlifefunkcoach.com | @GeorgieBingham

This week’s episode is a personal one. Andy hits 7 years alcohol-free, and we unpack what’s changed - and what keeps getting better even this far down the road.

We talk honestly about the midlife runner’s reality: the hidden negotiations, the “badge of honour” hangover runs, and the way running can become both a coping mechanism and a doorway to real change. You’ll hear why 100 days is often the point where the real identity shift begins, why clarity is a double-edged sword, and how learning to process grief and emotion (instead of numbing it) becomes a superpower.

We also share some race-week energy - Tokyo Marathon shout-outs, training markers, and why consistency beats intensity every time when life is busy and you’re trying to build something sustainable.

If you’re a midlife runner who feels stuck, misaligned, or caught in the weekday discipline / weekend sabotage loop - this one will land.

In this episode:

• The 7-year “soberversary” (and why there’s no itch to go back)
• The badge-of-honour trap: “I can still run after drinking…”
• Running away vs running towards: the identity shift
• Grief, gratitude, and feeling life in full colour
• Why 100 days is a real data point (not just a milestone)
• Consistency > intensity (and how to train without burning out)
• Race-week shout-outs + how to use races as confidence builders

Work with us: If you’re ready to remove alcohol as the hidden performance ceiling and rebuild self-trust, DM us and start the conversation.

This week we’re joined by Mike Mudie, Co-Founder & CEO of Authentic Brew - a 100% natural functional energy drink created after Mike’s life took an unexpected turn. After leaving a high-pressure career, Mike hit a sudden and serious burnout that forced him to rebuild his health from the ground up - and ultimately sparked the idea for Authentic Brew.

We talk about the realities of modern stress, why alcohol and “fake energy” can quietly pull us off track, and what happens when you return to nature for recovery. Mike also shares the story behind Authentic Brew’s unique ingredients (including organic functional mushrooms + seaweeds), why the first production run sold out fast, and how they’re building a values-led brand with 25% of net profit supporting biodiversity restoration.

If you’re into running, wellbeing, alcohol-free living, or performance without the crash, this one’s for you.

In this episode:

• Mike’s journey from high performance to total shutdown - and back
• The “life hack” of removing alcohol (and why it creeps back in)
• Why many elite sports teams don’t consume their sponsor products
• What makes Authentic Brew different (no caffeine, no added sugar, no synthetics)
• The role of ritual, energy, calm focus - and the outdoor community

🎁 Clean Break Chats listener offer: 10% off Authentic Brew
Use the link below (discount applied): https://shop.authenticbrew.com/discount/CB10

Find out more / join the crew: authenticbrew.com
Follow: @authenticbrew

In this episode of Clean Break Chats, Andy and Rich dive into the uncomfortable middle ground of alcohol use - the space where you're functioning, coping… but quietly struggling.

They explore the idea of being “not bad enough” to quit, yet not truly thriving either. From emotional reliance and the fading bias effect, to using running as a mask rather than a solution, this conversation gets honest about what alcohol was really doing behind the scenes.

Andy reflects on the anxiety-filled mornings he never wants to relive. Rich opens up about vocational dependence and the subtle ways alcohol embeds itself into identity and routine. Together, they unpack why so many men in their 40s feel stuck - and why removing alcohol might be the first real step toward clarity, not restriction.

This episode is for the runner who drinks.
The dad who feels the pressure.
The man who looks fine on the outside.

If you’ve ever wondered whether alcohol is helping or quietly holding you back....this one’s for you.

In this episode of Clean Break Chats, we’re joined by Ben Gray from Run Talk Run (part of Sport in Mind) for a conversation that goes well beyond running.

We talk about movement as a tool for mental health, why small, consistent community spaces matter, and how simply showing up can be life-changing - even on the weeks when nobody else does.

Ben shares his own journey through ADHD, alcohol, identity, and finding purpose, along with the story behind Run Talk Run and why it works: no pressure, no pace, no fixing - just moving together and being human.

Along the way we cover:

• why “fine” often isn’t fine
• the power of walk-and-talk spaces
• training for ultras versus training for life
• the calm swan… and the chaos underneath
• consistency over perfection (plus an unexpected Cream Egg & pizza 5K PB)

If you’ve ever felt on the edge of joining something - or wondered how movement can support mental health without judgment - this episode is for you.

This one’s a proper sit-down, no-filter chat.

We start with Ali’s Spine Race update (268 miles, barely any sleep, and she still says it was everything she wanted it to be)… and that opens the door to something bigger:

The pain we choose… versus the pain life hands us.

Because not everyone’s “Spine” is a Spine.

For Rhonda, it was her first Parkrun.

For Phil, it was showing up three times in a week.

For Sandra, it was making an alcohol-free choice on a cruise.

And for Johnny, it’s fighting the resistance, the fear of failing, and the pressure of a ticking clock.

We talk about ego, comparison, why confidence doesn’t come first… and why choosing challenge is often how we build the tools we’ll need when life gets hard without our permission.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, unmotivated, or like you “should be doing more”… this episode will land.

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