An Ironman athlete recovering from chronic fatigue * Simon Ward and Debbie Potts part 2

Debbie Potts joins us again this week as we take a much deeper dive into the circumstances around her diagnosis for chronic fatigue, after having received several questions from listeners asking exactly what she did to get back to full health and fitness. So here we are with Debbie Potts - Part 2 in which we discuss:

• Exactly what HPA axis syndrome is and how was it eventually diagnosed
• Debbie’s daily schedule leading up to her illness and why it’s worryingly similar to that of many triathletes
• Why it took 9 doctor consultations before Debbie had the ‘epiphany moment’ that started the turnaround of her life
• What the immediate actions were regarding exercise, nutrition, sleep etc.
• How long has it has taken to get from diagnosis to a point where she can consider racing again
• What we can all learn from Debbie’s situation, some simple tips for a WholeAthlete life

If Debbie’s story sounds familiar and you think you might be in a similar situation, she now has a workbook "The WHOLESTIC Method: Manual & Workbook: Transform the WHOLE you from the Inside Out” which is available through Amazon.

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and George Galbraith

Triathletes love gadgets and they love data. When you can combine the two they are in heaven, which is why the subject of power meters is always hotly debated. There is a lot of choice and so this week’s guest will help to clear the water a bit. George Galbraith is the owner and founder of Jam Cycling, and they distribute the Infocrank by Verve Cycling power meter in the UK. He does a really, really good job of remaining impartial as he answers listener questions including:

• Some basic considerations for someone purchasing their first power meter.
• If a watt is a standard measurement of power why is there so much variation between brands?
• Are power meters worth the massive expense for age group athletes?
• What is the best way to perform an FTP test?
• If you train with power, should you race with it?
• Pedal, crank, hub, bottom bracket - which type of powermeter is best?
• When racing with power, what are the key measures to have on display?
• What are the key metric to analyse when looking at post-ride power data?

To find out more about Jam Cycling and the Infocrank power meter please visit their website https://www.jam-cycling.com/

You can also follow them on 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JamCycling/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jamcycling/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jamcycling

In the conversation, I also mention the DC Rainmaker Powermeter review, which you can find here —>> https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/11/power-meter-buyers-2018.html

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and Jack, Kirsten, and Louisa

This week I have 3 guests, all of whom have appeared on the show previously as guests discussing other topics. What they have in common today is that they all follow a plant based diet.  Jack Maitland is a high performance triathlon coach and in his athletic career was a full time mountain racer and then triathlete, winning major international mountain races such as Sierre Zinal and representing Scotland in the Commonwealth games triathlon. Louisa Homes is my regular physio (I sometimes call her the White Witch) and raced as a professional triathlete on the Ironman circuit. Kirsten Steffenson is a full time yoga teacher who embodies the ideal of total body health and performance.

The reason for getting all 3 together is because I observe and hear a lot of resistance to a meat and fish free diet and wanted to share their story, especially as Louisa and Jack followed a plant based eating regime while they were competing as full time athletes.  During our conversation you will discover:

Our guests answer listeners questions including:

• Is it necessary to supplement a vegetarian diet with missing vitamins and minerals such as B12?
• How can a vegan athlete fuel for an ultra marathon?
• Is it possible for athletes to get enough calories following a vegan or plant based diet?
• What is your “why”? Understanding the reason why you are changing to a plant based diet.
• The catalyst for each guest to exclude meat and fish from their diet.
• Why education is crucial when replacing meat proteins with plant based alternatives.
• How turning cooking and eating into an adventure can help overcome your resistance to excluding meat.
• Why giving yourself more time to plan and prepare foods can help make a change of eating direction much easier.
• Some simple suggestions on how and where to find your plant based proteins.

To find out more about Jack and Kirsten you can join their Facebook group The Sports Ashram.  Louisa is a practising physio at the Coach House Physiotherapy Ciinic in Leeds and also teaches weekly yoga classes at the same venue.

In this episode we also talked about the book by ultra runner, Scott Jurek Eat and Run.  Louisa mentioned the website Happy Cow, dedicated to helping you find vegetarian and vegan restaurants nearby.

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and Debbie Potts

I first heard today’s guest speaking on another podcast, and her coaching philosophy sounded very similar to mine. As I explored a bit more I found that her back story mirrored that of many endurance athletes I have observed; training harder and harder and getting slower and slower and eventually descending into a downward spiral of illness and chronic fatigue. Debbie Potts was a 15 time Ironman finisher, including 5 visits to the Ironman World Championship, and yet here she was 30 pounds overweight while training hard. Eventually she was diagnosed with HPA axis syndrome (chronic fatigue) and she was forced to change her approach to life. So began her journey to better health and fitness, and the development of the WHOLESTIC Method. If you have, as Debbie describes, “a triple Type A personality” then this conversation is a must for you. You will discover:

• Finding out you have HPA Axis syndrome and exactly what that means for your health
• Why life is DEFINITELY a journey and NOT a race
• When is the right time to enter an Ironman?
• Metabolic chaos and chronic fatigue 
• Why 'slowing down’ in your life could be the path to achieving more and getting faster
• The secret sauce for better health
• The art of listening to your body, and responding to it
• The WHOLESTIC method 
• Debbie’s top tips on how to get started with being more healthy

In the conversation, Debbie also talks about her book "Life is a journey, not a race".  To find out more about Debbie you can visit her website, Debbie Potts.net.  Listen to her regular podcast The Whole Athlete Podcast, and find her on Instagram as  - lowcarbathlete

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and Phil Maffetone

This week is our 100th episode and firstly I would like to say thanks to all of our listeners who come back week after week. I really appreciate your support!

Second, this podcast would not be possible without my assistant Beth who just makes things happen, and our production guy Sam who edits the show each week and manages to put the pieces together when we have technical issues. We have had more than you might imagine but Sam is so good I’m sure you have never noticed.

To celebrate Episode 100 I have invited back our most popular guest so far, Dr Phil Maffetone. In this show Phil answers  your questions, including:

• A recap on how to determine your true MAF heart rate
• The relationship between MAF HR, aerobic threshold, maximal fat oxidation and why MAF is actually better and more reliable than expensive and time consuming lab tests
• How heat can affect performance, and how to adjust accordingly
• Why it’s ok to consume sugars from natural sources like honey and berries, and how the body treats them differently to refined sugars
• Dr Maffetone's simple prescription for a disease free life of optimal performance
• Why Phil loves fartlek training for intensity
• What you must do if MAF isn’t working for you

In this episode we also discussed the following items/links:

2 week test to determine carbohydrate intolerance

The Overfat Pandemic why athletes who do lots of training may still look fat

Athletes: Fit but unhealthy

Fartlek training

The MAF test

You can find Dr Phil Maffetone at various social media sites including:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/philip.maffetone

Twitter @DrPhilMaffetone 

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and Christie Aschwanden

This week’s guest, Christie Aschwanden, competed on the world circuit as a Nordic skier in the Rossignol Ski Team for several years.  Before that she was an avid cyclist and competitive runner. On retiring from sport she entered journalism and recently wrote the book “Good To Go: How to Eat, Sleep and Rest like a Champion”, which she says is the book which she wished she had been able to read when she was a competitive skier. 

For a long time now I have been waiting to have a guest on the show who could talk purely about recovery.  This is a side of training that I feel does not get enough attention, and is under-rated by athletes. In the conversation we touched on many of the subjects in the book including:

• Whether Christie’s research had any surprises, or confirmed what she already knew
• More proof that sleep is by far the best recovery tool
• Why many of the current recovery trends are fads based on questionable research 
• Shocking news that ice baths don’t really work
• How the best recovery methods involve actions that help you to relax
• Finally I go through ALL of the recovery methods I know of and give Christie a yes/no quiz on what works and what doesn’t 

To purchase Christie’s new book, “Good To Go: How to Eat, Sleep and Rest Like a Champion” go HERE

In the conversation, we talked about fivethirtyeight.com 

You can also follow Christie Aschwanden on:

Twitter https://twitter.com/cragcrest

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/christieaschwanden/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChristieAschwandenOfficial/

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and Brent and Kyle Pease

In 2018, Kyle and Brent Pease completed an amazing accomplishment, becoming the first brother duo to complete the Hawaii Ironman.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child, Kyle Pease had grown up supporting his athlete brothers Brent and Evan from the sidelines. While his condition limited his ability to play sports, it didn’t dampen Kyle’s passion for them, nor did it stop the Pease family from including Kyle in various excursions. From rolling his wheelchair up Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite National Park to zipping down Colorado snow slopes, there was never a dull moment with the Pease brothers. Where there was a wheel, there was a way to adventure.

Upon witnessing Brent complete his first IRONMAN competition, Kyle asked Brent a life-changing question: “Can people in wheelchairs do IRONMAN?” Brent never hesitated with his response. 

I watched these two brothers cross the line in Kona last year and while I was emotionally touched and astounded by their achievement, I hadn’t really contemplated exactly what sort of challenges they face during any triathlon, let alone an Ironman in Hawaii. If you listen closely you might hear my voice break up a little at the end and I think it’s hard not to be a bit emotional when you listen to this conversation. This truly was one of the most rewarding and insightful podcasts I have done to date.

We talked about a lot of things, including:

• How Kyle had to tell twin brother Evan that he was “holding them back”
• Swimming the 3.8k Ironman Hawaii course in 1:07 towing a small dinghy with your brother inside
• Just how much power do you need to pedal a bike that weighs 180kg (Bike + Brent + Kyle)
• How Kyle keeps Brent focussed during the bike and run
• Why Kyle need to focus on nutrition during an Ironman just as much as Brent
• The emotion of crossing the Kona finish line
• Writing a book and having to wait until you race Kona to get it finished

To find out more about these two amazing brothers please visit the website for the Kyle Pease Foundation

Read about their incredible life story in their new book “Beyond The Finish” ** When you buy a copy all of the money goes to the foundation. Please support this very worthy cause.

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and Chris Jones

Today’s guest is a coach who I rate as one of the best in Britain. He has worked as a head coach in 2 different sports:  Triathlon and athletics. In 2000, he was head coach for the GB women’s triathlon team at the Sydney Olympics. From 2002-2007 he was a Performance Coach for British Triathlon, and in 2009 he became Coaching Director for Triathlon Ireland, and then as Performance Director he led the team at the 2012 London Olympics. He then swapped sports to become National Endurance Coach for Athletics Ireland, and is now Welsh Athletics National Coach.

Chris Jones and I first became acquainted back in 1995 when he called me out of the blue to discuss a strength training article that I had written for 220 Magazine. Since then Chris and I have become good friends and we can spend many hours discussing triathlon training, or general coaching philosophy over a bottle of fine red wine. This was another conversation that I really, really enjoyed and I hope you do too. Please set aside an hour to listen in as we chat about:

• How Chris learned his trade from Ray Butters, the man who is now guiding Jessica Learmonth to triathlon success
• Why great coaches have a deep fascination for their sport that goes beyond a job
• Why sometimes you just have to "scramble” to keep up
• When a good coach isn’t necessarily an expert, but has a book of contacts to draw upon and knows exactly when to do so
• The mental and physical toll of being an Olympic coach
• Knowing when to change direction:  Understanding that all coaches have a shelf life 
• Understanding what type of coach you are and finding your niche
• Learning that what derails sports performance isn’t training, it’s life

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and Dan Plews

Dr. Dan Plews joins us on the podcast for a third time today to discuss the lead up to his record breaking Ironman World Championship victory in Hawaii last October.  In that race, Dan was the fastest age grouper, not just on the day, but of all time, setting a new course record of 8:24:36, besting the previous best by over 10 minutes. As always with Dan, this conversation is an amazing journey through the eyes of an elite athlete, chatting about everything he did to complete a 3 year plan.

Dan and I chat about 2 core areas - polarised training, Low Carb/High fat nutrition, and we disappear down a few rabbit holes as well.

If you want to race well in an Ironman, in Kona, or just lead an athletic life on a low carb diet, this is a must listen conversation as we talk about:

• How to ‘reverse engineer your training plan to achieve your goal
• Understanding what performance looks like
• Why everyone should have a coach
• What is the definition of a ‘low carb’ diet?
• Stress Hormones and Polarised training:  Why it’s much more than just hard and easy
• How to calculate your own maximal fat oxidation level HERE
• The ‘key’ training sessions that created an Ironman World Champion
• Dan’s top 3 tips for age group triathletes (TIP: these ’secrets’ are way more simple than you could imagine)

In the podcast Dan mentions several links:

Stephen Seiler Research on Polarised training

An article  by "The Prof”, Paul Laursen and Dr Phil Maffetone -Fit but Unhealthy

Dr Dan Plews new fitness education course Endure IQ

You can also follow The Plews and Prof at their website

Dan is also prominent on Twitter @theplews1 and on Instagram 'the plews’

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and Dr. Livingstone

If you are in good health, training and recovery is the best. If you are ill, then training quality is poor and sometimes you can’t even train. That’s why I have invited a real life doctor to be my guest today.  Dr. Ian Livingstone is a cycling buddy of mine who has recently retired. We have spent many a cycling mile discussing health ailments and their effect on triathlon and cycling training, and often rolled our eyes at the way in which humans are willing to compromise basic health to become fitter. This truly is a huge paradox.

Dr. Livingstone will be joining me at regular intervals in future months to discuss health ailments and exercise.  In today’s episode we discuss 2 of the most basic components of health - the immune system and bone health. Surrounding these issues we discuss many subjects, including:

• Fit doesn’t necessarily mean healthy
• The influence of sleep on the Immune System
• ONCE AGAIN, sleep and recovery - why this is the key to building long term fitness
• How stress and your mental health can affect your immune system and therefore your potential for catching a cold
• Illnesses, like injuries, are not inevitable - but avoiding them might just be a case of being more mindful
• The influence of diet on the immune system and bone health
• The ’simple secrets' to successful training - balance, good sleep, healthy nutrition

In the show I mention this book - The Beautiful Cure: Harnessing Your Body's Natural Defences - Daniel Davis

If you have any questions for Dr Livingstone about your health/training related issues please email me, simon@thetriathloncoach.com

To find out more about Simon’s coaching please visit his website here.

To follow Simon on Facebook, click here.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.