Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for strength, resilience, and longevity

Run coach Bobby McGee talks about running with power

"Just doing endurance work is a disaster." So says today's podcast guest, run coach Bobby McGee. I happen to agree with him. Regardless of whether you're training for triathlon or for the individual disciplines of swim, bike, run, JUST doing long, slow, distance work is not going to give you the best outcomes. I think this is even more relevant as you get older.

In this week's episode not only do Bobby and I talk about a lot of methods to develop explosive power, we also talk about using power meters for running.

 

Do you have a power meter on your bike? Most folks do, but even if you don't, you've probably been tempted to see what all the fuss is about. What about a power meter for running? 

The Stryd (pronounced STRIDE) has been around for a few years and I've always been intrigued as to how it works and what benefits runners and triathletes will gain. Bobby and I talk about:

• The differences between using power on the bike and when running
• How you can use it to measure some very important metrics such as vertical oscillation, ground contact time and leg spring stiffness as well as the usual: Pace, running efficiency and running power output. 
• Strength training for runners
• Why plyometrics might be a good addition to your training if you want to run faster 
• How Stryd can help you to measure the real advantage you gain from super shoes
• Why more isn’t always better, even if you're running marathons or ultras

Watch this video to find out more about K-pump hill intervals

Read this article to find out what author Alex Hutchinson thinks about Stryd Running Power meters

If you're interested in joining a group of other runners using power meters, check out the Palladino Power Project run by Steve Palladino, which Bobby mentioned.

 

Also check out these offers from Bobby:

• The code to get 10% off RunFORM is HPH10. RunFORM is available at https://www.pendolaproject.com/runform
• Bobby has training plans for triathlon & running on TrainingPeaks
• Check out Run Transformation course & Magical Running psychology book at www.bobbymcgee.com.

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Learning to swim easy before swimming fast - Swim Coaching with Ray Gibbs

Recently I got reacquainted with a swim coach who I've known for a long time. Ray Gibbs is the founder and owner of Swim Canary Wharf, and I had asked Ray if he could help a London-based swimmer I’m working with. You might think it strange that one coach would ask another to help them out but in fact it's quite common. I believe that Ray is a more experienced and knowledgeable swim coach than me, and therefore better placed to provide guidance to my athlete. Ray specialises in observing and assessing a swimmer's technique, and then suggesting simple improvements through the use of a small number of simple drills.

 

We talk about all of this along with Ray’s values and philosophies around swim coaching. You’ll hear some new stuff and also some themes with which you’ll be familiar if you’ve listened to some of the other conversations I have had with swim coaches.

 

Key messages from this episode:

• You can’t cram fitness
• Learning to swim easy before swimming fast
• Why technique work makes for a great recovery session
• The importance of pool swimming when training for open water events

To find out more about Ray Gibbs and Swim Canary Wharf please visit these social media channels

 

Website - www.swimcanarywharf.com

Twitter -  @swimcanarywharf

 

We talked about Katie Ledecky and her stroke technique but also ability to change kick patterns for longer distance events (2 beat for 1500m).

This video explains how Katie Ledecky Changes Her Kick for Maximum Efficiency

 

Ray also had two book recommendations:

John Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off Court. 

John Carlin: Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation.

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Designing and producing high performance custom triathlon clothing * Colin McNeill

In this week's podcast, I get to speak with one of my best friends, Colin McNeill. Colin is the owner and founder of Raceskin, a small company based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They make custom cycling and triathlon kit and it is very damn good! I say that not because Colin is my mate, but because I have been using Colin’s company to produce our custom SWAT kit for about 10 years now and some of the originals are still in good condition.

If you race regularly at triathlon events you will have seen, probably without realising, many examples of Raceskin custom kit. You can see some of their customers on this page, HERE.

My friendship with Colin goes back 20 years (when he asked me to be his coach), which is why his success with Raceskin is such a pleasure: Because I have seen it evolve from a conversation into a thriving business.

We had a lot of fun in this chat, remembering some funny moments and some more poignant ones including:

• Gadgets can fail when you least expect it, so ALWAYS have a plan B
• An Ironman race is a metaphor for life: It’s long and anything can happen
• No matter how focussed you are, life events can change your priorities
• The importance of having a supportive partner
• Building high performance habits as you get older

To find out more about Raceskin, please use the following social media channels:

Social links

Facebook - RaceskinSportswear

Instagram - Raceskin

Twitter: @_raceskin

Website www.raceskin.co.uk

We ask all of our guests to recommend cool books they have enjoyed, and these are Colin’s:

Never Finished by David Goggins - Unshackle your mind and win the war within

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

The relationship between music, brain health, fitness longevity * Dr. Phil Maffetone Part 2

 

This is part 2 of the conversation with Phil Maffetone from last week, and after we resume our discussion around Covid related papers he co-authored, we now start talking about nature and music. (If you haven't listened to part 1 yet, you can find it HERE).

 

Dr. Maffetone has a new book coming out soon which explores the relationship between music, brain health, fitness and longevity. I like listening to music, and I like working out. Occasionally I have music playing when I’m training - piano jazz in the background when I’m doing some mobility work or something fast and up-tempo when I’m doing hard intervals on the bike. And, while Phil loves music, he argues that if you listen to the wrong type when working out you’ll end up working too hard and definitely not be in your MAF zone.

 

In general, I like to workout while listening to my body and to nature. There's really nothing like running (or cycling) in the woods and listening to the birds or the sounds of the forest. In fact, if you take a slow walk through the woods (and I mean very slow), you can get into a process the Japanese refer to as 'shinrin yoku', or forest bathing.

 

In part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Phil Maffetone we talk about this, as well as finishing off some of last week's topics around Covid. We also discuss:

• Sudden death in athletes following Covid vaccines 
• Is ‘long covid’ a new phenomenon?
• Strategies for healthy ageing
• Forest bathing (shinrin yoku) and its impact on mental and physical health
• How we can thwart future pandemics with our own healthy living
• How music can expand the mind, enhance the brain and help you age well

If you’d like to find out more about Phil’s new book, B Sharp! please CLICK HERE.

 

If you’d like to keep up with Dr. Phil Maffetone, you can find him here:

MaffetoneMusic.com

philmaffetone.com

 

Below are some articles which we touch on in the call and which might help you dive deeper into the whole topic of health and longevity:

 

Beyond healthy Ageing

The green, green grass of our minds

Post Stress syndrome: Beyond Covid

Thwarting pandemics with healthy living

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

 

MAF training for better ageing, and much more * Dr. Phil Maffetone

Training for endurance events requires an individual to tick a lot of boxes in order to access the best performances.

When I was a younger triathlete I used to place way too much emphasis on my training, and I overlooked the benefits to be had from factors that are reasonably obvious such as sleep, nutrition and mobility. I don't think I ever considered that mental health, harmonious and balanced relationships with family and friends, or happiness in my work would have an impact. And if you had suggested that music or walking in nature were beneficial, I would have thought you were some sort of new age hippie.

 

With age, an open mind, and conversations with podcast guests like Dr Phil Maffetone, I now understand that all of the above have a huge influence on my health which in turn can affect performance. Nowadays, while I’m far more concerned with my longevity, I still want to get the best return from my training efforts. This is why sometimes you might find me meditating instead of cycling, or walking in the woods instead of running.

 

This conversation with Phil Maffetone is the first of a 2-part podcast.

Today we do a recap on MAF training methods, and then get into a lot of topics around obesity, food and healthcare:

• The enduring value of MAF training
• The over-fat pandemic
• Triathletes and carbohydrate consumption
• The simple way to measure your body fat
• Proactive versus reactive responses to health care
• Just because it’s vegan food doesn't mean it's healthy food

If you’d like to keep up with Dr. Phil Maffetone, you can find him here:

MaffetoneMusic.com

philmaffetone.com

 

In the podcast we chatted about some of these topics:

Can you be fit and unhealthy

Carbohydrate Intolerance and the Two-Week Test

The Overfat Pandemic

MAF training for better ageing

How training at MAF heart rate can improve health and performance

 

 

In part 2 Phil also chats about his new book, B Sharp, out in July.

CLICK HERE to read the introduction.

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

From the research lab to the real world with Dr Kerry McGawley

One of my stated aims with the podcast is to interview folks who are experts in their field and try to tease out what’s relevant for the listener without it sounding too scientific and overwhelming.

There is so much research out there regarding every aspect of training, recovery, nutrition and more. While much of it is relevant to you the listeners, much of it isn’t.

 

Fortunately today's guest, Dr Kerry McGawley, not only does a lot of research, she also distills it into easy to understand snippets, much of which she incorporates into her own training. Kerry was recently crowned ITU world long distance champion in her age group so she really does practice what she preaches.

 

Her work, mostly done at the mid Sweden University,  has covered training at altitude, pacing strategies, block periodisation and some female specific interventions around the monthly cycle.

 

We talk about a lot of this so I’m sure you will find something that interests you:

 

• When looking at research, is there evidence that one approach is clearly better than another?
• The absurdity of age group athletes attempting to follow pro athlete training routines
• Staying away from extreme approaches
• The dangers of group training for females athletes
• Kerry shares her DIY nutrition product
• Heat and altitude as training tools

 

To find out more about, or to connect with, Dr Kerry McGawley, please look for her on the following social media channels:

Twitter @kerrymcgawley

Instagram @kerrymcgawley

 

In line with many of our other guests, Kerry also recommended some of these books  as useful and interesting reads:

 

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

The Range by David Epstein

The Sports Gene by David Epstein

Faster by Michael Hutchinson

Endurance Training: Science and Practice, edited by Iñigo Mujika (although best to wait for the 2nd edition, coming soon, with a new chapter written by Kerry!)

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Is Donald Brooks the most dominant GB Age Group triathlete?

Have you ever wondered how some folks manage to achieve so much?

 

You may wonder that about todays’s guest who is Outlaw ambassador, Donald Brooks. Donald is a 45-year old husband, and father of two growing boys. By day he's an electrical engineer and at the weekends he turns himself into a superhuman triathlete. In 2022 he became the first GB age grouper to win all 5 age group titles across 5 different events. 

 

He routinely manages to complete 16-18 hours, and in today's show we will explore exactly how he has become such a dominant force in GB age group triathlon. We talk about:

• WTF is Octopush?
• Becoming the first triathlete to win all 5 BTF age group titles in one season
• The secrets to training 17-hours/week with 2 children and a full time job
• Maintaining consistency by avoiding high intensity running
• Planning ahead with meals to stay on top of nutrition

To find out more about the amazing Donald Brooks please visit these social media channels:

Instagram Donald_Brooks_Tri

Facebook Donald Brooks Triathlete

Strava Donald Brooks

All other special media links

 

Donald's favourite book is by The Brownlee Brothers - Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story

 

Underwater Hockey video

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

1000 day pacing * Gordo Byrn

Every now and again we come across someone whose thoughts or writings completely align with our own. If this has happened to you, you’ll probably recall nodding in agreement as you listen to them speak or read their article. One such individual is Gordo Byrn, a chap whose musings and blog posts I have been reading since the late 90’s. He went from average age grouper in 1999 (11-hr Ironman finish) to a top long distance pro triathlete, finishing 2nd at both Ironman Canada and Ironman New Zealand. He also won the legendary Ultraman event in Hawaii and the OtillO swim/run event in Sweden. Gordo then took 10 years out of the sport to raise his children, but now he's back and aiming to find out what he can achieve as a 54-year old athlete. His project is called 1000 day pacing where he promotes the benefits of long term planning (something I've spoken about frequently in the past) rather than the current trend of trying to achieve huge goals in a few short months and dealing with the pressure this brings.

 

We cover a whole range of topics, and Gordo shares the adjustments he's made as an older athlete, along with his wisdom on how age group athletes can best prepare for long distance events. We also discuss:

 

• Working with many coaches and learning that there are no secrets
• For Ironman athletes - why you have to learn to swim and bike slower to deliver your best run
• Building a foundation, and the benefits of the 'Basic Week' approach to training
• Training camps - Why the week after tells you how beneficial it really was
• All triathletes - It's the day to day work that counts, not the hero sessions

If you'd like to find out more about Gordo, he recommends these channels:

 

Landing Page: https://1000daypacing.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/feelthebyrn1

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@feelthebyrn

 

There are some fantastic Gordo insights at this page. Gordo's articles are concise with great content and cover a wide range of topics - triathlon, health, wealth, parenting and more.

 

If you’d like to subscribe and get more in-depth content go to:

Endurance Essentials: https://feelthebyrn.substack.com

True Wealth: https://truewealth.substack.com

 

Gordo mentioned this free eBook in the conversation. It's by 10k speed skating world record holder Nils van der Poel and it's excellent! How To Skate A 10K

 

In line with many previous guests, Gordo also nominated his favourite book:

Jason Koop's Training Essentials for Ultrarunning - the lessons apply much more broadly than running long.

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes. Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

How to maximise midlife and beyond * Dave Algeo

This week Simon gets interviewed by an old friend, Dave Algeo, as they chat about lifestyle choices and getting older.

This is a joint podcast. Dave asked Simon to be a guest on his show and as it was such an interesting conversation they agreed to share the chat on Simon's podcast too. David Algeo is a Restless Midlifer, searching for answers and adventure. His mission, should you choose to join him, is to seek out ways to get life back on his terms, heading in a more fulfilling direction and enhancing his health in the process. Simon and Dave talk about:

 

• how to maximise midlife and beyond
• what is deep recovery?
• Dave's practice of mental filing
• building up your physical pension, and paying off your loans
• how to reframe the “diet” word in order to enjoy your food
• why having a good meal doesn’t have to be time-consuming
• the pros and cons of wearing a sleep tracker
• how morning daylight helps with your sleep

 

To find out more about Dave visit these channels:

Email - dave@restlessmidlifer.com

Web - https://www.midlifereshape.com/

Podcast - https://www.midlifereshape.com/podcast

Linked in - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/davidalgeo

 

Dave's approach to making changes in life, health and direction are rooted in his sprout sweater philosophy. Check out his Crackerjack video HERE to learn more about the basic metaphor. Check out episodes 30 and 31 to learn more about Dave's approach.

 

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes.  Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Episode 300 - Dr. Phil Maffetone, a rerun of our most popular podcast

This week marks the 300th episode of the podcast! The very first episode was a 17 minute call with physiotherapist Alison Rose. Since that time we have published an episode every Wednesday for 5 years and 7 months without missing a single episode.

 

There have been over 655,000 downloads which means that the average for each podcast is 2,200. I’d like to say thank you to every single person who has listened, whether it's been one episode or all of them.

 

My goal now is the same as it was for the first episode: To share real world advice that will help you improve your human and athletic performance. For that reason I’m also extremely grateful to each of our guests. I have spoken with World and Olympic champions, scientists, authors, business leaders, entrepreneurs and more, and they have all been so generous in sharing their knowledge and wisdom.

 

There are always some guests or episodes that are more popular, and today's episode is our most popular ever: A rerun of the conversation I had in 2019 with Dr. Phil Maffetone. 

 

In this conversation we chat about everything around the MAF training method, 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

To find out more about Dr Maffetone please visit him on Twitter @DrPhilMaffetone or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/philip.maffetone

 

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

Covid related athletic deaths:another perfect storm

Athletes: Fit but unhealthy

Fartlek training

The MAF test

Join our SWAT/High Performance Human tribe using this link, with a happiness guarantee! You can watch a brief video about the group by going to our website here, and join our SWAT High Performance Human tribe here.

Purchase a copy of my High Performance Human e-book featuring more than 30 top tips on how to upgrade your life.

If you would like to help offset the cost of our podcast production, we would be so grateful. Please click here to support the HPH podcast. Thank you!

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes.  Links to all of Simon's social media channels can be found here.  For any questions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.