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Simon Ward, multiple award-winning triathlon coach, shares insights on how to improve your triathlon performance with a High Performance Human approach to life.
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
What comes next after you’ve done the “Ironman Thing”?
Maybe an ultra run?
Over the last few years, there has certainly been a huge upswing in the popularity of ultra running events from the mega multi-lap Sri Chinmoy event in New York City to the hardcore Western States 100. If this is the sort of thing that's starting to float your boat then how do you make the transition from Ironman triathlete to an ultra runner?
Today's guest Andrew Simmons of Lifelong Endurance in Colorado is going to help guide us through those first steps (no pun intended) as we take a deep dive into ultramarathon training.
Topics covered include:
- Training for an ultra trail event of more than 50km - The first steps
- Walking and why it MUST be part of your ultra strategy - in training and racing
- Ultramarathon pacing - why it needs a change of mindset
- Building resilience is critical for ultra success
- Yet another guest emphasises the importance of mobility and strength!
- The value of ‘fun’ and ‘play’ in athletic training.
If you are interested in a training plan for Ultramarathon events Andy has a special discount for podcast listeners: 90% Discount on my 100km-100mile Mountain Ultra Plan | Advanced - Use code: welovesimon for $90 off, Plan is now $9.90’
To find out more about Andy Simmons please start by visiting his website
You can also find him on the usual social media channels
Instagram @coach_simmons_runs
Recent Articles:
Technical Descending: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/the-trail-runners-guide-to-downhill-training-and-technical-descents/
Designing an Athlete’s Total Load: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/coach-blog/designing-an-athletes-total-load/
9 Plyometric & Strength Movements for Runners: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/coach-blog/9-plyometric-strength-movements-for-runners/
Ultramarathons:
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/speedwork-for-ultra-runners
Hill Work:
https://www.podiumrunner.com/training/climb-your-way-to-speed/
Youth:
Here’s one piece on getting more kids on trails I wrote for our blog.
https://peakperformrun.com/1752-2/
Insights on Trail Running for Youth Runners - A look inside our Altitude Camp
Coaching young runners in the emerging sport of trail running
https://trailrunner.com/trail-news/lessons-learned-in-coaching-youth-trail-runners/
Episode w/ Parker Wolfe (one of the fastest kids in the US in the last 5 years)
https://open.spotify.com/episode/47X7PIEEMospT9xrQIY9km?si=ff49d5ab16e2490b
Mental Performance in Running w/ Addie Bracy
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4QKDsG5AbIXEkuTsAwQ6gJ?si=7a4b9d5ccecc4665
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
It’s been a while coming but finally, the Grumpy Old Coaches are back in the hot seats for another round of anarchy and bitchiness about things we see that just make us…..well, grumpy.
- Steve gets hot under the collar about ‘junk miles’ and why there is no such thing in cycling
- Simon gets stuck into the ludicrous concept of recovery runs for triathletes
- Marc goes off on one about HIT training and then periodisation
- Everyone gets really grumpy about fad diets
- Steve loses his cool when we discuss running technique
- The over-focus on FTP and Vo2 max causes one of the team to explode
As you can probably tell, we had a great time recording this podcast. We’ll be back with another episode at Christmas. If you’ve got topics that you would like us to get really grumpy about, send your ideas to beth@thetriathloncoach.com.
To find out more about Steve and Marc please see the links below
You can find more information about Steve Lumley HERE
Marc Laithwaite is a coach who also runs a running/triathlon shop - The Endurance Store
You can find more about both HERE
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
We hear so many athletes say that the best performances are as much about mental strength as they are about fitness. In fact, one might also argue that it’s not just the mental strategy on race day but the way in which we organise our lives.
Today’s guest, Dr. Josie Perry, is a chartered psychologist working with those in sport, on the stage, and in business to help them overcome their barriers to success so they can achieve their goals.
She certainly believes that behaviours and environment play a huge part in the best athlete performances. In fact, she has just written a book called “The 10 Pillars of Success” and we will be discussing these pillars today, along with how they relate to you the listener.
Topics include:
- The importance of group training and a feeling of belonging
- How your values shape your training and racing
- Why the best athletes focus primarily on process and mastery rather than outcome
- Gratitude and how it helps you maintain perspective
- Pragmatic optimism and cultivated confidence
- The roles of nature and nurture in building resilience
To follow Dr. Josie Perry please first visit her website her she has lots of FREE resources available: www.Performanceinmind.co.uk
You can also find Josie on the following social media channels:
Twitter: @josephineperrry
Insta: @josephineperry76
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerformanceinMind/
Go to Audible to download a FREE copy of Dr. Perry’s new book “The 10 Pillars of Success"
We also mentioned the following links in the show:
You can find lots of really good blog posts on Josie’s website HERE
Self determination Theory - find out more about this and how you can use it to boost your performance
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
Wednesday Sep 29, 2021
On this week's show, we catch up with Precision Hydration supremo, Andy Blow as we chat about hydration and nutrition.
Andy is a Sports Scientist and the founder of Precision Hydration. He was formerly an elite-level triathlete who can count a couple of top-10 IRONMAN finishes and an Xterra Age-Group World title to his name. It was during his racing career that he discovered how individualised fluid and electrolyte replacement can make such a big difference to performance, and this led to him setting up precisionhydration.com - a company that specialises in helping athletes nail their fueling and hydration strategies for training and competing.
Naturally, Andy and the team at Precision Hydration have found their conversations with athletes have strayed into the world of nutrition and they're now aiming to do for fueling what they've done for hydration with the Precision Fuel range.
- The 3 levers for fuelling race performance
- Knowing your numbers
- Why your nutrition and hydration requirements change with every race
- Low carb/high fat and Keto diets for endurance athletes
- Hydration for winter training
Links to Precision Hydration
To find out more about Precision Hydration please start by visiting their website, precisionhydration.com
And these social media hangouts:
Facebook: @precisionhydration
Instagram: @precisionhydration
Twitter: @thesweatexperts
Some other links that we chatted about in the show:
FREE video calls - We talked about these in the show. If you have any questions about your hydration and fueling strategy You are more than welcome to book in for a free one-to-one video consultation with one of the Precision Hydration team. Book your call using this link: https://www.precisionhydration.com/book-a-sweat-expert-call/
To calculate how much fuel you need to perform at your best try the Quick Carb Calculator
If you are interested in understanding more about performance e hydration check out this TrainingPeaks University course, 'The Science of Hydration’
Check out this blog post to dig deeper into the great debate around fats vs. Carbohydrates. Should athletes use carbohydrates or fats to fuel exercise
Andy also mentioned the research article by Morton & Impey: Fuel for the Work Required: A Theoretical Framework for Carbohydrate Periodization and the Glycogen Threshold Hypothesis
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
This week Brad Kearns is back in the hot seat as I had so much to ask him during our last conversation just a few weeks ago (you can listen to that podcast from August 4th HERE).
Specifically, I wanted to clarify questions I had about his book Two Meals a Day, chat more about the value of High Intensity Repeat Training (H.I.R.T) vs HIT training, and also take a deep dive into Brad's own daily routines and habits.
Brad is always good value, and we got into it quickly as we chatted about:
- Two Meals a Day = does this work for females and high volume endurance athletes?
- Why you have to find a diet that works for you
- Why you need to pick the right moment to start a Keto diet
- Eating as much food as possible without gaining weight
- Does H.I.R.T. training work for endurance athletes?
- Brad’s morning routine and his 5-year streak without missing a day of practice
- Strength training - micro workouts and why you should never be sore
You can find Brad on all of the usual social media channels. Start with his website HERE.
You can find all of his other social media links RIGHT HERE
Brad also has his own B.Rad podcast which you can find HERE
These are some of the books that Brad has written, and a book he's recommended:
Primal Endurance - I gifted this to over 20 clients and it had a profound impact on the lifestyle of many of them
Two Meals a Day - A simple, sustainable strategy to lose fat, reverse aging, and break free from diet frustration forever
The Four Tendencies, by Gretchen Rubin
Some of the other topics discussed today include:
Phil Maffetone, Working out and overfat
Dude Spellings, Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim
Craig Marker article, HIIT versus HIRT
Bard’s morning workout, done daily
Micro workouts - I love these and have been doing my own version now for the last 2 years
'You should never be sore'- video with Firas Zahabi
Pump Street Chocolate - Brad mentions this as his new favourite choice for dark chocolate
If you're a meat-eater then take a look at this chart, Carnivore Scores
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Wednesday Sep 15, 2021
Can you recall last year when the pools were shut during our 3 lockdowns? I think the pools were closed for approximately 30 weeks from mid-March 2020 to mid-April 2021. If you were like me, you looked for alternatives. I settled for some bungee cords with hand paddles attached. Others opted for the more exotic homemade paddling pools with a tether. The lucky ones were able to use an existing swim bench or even managed to purchase one. The most well-known of these is the VASA Trainer ergometer which was invented by today's guest, Rob Sleamaker, over 30 years ago. If you haven’t seen one then just think indoor trainer for swimming. As you can imagine, during the lockdowns of the past 18 months, demand for these products went through the roof. I wanted to find out more about how and why Rob invented the VASA Trainer, and how we as triathletes might benefit from a different approach to swim training. Rob has a wealth of knowledge and an easy way of getting his ideas across. Listen closely and you’ll pick up a few tips to improve your swimming as we chat about:
- How a VASA Trainer can improve your front crawl stroke and your swim performance
- If you use a VASA Trainer you can swim less and still improve
- Overcoming the mono-speed pull
- Why consistent swim training builds confidence
- Prioritising swim efficiency over getting faster
- The kayak analogy - why drag slows you down and how to minimise drag in your stroke
- Rob’s 3 keys reasons why you will benefit from using a VASA Trainer
If you would like to follow Rob or find out more about the VASA Trainer please visit these places:
To follow Rob, Facebook
To Follow VASA Trainer
Instagram - @vasatrainer
If you would like to find out more about VASA Trainer, please visit their website HERE
Rob mentioned his recently published book, Triathlon Freestyle Simplified. You can purchase your copy HERE
You can find many videos including the Karlyn Pipes swim video series with VASA Trainer HERE
VASA Trainer have many articles in their blog section HERE including:
- Pandemic swimming success: How Swimmers & Triathletes used a special swim training machine during the age of COVID 19
- A typical VASA swim workout
- How to improve triathlon open water swim performance
We talked about the Clif Bar commercial with a hilarious take on how to prepare for the roughness of an open water swim start. Watch it HERE.
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
On this week's show an old friend returns. I say old in two ways. Firstly I have known him a long time and secondly, he's 74.
Don't let that fool you. Simon Butterworth is one of the fittest men I know. In fact, he’s probably fitter than most 40-year-olds. He’s certainly fitter than me. When I competed at the Ironman World Championships in 2017 Simon passed me at the 12-mile mark on the run, and he went on to win the 70-74 age group and become a world champion. He was 70 at the time, I was 53!
Recently, Simon won his age group at Ironman Coeur d’Alene and qualified once again to race in Kona. Sadly with the race being cancelled for 2021 (it may still happen in February 2022) he won't get the chance to race this year.
I love catching up with Simon, his enthusiasm is infectious and inspiring. I hope you are equally inspired. In this conversation, I really wanted to take a deep dive into how Simon maintains both his desire to race and his health and fitness, so we cover:
- His best running partner - Rita the dog
- Changing his swim technique……. at 74!
- Training for Ironman and managing a heart condition.
- Weekly training volume in the offseason, and when preparing for a race
- Daily recovery technique
- How his training approach has changed with age
- The run/walk strategy
- Nutritional approaches in training and racing
If you're interested in following Simon on social media, you can find him here on Facebook
Here are links to some of the other topics we also chatted about in the podcast:
- Bobby McGee running coach
- Bobby McGee running mechanics
- D3 Multisport
- Forks over knives documentary
- Compex Sport Elite - muscle stimulator for muscle restoration
- Hyperice Theragun
- Feedzone portables - cook book with Alan Lim and Biju Thomas
- Dates with peanut Butter recipe
- Denver Omelette recipe - rice cakes recipe
- Jeff Galloway run/walk protocol
- Mid foot cleat position for cycling shoes
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
What do you do when your international rugby career ends? Try an Ironman triathlon, obviously! At least that’s the path that today's guest took. For 13 years (2000-2013) Shane Williams scorched the earth playing on the wing for Wales and the British and Irish Lions. In 2008 he was IRB World Rugby Player of the year and retired with 91 international caps and 60 tries, ranking him 4th in the all-time list of international try-scorers.
Retirement leaves a big hole in the lives of professional sportsmen and women so looking for a challenge, he accepted a friend’s invitation to take part in the 2015 Ironman Wales in Tenby. To say he was bitten by the bug is an understatement as you’ll hear in the conversation.
Shane’s enthusiasm for triathlon matches the joy he still has for rugby union and this really comes across. If you don't at least think about signing up for Ironman Wales when you have finished listening, I’ll be very surprised.
As normal we get through a lot in this chat including:
- Wingman to Ironman in less than 6 months
- 9 weeks from 50m to completing the 3.8k Ironman swim in Tenby
- Why professional athletes are inspired by the crowd as much as you and I
- Rugby & triathlon: Polar opposites but it’s all about the mindset
- Why the crowds in Tenby are as inspiring as the Millennium Stadium
- Amusing and inspiring: Shane recalls his first Ironman race in detail
- Would you rather run the last 5 miles of the Ironman, or take a big hit from Manu Tuilagi?
- Shane tells us about his new clothing range Agilis
To follow Shane you can find him in the usual places.
Find out more about Shane’s new clothing range Agilis Sport
As you might know, we ask guests to recommend their favourite books which they've read recently and which inspired them. Shane recommends the new book by Alistair Brownlee - Relentless: The secrets of the sporting elite.
Some more stuff you might like to watch
Shane Williams top 10 Rugby World Cup moments
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
On this week’s High Performance Human podcast, I’m joined once again by our favourite triathlon journalist Tim Heming. It’s been almost 2 years since Tim was last on the show and that’s largely been due to the fact that during the COVID pandemic there's been very little triathlon action.
In recent months though it’s been really warming up and so Tim and I have a lot to get through including:
- The British success at the Olympics
- The finale of 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series Edmonton grand final
- This week sees the inaugural Collins Cup take place in Samorin, Slovakia and Tim explains the concept, the racing format, and crucially which athletes have been picked for each of the three teams
- Looking ahead to the 70.3 and Ironman World Championships (the latter has been postponed since this recording)
- GB has 8 medals chances in the Para Triathlon at the Paralympics, starting this week
- Finally, we chat about what Olympic success means for the long term health of British triathlon, and we look forward to seeing new talent emerge at next year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham
To find out more about the Paralympics and how to watch the Para-Triathlon click HERE
To find out more about the Collins Cup go HERE (there’s also a link so that you can sign up to watch)
Watch highlights of GB gold medal success in the Triathlon mixed relay at Tokyo 2020
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Today’s guest is a mindset coach and extreme adventurer, Luke Tyburski. If we just chatted about Luke's many and varied adventures it would be a good conversation, but there’s more to it than that.
After fulfilling a boyhood dream to be a professional footballer, Luke was forced to retire due to injury and he fell into the crippling grasp of depression. To escape the illness he turned to extreme ultra-endurance sports and became instantly addicted!
Initially, the extreme challenges satisfied his escapism running through the Sahara desert, down Mt Everest, through a tropical Chinese forest without food, water, or any money as he constantly pushed his physical and mental boundaries to the absolute limit of his capabilities
With his biggest ever physical challenge looming, Luke threw everything at a 2000km, 12-day cross-continental Ultimate Triathlon from Morocco to Monaco, which he had designed himself. It almost broke him before he'd even started, and completing The Ultimate Triathlon came at a huge cost!
For the next 18 months, he suffered from extreme adrenal fatigue, alongside very dark holes of depression and more binge eating.
And becoming ‘lost’ more than ever and in the years following The Ultimate Triathlon, he spent a lot of time reflecting on his actions, speaking to others about his thoughts, and listening to his body finally realising that he had been running away from his past.
This is a very frank and honest conversation and you’ll be amazed at how far an individual can push themselves and how easy it is for the pursuit of endurance goals to slip over into self-harm and destruction.
We talk about:
- In at the deep end - The first running event, The Marathon des Sables, “toughest footrace on earth”
- Sports nutrition guidance is all wrong - The low-carb/high-fat experiment
- Go big or go home - The first triathlon - Double Brutal
- Training for an endurance event or self-harm - where’s the line?
- Meltdown - from endurance man to couch man
- Taking a holistic approach to life
To get to know more about Luke you can find him at his website
You can also find him on the usual social media channels
Links to other topics we discussed today:
If you haven’t watched this yet, you should really take a look. You will have to pay a small fee to rent the movie but Ultimate Triathlon is well worth a watch if you want to find out just how far a human can push themselves:
Ultimate Triathlon DOCUMENTARY - the incredible swim, bike, run journey from Morocco to Monaco 2000km in 12 days
The 500 man documentary - to learn more about himself, Luke undertakes a 500km triathlon in the unusual UK heat
The Marathon des Sables documentary - Luke's first ever run event - the toughest footrace on earth
Luke has written a book about his adventures and experiences to date
Chasing Extreme Book - a journey of overcoming obstacles and depression to embrace a life of extreme adventure
If you are interested in improving your mindset Luke has his own online course that you can enroll with: Performance Mindset for athletes
You may also be interested in Luke’s most popular blog post:
Motivation shouldn’t come from a motivational speaker…
Luke also recommended the following books that have inspired him
Puke & Rally - Dr Rob bell - It’s not about the setback, it's about the comeback
The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel van Der Kolk - Mind brain and body in the transformation of trauma
Chasing Water Anthony Ervin - The elegy of an Olympian
Book of Joy - Dalai Lama - Lasting happiness in a changing world
If you or any of your family or friends have been struggling with mental health recently, please reach out and speak with someone. Start HERE—>>>
THE MENTAL HEALTH ORGANISATION
FREE ‘How To’ Guides For Your Mental Health
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications
Take a 30 day trial in my SWAT Inner Circle for just £1. Watch this video for more information.
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.