Simon Ward, The High Performance Human Triathlon Podcast

Simon Ward and Sian Rainsley

The ONLY elite triathlete in the world with Crohn’s disease

The life of a triathlete is hard.  It’s almost impossible when you have Crohn’s disease.  In fact, that is what the doctors told today’s guest when she was diagnosed at the age of 18.  At this moment in time there are no other elite triathletes in the world suffering from Crohn’s and training full time.  Sian Rainsley is an elite triathlete based at the High Performance centre in Leeds. Her whole world nearly fell apart a few years ago when she found out what was making her so ill.  Since then she had medalled at the ETU U23 triathlon taking a bronze, and competed at the World U23 championships taking a 9th place and just a few months ago at 15th place, despite a season that was ruined by illness.

Despite her tender age, Sian has already demonstrated the toughness of spirit and obstinacy required to be a champion at this point in her career.

In this conversation Sian talks about:

• Why a swim/run background as a youth is still the biggest predictor of triathlon success
• Swim and run success as a junior athlete
• A devastating diagnosis at 18 years of age
• The definition and symptoms of Crohn’s disease and how it affects her life
• The joy of just being active
• Never taking things for granted
• Repeatedly ignoring the doctor’s advice
• Sometimes in life you have to adjust your goals and be happy with what you get

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

Simon Ward and Matt Dixon

This week’s guest is another coach.  In fact, he is a UK coach although you are more likely to find him in the US these days.  Matt Dixon is well known in the triathlon world as founder and owner of Purple Patch Fitness, based in San Francisco.  He coaches age group athletes and professionals including Sam Appleton, Kevin Collington, Sara Pampiano, and UK Ironman pro Laura Siddall.  He has also written a couple of books and he has his own podcast (links below).  He is also the head coach for the Ironman Executive Challenge and is a presenter for Ironman University.

Some time ago I listened to one of Matt’s podcasts and he referred to the fact that he was known as the “Recovery Coach”, because of the significance that he gives this aspect of training and its place in optimal performance.  As this is a topic that is also close to my heart I thought it might be good to take a deeper dive into Recovery for Triathletes.  In this conversation we discuss:

• The Purple Patch 4 Pillars of Performance
• Why lack of fitness is rarely the reason for under-performance in a race
• How assessing the “landscape of your life” is the first step to a successful programme
• The importance of sleep …. again!
• Why ‘fit & fresh’ is a good mantra for your rating and well being
• Why strength & conditioning is a 'critical supplement’ to your training
• Recovery - it’s part of the programme, not an extra
• Matt's top 3 priorities for post season training

To find out more about Matt Dixon please visit his website Purple Patch Fitness.  Matt also has 2 excellent books The Fast Track Triathlete and The Well Built Triathlete.  You can also hear Matt on his own podcast The Purple Patch Podcast.

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

Simon Ward and Nathan Turner

In recent weeks I have chatted with some high profile guests who you have definitely heard of.  This week, I’m chatting with a guy who you have probably never heard of.  Don’t let that put you off though because Nathan Turner’s story is highly inspirational. In fact it’s people like Nathan who are the life blood of age group triathlon. His story is far more representative of the mainstream and if we wish to keep this sport growing then we need to have people like Nathan who grab the bull by the horns and just go for it.

Have you ever had a time when you wanted to enter a race but just weren’t sure, wondered about stepping up in distance but felt the time wasn’t right, or you’re just not sure how to even get started in triathlon?  If you answered YES to any of these questions then please, please listen to this chat. When you have finished there will be nothing stopping you.

In this conversation we talk about:

• The “epiphany” - how 1 photo can change everything 
• Why an overweight 260lb (120kg) guy would even think of entering a mud run
• Never mind if you can’t swim and don’t own a bike, just enter a sprint triathlon anyway
• Learning to swim by watching Michael Phelps videos
• Chasing the dream of finishing every 70.3 triathlon event in North America
• The Triumph Project with Jeff Fairbanks
• Nathan’s TOP 3 tips for beginners

If you are inspired by Nathan’s story, you can follow him on Instagram at the_tri_lyfe.  Ask him any question you like.  He answers them all!!

Find out more about the Triumph Project at https://www.thetriumphproject.org/.

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

Simon Ward and Prof Paul Laursen

Today we have a guest returning to the show. One of the very first podcasts that I recorded was with this week' guest, Prof Paul Laursen, and his side-kick Dr Dan Plews.

I visited their vacation condo in Kona during Ironman week in 2016. Dan and Paul cooked me dinner of mince and vegetables, and we consumed at least 1 bottle of red wine.

Both of them were doing a bit of self quantifying of their blood glucose while attempting to stay on a low carb/high fat (LC/HF) diet. They wore these little monitors stuck to their arm and a few minutes after each sip of red wine, there would be a little blood sugar spike and the app on their phones would start pinging. As we consumed more wine it got funnier. Anyway, fast forward to 2018 and both Dan and Paul have continued their personal and professional research into this subject which is exactly what we chat about in this week's episode.

• Prof explains how he started his own personal journey into the LC/HF world 
• How might vegan or vegetarian diets influence your adaptation to LC/HF
• Why excess carbohydrate consumption can be a problem for triathletes
• Where did the 60-90g/hour recommendation come from for race day fuelling
• What yardstick to use to measure effectiveness of LC/HF
• If you follow LC/HF do you change your nutrition intake on race day 
• Does the increased fat consumption in your diet lead to changes in blood cholesterol

To find out more about The Prof (and Plews) please visit their website here:  https://www.plewsandprof.com/

Links to some articles Diet and Ironman Performance:  https://www.plewsandprof.com/single-post/2018/09/30/Diet-and-Ironman-performance-appreciating-the-individual

Peter Attia Approach to dieting for Endurance athletes - Pt 1 - https://www.plewsandprof.com/single-post/2017/11/04/The-Peter-Attia-Approach-to-Dieting-for-Endurance-Athletes---Part-I

Peter Attia Approach to dieting for Endurance athletes - Pt 2 - https://www.plewsandprof.com/single-post/2017/11/04/The-Peter-Attia-Approach-to-Dieting-for-Endurance-Athletes---Part-II

Jan Van Berkel - The Fat adapted healthy athlete - https://www.plewsandprof.com/single-post/2017/04/09/JAN-VAN-BERKEL-THE-FAT-ADAPTED-HEALTHY-ATHLETE-VISCERAL-FAT-AND-ITS-RELATIONSHIP-TO-HEALTH-AND-PERFORMANCE

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

Simon Ward on Winter Training Plans

After a highly motivating 10 days in Kona watching the world's best athletes set course record after record, I’m back with another podcast.

This week, there is no guest as I will be taking you through the steps required to set up a winter training plan to ‘crush’ the opposition in 2019.  This is a 45 minute broadcast emphasising the simple technique that I use with the athletes I work with.

I will be asking you to embrace some shifts in mindset and to consider a slightly different approach to what other coaches might propose and what you have done in the past. 

As the saying goes “if you always do what you have always done, you’ll always get what you've always had”.

This episode is packed full of information.  Get yourself a pen and paper and be prepared to make some notes as I share:

• The ONE key factor which will influence your success in 2019
• The “low hanging fruit” which will give you the biggest return for your training investment
• How mastery goals will take you toward your outcome goals
• Why you must think longer than 12 months when setting your goals
• The #1 goal of your winter training plan
• Polarised training and the MAF approach
• Why all training plans work
• How athletes get in their own way by 'splitting hairs’
• The importance of thinking about sleep and recovery before training
• Some simple nutrition advice
• The value of yearly strength training for ALL athletes
• Why swimming more and running less could mean greater gains in fitness
• Why you don’t really need to run or ride long in the winter

To find out more about Simon’s SWAT programme, please click here https://simonward1.lpages.co/swat-sign-up-30-offer/

To comment on this podcast, please visit Simon's Facebook age HERE https://www.facebook.com/simon.ward1

Visit Simon's website for more information about his coaching programmes https://www.simonwardtriathloncoach.com/1-to-1-coaching/

For any qustions please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com.

Simon Ward and Matt Lawrence

This week’s guest is an athlete that I’ve worked with for the last 11 years.  Matt Lawrence and I first met back in 2007 when he asked me to help him improve his Ironman performance.  As time progressed, Matt’s goals changed from improving his time to seeing if he could qualify to race at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships in Kona.  As with most of the triathlon journey’s experienced by athletes, this has been a long road with many ups and downs, dead ends, and u-turns.  As you will learn today, working with an athlete is more than just providing a training programme.  A good relationship is critical, as the trust between coach and athlete is an essential part of optimal performance.  Matt and I cover a lot of subjects including:

 

• Dealing with near misses and disappointments
• Changing coaches - why different doesn’t necessarily mean better
• When life’s problems make triathlon training seem insignificant
• Overcoming 2 serious health conditions
• Finally committing to the goal
• Achieving a state of inner peace 48-hours before a race
• What did happen on that day in September?

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

Simon Ward and Tim Heming 2018 Kona Predictions

Hey Folks, this year it's the 40th anniversary of the Hawaii Ironman World Championships and it promises to be one hell of a race in both the male and female events.  Our regular forecaster, Tim Heming, is back with his annual Top 10 predictions. Tim does a lot of work in advance of making his picks. It's not just simply picking the big names.  In the conversation he outlines why he selected certain athletes and why others didn’t make his top 10.  Last year he dropped a monumental clanger when he omitted Lionel Sanders from the top 10 only for him to just miss out on the win. There is lots for us to discuss including:

 

• Where does he think Sanders will finish this year?
• Will any of the GB athletes - The Don, Joe Skipper, Dave McNamee or Will Clarke - make it into the top 10 and do any of them have the capacity to be the first  GB male to win in Kona?
• How will Javier Gomez fare on his Kona debut?
• Can Patrick Lange do the double or will Keinle fly the German flag again?
• Daniela Ryf - can she make it four in a row and emulate Paula Newby Fraser back in 1994?
• Will Lucy Charles go one better in 2018?
• Why no Top 10 predictions for Suzy Cheetham, Laura Siddall, or Emma Pallant?

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

Simon Ward and Bob Babbitt

Today’s guest is not an elite athlete, coach, or even an expert on some part of the athlete training process.  He is, however, an integral part of the triathlon scene in the USA and has been for quite some time, the late 1970’s to be exact.  Bob Babbitt has a rich history in the Ironman scene in the US and especially on the West Coast.

Today’s conversation is like a journey through triathlon time, and Bob has been right at the centre of it for many years. You will hear us chat about: 

• Hooking up with MTB legend Ned Overend, before he became a legend
• Taking part in one of the very first Ironman events when it still took place in Honolulu
• Training for an Ironman in a 15yd pool
• How they came up with the original Ironman distances 
• Bob’s rudimentary approach to nutrition for his first Ironman
• Building multi-million dollar “The Competitor" magazine group with no plan
• How riding an out of control horse led to the 'Muddy Buddy’ race series
• The Challenged Athletes Foundation 25 years, 23,000 grants, $100million raised
• Ironman - 40 years of awards dinners
• "Breakfast with Bob” show
• TGINR - Thank God I’m Not Racing Party the night before the Ironman World Championships
• Triathlon - the equal opportunity abuser

To find out more about Bob Babbitt you can visit his website Babbitville

The Challenged Athletes Foundation

Bob Babbitt on the radio

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

 

Simon Ward and Dr. Phil Maffetone

This week I am joined by a man whose methods are currently at the forefront of my mind both from a nutrition and a training standpoint. I have recommended the book Primal Endurance to many people in the last 24 months, and I know of many people who are currently trying out the principles of today’s guest, Dr Phil Maffetone.

This is a long conversation - almost 90 minutes - which means I have given you 200% more than I promised. I know how to deliver value for money!!  Considering that we have never spoken or met, this was a very relaxed conversation and we discuss a range of different subjects. Here are some of the highlights to look out for:

• I make a confession to Phil right at the start (2:30)
• Why don’t young triathletes ask Mark for his advice about high performance? (4:00)
• The off season is called off season for a reason (8:00)
• Training + workout + recovery  (10:09)
• Coming up with the MAF method (180-age) (12:41)
• Glycogen stores are like a retirement fund, try not to use them (24:41)
• In an Ironman the bike ride should be at MAF HR (25:45)
• If you train at MAF HR you will get faster at the same HR (29:00) 
• How to race faster when you train at an intensity below race effort (30:40)
• Track workouts, and why they are ‘dumb’ for beginner athletes (36:23)
• Why Phil rarely recommends Keto diets unless they have a medical condition (47:39)
• No diets - just avoid junk food and sugar (51:24)
• Sugar and why having it in small amounts is like heroin in all amounts (53:17)
• The “overfat” endurance athlete (58:21)
• Inflammation - The link between refined sugars, processed foods and injury (1.02:15)
• “Every animal on earth knows how to eat, except humans” (1:03:07)
• Simon and Phil put together a 5 step process to starting MAF method training (1:08:38)
• Phil agrees to come back for another call. Boom!! (1:27:10) 

Find out more about Phil Maffetone by visiting his website - https://philmaffetone.com/

The MAF Method of Training - https://philmaffetone.com/method/

Dr Maffetone’s bestselling books - https://shop.philmaffetone.com/collections/maf-books

Mark Allen and his success with the MAF method - https://philmaffetone.com/mark-allen-and-dr-phil-maffetone-discuss-the-legendary-ironman-champs-success-with-using-the-maf-method/

Pecandy, Phil’s Fudge and Creamy Avocado recipes available here - https://philmaffetone.com/recipe_category/dessert/

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

Simon Ward and Brad DeVaney

Every time I see a triathlon bike I look at the design wonder “what were they thinking” when they came up with this idea?

Have you ever thought that?  Today I get to interview the man who designed the triathlon bike that I’ve been riding all summer, the Quintana Roo PRSix (https://quintanarootri.com/collections/prsix) and the rest of the QR range.  His name is Brad DeVaney and he is the bike design guru at American Bicycle group, who also happen to own Litespeed titanium bikes, my particular favourite road bike of all time.

In today’s conversations Brad talks about:

• The dream job for an engineer who loves cycling
• Being mentored by Steve Hed and John Cobb
• The thought processes behind designing an aero bike
• What exactly is SHIFT technology
• Why a bike designer must understand bike fit
• Disc brakes and why we should all be riding them
• Why one 4mm Allen key is enough
• When owning a tri bike is like dating a super-model

 

Read what 220 magazine has to say about the PRSix here.  To find out more about the Quintana Roo PRSix click here.

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