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

Simon Ward and Derek Fitzgerald

For almost 10 years of his life, my guest on today’s show, Derek Fitzgerald, was just struggling to stay alive.  Firstly he was diagnosed with non Hodgkins Lymphoma, and after surgery and chemotherapy he was clear and in remission only to find that the chemo drugs had damaged his heart.  He was told that his heart was failing, and he spent the next 7 years slowly deteriorating until 2011 when he received a heart transplant.  Since that day he hasn’t looked back.  As you might imagine, from someone who has stared death in the face on a daily basis, Derek has been in a hurry to achieve the seemingly impossible. This is a fascinating and emotional story of one man’s survival against the odds, and after listening you will no longer believe there are limits to doing anything you put your mind to.

In this episode you will discover:

• Why after surgery to remove a tumour in his abdomen, Derek had to learn to walk again before starting chemotherapy 
• The paradox of wanting heart disease to get worse so you can make it onto the transplant list
• How a phrase from the film "Shawshank Redemption” epitomises Derek’s life
• Why Derek feels like he should "Honour the Gift”
• Organ donations and why it should be an opt-out process and not an opt-in 
• The journey from heart transplant recipient in Jan 2011 to Ironman fisher in 2013
• Becoming the first cancer survivor and heart transplant recipient to complete the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii (2015)

Derek is an inspirational person and you can find out more about him by visiting his website Recycledmanspeaks.com

You can also follow Derek on Facebook by visiting his page HERE

Derek is an ambassador for The Ironman Foundation whose mission is to create positive, tangible change in race communities through grant funding and volunteerism.

Organ Donation - In 2020 the law is changing in the UK to an opt out system. Until then, you can opt-in register to donate your organs.

Please visit this page to register your decision —>>> Organ Donations - Opt In

UK Organ Donation week 2019 - 2-8 September

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, Jack Maitland, and Kirsten Steffenson

Since 2004 my guest today, Jack Maitland, has been focussed on helping the cream of British Triathlon talent to perform on a world stage.  During that time athletes in his care (The Brownlees, Non Stanford, Vicky Holland, Jessica Learmonth, Gordon Benson and more) have won Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals, occupied 5/6 places on the GB Olympic triathlon team, won multiple world, commonwealth and European titles, and generally put the Leeds Triathlon performance centre on the map as one of the world’s leading triathlon training locations.

In 2017 Jack left his role to start working closely with Kirsten Steffenson, his partner and our other guest on today’s show. Their new venture, Sports Ashram, combines their passion for Yoga with Jack’s triathlon skills to provide a different approach to training and preparing for endurance events.

In this conversation you will discover:

• Mobility, flexibility and strength - how a weekly yoga practice can enhance all 3
• Why balance in your life will enhance athletic performance
• How mindfulness learned through yoga can be transferred into your triathlon training sessions
• Why yoga is a practice, not a performance
• The positive benefits for your sleep patterns which come from even 10 minutes of daily meditation
• Why recovery and rest must occupy the same priority in your weekly schedule as training
• How to improve your Heart Rate Variability through meditation and breathing

Find out more about Jack and Kirsten here on Facebook The Sports Ashram

Jack mentioned Dr. Alan Watkins and Complete Coherence - see the video HERE which explains this

Dr Alan Watkins - How to be brilliant every single day

The influence of Yoga on heart rate variability Yoga and heart rate variability - a comprehensive review of the literature

To listen to Simon and Jack's earlier podcast https://simonward.podbean.com/e/simon-ward-and-jack-maitland/

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 Mike Reilly part 2

This week The Voice of ironman, Mike Reilly, returns to the show to talk about his new book, Finding My Voice.  Mike has been the announcer at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii for almost 40 years.  His iconic greeting, "You Are An Ironman", has welcomed over 350,000 finishers across the line at more than 180 ironman races worldwide.  Now, Mike has decided to put pen to paper and share some of his favourite stories from the last 40 years.  When you read this book be prepared to laugh, cry, be amazed and inspired.

 As you can imagine we covered a lot of ground including:

• How Ironman competitors are Reilly’s 2nd family, and what it’s like to have your family show up at every race
• Ironman, and why it’s not about what you did but who you became
• When the normally quiet and introverted Ironman World Champion gave Mike’s 7 year old son Andy his sweaty, smelly race shoes that he wore when winning Ironman Australia a few days before
• MIke’s walk-on music "Baba O’Riley” by The Who, and the bet that got out of hand
• “That" moment when you ask your best mate to stand in on the mic while you take a comfort break
• Sarah Reinertson, Scott Rigsby, and the inspiration of the para-athletes
• Why triathlon and Ironman in particular is a metaphor for life and the way you live your life

To find out more about Mike Reilly and to purchase his book, Finding My Voice please go to mikereilly.net

o 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 Ben Peresson UMUK

Ultraman is an iconic race based on the big island of Hawaii.  Over 3 days it covers a total distance of 515km.  In recent years other Ultraman events have been organised throughout the world, and after a rocky start Ben Peresson and Darren Welsh have launched Ultraman UK (UMUK).  After years of participating in adventure challenges, including Marathon des Sables, the pair along with Ben’s wife Claire Harrison, took over from the previous organisers to rescue UMUK in 2017.  After a soft launch in 2018 this year’s event sees the introduction of two other events:  UMUK 355 and UMUK relay, a team event covering the full 515km.

In this podcast Darren and Ben discuss their plans for the event. and explain in more detail exactly how the Ultraman format works and what makes it different from other ultra-triathlon events including:

• Why the 355km event offers the perfect introduction to multisport athletes transitioning to ultra-distance events
• The thinking behind choosing 1 lap routes for each section
• How logistics and planning are as important as fitness for you to finish the event
• Why all 3 events are totally unsupported and athletes are responsible for the own navigation and fueling
• Your support team and why they are crucial to your enjoyment and completion of UMUK

For more details about this year’s events and to apply for entry please visit the website http://www.racingquest.co.uk/

You can also follow Racing Quest by joining their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/racingquest.co.uk/

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 Sarah Coope

This week I return to the theme of Legends of British Triathlon and our first female guest, Sarah Coope.  Sarah was a 6 time European champion over all distances from Standard (1) to Ironman (2).  She was also the first GB female to make it onto the podium at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, finishing third behind Paula Newby-Fraser and Erin Baker. Since retiring from competition in the mid 90’s, Sarah has maintained a presence in triathlon as a coach with her longtime partner Glenn Cook, running Team Bodyworks Performance Triathlon in Eastbourne.

This is another great chat and as you’ll hear at the end Sarah enjoyed reminiscing some of her triathlon experiences including:

• The importance of play in the development of youth and junior athletes
• How a serious crash with a car led to her first triathlon bike and the start of a successful tri career
• Racing at the Home Nations event in N. Ireland and training with a security escort
• Sarah’s first wetsuit swim at the Nice International triathlon in France, a perfect example of why you should never try anything new on race day
• Completing her first Ironman having consumed just water
• Training in San Diego, the mecca of triathlon, in the late 80’s
• Just because you finish third in Kona doesn’t mean you have the perfect race
• The challenges of coaching junior athletes

To find out more about Sarah’s coaching work please visit the website, https://www.teambodyworks.com/ or the Facebook page Team Bodyworks XTC.

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 on how to train for an Iron distance event in less than 10 hours per week

While you will find many triathletes swapping stories on social media of their “high volume” training weeks, the truth is that the majority are training for these events on 10 hours or less each week and doing pretty well in the bargain. I have been asked this question quite a lot and so I wanted to put together a specific podcast outlining how I would prepare a programme with a 10 hour time limit.

In this workshop you will hear:

• Why meticulous time management is vital if you are to maximise your training
• How sleep and nutrition can provide a much better return on your training
• How mindfulness plays a big part in your daily routine
• Why consistency is your biggest ally
• What duration your longest sessions should be for each discipline
• When and how to include mobility and strength sessions
• How the ‘ideal week’ looks for each discipline

In the podcast I mentioned that I had put together a document with an outline structure of a 20 week plan. If you would like a copy, please email Beth@TheTriathlonCoach.com and she’ll be happy to send it to you.  You won’t be put on a mailing list. 

If you aren’t already a member, please consider joining Simon’s Facebook group TheTriathlonCoachCafe. It’s free to join and all triathletes and coaches are welcome.

Simon also has a training group - The SWAT Inner Circle - where he provides programmes (like the one he talks about in the podcast), a lively and enthusiastic Facebook group, and regular training and lifestyle advice to members.  You can join SWAT here:  https://simonward1.lpages.co/swat-sign-up-page-2018/.

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 Alison Rose

In this week’s podcast, I’m returning to a conversation I recorded almost 2 years ago.  Alison Rose is an Olympic physio with many years of experience in working with elite runners and triathletes.  As we approach the race season, both the intensity and volume of your training are bound to go up and this will have a bearing on your risk of injury.  In this very short but highly informative chat, Alison shares some really insightful comments about why triathletes get injured and how to avoid it, including:

• Why 80% of triathlon injuries come from running
• The important contribution of cycling to your running injuries
• Why your Achilles injury might be more to do with tightness in the upper body
• Rehab and why it’s the 4th discipline
• Calf raises - the non-negotiable activity after every run
• Pre run activity - stretching the tight muscles and activating the sluggish ones
• An alternative definition of ‘smart’ training
• Good technique - why it reduces your risk of injury
• Alison’s 5 step process to staying healthy and uninjured

To find out more about Alison Rose and the service that they provide at the Coach House Sports Physiotherapy Clinic please visit http://www.cspc.co.uk/.

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 Eric Tozer

In the triathlon space that we exist in we are surrounded by some extraordinary people doing amazing things. Today's guest is in a different stratosphere, not just because of his athletic achievements but because of the incurable disease he lives with every day.  Eric Tozer has type 1 diabetes, but he does not let that halt or slow his ambition. His resume of athletic achievements includes:

• World Marathon Challenge 2019 (7 Marathons, 7 Continents, 7 Days)
• Run Across America (3,000+ mile run across USA in 15 days with ten T1Ds)
• 140.6 mile Ironman distance triathlons
• 70.3 mile Half-Ironman distance triathlons
• Olympic and Sprint distance triathlons
• 26.2 mile Marathons
• 13.1 mile Half-Marathons

in this conversation hear:

• Eric explain the difference between Type 1 & Type 2 diabetes
• We discuss monitoring blood glucose and the gadget which replaces 288 finger pricks each day 
• How a pre race adrenaline surge can really mess up your blood sugar levels
• The challenges of training for and racing Ironman with T1 diabetes
• Running 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 different continents
• Two marathons in 2 days with a 63C temperature difference
• When mental strength replaces physical fitness

To find out more about Eric, please visit his website at erictozer.com

Here are links to some of the topics discussed today:

the World Marathon Challenge

The Dexcom constant glucose monitoring machine

Diabetes Sports Project

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 How to Train for an Iron Distance Event - Nutrition and Tapering

Today’s show finishes off the series on how to train for an Iron distance triathlon.  Previous episodes have covered the general training foundation, plus the basics of swim, bike, and run.  In the minds of many athletes, as long as you’re doing the training, this is all that matters.  But the quality of your adaptation to training can be enhanced enormously with a simple yet intelligent approach to nutrition.  Even then, you can do all of this right but sabotage your race day performance if you fail to pay attention to what happens in the final 2 weeks known as the taper period.  Therefore, today’s episode will highlight some of the other actions you might need to take to be at your best on race day, including:

 

• A simple definition of what you should seek to achieve with your daily nutrition
• Why numbers are not important, and why a simple portion size guide based on the hand is all you need
• The two simple daily habits which will help most athletes to achieve their body composition targets
• The female athlete triad, and how to avoid it
• The definition and objectives of the taper
• How long your taper should be, and why it depends on many variables
• Simple advice on how to implement a 2, 3, and 4-week taper

Click here for a portion size infographic:  https://www.precisionnutrition.com/calorie-control-guide-infographic

To listen to the prior episodes on training for an Iron distance event: 

https://simonward.podbean.com/e/simon-ward-on-how-to-train-for-an-ironman/

https://simonward.podbean.com/e/simon-ward-on-how-to-train-for-an-iron-distance-swim/

https://simonward.podbean.com/e/simon-ward-on-how-to-train-for-an-iron-distance-swim/

https://simonward.podbean.com/e/simon-ward-on-how-to-train-for-an-iron-bike-and-run/

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 Radka Kahlefeldt

Pregnancy, childbirth, children and family welfare are a big concern to many triathletes and fitting training in around these “speed bumps’ is a daily predicament.  Today I chat with a professional triathlete who has been dealing with these challenges for the last 2 years. Radka Vodickova represented the Czech Republic as a triathlete at the London 2012 games. After that she switched her attention to 70.3 events and met her eventual husband Brad Kahlefeldt. In 2017 she became pregnant with their first child, just as she was about to start her season of racing. And that is where our story begins as I chat with Radka about everything around the subject of pregnancy, childbirth and the challenges of training and racing as a professional triathlete while raising a young daughter. Topics covered include:

• Racing at Challenge Samorin while 10 weeks pregnant…and then racing another 70.3 seven days later
• Some considerations for training while pregnant
• Why a lean, highly conditioned athlete ends up with a 48 hour labour period
• Resuming activity after childbirth, and what happens when you’ve already started and the doctor says, “You can start walking now”
• Racing, foreign travel and childcare
• Having your best season ever:  Is it down to having a child, creating balance in your life and being happy?
• Radka’s top advice for training before, during and after child birth (TIP- These are good tips for a healthy triathlon lifestyle for both men and women

To find out more about Radka and her coaching programme, or to contact her, please visit this website http://bkrcoaching.com/

Follow Radka Kahlefeldt on Instagram HERE —>>> RadkaKahlefeldt1

Radka mentioned the running belt she used while pregnant. You can find details about that HERE —>>>https://www.recorefitness.com/store/p3/Maternity_FITsplint%E2%84%A2.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.