Smart Athlete Podcast

Shop Solpri: https://solpri.com/shop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solprisport/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solprisport A multi-time Canadian Champion who represented Canada in the Tokyo 2020/2021 Olympics in the sport of Canoe Slalom, Haley Daniels, speaks to me today to share her incredible experiences as an athlete and RBC Olympian. She's also currently finishing her degree in Business, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, and preparing for a new career. We begin to talk about her previous training preparation when it was winter time and how she stayed sane while traveling to different places to train and compete. She also shares with me how they do fundraising to fund their expenses and how she fought for gender equality in the sports she has been for years. Listening to Haley's journey proves how brave and dedicated an athlete she was. This leads our talk to know more about what athletes really feel and encounter. As Haley is preparing for something new in her career, she tells me why transitioning is the hardest thing to do and what she has been practicing that will help her reach her goals. If you are retiring or retired from sports, what's your plan after? Do you struggle with something? Watch the full interview and learn more from Haley about how she handles these situations. Visit her website: https://www.haleydaniels.ca/ Connect with Haley at: https://www.instagram.com/haleydanski/

Shop Solpri: https://solpri.com/shop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solprisport/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solprisport A coach who is a multi-sport athlete joins me today to share his experiences working with athletes. He is a cyclist, MS candidate in exercise physiology, and founder of Develo Coaching, Lucas Wall. I initially ask Lucas how he gets to meet his athletes and start their coaching journey. He mentions various approaches which actually work for him. To add, he is also the coach of our previous guest, Alexey Vermeulen (episode165), and he stresses the different beneficial scenarios they both gained. If you're new to working with a coach, Lucas has a lot of things to share that involve different approaches he does to help athletes generate high performance, prepare for pre-season, and choose the appropriate fuel. He also shares his thoughts on why fuel is a limiter, the benefits of practicing fat burning for fuel, and why he encourages his athletes to have plan B for a lot of scenarios. Watch the full interview to learn more! Connect with Lucas at http://www.develocoaching.com/

Shop Solpri: https://solpri.com/shop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solprisport/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solprisport Today, I sit down with someone who's known as "The Data Guy". He joins us today to share his ideas and wisdom about consistency, performance optimization, data application, and more. He has master's degree in Sports Performance and Human Biology, is the host of the Sports Science and Recovery podcast, a book author, and the founder of Own It Coaching, Justin Roethlingshoefer. As mentioned above, Justin has been doing a lot of different things. So I come up to think and ask him how did he do what he's been doing and what pushed him to go through these. From there, he tells me the root of developing his habit and how his life during his younger years has contributed to his present life and career. We also discuss the different processes that could help a person feel the actual results from a situation he/she has put effort into. And this sounds like a game-changer for sure! Hit the play button to hear more from Justin about facilitating career shift, building habits, and identifying the application problem. Visit their website: https://ownitcoaching.com/ Connect with Justin on: https://www.instagram.com/justinroeth/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-roethlingshoefer-ms-7252a766/

Shop Solpri: https://solpri.com/shop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solprisport/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solprisport A former Canadian snowboarder joins me today to share her incredibly roller coaster ride-like experiences as an athlete. She's currently a competitive CrossFit athlete, a content creator, and host of All In podcast, Natalie Allport. I begin to ask Natalie about her snowboarding journey, and she tells me the real things that she lets herself encounter during a race. Some may focus on their time goal, but what do you think is hers? She also shares what happened while competing in CrossFit workouts in Shanghai that made her discover her weakness and where she's good at, and how she handled it. Moreover, Natalie tells me why she had a negative mindset towards running and how she did marathons. Listen to the full interview to hear more about what she loves about being in sports. Check out her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/NatalieAllport Connect with Natalie on: https://www.instagram.com/natalieallport/ https://twitter.com/natalieallport https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieallport/

Shop Solpri: https://solpri.com/shop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solprisport/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solprisport A Doctor of Chiropractic joins me today to tell us how she started her chiropractic career and how she helps moms who want to get back into running after giving birth. She also does running, skiing, and mountain biking, Dr. Alyssa Salava. A little "exciting" talk initially brings us to get to know more about her when she tells me why she moved from the US to Canada while pursuing her chiropractic career. She started running in high school where she was a very competitive athlete. But similar to other runners, she also experienced running related injuries and, unfortunately, was judged by their college coach. Dr. Alyssa then sought help from different medical experts about her condition, and her healing journey was facilitated by a chiropractor. She shares with me why this journey of hers also contributed to her decision of becoming a chiropractor. We also touch down talking about why babies need chiropractic and how she works with them as well as with their moms (prenatal and postnatal). Ready to learn more from Dr. Alyssa? Hit the play button to get started! Connect with Dr. Alyssa on: https://www.instagram.com/dralyssasalava/ Check out her online courses here: https://runningwildchiro.com/store

Today, we hear an extraordinary journey from the youngest person in the world who completed an Ironman on 6 continents! He formerly worked with Uber and, is currently, a sales enablement manager at Briq, Connor Emeny. In achieving our dreams, motivation and determination are some of the key things we should possess. With Connor's journey to completing Ironman in different parts of the world, I ask him what made this unforgettable moment possible and what challenges he faced despite the pandemic hit. He also tells me about his experiences in various sports prior to doing his first 6 months of training for Ironman and where he exactly got the idea of completing the race on different continents. As we deeply talk more about his Ironman journey, Connor shares his most stressful race yet the most memorable one out of 6 races he completed. He then mentions why setting a goal bigger than yourself is important. Watch the full interview to get to know more about Connor and his experiences as a young athlete. Connect with him on: https://www.instagram.com/connor.emeny/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/connoremeny/

I sit down today with a former Divison II Baseball player who got obsessed with health and wellness since he started training for baseball at the age of 14. He is now a performance and health coach for men and the founder of PER Wellness, Tim Perreira. Tim and I are obviously doing different sports so I get curious and ask him what's with a baseball game and what it takes to be entertaining for him. He added the current challenges baseball faces, including getting better with the rule changes. This leads us to talk about motivation and contentment, not only in sports but also in real life. He also shares with me how he thrives to become better after experiencing depression for years and how it led to launching his coaching business. Moreover, as I ask Tim how he defines success, he tells me what self-realization theory is and what kind of mentality he considers to hold. Watch the full interview and discover what he means about unconscious and subconscious conditioning. Connect with Tim on: https://www.instagram.com/tim.perreira/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/timperreira/ https://www.instagram.com/per.wellness/

A coach, writer, yogi, and 100% a "Body Nerd" joins me today to share her modern approach to coaching her clients about movement and how she manages her business. She has her degree in exercise physiology, is the founder of AE Wellness, and host of The Body Nerd Show, Alex Ellis. As we start our talk, Alex and I discuss her business and how her day goes as a business owner which leads to her not wanting to do a traditional job anymore. If you also own a business, do you think you can relate with her? Taking care of our bodies is not something everyone knows how to properly pull off, right? And so Alex tells me the things she does to teach her clients how to help themselves when they start to feel something isn't going well with their bodies. Alex added how she interacts with her clients virtually and her mission in The Body Nerd Show. She also stresses the benefits of working with a coach and forming habits when performing any "movement". Wanna know more about why she's a body nerd? Hit the play button to find out! Visit her website at www.aewellness.com Connect with Alex on: https://www.instagram.com/hollaformala/ https://www.facebook.com/aewellness https://www.tiktok.com/@aewellness

Journey to 100 FKTs: https://youtu.be/GMg5bMtixPs I sit down today with the top-ranked fastest known time athlete who first landed his feet on the track before climbing into different mountains. An unusual event pushed him to change his athletic career that also led to his journey to be the first person to have set 100 FKTs. He's a school teacher and sponsored athlete of Athletic Brewing, Jason Hardrath. We begin talking about how he actually lives his life and what his journey really is as a person. And as a teacher, he tells me what he does and loves the most in this role. Jason then mentions "roles" in society and how it becomes a societal problem that can make people, who don't know how to integrate with their normal life, feel hollow and empty. We also discuss things related to athletes' life such as the real value of being an athlete, identity recognition, liminal space, and the "antidote" to post-race and post-adventure blues. Moreover, Jason shares a meaningful idea about spending time in nature that contributes to making people reconnect with themselves and handle difficult emotions. There are more amazing things to hear from Jason so watch the full interview and find out his reason why he said, as a teacher, he doesn't teach for school. Connect with Jason on: https://www.instagram.com/jasonhardrath/ https://www.jasonhardrath.com/

Today, I speak to a pro runner who represented two countries in the Half Marathon championship in 2013, is a 2nd place finisher in the 2007 Chicago Marathon, qualified at the Olympic trials thrice, and is a co-founder of Roll Recovery, Adriana Nelson. Being a pro runner at her age makes me wonder what are the challenges Adriana has faced while building her career and as she continues to be a pro runner. And so we hear from her how she started running and what's the biggest challenge she encountered as an athlete. Her experiences in running and the discipline she gained from it have truly paid off in what she is doing now. She also tells me how she approaches her fellow athletes on and off the track. If you're someone who's nearing making a big transition from being an athlete or other profession to another career, Adriana shares a few tips to keep in mind that may help you better prepare for what's coming your way. Adriana and I also talk about how she and her husband started their own company, Roll Recovery, and the different challenges they had overcome during the critical process of turning their product into reality. Hit the play button to hear more from Adriana! Connect with her on: https://www.instagram.com/adi_nelson/ https://twitter.com/adi_nelson https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriana-nelson-24538975/ Check out their products here: https://www.facebook.com/ROLLrecovery/ https://www.instagram.com/rollrecovery/ https://rollrecovery.com/

A former pro road cyclist sits down with me today to share his thoughts about the athlete-company relationship and his experiences as a cyclist. He's currently a professional gravel cyclist, who rides with a mini dachshund, Willie, and a co-host of the show From The Ground Up, Alexey Vermeulen. As an athlete, we experience good and bad things while doing the sport we love. And so I ask Alexey what comes to his mind to switch from road to gravel cycling. He then openly shares what he thinks about road racing as time passes by and what are the barriers one may experience from it. We also touch down talking about the feeling of fulfillment, especially to his experience upon having the change of path in his athletic career, and what he thinks about making decisions as an adult. Moreover, if you or someone you know plans about getting a sponsor from certain companies, Alexey has something to tell about what you need to learn before proceeding and how athlete-company relationships should work to benefit from each other. Watch my full interview with Alexey to learn more and find out what's the interesting thing about Leadville! Connect with Alexey on: https://twitter.com/alexeyvermeulen https://www.instagram.com/alexeyvermeulen/ https://www.alexeyvermeulen.com/

I sit down today with a distance runner and cyclist who has her Doctor of Physical Therapy and previously won in the Michael Jackson moonwalking competition in 2014, Dr. Sarah Zimmer. She's from a place full of athletic people, so we hear from her about the different situations she had with her patients as a physical therapist. But before we move forward, she shares with me how she got into physical therapy and what she loves to do most in this profession. Dr. Sarah also mentions how she diagnoses her patients with injuries and why she has to be a detective in this kind of situation. Moreover, I get a chance to learn from her the process she does in helping athletes to load properly and understand the importance of each procedure she applies. Before we end our talk, I ask Dr. Sarah's approach to women who wants to get back to exercise after giving birth. She also addresses some related "myths" that are circling around. Hit the play button to learn more from Dr. Sarah and share this video with anyone who needs to watch this. Connect with her on: https://www.instagram.com/boulder_sports_physio/ https://www.bouldersportsphysio.com/about-me

A former Division 1 runner who turned out to be a Cat 2 cyclist joins me today to tell us about his journey of shifting his sports and how he evolves as a competitive athlete. He's also a running coach and has a Doctorate of Physical Therapy, Jimmy Picard. Some may change their athletic career to experience different levels of challenges as they go on. However, Jimmy's decision to start racing as a cyclist was unplanned so he tells me when and how it started. Learning how he "fell in love" with cyclo-cross, I ask Jimmy to share with us what it really looks like and what he did to move to Category 2 in a short period of time. We also discuss strength training which involves lifting weights. And Jimmy gladly gives ideas of what having a strength routine consists of and why should you not be worried about getting bigger if you lift weights. Watch the full interview to hear more from Jimmy and learn about the importance of doing easy pace, having preventive maintenance, and building healthy relationship with athletics. Connect with Jimmy on: https://www.instagram.com/redefinephysio/ https://twitter.com/jimmyp_dpt https://redefine-pt.com

Today's guest gladly shares with us his experiences and knowledge as a physical therapist and biomechanist. He is an orthopedic clinical specialist who focuses on helping athletes with injury prevention and the founder of Long Run Physiotherapy, Ryan Wooderson. As a man who loves to spend most of his time outside during his younger years and became obsessed with sports, this led Ryan to begin his journey as a Physical Therapist and support athletes with their performance. He focuses on helping runners, and I ask Ryan his insights on runner's knee - whether running is the root cause of this issue or not. And he tells me the important thing that beginning and existing runners should know about it. Moreover, I gather from him the most common question he gets from runners related to heel striking. Do you think you have the same question as them? We also touch down on the importance of eccentric loading, the most common injuries for runners, and his thoughts on changing people's biomechanics, especially for young athletes. Watch the full video to learn more from Ryan and find out what's the first thing he does to celebrate his wins. Connect with Ryan on: https://www.instagram.com/longrunphysio/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-wooderson-pt-dpt-ocs-17446711/ https://www.facebook.com/longrunphysio Or visit his website https://www.longrunphysio.com/

A professional ultra runner for Nike Trail sits down with me today to share her athletic career journey and coaching experiences. She has won 3 USATF National Championships, has a Master's Degree in Sport and Performance Psychology, is an author of Mental Training for Ultrarunning, and, currently, is a Mental Performance Consultant at Strive Mental Performance, Addie Bracy. I begin to ask Addie about how she was recruited as a Division I (DI) athlete, and she then tells me the different experiences she had which contributed a lot to her performance to progress and made her become a team captain and school record holder. As she's a performance consultant, I confirm with Addie how a coach sees an athlete's performance and know whether he/she fits in the team. From there, I gather from her that there are two predictors that give an idea of how long an athlete might be performing in the sport. Moreover, we talk about the negative mental self-talk of athletes, and Addie gladly shares what she does to help athletes handle it. She added what's this "trap" that collegiate and professional athletes easily fall into that leads to having an unproductive mental performance. She also openly talks about her plans on retiring from running and her realizations throughout her athletic career. Watch the full interview to hear more from Addie and find out what thing she considers as one of the biggest mental barriers to ultrarunning. Connect with Addie on: https://www.instagram.com/addiebracy/ https://twitter.com/addiebracy https://www.linkedin.com/in/addie-bracy-65a80417/

A strength coach who's been working with athletes for two decades now joins us today to provide us some insights into what he does as a strength coach to young athletes and the founder of his own company. He's the founder and CEO of REPerformance and served as Team Canada's Special Olympics Power Lifting Coach, Callen McGibbon. I initially ask Callen about his experience when coaching the active youth and he tells me his "cool" way of doing so which shows how dedicated he is to make these kids more aware and prepared for their health in the future. As a coach, he shares what could be the possible reasons for getting young athletes more prone to anxiety. We also touch down discussing his experience in starting the REPerformance and what it actually does that makes a huge impact on kids' health. He tells me how their programs work and their mission in providing quality physical education. As we finish our talk, I get to ask Callen how he started being interested in exercising and who influenced him the most. Stay tuned until the end and find out what he has to say about this season's question. Tap the play button to learn more! Connect with Callen on https://www.linkedin.com/in/callen-mcgibbon-61a19a30/ Visit their website https://reperformanceapp.com/our-mission/

I sit down today with a sports medicine physical therapist who has over 25 years of experience in this field, has Ph.D. in Holistic Nutrition, a guest lecturer for the Ohio State physical therapy program, and a certified strength and conditioning specialist, Dr. Chris Kolba. His experience and knowledge in strength and conditioning are really vast knowing how many years he's been in this field. So I come to wonder and ask him how did he reach this career and what made him continue to teach. Dr. Chris also tells me the things that kicked at the moment he knew what he wanted to achieve. As Dr. Chris is working with different patients with injuries, I ask him how he teaches them to do a routine to prevent injury. He also stresses the facts about strength and balance that his patients need not only for sports-related activities but also for life especially if someone is living independently. Moreover, we discuss the rehab programs he teaches to people and he mentions the key component to keep in mind and his recommendations when guiding them. There's more to learn from Dr. Chris in today's episode so watch the full interview to find out more about what he suggests for people who go to the gym, how he works with firemen and police officers, and injury prevention. Reach out to Dr. Chris via email at: chris.kolba@osumc.edu

An endurance cyclist sits down with me today to share her experiences in adventure cycling along with her journey coming into this sport. She previously studied law and journalism and is also now a full-time cartoonist and speaker, Tegan Phillips. We initially talk about her "impromptu" trip to the states to train for an upcoming cycling event and her realization of what it's like to live with other athletes and the need for individualization. Before Tegan set her foot on the pedals, she studied law and journalism, and I ask her how and why she divert to another career. So she gladly tells me that switching to cycling was made after watching a cycle touring video introduced by her father. Tegan's passion for getting into different adventures led her to draw comics and she tells me what adventure mindset she has and why she still uses her "fingers" to draw despite buying various stylus. There's more to hear from Tegan so watch the full interview and find out what she did to continue cycling when "quitting" comes to her mind. See her amazing comic works on https://www.instagram.com/teganphillipscomics/ and https://teganphillips.com/ Connect with Tegan on: https://www.facebook.com/teganphillipscomics https://www.linkedin.com/in/tegan-phillips-unclippedadventure/

A multi-sport practitioner joins me today to share his experience in helping athletes and knowledge on how to maximize performance. He has worked as a performance director in NCAA, NBA, NHL, and is currently the Director of Performance Science at Northstarr, Dr. Jeremy Bettle. I initially ask Dr. Jeremy what a performance director brings about to athletes and how he works with them. He then tells me the different factors that contribute to athletes' performance optimization. Before we dig deeper into his responsibilities, we talk about his journey in reaching this role and the things that made him decide to pursue building systematic ways to better manage and guide athletes. As Dr. Jeremy has worked with multiple athletes in different sports, I come to wonder and ask him if a "transferable skillset" is possible. And so he gladly talks about it as clearly as possible to guide other athletes who plan on changing sports. Moreover, we touch down on various topics including how to use data from modern performance trackers, the importance of human connection in analyzing athletes' performance, and how behavior impacts performance. Watch the full interview to learn more from Dr. Jeremy! Connect with him on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-bettle-56603526/ https://twitter.com/drjeremybettle

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Running-Your-First-Ultra-Customizable/dp/1624141420 I sit down today with a well-known ultra runner who is a Patagonia Ambassador, 2-time Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc champion, the youngest female to finish the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, and the author of the book "Running Your First Ultra", Krissy Moehl. We start to discuss the running community events she has been involved to and how these events are being held with various people which contribute to the growth of sports. Things nowadays have been easier to access due to modern technology so I ask Krissy how sports evolved based on her experience, how she got into ultra during her early years, and what methods were she exposed to that are largely different from the present. We also touch down on how she balances her life with the different workloads she has, and Krissy gladly shares the helpful tools she used to keep her at ease and be aware of her energy levels. Watch the full video to hear more from Krissy and find out her reasons for writing her book. Connect with Krissy on: https://www.instagram.com/krissymoehl/ https://twitter.com/krissymoehl Visit her website http://krissymoehl.com/

An award-winning documentary film director joins me today for a "quick" talk about her experiences as a former Olympian and in her current career. She has competed in rowing in the 1992 Olympics and, now, is the founder and CEO of 50 Eggs, Mary Mazzio. You may also wonder how Mary transitioned from athlete to filmmaker so I started our talk by asking her how it happened and what made her pursue this career. Mary also shares with me the unexpected results she and her team received after releasing the films they created and the "emotional experience" she learned. Talking about her films, she tells me the reasons for taking extraordinary topics and what's her purpose in exposing them. As you listen to her story, you may come to think that certain opportunities really knock on our door and it's on us how to make it work to see the results if we really want it. Watch the full interview to find out the recent film she's working on and where to stream them. Connect with Mary on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marymazzio/ Visit her website: https://www.50eggs.com/ Follow 50 Eggs on social media: https://www.instagram.com/50eggsfilms/ https://www.facebook.com/50eggsfilms/ https://twitter.com/50eggsfilms

A former steeplechase runner sits down with me today to share her experiences as an athlete and the responsibilities she does to help her fellow women athletes. She's a former American record holder in the 2,000- and 3,000-meter steeplechase, the 2004 US Olympic Trials Steeplechase Champion, and, currently, the Director of Technology at Dimensional Innovations, Ann Gaffigan. As everybody may not be familiar with steeplechase yet, Ann and I initially describe how this race event works and what to look out for. I also ask Ann what made her do the steeplechase. She then tells me her reasons and a few issues that women experienced during this event. Getting to know more about what other things Ann does, we talk about how she got involved in the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Board and the different responsibilities she takes in this organization. She also shares the mission they set for athletes who are part of it and the things involved in keeping athletes stay competitive. Watch the full interview and find out about Ann's experience in her first steeplechase event. Connect with Ann on: https://twitter.com/anngaff https://www.linkedin.com/in/anngaffigan/

Check out Brooks Running at https://www.youtube.com/user/brooksrunning A pro ultra runner joins me today to share her interesting story how it feels like to be a pro athlete and the lessons she learned upon building her career in running. She is a former kindergarten teacher turned pro ultra runner with numerous wins, the first American at the UTMB in 2018, and has qualified at the Olympic marathon trials, Cat Bradley. I initially asks Cat why she switched to being a pro athlete and how her day looks like especially having sponsors obligations to pursue. She then shares the different struggles she experienced and what she realized later on about spending her time wisely. How we use our energy for certain things matters most of the time so as to not get exhausted from the load of tasks piling up. And this is where Cat also tells me how she approached the burnout from years of training and what she recommends to other runners who feel the same. She stresses that taking time to rest is "not" a failure. As we talk more about her running journey, I gather from Cat that something "ruined" her collegiate career. And this leads her to tell me what things to unteach to young athletes. Play the video to hear more from Cat and find out how she celebrates her wins then and now. Connect with Cat on: https://www.instagram.com/catberad/ https://www.facebook.com/catberad/ Visit her website https://www.catberad.com/

Get the book here https://theunbreakablebody.com/shop/ I sit down today with the founder of Fit For Real Life and The Unbreakable Body, and the author of the book Becoming Unbreakable, Kate Galliett. She earned a B.S. in Exercise Science so we get a chance to talk about the different approaches she does to take care of her body and help her clients. Kate has explored different life situations which brings her to share what an "explorer's mindset" is and how it helped her to see various opportunities to learn. We can't deny the fact that there's something within us causing us to limit our capabilities. So Kate and I also talk about the "signal response principle", and she honestly shares a health-related experience she has been through following this guide. Would you consider this principle too upon learning what results she gained? Kate also tells me how to trust our bodies, why should we listen to our bodies, and one of her goals in life which shows how much she cares for other people around her for them to get better. Watch the full interview to learn more! Visit her website: https://theunbreakablebody.com/ Connect with Kate on: https://www.instagram.com/kategalliett/ https://www.facebook.com/katieonbelay

Today, we hear an inspiring story from a certified running coach and personal trainer, an ultra runner, and the founder of Project Love Run, Filsan Abdiaman. The reasons why she started running may not be similar to the previous guests we had but this may be something to be admired as it shows how strong she is to handle such difficulties and overcome the problems that occurred along the way. As Filsan is making a switch to the path she thinks is right in running, she discovered various values for herself that are worth to be shared with her fellow runners. Self-love is one, and she tells me what she gained from it. She also shares why she created the Project Love Run and how women runners, who experience difficulties in finding true self-worth, could benefit from it. Watch the full video to learn more and find out what she considers a "superpower". Visit her website https://www.projectloverun.com/ Connect with Filsan on: https://www.instagram.com/runnersinstinct/ https://www.instagram.com/projectloverun/ https://www.facebook.com/projectloverunn/

Take the Sisu quiz here: https://sisu.racereadycoaching.com/ A former professional triathlete joins me today to share her thoughts on building athletes' positive mindset and her transition journey from pro to non-pro athlete. She placed 4th at the Sydney Olypics, won the 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Championships, is the author of The Champion Mindset: An Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness, and the founder of Race Ready Coaching, Joanna Zeiger. We begin our talk discovering how she manage to get enough exercise she needs despite having health issues that prevent her from achieving more of what she could possibly do. She also shares what "best friend" she has during this challenging times. As I wonder how she transitioned from being a pro to a non-pro, Joanna explains the reasons behind it and mentions what she misses more as a professional triathlete. Going through her PhD story, Joanna then tells me how she did her dissertation while in Sydney Olympics. From there, I learn how focused she is on various things and why she does those stuff. She also conducted different research studies that includes the effects of fun on performance, the truth about mental toughness on athletes, and the effectiveness of cannabis for her health issue. There's a lot more we cover in today's episode so check out the video to learn more! Visit Joanna's website: https://racereadycoaching.com/ Connect with her on: https://www.facebook.com/RaceReadyCoaching https://twitter.com/joannazeiger https://www.facebook.com/joanna.z.shenk https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-zeiger-1460165/

I sit down today with a former competitive equestrian athlete who completed the Goggins challenge, has a degree in behavioral psychology, and, now, is the EY Global lead in their Athlete Programs in Women Athletes Business Network, Kristy Ingram. Horseback riding, based on my personal experience, is really a great thing to do and Kristy gives us more details on what it's like being an equestrian and how to gain a good bond with a horse to have a wonderful ride. Some of you, just like me, may wonder why she joined the Goggins challenge so I ask Kristy what made her transition to another sport. She then tells me the different skills she had (including the skill she had her whole life) and how she managed her sleep, nutrition, and hydration when doing the Goggins challenge. We also touch on talking about their organization, EY, and she shares what they do, who are they, why they are connected with the athletes, and how they unite business and sports. She also mentions the three important things they seek from athletes to make a successful team and successful business. Watch the full video and learn what other programs their organization does for athletes. Connect with Kristy on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kringram/ https://twitter.com/kristypingram Visit their organization's website: https://www.ey.com/en_us

A Boston Qualifier joins me today and shares her knowledge and experiences in running. She is a running coach and the founder of Elevate Your Running, Sara Manderscheid. The beginning of her running career came from the time when she reached her breaking point in 2019 while she works in the marketing world. So I ask Sara what really made her decide to transition into running miles. After exploring the journey to running, Sara then hosted various community group runs where she gather with other people to experience "endorphins". She then proves how she finds joy in running and coaching people. Sara also shares her thoughts about what beginner runners should do if they are having difficulty in figuring out their pace, how they should think about their results, and how they can overcome the negative self-talk which is common to athletes. There's more to learn from Sara and she gladly shares what she wants runners should keep in mind as they pursue their running careers. Hit the play button to get started! Check out her website https://elevateyourrunning.com/ And connect with Sara on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramanderscheid/ https://www.instagram.com/sayrahrunshappy/ https://www.facebook.com/sara.manderscheid1982 https://www.facebook.com/elevateyourrunning/

Today, I sit down with the CEO of US Corporate Wellness who has completed 11 Ironmans, has PhD in Performance Psychology, was recognized as "The World's Fittest CEO" in 2016, and is a co-founder of the Catalyst Coaching Institute, Dr. Bradford Cooper. In our initial talk, Dr. Bradford exposes how he coaches his clients and explains what a wellness coach really does. He then shares his thoughts about "coaches" who only tell you what to do to reach your goal. Dr. Bradford also shares his experiences in working with different people which proves that there's no same solution for different persons. He emphasizes that results and solutions are completely individualized. Before we get to the last part, we touch down talking about the research he'd been part of about sleep and mental toughness for athletes. He also tells me what motivation interviewing and intrinsic motivation are. So hit the play button to learn more! Connect with Dr. Bradford on: https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalhumanperformance/ https://twitter.com/Catalyst2Thrive

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Katie-Spotz/e/B0151VNA7M%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share How does it feel being alone for...70 days? Join me today as I listen to our guest's challenging yet inspiring journey in the ocean. She's known as the youngest person to row in the Atlantic Ocean for 70 days alone, the 1st person to swim the entire length of the Allegheny River and the 1st person to run non-stop the 138 miles across Maine in 33 hours, Katie Spotz. Hearing the 70 days alone makes us wonder how it is possible for her to survive so I ask Katie what's the secret behind this amazing journey she had done. Not only she does it for her to set a record but also to support the clean water charity - which has helped a lot of people already. Katie then tells me the mental tool she applied along with the motivation gained behind all the adventures she run into. Though Katie mentions that she initially avoided endurance sports when she was young. As there are other charity projects out there, I also ask what makes her choose the clean water charity. Listen to the full interview and find out Katie's biggest struggle in endurance challenges. Join Katie with her projects: https://www.katiespotz.com/ Connect with her on: https://www.facebook.com/hellokatiespotz https://www.instagram.com/katiespotz/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiespotz/

Today's guest is an avid skier, runner, local beer enthusiast, and non-profit manager, Kyle Robidoux. He has played various sports since childhood and, just like with other guests, he didn't like running at first but ended up in this sport for quite some time now. Kyle is a visually impaired athlete so I ask him how he runs with a guide and what he feels when people see him racing. He also tells me about an important "piece of communication" he provides to his guide. Despite many people, coming from a good place, calling him an inspiration to be out on the trail with them, Kyle insists that he is not. And goes into more detail on why exactly that is. Watch the full interview to learn more about Kyle and find out the reason why he continues to run more miles. Connect with Kyle on: https://www.kylerobidoux.com/ https://www.instagram.com/blindbeerrunner/ https://twitter.com/kyleRrobidoux

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Elite-Minds-Differently-Competitive-Maximize-ebook/dp/B01H640KFW/ Today is a jampacked talk with an awesome guest who is a performance psychology consultant, a founding member of the Leadership Resource Center, and the author of Elite Minds: How Winners Think Differently to Create a Competitive Edge and Maximize Success, Dr. Stan Beechan. I initially ask Dr. Stan how he works with athletes and business people who want to be more competitive by improving their mental health. He carefully explains the main problem his clients encounter and what's his resolution in addressing each problem. And I gather from Dr. Stan the two things that people do when they have problems. We touch on what he wants people to understand about fear and anxiety and why having courage as a skill is important and how it can lead to becoming a response to the things we're always afraid to face. Dr. Stan also stresses what sports can do to someone's life to avoid being lonely and his suggestion to people who are becoming "unhappy". There's more to learn from him so watch the full interview, and also get to know the scariest thing he plans to do this year. Connect with Dr. Stan on: http://www.drstanbeecham.com/ https://www.facebook.com/elitemindsbook/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-w-stanley-beecham-54ba325/

I sit down today with a pro ultrarunner for Adidas Terrex, a CTS coach, an exercise physiologist, a science writer, and, currently, the woman who has the FKT on the 171 mile Tahoe Rim Trail, Corrine Malcolm. I begin to ask Corrine how setting a new FKT works. Would you believe that she isn't an outcome-oriented person but a process-oriented despite setting a new time record? As Corrine thinks that some people are more focused on the result, she shares what's the benefit of being a process-oriented athlete. She also tells me how she plans before going on a trail, when not to proceed on the Tahoe Rim Trail, and what causes problems on a race day. We also touch down on the effects of "ageism" and "self-comparison" in running as we age. Before we end our talk, I ask Corrine about her transition journey from cross country skiing to biathlon to ultrarunning as well as the most important thing she prioritizes as an athlete. Watch the full interview to learn more! Connect with Corrine on: https://www.instagram.com/corrinemalcolm/ https://twitter.com/corrinemalcolm Read more of her written articles at https://www.irunfar.com/author/cmalcolm

Have a good laugh in today's episode as I talk to a dad joke aficionado, distance runner, Organizational Psychologist, and the founder and CEO of Endeavorun, Jake Tuber. We start our conversation by clarifying what a "dad joke" actually means and what a "pun" is - for those of you who might be confused (I'm looking at you Kevin). He also shares some cool and witty ideas that some entrepreneurs may apply to their businesses, specifically book publishers. As we continue our talk, we touch on a serious and deep topic about how to deal with kids to ensure they adapt to real things happening around them throughout their development stages as well as how to manage their behavior when they are exposed to technology and media nowadays. Jake then tells me what his business, Endeavorun, provides to its participants and why he created it. I'm sure you'll love and admire the different programs he offers to this community. Learn more about Endeavorun on: https://endeavorun.com/ https://www.facebook.com/EndeavoRun/ Connect with Jake on: https://www.instagram.com/heycoachpotato/ https://twitter.com/heycoachpotato https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaketuber/

Today, I sit down with a former award-winning TV news journalist who is now coaching moms and the founder of The Mother Runners, Whitney Heins. At the beginning of our talk, we discuss the different experiences she had in her previous career and what made her transition to coach and lead mother runners. She then shares a few mental health tips, especially for those who love to spend time on social media. Whitney also tells me about some bad habits she had as a runner and how she managed to cope with them in just a few months which makes her call herself a "smarter runner". Before we reach answer this season's question, we also share a quick fun talk about "poop" and I ask Whitney what's her take on my "product" idea. Ready to be a smarter runner? Hit the play button to get started! Connect with Whitney on: https://www.themotherrunners.com/ https://www.facebook.com/themotherrunners https://www.instagram.com/themotherrunners/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJr43_AR0RrorEVdfZxMl6g

Do you love to travel? Today you'll hear about the "cool" experiences from a mountain athlete, author, coach, inspirational speaker, and the founder of Grand Dynamics, Tim Walther. At the beginning of our talk, Tim tells me how traveling change his life and what he learned from it leading him to gain better personal development. This gain also made him start a plan in building his business, Grand Dynamics, to help enhance the performance of many people seeking dynamic achievements. As Tim is motivated to develop and hone his abilities, he bravely performed a cold immersion where he stayed in a cold river in Iceland with no clothes on. This unique experience leads him to develop a sharper mindset and create his strategies how to overcome various fears. Tim also gives us a glimpse of what his new book is all about including the adventure method processes. Join us today to learn more! Visit their website at: https://granddynamics.com/ Connect with Tim on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwalther/ https://www.facebook.com/granddynamics/ https://www.instagram.com/timwalther007/

I had a chance today to talk to a former pro cyclist and Olympian who became the 1st North American to wear the leader's jersey in the Tour de France, and is currently an IT professional, Alex Stieda. Transitioning his career from a cyclist to an IT pro was something he didn't expect. So Alex tells me the full story behind this opportunity and how he was able to adapt to it given that this kind of new career needs technological knowledge. As technology keeps evolving, I ask Alex how this affects cycling and the benefits he gained from it that made him accept the change. We also discuss his journey of being a good descender and his realization towards the recommended way of teaching cycling skills. Apart from learning his career, I get to know how Alex typically approaches his children as a former pro. Watch until the end and listen to Alex's wonderful answer to our season 4 question. Learn more about Alex on: http://www.stiedacycling.com/ Connect with him for more updates on: https://www.instagram.com/alexstieda/ https://twitter.com/alexstieda https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-stieda/

Today you'll hear about some fascinating work involving nature and health from a former pro adventure racer, author, dual degree holder at Yale University, and, currently, the CEO of Nature Quant, Jared Hanley. Before he and I talk more about his company's mission, I ask Jared what an adventure racer really is. He then tells me the different outdoor sports he joined and the number of race days he did to complete such kind of event. I also get to know how he and Dr. Chris Minson (Ep. 130) met and how the company Nature Quant was formed including their third co-founder's role. Jared's company has the task of trying to get people off their screens, like the time spent listening to such great podcasts as this, and back out into nature to get their full "nature dose." Jared's passion for numbers and nature is truly a big help to most people who are having difficulty in managing their health. Watch the full interview to learn more of Nature Quant and Jared's goal. Connect with Jared on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-hanley-041406113/ Learn more about Nature Quant on: https://www.naturequant.com/ https://twitter.com/naturequant https://www.linkedin.com/company/naturequant/

I sit down today with an ultra marathon Clydesdale back-of-the-pack type runner, a coach, and a chicken farmer, Sherri Donohue. She's packed with interesting things to share about her journey as an endurance runner and coming to the point where she even considers herself a runner. Out of curiosity, I initially ask Sherri about how she started raising chickens, and so she tells me why she treats them as "pets with benefits". Sherri started running late but it doesn't stop her to see a lot of good things in running. So I ask her what makes her start running and why as a back-of-the-pack type runner. She also shares her first DNF experience in a race, and the reason that made her not to continue it shows how much she listens to her body. Sherri stresses the need of looking at circumstances when you feel you can't finish the race. Keep watching until the end and find out how she stays positive in the pain cave. Connect with Sherri on: https://www.trailrunnersjourney.com/my-story/ https://www.instagram.com/trailrunnersjourney/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SherriDonohue/about https://www.facebook.com/trailrunnerartist

Today I get the chance to sit down with sport psychologist and runner, Adrienne Langelier. As we start out our conversation I ask Adrienne to detail her non-traditional path to running. From her place of being younger and having performance anxiety so bad that she avoided running collegiately, to then running as a low level pro. Then we talk about the importance of the stories we tell ourselves and why we latch on to temporary situations and make them into "permanent" character traits. Adrienne shares the importance of "not wasting your suffering." Something that all of us will come up against at multiple times in our lives. Through that topic we get onto discussing the importance of defining your humanity through something other than your "successes" in sport. Check out Adrienne on all of her channels: https://www.langelierspc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/LangelierSPC https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-langelier-m-a-lpc-963a1926/ https://mobile.twitter.com/alangelier https://www.instagram.com/adrienne.langelier/

Today's guest gives us a wide understanding as to why sport psychology exists and why athletes shouldn't ignore it. He has competed and won multiple swimming national championships at the Masters level, is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker focusing on sports psychology in performance optimization, Brian Bergford. Brian works with athletes who want to develop a customized performance system and I ask him how he sets up different approaches to his athlete's unique needs. He then stresses the importance of paying attention to mental performance aside from physicality. Brian also discusses how athletes should address their injuries, why he is proactive about it, and what happens to ignored muscle systems that are out of balance. Our big topic we try to crack is diving deep on the issue of why. Why do we perform as athletes and how do you figure out your why that drives you. Many athletes have no idea why they do what they do and figuring that out gives them a key advantage to performing at a higher level. Watch the full interview and get ready to hear more valuable discussion with Brian. Check out Brian's services here: https://www.bergfordperformance.com/ Connect with him on: https://www.instagram.com/brianbergford/ https://twitter.com/brianbergford https://www.facebook.com/bergfordperformance/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-bergford-35158912b/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChDApMAW_mPsAqAnxhtqICA/featured

Today, I sit down with an athlete who experienced an eating disorder and tells us how she survived it. She has masters in English, is an author of the poetry books "Surviving 23" and "I Like It Cuz It's Pink", and an ultra runner, Sarah McMahon. Being an athlete with health problems is tough especially when it comes to eating foods and maintaining our body built. Sarah tells her story on what she experienced when she had an eating disorder and how it affected her mental health during college. Her recovery wasn't easy and I can only be on the outside looking in at how big a challenge recovery truly was. As we discuss her past journey, she then realizes an important mindset she could've had while she was a student athlete. This also leads to sharing what she thinks is a secret weapon to every athlete. Moreover, we touch down a few "true" scenarios involving student athletes and their schools. Hit the play button to learn more! Visit her blogs at: https://www.theprosiest.com Connect with Sarah on: https://www.instagram.com/mcmountain/ https://www.facebook.com/sarah.mcmahon.775 https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-mcmahon-creative/

I sit down today with a former banker and, now, a VP Of Business Development for ToolCASE LLC and founder of NoZeroDays.com, Sam Piccolotti. He has 30 years of experience as an endurance athlete and is the first person to finish a unique event in an Ironman competition. Knowing that bankers make good money I ask Sam his reason for leaving his banking position. And his honest answer never involved the pay. It is more valuable we could ever imagine as he's a family man and an athlete who wants to pursue more in life. He tried to balance his life to enjoy his personal desires and he tells me how important it is for him in pursuing his ambitions and knowing what his passion is. He sticks to his vision when starting something new. So Sam shares with me how he started his company by realizing a simple action in daily life which also proves that time is gold. We also dive into exactly where the idea of No Zero Days came from including the phrase itself. Learn more about his services by visiting his website at: https://nozerodays.com/ And connect with him on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spiccolotti/ https://www.instagram.com/nozerodays_colorado/

Grab JoJé Bars at 20% Using Code smartathlete20 Visit their website at https://jojebar.com/ Today's episode brings a little bit of food cravings as our guest, Jess Cerra, shares what she eats as her fuel for training and race. She's a former pro XTERRA triathlete, pro road cyclist, and, currently, a professional gravel cyclist. She has a master's degree in Exercise Physiology and is the Founder of JoJé Bar. I initially ask Jess why she chose this type of "cake" and what effect it had on her performance. As we talk more about this fuel food, I also ask her what her strategy would be to keep being hydrated during the upcoming Birkie race. She tells me how she is preparing for this race and the important lessons she learned as this is her first time to join the Birkie event. Her past "horrible" experience also leads her to make JoJé Bar with macronutrients that would help other athletes or active people during their training. Jess mentions that she doesn't have a coach right now and we may wonder how is she doing with her Birkie training, right? Listen to her reasons and let us know what you think. Visit their website at https://jojebar.com/ Connect with Jess on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-cerra-a2306245/ https://www.instagram.com/jesscerra/ https://twitter.com/jesscerra_

Today's guest gives me a boost for this new year and season through sharing his athlete career experience and his wisdom on how to improve living our life. Most of you may know a lot of things about him which includes being a 6 time Ironman world champion, 10th time champion at the Nice International Triathlon (Ironman France), inaugural ITU world champion, ESPN's Greatest Endurance Athlete of All Time in 2012, and, now, the founder of Mark Allen Sports, Mark Allen With the help of my friends, I'm able to ask Mark various questions and learn a few tips from him about preparing for races, challenging yourself, using technology for training, nutrition and fitness. Mark also tells me what physiological fitness really is and why athletes should follow this as well. Do you think you apply this to your training? If you are going into a race, you may want to hear what's one of the biggest parts of Mark's preparation in races and skills that an athlete should practice. And if you want to go faster, he also has recommendations of what you could use. So since we talk about enhancing performance, this leads us to discuss Mark's "secret" to recovery and how important it is in every athlete. Lastly, as a coach, Mark reveals why he prefers to coach age groupers than the pros. Watch the full interview and let me know in the comment section what you think of Mark's answer to this new season's question. Connect and explore with Mark on: https://markallensports.com/ https://tennantproducts.com/ https://www.fitsoul-fitbody.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo1wRRtMrNVfK6A15b3NfBA https://www.facebook.com/markallencoaching/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/markallen08/

Have you ever avoided training in the heat because it's unbearable? You might want to rethink that after listening to the podcast today. Today, I talk with professor of Human Physiology at the University of Oregon, expert in Environmental and Exercise Physiology, and who has Ph.D. in Exercise Science, Dr. Chris Minson. I start off asking him about the different research studies he has done which lead us to talk about managing heat stress in athletes. There are various ways Chris mentions how to use heat stress to improve athletes' performance even when in cooler environments. He also tells me how he studies athletes' heat management - what device or machine he's using. One thing I notice in research studies, the subjects are mostly men. So I also ask him what he thinks is the reason behind it as well as if there are struggles in doing such studies. This leads to Chris telling me why he has developed such a passion for getting more studies about women specifically over the years and that he wants to make sure people understand that female athletes are not simply small male athletes. Watch the full interview to learn more about heat acclimation, heat therapy and the different physiological changes to occur. Connect with Dr. Christophen on: https://twitter.com/chrisminson https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-minson/

Today I sit down with the race director for the Vancouver Beer Mile who had his PB that he's most proud of, his 6:59 beer mile. He's an endurance sports enthusiast and co-founder of RunGuides.com, Cory Jennermann. To begin our talk, I ask Cory about the beer mile running and he gladly shares his experiences with it as well as his personal technique for this kind of race. You may want to try it if you're running the beer mile soon! We discuss how he and his team find races to be placed on their site: RunGuides.com. Their beginning faced different challenges which led them to continue developing this website to provide accurate details to runners who are looking for various races. His previous work experience is one of the influences that made him co founded this run guide service. Listen the whole way to hear Cory's few pieces of advice to new runners including how to deal with performance data and why should a runner limit beliefs to her/himself. Find your runs/races here: https://www.runguides.com/ Connect with Cory on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-runguides/ https://www.instagram.com/runguides/ https://twitter.com/runguides https://www.facebook.com/runguides

My guest today has been competitively running for 13 years, weightlifting for 7+ years now, has her masters in public health, is the founder of Strong Runner Chicks, and is a running coach, Megan Flanagan. As someone who's moved largely around their own city - I have to ask Megan about how she moved to different places growing up and how she adapts to the new place she's currently living in. Given that she's a runner - can you take a wild guess where she feels like she's able to put down a few roots and stop moving at least for a bit? We touch on her running career and I ask about why she stays racing competitively instead of becoming more casual about the sport like many post-college runners. She mentions how she loves the process of training and building community with fellow runners. We dive into the deep end as I ask her why it was important for her to build a community specifically for women runners. Strong Runner Chicks started off as a bit of a side project, but has really grown into something much bigger than Megan anticipated and I get to hear all the details about the projects she's working on with the group now. Megan also tells me why she hasn't got injured and what training she loves doing most of the time. Join me today and listen to Megan's humble answer to my "new" question for next podcast season. Connect with Megan on: http://www.strongrunnerchicks.com/ http://www.meginspire.com/ https://www.facebook.com/strongrunnerchicks/ https://www.instagram.com/strongrunchicks/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/flanaganmegan/

Today's guest is a former civil engineer who is now bringing a new kind of wellness solution to everyone. She is the owner of Koru Wellness Ltd, Executive Director of World Halotherapy Association, founder of UK Halotherapy Network, Erin Lee. In the beginning of our talk, as I'm really curious with her career transition, I ask Erin how she switched to doing halotherapy from structuring buildings and residential properties. And her story tells how her new life makes her more grateful and pursue the halotherapy solutions. Prior to halotherapy, Erin does install saunas in different homes to bring wellness. As time passed by, an idea popped up in her mind to upgrade the wellness solution. I can tell this new idea was a success since she experienced the life changing result after trying it out on her own. There's a bunch of benefits that Erin mentioned to me about halotherapy and if you want to try it, she offers a special discount to anyone who uses the code "SA101" on all of their products here https://halotherapysolutions.com/halotherapy-infrared/ Register to learn more about halotherapy here: https://worldhalotherapy.com/world-halotherapy-conference/ Contact Erin at erin@halotherapysolutions.com

Today I sit down with the first American to win the Olympic gold medal in Whitewater Canoe Slalom and, now, a performance coach, Joe Jacobi. He's currently residing in Spain and I ask Joe what made him move to this place and how he adapts to the country's speaking language. He gladly tells me how he respects their heritage and makes the citizens comfortable meeting him. As most of you may have heard the metaphor I often use, "life is a river", I get a chance to talk about it with Joe and ask him what made him use the river as a metaphor for life in his current book. And he has valuable insights I want you all to hear that may help you realize how to paddle to live our life. Joe also shares with me how he "connects" with the river to better navigate his kayak when in a competition. Get more updates about his book and his social life via: http://joejacobi.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobijoe/ https://twitter.com/JoeJacobi https://www.facebook.com/5withjoe/ https://www.instagram.com/joe_jacobi/

Today I have the great opportunity to sit down with a man who's doing the work to get people back on their feet, figuratively and literally, but you won't see him parading on social media about his work. So he is what I would consider one of the many unsung heroes of the sports medical world - doing what they can to keep us healthy. And that man is runner, cyclist, footballer and podiatrist, Mark Gallagher. Mark tells me about his time playing football growing up and why he had a competitive edge despite not being the most technically gifted player. For the times I have an injury - I know that I prefer seeing a medical practitioner who also has a personal athletic discipline. I ask Mark whether he thinks that gives him an advantage over his colleagues that don't have a sport they play. We talk about the phenomenon where people tend to minimize their own problems when they see someone else or hear of someone else with a problem greater than their own. Mark tells me how he approaches patient in that situation and it speaks to how he treats all of his patients. Mark gives me a little tidbit on his suggestion for runners returning from injury I've never heard about before in my 20 years of running. It makes complete sense and I wish it was more widespread in thought than just in his corner of the world. Mark and I also talk about another common psychological phenomenon - where people only do just enough work to get by instead of working hard enough to recover 100% and prevent problems in the future. Be sure to stick for the end for Mark's take on my Season 3 question: how do you stay motivated after failing to reach a goal.