I first off wanted to sincerely thank all you listeners, especially those who take the time to reach out on social media and to those who have been here since the beginning. It’s been one heck of a journey and time flies because we’re officially at the 100thInterview for the Pacing and Racing Podcast.
If there’s one thing I reflect on quite often in this podcast journey, is that just 100 interviews ago, I was in my basement with a $40 microphone and a laptop and I was YouTubing “how to record a podcast” tutorials without any expectations of going anywhere with it. I did the interviews all around my kids naptime schedules and would do early morning and late night edits. By no means was it a cake walk but I look back and am truly thankful to chat to each and every guest on the show.
So if there’s ANY motivation I can pass onto you, is that you don’t have to be good at something in order to try it out. I thought I would be the last person who has their own podcast but here I am! It takes total consistency and honestly you have to go into it for the enjoyment and learning aspect of it and if you don’t see results overnight then don’t let it bum you out. Keep putting in the grind, enjoy the process, and you’ll amaze yourself with the outcome in the end.
But enough about me and my journey here, this is about you guys and I wanted this 100th interview to be extra special and Holly definitely delivered that.
Holly was the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion and has completely been a dominant force in the 70.3 circuit. She was the runner up in the 2019 IM World Champion after coming off a Fractured Ankle back at Oceanside 70.3 in 2018; one in which she suffered from in the bike leg of the race and STILL managed to finish 2nd overall!
She joins us today in a motivational chat about her story through her triathlon journey, the PTO, mindset moving forward from COVID and so much more. It’s a great chat and I can’t wait for you to listen in.
Be sure to share the episode and leave a review! Now Let’s get into it.

Holly Lawrence: 2016 IM 70.3 WC navigates training during COVID-19

I am excited to share with you that today is our 99th published interview and I couldn’t be happier to do this episode with my good friend, Yashoda Devi Ma.
Yashoda is one of the best Vedic Meditation teachers I have ever seen and after seeing her speak on the Sacred Science Docu-series on the topics like stress management, yoga and meditation, I realized I HAD to get her on to share this with all the Type A Triathletes and Health seekers listening into this podcast!
For me in my personal journey, It took me years to actually realize the daily and cumulative stress I put on myself and everyone around me, and I guess like many things the first step is self-reflection and realizing it’s unhealthy. It’s unhealthy but it can change and it doesn’t have to be you.
Yashoda joins us today with her kind spirits to guide you into self-reflection to become aware of the stress you carry with you, and how to manage it and release it. This is so integral as she explains on just how bad stress can be for our bodies. Not just on our minds and our external relationships, but it also affects our gut health, our immune system, leads to many chronic illnesses and so much more.
Whether you are brand new to the concept of meditation and yoga, or you are a yogi-natural yourself, I highly recommend saving this episode for a time when you’re able to fully concentrate and allow yourself to take in what Yashoda has to teach us because it could truly change the path of the rest of your life.
So please sit back, relax, and let’s get into it.

Yashoda Devi Ma: Reduce stress & cultivate a clear mind practicing Vedic Meditation

Today joining us is Andy Blow to educate us on how we can do our absolute best to understand and master our sweat loss in an IRONMAN so that we can finish the race without being too dehydrated, or conversely, over hydrated.
Andy is the Founder of Precision Hydration and is also the creator of the Hydration Strategy course on Training Peaks University. He’s an IRONMAN athlete and he has ALL the answers that you will have on formulating a training plan.
For starters. some primer questions to get you thinking for this episode: Are you a salty sweater? How much dehydration is tolerated in an IRONMAN? How much weight is normal to lose in a race? Could Hydration be as simple as drink to thirst? And how can we test our sweat to determine our required fluid and electrolyte intake?
Unfortunately, this topic isn’t as black and white, so it will require an understanding of the science behind your individual sweat loss so that you can formulate your own hydration strategy that you can alter it on the fly according to your race environment and conditions.
The goal is by the end of this, is for you to have all the tools necessary to formulate a solid path to a hydration strategy and know how to calculate your sweat loss rate, how to decide what on-course fuel you should consume, how much to consume in order to keep in your optimal ranges during a race, and how to continually revisit your plan and adjust it accordingly.
Now Andy and his team have offered up a limited time 15% off code for the pacing and racing listeners so be sure to check out precisionhydration.com and use promo code PACINGANDRACING. Also be sure to use the code for 50% off on the Training Peaks University Course!
I want us all to be sweat and hydration experts by the end of this, so get ready for another all-hands-on-deck discussion.
So without further ado!
Let’s get into it.

Andy Blow: Dialing in a fine-tuned Hydration Strategy

Today Joining us is Lisa Tamati, a Professional Ultra Endurance athlete with more than 25 years experience running the toughest endurance events in the world.
With over 140 ultra-marathons to her name and many expeditions under her belt Lisa is constantly pushing the limits of human endurance. She’s the author of two international best-selling running books, and is a highly sought after motivational speaker, run coach and mindset expert. She has completed the infamous badwater Ultramarathon twice in what is the hottest desert run on earth running totalling 217km. Insane, right?
She has canoed down the Canadian Yukon, cycle toured through over 25 countries and has run thousands of kilometres through the Sahara Desert, the Arabian Desert, Jordan, the Moroccan desert as well the Chinese Gobi Desert and the Australian outback.
Lisa now passionately shares her learnings on how to achieve the extraordinary and how to beat the odds and will help you shortcut the path to transforming your body, your fitness, your health and your wellbeing.
One of her most recent books, Relentless, is probably one of the most heart-rendering books I’ve heard of in a long time. In 2016 Lisa’s mother Isobel Tamati suffered a massive aneurysm that left her fighting for her life. She had no speech, unable to sit, stand, walk or even move her limbs. Doctors told them that they had to prepare for the fact she wouldn’t have any quality of life ever again.
Taking the power of the never-give-up mindset and getting educated on alternative health, Lisa was able to help her mom throughout a raft of therapies that weren’t offered by traditional medical professionals and 3 years later, Isobel was fully functioning again.
It’s a story of just what the never quit mentality can do. It’s about never giving up and always pushing your limits despite the huge odds stacked against you. I love this message from the Health aspect, and the Endurance aspect, and I hope this inspires you as well in your journey to optimal health and performance.
This is an exciting conversation, and be sure to pick up a copy of this book by searching lisatamati.com/relentless.
Now, enjoy the show; let’s get into it.

Lisa Tamati: 140x Kiwi Ultra-runner on a Relentless pursuit to live optimally

I think just about everyone has been there by now where they opened their email or social media and saw the headline that their biggest race of the year has been postponed or canceled. I know I’ve been there with Challenge Roth and I know it’s been hard for so many people out there. I mean think of the Olympic athletes that we’ve had on this show alone that have been battling fiercely for years to get into peak fitness like Katie Zaferes and Henri Schoeman and Taylor Spivey.
It’s unbelievable to think of the ripple effect, but a lot of us tend to think about the athletes but we don’t realize the work behind the scenes to put on these events have been severely affected also.
That’s why I invited back on my good friend Felix Walcshofer from Challenge Roth to chat with us about what it’s like being a family-run event that has had to offer free cancellation to 5000+ athletes and how an event like this weathers this type of storm. Because remember, they put out tens of thousands of dollars in preparation for this event and this essentially is annual income for many of the Challenge Roth team.
This was a topic that always crosses my mind. I am eager and super optimistic to race Challenge Roth in 2021 but I couldn’t help but shed some light on some sacrifices this event team has made for us to have 2021 a possibility. Not only that, but I wanted to share some of Felix’s stories about how this 2 year build to the Road to Roth also comes with many new and exciting opportunities.
From discussion on race event cancellations, to supportive communities, to incredible stories from our favourite athletes like Jan Frodeno, Anne Haug and so much more. We’ll share all of this and more with you in today’s chat so without further ado, let’s get into it!

Felix Walchshofer: The historic 2 Year Road to Challenge Roth

Hey guys welcome back and welcome to the first-time listeners, my names Steven Langenhuizen and I am the host of the Pacing and Racing Podcast – and on this podcast we are working alongside the Toronto Triathlon Festival to share another amazing episode in the Life Well Lived Podcast Series Presented By Raymond James.

Today we are joined by Robert McDonald who is the founder of Team I Will and Julia Glynn; a member of Team I Will and they both bring forward an incredible story of motivation, grit, and determination.

Robert was vacationing in Mexico back in 2012 when he lost footing and fell 31ft off his 3rdfloor balcony; leaving him with with nine broken vertebrae, a dislocated spine, 11 broken ribs, a broken scapula, a punctured lung, a lacerated kidney, and no sensation below his waist. Doctors gave Robert a 5% chance of ever walking again. Two years later, he completed a half marathon and three years later he completed his first full marathon.

Out of hope to inspire and help others he founded Team “I Will”, which is a community of people who have come together to break barriers and help support one another through sport.

Not only does Team “I Will” support the surrounding community through inspiration, it also raises money for the Toronto Rehab Foundation, the largest rehabilitation hospital in the world to help those who need love and support through their recovery.

Team “I Will” started with one person and one tragedy and has since evolved into a team of over 900 members strong. In 2019 they had over 30 triathletes competing at the Toronto Triathlon Festival, and aim to have more at the next TTF race.

Team I Will member Julia Glynn joins us as well to make this story full circle – to hear Robert talk about his vision and then to hear Julia’s story and how this team has made an impact for her is incredible – because now Julia is out there amplifying Roberts Vision and supporting a cause close to her heart; all while doing what she loves, and that is triathlon.

Now Julia was at the Toronto Triathlon Festival Presented By Raymond James in 2019 so we also get to hear her experiences around this event and what inspires her to keep coming back year after year.
Now, let’s hear their stories..

Find your Mantra - with Team I Will: The Life Well Lived Podcast Series

Today joining us is the legendary Phil White to talk about his recent new position as acting president for 4iiii innovations amid uncertain times and where he sees the state of triathlon and the triathlon tech heading in the coming years. This is one of those easy listening tech and triathlon news episodes you don’t want to miss!
So for those who don’t know Phil, he has been a pioneer and legend in the cycling and triathlon world. From starting up Cervelo as a co-founder in 1996 as a basement school project in Canada to seeing Cervelo as the pinnacle bike used at the IRONMAN World Championships, I think he’s done a fantastic job in an incredibly niche and competitive market. Aside from Cervelo Phil has also been in close discussions working with 4iiii for a few years. 
And as of this month, Phil stepped up to become 4iiii’s acting president and will lend his perfectionist touch of design, manufacturing and marketing to make 4iiii even stronger tomorrow than they are today.
I am super excited for this because not only am I a fan of 4iiii for being a Canadian company, but I am a huge fan of their products. I currently use their 4iiii Dual crank power meter, Heart Rate Monitor, the STAC Halcyon Smart trainer; the predecessor to the new and improved 4iiii Fliiiight smart trainer.
So, it’s been a while since I’ve spoken on tech topics here in the endurance realm so I thought who better to speak to then Phil White on his reasons for joining 4iiii, his plans for the future with 4iiii, and where he sees the future of triathlon tech heading and ultimately; where do we see our sport heading in the years to come.
It’s an all-hands-on-deck discussion today as we talk about all things to do with Triathlon Innovation from one of the industries brightest and foreword-thinking minds!

Cervelo Co-Founder and 4iii Acting President, Phil White: Innovation among a pandemic!

Today joining us is Mikael Eriksson to talk about some of the key components we should be focusing on in our triathlon journey through this Pandemic in order to get us primed and ready for Challenge Roth 2021 (or any Long Distance Triathlon in 2021). 
I’ll admit. My Training Peaks fitness chart was looking insanely similar to the stock market. We had the unstoppable bull run at all time highs in the market at the same time I was at peak fitness in my crucial build up to Challenge Roth 2020. But right when the pandemic struck, both the stock market and my fitness levels took a huge nose dive!
I think from a psychological level it’s hard for people to look ahead and put all your eggs in one basket through uncertainty. And for me I felt it was more important to enjoy the family time throughout this uncertainty rather then spend those hours in the pain cave.
However, we do know the race season WILL come back one day. So, whether you’re still hard into training, or, if you’re still in “off-season mode” then I wanted to find a way to help you navigate confidently with an actionable plan to get you ready for your 2021 race season.
That’s why I am pumped to be chatting with Mikael Eriksson on several topics including like how we can create a half or full triathlon distance training plan that’s not based around a race season, and how we can use this downtime to our advantage to build foundational fitness and optimize our health so that we can be more fit then ever going into our next race build up. We chat on things like training builds, polarized training, tapers, race specificity, Z2 training, 80/20 vs Polarized and so much more.
We’ll also touch base on how to avoid and recognize over-training and how to be properly fueling during your daily training sessions. 
We discuss Challenge Roth 2021 being just over 1 year away and how we can safely and optimally navigate training without having to rely on a 2020 race season. 

Coach Mikael Eriksson - Triathlon training amidst a Pandemic. Be race ready for Challenge Roth 2021 (RTRS)

Dr. Gundry is a renowned heart surgeon, medical researcher, 4x NYT best selling author, and a podcast host. Dr. Gundry changed his focus from medicine to reversing disease with dietary changes. Dr. Gundry has spent two decades of research on reversing disease and improving longevity, and is here today to chat with us about some of his findings. Dr. Gundry is one of the few nutritionists who’s lived and practiced in blue zones, and studied and worked with many high functioning elderly patients. He’s helped many patients reverse symptoms of Auto immune conditions and live high functioning and healthy lives through dietary changes.
Now, I wouldn’t be doing due diligence without saying, as you’ll begin to realize the guests that come on our shows may begin to have opposing opinions and studies on foods that will help us. This can be overwhelming to some like it has been to me, but I feel I wouldn’t be doing listeners justice if I only interviewed with a bias approach only picking what I felt was right for me. We need to therefore be mindful that what might not be applicable to some, may be important for others!
Like all diet books, Dr. Gundry’s findings on food have been met with praise and criticism, so I will leave it up to you to decide where you fall on it! Ultimately, I want to make sure I do my best to ask the right questions to help you decide if this diet is right for you. Dr. Gundry recommends a Lectin-Avoidance Diet which means avoid Grains, Night Shades (unless you peel the skins and de-seed them), beans (unless you pressure cook them), seeds, American dairy, and non-pasteurized meats. That’s a lot of seemingly healthy food, right??
If you find these foods never cause you any problems and are too challenging to remove; then I encourage you to keep doing you! But, if you are struggling with symptoms of some sort and after hearing this you think this could be a possibility, then maybe it’s worth trying out and see if you notice any relief in any of the symptoms you feel. Of course, I have to note that I am not a Doctor nor do I give medical advice; I simply am just out there asking the questions in hopes to find the answers to an optimal healthy life and reverse auto immune symptoms.
Anyways guys Listen in to the episode as we talk about the:
- Blue Zone diets
- why Lectins can POTENTIALLY be a culprit if you suffer digestive issues or from Auto Immune conditions and how we can tell through blood tests or a lectin food elimination diet.
- what we can do to some of our Lectin-favourite foods to detoxify them before we consume them.
- We also speak on being Gluten Free and what this means to your microbiome and why Glyphosate may be another culprit that causes so much gluten sensitivity.
Lot’s to talk about in a short period of time, so let’s make the most of it and let me know what you think after listening to the show!
Let’s get into it.

Dr. Steven Gundry: Auto Immune Conditions, Lectins, and the Blue Zones

Hey guys welcome back and welcome to the first time listeners, my names Steven Langenhuizen and I am the host of the Pacing and Racing Podcast – and on this podcast we are working alongside the Toronto Triathlon Festival to share another amazing episode in the Live Well Lived Podcast Series Presented by Raymond James where we dive into a topic that will resonate with everyone, and that is Goal setting and Defying the odds. 

Let’s be clear, here. Even the highest performing athletes out there struggle day to day to find motivation and energy to keep focused. It doesn’t come easy. As we all know its easiest to follow the path of least resistance. But there is this innate calling within many of us who want to defy the normal standard and push ourselves to be better. This is something I think we see in all triathletes as a triathlete is one to defy the odds and reach and exceed their goals; time and time again. 

We all weren’t born like this, however. This may come natural to some, but it can also be learned by others. And that’s where I’d like to introduce Trish Omeri and her inspiring story. As you’ll hear in our chat, she had one of those light bulb moments. And it allowed her to change the life path that she was on and the give her the confidence to set new goals. And she’s here today to share her story, allowing us to tap into her mindset to help you set your own goals. And who knows, we might be able to make that seemingly impossible goal you have, well… not so impossible! 

From being a working mom who wanted to lose weight, to courageously stepping outside her comfort zone to compete on the Amazing Race Canada (on live television), to becoming a Personal Trainer, to becoming a Triathlete; Trish has found the secret to goal setting and I hope you can leave today episode with some key takeaways that will help you reach your goals! 

We also chat about training tips for the Toronto Triathlon Festival, nutrition, and more so there’s something for everyone in this episode. Now keep in mind, this episode was recorded before the Pandemic and the TTF outdoor event cancellation! Both Trish and myself will be competing in the Virtual event so we hope you join us in Solo-darity throughout this historic journey in which we will always look back on.

Now.. let’s get into it.

Goal Setting & Defying the Odds: The Life Well Lived Podcast Series (Trish Omeri)

Will CBD Show up in a Drug Test? Will you get high? Does it matter what type of CBD you use? What are effective doses and methods of consumption? And how does this benefit athletic performance? These are some of the themes we explore in today's Podcast on CBD for Endurance Athletes! 
Today joining us is Jay OHare to talk the how athletes can use CBD to improve their overall quality of life as well as performance.
Now Jay is one of the founders of Venga CBD which is an American-based CBD company who puts an emphasis CBD being super beneficial particularly for endurance athletes. Jay has recognized that CBD can benefit endurance athletes in six integral ways:
It will assist recovery, improve mental resilience, help with pain management, reduce inflammation, improve your sleep, and help you through an injury.
So this is an exciting episode to chat about because we’ve all heard the craze on CBD but many might be new to the concept of it being beneficial to our sport. You may have recognized some pro triathletes on the circuit recently having announce partnerships with CBD companies like Angela Naeth and Matt Hanson. I think we will see more and more of this in the years to come and you might already be questioning how is this allowed if THC consumption is prohibited in triathlon?
Well Jay is here to break all of that down for us by answering many frequently asked questions, as well as explain how it works in our body, how to get started with CBD, how to incorporate it into your daily regiment, how it will improve your overall performance, and he’s got all the research to back it up!

CBD For Endurance Athletes: What you need to know!

Shoutouts from Frank to Chris Froome (a ZWIFT Challenge awaits you in this episode!) and Adam Zimmerman! 
Alright what’s happening everyone welcome back and welcome to the first-time listeners, my names Steven Langenhuizen and I am the host of Pacing and Racing – The podcast helping you reach Optimal performance through learning from the worlds brightest health experts and the worlds most talented Endurance athletes. 
So as the shift towards virtual racing has become mainstream due to the Pandemic there has been a lot of focus on Zwift Racing. In fact, I just did my first Zwift race while I was completing my IRONMAN VR4 and after completing it I questioned why I had waited so long to get In on this action. Frank Sorbara is a good buddy of mine whose a pro Canadian triathlete that has been Zwift racing for a few years now with Team DRAFT so I thought, who better to chat with then Frank himself. 
One of his recent accomplishments was finishing 7th out of over 130 pro triathletes in the latest Zwift Pro Tri Series. Now there was a lot of discussion around this race as there were a lot of questions raised about athletes cheating (whether intentional or not) and also it really brought forward a reality that Zwift Racing isn’t only about dropping high watts, it’s very tactical; and with the Drafting benefits, power up features, kit configurations and specialty bikes, it also becomes a game. 
Frank and I chat about what went down in the first couple Pro Zwift races, the changes they made, and what virtual racing might look like in the months to follow. We also go into some awesome insight on how YOU can set yourself up for your best success for getting on the podium in a Zwift Race. You don’t have to be a professional. You just need to understand the game, put in the work, and have a little bit of luck on your side. 
This is a fun chat and very insightful if you are brand new to Zwift Racing OR if you have been a zwift racer but want to hear some tips from a pro. I can honestly say this brought back the competitive edge I had lost when our outdoor season was canceled, and I can truthfully say this may be our new normal for the next while so lets embrace this sufferfest and let’s have some fun. 
IF you want to link up with myself or Frank on Zwift then search our names Steven Langenhuizen and Frank Sorbara.

How to podium in a Zwift race (Yes, You can too!): with Frank Sorbara from zTeam [DRAFT]

Plant-Based diet...Celery Juice & Bone Broth....Why you hear so many Doctors recommending complete opposite diets...How fiber and your microbiome are crucial in understanding how to optimize gut health...why endurance athletes should take gut health seriously...These are a few of the amazing topics we cover in today's podcast!
Today joining us is the Gut Health MD, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz to talk the how athletes can improve their performance through optimizing Gut Health.
Now Will is days away from releasing his new book, Fiber Fueled, which outlines a Plant-Based Gut Health Program so we caught him at a perfect time to pick his brain on optimizing gut health.
This is an important topic for a number of reasons. When you think of it from the performance point of view, endurance athletes eat way more calories a day than the average person. Not only that, athletes will need to resort to some less-than-optimal foods during our workouts to fuel our bodies. And when we workout we put our bodies in a sympathetic/fight-or-flight state, which means we’ve left our parasympathetic/rest-and-digest state.
So in these long workouts we are continuously neglecting our gut health by shutting our digestive systems down and filling it with tons of carbs and electrolytes.
Now from the health point of view, our gut accounts for up to 70% of our immune system and plays a vital role in our overall health and longevity. His book has several hundred science-backed studies showing how a Plant-based approach can completely revamp your microbiome, improve your digestive health, which in turn will make you healthier AND a better athlete.
As Will describes in his book, Fiber Fueled isn’t a quick fix or diet, it’s a lifestyle trajectory that heals.
This is an excellent podcast and the privilege is all mine to be speaking him! Now, let’s get into it!
Let’s get into it.

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz (Gastroenterologist) - a Plant-based (data-backed) approach to optimal gut health

On today's show we are working alongside the Toronto Triathlon Festival Presented by Raymond James in what is our second episode of the Life Well Lived Podcast Series. 

In the First episode you heard from two of the Triathlon Together ambassadors Michael Telpner and Kate Wallis. We spoke on some excellent topics like what Triathlon Together meant to them and we discussed the barriers of entry and access to help for new triathletes. 

So for episode number two we are pleased to welcome on the 4x Olympian, 2x Olympic Medalist, 14 x World Cup Winner and the very first triathlete to ever win gold at an Olympic triathlon event; Former Canadian Triathlete, Simon Whitfield! 

In this episode we talk about a wide variety of topics from the Olympics, KONA, the Toronto Triathlon Festival, Lionel Sanders, Training Tips, and a ton of motivation and inspiration. It’s got a bit of everything for all types of triathletes and its super fascinating to hear about all these topics from his perspective. 

Now full discloser here, one of the crazy hurdles as a podcaster for me is planning ahead for episode recordings. Simon and I sat down back in Mid November 2019 to record this podcast, WAY back before we ever dreamed of the disruptions that laid ahead with the COVID-19 Pandemic. It’s crazy to see how far we’ve come since then, but the optimism and his story-telling still shines through and only gives us a brighter outlook on our current landscape. 

Simon has a big spot in his heart for the Toronto Triathlon Festival. He helped launch the TTF back in 2012, he’s raced at the TTF, he worked with the TTF to implement his vision of Triathlon Together at the race, and he attends every year to be apart of the festival. What started as a mutually beneficial arrangement for Simon and the race’s founder, Jeff Chong, has evolved into an enduring friendship. I am excited for you to hear this exclusive chat with one of Canada’s sporting legends. 

Now, let’s get into it..

Simon Whitfield: The Life Well Lived Podcast Series Ep. 2

I am happy to be speaking with Sanjay on Transcendence through running as I REALLY think as endurance athletes listening to this podcast, that every single listener can take away something life changing from this conversation that we all so desperately need right now.
Sanjay is a filmmaker and a lifelong runner who has been meditating and running daily for the last 27 years. Sanjay studied his meditation practice under Sri Chimnoy who was an Indian-born spiritual leader who used strenuous exercise and art to spread his message of world harmony and inner peace before his passing in 2007 at age 76. Since then, Sanjay has embraced this way of life and continues to shine light on inner peace and how people can transcend spiritually through running.
Sanjay directed the film 3100: Run and Become which follows athletes on their quest to enlightenment through completion of a 3100-mile race. It’s a life changing quest and he’s on today to chat with us about the realities of a mind-numbing 3100mile race and why ultra running is popular now more than ever but the multi-day idea has been lost.
We chat about the relationship between spirituality, running and transcendence, how to unlock your inner strength and bring it into your fitness endeavors like Sri Chimnoy, and where running comes from ancestrally and how our cultures has affected running in the modern era.
We also chat about the running monks in Japan who embark on a thousand-day solo trek around a mountain to achieve enlightenment with only one of two options: complete the daily mileage or commit suicide.
It’s a crazy story and when you listen to this, I truly think you’ll think twice about complaining about your next run and you may approach it with a much more holistic and meditative mindset.
I am happy to be speaking with Sanjay on Transcendence through running as I REALLY think as endurance athletes listening to this podcast, that every single listener can take away something lifechanging from this conversation.
So..Let’s get into it.

Sanjay Rawal: Run For Self-Transcendence; a 3100Mile Run to Enlightenment

So as the year 2020 has an ever-changing landscape with COVID 19 and race events cancelling globally I felt the need to react accordingly with the Podcast. I know we will eventually get back into the race season; we just simply don’t know when and because of that it may be disheartening and difficult to find motivation to put in those long hours preparing for an IRONMAN.
Not only that, but in a time where a virus runs ramped in our society I think the last thing we want to do is put anymore pressure on our immune system by risking over-training. Therefore, one of the shifts in the podcast I wanted to introduce is incorporating more health and wellness information across the platform so that we as endurance athletes can get the longevity out of our passions. This means I’d like to start having on experts across the health and wellness scene talk about ways we can best supplement our current endurance training, whether its alternative training advice, health advice, supplement education and more.
That’s why I am excited to have on Jonathan Levitt from Inside Tracker.
One thing that’s really bothered me about the health and fitness industry is that I can never get a definitive answer on what is the right way to train or eat for optimal performance and health. To be honest it’s stresses me out a lot being told that High Fat/Low Carb is the way to go, then Vegan is the way to go, and then see guys like Joe Rogan and Chris Kresser debunk the game changers and say you should consume meat. There are so many influential people out there recommending such opposing information it’s no wonder we struggle!
It’s hard to know what’s right for you and coming from a medical background I am a firm believer in analytical data and that’s why I’ve reached out to the team at Inside Tracker to give us the definitive answers.
Inside Tracker works with you to give you exact data on your health through your blood, your DNA, and your habits. From here they combine the data to generate individual nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle recommendations, customized to your body.
Why is this so intriguing? Well, for starters people make over 200 food-based choices per day. So Inside Tracker gives you insight on what foods work best for you and which foods you should avoid. They also give you insight on things like how much and when you should eat these foods; based off your data.
The biomarkers they test can range from identifying a comprehensive panel of glucose levels, cholesterol, vitamin and mineral levels, inflammation levels, your liver function, Complete blood count and more. WAY more detailed then what you could receive from a doctor. From this data set, they can provide you information on over 8000 different food items to improve specific biomarkers your deficient in. On TOP of that they also give you advice on hundreds of supplements, lifestyle and exercise suggestions to help you reach your optimal zones in all the biomarkers.
Subsequent to this is you

Jonathan Levitt: How biomarkers can be your roadmap to optimal performance

Sam Renouf, the CEO of the Professional Triathletes Organisation is here today to talk about the unveiling of their new PTO Hub that goes live tomorrow!
The Professional Triathletes Organisation was met with both extreme optimism by most and skepticism by some as they hit the triathlon scene like a storm. Our sport was in dire need for change and our professionals needed better representation and the PTO came to do just that. Some questioned their ability to look after the professionals, but I think they’ve shown that they mean business and they are here to help when athletes need it most.
For starters, they created the Collins Cup which was a spectator friendly triathlon event with a huge prize purse where triathletes would race on teams in a never seen format to represent their countries. On top of this they created a $2million year-end bonus for their professional triathletes which would be paid out across the top 100 male and female professionals.
Unfortunately the Collins Cup had to be postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19, but just when the bad news came, they came out with financial support for their professionals, shifting the $2million year end bonus to a total of $2.5million bonus and paid it out immediately to their top 100 male and female athletes. The extra $500,000 allocated went to the triathletes ranked 21 to 100th so that the wealth could be distributed. To even take it further the worlds top 10 triathletes committed to doing online appearances and events and will donate all the revenue to the lower ranked professionals within the organization. This is the true result of an athletic community coming together under one organisation.
This tremendous generosity truly shines bright when these athletes needed the financial support the most now more than ever as most of them rely on the race season as their income. The PTO has since been backed by support from their professionals, their fans, and the athletic community, with even a recent article in the guardian speaking highly of the PTO suggesting the football community (aka soccer community for North Americans) can take note from this type of strategy to help out their athletes.
Anyways I think I have painted quite a picture as to what the PTO has been up to in the recent months, but here is the CEO himself to explain to us where the PTO is heading and what’s to come with the latest and greatest release of the PTO Hub.
This is an excellent podcast and the privilege is all mine to be speaking with Sam, so let’s get into it

Sam Renouf, CEO of the Professional Triathletes Organisation: Get Ready for the new PTO Hub!

The lineup keeps getting better and better with the latest guest being the legendary Craig Alexander! 
Every now and then we get the privilege to speak to an athlete who has played a big role in shaping our sport into what it is today. Craig has been competing in the sport for over 25 years now and is still continuing to perform at top level caliber. He has over 50 IM 70.3 wins to his name, with 5 world titles, and an endless list of accolades.
Craig has a wife and three kids and has lead by example in what it takes to get longevity out of the sport all while keeping balance in your family life.
Craig has been announced as one of the Team Captains for TEAM INTERNATIONAL in the Collins Cup via the Professional Triathletes Organisation, so Craig is here today to chat with us about what the Collins Cup is all about and how he will approach this first race as a captain and we dive into race tactics, race details and so much more.
Now you are all probably thinking by now; is this race even going to happen now with COVID-19? To be honest, our guess is as good as yours. And I don’t think we’ll know until we see how the next month or so shapes out to look like. But, if this race doesn’t happen at the end of May, you can be rest assured it will be postponed and it will be one exciting race to watch.
Now as we talk about COVID-19 we also talk about training as age groupers and professional triathletes throughout a season with race potentials unknown. Craig with over 25 years experience in the sport shares some incredible motivation and insight that I DEFINITELY think you need to hear if you are feeling overwhelmed or unsure on where to take your training from here.
To end off the chat, Craig dives into his on-course race fuelling strategies and we also chat about his everyday diet and healthy lifestyle habits which have allowed him to truly get longevity in the sport and how we can do the same in our own journeys.
This is an awesome podcast episode so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did; and now… let’s get into it!

Craig Alexander - COVID-19, the PTO and Longevity through Triathlon

So as the year 2020 has an ever-changing landscape with COVID 19 and race events cancelling globally I felt the need to react accordingly with the Podcast. I know we will eventually get back into the race season; we just simply don’t know when and because of that it may be disheartening and difficult to find motivation to put in those long hours preparing for an IRONMAN. 
Not only that, but in a time where a virus runs ramped in our society, I think the last thing we want to do is put anymore pressure on our immune system by risking over-training. Therefore, one of the shifts in the podcast I wanted to introduce is incorporating more health and wellness information across the platform so that we as endurance athletes can get the longevity out of our passions. 
This means I’ve been inviting experts across the health and wellness scene to converse on ways we can best supplement our current endurance training, whether its alternative training advice, health advice, supplement education and more. 
That’s why I am excited to have Sal Di Stefano on the show, who is an incredible fitness expert and co-host of the Mind Pump Podcast which is a top health podcast with 1000’s episodes and receives over 2 million downloads each month across 100 different countries. Sal has had the opportunity to chat with hundreds of the top health and fitness experts and has an incredible fitness journey himself.
I wanted to have a chat with Sal to shed light on the negative health effects that endurance training can bring forward; but more importantly, how can we correct them early on so that we can get longevity in this sport. 
The conversations we explore in todays podcast are testosterone, HPA Axis Dysfunction, weight training, sleep & recovery, and Creatine for Endurance athletes. 
This is by far one of my favourite podcasts to date, so I hope you guys enjoy this and learn from the fitlosopher himself! Of course, definitely head to Mind Pump Media and give their podcast a listen!

Sal Di Stefano (Mind Pump): Endurance Athletes & Cortisol, Testosterone, Creatine, weights & more!

Now. Joining us today to talk about the performance and health benefits associated around Beet Root Juice is Mark Pinder from Beet It Canada! Many of you may have heard rumblings of how Beet Root Juice is beneficial for making you run longer or faster without tiring. But how does this work? 
“Beetroot juice is a dietary source of nitrates, which are broken down in the mouth and stomach to become nitric oxide. Nitric oxide expands blood vessels and increases blood flow. But what’s really impressive about beetroot and dietary nitrate supplementation is that it lowers the amount of oxygen you need to run at a given intensity.” 
This essentially means you can use it to improve your Sprint PB, OR improve your next IRONMAN. 
Now time to introduce Mark. Mark has been well-involved in the Beetroot juice research with a Masters in Food and Human Nutritional Science and has ran many clinical trials on nitrate supplementation dating back as early as 2013. Mark has recently taken the opportunity to grow the Beet It brand in Canada through the new brand, Beet It Canada and is on here today to teach us how we can incorporate a health product like this into our training. 
In today's chat we’ll go into an overview of nitrate supplementation (and yes we get into some physiology for all the keeners out there!), and we also talk about the Beet It Sport Company and its heavy involvement in the Nitrate Research, and we explain what sets Beet It apart from other products on the market and more importantly where its heading as it expands its horizon on the Canadian Athletic Scene. 
Anyways I think I’ve left you with a ton of questions around Beetroot Juice, so, let’s hear it from Mark himself; Let’s get into it.

The Pacing and Racing Podcast

The Pacing and Racing Podcast

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