March madness is a fantastic time of year where the NCAA executives, conference commissioners and coaches get to take part in the bounty that is provided by the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.  The players, the reason most of us tune in to watch every year, do not benefit financially from this windfall.  They are given college scholarships, but is it about time to readdress paying players since the revenue continues to grow at incredible rates every year?

In this podcast, we explore some of the amazing numbers that surround the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.  I'm not talking about points, rebounds, and assists.  Instead, the financial numbers are going to be revealed so we can better understand who is benefiting from the growing riches provided by the tournament each year.

Workouts can be challenging both mentally and physically.  Tyler Spezia has had plenty of them, but he views them as an important part of his college career because of the bonds it created.  Tyler and his teammates endured many brutal workouts together, but in the end, that is what kept them inspired to fight for each other.  Team building is a corner stone of what the hockey program at Bowling Green University creates for its players.  It is in the struggle, that they learn valuable lessons about themselves and find the ability to trust each other on the ice.

Tyler Spezia is one of four seniors on the Bowling Green University men's hockey team.  He and the other seniors are a close knit bunch that pride themselves on creating a culture based around hard work, dedication and trust.  Tyler's college career has just concluded, but now he starts his new chapter pursuing professional hockey.

In this episode, I talk with David Braswell and Erika Canales about how they train their athletes at Outright fitness.  Since they both have a strong background in track and field, their approach to training athletes is unique.  Most trainers come from a strength and conditioning background, but these two bring more to their approach.

Running in some sports can sometimes be viewed as a punishment.  Why should you incorporate speed/endurance track workout outs?  Many of us claim to run, but how much do you know about running?  Have you worked on your technique?  You will find out why there is more to these workouts than lacing up your sneakers and just going running.

David Braswell is a US Marine veteran and a competitive track and field athlete.  He has trained athletes for 15 years in numerous gym settings and prides himself on specializing as a track coach.  He currently competes in a Masters division in the 200m, 800m, and triple jump.  These days, you can find him coaching athletes at Outright Fitness, his new 10,000 square foot facility located just outside of Austin, Texas.

Erika Canales is a certified USA track and field coach and a current masters track athlete.  She has been working with athletes for over 20 years and is a co-owner of Outright Fitness.  She heads up the marketing efforts at Outright Fitness and is passionate about educating athletes about how to optimize their training for their sports.

Carla Nowicki is an accomplish weightlifter, strength coach and Dietitian, and is the founder of Pursuit Nutrition.

Carla had struggles with body weight at an early age competing in gymnastics, cross country running and triathlons.  She was told to be a certain weight, and that confused her on how to properly fuel her body so she could compete.  Once she had access to a dietician, things became clearer for her and she was able to compete at a high level.  It was obvious to Carla that athletes needed to have professional guidance when it came to food, and she has dedicated her professional life to diet and nutrition.

Carla has helped athletes from several professional, semi pro and collegiate athletes.  National football league players that have worked with Carla have played for the NY Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.  Collegiate athletes have come from Wingate University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina.  Other professional teams include the Carolina Railhawks (MLS), the CFL Rough Riders, nationally competitive Weightlifting athletes, and extreme sport athletes in BMX and downhill riders.

You can visit her web site at www.pursuitpn.com

Follow her in Instagram at carla_pursuitpm

The alarm clock rings early for these guys.  The sky is still dark, there are few cars on the road, and there is not one person in the gym with them.  Would they be there if they were doing this on their own?  Who knows?  What is certain, is that the two of them are determined to be prepared for their next opportunity in football, and they keep each other on track in the gym.  If you have ever had a workout partner or you are thinking of getting one, this podcast with John and Jamal will reveal how a like minded workout partner can make a huge difference in your workouts and keep you moving toward your athletic goals. A little bit about the guys:John Keith Jr. is a defensive back from Austin, Texas.  He played his collegiate football at McMurry University where he received 2 all conference awards, and was crowned an all american 3 times.  In addition to his football accomplishments, John also claimed 2 national championships in track and field.  John started his professional football career with the Shenzhen Naja who are a part of the China Arena Football League in 2016.  In 2018, John has secured a contract with the Duke City Gladiators in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is currently slated to start at strong safety.Jamal Mays is a wide receiver from Austin, Texas.  He played his collegiate football at Tarleton State University, where he made the team by walking on.  Jamal had to attain a spot on the team by surviving 100 players trying out for the wide receiver position.  Currently, Jamal is seeking a contract with a football team.

Dan Burke is an endurance race junky who has competed at the highest of levels in kayaking, marathons, trail races, ultramarathons, bike races, and now an Iron Man.

Dan got his start in kayaking, where he joined the United States kayaking team in 2003, 2007, 2009. He was crowned the C1 freestyle kayak world champion in 2007. After partaking in some marathons between 2009 and 2011, Dan decided he wanted to take a stab at trail races. He took on the Wapac trail race in 2012, which included 43 miles of distance and 7.5 miles of climbing. Once Dan reached 2015, it is safe to say that he was utterly addicted to endurance racing. In that year alone, Dan compete in the Wapac 50 miler, the Vermont 50 miler, the Ghost train 100k, and over 25 Spartan obstacle races. The next obvious step, was to then take on the Vermont 100 miler in 2016. After that monster of a race, Dan decided to shift gears and throw himself into Ironman training in 2017. That is presently where Dan spends most of his energy preparing for the Ironman Race at Lake Placid in 2018.

I got to know Dan well when he was an athlete at my CrossFit gym years ago. He is a fantastic guy and he has inspired me to reach beyond my limits since the first day that I met him. I hope he can do something similar for you. He was far from the strongest guy when he stepped foot in the gym, but his willingness to persevere is incredible and I am proud to call him a friend.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Dan Burke.

Welcome to the Athlete Peeps Podcast!  Join me on my podcast to learn about different ways athletes train, eat, recover, manage negative thinking, and much more!

Katie Donegan is an accomplished women's soccer/football player from Basingstoke, England.  On a whim, Katie decided to join an effort that included a 9 day hike up Kilimanjaro with 59 others to set a world record for the highest elevation official soccer match ever played.  Katie had never really hiked before and was new to camping, so the venture provided many "firsts" for Katie in her effort to raise awareness for women who have never experienced sports.  Her story is inspiring and I hope you enjoy episode 1 of the Athlete Peeps podcast.