Endurance Planet

We are starting a new show on Endurance Planet called Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) and in this show, Episode 1, we introduce Tawnee's co-host Julie McCloskey, who shares her story.

In this 272nd episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho answer questions about Titanium versus Carbon Fibre Bikes, Should you Race by Pace or HR, Taking Time Off to Get Balanced, Training Short races and Long at The Same Time, and more!

In this 271st episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock Armstrong and Lucho answer listener questions about Fuelling for a Double, Hill Training 101, Should Kids Take Supplements, MAF on Limited Time, and chat about their own training and racing.

Letting go of trivial stuff "There will come a day when you'll be sick, or someone close to you will die, and you will look back on all the trivial things that captured your attention and you'll think, 'What was I doing?' You know this day is coming. Why not act on that knowledge now?" - Sam Harris Diving deep into a mindfulness meditation practice Tawnee talks about attending a weeklong meditation retreat in Colorado and the massive benefits and healing it provided. If you're thinking of doing one, find a way to make it happen. Stop making excuses. The retreat was at the Shambahala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, CO. Shambhala is a branch of buddhism. Learning to let go of "always wishing for another now." Be present. It's all we have. Get comfortable with what is. This one can be hard. How many of us have been here, wishing for things to be different than what they are, or wishing for time to speed up because "it'll be better when xyz happens"? No matter what the circumstance it's in our best interest to accept our reality, and that will lead us into more peace and balance. Focusing on self-love and self-care on another level than any time before in my life. Invest in yourself, and if something is going on don't try to bottle it up and "be tough." Take time off or away to just be. True self-care is still something so many of us neglect. We're too worried about so many other things other than our own wellbeing. But our own wellbeing is always the No. 1 priority. Understanding that "fixation is the root of suffering." Obsessive thoughts, attachment, fixations—when we get stuck here it's simple, we suffer.

In this episode of Ask the Coaches with coach Brock Armstrong and Lucho, we answer questions about Weak Glutes, Marathon to 800m, Why You Can't Raise Your Heart Rate, and more!

In the 269th episode of Ask the coaches, Brock and Lucho talk about: Training for Track with Limited Time, From Overweight to Boston, Fasting on Training Days, and more!

In this episode of Ask the Coaches, coaches Brock and Lucho answer Endurance Planet listener's questions about Mentally Preparing to Race, How Much is Too Much DOMs, Inconsistent Pacing, 50 Days of Ironman, and more.

In the episode of Ask The Coaches, Lucho and Brock answer questions about: Sudden Drops in Heart Rate, RPE and MAF, Back to Back Racing, Transitioning to Triathlon, and more!

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick![/sponsor] [sponsor image="https://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/HealthFitU-Logo.png"] Check out the new highly anticipated HealthFit University and how you can join this aerobic revolution. Health Fit U is led by health and fitness experts Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Dr. Phil Maffetone, Ian Adamson, Jeff Vernon, Robin Desjardins and EP's own Tawnee Gibson. Whether you're a healthcare professional, fitness coach, trainer, or recreational or competitive athlete, HealthFit U is open to you with educational seminars and online resources that aim to help you and your clients build balanced, fat-burning, energized bodies for optimal performance. The next Health Fit U seminar is September 29-30, in Ranson, West Virginia. Book before Sept. 1 and save $50. Some other benefits of HealthFit U that you will love: • Certifies coaches specializing in endurance, strength, health and corporate. • Certifies health practitioners and offers CMEs and other continuing education credits. • Will post coaches and practitioners for referrals. [/sponsor] In this 266th episode of "Ask The Coaches," Coach Lucho and Coach Brock answer the following questions:

Hi, I went to a new gym recently and they had these new treadmills. They were curved and had no motors! I did a little googling and didn't find anything concrete on the effectiveness of these treadmills for endurance training. What are your thoughts? Here is a link of the ones at my gym - woodway.com/products/curve The coaches say... - The physiological and perceptual demands of running on a curved non-motorised treadmill: Implications for self-paced training - Researchers found that runners work about 30 percent harder on the curved, non-motorized treadmills. - Instead of making a conscious decision to speed up or slow down and then pressing buttons, the curved treadmill allows runners to self-regulate with every footfall, just as they would outdoors.

I looking for some advice regarding bilateral breathing. I've been toying with the idea of trying a tri; I'm usually a runner but the diversity of exercise from a tri is really appealing. I've gotten my swim together ok, nothing fast, but I feel I got the technical aspect down... except for bilateral breathing. I'm really comfortable breathing out of one side, but I can't seem to even turn enough to the other side to get a breath in. I'm ready to quit on the concept but I keep hearing/reading that it's such an essential part of swimming. Do you guys have any tips, drills, ideas to help that I can do on my own... I know masters or a coach would also help me a lot. Thanks! The coaches say: - Practice box breathing - especially holding a breath on the exhale. - Side swimming drills - especially on your non-dominant side. - Practice your body rotation. - Use fins for the first little while. - Check out www.swimsmooth.com

I have a complicated shoe question for you all that no shoe company, friend or my chiropractor can answer. I am throwing it to you all. Every shoe I wear (Altra lone peaks and Kings, Saucony Peregrines and Xodus, Montrails, Brooks) all blow out on either the medial or lateral sides of my shoes at the bony prominence behind the large knuckle of the big toe or around the base of the little toe. I have sized up (10.5-11) and have run the same at 10.5. I thought 11 would work because in one of my everyday shoes, I wear a size 44 or size 10.5 or 11 depending on the manufacturer. I have been doing a lot of squats this season, and have noticed some weaknesses in my abductors and adductors, it's have been especially bad, but this does not account for the last several seasons of blowouts. I know how to fix the leg issues, I don't think this is the source of the shoe blowouts. Do you guys have any ideas? One idea that was floated was that the terrain here in the East is especially brutal and rotational forces on the ball of the foot cause the fabric to blow out. I am a forefoot striker, with what is considered a chi running style. Anyway, I tend to float on the balls of my feet for my footfalls and takeoffs. The coaches say: - Forefoot runners can also put on the "brakes" when their foot plants which can cause it to slide on the inside of the shoe. - Sounds like a foot shape issue not a footfall or body weakness.

I am a 36-year-old runner (37 on 17th July) of 4-5 years who is on a journey to break 2:45 for the marathon. I ran 3:29 in my first marathon in Spring 2016, 3:10 in Spring 2017 and 3:01 this year so I am relatively inexperienced in marathoning but I've learned a lot from the first 3 marathons and most of all I am making progress so I am confident that I can at least give this target a good go. I am 5ft 8 tall and weighed over 200lbs when I started running and have dropped down to around 155lbs through exercise and healthier eating. I have no real problems knowing what to do in terms of training to get where I need to be and my goal is intentionally scary and questionable in order to motivate and inspire me. I've also made it public to some of my running friends in order to put it out there! I am running 6-7 times a week and including 1 speed session, 1 medium run and 1 long run every week with easy runs in between. However, I feel like I could make big leaps forward if I could just nail my diet. My current weight of about 155lbs has been the same, give or take a few lbs, since my first marathon in 2016 but I am still carrying a bit of timber around the middle in my hips and belly. I feel like I could easily drop another 7-10lbs safely and healthily but I am struggling to avoid bad food and drink. I generally eat healthy in between but my office has a constant supply of sweets, cakes, biscuits, coke cola all out on display for visitors and I have a very sweet tooth. I tell myself that today is the day I abstain and despite a healthy smoothie for breakfast, I walk by and I'll think "1 little choc cake won't derail my day" and then the slippery slope begins. I hate the thought of Coke too, in that there is nothing beneficial in it whatsoever, its like smoking! But I find it quite refreshing so I'll take a can or two a day and it will really affect my stomach during running, especially if I'm racing. But I just don't get how I can be so mentally strong with my attitude towards running, by going out and getting it done, rain or shine, sticking to my plan etc and then fall apart when it comes to simply not eating something that is terribly bad for me! It's worth noting that I'm a vegetarian and I limit my dairy to a degree but I'm not totally vegan. I also want to reduce carbs and increase fats and I do this to a degree in the main meals that I eat but I completely ruin it by snacking on high sugar sweets and chocolate. I have the willpower and I have the motivation and I've proved this in other aspects of my running and when I initially started running and dieting I was able to cut processed foods with reasonable success but I feel like maybe there is maybe an addiction here that perhaps I need to recognise and tackle in a different way? In fact, I honestly feel that the problem is mainly because in my current job where I have been for 3 years, these foods and drinks are on display and available for me to just snack on and if there were no sweets and fizzy drinks I would be much more successful in avoiding the bad stuff during the day and it then I'd be in a good position to tackle my evening meal in a positive mood. The coaches say: - Try packing healthy snacks to eat at work so you aren't as tempted by the goodies. That is if you are truly in need of food. - Take responsibility. You don't have to eat it just because it is there. - Sounds like you only believe half of the equation - the workout, not the diet. - Very often, there is a conflict between our immediate desires and our long-term goals: What we want right now in this moment is at odds with our big picture desires and priorities. Welcome to adulthood. - When you find yourself confronted with a desire to eat that is in conflict with your desire to weigh less, take a moment to think about why you want what you want. - Consider how you would feel after eating whatever it is you want to eat. Will you feel satisfied? Happier? Less lonely? - TinyHabits.com

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick![/sponsor] [sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/PerfectAminoXP_Short_WEB_grande.png"]Get your hands on the athlete's secret weapon, PerfectAmino, which comes in powder or pill-form, and features all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. BodyHealth, the makers of Perfect Amino, also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more.[/sponsor] In this episode of Ask the Coaches with Brock Armstrong and Lucho, we answer these audience questions:

Hello, I'm from the midwest and have been an endurance athlete for 10 years. I've been racing Xterra (off-road triathlons) for the last three years. For 2018, I qualified for the Xterra World Championships in Maui. After reviewing the course online, there are some unique terrain challenges that will be difficult to simulate in the midwest. The race is at the end of October. I will prepare for about 14-weeks. I usually spend around 15-hours per week training, including weight training days. So a couple questions: Ocean swim... I'm comfortable in the ocean and waves, but I've never "raced" in the ocean. Any tips on how to prepare for an ocean swim while only having access to a pool and occasional open water lake swim? Tricks for spotting or breathing with waves? Bike... Maui features almost 3,000 feet of climbing with long continuous climbs that will take more than 30-minutes. In the Midwest, our longest climbs are 200-300 feet that take 3-5 minutes. I'm currently planning for at least 4 rides per week with 3 on a road bike and 1 longer mountain bike. How can I prepare for so much climbing when I only have access to small hills? Should I ride more volume, hill repeats, intervals, all of the above? Run... Similar to the bike, Maui has 1,200 feet of run climbing. Training recommendations? Power-to-Weight... I'm pretty lean 5'8" and 155-lbs. I'd like to shave off 3-5 lbs right before the race. I already eat very healthily. How do elite racers (especially cyclists) shave off weight while still putting in large training volumes that require thousands of calories per day? The coaches say: - Get into big groups of swimmers and get used to it. - Dive under waves on the way out and ride waves on the way in. - Use that hill as much as possible on the bike and run. - Push big gears before the hill and on the hill to make it "longer" - Train for running the downhill more than the uphill. - Don't lose the weight too close to the race (if at all).

I'm a soon to be a 38-year-old male, with competitive triathlon aspirations. My goal is to snag a Kona spot as I move up into the 40-44 age group. I recently raced Ironman Boulder and had a reality check when I hit the run. My projected 8:45 pace turned into a 10:00 something pace. My swim was was slightly faster than projected and I was about 15 minutes slower on the bike, which I attribute to some heavy wind. But I just blew up on the run, it was a hot day 95° and I also left my nutrition behind so I had to improvise on the course. 18th in AG finishing at 11:12:50. (10:13:00 was my goal) I've been working a lot on my run, and have even been PRing on some early season 5k and 10k races. I also and an incredible run at 70.3 St. George running my fastest half ever even with the hills! However, I feel that I'm lacking the structure to gain the speed and endurance I need. I would love to hear your thought on what I can do to improve. My run volume leading up to Ironman was 30-40 miles a week (hitting 50 one week) but I tend to default to a MAF style run especially for the long runs. I did a reverse periodization type plan this year with strides with most of the "speed work" in the winter. I also have Ironman Arizona scheduled for November this year but am considering deferring till next year so I can focus more of next season on that race. But wanted feedback to see if maybe another race this year might be beneficial. Would love to hear what you guys think. Other info if it's helpful 5'9" 150 5k 21 10k 43 1/2 1:43 Marathon 3:48 (Open couple years ago) 70.3 4:53 IM 11:12 The coaches say: - Don't defer to next year - you need the practice. - Get some structure in your run training. You need to be faster. - You probably cooked yourself on the bike in Boulder - you need to learn to adjust effort based on the day. - It takes about 5 years to get good at triathlon.

Hi! I'm a 59-year-old female athlete. I've been doing triathlons for about 35 years now, although these days I concentrate mostly on running except for during the summer when I do more biking and swimming so I can compete in Olympic triathlons. Several times now I've had an experience during a race that when I get off the bike I can't bend over to put on my shoes. I get severe cramps in both my quads and abdomen. I found that if I force it then it takes some time for the cramps to go away. Once I get my shoes on and get moving for the run, I'm fine. At the race on June 16th, I wasted almost an extra minute in transition, since once I finally got the shoes on (it was very difficult bending over), I had to stand there another 30 seconds till the cramps let go. This happened recently in the first race of a series I'm doing this summer. I'm a decent swimmer and biker and average runner. The bike was 25 miles on rolling terrain. I averaged 20.6 mph which was pushing fairly hard for me, but not anything I'm not used to doing. I probably passed about 50 people on the bike, and only had about 5 or 6 people pass me. (I was first of my age group on the swim, second on the bike. I finished 2nd overall in my age group.) The day of the triathlon it was pretty hot (upper 80's - this was in Jacksonville, FL), but I was most definitely well hydrated (I had to pee three times before the race started). I had my usual peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat with coffee to drink for breakfast with 3 hours to digest it. About 30 minutes prior to the race I ate a small homemade energy ball (nuts, oats, fruit, salt, etc). During the bike I drink watered down Gatorade. I try to do a brick at least once a week, running about 1 to 2 miles after a 25-mile bike ride. I should probably do longer rides, but I don't have the time. I compensate by making the rides fairly hard, throwing in sprints here and there. I never have the cramping during training though - it's only happened when I race hard. Any ideas? The coaches say: - Likely a Psoas issue. - Need to do some longer harder efforts to prepare rather than throwing in hard efforts occasionally. - Strengthen psoas and abs. - Not likely an issue with fuel or hydration.