Grow the Good

We spent the first 20 minutes doing a Q&A with the questions you submitted.

The questions we answered:Since you do a lot of longer endurance type races and train with TrainerRoad, what is your main focus?  Is power building a benefit or hindrance to the endurance/stamina you need for a longer ride?  I would love a FTP of 400 watts, but...would I be better off training at 2-4 hours/ride @ 150 watts for 100 miler training?

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I would love to hear about any efforts you make specifically with regards to aging - e.g. maintaining bone mass density, agility, strength, speed, and - oh - grace and humor!

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how do you choose a bike race

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what made you decide to start a plant based diet, did you have any issues

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how do you feel about e bikes

A powerful journal entry about how I actually felt before the start of my first race this year (around 30 min mark)

 

Mentioned in the show: How I Deal with Self-Doubt

Listen Now

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• Q&As that you submitted
• vulnerability
• what it's like to deal with pressure

  Friend of the Podcast: Küat Racks Join! Plant-Powered Tribe Facebook Group

Shop My Store – Moxy & Grit

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Mountain Bike Q&A and inside the head of a pro endurance athlete

Sarah McLean has been teaching meditation for over 20 years. I first met Sarah in Sedona this past winter when I visited her at the McLean Meditation Institute.  There was an instant connection and I had even more respect for her after she guided my husband and I through a meditation.  I discovered that she is the author of 2 books, The Power of Attention, and xx.  Sarah has had an amazing and interesting life, dropping out of high school at the age of 17 and going homeless, to joining the army where she first learned about meditation. She also has traveled the world with her bike riding in places like Turkey, Pakistan, and Greece and her tremendous life experience has given her insight for her sense of purpose on the this earth. Sarah is incredibly approachable and has worked with everyone, from Fortune 500 companies, Olympic Athletes, to small families.

She worked with Dr. Deepak Chopra in Lancaster, Massachusetts for 8 years at the Ayurveda Health Center, a Transcendental Meditation community. After Deepak moved to California, Sarah became the Program Director for the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. With a hunger for knowledge and personal truth, Sarah took a sabbatical to seek the origins of meditation. She lived in a traditional ashram in South India for six months, and was a two-year resident at a remote Zen Buddhist monastery for two years.  She founded the McLean Meditation Institute in 2001.  Her Institute offers meditation and mindfulness classes, weekend meditation retreats, and a 200-hour teacher training program so if you are curious about becoming a meditation instructor, you can work with her.

Personally, I enjoyed this conversation because we discussed a lot of things I'm curious about.  We are familiar with the idea of meditation, but the truth is that here are many different ways to do it so if one way doesn't resonate with you, there are other methods to experiment with.  Sarah takes us through the 3 key ingredients to any meditation practice, different types of meditation and where to find resources to actually do it, tells us about the changes that are physically occurring in our brain, the difference between mindfulness and meditation, and even has a few short guided meditations interlaced into the podcast episode!

 Listen Now

 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• 8 limbs of yoga
• 3 key ingredients to meditation
• different types of meditation
• how to use mantras and why they work
• how our brain responds to meditation
• the difference between meditation and mindfulness
• where to find free guided meditations
• how to apply meditation and mindfulness to your daily life

Links

• McLean Meditation Institute
• Feast for the Soul - free guided meditations of all different flavors
• Sarah McLean's Meditation YouTube Channel
• Sarah's book: The Power of Attention
• Sarah's book: Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation
• Book: Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson

Friend of the Podcast: 

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Beginner's guide to meditation, different types of meditation

Jane Esselstyn is a Registered Nurse, author of 4 cookbooks in conjunction with Engine2Diet and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and a charismatic voice in the plant-based community.  She also is a researcher and hosts conferences for women on getting preventing and reversing heart disease and auto-immune diseases.  I was excited to talk to Jane because I interviewed her brother Rip back in July and her father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn earlier this year.  It was really cool to see that the whole Esselstyn family is involved with helping the world get healthier and make better food choices for health and longevity.

Jane offers some great insights on how to actually implement a plant-based diet from the food preparation side of things.  We talked about the easiest meals you can make, what to use instead of salt, sugar, and oils, and whether green juice is actually a true health food.  We also talk about protein, where she gets her inspiration for recipes, and the fact that you don't need to oil to saute your food.

 Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• the simplicity of eating plant-based
• why it's hard for some people to change their diet
• what to use instead of salt, sugar, and oil in your cooking
• is green juice healthy?
• how much protein you actually need
• the inspiration behind a recipe
• simple foods to add into your diet

Links

• Jane Esselystyn's Instagram
• Jane Esselstyn's YouTube Channel
• Jane Esselstyn's Website
• 7 Day Rescue Diet Cookbook
• Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook
• The Engine2 Cookbook
• Plant-Strong with Rip Esselstyn
• Podcast episode with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn
• Podcast episode with Rip Esselstyn (most downloaded episode of the show!)

Join! Plant-Powered Tribe Facebook Group

Shop My Store – Moxy & Grit

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on.  Patreon.  The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my 

--------------
The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

Jane Esselstyn is a Registered Nurse, author of 4 cookbooks in conjunction with Engine2Diet and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and a charismatic voice in the plant-based community.  She also is a researcher and hosts conferences for women on getting preventing and reversing heart disease and auto-immune diseases.  I was excited to talk to Jane because I interviewed her brother Rip back in July and her father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn earlier this year.  It was really cool to see that the whole Esselstyn family is involved with helping the world get healthier and make better food choices for health and longevity.

Jane offers some great insights on how to actually implement a plant-based diet from the food preparation side of things.  We talked about the easiest meals you can make, what to use instead of salt, sugar, and oils, and whether green juice is actually a true health food.  We also talk about protein, where she gets her inspiration for recipes, and the fact that you don't need to oil to saute your food.

 Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• the simplicity of eating plant-based
• why it's hard for some people to change their diet
• what to use instead of salt, sugar, and oil in your cooking
• is green juice healthy?
• how much protein you actually need
• the inspiration behind a recipe
• simple foods to add into your diet

Links

• Jane Esselystyn's Instagram
• Jane Esselstyn's YouTube Channel
• Jane Esselstyn's Website
• 7 Day Rescue Diet Cookbook
• Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook
• The Engine2 Cookbook
• Plant-Strong with Rip Esselstyn
• Podcast episode with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn
• Podcast episode with Rip Esselstyn (most downloaded episode of the show!)

Join! Plant-Powered Tribe Facebook Group

Shop My Store – Moxy & Grit

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on.  Patreon.  The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products! 

Leave a review or share on social media

Don’t forget to subscribe!

• Apple Podcasts
• Stitcher
• Google Play
• Spotify

Thanks for listening!

         

In todays's show, I had the opportunity to speak with a concussion expert with all of the latest cutting edge research. As someone who has had a few concussions myself, learning about CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) a few years ago was frightening.  I wondered how concussions and the after-effects would impact my life.  My last concussion was in 2016 just days before defending my World Championship title at the 24-Hour Worlds in Rotorua, New Zealand.  I didn't feel that bad but I had some definite symptoms of concussion.  I wasn't sure if I should race, after all - it was defending my World Champion title.  It was difficult and probably one of the best decisions I've ever made to skip the race.  My husband had an unfortunate injury the year after my experience.  He had one concussion and felt totally fine and was back to regular activity and intensity very quickly.  It was 3 weeks after the first concussion and he was symptom free so he decided to do the race he was signed up for. He had an unfortunate crash and had another concussion.  He had a separated shoulder and was in bad shape and his recovery took months.  I've been wanting to talk to an expert in concussion research because a mild traumatic brain injury is serious.  Too many of us go back to activity too quickly or decide it's not a big deal.  To be honest, kist 2 weeks after my concussion before Worlds, I race a 7 day Enduro (yeah, downhill racing) stage race.  I amazingly didn't have any serious crashes.  However, in hindset with what I've learned, it was a really bad idea.

I wanted to have my questions answered.  In this show, you'll hear about the myths of concussions in both sports like cycling and football, who to talk to if you think you might have a head injury, what helmets actually do, the signs and symptoms of a concussion and the protocol to getting back to sport, and more.  Our guest today is Dr. Steven Broglio.  His research centers on improving athlete health and safety related to concussion by focusing on injury prevention, early recognition, and management. His research also looks at the long-term effects of concussion on various aspects of motor control (e.g., walking, hand motion, reaction time) across the lifespan.  He is also a cyclist himself.  I was introduced to Dr. Broglio by Dr. Kristin Keim who has also been a guest on this show.

As someone who has had a few broken bones and concussions over my 13 year career as a cyclist, I wanted to stress that racing or pushing yourself hard while injured or concussed is not worth it.  It's hard to stop yourself. I've done a lot of stupid things as an immature athlete who felt she had something to prove.  Fortunately, there were no negative consequences but their could have been.  It's pretty serious when you've injured your brain and it's not worth risking your most important asset to get in another ride, even if it's a World Championship!

 Listen Now

 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• myths of concussions in both sports like cycling and football
• who to talk to if you think you might have a head injury
• what helmets actually do
• the signs and symptoms of a concussion
• the protocol † getting back to sport

Links

• Contact Dr. Broglio
• Groups
• Medicine of Cycling

Join! Plant-Powered Tribe Facebook Group Get the G

--------------
The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

In todays's show, I had the opportunity to speak with a concussion expert with all of the latest cutting edge research. As someone who has had a few concussions myself, learning about CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) a few years ago was frightening.  I wondered how concussions and the after-effects would impact my life.  My last concussion was in 2016 just days before defending my World Championship title at the 24-Hour Worlds in Rotorua, New Zealand.  I didn't feel that bad but I had some definite symptoms of concussion.  I wasn't sure if I should race, after all - it was defending my World Champion title.  It was difficult and probably one of the best decisions I've ever made to skip the race.  My husband had an unfortunate injury the year after my experience.  He had one concussion and felt totally fine and was back to regular activity and intensity very quickly.  It was 3 weeks after the first concussion and he was symptom free so he decided to do the race he was signed up for. He had an unfortunate crash and had another concussion.  He had a separated shoulder and was in bad shape and his recovery took months.  I've been wanting to talk to an expert in concussion research because a mild traumatic brain injury is serious.  Too many of us go back to activity too quickly or decide it's not a big deal.  To be honest, kist 2 weeks after my concussion before Worlds, I race a 7 day Enduro (yeah, downhill racing) stage race.  I amazingly didn't have any serious crashes.  However, in hindset with what I've learned, it was a really bad idea.

I wanted to have my questions answered.  In this show, you'll hear about the myths of concussions in both sports like cycling and football, who to talk to if you think you might have a head injury, what helmets actually do, the signs and symptoms of a concussion and the protocol to getting back to sport, and more.  Our guest today is Dr. Steven Broglio.  His research centers on improving athlete health and safety related to concussion by focusing on injury prevention, early recognition, and management. His research also looks at the long-term effects of concussion on various aspects of motor control (e.g., walking, hand motion, reaction time) across the lifespan.  He is also a cyclist himself.  I was introduced to Dr. Broglio by Dr. Kristin Keim who has also been a guest on this show.

As someone who has had a few broken bones and concussions over my 13 year career as a cyclist, I wanted to stress that racing or pushing yourself hard while injured or concussed is not worth it.  It's hard to stop yourself. I've done a lot of stupid things as an immature athlete who felt she had something to prove.  Fortunately, there were no negative consequences but their could have been.  It's pretty serious when you've injured your brain and it's not worth risking your most important asset to get in another ride, even if it's a World Championship!

 Listen Now

 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• myths of concussions in both sports like cycling and football
• who to talk to if you think you might have a head injury
• what helmets actually do
• the signs and symptoms of a concussion
• the protocol † getting back to sport

Links

• Contact Dr. Broglio
• Groups
• Medicine of Cycling

Join! Plant-Powered Tribe Facebook Group Get the Gear - My Lifestyle Brand Moxy & Grit (like the unicorn socks, and more!) Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on.  Patreon.  The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products! 

Leave a review or share on social media

Don’t forget to subscribe!

• Apple Podcasts
• Stitcher
• Google Play
• Spotify

Thanks for listening!

     

As athletes, we all know if we exercise, we'll feel better and get stronger.  When you start adding in focus and structure, I like to say that you are no longer just exercising: you are training.  As a Professional Athlete myself, I've been through pretty much every scenario of trying different things in my training, I've been chronically overtrained, I've played with doing minimal training, and I'm always looking for the latest research and methods for improvement.  Today's guests are two people I respect and continually follow for new information - they are the backbone behind the popular cycling trainer app: TrainerRoad.  I've personally used TrainerRoad to get me through the winters and I even train for long stage races indoors using the dynamite combo of Trainer Road and the Wahoo Fitness KICKR Smart Trainer.  This episode isn't about riding the trainer per se, it's about a lot of pitfalls and common questions that come up with any type of endurance sport.  We have the Head Coach at Trainer Road, Chad Timmerman here today along with Jonathan Lee.  Chad has devoted his life to researching the science behind cycling and testing ways to get faster on the bike with over a decade of experience.  Jonathan Lee is Level II USA certified cycling coach and the host of the Ask a Cycling Coach podcast.  His background is in motocross, but he is an avid and high level mountain bike racer as well.  He is a good friend and also posts some really fun stuff on instagram.

I love the Trainer Road Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast because Chad, Jonathan and also Nate Pearson (who started TrainerRoad) answer listener's questions each week.  I also really enjoy their blog.  I wish I could sit and geek out about training with guys all day, but we had to condense it down to just one hour.  One hour where I took your questions from my facebook page and got some answers.  If I had to pick some key takeways from today's conversation for you, it would be understanding the importance of recovery and what that actually looks like, trying to figure out your body so you can tell if you're starting to get overtrained, how much you actually need to train to get faster, how to balance training with a full life, the key to success at stage races, and more.  As Jonathan said in the show, "Experience reigns supreme" so by trying new things and getting to know our own body and trends, we can be a more intuitive athlete.

Listen Now

 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• Does Foam Rolling Work?
• How to measure fatigue & heart rate variability
• What does a rest day look like?
• Identifying the razors edge of training vs overtraining
• Is riding inside the same as riding outside?
• the secret to success at a stage race
• how to manage expectations when you have a full life
• coming back from sickness
• how to pick a coach

Links

• TrainerRoad Website
• TrainerRoad Podcast
• TrainerRoad Twitter

Join! Plant-Powered Tribe Facebook Group Podcast Sponsor: Health IQ

Life insurance savings for people like us who actually eat healthy and take care of our body.  Get a quote or mention “Sonya” when you talk to an agent.

--------------
The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

As athletes, we all know if we exercise, we'll feel better and get stronger.  When you start adding in focus and structure, I like to say that you are no longer just exercising: you are training.  As a Professional Athlete myself, I've been through pretty much every scenario of trying different things in my training, I've been chronically overtrained, I've played with doing minimal training, and I'm always looking for the latest research and methods for improvement.  Today's guests are two people I respect and continually follow for new information - they are the backbone behind the popular cycling trainer app: TrainerRoad.  I've personally used TrainerRoad to get me through the winters and I even train for long stage races indoors using the dynamite combo of Trainer Road and the Wahoo Fitness KICKR Smart Trainer.  This episode isn't about riding the trainer per se, it's about a lot of pitfalls and common questions that come up with any type of endurance sport.  We have the Head Coach at Trainer Road, Chad Timmerman here today along with Jonathan Lee.  Chad has devoted his life to researching the science behind cycling and testing ways to get faster on the bike with over a decade of experience.  Jonathan Lee is Level II USA certified cycling coach and the host of the Ask a Cycling Coach podcast.  His background is in motocross, but he is an avid and high level mountain bike racer as well.  He is a good friend and also posts some really fun stuff on instagram.

I love the Trainer Road Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast because Chad, Jonathan and also Nate Pearson (who started TrainerRoad) answer listener's questions each week.  I also really enjoy their blog.  I wish I could sit and geek out about training with guys all day, but we had to condense it down to just one hour.  One hour where I took your questions from my facebook page and got some answers.  If I had to pick some key takeways from today's conversation for you, it would be understanding the importance of recovery and what that actually looks like, trying to figure out your body so you can tell if you're starting to get overtrained, how much you actually need to train to get faster, how to balance training with a full life, the key to success at stage races, and more.  As Jonathan said in the show, "Experience reigns supreme" so by trying new things and getting to know our own body and trends, we can be a more intuitive athlete.

Listen Now

 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• Does Foam Rolling Work?
• How to measure fatigue & heart rate variability
• What does a rest day look like?
• Identifying the razors edge of training vs overtraining
• Is riding inside the same as riding outside?
• the secret to success at a stage race
• how to manage expectations when you have a full life
• coming back from sickness
• how to pick a coach

Links

• TrainerRoad Website
• TrainerRoad Podcast
• TrainerRoad Twitter

Join! Plant-Powered Tribe Facebook Group Podcast Sponsor: Health IQ

Life insurance savings for people like us who actually eat healthy and take care of our body.  Get a quote or mention “Sonya” when you talk to an agent.

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on.  Patreon.  The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products! 

Leave a review or share on social media

Don’t forget to subscribe!

• Apple Podcasts
• Stitcher
• Google Play
• Spotify

Thanks for listening!