Let The Gains Begin - live a healthier and happier life

Olivia Tsim (@ojt_runs) has progressed rapidly since 2017, from a sprinting background struggling to run more than a couple laps of the track to now competing for Wales over middle and long distance, with 2022 the year she ran 73:38 at Copenhagen half marathon.

It's a real insight to hear Olivia talk through the component parts of her progress including;

Nutrition

Gymwork - my new favourite topic

Using Covid lockdowns to full effect

Recovery from hard sessions by cross training

Supershoes

During the recording we discuss the Armagh 3k, which Olivia raced just a few days afterwards. She finished in an impressive 9:34 and 28th position in a field of 152 athletes packed with quality.

As always, share and subscribe if you like it.

Jordan Syatt (@syattfitness) is one of the most vocal and to the point fitness content producers on instagram. There's a reason he's approaching one million followers on that platform. His content is absolute gold.

 

It was a real honour to have him join me to reignite this series, in it we discussed;

Obsessive training

Action-based rather than objective-based goals

Why consistency matters

The affects of alcohol and sleep

James Smith

Jiu-Jitsu

The importance of strength and conditioning

Protein and macronutrients in general

As always, share and subscribe if you like it.

Lizzie Dimond, otherwise known as @runnerof4, is a fantastic runner with amazing PBs, including 2:49 at Manchester marathon in April 2022.

We talked about;

fitting training in and around having four children,

how getting out for some exercise makes us better people and parents;

the feeling gained from getting out for a run,

whether a run is even worth doing without AirPods in your ears,

making friends mid-marathon,

goals for London marathon in October 2022,

having a big following on Instagram and using it to only focus on the positives.

I really enjoyed chatting to Lizzie, I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to her talk about a huge passion of hers. You can also check out her running performances on the Power of 10.

Jack played rugby from the age of 12, joining Harlquins at 14 and staying with them until a shoulder injury cut his career short at the age of 27. He’s now successfully embarked on a new career path, however he shares the discipline and focus that goes with being a professional athlete and how he’s dealt with having to learn a new trade.

From the joys of having a torn hamstring reattached to the bone, being hit by 120kg men and how the pattern of injuries actually made the news that his career was over slightly easier to deal with.

A massive thank you to Jack for being the first guest of the episode.

We're bringing the first season to a close ahead of a short break before we're back again, even better than before.

A massive thank you to the guests that joined in one the first season. I'm so grateful to everyone for their time.

Please send any feedback from the first releases, it'll help to make the second season better and more relevant for everyone.

Tuesday 8th March is International Women's Day. How do I explain to my two daughters why, in 2022, men are seen as more able than women to run a longer distance in cross country?

Kelly Dicks is a very talented runner in Bristol who has campaigned for equal rights for women. Not just for women today, but as a teacher that wants the future generations of women to believe they are equal too. So we used this episode to discuss this challenge and how Kelly and others are seeking to change it.

We also cover Kelly's own running pedigree, her first sub 3 hours effort at London Marathon 2021 and a little bit on the Single Malt Marathoners podcast.

You can find Kelly on Instagram and the Single Malt Marathoners podcast on Instagram and wherever you get your podcasts. Here are the Apple and Spotify links.

The guests on this episode are Ben and Jake Demmery, professional boxers from the Bristol area.

It is fascinating to hear about the discipline and determination that goes into training preparation to be able to box. Not only the need to 'make weight' and the sacrifices that come with it, but also the amount of training that goes alongside full-time jobs. It's only a tiny minority of professional boxers that make enough to not need another job.

In this episode we cover;

Ben and Jake's journey from amateur to professional,

the commitment needed to 'make weight' before a fight and the price of not doing so (Jake's story of having a single chip and Diet Coke at a birthday meal is brilliant),

fitting training in around very intense and time-consuming jobs,

the importance of having supportive and understanding partners and family,

how David Haye and Chris Eubank are both really nice people,

the psychological edge gained from know we've trained better than our opponent.

You can find Ben and Jake on Instagram (Ben - Jake) and you can follow them on Facebook.

I hope you enjoy listening as much I enjoyed recording this one.

The guest on this release is Josh Habgood Coote. Josh is a fellow runner and member of Bristol and West, but also holds a PhD in philosophy.

Josh’s academic abilities provide the perfect platform from which to discuss the increasingly popular 10,000 hour theory so we use this episode to challenge that approach and reflect on the research it was originally based off of. Click here for further information on the theory and book it appeared in.

We also use the opportunity to discuss other theories including a view of don’t just do it, think about how you do it. Relevant for anyone trying to improve in any sport or discipline regardless of current ability.

In this release we cover;

The genesis of the 10,000 hour theory and how it has been made popular by Malcolm Gladwell.

Challenging the idea that doing something for 10,000 hours will automatically make you good at it.

The different views on how we learn a skill – the intellectualist view vs the anti intellectualist.

The view of Barbara Montero that suggests it’s not as simple as just do it, we have to think about how we do it if we want to see significant gains and improvements.

I found Josh’s perspective on this topic enlightening and believe that it will serve as a great source of thinking for anyone trying to improve how they train.

You can find Josh on Instagram and Twitter

Those in and around the running community of Bristol might know Nick from his regular appearances at Eastville parkrun or Bristol and West club sessions at Whitehall. But it’s unlikely you know his story of the last 20 years.

Nick came to running late, using the inaugural Eastville Parkrun in November 2017 for his very first run. However there is a long and inspiring story to Nick, one that can only serve to help us all in overcoming any challenges that life throws at us.

In this release we cover;

A genetic eye condition that Nick has had from birth which resulted in him having his driving license taken away in his early 20s and means he is now registered blind.

Finding out later in his 20s that he wouldn’t be able to biologically father his own children.

Having then gone through the joy of having a son, how it quickly turned to another big loss with the death of his first wife just before their son’s third birthday.

How counselling helped him turn his life around from, as he describes it, rock bottom.

And the journey from engineer to handyman to counsellor and how, despite everything, he feels grateful and appreciative to have found his calling in life.

 

Nick’s progress since that first day out at Eastville in 2017 and his incredible progress. His Parkrun profile is here for you to view if for yourself. https://www.parkrun.org.uk/eastville/parkrunner/4006506/

I felt inspired listening to Nick and I hope you will too.

As always, I hope you enjoy the episode. Please review, share, subscribe if you like the podcast.

At the end of the episode I predicted a time for Nick at the Speedway 10k, the day after we recorded. Nick ran 33:54, proving my confidence in his ability!

The guest on this release is Heather Fell, Olympic silver medallist in the modern pentathlon at the 2008 Beijing Games. Heather also has a number of gold, silver and bronze medals to her name from various world and European championships but it’s always been the Olympics that I’ve found most inspiring. Perhaps because for the majority of athletes their it’s the pinnacle of their career. The timing of this recording was perfect as Heather has just recently achieved a Guinness world record for the longest indoor cycling class at 29 hours. A video of this record attempt is on the GTN Youtube page, who Heather is also a host for.

In this release we cover;

What is the modern pentathlon and how did Heather get into it?

How was it being in Beijing in 2008 with the human rights news and focus around the games?

Chris Hoys’ thighs.

Training and preparation for give sports going into the Olympics whilst also working part-time in three jobs. Including reference to Parkinson's Law.

Reflecting on the winning an Olympic medal.

That Guinness world record, specifically the mental strength required to get through it and the importance of achieving it as a team.

You can find Heather on Instagram @heatherfell_oly and on Twitter @heatherfellnews. You can also visit the sponsorship page for the Guinness World Record we discuss in the episode here.

As always, I hope you enjoy the episode. Please review, share, subscribe if you like the podcast.