The guest on this release is Sorcha Gavin.

Sorcha was a guest on the second episode where we covered a range of topics from her experience as a life coach. For the sequel, we focused on the topic of anxiety after a poll that Sorcha recently ran on her Instagram stories. Anxiety is a something we all experience, it’s just that some struggle with it more than others. Which is why I think this discussion with Sorcha is relevant for everyone.

In this release we cover;

Social anxiety

Generalised anxiety

Catastrophising and fear of failure

Self sabotage

Visualisation

Gratitude – and how you can’t feel this and anxiety at the same time

Some of the signs and symptoms that help you realise you’re suffering from anxiety

The benefit of baby steps as you seek to overcome it

Finally, Sorcha turned the tables on me at the end and asked me to share my own experiences of anxiety and how I have learned to deal with it.

There was a small interruption with the family dog barking at someone about 15 minutes into the podcast, don’t be alarmed when you hear that. No dogs were harmed in the recording of this episode.

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

You can find Sorcha on Instagram as @circa_gav and @sorchagavincoaching - her website is www.sorchagavincoaching.com

Did you know that 94% of people with an eating disorder aren’t underweight?

The guest on this release is Hope Virgo, a campaigner for eating disorders and mental health. Hope has experienced eating disorders herself as a teenager and again during a relapse just a few years ago. She also has lived experience of obsessive exercise alongside her eating disorder.

I believe that the relationship we can sometimes have with food as a result of the exercise we do, but also the obsessive nature of it when focusing on training for a specific event, is unhealthy for a significant number of people. I really wanted Hope to share some of her own experiences and also help us to identify some of the behaviours and some of the habits that might cause us to raise a little flag and to have a look at what we’re doing, how we’re behaving, and whether that continues to be healthy.

The point of the podcast was very much about helping you to identify them and to think about the relationship with food and exercise, whether you are an elite runner or someone just starting out on the journey to fitness.

In this episode we talk about;

Hope’s journey through eating disorders

The #dumpthescales campaign – ignited by Hope’s own struggle to get the help she needed because she wasn’t deemed underweight by her BMI measurement

What are the various eating disorders we should be aware of? Only 8% of cases are anorexia

When exercise becomes obsessive and unhealthy.

Hope’s work with social media companies, including Instagram, and in schools.

How to deal with the festive period and all of the indulgences that usually come with this time of year.

You can find Hope on Instagram as @hopevirgo_ and search for dump the scales

Here's a link to the change.org petition

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

As well as being a very, very good runner, Dan is also a student of sports psychology. Having heard him on another podcast recently, I really wanted him on Let The Gains Begin to share his experience and learnings on how we use psychology for our training, regardless of ability.

In this episode we talk about;

The psychological side to performance and training including the belief effect and placebos

The use of psychological strategies including accountability. What do we do when we don’t hit 100% of our training goals and need to adjust

The effect of social media on our assessment and justification of performance

How less can sometimes be more – a real-life example

The physiological aspects of training and some of the interesting variations we see when using rate of perceived exertion

As always, please review, share, subscribe if you like the podcast.

During his time living in New Zealand, he worked with the Hurricanes which, at the time, consisted of 12 of the All Blacks rugby union team. He worked with them on the mental skills required to complement and enhance elite performance. Since returning to his native Ireland, Jason has taken on the role of director of wellbeing and leadership at Wrkit.

Jason is also an author, with his book Win – Proven Strategies for Success in Sport, Life and Mental Health written in partnership Brent Pope, a mental health advocate and RTE sports commentator in Ireland, examines the mindset behind the psychology of winning and how the mental skills applied in sports can be adapted for success in everyday life.

We spent this release expanding on the contents of his book, including;

Mental skills for happiness. What is the happiness baseline?

What are the five common drivers that motivate us? And what are the dysfunctional behaviours they can lead to?

What can we learn from Ireland losing to New Zealand in a game of rugby?

Vision, values and mission. Our guiding principles to keep us on course for our personal goals.

4 Ds – a simple model of the four key attributes required for success

The benefits of visualisation

Rethinking fear – why are NATs the PITs?

Journaling and meditation as practices to improve your wellbeing

During the podcast we reference Wrkit's Global Working From Home Survey which can be accessed here.

Jo returns for part two as we dive into her book, Therapy is...Magic, which is officially launched today.

In this episode we focus our attention more on the contents of the book. Covering key topics that include;

The science behind why talking is good for you

Why friends aren't a replacement for a therapist

The difference between therapy and something that's therapeutic

The toolkits that exist throughout the book as helpful checklists for readers

How to approach a friend of family member that you think could benefit from therapy

How to go about finding a therapist and what to expect

Jo is an amazingly passionate campaigner on everything related to mental health. You can follow her on Instagram @jo__love__ and @therapyismagic

Jordan has an incredible story from being a mum for the first time just 12 months ago to completing the 2021 London marathon in 3 hours 10 minutes. We discussed this journey and the dedication to training required but also touched upon some of the darker parts of social media, including one particular forum that exists with the sole purpose of vilifying celebrities and social media influencers.

Jordan’s story is a very positive one. From being an obsessive runner who overtrained and focused only on hitting the prescribed sessions and mileage to now being more relaxed about her running thanks to her daughter coming into her world a year ago. The end result, in her own words, was her most enjoyable marathon ever in London. There are loads of useful tips throughout for people at different stages of their fitness journey.

Topics covered and order of running;

The dark side of social media and its impact on mental health

Pre-baby running and the dangers of overtraining

Post-baby return to running and being at ease with running when time allows, which in turn means enjoying it more!

You can find Jordan on Instagram and her website.

A one-off, short episode with a special guest, just for some fun.

Here the views of a five year old, covering;

Being healthy

Not smoking

Picking up litter

Flowers

Shaun founded Let's Get Running in 2011 with a mission to improve the health and wellbeing of workplaces through running. Not only that, his running CV is impressive, with a fourth-placed finish at the National Cross Country and a mountain running crown amongst his achievements. Shaun is also the host of the Let's Get Running podcast which has seen some high-profile guests since its inception.

After a short review of the London marathon and some stellar performances, Shaun shares some of the hints and tips he provides to the runners of all abilities that join his workplace sessions. From those getting into running for the first time as well as those looking to take the step up.

Amongst the running tales (which includes a massive cut across his knee from a training camp in Ethiopia, just two weeks before a big marathon), there are learnings for everyone.

You can find Let's Get Running on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

In the first of two episodes, we delve deep into the events that contributed so much to Jo's upcoming book  Therapy is... Magic, which is released on 7th October 2021.

You can pre-order on Amazon here 

Jo's story is incredible, raw and honest. There is no holding back as we discuss at great length;

The loss of her father and dealing with bereavement, including the impact that social media has on Father's Day.

Post-natal depression, including suicidal thoughts and how they were the trigger to finally seek help

The purpose behind writing the book and the process from initial idea through to publication.

You can find Jo on Instagram @jo__love__ and @therapyismagic

If you, or anyone you know, is struggling with their mental health, here are some resources that may help. Most importantly, seek help from a professional.

Resources

NHS mental health crisis support 

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)

Mind 

Samaritans

Karl is high-level amateur runner who, through relentless dedication and commitment is achieving amazing times. At London marathon in October 2021 he's seeking to surpass his 2:23:01 at Valencia in 2019.

Hear from Karl talk in his unique and energetic way about; 

his work as an Occupational Therapist to rehabilitate those that have suffered from neurological injury and/or trauma,

training for Valencia marathon in 2019 and details on the race itself,

the importance of the objective view of a coach and the motivation from a group in an individual sport,

the tips that aspirational runners can learn from, regardless of their ability.

Find Karl on Instagram @karl_tmr_runner and @teammarathonroad