In this unique episode of the Northeast Athlete, we discuss some topics that are only just breaching the mainstream.  I had an interesting and eye-opening conversation with Mathew Thorne, a local farmer and personal trainer in the greater Rochester region.  Mat's athletic background started in high school, breaking multiple district records in track and football before being selected as running back for the Big 30 game between Western NY and Northwestern Pennsylvania.  He became a NASM-certfied trainer after high school when he moved to San Diego, California and this new location put him on cutting edge of training and performance.  Now back in Rochester, Mat practices what he preaches and during our conversation the scientific nuggets keep coming.  At times I found myself writing things down to look up evidence that supported his claims, but the evidence backed it up.  I've included some of that research here, but I encourage you to listen to this episode, and then find the proof yourself either through personal practice or documented science. 

Melatonin influencing skeletal muscle development

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7072499/

Light’s effect on mitochondria 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996814/

% water in human organs/systems/structures

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

Number of bacteria cells to human body cells

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4991899/

High level athletes using photobiomodulation

https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakewilliams3012/2017/03/04/cryousa-debuts-new-light-therapy-bed-at-nfl-combine/#30d4ee955f17

Gillian Herbert is 5'6" tall, weights 135 pounds, and is in the 29-35 y/o age category.  Hailing from Plainfield NH, Gilly now lives in Athens, GA while finishing her veterinary degree.  After hiking the Appalachian Trail straight out of high school, Gilly turned her thirst for adventure to rock climbing and has since visited some of the best locations the United States has to offer.  These include 

Rumney, NH
The Gunks, NY
Red River Gorge, KY
The Obed, TN
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Ten Sleep, WY
The Fins, ID
Winslow Wall, AZ

In this episode Gilly details the physical and mental demands of rock climbing.  

Rae Glaser stands 5'5" tall, weighs 130 pounds, and competes in the 35-39 y/o age group.  She trains out of Webster, NY and has 15 years of racing experience.   With no formal athletic background, Rae entered the scene at 20 years old and has since (among many other challenges and events)....

Completed 3 Ironman Triathlons (Lake Placid was the first) 
3 ultra marathons (PR of 58 miles in 12 hours)
Placed 11th out of 800 female runners at "Johnny's Running O' the Green" 5 mile race (35:05) 
Was the 2nd overall woman at the 2016 "Running with the Devil" marathon in Las Vegas
Set a PR of 1:40 at the Flower City half marathon  

and now has her sights set on the Barkley Marathon.  We catch up with Rae to discuss how she has managed to stay healthy this long, and how her training has evolved through the years.   Be sure to check out Rae's blog at http://triingforbalance.blogspot.com/ and check out her training updates on Strava

Rob Lippke is 5'7" tall, 170 pounds, and trains out of Syracuse NY.  Competing as a natural bodybuilder, Rob's elite performance has earned him six 1st place victories, including a massive year in 2019 where he won two professional shows.

2012 OCB Eastern USA -  1st place Novice
2012 NYS National, 1st place Juniors
2016 OCB NYS Natural, 1st place overall
2019 INBA Upstate NY 1st place overall 
2019 PNBA Legends Classic 1st place (PRO division!) 
2019 PNBA Pro-AM Nationals  1st place 

In this episode Rob shares his approach to training and show prep.   A member of Warzone Fitness, he and his fellow lifters can be found on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/warzonefitness/  and on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwCD0I3BMYLKoVZtzBSIT_Q   (search "Warzone Fitness") 

Casey is 5'8" tall, weighs 178 pounds, and is currently training in Sandy Creek, NY.  At a powerlifting meet (while weighing 160) he once double-overhand deadlifted 520 pounds. Outside of competition he's benched 350 for 2 reps, ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, and was Alfred University's starting running back 3 years in a row.  Recently he completed 2 pullups while loaded with 135 pounds.  In this episode we examine Casey's methods for gaining strength and athletic ability.   

Josiah is 6' tall and weighs 205 pounds, training out of New York City.  Without bodybuilding, he'd likely walk around at 170-175.  He took 2nd in his weight class at an OCB show in Syracuse NY and once squatted 315 for 20 reps.  In this episode we discuss finding balance in diet, training, and recovery.   

Ryan Lawrence is 5'9" tall and weighs 165 lbs, and lives in Union City Pennsylvania.  A former collegiate swimmer, he placed 10th overall at the 2019 Geneva Mussleman 70.3 (after taking 2nd in the mini-musselman the day prior) and then placed 4th in his age group (32nd overall) at the 2019 Age Group National Championships held in Miami FL.  In this episode we discuss swimming technique as well as his approach to triathlon training. 

Scott's son Drew has cerebral palsy, but that hasn't stopped him or dad from competing in the sports they love.  Scott is 6'3" tall, weighs 185 pounds, and Drew is 4' 9" tall weighing in at 90 pounds.  The duo placed 7th out of 49 racers in the 40-45 y/o age category at the 2019 Mighty Niagra half marathon, finishing in 1:50:55.  They later competed in the 2019 Marine Corps marathon finishing in 4:02:40 and captured the public's attention with a  feature in Runner's World.  Ambassador for the Buffalo NY chapter of Ainsley's Angels, Scott takes a moment to share his experience training for endurance sports while pushing, pulling, and towing his son Drew (who has won more medals than his dad!).  

Bruce Rogers is 6'4" tall, weighs 195 lbs, and lives in Rochester NY.  After a record year in 2019 with personal bests at the Chicago Marathon and Barrelman 70.3 triathlon, Bruce explains the positive impact of training with a heart rate monitor, as well as the mentality needed to break through old barriers.  

John Cooling is 6'0" tall, weighs 180 pounds, and lives in Rochester NY.  He competed in the 35-39 y/o age category at the 2019 Ironman Lake Placid, finishing in 13:00:34.  In this episode we examine his two year journey from triathlon newbie to "Ironman."