In this episode of the Perfect Flow podcast I talk with my friend and well-known Kiwi adventurer Alastair McDowell about running, adventure sports and climbing. Alastair has spent the past few years hopping around the world and has brought back a wealth of experience and some great stories from climbs up frozen waterfalls in the Canadian winter to multi day missions on Yosemite National Park's El Capitan.

In this episode of the Perfect Flow Podcast I talk with nutritionist Tom Shand about the basics of fuelling for exercise. Tom has had a number of different professional roles including Trialblazer and works with a mix of athletes and non-athletes.

In this episode of the Perfect Flow Podcast I talk to Swiss National Orienteering Team athlete, Martin Hubmann, about his pathway to world class orienteer in the wake of his older brother, multiple World Champion, Daniel Hubmann

In this episode of the Perfect Flow Podcast I talk to acclaimed multisporter and adventure racer Sia Svendsen. From battles with mental health to world class athlete, this is a real underdog story that instantly rids me of complacency and gets me out the door. There was simply too much for me to take in during this conversation to have any hope of summarising it for you - anyone who knows Sia will understand!

In this episode of the Perfect Flow Podcast I talk with adventure racer and race doctor Tom Reynolds. Tom’s experiences on both sides of endurance and adventure sports gives him a complete perspective on the risks and rewards of pushing our bodies to the limit. Tom has raced multiple Godzones for the team Ataraxia (formally University of Auckland and Cloud Base Nine) and doctors with Ascent Medical, while also practicing as an ED doctor at Whangarei Hospital.

In this episode of the Perfect Flow Podcast I talk with elite orienteer Ivar Lundanes about his experiences training, competing and coaching orienteering. Ivar is the younger brother of World Champion Olav Lundanes, and has been fully immersed in the orienteering community his whole life.

In this episode of the Perfect Flow Podcast I talk with Hazel Boot of Mind in Movement about the relationships between exercise, movement and lifestyle. Hazel studied exercise physiology and aligns closely with thought leaders like Katy Bowman in her interpretation of modernity's problems

I first met Ralph at JWOC in Denmark in 2010 thanks to close relationships between the New Zealand and Great Britain orienteering teams. I've had the pleasure of seeing him progress, along with the wider Great British squad, to challenge the top nations at WOC and run for top clubs at races like Jukola and 10Mila (Tiomila). Ralph has spent much of his elite career living in Sweden and Norway and loves getting into the technical side of this complex sport.

In this episode to the Perfect Flow Podcast I talk with Christchurch based runner Chris Dunell about his training and the running community in Christchurch. Chris is an experienced ultra trail runner and contributes to the Christchurch scene through the Kathmandu-Salomon Run Club.

I told you he was a fine specimen!

The topics we cover are:

Chris’ Background

The running community in Christchurch

The sessions he does

Running easy and recovery

Getting into running

Chris on his way to 2nd place in the Old Ghost Ultra earlier this year.

Chris is taking on World Trail Running Champs this weekend!

Claire practised physiotherapy in the UK, but felt constrained by the medical system’s focus on symptomatic relief over a complete understanding of physical problems and the complex environment in which they appear. As a consultant, she chose to leave hospital work and redefine herself professionally as a movement specialist. She started Applied Movement and moved to New Zealand and now works on addressing the route cause of her clients’ problems by understanding the context in which problems arise and engaging them in a process of self discovery.

Claire on one of her runs

You can find Claire’s work at appliedmovement.co.nz

The topics we cover are:

Claire’s background in physiotherapy

Her choice to branch off from the traditional path

The benefits of multiple perspectives

What Claire looks for in an assessment

The individualised approach

Breathing for runners

Neuromuscular connections

Focusing on the process

Purpose and quality of life

Claire is also a good runner, and works closely with many runners. It is my intention to get her back on the show to delve deeper into her work in this area.