In todays Friday Fat Black Pete and I discuss stress and it's impacts on your body, especially when it comes to adrenal fatigue (something that I've been dealing with as a post issue of celiac diagnosis last year and something I'm writing about that will inevitably help you because for me it was the 'perfect storm'). What we forget or don't acknowledge is that stress is a stress is a stress and what I mean here is that the more stress we pile on from our lifestyles means the less training stress we can tolerate.

We also go into using HRV (heart rate variability) as a way to track our stress responses in real time. The kicker here is that you might not even feel stressed but your sympathetic nervous (fight-or-flight) system is actually on overdrive and using the tracking apps and devices we link to below can help you become aware of this and create ways to minimise the SNS activity which when chronic will lead to break down and potentially adrenal fatigue.

And finally we jump into one of the biggest stressors we load onto ourselves and this is sleep debt.

Enjoy and as we said in the podcast ... let us know in the comments what you want us to discuss and we will randomly choose a winner to give some cool TriSpecific and Trigger Point swag.

Stress and performance:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3108174

Stress and HRV:http://www.sweetwaterhrv.com/documentation/stressandhrv.pdf

SweatBeat App:http://www.sweetwaterhrv.com/SweetBeatLife/SweetBeatLife_Features.shtml

Heart Rate Strap to use with SweetBeatLife:

Wahoo Fitness Tickr or Tickr Run

Understanding HRV:http://www.sweetwaterhrv.com

How to switch off and relax:http://www.heartmathstore.com

Sleep and performnace:http://jamesclear.com/better-sleephttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12683469

Getting better sleep:

http://superhumanencoder.com/entrainer-acoustics/Sunrise clocks

In todays podcast Pete and I talk about the BIKE ... quite fitting because the TDF starts tomorrow and we all love riding our bikes.

We discuss how to effectively and efficiently train the bike by looking into the 5 important systems we must train to reach our potential on the bike and become strong so we can race fast in Iron distance races.

http://www.trispecific.com/its-a-strength-game/

In todays Friday Fat Black Pete and chew the fat on developing mental fortitude and how attitude and how you train can help you develop the mental toughness needed to reach your potential.

Challenge Gold Coast is set to become one of those must do bucket list races on the Australian calendar. It’s a spectacular course – nice creek swim, undulating and challenging bike course through Currumbin and Tallebudgera Valleys (with King of the Mountain ‘The Beast’ section timed separately) and run with stunning water views along Currumbin creek, Currumbin and Tugun beaches. Entries are selling fast and will likely close off in the next week or two. Don't miss out on this inaugural Challenge race.

Sign up here before it's too late: http://www.challenge-goldcoast.com.au/

This weeks FFB Pete and I get to chew the fat with super successful coach Sergio Borges who not only has 128 Kona qualifiers to his name but isn't afraid to think and coach outside the box which obviously resonates with Pete and I.

Sergio has dedicated the last 19 years to studying the ART and science of triathlon training. During this time, he has competed in hundreds of races of all distances including 21 Ironman races around the world (9:38 PR), over 60 half ironmans (4:12 PR), qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships seven times (so far). Sergio has also been nominated as "All American" by USA Triathlon, 9 times. After over 10 years of investment banking, he decided to apply his expertise to personal triathlon coaching. Sergio is a certified Level III USA Triathlon coach, Level II ITU Triathlon Coach, Level II USA cycling coach, coached the USA Elite, Junior Elite and U23 team at the World Duathlon in Switzerland in 2003 and the U23 Tri national team in 2004. Also has worked with USAT at the Collegiate National Camps, Recruitment Camps, lecturing at the Coaching Level I and II Clinics and writes for 3 sport magazines. Sergio was involved in the FIRST ever Paratriathlon Camp organized by CAF, is the founder of the JCC Triathlon Master Program and the Kids XTeam Triathlon Club.

In 2004 he developed his own method – Inverted Training Periodisation and have since perfect it making Ironman Champions, Top 3 in 70.3 Races and many AG podiums around the World. Sergio combines his vast experience coaching athletes of all ages and abilities with a fundamental belief in the need for an individualised and realistic training plan for each athlete achieve his or her goal -- from staying healthy to becoming a champion!

Inverted PeriodisationSergio Borges X Training on Facebookhttp://www.sdxtraining.com/new/Endurance Movie with Haile Gebrselassie

Episode #32 of the Friday Fat Black has to be one of our best and longest yet. Pete and I get the pleasure of speaking with Greg Muller of Pure-Athlete. Greg completely blows us away with his knowledge on what's truly important to get the performances you desire.

http://www.pure-athlete.com/

TriSpecific FFB listener 20% discount code: pureaust and since the payments are in euro, don't worry Greg will look after you with some bonus products. 

Pure Athlete Recovery and the Totem Pole

Book Recommendations:Power Versus Force

Your Body's Many Cries For Water

Water Logged

You can connect with Greg via [email protected]

Today's Friday Fat Black comes to your from Far North Queensland (FNQ) as athletes gear up for Ironman this weekend. Pete and I cover some great tips for those racing and even if you're not racing these tips are going to help you. We discuss goals, attitudes, choices, mental states and how rushing performance on race day can ultimately kill your performance.

What we cover:

Links:

In episode 30 of the Friday Fat Black, Pete and I get to speak with TS and recent sub 10 hour athlete and ALL BLACKS Strength & Conditioning Coach Nicholas Gill on all things recovery. Nic understands that his athletes need to be able to work hard, recover quickly so that they adapt quickly and can get stuck back into more work. Thus creating optimal performance.

It's through this work and with multitudes of other elite athletes that Nic has a great handle on the recovery methods to use. He has also written numerous papers and peered revied journals on the subjects of compression and cold therapy.

What we cover:

The all important recovery strategies

The recovery KING

What your days should start with

Compression, the what, the how, the when, the type and the ALL BLACKS policy on them.

Can compression garments actually hinder performance?

When most injuries happen

The mental side of recovery methods

Can recovery be enhanced too much and affect the stress we want and need on the body to improve?

Cold Baths - do they really work?

Strategies for time poor athletes

The 5 key things that need to be covered for optimal tissue health

The backbone of performance … and what kills it

Some simple things to do when your tired and to not let recovery go out the window

Salt Baths … why?

Links:

Nicholas Gill (All Blacks S&C Coach)

Pure-Athlete

Sports Pump / Graduated Compression boots

Trigger Point Tools

Resets

Dont have a bath … how about these options

kids pools

Ants pants blow up baths

http://www.icoolsport.com/

https://www.optomo.com.au/product/inflatable-ice-bath-solo/

https://www.optomo.com.au/product/inflatable-ice-bath-team/

In todays podcast Pete and I get to interview successful age grouper, businessman and family man Ricky Jeffs of the erdigroup and Urban Hotel group.

Ricky has been involved in triathlon since 1985 and has done 15 Ironmans while running a very successful and busy business. In this episode Ricky gives us some amazing insights on both business and in Ironman. There are so many great things in this podcast you'll have to listen again and again so you can implement and thus help with your own life success. One of my favourites was getting inspired from best practice.

Les Erdi Biography "Whatever It Is, This Is What It Is" This is the book I picked up "stole" from Urban Brisbane and if you're interested in success in life and business then get yourself a copy.

Jack Welch Book "Winning"

Urban Hotel

In todays Friday Fat Black Pete and I dive into the importance of being realistic about the goals and expectations you set yourself.

Personally I hate the saying "you have to be realistic" or "realistically, I can only ....", to me that is being  mired in mediocrity. I love Big Hairy Audacious Goals and while you could look at some not being 'realistic' right now - if you are willing to commit (you do know there is an enormous difference in being interested or being committed don't you) and give it the time, patience and dedication needed, backed with a never give up on your dreams attitude then almost anything is truly possible.

- How goals and expectations are a doubled edged sword

- Breaking goals into two parts: Process and Move you forward goals

- Focus and concentration

- The NEED to look at things from a neutral perspective: What are the 'facts' right now.

- Why you shouldn't judge your self worth on a workout or result

- The expectations you should start with

- Race day, how we focus on the wrong things which push us away from the goals we want.

- Life circumstances

- When to take your goals and expectations with you and when to leave the behind

- Why you choke or make stupid avoidable mistakes in a race

- and so much more

Goal Setting

Visioning

Understanding Your Why

The mindset needed to reach your goals

In todays episode of the Friday Fat Black, Pete and I talk go deep into the understanding differences in training on gender and body types and why it's important to understand.

Breathing Podcast

Resets