Why I hurried slowly this year This is a story about reaching the depths of your soul, questioning who you are, your values, what you stand for & WHY you do what you do- THEN rising strong. A story that I feel needs to be told and that I want to tell... You can read the feature blog on our website, alternatively I've also recorded it as a sound bite so you can hear these words with greater meaning.

Fraser is a lecturer in sport coaching, while also running Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosis. He has over fifteen years delivering coach education and psychological skills training to high performance athletes and coaches. He currently provides psychological support for the Deakin Melbourne Boomers. He has previously been employed as performance psychologist, providing mental skills training, with a number of professional teams, coaches and athletes. He has a strong research background with a number of publications in performance psychology, mental toughness, wellbeing, stress and coping, and coach education. In todays conversation we talk about an integral element of performance, mindfulness. We talk about how to integrate mindfulness into an athletes daily training environment with very simply strategies to create calm, focus, manage pain or difficult sensations. We discuss: What is mindfulness? Mindfulness vs Meditation Mindfulness for athletes Mental skills and focus Managing pain or discomfort Using mindfulness to reach your maximal potential Using lyrics and music during a race or training Using the 5 senses to design your own mindfulness practise that works for you Show note links: Website: www.meshhypno.com Audio Packges for Mental skills and performance: https://www.meshhypno.com/audio-packages Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meshhypno/ @meshhypno TED talk - Being brilliant everyday - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRItG9G1rb4

You are in for a treat! Today I chat with Peter Pan. Well, not exactly. I chat with my big brother, Adam Pedicini, the closest you will ever come to meeting Peter Pan. Adam lives in LA, running his business Lifestyle By Adam Pedicini, fondly known as L.A.P. He has never stood still, exploring the many facets of his talents which has lead him to pursue careers in outdoor education, modelling, dancing, acting and personal training. This was certainly a different tact to the rest of the interviews on the podcast to date. We knew we wanted to share our love of adventure and how it has shaped both of our lives, and how it has helped us both in the pursuit of athletic goals and exploring human potential. Adam shares insightful experiences of how his childhood shaped his natural desire to explore and how the challenges that present themselves through adventure have shaped his life for the better. I hope this podcast inspires you to step outside your comfort zone in the pursuit of expressing your human and athletic potential. Or to simply find the joy in your everyday. We discuss: Adam's up bringing and how it cultivated a sense of adventure  How to overcome fear and adversity with a sense of adventure  Engaging in education in a way that works for YOU Self sabotage and diminishing one's goals for fear of community expectations  Finding JOY in simplicity  Find the opportunity for beauty in nature  Running in the dark Our Mum's influence & Adam's adventure with her to Africa.  Raising resilient kids and how adventure is shaping Adam's parenthood role Show note links: Adam's website: www.lap.life.com Adam on Instagram: @lap.life Our Mum's story of Adventure: https://virtusperformance.podbean.com/e/33-pat-pedicini-a-life-of-adventure/

Despite our best efforts, accidental under eating is quite common in athletes. I have brought in our resident health and nutrition coach with Holistic Endurance. Kirsty Taylor is qualified health and nutrition coach, and currently in her 2nd study year of nutritional and dietetic medicine. Kirsty is immensely passionate about gut health, & hormone balance for the integration of optimal performance and wellness in athletes. Today's conversation covers all things nutrient timing, daily caloric intake, metabolic efficiency testing, how to identify under eating and prevent it. We look forward to hearing what your favourite tid bit of knowledge that you take away from today's episode.

Nikki's story may feel familiar to many people, and we were cognisant that it can be a sensitive topic. The purpose of todays conversation was to kick start the dialogue amongst athletes, practitioners, doctors and coaches in regards to athletic longevity, and in particular fertility considerations for athletes. Nikki Butterfield has a long and impressive athletic history. Starting Triathlons back in 1997 under the guidance of Jackie Fairwhether. She was in good company, training with the likes of Annabelle Luxford, Miranda Carfrae and Emma Snowsill. During her athletic career she described it as "flogging herself day in day out." During that time female Triathlete's were dominating the sport and Nikki found her strength in cycling, switching over to the bike as a professional in 2005. After being on the Aus team and missing Olympic selection, she was disheartened and devastated. Her husband Tyler Butterfield had always wanted to kids so Nikki shifted her focus from being an athlete to being a Mum, but her journey wasn't a smooth one, and that's the story you're going to hear today. Nikki will share what she discovered lead to her difficulty in maintaining a pregnancy. (Note, we did leave off the 3rd reason and I have expanded on this as an additional audio at the end of the podcast) Both Nikki & I felt that this topic was very important to raise awareness of fertility and the menstrual cycle in athletes, especially in the formative years. So if this podcast simply starts the conversation, for athletes of all ages, we have done our job for today.We discuss: Nikki's Professional Career highlights What her professional career training load looked like Her 3 children, from 10 pregnancies The medical maze she entered to get answers The relationship between being an athlete & fertility considerations Menstrual cycle irregularities Ovarian reserve Advise for future mothers and athletes Show note links: Nikki's Instagram for Triathlon: https://www.instagram.com/butterfieldracing/ @butterfieldracing Nikki's Instagram for the family & farm: https://www.instagram.com/thebutterfieldfamilyfarm/ @thebutterfieldfamilyfarm

Elly Mclean is a Holistic Nutritionist & Real Food lover who works with the team at The Natural Nutritionist. Elly is a Marathon runner, wannabe yogi and yes, her favourite food is kale. Elly believes that food is fuel, but above all else, should be enjoyed. She has followed a vegan protocol on and off for some time, but more recently has found it not conducive to thriving while competing in marathons. In search of understanding why, Elly pursued comprehensive gut health testing which revealed parasites and bacterial imbalances were the underlying cause.  Her own experience has not diminished her passion for assisting vegan athletes in refining their nutrition needs in order to thrive – an example of precisely why good nutrition is relative to the individual. Today’s conversation gets into the nitty gritty of what it takes to thrive as a vegan or vegetarian athlete. It’s conversation very much relevant to all athletes, whether they eat animal protein or not - as we dive into nutrient density, nutrient timing and gut health, too. Our hope is that vegan and vegetarian athletes listen up to learn about the parameters they can address and measure in order to perform and feel vital. And that athletes eating animal proteins gain a greater understanding of the importance of ‘eating yo-greens‘ and maintaining a healthy gut balance. ______ We discuss: Why is Elly so passionate about Vegan and Vegetarian athletes? Nutrient density Vitamins and minerals that are a priority on a vegan protocol Nutrient timing & fat adaptation Gut health, digestion & testing Pathology testing specific to vegan or vegetarian athletes Hurdles and complications often seen in clinic; mood, cognition and  inflammation Vegan Bulletproof Coffee! Show note links: https://thenaturalnutritionist.com.au/can-vegans-become-fat-adapted/ https://thenaturalnutritionist.com.au/how-to-be-the-healthiest-vegan/ https://thenaturalnutritionist.com.au/new-recipe-dairy-free-mct-coffee/ You can find Elly at: @nutritionelly @TheNaturalNutritionist www.thenaturalnutritionist.com.au

In my first conversation with Nathan, the lasting impression he made was “man that guy knows his numbers”. He knew his metrics back to front, any question I asked about previous performance and mishaps, he could answer and identify what contributed to “X” result. This meant that our wellness consultations were more succinct, impactful and lasting while we worked together to formulate a nutrition, wellness and race nutrition & hydration plan. As a fellow data nerd, I thoroughly enjoyed todays conversation. We set out with the purpose to help share Nathan’s story and how data and metrics have paved his journey from age group to professional Triathlete. Very successfully I might add. Athletic Highlights; Age Group Ironman World Champion (25-29) 2016 Ironman PB of 8:18 (Ironman New Zealand 2018) Multiple age group wins and podiums 2015 National Long Course Champion (25-29) 5th Ironman World Champs 2015 (25-29) 1st Amateur, 14th Overall and amateur course record, New Zealand 2016 2nd amateur and 38th overall, Ironman World Championships 2016 5th place pro Ironman Western Australia 2017 6th place pro Ironman New Zealand 2018 What also contributes to Nathan’s success, is the changes he has made to his nutrition and metabolic efficiency along the way, while adopting an LCHF lifestyle. I have no doubt you’re going to learn a lot from this one! We discuss: Nathan’s journey as a successful age group Triathlete What he learnt from his 1st & 2nd age group IM that paved the way to his first Kona experience. Learning from race mistakes Utilising and document data for purpose of race planning Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and testing protocols Aerobic Decoupling & identifying limiters Intensity Factor (IF) for race planning / training Training Stress Score (TSS) and how it builds your Chronic Training Load (CTL) Acute Training Load (ATL) and Training Stress Balance (TSB) Nathan’s shift to whole foods and Lower Carbohydrate Higher Fat (LCHF) lifestyle Metabolic Efficiency impact on performance and nutrition planning Show note links: Nathan Shearer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanshearer/ Training Peaks Analysis Kona 2016: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/kona-power-analysis-male-25-29-age-group-winner/ Coaching Profile: https://www.tzeromultisport.com/nathan-shearer.html

If I’m honest, I was not prepared for just how pivotal, exceptional and emotionally moving this conversation would be. I would like to invite you to really soak in this episode, and I have no doubt it will be one you return too multiple times. Carmen Atkinson is a passionate Wellness & Performance focused Health Practitioner. A plant-based Ultra-distance Endurance Athlete. A Multi-sport Coach and Functional Strength Instructor.  An advocate for personal and spiritual growth. An inspirational Speaker and Writer and Chiropractor. She is also a long time deer friend and inspiration. Carmen shares some deeply moving personal stories, at times comical and at times heart wrenching. But through these stories you will come to learn where her tenacity, determination, strength, wisdom and drive was cultivated from It is these characteristics that have taken her on athletic pursuits which has seen her achieve the following resume: 5 x Ironman Triathlons  (inc Ironman World Championships Kona 2015) 8 x 70.3 (including multiple age group podiums) 12 x Road & Trail Ultra-marathons (Including 1st Australian Female at The Comrades Ultramarathon, South Africa 2010 & 2012 and multiple podium finishes in domestic events) 10 + Marathons - Personal Best 3:14 (Melbourne Marathon 2012) As you will learn through this episode, it’s not about being born with athletic talent, we are all athletes and exploring, being curious about our athletic soul can ultimately unveil our hidden potential. And as Carmen put it, “My struggle in the water, on the bike and the pain that comes from hitting the pavement or the trails for hours on end and the discipline required to get up every day tired and fatigued, will never be as tortuous as the battle with anorexia.” We discuss: What does unveiling the athletic soul mean? The concept and theme of being CURIOUS Open water swimming fears Self belief & possibility: How we are far more capable of anything we ever imagined Why Ultraman? "The crash" - that doesn't define her or her racing The greatest lesson & wisdom that came from being inside a cupboard during a hurricane Drawing on innate skills through adversity The benefits & role of Chiropractic, especially for endurance athletes Show note links: Carmen's Website: www.theinnateathlete.com Carmen on Instagram: @the_innate_athlete https://www.instagram.com/the_innate_athlete/ The Ultraman Aus Family: https://ultramanoz.com.au @ultraman The book that shifted Carmen's life: Rich Roll: Finding Ultra

If you’ve ever pondered the idea of buying a new bike with your tax return or perhaps you've felt strapped for cash thanks to endurance pursuits, this episode is for you. Today I interview LAUREN LAW (LAWSIE) co-founder of Money Barre, Lauren is a Financial Advisor and Accountant. Loving structure and discipline as she does, Lawsie enjoys applying this to her fitness. She has run marathons, endurance trail runs, endurance treks and bike rides stretching hundreds of kilometres. We discuss the impact that money stress can have on our system - the physiological system and the bank account "system" if you will. We go into great strategies to manage your cash flow and how to prioritise "hobby spending" when it comes to entering Triathlons and large events and how to save for them, inline with your money values. This is certainly a unique topic for a health and fitness podcast but I feel it encompasses the holistic lifestyle factors brilliantly, because if we are ticking all the boxes in regards to training and recovery BUT we are hampered by money stress/ors, we are only going to get so far in our pursuit to overall wellness and performance. I thoroughly enjoyed "nerding out" on the numbers with Lauren, and I look forward to hearing about the wisdom you take away from this episode. We discuss: Making money sexy Cash flow tracking tools The bucket approach Personalised financial approaches Reducing restriction The Mojo / fun stuff account App suggestions 30 day financial cleanse Unfuck your finances book Show note links: Accounting Services: http://byata.com.au/lauren-law/ The Money Barre: http://www.themoneybarre.com.au/lauren-law/ 30 day financial cleanse: http://www.melissabrowne.com.au/product/30-day-financial-detox-online-course-link-buy UnFuck Your Finances Book: http://www.melissabrowne.com.au/product/unfck-finances/ Xero Accounting software: https://www.xero.com/au Wave accounting software: http://waveapps.com/

This interview with Greg Dea, Sports Physiotherapist will have you challenge your mind when it comes to how you view movement and performance. Greg can be found travelling Australia, New Zealand, Asai and Europe with his education courses. With a true passion for knowledge and impacting an persons athletic journey, Greg’s skill set has seen him work with; China’s Womens Volleyball team (they wen’t on to win the world cup) Soldiers, Sailors and Pilots across British Forces and Australian military. As well as your everyday gym go-er, footballer, soccer player, swimmer, triathlete or runner. He can now be found on the Mornington Peninsula, where he utilises the teachings of functional movement systems, founded by Gray Cook, known as FMS or SFMA. He integrates this into his practise as a sports physio while also conducting body + bike fits, allowing cyclists and triathlete to look at how their body AND bike can work better TOGETHER. In todays chat Greg uses his unique mind and love for analogies to explain what can be complex concepts in the world of biomechanics and functional movement. I certainly look forward to hearing about the impact that his wisdom has on your training and movement preparation, injury rehab and injury PREVENTION space. We discuss: - Why athletes struggle with the 1%ers such as mobility and pre workout activation - Pillars of performance - Bike & body fit - How to work as a team with practitioners - Functional Movement Screening - The value of min criteria for movement - Rolling patterns

I wanted to get Laura on the show for a number of reasons. I met her through Stef Hanson of WITSUP, coincidently it was the day prior to her up rooting her life in Sydney and taking the plunge into a full time career as a professional athlete. I was certainly ignorant at the time as to what this meant for this random chick sitting across from me at a bar in St Kilda. Since then she has had a very successful career, and a stellar racing resume, her performance and experience continued to grow and all the pieces were coming together, but Laura faced an going challenge of often being the bridesmaid but never the bride. That was until Port Macquarie Ironman in 2017 where she became the Ironman Australia Womens Champion. It was emotional to watch Laura run down the finishing shoot and celebrate the years the culminated to that moment. Laura is coached by Matt Dixon, the author of the Well Built Triathlete and Fast Track Triathlete – with a focus on building the fundamentals of health, strength, and specific training for optimal performance Laura has been able to express her potential as quite a robust athlete and on todays show we get into some of the key aspects that enable her to perform at a high level with minimal injury or immunity issues. Laura has been very open on show about some her struggles and gets honest with those 1%ers that she focuses on. My hope is you come away with a greater perspective and understanding of who is Laura Siddall but also some key action steps you can take away to be a more robust athelte. Show note links: Laura’s Website: https://laurasiddall.com Sid Talks segment on Fitter Radio Podcast: Pumpy Jackson Chocolate: http://pumpyjackson.com Lauren Parker Foundation: https://www.laurenparkerfoundation.com.au More Than Sport: https://www.morethansport.org