You're a runner or triathlete and you‘re putting in all the miles, but are you spending any time strength training? If you're not strength training should you be? Why? And importantly, HOW? It’s easy to get lost in a Dr. Google search about this question, flustered with the endless contradictory opinions and recommendations. I felt it was important to make sure you were getting the correct information, from an expert in the field who works with runners, researches the topic and wrote the book Strength Training for Endurance Runners, Dr. Richard Blagrove. He’s one of the top experts when it comes to strength training for endurance runners. Dr. Blagrove offers practical information including exact exercises and how to execute them and examples of how to progress with resistance training using the principles of training specificity, overload, and adaptation. Inside the podcast we cover many of your burning questions, including but not limited to: · Will resistance training improve my running performance? How? · If I’m new to running, shouldn’t I just run more? Can the novice benefit from   resistance training too? · How many sets and reps should I lift and how often? · Should I try to replicate the running motion in the gym, since I’m training for running? · I’m worried about injuries, can targeting certain muscles in training may be worthwhile? · What’s the posterior chain and why do I need to focus on training it? · I don’t have time to train for an hour 2-3 times a week, so what can I do instead? · What are some effective training exercises I can do at home? · Will resistance training make me bulky? Why not? · What if I want to gain muscle? Should I lift and do my running in any particular order? · How may energy restriction in my diet be factoring into injuries and muscle building? · How can I navigate through all of the adversities I’m facing as an athlete and in my life? Check out Dr. Blagrove’s book Strength and Conditioning for Endurance Running. His newer book The Science and Practice of Middle and Long Distance Running, is for those of you who want to do a deeper dive into the science behind it all, an includes contributions from 30+ experts in the field of exercise physiology. You can also follow and learn more from Dr. Blagrove on twitter @richardblagrove. Thank you so much for listening. I would really appreciate if you could take a moment right now now and head over to Apple Podcasts here and rate my podcast and leave a comment. Subscribe to my brief monthly newsletter here and don't miss out on the latest tips from me and sports nutrition and physiology updates and articles.

Why can't you stop that negative chatter in your mind? Would you ever talk to someone the way to talk to yourself? On that note, how should you talk to yourself, in the first person or third person? Hold on, do you even recognize your thought patterns? If not, how do you cultivate the awareness that you have negative self talk running like a reel in your mind? So many questions and so many great answers. I reached out to World Champion Mountain Biker and Health Coach Sonya Looney for this podcast, who not only has implemented mindset strategies in her own career, but has also created a course on Mindset for others to reap the benefits of what she has learned and studied for several years. I feel like I need to go back to this episode and write many of the quotes down that Sonya dropped as they were so poignant and meaningful. There were a lot of practical tips and this conversation left me pondering a few things about goal setting, what 'type' of person I am and the power of setting goals with specific parameters in order to help become the person you want to be. I left my own podcast pretty motivated to practice what Sonya was teaching in my every day life and I hope you leave it as motivated as I did. Here are a few things that we discuss during our conversation: Tools to cultivate awareness of your thoughts How to start meditating & cultivating self awareness How to follow through on goals and why it matters Creating your identity Key factors in setting goals you can achieve Self talk during cycling training and racing How to manage your expectations Why comparing yourself to others is a big mistake How to move through life adversity You can learn more from Sonya on her website and through her podcast The Sonya Looney show, both which are listed below. If you're interested in starting Sonya's Mindset program (highly recommend it!), the direct link is also below. In addition if you want to up your cycling swag game, check out Sonya's Moxy and Grit collection at the link below. Sonya also has an awesome YouTube page with incredible tips on mountain bike training, equipment and mindset. So much to learn. Thanks for listening, I truly appreciate you being a part of the community. I would love if you could hop over to Apple Podcast and rate my podcast and leave a quick comment. This helps my podcast reach a larger audience, which means I can share the amazing knowledge my guests have with as many people as possible, which is my goal! I love to share comments and they also help me to improve my podcast and consider other future guests. If you have any comments feel free to message me here below in the comments or connect with me on twitter, IG or through my email. To connect with and learn from Sonya follow the links below: Website: https://www.sonyalooney.com/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonya-looney-show/id1233067098?mt=2 Mindset Academy Course: https://moxy-grit.thinkific.com/courses/moxy-grit-mindset-academy For a more detailed write up with more links to Soyna, visit my Prokit page here: https://theprokit.com/composer/create-post/post.php?post=508670&action=edit

For athletes looking to conceive during their lifetimes, understanding the potential impacts of exercise on reproductive health is paramount. I noticed that there was very little media attention given to the effects of exercise on reproductive health. After having met many athletes who have struggled with fertility and reproductive health, I wanted to learn more about the topic and share this information with you through my podcast. It was my pleasure to have the opportunity to speak with Reproductive Biologist and embryologist Dr. Diana Vaamonde about this topic. Dr. Vaamonde a Professor of Anatomy and Embryology at the University of Cordoba and a recent author of the book Fertility, Pregnancy and Wellness. She has also spent many years working in fertility clinics and has both clinical and research experience, which gives her a deep understanding of how difficult this is emotionally for people who do want to conceive and have children. Dr. Vaamonde did an excellent job translating the science into accessible terms that we can all understand and relate to during our discussion. I learned a lot and here is what you can learn when you tune in. How temperature and saddle pressure impacts sperm parameters in males Physiology of the reproductive system (male/female) Athletes, oxidative stress and how it impacts reproductive health, including mitochondria in sperm and eggs. (RED-S) Low energy availability and reproductive health Is there a sweet spot of exercise volume to optimize reproductive health? Why having a period doesn’t always mean you are fertile and a bit about anovulation. IVF therapy and healthy lifestyle. What is the ‘volume threshold’ in regards to reproductive health? How reversible are reproductive changes that may occur in response to certain types of exercise or low energy availability? How to navigate through difficult life circumstances and keep moving forward when things are TOUGH! It is very important to consult with your physician if you are struggling to conceive. This podcast does not serve as medical advice, rather it is a source of information from an expert in the field which you can learn from. As we discussed in the podcast, there are many other factors which can impact someone’s ability to conceive. We touched on some topics which may contribute to your reproductive health, however it is important to have a full medical assessment if you are concerned or struggling. To learn more from Dr. Diana Vaamonde, you can find her on LinkedIn below and also purchase her book at the link below. Thank you for listening! Please take a moment to subscribe on Apple Podcast and rate my podcast there. With more ratings, more listeners will see my podcast and this means more people getting quality information from discussions I have with experts in their fields.  Thank you for being a part of the Imperfect Progress community! Stay tuned for my next podcast on MINDSET for sport and life, it will be a good one! For more podcast episodes and articles on sports science and sports nutrition visit my Prokit page here: https://theprokit.com/p/anneguzman/ and check out this awesome new platform for athletes! LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-vaamonde-3986b74/ Book: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/fertility-pregnancy-and-wellness/9780128183090-item.html Email: fivresearch@yahoo.com

Are you an athlete wondering if CBD oil can help you, if it's safe and whether it can help with pain, recovery or sleep? Well if you ask Dr. Google about it, you’ll get a surprising amount of claims telling you it will definitely help with sleep, recovery, inflammation and mental health and many of these sound very credible and “sciency.” But what if you ask an actual scientist who has spent years researching CBD oil and knows and understands the data and physiology? Will it be so black and white? Today’s guest Dr. Graeme Close is exactly the person I wanted to speak with to get you the facts about CBD oil for athletes. Dr. Close is is a Professor of Human Physiology who has published many papers in relation to sports nutrition, vitamin D, muscle damage and repair and now is focused on research on athletes and cannabidiol (CBD). He is a former professional rugby league player and currently consults as an expert nutrition consultant to England Rugby as well as several other Premier League football clubs and players. Dr. Close has clearly found a way to mix his passions for sport and science. His ability to translate the knowledge to the masses is well known as he has regularly appeared on BBC tv and radio and now here on the Imperfect Progress podcast! I had a lot of questions for Dr. Close today and the conversation gets really lit up many times on some topics that he wasn’t sure he should cross into…but we did! and his insights were both informative and honest. I’ll add to that and say he was also hilarious! Here’s some of what we cover during our conversation: What are cannabinoids? What gets you high vs what doesn’t? What athletes need to know about anti- doping and why risk still exists with current guidelines. Are product labels accurate? Can CBD oil reduce pain for athletes? Non athletes? Can CBD oil help athletes sleep? Can CBD oil actually help your muscles recover? How many athletes are using CBD oil? The opioid crisis and CBD oil – Graeme’s opinion CBD oil and traumatic brain injury (TBI) How our endocannabinoid system works with CBD/THC Can fasting affect CBD or THC levels in our body? What’s new in CBD research and what’s coming? How to overcome adversity in life manage difficult times through Graeme’s eyes and from his experiences. For more about Dr. Close see the links below and some additional resources about CBD oil for reading. I would truly appreciate if you could take a moment to go to Apple and rate this podcast or episode right now and leave a comment for others to read. It helps to get more people listening and to spread credible scientific information to battle the overwhelming pseudoscience that is all to prevalent on the internet. Share this episode now on your favorite social media platform and something you learned today. Tag a friend or send the episode to a fellow athlete or coach.   Dr. Graeme Close on twitter: https://twitter.com/close_nutrition Dr. Graeme Close on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closenutrition/?hl=en Dr. Grame Close bio here. GSSI CBD oil review here. Thank you so much for listening and being a part of the Imperfect Progress community.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why should I track my menstrual cycle?” If so, I’m sure you’re not the only one, but it turns out, this is a pretty empowering thing to do. Are you suffering from cramps and bloating? Is your energy, mood or libido fluctuating? Do you have heavy bleeding some months and not others? When asked to explain this with your physician or coach, are your answers vague? Can you precisely connect times within your cycle? How well do you know your reproductive system? Tracking your menstrual cycle is empowering and today’s guest Dr. Lynae Brayboy walks us through many important reasons why we should start. Dr. Lynae Brayboy is an MD focused on reproduction and infertility. She is also the Chief Medical Officer at Clue, an inclusive app centered around educating women about their bodies across the lifespan at every reproductive stage, from puberty to menopause. She is a medical doctor who specializes in reproduction and infertility, with a passion of teaching young people and girls about their reproductive system. She is also an egg biologist, focused on egg quality and the effect of a women’s eggs and pregnancy on her future health.  What you’ll learn about when you listen: This conversation had so much depth. Here’s what’s inside: Menstrual cycle: What’s a typical cycle? Phases? What milestones should you look for when using Clue? How can tracking your cycle empower you? How can you benefit from Clue as a coach or physician? How tracking can open lines of communication. How Clue is working to normalize periods. What the media bans from being shown in relation to periods (I had no idea! This has to change.) Fertility and how you can measure ovulation (cheaply)! The Female Athlete Triad, RED-S and bone health A natural period vs a withdrawal bleed -why this matters Inclusivity and why this value is so important at Clue. Adversity: Dr. Brayboy’s incredible story of how she’s arrived to where she is today (this was no cake walk). If this doesn’t inspire you, nothing will! It’s about YOU, the patient and athlete: Dr. Lynae Brayboy always has the client and patient top of mind during our entire conversation. Her passion for fighting against the taboo surrounding periods rings through loud and clear. I was really surprised with some of the challenges she shared within the industry an in particular in media. Most of all, Dr. Brayboy and the Clue team are passionate about helping people and women gain the most control over their reproductive health as possible, through simple technology and clear, easy to understand education via Clue. I hope you enjoy and learn as much during this episode as I did. Note the extra bit of conversation after the podcast ends as we continued chatting after and decided to record another 5 minutes to expand on bone health in the Female Athlete Triad and RED-S. Resources: You can find Hello Clue and Clue app here: https://helloclue.com/ and all of the incredible resources under the “Encyclopedia” tab on the site. Dr. Lynae Brayboy CMO at Clue: https://helloclue.com/articles/about-clue/introducing-clue-s-first-ever-chief-medical-officer-dr-lynae-brayboy Thank you! Please take a moment to rate and subscribe for updates on new episodes. By clicking a star rating it helps to get my podcast out to more listeners, therefor getting these important messages from experts to more people, which is what matters!

When you get a three time world champion and her world class coach on the same podcast, there's a whole lot of wisdom and expertise that arises. Enter Amber Neben and Tim Cusick. Amber Neben is no stranger to cycling. With two world time trial championship gold medals to her name and one team time trial world championship title, plus over 70 career wins, including several national road and time trial titles and being a 2x Olympian, she has more than a little experience to share with us today, and it shines through. Does she use a lot of technology? How have her rest days changed over the years? What does she think most cyclist could work on to maximize their time on and off the bike? I wanted to know, so I asked! Tim Cusick arrives at the mic with a long history of coaching experience. Tim is the Product Leader for Training Peaks and WKO, the head coach of Velocious Cycling Adventures and Joinbasecamp.com. He also happens to be Amber Neben's coach, along with several other professional cyclists. It's safe to say Tim knows a thing or three about building a progressive training strategy. I made sure we got clear on what elements need to go into a good strategy and how both athletes and coaches can make sure they're building progress into training cycles while avoiding non functional overreaching and balancing athlete freshness and fitness. He also shares his opinion on HRV, technology, and coach athlete communication, which I believed was one of the most poignant parts of our discussion. Today you'll learn about: Building a training strategy and rhythm How to build and measure progress Non functional vs functional over reaching Why rest is the overlooked yet KEY to progress Athlete signs of Non functional overreaching Common barriers that impede progress for many cyclists HRV - what is it, are they using it? Why? Why not? The power of coach athlete communication Are we losing something amidst all the "data?" Mindset and how it can shape your success Thoughts on overcoming adversity from both Tim and Amber If you want to learn more from Tim or Amber, please visit the links below and follow them on social media. Now let's get listening. Share this episode and tag @guzmananne on your IG or @guzmannutrition on twitter, to let me know what you learned from Tim and Amber. Share this episode with a friend and please rate my podcast on Apple and leave a comment, I would love to hear what you thought! By sharing and rating the podcast it allows me to work on growing the platform in order to continue brining on such incredible guest who we can all learn from. I truly appreciate it. Amber Neben Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambernebenpx4/ Amber Neben Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amber.neben.9 Tim Cusick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.cusick_coach/ Tim Cusick Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.cusick Joinbasecamp.com: https://www.joinbasecamp.com/ Amber Neben Website:  https://nebenpx4.com/ Velcious Cycling Adventures: https://www.velociouscyclingadventures.com/

If you’re an athlete, there’s a high likelihood you’re familiar with and may have experience with creatine supplementation. Creatine, which is inherently part of our body’s energy production, has a robust body of evidence backing it which reaches back decades. Evidence runs deep for creatine’s ability to improve performance in sports with short explosive sub 30s efforts and repeated burst as well as resistance training type exercise. More recently, creatine research has been focused on new areas including the brain, in relation to traumatic brain injury, anti aging, focus and fatigue resistance as well as other brain related diseases. To learn more about what we know, and where the research is headed, I reached out to speak with two scientists who are currently immersed in research on the neuroprotective effects of creatine monohydrate. Dr. Brian Roy and Jensen Murphy are both scientists at Brock University in Canada. Dr. Roy is the current Interim Dean for the Faculty of Graduate Sciences as well as a Professor in the Kinesiology department. He’s also an accomplished athlete which you’ll hear more about this during the podcast! Jensen Murphy is completing her Masters research at Brock University in the health sciences department, with Dr. Brian Roy as her supervisor. and shares her personal story with us as far as what drove her decision to research creatine and fuels her desire to become an emergency room physician. Jensen is also a very accomplished varsity hockey goalie and coach. As an athlete who has experienced several concussions myself, I was very curious to learn more about the role creatine may or may not play in concussion recovery and prevention. Additionally, as a coach, I am always keen to keep up to date with the latest research on performance, including in the cognitive space where creatine may play a role. Today we dive right in after a brief foundation of what creatine is and what it does in the body. Inside the podcast you’ll learn: Can you train your body to synthesize more creatine? How does diet impact your creatine levels in muscle and the brain? Can creatine give you a cognitive edge in sport? Can creatine help anti age your brain? Are there sex differences with creatine? How do you measure brain creatine? Is there a dosing regimen for the brain? Is creatine safe? What's different about getting creatine into muscle versus into the brain? As always I finish my podcast with some deeper more personal insights about imperfect progress and how my guests have navigated their own challenging times on their paths to where they are now. Some great insights and personal stories came up and the end of this episode. Whether you're an athlete or not, your brain is one of your most precious assets. Personally I'm super keen on keeping mine sharp and firing on all cylinders as long as possible. The question is, will creatine help? Thanks so much for listening to this episode of Imperfect Progress. My goal is always to bring you quality information about science and navigating life, in a way that is relatable and practical from the best experts in their fields. I'd really appreciate if you could visit my podcast on Apple Podcast here and give it a rating and leave a comment. It helps others to find the podcast and that means more people learning from credible sources, which is the goal! Also, your comments and feedback are valuable and appreciated. To follow and learn from Dr. Brian Roy and Jensen Murphy, check out the links below: Twitter: Dr. Brian Roy https://twitter.com/DrBri78 Twitter: Dr. Jensen Murphy https://twitter.com/jensmurphy

Tired of being tired? You're not alone. Millions of people struggle with sleep every night. In Canada, 1 in 2 adults have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep and 1 in 5 do not find their sleep refreshing. Yet, sleep is a powerful free tool at your disposal that can improve your athletic performance, mental and physical health. Knowing how many athletes struggle with sleep, I decided it was due time to source one of the best sleep scientists in the industry to help gather some tactics to help you cultivate a new sleep strategy in 2021 and beyond. Award winning sleep scientist Dr. Amy Bender is bursting with evidence based insights that will play an integral role in creating your new sleep strategy.  After spending over 15 years studying sleep through many avenues including work as a sleep technician, clinical research, written publications, interviewed for stories in Oprah Magazine and public speaking appearances including her Ted Med talk. Dr. Bender has an intimate relationship with the science. Her ability to translate the science to the field is evident through her successful work with NHL, Canadian national team athletes and Olympic athletes. For athletes, sleep is a free performance aid that won't break the bank. Understanding how to set up your environment to maximize it's quality and quantity is paramount to getting the most out of your training routine.. This year in particular has brought extra stress for many due to the challenges of our current global pandemic. We know that stress can impact sleep and lack of sleep can impact stress. Learning tactics to put the breaks on this viscous cycle can prove to be very beneficial for many aspects of our health and performance. I could have spoken to Dr. Amy Bender for hours, but of course in respecting her time I did my best to get what I thought would be the most practical information for you the listener. Inside the podcast you'll learn: How daylight exposure impacts your sleep CBD oil: What does the evidence say regarding sleep? Light therapy - can a lamp replace daylight? How can I reduce jetlag if I travel to race? (step by step!) Why this sleep scientist ditched her Garmin sleep technology Specific tactics to help you fall asleep at night Caffeine, your brain and sleep drive The caffeine "crash" Naps: Can they help performance? What's too long? Meditation: Is it as restorative as sleep? This episode is loaded! To round it out Dr. Bender shares some personal insights about how she has managed to push through challenging times in her own life and demanding career path? What kept her going when things were so grueling? I'm always interested to hear what my guests have to share in this final question about navigating imperfect progress. I'm super grateful that I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Amy Bender this week. Her ability to translate science to an audience is next level and I'm appreciative of her passion to do so. Thanks so much for listening. Please share this episode with anyone you think may benefit from a better night's sleep. If you listen on Apple Podcast I would love it if you could rate the podcast and leave any comments or feedback. Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sleep4Sport Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleep4sport/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dramymbender/ Sleepwelltowin.com (coming soon!)

Have you caught yourself deep into a Netflix binge, wondering where the hours went? How about fixated on a project at your desk while day turns to night, barely having moved? You ask yourself, "Where did the time go and when is the last time I stood up?" I can definitely raise my hand here. Although long periods of focus clearly have some benefits, from a health perspective, remaining immobile for hours on end on a regular basis has negative implications on our health. The good news?  It's never to late to change and to learn how to incorporate more movement throughout your day. Today's guest Dr. Scott Lear, Professor of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, has some excellent insights into the physiological changes that occur in the body due to excessive sitting or sedentary lifestyle. With over 25 years working in the clinical and research areas of disease prevention and management, he is an international expert on healthy living. Today we discuss: How fat and carbohydrate metabolism can be altered due to sedentary behavior NEAT - non exercise activity thermogenesis, what it is and how it can contribute to calorie expenditure Are standing desks superior to sitting? Why or why not? Tips on moving more within your home during the day Maximizing your geographical environment to promote more daily movement Closing thoughts from Dr. Scott Lear on Imperfect Progress, dealing with criticism and pausing emotional reactions and why this is a good life practice. Dr. Lear's obvious expertise in knowledge translation makes this podcast episode very accessible to anyone listening, whether you're a scientist or not. He leaves us with several actionable tips that we can incorporate today and shares many others on his website Feel Healthy with Dr. Scott Lear. The pandemic has impacted many of us in different ways. If you're one of the people exercising more, perhaps consider others in your life who may be struggling and share this episode with them. If they hear one thing that inspires them to take that 2 minute walk or leave the car and walk to the corner store it will be worth it. The little things add up and that's what we are going to learn more about here today. To learn more about or from Dr. Scott Lear visit these links: Website: https://drscottlear.com/ Podcast: https://drscottlear.com/category/podcasts/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrScottLear Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drscottlear/ Thanks for listening and being a part of this community. Please consider subscribing through Apple podcasts if you enjoy these episodes and leaving a comment on what you enjoy or how I can improve my podcasts for you. If you have topics you'd like to see on the show, share this too. Lastly share this episode with one friend who could benefit. The reason I do this is to help people and if Dr. Lear can help ONE person to move more with this podcast, that's one more healthy person on the planet and that's a success! Thanks to David Langstaff for the original music.

From under the hood of the car to under the driver's helmet, performance coach Mike Garth has become an expert in all aspects of auto racing. He's spent countless hours working with F1 Red Bull auto racers as well as professional endurance athletes, including cyclists and triathletes. Mike truly believes coaching is an art and it quickly became apparent to me during our conversation that he's mastered the art and has listened to himself and found his calling. Mike's combination of engineering and sport psychology skills make him a very unique asset to the sport. He's the most holistic performance coach in the auto racing world. From everything I learned today, I'm certain he's a huge asset to any team who has the opportunity to work with him. Mike is no stranger to making big decisions and he knows how to get clear on the right decision, in fact he made a bold career change after 10 years as an engineer and we delve into the how and why of that story today. I was excited to pick Mike's brain to better understand the processes he uses for himself and his clients in so far as moving through sticky, uncertain times where decisions need to be made. His insights are spot on and you'll leave this podcast with exactly how to proceed on paper.  Mike also adds some some deep philosophical ideas for us to ponder. Mike's understanding of the athlete's mind is clear and comes through in his thoughtful responses about gaining focus in the "red mist" and why thought stopping isn't all that it's cracked up to be.  He's careful to not generalize, which speaks to his experience with so many different types of athletes. In this episode we touch on: The pain of staying the same vs the pain of change Rumination in the athlete's mind Why "thought stopping" may not be effective The negative thoughts "freight train" The importance of creating space for awareness Why awareness is more  challenging when "on the rivet" Getting clear on your "why" for when the going gets tough Mike is such a great example of someone who truly has listened to their inner calling, which he believes is there within each of us. Whether you find that at 20,40 or 60, you'll know it, because "you'll feel it." He's a coach in every sense of the word and it was clear during this conversation that the auto racing world is lucky to have this master at the track.