This week, during a special educational session at the Vinfast IRONMAN World Championship, Feisty Media hosted a panel discussion on the main expo stage on Mental Strategies for Race Day.The panelists did reference the World Championship; however, these mental strategies are applicable to any major race or endeavor. How to handle race day nervesHow to stop "self-sabotaging"What to do when things go awryTips for staying "in the moment" on such a long dayTurning weaknesses into superpowersThe expert panel was led by Feisty CEO, Sara Gross and featured:Craig Alexander, 5x World Triathlon World Champion, founder Sansego CoachingLauren Vallee - Clinical Counselor and USAT L2 Coach, Valiant EnduranceMichelle Simmons - Head Coach, Team BSC TriathlonAnne Robie, Executive Coach, Darshan Leadership ConsultingFollow Women for Tri for more inspiration and information on training and racing IRONMAN 70.3 and IRONMAN distances.Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

Athletes understand they need to incorporate strength training into their endurance programs, but are often at an impasse on how to execute. Is sport-specific strength like swimming with paddles, and doing big gear work and hill repeats enough to “check the box”? Or, should an athlete carve out time for gym-specific work like deadlifts and squats? If so, when and how much?To piece together the puzzle of combining strength training with endurance training, Sara Gross welcomes performance coach, Marilyn Chychota, to the Women’s Performance Podcast. Marilyn has an exemplary career as both a professional athlete and coach. She's an Ironman winner, state champion in cycling and powerlifting, and also a competitive crossfitter. She develops personalized coaching and training plans for athletes through her business, Marilyn Chychota Coaching, and was instrumental in helping Sara Gross win two Ironmans. Today, Sara and Marilyn unpack the mixed messages that are prevalent when it comes to combining strength training and endurance training. They discuss:Knowing the strength needs for different sports and matching those to the goals of the athleteSome of the outdated myths of strength training - it will make you slower, bigger, etc.Different categories of strength training and knowing which moves and styles are best for personal goalsHow every plan should be athlete-specific; there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to strength trainingAccounting for overall Training Stress (TSS) when it comes to developing a strength training routine so that it enhances performance, and doesn’t inhibit progressionImportance of strength training as we ageHow natural strength, body type, and past training experience affect a strength programThe differences between open-chain and closed-chain exercises and how they relate to an athlete’s goals.Understanding the impact of strength training on endurance athletes' nervous system and hormones, impacting recoveryPutting it all together on the schedule — how and when to schedule strength around a busy endurance training schedule. A well-planned and well-executed strength plan will optimize an athlete’s performance in their sport, but it needs to be comprehensive and highly individualized based on the athlete’s goals, recovery, and balance between other sports. 

“Learning new things is probably the most important thing anyone with confidence issues should do.”This is a quote from today’s guest, Michèle Letendre, six-time CrossFit games athlete and coach of some of the fittest people on earth. Michele owns Deka Comp where she coaches amateur and elite athletes alike, including Patrick Vellner, who was recently crowned the 2nd "Fittest Man on Earth" at the 2023 CrossFit games.As Michele discusses, the concept of the “fittest on earth” is rooted in the CrossFit methodology, which emphasizes performing well across various tests, rather than specializing in one specific area. Today, she and Sara discuss:Michele’s personal transition from water polo player to competitive CrossFit athleteTypes of negative experiences or pushback she has received as a woman in coachingQualities she sees in performance-minded athletesThe Importance of intrinsic motivation in the pursuit of excellenceQualities of good and bad coaches How she learns from her athlete's feedbackThe massive progression and growth of women in CrossFitBuilding confidence through weightlifting and learning new skillsStrength training can boost confidence by making you feel good about yourself and giving you a sense of accomplishment.Needless to say, coaching in this arena requires competence, confidence, and creativity and Michele Letendre thrives on all three. Learn more at: https://www.dekacomp.com/Follow Michele on Instagram: @dekacomp

We’ve been told for years that 120-150 minutes a week of moderate exercise is not only good for our physical health, but also our mental health. So, more exercise must provide more mental health benefits, yes?No, says the research.Here to dig into this topic is Jill Colangelo, a writer and researcher who studies the relationship between mental health and ultra endurance sport. Jill is currently a Research Affiliate in the Department of Forensic Psychiatry at the University of Bern and writing mental health-focused articles at Triathlete Magazine and across Outside Media.Today, she and Sara discuss the delicate balance of mixing ultra-endurance training and mental health and ask, "Do the positive effects of exercise stand up through volume and intensity?"They cover:The type of person who tends to get overtrained Drawing the line between healthy and unhealthyThe concept of having an off-season and why it’s vital to healthWhat should your mindset be when it comes to exercise?What do we mean by “ultra-endurance culture?”The pitfalls of glorifying and mythologizing ultra-endurance athletes as “heroes”Jill's work in the world of social media and mental healthWhat do you wish people knew about mental health?As Sara says, “At the end of the day, people go through a lot worse than running a marathon and we have to ask who are the true heroes. Jill’s research is extremely helpful and relatable and I think we can all learn from her wisdom.”Jill Colangelo's WebsiteSign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

A lot of female athletes suffer from low energy availability and RED-S which stands for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. In fact, one study showed that 41 to 47% of female athletes have problematic low energy availability. That means almost half of us are not performing at our best because we aren’t eating enough.And, yes, eating disorders and disordered eating play into this equation, but we also understand that it’s sometimes just hard to eat enough calories to support the massive energy output with training volume and proper timing.To bridge this awareness gap, Sara Gross welcomes Pippa Woolen Peters and Holly Brooks from Project RED-S. Project RED-S is the digital clubhouse for RED-S awareness, prevention, and support. As it says on its website, Project RED-S is, “A place where people of all ages, genders, abilities, and activities can come together to learn how to prevent or overcome Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. A place to pursue peak performance in a healthy body and mind. Where, instead of winning at all costs, it’s about winning without compromise.”Project RED-S takes an athlete-to-athlete approach to their education and resources because both Pippa and Holly have had their own life-changing experiences with RED-S.They discuss:The implications that low energy availability has had on their personal and professional livesHow to recognize and address red flags of disordered eating in athletesThe difficulty in determining when an athlete’s dedication to their sport crosses the line into disordered behavior, such as obsessive clean eating or an excessive focus on performanceThe pressures to conform to a certain body type in sports and the need for more diverse role modelsWhy initiatives like Project RED-S focus on “the long game” and not short-term results and gratificationHow to determine your body’s needs and rebuild trust in yourselfFrom personal stories to support, science, and mentorship, Project RED-S is an all-inclusive resource for helping athletes “nourish to flourish.”Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

This episode originally debuted in May 2023.Since Title IX passed in 1972, there has been extraordinary growth in women’s sports and performance. However, for decades, athletic research primarily conducted on males has simply been applied to women, and as we’ve discovered, when the standard of performance is based on that one type of person, it skews our understanding of what is considered “normal physiology.”Christine Yu, author of the new book Up to Speed - The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletics speaks with Sara Gross about the future of research on women athletes. As Yu says, “Women and female athletes need specific research that reflects their personal experience to provide appropriate and specific guidance from nutrition and injury prevention, to customized training, and even clothing and gear.”So, what reputable science and research is out there for performance-minded women? And, how can we apply good science to our lives in order to boost performance and remain healthy for years to come?  Sara and Christine discuss this and more, including:Why females have often been considered “messy” and “poor subjects” when it comes to research studies on athletics The impact good (and bad) research can have on female athletes, especially when it comes to longevity in sports and overall healthHow more female scientists and researchers are asking the right questions and leading the way to close the gender gap in researchWhat surprised Christine the most when researching and writing the book?What angered her, and what has she applied any of the good research in her own daily life?Maya Angelou once said, “When you know better, you do better.” Yu’s book provides an understanding of how we go to this point and, thanks to the vigilance of others, how we are starting to do better.Order Up to Speed - The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletics Follow Christine on Instagram: @cyu888

Can the method of birth control you choose affect your physical and sports performance? Turns out the answer is not totally straightforward...yet. But Sara Gross chats today with Allison Campbell who is on a mission to get those answers for active women.Allison Campbell is a PhD candidate studying female athletes' cardiac structure and function, and athletic performance through different hormonal profiles. This includes puberty, the menstrual cycle, as well as the the effects of different methods of contraception. Through this research, Allison is hoping to provide answers for female athletes to help guide them to choose a method of contraception that is best for them. Today Allison and Sara discuss:Different types of contraceptives available for womenThe difference between hormonal and barrier methods of contraception How hormonal contraceptives can affect us as active womenThe social and cultural impact of contraceptives for female athletes The link between hormonal contraception and mental healthSome questions to ask both yourself and your healthcare provider when choosing which method of contraceptive is best for youAs a former collegiate athlete herself, Allison's journey in finding the type of contraceptive that is best for her has lead her down this path to helping other women find answers for themselves as well. Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com Bedsider Birth Control Support Network

At Feisty Media, our goal is to help our community understand the benefits of strength training for women at all phases of life because we believe, that once you truly understand the "why," you’ll set that habit and routine for the rest of your life. That’s exactly what Sara discusses today with Dr. Carla DiGirolamo.Carla DiGirolamo, MD, PhD, is a Double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Obstetrician/Gynecologist specializing in infertility and menopausal medicine. She is also a CrossFit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, and member of CrossFit Health. She is a MedFit Care provider and provides weekly workouts and medical updates at her Substack newsletters, Athletic Aging and Performance Edge.Dr. DiGirolamo is also an expert contributor to our new Feisty STRONG course (the founding cohort is on sale through September 1st). Today, she and Sara share their thoughts on:Society’s changing views on women and strengthOvercoming the image of the “prototypical” female in the 1980sWhat CrossFit gets right that other training programs don’tThe importance of strength training for women in different phases of life, from puberty to postmenopausal, and how that affects their strength training.How strength training can help optimize lean muscle mass, protect joints against injury, and prevent injury in teenagers and young women.Why strength training makes you better at whatever sport or physical activity you doHow strength training improves cardiovascular health, particularly in reproductive yearsAs Dr. DiGirolamo says, “We’re looking at all of these fancy supplements when the answer is right in front of us. You don’t even need an Olympic weightlifting set to do it."Once you know the "why," then you can learn the "how," and that's where the Feisty STRONG course comes in. This online course not only provides a 16-week training plan, but also provides a deeper understanding of all of the factors that go into strength training. Learn more HERE.Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com

We’ve all heard that, as women, we need to start strength training. We need to “lift heavy shit,” as it were, and we need to start as soon as possible.The problem is, up until now, no one has defined what that even means. Gyms are intimidating spaces that haven’t traditionally been welcome spaces for women, and for decades we’ve been sold a bunch of BS to lift light so that we don’t “bulk up.”So, where do we begin on developing a Strength program, specifically for women? How can we find a program that is safe, efficient, and effective? The answer? RIGHT HERE. Sara welcomes Barbell Medicine coach Cassi Niemann on the show to introduce Feisty’s brand new online course, STRONG. The Feisty STRONG course is not just a lifting program. It provides information about goal setting, the physiology of strength training, and how it affects our muscles, tendons, bones, and hormones. STRONG is a guide on how to think about our strength program through the different stages of our lives like puberty, midlife, pregnancy, postpartum perimenopause, and post-menopause, and it’s also a guidebook for fueling your lifting program and how to remain injury free.Today, they answer:Why lifting is important to everyone, but especially womenThe strength and confidence boost from lifting heavyA proper age to start a proper strength training programHow to mitigate the traditional barriers to entry, like having "the perfect form" and access to equipmentHow to fit strength training into an already busy training scheduleThe optimal frequency and volume of strength training to affect changeKey movements of focus when starting a strength programWhy “specificity” isn’t a huge factor at the beginningEnrollment for our founding STRONG program starts on August 23rd at: https://www.womensperformance.com/strong

Sarah Spain is a self-proclaimed Feisty advocate for Women’s sports. As a lifelong athlete and sports journalist at Fox Sports, ESPN, and ESPNW for several years, she’s had to figure out how to succeed in a heavily male-dominated space.  Not surprisingly, that has come with difficult moments and plenty of trolls. She’s been sexually harassed, she’s had to wear sexy outfits with extra cleavage, and she’s been patronized and talked down to. She’s had to “play the game.”Sarah, fortunately, is also a witness (and an unapologetic advocate) to the massive growth of women’s sports thanks, in part, to her work in the media. Sara and Sarah discuss:How her interest in comedy led to her sports journalism career and how she still uses humor to her advantageFinding ways to keep doing her job in the midst of harassment and being treated differently than her male counterparts. Why we need to keep bringing more diverse perspectives and cultures to sports reporting even though much is still run by white malesHow the younger generation and the proliferation of streaming platforms are huge for growth in women’s sportsHow we can invest more heavily in women’s sports and not simply be "well-intentioned"The positive change of finally seeing women athletes as strong and powerful role models as opposed to just infantile girls or sex objectsWhy pushback and opposition are part of the inevitable growth processThe proof of progress is in the growing numbers and followers; however, a wave of popularity always faces pushback and opposition. Our role is to recognize that the work doesn’t stop. As Sarah says, we must be grateful and present in the moment that we've earned and worked for, and still make sure that we’re continuing to be proactive.Sign up to Receive The Feisty 40+ Newsletter:https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/Feisty-40-plus Sign up to Receive The Feist Newsletter:https://www.womensperformance.com/the-feist Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performance Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ https://www.womensperformance.com/ Support our Partners:PILLAR Performance: use code FEISTY for 15% off first-purchases at https://pillarperformance.shop/, or https://thefeed.com/ for North American listeners. Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Tifosi Optics: Use code FM20! for 20% off at https://tifosioptics.com/ The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code PERFORMANCE at Aminoco.com/PERFORMANCE to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! MOTTIV: Get two months of full premium access with the code FEISTY at mymottiv.com