Pushing The Limits

Steve Stannard is a research academic and Professor in Exercise Physiology at the School of Sport and Exercise at Massey University. He has a PhD Human Applied Physiology and also a Masters of Nutritional Science, both from the University of Sydney. He conducts research at the interface of exercise science and human nutrition, and his work on fasting, endurance training, and nutritional impact on muscle recovery, is well regarded. Prof. Stannard is often sought by the media for public comment about issues relating to sports nutrition, and in particular, supplements in sport. In his younger years, Prof. Stannard represented Australia as a road-racing cyclist. Steve is still a keen Masters competitor in bicycle racing, but mainly in the wake of his children; his daughter recently represented NZ in the World Elite Triathlon Championships, and his oldest son represented NZ at the World Road Cycling Championships, both held in the USA. In this episode Dr Stannard cover a large number of sports nutrition and performance related areas from his cutting edge research.  The difference between how men and women burn fat What the liver does and how you can train your liver to get "fitter" and to act as a better resevoir of energy when you are performing your sport. The effects of starvation on elite endurance athletes How endurance athletes use fat differently and how training your body not only train the muscle and cardio systems but also the efficiency of how you burn fat and how you can keep exercising even when you no food for 3 or 4 days.  How important the brain is to your sports performance and how it effects the body.  and much much more. 

Sir John Kirwan KNZM MBE is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player of both rugby union and rugby league. He scored 35 tries in 63 tests for New Zealand, making him one of the highest try scorers in international rugby union history, and was part of the New Zealand team that won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. He also played rugby league for the Auckland Warriors in their first two seasons. He is the former head coach of the Blues in Super Rugby, and the Japan and Italy national teams. In recent years, he has spoken openly about his battles with depression and been honoured for his services to mental health. He has written two books on depression and mental health the first "All Blacks don't cry" details his journey through depression to wellness, offering help and tools for those suffering from this debilitating illness and the second "Stand by me" was written for parents of teenagers facing mental illness issues. Kirwan is married to Fiorella, Lady Kirwan, with three children Francesca, Niko and Luca. Kirwan speaks fluent Italian and good Japanese, a result of a playing career in Italy and coaching career in Japan. On the show he talks with Lisa about some of the tools he uses to stay, how we need to help our athletes transition out of the sport and back into life at the end of their careers, about what greatness is to him and how to deal with failure in life and much more.

Meet Annie Doyle, a Sydney-based, 56 year old dedicated old mother of two. Working hard as a Chief Financial Officer for a large disability organisation she somehow finds the time to also be a mountaineering machine who is on a mission to become the first Maori woman to climb the Seven Summits (The highest mountain on every continent and well regarded of as the Holy Grail of mountaineering) She’s 6/7ths of the way there. Her transcontinental summit quest started when she reached the top of our very own Mt. Kosciuszko in 2005 and then Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro the same year, followed by Mt. Elbrus in Russia in 2006, Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina in 2007 and both Mt. McKinley in Alaska in 2009and Vinson Massif in Antarctica in 2013. Only Everest awaits her. Unfortunately luck hasn’t been on her side…yet. In 2012 she positioned for her first attempt but bad weather made the Khumbu Icefall too dangerous, again she made another attempt in 2014 but the mountain closed following a tragic icefall avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas. In April this year, she was readying for her 3rd attempt, this time from the Tibetan side, but the sheer devastation of the catastrophic Nepalese Earthquake once again closed the mountain and rocked the climbing community to its core with the loss of so many lives. Annie’s 7th summit awaits another season.  

Dean Karnazes is the most well known ultra marathon runner on the planet. He has written 4 books and is a New York Times bestselling author. He was named by mens health magazine as the fittest man on the planet and by time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people on the planet. His running exploits are too many to even list but some of the highlights include running the Badwater ultra-marathon 10 times. Running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days (about which a book was written), he was the winner of the racing the planet 4 desert series, has run 350 miles non stop (i.e. going without sleep) and has done 10 x 200 mile races. He has been featured on The late show with David Letterman, on 60 minutes CBS news, CNN, ESPN and has been on the cover of Runners World. He is a US ambassador using his running talent to spread a unifying message around the world. He is an accomplished businessman and holds business and science degrees and has done post graduate work at Stanford university and has worked with a number of fortune 500 companies. He is uniquely positioned to demonstrate how the lessons from sport can be applied to business. He is a philanthropist and has raised large amounts of money for various charities and has inspired literally hundreds of thousands of people to their feet. His latest book is highlighted in this podcast. "The Road to Sparta" details his journey to retrace the footsteps of his ancestral countryman Pheidipides of Greece who ran 153 miles from Athens to Sparta in 490 BC to recruit the Spartans into the battle the Athenians were waging again the invading Persians. The story tells of this history but also his journey back to his roots, being of Greek descent and follows his race doing the Spartathlon the grueling modern day ultra marathon 153 miles that has to be completed in under 36 hours and goes from Athens to Sparta. Host Lisa Tamati has run alongside Dean during ultra marathons and is uniquely qualified to interview this legendary athlete.

Ultra Athlete, Author and Coach Lisa Tamati takes you through: How to get over a bad run. How to deal with a bad run We all have then, find them confidence destroying and depressing, but here are some tips to forget it quickly and get on with your next happy, flowing, exciting, uplifting run… 1. We are not robots. Daily stresses, hormones, infections, stress, lack of sleep, exhaustion, dehydration, low blood sugars, mineral deficiencies, nutrient deficiencies and more can all cause you to have a bad run. Don't expect to be at the top of your game everyday. Even if your truing calendar tells you you have a big run planned for the day or an intensive workout sometimes you need to be flexible or just find a way through it. Don't over think it. 2. There are real benefits to getting through a bad run and not giving up. It makes you mentally tougher and lets face it that is our most important attribute as runners. It teaches you to keep going when the going is tough and when you push through you get that little bit harder psychologically.Learning to deal with pain or sluggishness is exactly what you will have to do during a ultra marathon or a long distance race or short races run at speed for that matter. So if its been a hell run think "It was tough but I go through, strength comes from struggle .. so my training today was about honing my mental strength and that is the most valuable form of training of them all." 3. Appreciate it when you have a good run. Having a bad day out not he road or on the trails make you appreciate those wonderful times when its flow where everything comes together. Appreciation and enjoyment when its good is what comes out of having the odd bad run. 4. Analyse - Why was your run bad? Are you overtrained? Perhaps you are coming down with something? Are you dehydrated, hungry or perhaps overstressed at work or home. Is there something you can change or improve to stop it happening next time. 5. Don't let it put you off running. Beginners especially can be totally put off by a bad run and think they have gone backwards. Perhaps there first few runs or weeks went great and they could see improvements then a whammy out of the blue and they think it was all for nothing that all that past success was for nothing.. "no its just a bad day" 6. Don't think you have lost your fitness because the run went bad or was harder than usual. Your fitness doesn't just up and go like that. Something was just not on target today. Just see it for what it is and don't overdramatise it and get back out there again soon. Don't let that bad run put you off for days thinking the next one will be the same. 7. Do your overtraining checklist. Check your morning resting pulse is it higher than usual, do you feel generally not good, lethargic, exhausted, grumpy, hormonal, have you been overdoing the training or had high levels of stress. Rest for a bit and recover if you have. Improvement comes from the recovery part of your programme. Training actually tears the body down remember, its the quality recovery and rest is where the improvement comes. Your training pogramme is not only the actual running part but the recovery as well. 8. Forget it as quickly as possible. Move on. Mentally tick it off and get on with the job of the next run or training session. Perhaps change something for a day or two. Go for a swim or cycle instead, an aerobics class perhaps or pilates. Challenge your body in a different way and see if it comes right. I just came back from a limit end aerobic speed session (15 min warm up jog, then 20 minutes at running at a level when I am getting out of breath, then 15 warm down) it was horrid and every minute of the speed work was hell. My lungs just wouldn't work and my legs felt like lead. Last weeks limit end session was empowering, this weeks was a painful experience but thats ok.. tomorrow will be different. www.lisatamati.co.nz The information contained in this show is not medical advice it is for educational purposes only and the opinions of guests are not the views of the show. Please seed your own medical advice from a registered medical professional.

Nicola McCloy is an Auckland -based writer and editor who hails from Southland. After gaining a degree in Political Studies from Otago University before embarking on a career in corporate communications. After several years in Wellington, and time living in London, she moved back to Auckland to pursue a career in publishing. Following on from the publication of her first book, New Zealand Disasters in 2004, she was written 15 books, specialising in New Zealand social history. She also works as a ghost writer. When she's not writing or fixing other people's words, Nic spends a lot of time in the water, having rediscovered her love of open water swimming in 2012. Since then, she's competed in most of New Zealand's big ocean and river swims as well as Samoa Swim Series (four times!) She also manages to fit in a bit of trail running - with her major achievement being a finish in the 50-km event at the Great Naseby Water Race in 2014. www.lisatamati.co.nz The information contained in this show is not medical advice it is for educational purposes only and the opinions of guests are not the views of the show. Please seed your own medical advice from a registered medical professional.

Naresh Kumar, a boy who grew up in severe poverty in India and who grew up to become a software engineer and adventurer. Defying all the odds. Recently Naresh completed in just 89 days The infamous Te Araroa Trail. Here he tells us about his early years, the desperate life he managed to escape and fulfilling his career ambitions and now living free as an adventurer. Inspiring and educational. www.lisastamati.co.nz    The information contained in this show is not medical advice it is for educational purposes only and the opinions of guests are not the views of the show. Please seed your own medical advice from a registered medical professional.

Samuel was born with a severe genetic bone disorder - has had countless broken bones, cannot walk, is 3 feet tall ........ and his story will change your life ! ‘There is always a way’ to get things done. It may not be conventional but, ‘there is always a way’.. This is the creed of Samuel Gibson. Samuel is a speaker, business entrepreneur and adventurer. His quest for testing his boundaries has taken him to many parts of the word and enabled him to change his and other people's lives in the process. His amazing story has been documented on New Zealand television, design magazines and even in a children’s book, winning him the coveted "Attitude Enterprise Award" along the way. Samuel was less than five minutes old when both his legs were broken by a well-meaning midwife. Sam was born with a genetic bone condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bones. He cannot walk, is 3 feet tall, yet considers himself lucky! His story is one you will never forget. Growing up in a loving family environment, Samuel just wanted to be like all the other kids. He did what the other kids did even if it meant breaking a bone or two along the way. One thing for sure Samuel was not going to become a statistic. Not going to put his life on hold. The attitude he developed, the lessons he learnt and the obstacles he had to overcome along the way makes for a story that will make you laugh, make you cry and inspire you. After a short time on the speaking circuit Samuel is making a huge impact. His story appeals to all audiences, he has addressed project managers, scientists, medical practitioners, corporate leaders, young leaders, service organisations and CEO's. His life is testimony to his attitude. He is a Husband, Father, successful business entrepreneur and adventurer, but more importantly an example of how to overcome obstacles no matter how great. Up next is a 300km running/wheeling mission with Lisa Tamati to raise money for another little boy with the same disease.  www.runninghotcoaching.com www.lisatamati.co.nz  The information contained in this show is not medical advice it is for educational purposes only and the opinions of guests are not the views of the show. Please seed your own medical advice from a registered medical professional.

Mark Inglis personifies guts and courage and a never say die attitude. After losing his lower legs to frost bite after being stuck on Mt Cook for two weeks he went on to be the first double leg amputee to climb Mt Everest as well as Mt Cho Oyu another 8000m peak in the Himalayas. He is also a silver medal winner in cycling at the para olympics, author of 5 books on his adventures and philosophies, business man, wine maker, corporate speaker and motivator. Mark embodies what "Pushing the Limits" show is all about. Someone who has achieved against all odds and is stronger for it. Mark is a leading international motivational speaker, experienced in all forms of presentation from conference keynote addresses and workshops, to entertaining and humorous after dinner talks. He has presented live to audiences as small as five to as big as 1400 and everything in between. In the last few months Mark has presented in India, Chicago Canada, Boston, New York, Philadephia, Washington DC, Nashville, Singapore, Nepal and of course closer to home in NZ and Australia. These presentations were to companies and groups that recognise that their staff are one of their greatest assets and increasing their value drives opportunities for the companies to grow! Over the last 7 years Mark has specialised in Keynote addresses that are based around mountaineering as a metaphor for business and life, utilising his wide experience in the mountains, vineyards and boardrooms. To take that experience one step further he now offers a range of learning programs. www.runninghotcoaching.com www.lisatamati.co.nz  The information contained in this show is not medical advice it is for educational purposes only and the opinions of guests are not the views of the show. Please seed your own medical advice from a registered medical professional.

Darren discovered CrossFit in 2007, during his Masters degree in Exercise Physiology, as he was always researching the latest info on training and nutrition methods. Needless to say, the simple yet effective philosophy had him hooked and 3 months later opened the first CrossFit gym in the country. As the sport of CrossFit grew, Darren competed at the Regionals from 2009-2012 as an individual, the CrossFit Games affiliate competition in 2010 and in 2015 qualified in second place for the 40-44yr Masters division of The Reebok CrossFit Games. Before university and opening CrossFit NZ and Reebok CrossFit 09, Darren spent 6 years working and travelling overseas working for minimum wage as a bartender, bouncer, tour guide, tractor driver, cook and divemaster, and visiting places like Congo, Ethiopia, Yemen and Guatemala; which found him home to dodgy parasites and 10kg underweight, but with an ability to order food in Swahili, Turkish and Arabic. Now he runs his gyms and coaches people all over the world in fitness and nutrition, while trying to spend as much time as possible on the beach or a mountain bike with his fiance Krista and his dog Baxter.  www.lisatamati.co.nz www.runninghotcoaching.com  The information contained in this show is not medical advice it is for educational purposes only and the opinions of guests are not the views of the show. Please seed your own medical advice from a registered medical professional. Resources