Brad catches up with Guinness World Record holding ultra-endurance athlete Tom Seabourne, a professor of Exercise Physiology at Northeast Texas Community College who has pushed the limits of human endurance with numerous finishes in what Outside magazine calls the toughest athletic event in the world: The non-stop solo bicycle Race Across America (RAAM). Tom and Brad reminisce about the old days where Tom was on the cheapest crew in the history of the race, while Brad was part of Johnny G’s most expensive crew in the history of the race. Tom was 103 miles from the finish line at 3,000 miles when he was eliminated on time. Heartbreak, but it got him “addicted” to the event, which he went on to finish several times. Cycling over 300 miles for 22 hours a day is pretty tough, but Tom’s crew follies were epic. Once, his team lost him in the California desert soon after the start. Another time his relay team members bailed in Utah! Tom also set a Guinness World record for the longest stationary bike ride of 185 hours - over 7 days (watching The Office re-runs helped pass the time)! The record performance, notwithstanding the “urine explosion” incident, that you have to hear to believe. As a “horrible carb addict” during his ultramarathon cycling days, Tom actually developed Type 1.5 diabetes (fasting glucose 450!) despite being at 5% body fat. He also developed atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, which are now becoming commonplace maladies among extreme endurance athletes. Learn what’s happening in the mind of an ultra king during these long efforts, which Tom describes as a flow-like experience.    Brad welcomes Tom Seabourne who is doing amazing athletic exploits while battling various health conditions. [00:00:16]  What is the Race Across America (RAAM)? What was Tom's experience? [00:01:45]  How did Tom's plantar fasciitis get cured? [00:08:28]  What is entailed in being on the crew for this race? [00:09:45]  Never try something without having the training or having sponsors for it! [00:16:26]  He had a history of horrible eating. [00:20:53]  What about calories in and calories out? [00:23:35]  What happened when Tom did the record-setting ride on the Spinner bike? [00:25:01]  Tom talks about his atrial fibrillation. [00:31:35]  Has Tom changed his approach to training since the heart problems? Is he addicted? [00:35:33]  Does Brad think about going back to the triathlon? [00:39:07]  Is something special about the sort of meditative experience we have when riding? [00:40:57]  What is a Type 1.5 diabetic? How is he handling it? What is the difference between Type 1 and 2? [00:53:27]  What is the ablation procedure for atrial fibrillation? Don't wait too long to take care of yourself. [01:01:08]   Check out Tom’s book on Amazon called, Glitches Into Gold    LINKS: Glitches Into Gold: https://www.amazon.com/Glitches-into-Gold-Live-Champion/dp/0998833967/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1530055780&sr=8-1&keywords=glitches+into+gold Race Across America: http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/   QUOTES: Never try something without having training for it! We are nothing more than the space between our thoughts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad lays out a master plan to improve your running performance, looking beyond the obvious and sometimes misguided insights to push harder, add more speed workouts, or run more miles. Endurance athletes often overlook the importance of technique, and often exhibit horrible technique. No excuses are such a simple sport! Golf - plenty of excuses for a lousy swing (it’s very technical and hard to develop), but not running! Some discussion of technique ensues, emphasizing balanced center of gravity at all times and good posture. The listener is urged to dive deep into the running technique instruction, drills and sprint workout videos in the Primal Endurance Mastery Course at primalendurance.fit. Sprinting is great for technique development because the penalty for a poor technique is severe. Ditto for running barefoot on concrete - you very quickly learn how to strike the ground and absorb shock optimally, and generate explosive force with each stride. In contrast, cushy running shoes ruin your proprioception and enable lousy technique to become ingrained   When you sprint, make sure it’s an actual sprint. Even reps of 100-meter sprints are great for the hormonal, musculoskeletal and technique refinement benefits. Brad rarely goes further than this. Sprints are quality over quantity, both in the frequency of workouts (3x/month during intensity phases is plenty) and duration of efforts. Most endurance athletes make their “speed” workouts a suffer fest (ahem, 6 x 800m and so forth). They just get exhausted, don’t really run explosively, and lose out on the benefits of actual sprinting. This show will be a real eye-opener for how to integrate high intensity into your schedule the right way and get you thinking more about good technique instead of just shuffling along.  QUOTES: “The penalty for technique errors and not properly absorbing the impact is severe.” SHOW NOTES: How does one build aerobic base efficiency? [00:00:58]  What is the cut-off point 50-50 performance? [00:05:30]  What are the benefits of doing super hard sprinting? [00:07:19]  Dorsa flex foot is like imagining pedaling your bike over hot lava. [00:08:40]  A good way to teach people how to run is to have them run barefoot on cement! [00:10:58]  How does one rewire the Central Nervous System to be more efficient? [00:13:59]  How often should a person sprint? [00:16:09]  What are some good workout suggestions? [00:17:23]    LINKS: Barefoot Ted Primal Blueprint primalendurance.fit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad lays out a master plan for you to improve your swimming performance in multisport events. And no, sorry, it’s not about pushing harder and grinding out more yards. It entails a strategic approach where you emphasize the right things and work smarter instead of harder. Let’s consider that there are three components to swimming performance: technique, muscular endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. Technique is by far the most important factor for improvement. The report card of most triathletes might look like: D or F in technique, B or C in muscular endurance and an A+ in Technique is best refined at a slow pace, not when you are fighting to make an interval time. Slow down to go faster - sound familiar? This is when you can best rewire new and improved neuromuscular patterns and make them stick. “Nerves that fire together wire together,” says Dr. Kelly Starrett. Muscular endurance can be developed with dry land exercises that are vastly more time efficient than swimming. Check out the Vasa trainer or Stretch Cordz and hit it hard for 10 minutes; it’s similar in muscular benefit to an hour swim (and remember, you already have an A+ in cardio!) Get out into open water as often as possible, and if you are in the pool, simulate open water by sighting every few strokes or closing your eyes for a few strokes to check your balance.  Finally, conduct workouts that simulate the race experience, such as time trialing for 1.5k (Olympic) or 2k (70.3) or even 4k (ironman) and immediately jumping on your bike for a time trial. Yes, dripping wet and fussing with wet feet into shoes or water dripping into your lenses. If you are dedicating your season and paying a zillion dollars to enter an Ironman, at least get into the open water for a 4k nonstop swim, then immediately jump on your bike for a long. We don’t want surprises on race day.  Brad uses paddleboats as a comparison to explain human swimming technique. [00:00:49]  What can you learn from comparing your stroke to a boat's propeller's action? [00:05:41]  It is important to find the still water for your stroke. Learn the difference between "Lift Propulsion” and “Drag Propulsion." [00:08:18]  Technique, muscular endurance, and cardio-vascular fitness are the three main areas of the swim stroke. [00:13:45]  What is a description of a streamlined position in the water? [00:19:54]  How do you engrain good technique or revise flawed patterns? [00:23:15]  You might want to focus on your stroke rate rather than stroke length. [00:30:25]  How does one improve muscular endurance? [00:32:55]  How important is it to simulate the competitive experience as I train? [00:40:42]    Dr. Kelly Starrett Stretch Cordz Vasa Trainer BoFlex Jeff FloatSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns ups the ante and records this podcast as a Facebook Live event! You can find the video to the show archived on the Primal Endurance Facebook page. Frequent contributor David Lapp weighs in on the do's and don'ts of cold water therapy (use away from the training stimulus). An interesting question is posed about whether high ketone levels might enable magnificent endurance feats at a fast pace (sorry, no can do; the natural laws of the universe apply to fitness, and you will get tired if you aren't prepared to go long...ask Brad when he tried to run 15 miles with Dr. Steven and made it only 7 before tying up). Another interesting question about an adverse telomere length test, and can one improve their longevity profile? Yes, including improving your time in the one-mile run to deliver a strong longevity benefit. Sebastian Bach of Skid Row gets a cameo, trip out on that. David Lapp has asked if cold therapy is best right after workouts. [00:00:56]  There shouldn't be a big need to stretch unless you are overtraining!  [00:07:09]  What about rolling out the IT band? [00:08:23]  Should one push up to a higher heart rate? [00:10:10]  Is fat adaptation the reason for my improvement or the MAF way of training? [00:12:35]  Be cognizant that you may be ingesting food outside the recommended 12-hour window. [00:15:58]  How does Brad make Kombucha? [00:21:02]  Charles age 42 asks: "If I'm in ketosis, could I run a marathon and just keep going if I run slow enough?" [00:24:36]  Paul age 53 says:  "My telomeres tests show that my body is 13 years older than my chronological age! YIKES!!! What can I do?" [00:30:54]  Aerobics Institute in Texas predicts longevity with a test of a one-mile run. [00:40:57]  QUOTES: “There shouldn’t be a need to stretch unless you are overtraining.” “Keep your caloric ingesting within a 12-hour window.”   SHOW NOTES: Aerobic Institute Ageless Body, Timeless Mind The Maybe Not So Definitive Guide to Cold Therapy Brad Kearns Chest Freezer Cold Plunge Brad Kearns Morning Green Smoothie IT Band Eating Academy Sami Inkinen Telomeres Ben Greenfield 21-Day Primal Reset  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad fields many interesting and unusual questions in today's podcast. Question from Charles: What entails maximum sustained power training? How often should a person do this?  [00:01:27] Brad warns about the danger of road cycling. [00:12:11]  Brad explains workouts done properly. [00:18:08]  David Lapp asks: How do you get rid of the bad habit of chronic training patterns?  [00:23:13]  What is the argument against consistency? [00:29:04]  Brad gives the secret password for a discount on the Primal Endurance course. [00:34:01]  Todd asks: If one takes a long walk or a hike at a brisk pace,  is it possible to still trigger the flight or fight response in the body? [00:35:36]  Travis asks about his frustration of trying to adjust to the MAF training. [00:41:15]  The cutoff point for 50-50 (50 percent aerobic and 50 percent anaerobic) is a race that lasts 1 minute and 25 seconds.   QUOTES: “A little goes a long way. Make sure you get rest.”   “Of all the dangerous things you may do in your life remember that road cycling is the number one most dangerous thing you can do.  Be careful out there!!”   “The cutoff point for 50-50 (50 percent aerobic contribution and 50 percent anaerobic contribution) is a race that lasts 1 minute and 25 seconds.”   LINKS: Jacques Devore Sirens and Titans VersaClimber Dave Zabriski The Forward (Lance Armstrong) Hex Bar Whole Doods Spiderman Push Ups Brad Kearns Morning Routine Brave Athlete: Calm the F*** Down Nourish Balance Thrive Kelly Starrett Primal Blueprint  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns talks to Andre Obradovic from Melbourne, Australia. Andre is a highly engaging personal trainer, triathlon coach, and elite level performer in the 50+ ranks at 70.3 triathlon—ranked 10th in the Ironman All World Athlete rankings for Australia, the most competitive triathlon environment on the planet, mate. Andre’s remarkable story of transitioning from a “little fatty carb burner, sucking up food like a pool sweep machine” back in 2011 to a lean, mean, fat burning beast will inspire you to trust the process and be the best you can be. Basically, Andre cut processed carbs, slowed down his training pace, threw in some mobility/flexibility and power training, and started getting healthier and faster. He went from needing an energy gel to complete a 10k run, to improve his marathon time by 17 minutes despite being 7 years older.  Now he is so committed to the primal approach that he refuses to train a prospective client in his gym until they agree to transition from a SAD diet (Standard Australian Diet - yes they wolf down Weetabix Down Under) to a nutritious, primal-style diet.  Andre peppers in some highly entertaining and memorable quotes during this show. Trust the process, don’t be a “muppet” (a blind follower of what Andre calls “conventional stupidity”), don’t fritter time away on “Wastebook”, and when you’re running a marathon, focus on a rapid cadence with balanced center of gravity, and try the mantra “Glutes On! Hips Up!”—yes, technique matters even when you’re jogging along at marathon pace. Try training and even racing without a watch to increase focus on form and intuitively optimal effort.   Andre relates how only two years ago, he was hopeless in the gym. He studied the Maximum Sustained Power concept detailed in Primal Endurance book and Mastery Course and even booked a private Skype session with MSP guru Jacques DeVore to get a custom program designed. Yeah, this dude you line up against in the 50-54 division is going into the gym and hitting the hex bar deadlift with multiple sets at 97 kilos (that’s 213lbs for a guy weighing a buck-forty - amazing!), along with numerous complementary exercises like lat pulls, clap pushups, Bulgarian split lunges (sounds hard), Swiss ball core work, and explosive lunge walks. Yes, friends, this is the picture of the evolved multisport athlete — grabbing podiums spots while training more sensibly and less exhaustively. This is not about flawed and dated “quality vs quantity” debate, but rather about eating right, balancing stress and rest at all times, honoring the MAF heart rate for aerobic development, looking at the big picture of training that includes flexibility/mobility and strength/power as well as endurance, making intuitive decisions (Andre does an extensive warmup in the gym and then has a “check-in” moment before he proceeds with the hard stuff.) Finally, Andre embodies that relaxed, “no worries, mate,” Aussie ethos where you tone down the misplaced competitive intensity and enjoy the journey. Andre reminds us that life is short but we are dead for a bloody long time, so you might as well make your best effort. Enjoy the show.    Andre Obradovic tells us his outstanding accomplishments and has good tips for maintaining health and recovering from stress caused fatigue.  [00:01:20]  Does he really run marathon at his MAF heart rate? [00:04:25]  After gaining weight, he was transformed back to normal healthy weight because of the dietary changes he made. [00:06:52]  Flexibility/mobility training is most important. [00:15:23]  Should you be focusing on your time and heart rate? [00:20:29]  Why are we in such a rush? [00:24:40]  We should be aware how stress affects the family. [00:27:23]  What does he mean by his "gluts and high hips" mantra when he is running? Why should we run with barefoot? 00:29:19]  You ought to be able to race without data. [00:32:41]  How does (MSP) maximum sustained power correlate to endurance competitive goals? What is Andre's workout routine?  00:36:59]  Checking in on our bodies is so important. [00:43:53]  MEMORABLE QUOTES - I go against conventional stupidity! - Don’t be a Muppet…get off the couch! - Personal trainers should be talking about diet before the physical training. - The endurance athlete’s perceived sign of success seems to be training themselves into exhaustion. - You ought to be able to race without data. - Think Wastebook instead of Facebook! - Checking in on our bodies is so important.   Andre Obradovic   Primal Endurance Mastery CourseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Dan (?) Can you elaborate on what is a suitable domain for self-experimentation vs. the core principles that have remained unchanged in your routine over the past several years? Can you comment on the relative merit of Fartlek vs. occasional dedicated speed workouts?  [00:00:37]  David Lapp asks whether one can still do long distance Ironman-length triathlons after age 50 and be healthy? [00:09:26]  As I am learning to go with the low carb diet, will my fasting lead to not eating enough? [00:20:14]  Thomas Peterson: Can you please compare and contrast the benefits of doing short speed work during a normal 180 minus age run vs. a dedicated speed workout? [00:29:31]  Thomas also asks: What are the principles that we should never change come hell or high water? AND What are the aspects of fitness where we should feel free to experiment? [00:30:17]  Dr. Ted asks "Do I need to add more speed work or race pace runs to help me finish better?" [00:37:16] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns welcomes pioneering physician and legendary endurance runner Dr. Mark Cucuzzella of West Virginia. Mark has run a sub-3 hour marathon for 30 consecutive years! With an all-time best of 2:24, he is still going strong at age 51. And he is doing this stuff in barefoot/minimal footwear. He opened the nations first minimalist running shoe store called TwoRiversTreads. In this show, Mark talks about his high carb, running machine past and his evolution into a healthy, fat-adapted runner. He advocates for doing short bursts of sprinting frequently, called "alactic sprints". When you accelerate for several seconds, you teach your central nervous system the optimal movement patterns to maximize propulsive force and prevent injury, but you aren't overstressing the body with longer duration sprints. Mark is big on going barefoot and being active instead of being a "zoo human."  He discusses his truly revolutionary effort to rid his local hospital of sweetened beverages and enhance education in the diabetic community as to the benefits of ditching processed carbs and increasing intake of healthy, nutritious fats. Mark's journey was turbo-charged six years ago when he learned he was pre-diabetic, despite decades of elite level marathon performance and being a lean, mean machine. He read Gary Taubes's work and embarked on a low-carb lifestyle, also embracing the aerobic training principles of his longtime friend Dr. Phil Maffetone. Mark mentions that is the stuffy medical world, we need convincing for dietary transformation, and that Continuous Glucose Monitors are now easily accessible for all. The small effort he is making in West Virginia (the most obese all US states in fact!) is spreading quickly in the medical community as Mark spreads the word. Enjoy these insights from a truly exceptional endurance performer who is doing transformative work in his hospital environment! After performing at a fast level and having the accompanying injuries, is there a way to analyze the future potential you have to improve or surpass your previous record?  [00:05:14]  Does the development of the athletic ability in a youngster really help prepare for adult competition? [00:09:22]  How does one work on their form? [00:14:43]  The body loves variability. [00:20:08]  How has the medical world failed in keeping up with the new information on diabetes? [00:21:22]  What happened when Mark was diagnosed with pre-diabetes? [00:35:03]  What about the lower heart rate training program? How did the fat burning capacity develop? [00:42:11]  The importance of sleep is often overlooked.[00:43:48]  What is hypoglycemia? [00:45:02]  Can a person still eat carbs at all? [00:48:56]  CGM FreeStyle Libre Mark Cucuzella Natural Running Center True Form Runner Two Rivers TreadsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Estelle asks about her plantar fasciitis. Rest doesn't work, why? What can she do?? [00:00:33]   Mark is using the adjustable desk. Is there any research of endurance athletes with desk jobs benefitting from the standup desk? What can the guy with the desk job do?  [00:06:53]  What about chest freezer cold water therapy? What is a Hexbar?  [00:18:41]  Ryan asks: Does it make physiological sense to perform a few sets of relatively heavy squats before my morning run to burn off muscle glycogen and get into ketosis faster for the run? [00:21:44]  Whit asks: Is the MAF calculation is affected by altitude? What about high altitude training in general? [00:23:40]  Brad Kearns Daily Routine Brad Kearns Freezer Therapy Dr. Kelly Starrett Rethinking Recovery Plantar Fasciitis HexBarSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Kearns tackles more interesting Q&A from Primal Endurance podcast listeners and book readers. Submit your questions at www.primalblueprint.com/endurance and they will get covered on the air.  While the questions relate to the specific needs of the individual, the answers are presented in a manner that applies to a broad audience. Listen and enjoy learning about the challenges and successes of your endurance peers, and come away with plenty of practical tips to help improve your training and competitive results. Andy in Germany asks:  After a history of minor but annoying injuries, I started to train the primal way two years ago and made it to Kona. I keep measuring my heart rate. Now I am wondering what causes a huge difference in my training heart rate and my racing heart rate? [00:01:19]  Adam wants to know how to regulate his weight gain/loss cycle. What about lactic acid changes in the muscles? [00:12:45]  Wade is a plays hockey which is an extreme stop and start sport. He asks:  What is the Primal Endurance approach for training for this type of situation?  [00:17:03]  Emma (60) Does your aerobic base differ for each sport: swimming, biking, and running? [00:22:32]  What is the reason for breathing only through your nose while training? [00:25:10]  Can I still incorporate the nose breathing during swimming and bicycling training? [00:28:12]  Pader is a runner and asks about the P-90X training in conjunction with the primal training. [00:29:02]  Jonathan asks: Is it possible for an athlete to come back after burnout? [00:31:41]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.