A Life Without Limits: A World Champion's Journey - Review

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This is the extraordinary first-hand account of Chrissie Wellington's rise to triathlon’s greatest women’s champion when, after the age of 25, she discovered her latent talent for endurance sport.

In 2007, Chrissie Wellington shocked the triathlon world by winning the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a newcomer to the sport and a complete unknown to the press, Chrissie's win shook up the sport.

A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS is Wellington's inspiring story about all the incredible challenges she has faced--from anorexia to near-drowning to training with a controversial coach. But to Wellington, the drama of the sports also presents an opportunity to use sports to improve people's lives.

A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS reveals the heart behind Wellington's success, along with the diet, training and motivational techniques that keep her going through one of the world's most grueling events.

Chrissie's story from an academic to Iron man champion is riveting from start to end. Well written, A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS is an inspiring insight into the life and philosophy of a truly amazing yet grounded woman.

A must read for anyone passionate about endurance sport.

Grab Your Copy now!

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The Starch Solution: Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the Weight for Good!

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From Atkins to Dukan, fear of the almighty carb has taken over the diet industry for the past few decades—even the mere mention of a starch-heavy food is enough to trigger an avalanche of shame and longing. But the truth is, carbs are not the enemy. Now, bestselling author John A. McDougall, MD, and his kitchen-savvy wife, Mary, prove that a starch-rich diet can actually help readers lose weight, prevent a variety of ills, and even cure common diseases. By fueling the body primarily with carbohydrates rather than proteins and fats, readers will feel satisfied, boost energy, and look and feel their best.

Including a 7-Day Sure-Start Plan, helpful weekly menu planner, and nearly 100 delicious, affordable recipes, The Starch Solution is a groundbreaking program that will help readers shed pounds, improve their health, save money, and change their lives.

Coach Edu Business Mentorship Program

Train Slow to Race Fast part four

In this fourth and final part of the series I unpack the advantages of heart rate training as well as working with a coach.

Online resources mentioned in this video:
Training Peaks: http://home.trainingpeaks.com/ 
Heart Rate Training Zone Calculator: http://www.digifit.com/heartratezones/

The 50 Best Tips EVER for Triathlon Swimming, Biking and Running - Review

Thinking of entering your first Ironman but clueless on how to start and make it through to the finish line? Look no further than Scott Welle’s “50 Best Tips EVER for Triathlon Swimming, Biking and Running” for simple, yet essential, tips in triathlon that will make or break your success in the sport.

Scott covers high performance nutrition, mindset, getting to the finish line plus the 3 sports involved in doing a triathlon: swimming, biking and running. In this book, you get the goods. You'll receive not only the book, you'll also have instant access to videos and strategies to:

- Increase your cycling speed 1-2 MPH immediately
- Prevent chronic injuries, instead of responding to them
- Use the 3 keys to peak performance to race your best
- Beat the heat with hydration and electrolyte replacement
- Master the setup and execution of your triathlon transitions
- Stay motivated in training and mentally tough in racing
- Fuel fat loss and optimize recovery through performance nutrition
- "Best in Class" equipment and apparel recommendations and much more

It doesn't matter if you're just starting out or if you're an experienced triathlete - this book will maximize your time, energy, fitness and enjoyment in the sport of triathlon. Well written with lots of personal experiences that you can learn from and tips to apply to your training.

Highly recommended book for anyone interested not only in triathlon but in training in general.

Grab Your Copy Now!

Cycle of Hope: A Journey from Paralysis to Possibility - Review

At thirty-one, Tricia Downing was in the best shape of her life. In the summer of 2000, Tricia, an avid cyclist, drove across the country for what amounted to eighteen races in twenty-three days. She returned from her adventure to a fresh start: a new job awaited her, and determined to make the next summer the year she would make her mark on the world of cycling, she began a rigorous training strategy.

But on September 17, 2000, Tricia Downing's life took a detour. While training on a her bicycle one sunny Colorado afternoon, Tricia collides with a car that turns directly in her path, and instantly becomes paralyzed from the chest down. 

As a competitive road and track cyclist and lifelong athlete, losing the use of her legs is devastating on all accounts. As she re-learns to do everything from sitting straight up to navigating through her house in a wheelchair to returning to work and operating a handcycle, her grueling recovery takes her to the very core of her athletic mettle. 

This inner strength helps her to not only learn how to live life as a paraplegic--a label that takes time to grow accustomed to--but to have the courage to return to the competitive sport she loves and almost lost. Determined to live life on her terms, Tricia turns her misfortune into opportunity, and is now a wheelchair racer, competing regularly in triathlons around the globe. 

Cycle of Hope chronicles Tricia's journey from the first terrifying moments of impact with the car through rehab and her emergence as a world-class athlete.

Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run: From Common Man to Ironman - Review

This book is both a lesson in true grit and determination, but its goal is one that is attainable. 

Andy isn't a sporting superstar, he holds down a 9-5 job and all the pressures that go with it; he isn't blessed with speed and talent; there are no multi-million pound sponsorship deals; yet this remarkable "common man" is inspiring in a way that some of today's sporting superstars have forgotten how to be. 

You wouldn't recognize Andy in the street, yet his story provides valuable lessons to us all: "Never give up" and "Anything is possible." Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run follows Andy Holgate's epic journey from being an overweight librarian to an Ironman triathlete. 

Before he could even begin the rollercoaster ride which amassed more punctures than Andy cares to remember, this would-be Superman had first to buy a second-hand bike and take swimming lessons.

 Along the way, he ended up in hospital, dealt with family crises, encountered crocodiles and deadly amoebas, and persuaded his friends that doing an Ironman event is what normal people do on their stag weekend. 

This is the inspirational, amusing and moving story of how one normal bloke learnt how to fall off a bike and not injure himself, to run a marathon despite two dodgy knees, and most importantly how not to drown.

Forks Over Knives DVD review

What has happened to us? Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure.

Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country's three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to "battle" these very conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases.

Could it be there's a single solution to all of these problems? A solution so comprehensive but so utterly straightforward, that it's mind-boggling that more of us haven't taken it seriously?

FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called "diseases of affluence" that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

Dr. Campbell, a nutritional scientist at Cornell University, was concerned in the late 1960's with producing "high quality" animal protein to bring to the poor and malnourished areas of the third world. While in the Philippines, he made a life-changing discovery: the country's wealthier children, who were consuming relatively high amounts of animal-based foods, were much more likely to get liver cancer. Dr. Esselstyn, a top surgeon and head of the Breast Cancer Task Force at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, found that many of the diseases he routinely treated were virtually unknown in parts of the world where animal-based foods were rarely consumed.

These discoveries inspired Campbell and Esselstyn, who didn't know each other yet, to conduct several groundbreaking studies. One of them took place in China and is still among the most comprehensive health-related investigations ever undertaken. Their research led them to a startling conclusion: degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, could almost always be prevented - and in many cases reversed - by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet. Despite the profound implications of their findings, their work has remained relatively unknown to the public. The filmmakers travel with Drs. Campbell and Esselstyn on their separate but similar paths, from their childhood farms where they both produced "nature's perfect food"; to China and Cleveland, where they explored ideas that challenged the established thinking and shook their own core beliefs.

The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow "reality patients" who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments - while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.

Most amazing diet to lose weight lower cholesterol and reverse diabetes in just 4 weeks

After my past couple of posts I have received some requests about what specific diet program do I recommend to anyone wanting to take control of their health - fast. Here it is.

Lose weight, lower cholesterol, significantly reduce the risk of disease, and become physically fit--in just 4 weeks.

Professional athlete-turned-firefighter Rip Esselstyn is used to responding to emergencies. So, when he learned that some of his fellow Engine 2 firefighters in Austin, TX, were in dire physical condition-several had dangerously high cholesterol levels (the highest was 344!)-he sprang into action and created a life-saving plan for the firehouse. By following Rip's program, everyone lost weight (some more than 20 lbs.), lowered their cholesterol (Mr. 344's dropped to 196), and improved their overall health. Now, Rip outlines his proven plan in this book.

With Rip as your expert coach and motivator, you'll transform your body and lifestyle in a month. His plant-powered eating plan is based on a diet of whole foods, including whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

This invaluable guide features: 

• Dozens of easy, mouthwatering recipes-from pancakes to pizza, Tex-Mex favorites to knockout chocolate desserts-that will keep you looking forward to every bite 
• Pantry-stocking tips will take the panic out of inevitable cravings and on-the-fly meals 
• Guidelines on menu choices that will allow you to eat out, wherever and whenever you want 
• Rip's simple, firefighter-inspired exercise program that will boost your metabolism and melt your fat away.

Medically approved, easy-to-follow, and amazingly effective, this diet is designed for anyone who wants to make heroic strides in his or her health, weight, and well-being-all without heroic effort.

How much protein do you need to be able to run 3 to 5 times a week

I received a question regarding the amount of protein a woman runner needs for adequate recovery.

The surprising answer is how little protein can be absorbed by a woman's body for muscle repair. Most of us eat more protein than our bodies are able to use.

Check out:
Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life

Brendan Brazier is the creator and host of the Thrive Forward web series, based on his bestselling Thrive book trilogy (Thrive, Thrive Fitness, and Thrive Foods). Brendan is a former professional Ironman triathlete, and the creator of an award-winning line of whole food nutritional products called Vega. He is also a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion.

Brendan is recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on plant-based nutrition for athletes.

Thrive Diet is a relatively easy to follow program for athletes that have food allergies, are vegan, or just want to get their nutrition from whole foods. The hardest thing about going plants only is accepting you can get solid protein and nutrition. Thankfully, Brendan knows how to research and presents his findings dispassionately and with reason. The page on protein powders is worth the book itself. No where else have I found this information, and I've been looking through all vegan, vegetarian, and bodybuilding books. Keep in mind that this book is soy and tofu free, due to Brendan's concerns with allergies.

An important part of this book are the early chapters on different types of stress and how nutrition can assist recuperation. Brendan is not a big supplement taker, and focuses on nourishment rather than calories/protein/carbs counting. The recipes are simple to prepare. It's actually, dare I say it, kind of lazy food prep, minimal tools (food processor & blender), and maximum return. These are positives. Other vegan cookbooks have 20 steps, consume an hour of time and the end result is just a side dish. Of potatoes....

What is the Best Fastest Long Lasting vegetarian Diet possible

Ana needs a fast acting vegetarian diet.

Here is my advice for the best diet ever that will allow her to eat lots of food, lose weight, keep the weight off. Just below the video I unpack in detail how you, too, can achieve these goals.

The next part we will look more deeply at the two approaches to plant based weight loss and how best to combine them.

First up is the 80-10-10 diet that will give you the rapid weight loss.
You may have heard of the 80-10-10 diet, which was first popularized by a raw foodist named Dr. Douglass Graham. Perhaps you’ve seen some of the advocates post about it on Instagram and wondered what it was.

What’s the 80? What are the 10’s? A lot of people seem to have questions about it.

Basically, it’s a raw vegan diet divided up into three food categories (macronutrients). Here’s a summary:
A minimum of 80 percent of your calories are from carbohydrates. These calories come mostly from fruits and vegetables, relying heavily on the sweet fruits so it’s easier to reach this goal percentage. About 90 to 95 percent of the calories in this category come from sweet fruits. Then about two to six percent of your calories are from greens. There are no grains of course, since everything is raw.

A maximum of 10 percent of your calories are from healthy fats.

A maximum of 10 percent of your calories are from plant-based protein sources, but they’re naturally built into the rest of the diet.

The Pros and Cons of 80-10-10
Pros:
You eat tons of fresh produce.
It’s low-fat, which is important for several reasons.
It’s an improvement if you’re on the standard American diet because you’re eating whole foods and no refined sugar.

Cons:
The 80-10-10 diet doesn’t include any cooked veggies and grains that reduce your cravings for refined, processed and higher fat foods... Something no one needs to be eating!
Most fruit is seasonal and the absence of abundant fruits that you like can make the 80-10-10 diet very difficult to maintain for the long term.
Staying in tune with the seasons and what your body is craving is important, and cooked soups and stews have an important place in a winter diet.
Going too “vata” (according to Ayurveda principles) can make you feel anxious or scatterbrained. You need to balance that out with grounding, warm vegetables and gluten-free grains that are earthy and “kapha.”

Second up is the McDougal program for Maximum Weight Loss:
The McDougal Program is a weight loss program that is slower working than the 80-10-10 program. The reason is although it is also high carb, low fat plant based nutrition, the McDougal program has it's focus on cooked starchy vegetables and grains like potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and rice.


These cooked foods have denser calorie profiles and therefore a slower burn rate than the raw food and fruit of the 80-10-10 program.

Finally: The Coach Edu system for rapid and sustained weight loss:
My system uses the best from both the 80-10-10 diet and the McDougal program. It is also the system promoted by Freelee the Banana Girl in Australia.

Follow the principles of the 80-10-10 diet until 4pm when your body is in high energy burning mode and you can refuel often.
Then in the evening switch to the McDougal program for warm grounding plant based nutrition that will sustain you through until morning without any cravings.

So that's it. Raw till 4(pm) and warm cooked food in the evening. It is a simple to follow lifestyle that is easy to maintain for the long term.

The best way to prevent and reverse heart disease

The New York Times bestselling guide to the lifesaving diet that can both prevent and help reverse the effects of heart disease

Based on the groundbreaking results of his twenty-year nutritional study, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn illustrates that a plant-based, oil-free diet can not only prevent the progression of heart disease but can also reverse its effects. Dr. Esselstyn is an internationally known surgeon, researcher and former clinician at the Cleveland Clinic and a featured expert in the acclaimed documentary Forks Over Knives. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease has helped thousands across the country, and is the book behind Bill Clinton’s life-changing vegan diet.

The proof lies in the incredible outcomes for patients who have followed Dr. Esselstyn's program, including a number of patients in his original study who had been told by their cardiologists that they had less than a year to live. Within months of starting the program, all Dr. Esselstyn’s patients began to improve dramatically, and twenty years later, they remain free of symptoms.

Complete with more than 150 delicious recipes perfect for a plant-based diet, the national bestseller Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease explains the science behind the simple plan that has drastically changed the lives of heart disease patients forever. It will empower readers and give them the tools to take control of their heart health.

Amazing way to reverse diabetes within 30 days

Until Dr. Barnard’s scientific breakthrough, most health professionals believed that once you developed diabetes, you were stuck with it—and could anticipate one complication after another, from worsening eyesight and nerve symptoms to heart and kidney problems. But as this groundbreaking work reveals, this simply is not true. In a series of studies—the most recent funded by the National Institutes of Health—Dr. Barnard has shown that it is possible to repair insulin function and reverse type 2 diabetes. By following his scientifically proven, life-changing program, diabetics can control blood sugar three times more effectively than with the standard diet; and cut back on and in some cases eliminate medications while reducing the risk of diabetes complications.

"The long overdue epic scientific breakthrough in diabetes is here…an obvious must-read for health professionals and for diabetic and potential diabetic patients." —Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD, preventive cardiology consultant, Cleveland Clinic, and author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

"This is the approach to follow…the clinically proven way to get your blood sugar under control… and start living again."—John McDougall, MD, founder and medical director of the McDougall program, and author of The Starch Solution

"Dr. Barnard’s book is no exaggeration…The signs and symptoms of diabetes can be reversed, and he’s got the evidence to prove it."—Jennie Brand-Miller, PhD, author of The New Glucose Revolution

Check out Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes. It WILL change your life!

Train Slow to Race Fast Part 3

In this third part of the series I unpack the importance of a heart rate monitor as a tool to ensure that your easy run days are at a low enough intensity. This will enable your hard days to be hard enough for you to make massive improvement.

Train slow to race fast part two

This series of videos highlights the importance in terms of race performance and injury prevention of doing most of your run volume at or below aerobic threshold pace. I also explain what aerobic threshold is and how to train at that level.

Train slow to race fast part one

This series of videos highlights the importance in terms of race performance and injury prevention of doing most of your run volume at or below aerobic threshold pace. I also explain what aerobic threshold is and how to train at that level.

Question from Mie-Na: Injury rehabilitation and preparing for a 50 miler

Today we have a question from Mie-Na
She asks:
What do you recommend during the tail end of injury rehabilitation?...

Four ways to avoid overtraining

In today's video I look at the balance between training and adaptation.
I also look at what causes overtraining and how you can you can avoid being sidelined by overtraining.

For first time runners, here is a link to my video about how to start jogging for the first time: http://youtu.be/ASstPI4m5CM

Question from Samuel about effort level for mountain bike rides on my free XTERRA training program

Answering a question from Samuel about intensity levels of mountain bike training on my XTERRA Maui World Championship training program.

XTERRA World Championship - Maui: Training Plan For Week 3 (with videos)

Only 3 weeks remain until XTERRA Maui.
This training plan contains only the "core set" of each workout.

Warm-ups for all workouts are the same:

Warm-up for swimming:
100m reverse individual medley as follows: 25m front crawl, 25m breaststroke, 25m backstroke, 25m butterfly. A soft and relaxed pace.

Then 200m technique drills:
50m kick; 50m catch up drill; 50m fists (swim with closed fists); 50m side to side drill.

Warm up for bike:
10mins spinning a light gear.

Run warm up:
5mins slow easy jogging. 

XTERRA World Championship:

Monday 06 October 2014

Swim: 5 x 400m with 30 seconds rest between each.

Bike: 30km MTB

Tuesday 07 October 2014

Swim: 1x2500m with pull buoy. Easy pace.

Run (trail running)
Do six sets of single track Kenyan hill repeats.

Find a hill, preferably single track… Shade will be good as well…

Run up as hard as you can and run down at race pace. Only time the up part of each repeat. Start the next repeat as soon as you reach the base of your hill again.

Each set consists of hill repeats of 1min; 2min; 3min; 2min; 1min. The “rest” between each set is 5min running on a flat path at your aerobic threshold pace.

The Training for all would be as follows:

6 sets:
Run up as hard as you can 1min
Down at race pace
Run up as hard as you can 2min
Down at race pace
Run up as hard as you can 3 min
Down at race pace
Run up as hard as you can 2min
Down at race pace
Run up as hard as you can 1min
Down at race pace
5min running on a flat path at your aerobic threshold pace.

Wednesday 08 October 2014

Bike (MTB):
Mountain bike hill repeats: 4min up as hard as you can go, followed by race pace back  down. Terrain: single track. The workout: 6 sets of 5 repeats per set with 5 minutes rest between sets.

Thursday 09 October 2014

Swim: 8 x 600m with 30 seconds between each.
Run: 60 minutes at conversation pace.

Friday 10 October 2014

Bike: 20km MTB

Saturday 11 October 2014

Swim: 4 x 250m with 30 seconds between each.
Run: 90 minutes at conversation pace.

Sunday 12 October 2014

Bike: 50km MTB 
Run: 30min straight off the bike.

This is XTERRA!

 www.xterraspain.com