Endurance Junkie Podcast

Ben Allen is a world class professional athlete with over a decade of racing experience in surf lifesaving, adventure racing and ITU Olympic distance triathlon. He now successfully specialises in XTERRA, winning multiple events of the XTERRA World Tour.We caught up with Ben just before leaving for Maui, where he is due to compete in the XTERRA World Championships. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background growing up in Australia.- His surf life saving career and how he started triathlon.- What makes XTERRA so special and why you should give it a try.- What his expectations are going into the XTERRA World Championships.- If Ironman and Kona are on the horizon.

Matt Fisher is an amateur triathlete - possibly just like you! Since starting his triathlon journey in late 2009, he'e become a complete convert (read: addict!) to the sport. He's also a husband, father & full-time worker, so fitting it all in is by no means easy! His goal is to be the best triathlete he can given that it must fit around the rest of his life, not dictate it! In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and how he got into triathlon. - Why he works with two coaches. - What it's like to represent the UK at Age Group World Champs. - Why he decided not to race the 70.3 World Champs this year. - An upcoming trip to San Francisco for a Bucket List race

Thorsten Radde is a German age-group triathlete and “triathlon statistician”. He collects and analyzes professional Ironman-distance results, allowing him to rate courses and athletes. He also posts predictions before long-distance races and his analysis of the actual performances on TriRating.com, in addition to in-depth analysis and opinion pieces on Ironman racing. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and where his love for Ironman comes from.- What TriRating.com is about and what he wants to achieve.- How his previous Kona predictions held up.- His forecast for the men's and women's Kona race this weekend.- The Ironman fantasy league over on IM-Predictions.com.

Stéphane Vander Bruggen has been a triathlete since 1988. Competing internationally and professionally for his home country of Belgium and adopted country Australia, Stéphane has raced at the sports highest levels and since 2000 has won over 75 Age Group Triathlon categories and titles.He recently claimed 4 golds at the 2014 ITU Age Group World Championships, winning the Aquathlon, Sprint, Olympic and Long Distance races.  In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and how he got involved in triathlon.- Why he moved from Belgium to Australia and the difference in race scenes.- His 4 golds at this year's ITU Age Group World Championships.- Why he keeps racing in Blue for Belgium and not the Green & Gold of Australia.- His coaching job and his relationship with his athletes.

A self-confessed armchair sportsman, Delly Carr was always fascinated by the sports photographs that appeared in the daily newspapers. But it wasn't until Delly started his university degree and then consequently worked in some high-profile marketing roles that he knew his photography passion was much more interesting than the corporate path. So, he left behind his great income, office, personal assistant, company car and security to give photography a try. Twenty-five years on, Delly is ranked as one of the world's top freelance sports photographers. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and where his passion for photography comes from.- How he gets his gigs and wow sports photography has evolved over the years.- How 5 minutes watching fencing won him a Best Picture Award.- Bodies, lenses, memory cards and broken knees.- A couple of tips to improve your photography. 

Jonathan Albon is known for his success within the up and coming obstacle course racing scene. In addition to obstacle course races or OCRs, he enjoys a variety of sports ranging from ultra running to orienteering and cross-country skiing. He has travelled to many countries to compete;  winning the Helteløpet in Norway and most recently the Spartan World Championships in the USA. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and how he got into Obstacle Course Racing.- What IS OCR and what can competitors expect.- How the sport has grown so big so quickly.- How do you train for such events- His top 3 tips for people who want to give OCR a try.

John Newsom has been a triathlete for over half his life and now runs a successful triathlon coaching business in Christchurch, New Zealand. Having travelled the world learning from athletes and coaches, John has tried and tested numerous training methodologies whilst developing his own unique style.Along with Bevan James Eyles, John runs the world's top Ironman Triathlon Podcast called IMTalk; a weekly show that is listened to in over 100 countries.  In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and his career as a pro triathlete in Europe.- Why and how he started coaching.- The story behind the IM Talk podcast.- Project2014 and his build-up to Kona.- If he is going to get chicked.  

Olivier Bernhard's spectacular 15-year career was highlighted by 4 Ironman Switzerland wins, three duathlon world championship titles and a 5th at Ironman Hawaii in 1999. But, as with many runners, pain in his Achilles tendons forced him to retire. After retiring from professional competition, Olivier devoted himself to finding a running shoe that would give him the perfect running sensation. In doing so he crossed paths with a like-minded Swiss engineer who had an idea for a new kind of running shoe. And it was this ideal symbiosis of running experience and engineering expertise that became On. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and his career as a pro triathlete.- The story behind On running shoes and Cloudtec.- Foot strike and shock absorption.- How to choose the right running shoe.- His 4 factors that are responsible for success in sport and life.

Xavier Coppock is considered one of Australia’s most talented Ironman age grouper’s with an Ironman PB of 8h42. Sorry Xavier, I’m not counting the 8h27 at Melbourne in 2013, the swim was short. He is also the head coach of Melbourne based TEAM Tri Coaching, so tune in for a little more insight into the guy they call the X-Man. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and how he started doing triathlons.- His road to Kona qualification.- The vibe in Kona a couple of weeks before the race.- The M35-39 Age Group and his expectations for this year's race.- T.E.A.M. Tri Coaching.  

Bart Yasso is the Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World magazine and author of the Book, My Life on the Run. He is one of the few people to have completed races on all seven continents and influenced thousands of people to improve their lives through running. Bart also invented the Yasso 800s, a marathon-training schedule used by thousands around the world. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and when and why he started running.- The US running boom of the 70's.- What makes races memorable and why Comrades stands out.- What it's like being Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World.- The story behind the famous Yasso 800's. 

Nate Pearson is one of three co-founders of TrainerRoad.com, the ground-breaking bike training software that makes cyclists and triathletes faster. Using biometric feedback, TrainerRoad produces workouts and cycling plans to optimize cyclists’ performance. They have had over 900,000 workouts done on their platform and have users in over 30 countries. In just under 3 years, they have grown their Reno-based workforce to 13 employees. In this interview we talk about:- His background and how he got into doing triathlons.- What TrainerRoad does and what equipment is needed.- The development and launch of the software.- The workout library.- The features in the pipeline.

Kristian Manietta is a performance enhancement coach and a thought leader in triathlon training. He's the founder of Trispecific, where it is his mission to find and develop a smarter and more efficient way to train. One that wouldn't leave athletes burned out and unable to perform come race day.His reputation for superior coaching skills and his strong drive to acquire the latest knowledge and information have helped him develop an extensive global squad of online and personal athletes. He has helped numerous athletes on their Ironman journey and to realize their dreams of Hawaii Ironman qualification.   Kristian's own Ironman performances have gone from 11:27 to a personal best of 8:57:54 and Age Group Champion.  In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and why he traded in a pro snowboarding career for triathlon.- His road from an 11h27 Ironman to sub 9h and how this influenced his coaching philosophy.- His holistic approach to training.- How being diagnosed with Celiacs disease changed hi

Tim Waggoner resides in the mountains of Colorado just outside Boulder and is a highly sought-after endurance coach. He raced as a pro triathlete for a couple of years before switching to primarily running. He ran 2h41 in his first marathon and then 2h30 in his second. In his first race as an ultra-runner, a 50-mile trail race, he won and broke the course record. He then went on to place 6th at the Leadville 100 – his 4th ever ultra. To top it off, Lucho was the overall winner of the Leadman series in 2012, which includes all of the Leadville races. He now spends most his time raising his two sons, coaching athletes, and fishing.  In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and what it was like to race as a pro triathlete.- Why he stopped racing Ironman and started focussing on running.- Unconventional training methods and his coaching philosophy .- How to train an Ironman athlete who wants to tackle his fist 100km ultra run?.- Fly fishing and IPA beers.

Paul Newsome is a knowledgeable swim coach who has won the British University Championship in triathlon, swam the English Channel, won the 2013 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and coached and worked with Olympic swimmers and triathletes.  He is the founder of Swim Smooth (based in Perth, Australia), where he develops a wide range of dedicated swim training sessions for all levels of swimmers and triathletes. Good morning Paul, how are you? In this interview we talk about: - His sporting background, how he got into coaching and why he started Swim Smooth.- His coaching philosophy and how the use of his Six Swim Types can help you improve your swimming.- Stroke Length and Stroke Rate.- The benefits of drills and when to fit them in your workout.- The differences in training for a Olympic (1500m) and Ironman (3800m) swim.

With over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry Greg Muller began his career as a Physical Training Instructor in the New Zealand Military. Since leaving the military Greg has worked in New Zealand, Japan and Ireland with professional athletes and sports teams as an athletic performance trainer. In 2009 Greg had the vision to combine all his training and knowledge to develop the Pure Athlete range of body care products. The key requirement of these products for athletes and active people were that they were not only good for the body but also good for recovery and performance. In this interview we talk about:- His background and how he ended up running the Physical Education School of the New Zealand Army.- How he got into coaching.- The Pure Athlete Totem Pole, detailing the essential elements necessary for peak performance: Thoughts, Breath, Hydration, Emotions, Nutrition, Body Care, Exercise- How Pure Athlete products can help with faster and better recovery.

Boulder based Mat Steinmetz has worked with several top triathletes as a coach, consultant, and/or bike fitter. Those athletes include Ironman Hawaii winners Craig Alexander and Mirinda Carfrae. Mat holds a masters degree in exercise physiology and is the founder of the triathlon experts team 51Speedshop. In this interview we talk about:- His background and how he ended up in triathlon.- How he got into bike fitting and what made him leave Retül and start his own business 51Speedshop.- Fitting an athlete in their best possible TT position.- His coaching philosophy.- The upcoming Ironman Hawaii and how he thinks the race will unfold.

Felix Walchshöfer is the CEO of the Challenge Family series of long distance triathlons that features 13 races over three continents. He is also race director of the world's largest iron distance triathlon, Challenge Roth in Germany. He has worked and competed in triathlon throughout his career and is dedicated to changing the face of iron distance racing, providing athletes with an alternative world series that focuses on providing athletes with the race of a lifetime. In this interview we talk about:- His background and reign as the Table Running World Champion.- The history of Challenge Roth and the creation of Challenge Family.- What the brand is looking for when adding new races.- Challenge Bahrain and why this race will be the new Crown Jewel of the sport.- The merger of Challenge Family and REV3.

Bobby McGee is a world class run coach who enables runners and triathletes to reach their full running potential through running biomechanics drills, training plan development and mental skills assessment and mastery. He coaches Olympic runners and triathletes, and has worked with USA Triathlon preparing athletes for ITU World Cup races and the Olympic games. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and how he got into coaching.- The run/walk protocol for beginner and advanced runners.- Proper run technique and footstrike.- Bobby's Run Transformation course.- Drills, gymwork and if one should run by time or distance.

Brian MacKenzie and his team at Crossfit Endurance are shaking up the world of endurance training. Crossfit Endurance features a lower volume, high intensity approach to training for endurance events. This way of training may help you stay injury free while achieving the same results and in less time than traditional approaches to endurance training. Brian has completed 100 mile ultra-running events while never running more than a half marathon in training. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and how he got involved in endurance sports.- The differences between traditional endurance training methods and Crossfit Endurance.- Combining Crossfit Endurance with Long Slow Distance training.- Nutrition, training and recovery.- How to approach using Crossfit and long distance endurance training if your box doesn't have a CFE program (question submitted by Ryan Bush)

Frederik Van Lierde, born 1979, is the 2013 IRONMAN World Champion. To mention only a few of his other remarkable achievements, he finished first in Ironman France three times (2011, 2012 and 2013) and Abu-Dhabi International Triathlon twice (2011 and 2013). Frederik lives in Belgium, is married to Sofie with two sons, Aaron and Simon. He is coached by Luc Van Lierde. In this interview we talk about:- His sporting background and how he got involved in triathlon.- Racing short course on the ITU circuit and why he switched to long course in 2007.- What it's like to be an elite athlete in the Belgian Armed Forces.- What he learned from his first couple of Ironman Hawaii races.- What it was like to win in 2013.- His 2014 season and how he is getting ready to defend his Kona title.