The Sonya Looney Show

Staying healthy while traveling can be a challenge.  It requires a lot of advanced planning but is doable.  I spend about 60-70% of my time traveling and have my routine and my go-tos. As a plant-based athlete, travel can be one of the biggest hurdles to overcome but if you have a plan, it's easy! In this show, I talk about my favorite go-to restaurants for plant-based, the extra things I pack to set me up for success eating plant-based while I travel, tips and tricks for the plane to stay healthy and feel grounded, and more!  I'd love to hear your comments and feedback on YOUR travel tips too! Topics Discussed in the Podcast  how to prep for travel how to travel on the airplane with your bike how to deal with travel and anxiety with flying what to bring in your suitcase and carry-on if you want to eat healthy or plant-based airport restaurants great for plant-based eaters ordering food at restaurants apps for healthy eating some of my favorite travel products  Listen Now     Links HappyCow My t

Margaux Khoury is the founder and CEO of one of the most popular organic, natural, cruelty-free deodorants, “The Best Deodorant In The World”, a company she started out of her kitchen.  After getting to know Margaux and her company, I learned that its mission isn't just to keep you from being stinky!  There's so much more to her business. First, making an environmental impact through using responsible ingredients (they don't even use plastic with their packaging) is important. Second, they donate to water.org. For each jar of deodorant sold, it provides 1 year of clean drinking water for a child. I learned that 4,000 kids die every DAY from lack of water. And third, on the first day of every month they donate 100% of sales to their Animal Advocacy Partners. We talked about a number of topics including how and why she started focusing on her health and the environment, places she has lived around the world, what "unschooling" her children means, how she balances the hustle of being a C

"When she shifted from competition to collaboration, all the women around her became radiant stars in a dark blue sky, each one striking and rising, without trying to outshine."  "The She Book" - Tanya Markul We have all felt it - that heavy feeling of jealousy and envy; that feeling that you aren't enough compared to someone else.  Comparison is something that we can't help feel as human beings, but it also can make us feel like we are not enough.  What if instead of feeling threatened by someone else's looks or success, you could actually help each other be better? There's actually a book I've been reading called "Big Potential" by one of my favorite authors, Shawn Achor. It's about how our success is amplified by the success of those around us making it imperative to be aware of who we are spending our time with. Collaboration over competition is something I think about a lot.  Even in my races as a competitive athlete, my competitors actually mak

The decisions that we make can alter the trajectory of our lives... and even our survival.  Dan and Sheanne Moskaluk had a first hand account of the life altering changes that occur when you eat a plant-based diet.  Sheanne was 300 pounds and only discovered elmiinating all animal products by accident.  Her son wanted to get into body building and the clerk at the health foods store encouraged Sheanne to do more research into the Whey Protein she was about to give to her teenage son.  With an inquisitive mine and voracious appetite for reading and information, Sheanne learned about the negative health, environment, and animal cruelty consequences of eating dairy that stemmed to all animal products.  After losing 130 pounds, her relationship with Dan changed as well as how she viewed herself and what was possible.  Their family ate more plant-based meals and everyone felt and looked healthier. Life was better and cruising along a positive trajectory when the unthinkable happened. One morning in 203, Dan woke u

Today's show is a solo round with yours truly!  The month of May was a whirlwind with travel and races, but I wanted to slow down for a few minutes and tell you all about my experience traveling and racing my mountain bike in Japan!  I traveled in Tokyo and Nagano and also won the biggest endurance race in Japan - the Otaki 100km!   I have two other blog posts I'm working on about my experience with tons of photos, but I wanted to share my adventure travel experience in Japan via audio! Topics Discussed in the Podcast  how/why I decided to race in Japan Yuki Ikeda the cultural aspects about Japan that stood out to me a short story about racing the Otaki 100 my favorite things about Japan the plant-based Japanese food   Listen Now   Links Podcast episode about last year's Transsylvania Epic Friend of the Podcast: Küat Racks     Join! Plant-Powered Tribe Facebook Group Shop My Store – Moxy & Grit The Best Mountain Bike Vacation EVER! Join me in Bend, Oregon Oct 4-

What if you could do something about your diabetes or even reverse it?  There have been some many, many real life stories of people switching to a low fat plant-based diet and seeing incredible results with not only Type 2 Diabetes, but also Type 1 and Type 1.5.  Weight loss is one strategy for managing diabetes and plant-based diets are nutrient dense without packing on excess unhealthy calories.  That means you don't have to eat small portion sizes if you are eating whole foods, plant-based meals.  Also, the studies show that a diet high in carbohydrates (as long as they are whole foods, NOT from refined sources) helps with diabetes as well.  Interestingly enough, cardiovascular disease is what kills most diabetics (just like everyone else) and plant-based diets are highly effective and preventing and reversing heart disease as well. Today's guests are awesome- Cyrus Khambatta, PhD and Robby Barbaro are the founders of MasteringDiabetes.org.  They offer a successful coaching program for people wit

Isn't it fascinating how riding a bike can teach us so much about ourselves and about life?  Blogger, Pro Enduro Racer, and YouTuber Syd Schulz has learned a lot of valuable lessons.  Her blog is one of my favorites to read.  From posts about mindfulness on the trail, to living in a van with her husband Macky, to her adventures around the world, Syd always has insightful and useful posts.  You also may have seen her work published for CTS, REI, Bicycling, Runner's World and so much more!  I wanted to invite Syd on the show because she and I think about a lot of similar topics.  In this podcast episode, you'll learn why you should stop apologizing on rides, how to turn a bad ride into a good ride, hear about why we care so much about what other people think, and what it's really like to be a professional racer.  We also talk about how it's sometimes hard to be happy with where you are right now and about what progression means in our sport.  Syd and I also talked about how she and Mack

Allegra Stein is all about moving the needle so that people take action on their ideas.  She understands that it's scary and exciting to get started, so much so that she coined her own term "terrexcitifying!"  Allegra loves the blank whiteboard- a place you can talk and write out your ideas to create continuity and clarity.  She specializes in supporting women to get out of their own way to take action on their big idea, or even help them figure out what their next direction should be.  Don't worry, if you're a guy, there's a lot of value in this show as her knowledge extends past gender !  Allegra herself has had an interesting life from traveling in Nepal to serving in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria to teaching science in New York.  The path has lead her to coaching.  We talk about the three tools she uses in her job (a mirror, a flashlight, and pom poms), how microactions lead to bigger actions, how to make a decision, and how to deal with overwhelm.  Allegra has some brilliant m

What would it be like to lose $100 million +?  How would you pick up the pieces and move on?  Noah Kagan aka Rabbi Can't Lose aka the Taco Meister knows all about the ups and downs of start-ups, building solid businesses, the art of comedy (seriously, the dude is hilarious), and even a little bit about mountain biking.  Noah is the Chief Sumo of Sumo.com (a domain he paid 1.5 million for), one of the most entertaining and motivating people I've ever spoken to, and is incredibly down to earth.  I have a lot of respect and admiration for Noah, but after listening to many hours of him on both his podcast called Noah Kagan Presents as well as listening to him as a guest on other shows, I was even more inspired by his attitude, his down to earth vibe, and his commitment to always wanting to be better and challenging himself. We had so much to talk about that I barely scratched the surface with questions I wanted to ask him. From working in a cubicle at Intel, to being one of the first employees at Facebo

Jim Murphy is one of the most inspiring people I know.  We first met by coincidence when our paths crossed in the bicycle industry.  Since then, I've looked to Jim as a mentor, a ride buddy, and most importantly, as a great friend.  When he was diagnosed with cancer almost exactly 5 years ago, I was speechless that cancer had attacked my amazing friend.  He started a blog about his experience and I distinctly remember his impactful words saying to his readers, "Do not tell me 'I'm Sorry.' I'm not sorry."  His tenacity and passion for life were the key to how he dealt and beat esophageal cancer.  He refused to let the diagnosis dictate his future, and he insisted on continuing to ride his bike and ski as a Ski Patroller, even while undergoing chemo and radiation. He even rode his bike to the treatments.  But that's not all, Jim has lead an incredible life with a dynamite career.  He has been the National Director of Sales and also has held Vice President of Sales for mas

How do you engage in the perception of what you believe is possible?  Magda Boulet continually raises the bar.  Born and raised in Communist Poland, she moved to German and later to the United States as a teenager.  With a love for swimming, she wanted to be more social and found running high school. Eventually, she had the dream of one day going for the Olympics for the United States.  After one failed attempt at Olympic Trials in 2004, she continued pushing for her dream.  In 2008, Magda finished 2nd in the Olympic Marathon Trials and was awarded a spot on the USA Team and headed to Beijing.  The unthinkable happened - a freak accident, causing an injury that resulted in Magda having to drop out partway through the Olympic Marathon Event.  Completely devastated, Magda went home and sought solace in nature with her family and had a decision to make: let this catastrophic event define her and give up, or figure out how to overcome it.  And overcome it she did.  Magda tells us about how she became an even fast

Aaron Keith Hawkins is the podcast host of Unbreakable Success and is passionate about personal development. He is also one of the most genuine people I've ever met!  After a serious health scare in 2009, he found clarity for what he wanted to do in life.  Not everyone gets a second chance to address their regrets and change their life, but Aaron did!  He became an inspiring high-performance life coach, and has some interesting stories on how he got on life's most meaningful life for you.  His goal is to help people realize the power they have to get from the life they're living.  He is also hosting a Live event!! It is to help mission-driven entrepreneurs leverage the power of sincere customer connection and influence to grow their business. Check it out!   He has some great tools you can apply right away in your life.  I can personally relate with his mission and values. Listen Now!   Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Aaron's journey to finding his mission "the pain woke me up&q

I'm obsessed with the idea that our mind is as powerful or even more powerful than our body.  With all my experiences in ultra-endurance mountain biking, I've seen over and over that mental toughness really plays a roll in how hard you can push yourself and what you believe you are capable of. I was thrilled to find the book: Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson.  It was jam packed with really interesting research on whether limits live in our mind or our body. I also looked up Alex and learned that he is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist whose work appears in Outside, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and more.  Another fun thing I learned was that he is a very accomplished runner, running on the Canadian National Team and even more interesting, he is actually Dr. Alex Hutchinson - he has his PhD in Physics.  Getting a PhD in Physics would be the true test for pain tolerance!  I did my Master's in Electrical Engineering whic

We spent the first 20 minutes doing a Q&A with the questions you submitted. The questions we answered:Since you do a lot of longer endurance type races and train with TrainerRoad, what is your main focus?  Is power building a benefit or hindrance to the endurance/stamina you need for a longer ride?  I would love a FTP of 400 watts, but...would I be better off training at 2-4 hours/ride @ 150 watts for 100 miler training? ———————— I would love to hear about any efforts you make specifically with regards to aging - e.g. maintaining bone mass density, agility, strength, speed, and - oh - grace and humor! ——————— how do you choose a bike race ____________ what made you decide to start a plant based diet, did you have any issues ————————— how do you feel about e bikes A powerful journal entry about how I actually felt before the start of my first race this year (around 30 min mark)   Mentioned in the show: How I Deal with Self-Doubt Listen Now Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Q&As that you subm

Sarah McLean has been teaching meditation for over 20 years. I first met Sarah in Sedona this past winter when I visited her at the McLean Meditation Institute.  There was an instant connection and I had even more respect for her after she guided my husband and I through a meditation.  I discovered that she is the author of 2 books, The Power of Attention, and xx.  Sarah has had an amazing and interesting life, dropping out of high school at the age of 17 and going homeless, to joining the army where she first learned about meditation. She also has traveled the world with her bike riding in places like Turkey, Pakistan, and Greece and her tremendous life experience has given her insight for her sense of purpose on the this earth. Sarah is incredibly approachable and has worked with everyone, from Fortune 500 companies, Olympic Athletes, to small families. She worked with Dr. Deepak Chopra in Lancaster, Massachusetts for 8 years at the Ayurveda Health Center, a Transcendental Meditation community. After Deepa

Jane Esselstyn is a Registered Nurse, author of 4 cookbooks in conjunction with Engine2Diet and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and a charismatic voice in the plant-based community.  She also is a researcher and hosts conferences for women on getting preventing and reversing heart disease and auto-immune diseases.  I was excited to talk to Jane because I interviewed her brother Rip back in July and her father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn earlier this year.  It was really cool to see that the whole Esselstyn family is involved with helping the world get healthier and make better food choices for health and longevity. Jane offers some great insights on how to actually implement a plant-based diet from the food preparation side of things.  We talked about the easiest meals you can make, what to use instead of salt, sugar, and oils, and whether green juice is actually a true health food.  We also talk about protein, where she gets her inspiration for recipes, and the fact that you don't need to oil to saute yo

In todays's show, I had the opportunity to speak with a concussion expert with all of the latest cutting edge research. As someone who has had a few concussions myself, learning about CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) a few years ago was frightening.  I wondered how concussions and the after-effects would impact my life.  My last concussion was in 2016 just days before defending my World Championship title at the 24-Hour Worlds in Rotorua, New Zealand.  I didn't feel that bad but I had some definite symptoms of concussion.  I wasn't sure if I should race, after all - it was defending my World Champion title.  It was difficult and probably one of the best decisions I've ever made to skip the race.  My husband had an unfortunate injury the year after my experience.  He had one concussion and felt totally fine and was back to regular activity and intensity very quickly.  It was 3 weeks after the first concussion and he was symptom free so he decided to do the race he was signed up for. H

As athletes, we all know if we exercise, we'll feel better and get stronger.  When you start adding in focus and structure, I like to say that you are no longer just exercising: you are training.  As a Professional Athlete myself, I've been through pretty much every scenario of trying different things in my training, I've been chronically overtrained, I've played with doing minimal training, and I'm always looking for the latest research and methods for improvement.  Today's guests are two people I respect and continually follow for new information - they are the backbone behind the popular cycling trainer app: TrainerRoad.  I've personally used TrainerRoad to get me through the winters and I even train for long stage races indoors using the dynamite combo of Trainer Road and the Wahoo Fitness KICKR Smart Trainer.  This episode isn't about riding the trainer per se, it's about a lot of pitfalls and common questions that come up with any type of endurance sport.  We

Today, I had the opportunity to talk to Josh LaJaunie.  I first heard him on the Rich Roll Podcast about a year ago and was blown away by his story.  I literally had to stop by bike while listening because his story was so overwhelming and his authenticity and passion were contagious.  His story is a powerful one of transformation.  It's about how taking one brush stroke after another can create a beautiful masterpiece.  The Josh LaJaunie you see now is an enthusiastic ultrarunner who has been on the cover of Runner's World, laughed with the hosts on Good Morning America, and how regularly speaks around the country.  He is part of not only the Plant-Based Community, but an even bigger one - how to help people lose weight and create positive change in their lives. Josh wasn't always the man you see today and he'll be the first to tell you that he never imagined his life to take such a fortuitous turn.  He grew up as a self-proclaimed "coon-ass." (more on that later).  Josh grew up

Last year, I went to the Bicycle Leadership conference and discovered that Bicycling Magazine appointed a new Editor-in-Chief, a female Editor-in-Chief, Leah Flickinger.  I was excited to see that one of cycling's biggest publications had a female at the top of their leadership.  I did more research into who was working at the magazine and noticed something exciting - over half the team was comprised of females.  In the bike world, empowering women to ride and to work in the industry is a common topic.  I was excited to see that Bicycling took the reins and actually did what a lot of businesses say they are going to do: create equal opportunity for women.   When Leah was appointed, she was quoted in BRAIN Magazine, "Cycling in general is becoming more diverse in terms of gender, race, and age. I'm thrilled to lead the Bicycling team as we reflect this growth while continuing to expand the gear and fitness content our existing readers know and love." We also have Bicycling's Features