Are you grappling with the challenge of balancing your career aspirations, family responsibilities, fitness goals, and other personal pursuits?

You're not alone. Nick Jonsson, a figure synonymous with achieving an enviable equilibrium in life, faced similar challenges. As a top executive and an accomplished triathlete, Nick's journey to find balance wasn't straightforward. Today, he's here with us on The Nation to share practical tips that can revolutionize your approach to life balance.

Nick's accolades are impressive: he's not only a world-age group triathlon athlete but also a bestselling author, an inspirational speaker, and the co-founder and Managing Director of Executives' Global Network in Southeast Asia. His experiences span the spectrum of high-pressure roles and intense personal commitments.

In our engaging conversation, Nick offers a deep dive into the nuances of striking a balance in a life brimming with varied and demanding obligations. He opens up about his personal quest to find harmony amidst rigorous training schedules, a dynamic professional life, and enriching personal engagements. His perspectives on establishing boundaries, prioritizing mental and physical health, and remaining grounded in spite of a bustling schedule are profoundly insightful.

This episode is a goldmine for anyone – whether you're an emerging entrepreneur, a passionate athlete, or simply someone endeavoring to lead a more balanced existence. Nick's wealth of practical advice, relatable experiences, and tangible steps are invaluable in guiding you towards a harmonious blend of success and wellness. Join us for this transformative conversation with Nick Jonsson, and let each moment fuel your journey towards crafting your best life.

Check out his bestselling book, "Executive Loneliness: The 5 Pathways to Overcoming Isolation, Stress, Anxiety and Depression in the Modern Business World".

This episode focuses on the intersection of coaching, athlete training, and the utilization of cutting-edge technology to enhance performance. What is the role of the plethora of tech devices and data analytics we now have? We are joined by two luminaries in the field, Joe Friel and Dirk Friel. Joe is a lifelong athlete with a masters degree in exercise science and has written the Training Bible books for road cyclists, mountain bikers, and triathletes. Dirk is a former pro cyclist and coach. Together with Gear Fisher, they created TrainingPeaks, the world's first online training log that has evolved into a training solution for athletes and coaches.

The guests share their expertise on how data analytics, wearable tech, and other innovations have transformed the way athletes train and coaches plan. They discuss the balance between traditional training methods and technological advancements, providing a holistic view of what it takes to reach peak performance.

Links of note:
- Our episode with Joe over 8 years ago about his book, "Faster After 50, How to Race Strong For the Rest of Your Life"
- "CoachCast" podcast with Dirk Friel
- TrainingPeaks. The training platform that Joe and Dirk co-created
- The Triathlete's Training Bible: The World's Most Comprehensive Training Guide, 4th Ed.
- Faster After 50: How to Race Strong for the Rest of Your Life
- Joe's web site
- Dirk's email

This is a episode on our series we call, Endurance off the Trail, where we look at other endurance sports and see what we can learn from them to make us better trail runners.  

In this episode, we talk about the endurance event that preceeded the Western States Endurance run, The Tevis Cup.  This is a 100-mile endurance event that follows the Western States trail by man and their partner horse.

We are honored to talk with a legend of this race, Hal Hall. Hal, an Auburn native has completed this race 32 times and holds the record for the most top-10 finishes (14) and three championships beginning at the age of 14!  He has also competed internationally. 

With Hal's expertise in horse conditioning for the race, we thought he could teach us something about human conditioning.

In this episode, we are rejoined by Dr. Matt Laye—an endurance athlete with a PhD in medical physiology and an assistant professor of physiology at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine. As we explore the critical role of sleep in running performance and recovery, Dr. Laye unpacks the science behind why a lack of sleep can be a runner’s downfall. With his experience as a coach at Sharman Ultra and as a contributor to Ultrarunning Magazine, Matt brings a wealth of knowledge, from the track to the trails, and delivers practical advice on how ultrarunners can optimize their sleep for peak performance.  Check out Matt's article in Ultraruning Magazine, "Sleep and the Ultrarunner"

Matt's blog is "Laying it Down"

We mentioned Alyssa Clark's article, "200+ Mile Sleep Strategies: Dirt Napping 101" in Trail Runner Magazine

Today we're unpacking the transition from long-distance to explosive short runs. Curious about the differences and how to adapt? We've got you covered. Addie Bracy from Sharman Ultra, a sports psychologist and author, joins us again, making her sixth appearance. Also with us is Ian Sharman, head coach at Sharman Ultra, an ultrarunning record holder with achievements that are literally out of this world!

Find out more about Addie Bracy at Strive Mental Performance AND pick up her book, "Mental Training for Ultrarunnning: Your Psychological Skills for Ultra Success"