What if there was a revolutionary treatment that could:

• improve your cardiovascular capacity
• decrease sports injuries
• help you live longer
• enhance memory
• make you more creative
• make you look more attractive
• keep you slim and decrease food cravings
• protect you from cancer and dementia
• ward off colds and flu
• decrease your chance of heart attack, stroke and diabetes
• help you feel happier, less depressed and less anxious

Dr. Matthew Walker's book, "Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams"  could miraculously improve all of these.

Alex Hutchinson and Andy Jones-Wilkins wake us from our slumber to help us understand WHY WE SLEEP.  We each take a chapter (four out of sixteen total chapters) to discuss and debate the research and findings.

AJW's Coaching

Find out more about Alex

• Alex's web site
• A previous podcast with TRN: What Defines our Limits - with Alex Hutchinson
• Follow Alex on Twitter
• Check out Sweat Science at Outside Online

Coaches Ian Sharman, David Roche and Krissy Moehl rejoin The Nation to discuss running topics.

More about Krissy Moehl:

• Krissy Coaching services
• Krissy's book, "Running your First Ultra"

Sharman Ultras coaching services

More about David Roche:

• David and Megan's coaching at SWAPRunning (SWAP stands for Some Work, All Play).
• Their book, the Happy Runner

The events in 2020 have effected everyone throughout the world.  First with the Pandemic and now with coming to terms with some long overdue inequalities.  We didn't want to distract from the attention and introspection that is needed now.  So we decided to not publish a new episode this week, rather, we want to share one of our favorite episodes.  This episode is from 2014 and we hope you like it and might help you through these hard times.

If "ultra running is 90% mental and the other 10% is in your head", shouldn't we train our brain?  Is there a repeatable process for winning?

Lanny Bassham went from a kid that others said would never compete as an athlete to a 2-time Olympic medalist and 4-time world champion with four world records.  All winners have common threads that they do differently than everyone else.  He has discovered a formula to preparing mentally to be a champion.  Since retiring from competition, he continues as a coach to many World and Olympic champions, Fortune 500 companies, the United States Secret Service, the US Navy SEALS, the United States Army Marksmanship Unit, the US Marine Corps Marksmanship Unit, and the FBI.

"With Winning in Mind" is in it's third edition and is a MUST read for all Nation Members.

Learn more at Lanny's web site:  Mental Management

You will learn about the

• three circles of the Mental Management System
• three phases of a task
• goal getting
• how to use rehearsal as a mental tool
• How an imagined imprint can be just as real as an actual imprint.
• How can we be better coach your children

Zach Bitter and Matt Fitzgerald pop in to see who reins supreme with a grab bag topic.

Check out Zach's latest world record and his coaching information HERE

Matt is always working on the next must-read running book.  Make sure you have his entire library and his coaching services HERE

Do you remember your first trail run?  What was the first thing you learned?

There are some differences everyone learns when transitioning to the trails.  Andy Jones-Wilkins joins The Nation and we talk about some things we wish we knew including:

• How to find a trail?
• What gear do you need?
• What techniques are different?
• How can I remain safe?
• What Etiquette is important to know

Here is the article about the Emergency Puffy featured at Cruzet Running by John Anderson

AJW's Coaching

Recently, our friend and trail culture advocate, Bob Crowley, was appointed as President of ITRA, International Trail Running Association.  Bob helps The Nation understand more about this little known organization that we SHOULD know about and support.  ITRA's values mirror our shared values of authenticity, humility, fair play, respect, solitary, and teamwork.  Not only can it represent our collective voice, but can help race directors and individuals alike.  The basic membership is free so please sign up to strengthen our voice and protect our culture.

Today, the Western States Endurance Run Board of Directors announced the cancellation of the 2020 race.  This is only the second time in the race's 46 years that they have had to cancel the race.  Race Director, Craig Thornley, joins Andy Jones-Wilkins in a discussion to clarify and answer any questions.

Matt Fitzgerald (sports nutritionist, writer, athlete, coach) will be releasing a new book in May, "Running the Dream; One Summer Living, Training and Racing with a Team of World-Class Runners Half My Age".  We talk to him about his journey as he trains with Hoka's NAZ elite team of professional runners in Flagstaff, AZ.

He also has launched an interesting cool new running camp concept, "Endeavorun".  Check it out.

There is a correlation between motivation and self-discipline in successful runners.  Coach AJW joins The Nation to discuss what motivation and discipline is, how we can use it, and how to improve it.

Here are the links that we discussed

• Gene Hackman's motivational speech in Hoosiers
• Brad Kerns Morning Routine
• Podcast on Vulnerability
• Podcast Anatomy of a DNF

AJW's Coaching

AJW's Tap Room

CTS Training Director, Jason Koop, joins The Nation to talk about his new podcast Koopcast and some good tactics to start the new year off right.

Check out Jason's book, "Training Essentials for Ultrarunning"

Jason Koop is the Head Coach for CTS-Ultrarunning. He is the author of ‘Training Essentials for Ultrarunning’ which has become the benchmark book for ultramarathon training. During his coaching career, he has managed over 100 endurance coaches and several hundred atheltes of all types, abilities and sports. He is also an accomplished ultrarunner in his own right having finishes in some of the most difficult races on the planet including the Badwater 135, Hardrock 100, Leadville Trail 100, Wasatch 100, Bear 100 and Western States 100