Podcast Episode #89: How To Use Your Mental Power To Run 400 Miles With Minimal Training.

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyaAICOBKk8

In this April 7, 2010 free audio episode: using mental tactics for training, a high fat diet for staying lean, eating while running, yerba mate, agave nectar, strength training while endurance training, sugar alcohols, and passing a physical examination test.

Featured Topic:

Want to learn how to use your mental power to achieve awesome feats of endurance - from a 5K to an Ironman and beyond? In today's featured topic, I interview Jon Berghoff (from the video above), who runs a Peak Performance Sales Training company for sales professionals, executives and small business owners.  Many of the principles he teaches on what it takes to be the “best in the world” at your work, are the same teachings that drew him towards ultra marathons for the first time in 2005. Jon is not your conventional athlete.  His physical training is typically a fraction of the prescribed regiments, and his number one strategy for completing an ultra race is using his Personal Psychology to manage the mental challenges of endurance running. Today, I ask him about the psychological techniques he uses during his ultra-running, which includes a nearly 400 mile run from Washington D.C. to Cleveland, Ohio! Visit www.400milerun.comfor details. During the interview, Jon and I discuss the following:

What do you do in your work as a Peak Performance Business Coach, and how did that lead to running Ultra Marathons?

What role do you believe our mental abilities play in our success as athletes?

Is it true that for the past 3 50 Mile runs, your 100 Mile run, AND your 332 Mile run, you didn’t really train for these?

If you don’t follow a formal training program, how do you really know if you are appropriately prepared physically?

WHY did you choose to run from Washington D.C. to Cleveland, Ohio?

Just getting prepared for this event was significantly more challenging than the actual run, why was that?

What were some of the challenges you faced each day as you ran from D.C. to Cleveland?

For our listeners who can relate to the excitement of achieving an incredible physical feat, what advice do you have?

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Special Announcements:

1. Ben's Body Transformation Club has officially launched and is open to anyone, anywhere in the United States! Prepare to re-invent your body and discover how to eat and exercise in the most effective way possible. Ben's Body Transformation Club is now open and has already mailed the first exercise and nutrition instructions for March, straight to your home! Want to get on board?  What the heck is Ben's Body Transformation Club? You'll need to click here to find out!

2. The 2010 Ironman CDA Triathlon Camp is being taught by Ben Greenfield from Sunday, May 16 - Wednesday May 19, 2010, and is specifically designed to completely prepare you for the race course, race day tactics and nutrition and pacing strategies for Ironman Coeur D' Alene! Click here for more information and to register.

3. Ever wonder if your swimming technique is all it could be? Want to know if your bike is fit properly, or if you have a good pedal stroke? Would you like to know if your running gait is slowing you down or setting you up for injury? Our online video analysis of swim, bike or run is quick way to get professional feedback, inexpensively. Click here to get started now with a swim, bike or run video analysis from Ben Greenfield and the team at Pacific Elite Fitness.

4. Brand new - get insider VIP tips and discounts from Ben - conveniently delivered directly to your phone! Just complete the information below...

5. Mother's Day Contest Being a mother is hard enough. But being a mother and a triathlete earns  women a whole new level of respect. This Mother's Day, we want to hear  about the amazing, strong and motivated women in your lives! We want to  know about the Herculean efforts they have made in order succeed in their sport and still excel at their most important job: being a Mom.

Popular Coach, author and founder of the Rock Star Triathlete Academy, Ben Greenfield, has teamed with Mindset Triathlon to make this Mother's Day contest possible. Have fun writing and honoring a Mother in your life! Submit your short essay about a Triathlete Mother by April 15th and your words could appear in the Mindset Triathlon book, "Triathlon: A Mother of a Sport! Super Moms Who Train, Race and Win," will be edited by Ben Greenfield. Mindset Triathlon will select the top 30 essays they receive for publication. Plus, the author of the favorite essay will win 2 underwater mp3 players, 2 sets of Ben Greenfield's books on MindsetTriathlon and 2 memberships to Ben Greenfield's Rock Star Triathlete Academy. Select essays will also run in USAT's Multisport Zone.

The final published book will be available for free download on Mother's Day (Sunday, May 9th). Ready to get started? Click the banner  to the right or click here to submit your essay about the special woman in your life.

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Listener Q&A

Do you have a question for Ben? Just call 1-877-209-9439 and leave a voicemail, leave a Skype voicemail to username "pacificfit", or e-mail ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com.

Listener Sarah asks: I have a question, I was recently reading how Hilary Swank was trained for her muscle when preparing for her role in Million Dollar Baby, evedentally, her trainer had her on a VERY low carb regimen, HIGH fat(mostly from Flax oil) and of course high protein, but her calorie intake was upward to 4,000 calories, they trained her hard in the gym plus a couple of hours of cardio, everyday, it was mandatory she got at least 9 hours of sleep every night, and sometimes they had her getting up in the middle of the night to drink eggs. Anyway, my question is, I have heard that that type of regimen is almost impossible to build muscle on (apparently she put on 23lbs. on that regimen), I could see how she got shredded, but the muscle? I was actually gonna try this approach, I have been trying to put on muscle forever, but I really don't want to put on extra unwanted fat in the process, all the bodybuilder and fitness people I know, say that in order to put on muscle, that you gotta put on some fat and not do cardio, but then I see that regimen Hilary did and it makes me wonder. Whats your opinion? Your recommendation for building but staying lean?

Listener Jeff asks: Hey Ben, you might remember me i emailed you a little while ago from England with a question regarding shedding a few pounds before i entered my first duathlon ? Well firstly i thought you'd like to know that after following your helpful tips i managed to shed those pesky pounds and beat my target time for the duathlon :-) infact as i fared so well i've entered another race in a couple of weeks time which brings me onto this question. I was listening to a recent podcast and during the listener q+a the subject of nutrition and triathlons cropped up and you mentioned that eating too much during the run can actually slow you down when you make the transition between running and cycling. As i have another race in a fortnight i wondered if you could explain that in a little more depth... Again many thanks and keep up the good work !

Listener Christine asks: What are your thoughts about yerba maté as a pre and post workout drink? Most pre and post workout drinks or shakes have a lot of ingredients I don't want to consume and the healthier choices are very expensive. I do use some of the ones you have suggested, but am looking for a more economical option. I've read that yerba maté contains a lot of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. There are also many other claims of its benefits including improving digestion and helping with weight losss, but I was most interested in knowing if its nutritional properties are helpful for workouts and recovery.

Listener Todd asks: Ben, what is your true take on Agave Syrup? I heard from your interview with Nancy Appleton that it is about the worst thing to ingest (close to HFCS, I believe). Yet, it is in many things these days, including HammerBars and the CocoChia bar that you and KC Craichy discuss this week! We’ve been making our own energy bars lately, and have been using Agave Syrup and Nectar in them. However, we also add a sucrose/glucose source like honey or sucanat to the mixture as I understand that a glucose/fructose mixture is a better combo for digestion. Can you weigh in on this agave syrup debate? Should it be avoided like the plaque, or used in moderation? With respect to the nectar vs. the syrup, is one better than the other? I am correct in thinking that mixing agave syrup with another sugar source is the way to go?

Listener Bill asks: I am a 34 year old male whose typical work-out routine involves strength training, lots and lots of strength training. However, influenced by some friends' attempts to train for an upcoming triathlon in San Diego, I decided to start training with them (and now hope to complete my first duathlon, which is being held at the same event). I have been doing very well with the biking we have been doing, and have worked my way to actually jogging/running 1.5 miles without stopping (a big deal for me). However, I am somewhat confused about how to balance such endeavors with the strength training I love to do. Currently, I hit the weights one day, then do cycling/spinning and running the next, with 1-2 days of rest (I cycle on my off days from the gym). My body has been reacting to such training favorably: I have lost about 10 pounds in the past 2 months, dropped body fat (about 2-4% depending on how it is measured). But, is my current work-out regime going to negatively affect my ability to improve my biking and running? Do you have any suggestions concerning how to modify my work-out so that my disparate interests do not negatively impact my goals? Great podcast and thanks for you help.

Listener Chris asks: I had a question about sugar content in "carb control" protein bars, such as the myoplex bar produced by EAS. It has 1g sugar, but around 20g of alcohol sugar. How do they claim carb sensibility with that amount of alcohol sugar, and are there any adverse affects of that much alcohol sugar that we should be aware of? One more question if you have time, what real foods would you suggest to eat while on the bike during training rides? Fake food tends to be more convenient to eat on the bike, but I'd like to eat more real food.

Listener Chantelle asks: I am trying out for the SERE specialist position in the Air Force. This is one of their toughest jobs, with an incredibly high attrition rate. SERE stands for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. In order to get into the SERE tech school (and getting in does not mean you will successful pass the course), you need to be able to pass the PAST (Physical Aptitude Stamina Test) in which all the exercises are performed back to back. The order is:

1. 200 meter swim

2. 1.5 mile run in under 11:30

3. Calisthenics- 3 Calisthenics exercises are evaluated, each with specific time parameters and specific exercise form mechanics

4. Minimum of 6 chin-ups within one minute

5. 50 situps within 3 minutes

6. 42 pushups within 3 minutes

7. Be able to carry a 65 lb rucksack 4 miles in 1 hour

How do I work up to this especially the pushups and chinups, in 8 weeks? Can you go from 5 pushups to 60 in 8 weeks? And 0 chinups to 6?

Finally, listener Bret has a call-in comment about the Triathlon Dominator package.

Remember, if you have any trouble listening, downloading, or transferring to your mp3 player just e-mail ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com.And don't forget to leave the podcast a ranking in iTunes - it only takes 2 minutes of your time and helps grow our healthy community! Just click here to go to our iTunes page and leave feedback.

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