Mid Life Athlete

In this deeply personal and moving episode of the Midlife Athlete Podcast, host Greg Ryan sits down with his regular co-host, Jason Smith, who steps into the guest seat to share the motivation behind his upcoming endurance challenge. They are joined by Dr Rupali Kulshreshtha, lead clinical psychologist at the London Clinic, to explore the intersection of physical health, trauma, and the psychological landscape of grief.

The conversation centers on Jason’s "321 Challenge"—a grueling road bike journey spanning three countries in two days around one mountain (Mont Blanc)—undertaken in memory...

Jason taps into Greg's expertise and chats about pain and injury. In this part 2 goes deeper into why injuries happen to one side, one tissue, one person — and what that means for recovery. Together they reframe how a midlife athlete thinks about pain.

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Jason taps into Greg's expertise to discuss all things pain and injury. Part 1 covers what pain actually is and how the body responds to injury.

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In this episode, Jason and Greg sit down with Dr. Sandra Kaufman, a renowned physician, anesthesiologist, and longevity researcher. Dr. Kaufman explains her "Kaufman Protocol," a scientific framework that breaks down the complex process of aging into seven distinct cellular tenets. We dive deep into how midlife athletes can move beyond standard fitness routines to optimize their cellular health, manage "inflammaging," and potentially extend their "healthspan" well into their hundreds.

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Jason (& Greg when he joins) chat to Sarah Webster, a 46-year-old veterinary surgeon, mum, and the women's 24-hour world record holder. She ran 278km — 173 miles — around a track in Albi, France, and it was only her second attempt at the distance. She didn't run her first ultra until she was 43.

In this episode, we sit down with Sarah to unpack how a self-described "not particularly talented" junior runner returned to the sport in her mid-30s, built patiently for a decade, and ended up rewriting the record books — all while holding down a full-time job and raising a fami...

Greg and Jason pick up from the creatine episode and explain why creatine is so important to mitochondria, our bodies energy cells. We also explore a classic case of social media mis-selling - 'lymphatic reset'. Something that social media excels at - taking a kernel of real physiology and inflating it into something barely recognisable. And we talk miles vs kilometres. Which camp are you in?

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Greg and Jason are joined by Steve Jennings, otherwise known as the 'Creatine OG'. Steve was a former professional cyclist turned entrepreneur and innovator who’s spent over 30 years building and launching nutrition brands around the world. In this episode he tells the amazing story of how he brought creatine to the market at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

His entrepreneurial journey has enabled him to work with some of the biggest names in business, PepsiCo, Nike, LEGO, Unilever, and more.

Steve’s now leading Jenerise, developing new business models, technologies and solutions designed to help people of a...

It's been a while....almost 2 years. Greg and Jason are back kicking off season 5. 

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Greg & Jason are back doing their own challenges. This is a short pod immediately after the guys just completed the Way of the Roses, a 275km (171 miles),  a spectacular coast to coast cycle route which passes through both the red rose county of Lancashire and the white rose county of Yorkshire.

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Jason and Greg chat to Gavin Booker, who recently took on and conquered Patagonman. The race is not for beginners. It's  a grueling triathlon that takes place in one of the most breathtaking natural settings in the world. Starting in the Aysen Fjord, athletes must swim 3.8 kilometers, cycle 180 kilometers along the famous Carretera Austral, and then run 42.2 kilometers through canyons, next to lakes and waterfalls to General Carrera Lake. Along the way, participants may encounter a variety of wildlife, including sea otters, sea lions, whales, dolphins, foxes, and even pumas. Turns out Gavin also has an interesting back story, w...

Happy New Year everyone. We shoot the breeze with some New Year resolutions and future guests.

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Afer a long hiatus of 6 months where kids exams, the Summer and work/life got in the way Greg and Jason are back for a season 4. We intend to complete delving into our mid life athlete framework plus we're going back to where we all started with mid life athletes and expert guests. 

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Jason and Greg are back interviewing  amazing mid life athletes. In this episode we chat to Matthew Forgham, who was part of a team of 6 men shifting 1 million kg of weight in 24 hours. The challenge was to raise awareness and funds for endometriosis, a condition that affects one in ten women, (176 million women globally). Matthew was the only mid life athlete. The challenge involved using free weights (weighted squats, deadlifts, barbell rows and bench press) to move the 1 million kg. The weight is the equivalent of lifting and moving 200 fully grown elephants!

You can donate here: https://w...

In this episode, Jason and Greg discuss the importance of strength training in maintaining health and athletic performance, and provide advice on how to create a structured strength training program. We talk about the need to have specific goals and how understanding the principles of specificity, overload, and progression are important in creating an effective program. We outline seven steps to consider, including conducting a needs analysis, selecting exercises, and determining training frequency.

If you would like to access the detailed notes behind this episode then please subscribe to our paid Substack posts.

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Listeners may have heard Greg talk about his latest challenge - an attempt at the 24 hr team relay burpee world record.  Instigated by Nick Gibbins a team of 3 men and 3 women will attempt to do over 12,000 burpees in a 24 hr period to raise funds for Motor Neurone Disease. Three of the team are mid life athletes and fair to say exploring the boundaries of what we think is feasible for those of us in middle age.

This is the story of their attempt to break that world record over the weekend of 11-12 March 2023.

If y...

This is part 1 of a 2 part chapter on anaerobic training.

Anaerobic training is important for mid-life athletes to combat muscle loss, strength loss, and loss of power as they age. It involves high-intensity, intermittent bouts of exercise that require the regeneration of ATP at a much faster rate than aerobic exercise. Anaerobic training uses the phosphagen and glycolytic system, while the aerobic system is involved in the recovery of energy stores and the expulsion of metabolic wastes during rest and low-intensity exercise. The benefits of anaerobic training include increased strength, power, hypertrophy of muscles, endurance, motor skills...

Aerobic and VO2 capacity training is important for mid-life athletes as aerobic capacity decreases after the age of 40 years and VO2 max decreases gradually with age. These declines can be slowed down by aerobic exercise, done correctly. The ideal training is a mix between "zone 2" training and high-intensity workouts like interval training. "Zone 2" is moderate intensity characterized by low blood lactate, controlled ventilation, and low perceived effort. This type of training facilitates a larger overall training volume and is favorable for inducing mitochondrial adaptations in slow-twitch muscle fibers. High-intensity training is also beneficial but may have different adaptations. The...

Jason and Greg discuss the respiratory and circulatory systems and how they work together to support the body.

The circulatory system, made up of the heart and blood vessels, brings blood to and from the lungs to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues and organs, while also removing carbon dioxide and waste products. The respiratory system, which includes the lungs, alveoli, and diaphragm, is responsible for breathing and facilitating the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air and the blood. The autonomic nervous system controls breathing and regulates the cardiovascular system, including heart...

In this episode, Jason and Greg tackle the basic tenants of the bodies energy systems.

Show notes
The energy systems represent the body’s ability to convert chemical energy stored in food into mechanical work. There are three main energy systems that the human body uses during exercise. The phosphagen system is the primary energy system used during short-term, high-intensity exercises such as sprinting or weightlifting. Glycolytic system uses lactate from the muscles and glucose from the blood and stored glycogen to provide energy to the muscles. The oxidative system is slower than the phosphagen and gl...

Before we delve into one of the main parts of the Mid Life Athlete framework - exercise - we thought we’d tackle some foundational topics, starting with muscles and how they work. 

In this episode we cover:

If you would like to access the detailed notes behind this episode then please subscribe to our paid Substack posts.

The Mid Life Athlete podcasts are free and we hope our fans enjoy them.
Click here to subscribe to our...

After 2 years of interviewing mid life athletes and experts, we've learnt a heap of things and are taking a slight change in direction.

During our Summer break we started drawing on that knowledge to work on a framework for mid life athletes. After a few tweaks we are ready to share our work with listeners.  This prompted us to think about changing the podcast slightly, to move away from interviews and focus more on delving into the details behind the framework.  We'll still interview people but it will be mainly in support of a topic in the fr...

We've mentioned many times on this podcast the benefits of exercise on health. With significant behaviour change could we rethink healthcare as more of a prevention as a service rather than sickcare which is what we've got today. Dr Ramin Rafei thinks we can. 

Jason and Greg chat to Ramin about how he came to rethink healthcare and what his interesting approach is via his start-up Unleash. Ramin is a passionate supporter of changing our view on healthcare and he has some ambitious goals. 

For some accompanying reading:

Jason and Greg chat to JC Cangilla, a listener & mid life athlete who reached out with some questions following us publishing a newsletter on a draft mid life athlete framework: https://open.substack.com/pub/midlifeathlete/p/mid-life-athlete-framework?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

JC's original questions were how do you balance short term vs long term  goals coupled with balancing stuff you should do but within life's constraints. 

We were convinced that many of you would have similar questions so we got JC on the show to discuss in more depth.

The Mi...

Greg and Jason chat to Stefan van der Fluit, Founder and CEO of FlowBio and 2018 Netherlands age group ironman champion. Who would have thought of our sweat as data. Well that’s exactly what FlowBio does. Through its innovative Flowpatch it measures our sweet in real time enabling athletes to understand their hydration and sodium levels. It’s a breakthrough piece of tech that is currently being beta tested with a few pro athletes, including the Brownlee brothers. What they have learnt so far about hydration and sodium is fascinating.

Check out https://www.flowbio.com/

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Mildly enraged by a few articles that came across Greg's screen this week, we unpick the central messages behind these articles and call out what we think are alternative truths.  Extending these themes we talk about Stephen Seiler's recent interview with Kilian Jornet, which you can find on our substack:

 https://midlifeathlete.substack.com/p/training-lessons-from-the-lover-of?r=rxa77&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

The Midlife Athlete podcasts are free and we hope our fans enjoy them.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter and automatically get our latest podcasts, blogs, offers et...

We're back for Season 3! To kick off, Jason and Greg catch up on their summer exercise;, chat about v1 of the Mid Life Athlete framework revealed via our Substack site and how important it is to focus on form when starting back to training and exercise. A new season kick off wouldn't be complete without looking forward to some future guests and topics.

The Midlife Athlete podcasts are free and we hope our fans enjoy them.
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This episode provides a possible glimpse into our future. We chat to Jo Schoonbroodt or ‘Jogger Jo’ as he is colloquially known, who at 71 just ran a 2 hr 54 min 19 sec marathon to become the world record holder for the 70-74 age group. An astonishing feat that many of us mid life athletes would be proud of! Jo has a great approach and philosophy to running that we can all take on board. As you’d expect we asked for some tips for us mere whipper snappers.

If you want to follow Jo, he’s on Twitter...

Like it or loathe it, we all need sleep. Pretty much every animal sleeps and given the risks associated with being unconscious for periods of time then it must be pretty important. In this episode we delve much deeper into sleep, with 2 experts: Dr Jonathan Charest is the Director of Athlete Sleep Services at the Centre for Sleep & Human Performance in Calgary and Jesse Cook, a Clinical Psych PhD Student & sleep researcher who has particular interest in advancing clinical care of hypersomnia & wearable sleep tech.

In the episode, Jonathan talks about blue blocking glasses which you can...

It's not often you get to interview a word record holder but Jason & Greg had the pleasure of chatting to Nima Javaheri, who set a new cycling Everesting world record in March 2022, raising money for blood cancer. Nima's no stranger to incredible feats of endurance having previously competed and won the https://backyardultra.com/races/witiker-backyard-ultra/. All of this whilst holding down a busy job as a banker. Listen in to hear him talk about his mental fortitude and explain his pretty unusual approach to training.

For a little insight into the challenge you can watch a...

Is stand up paddle boarding (SUP) the new mid life athlete sport? Jason and Greg find out more chatting to mid life athlete, Simon Hutchinson. 

Simon played rugby for best part of 35 years and when hanging up his boots turned to endurance cycling and distance running. He got into SUP for the first time in 2012 and hasn't looked back since. 

SUP seems everywhere now, but contrary to perceptions it’s not a throwaway beach toy, but a developing sport with diverse disciplines ranging from  racing, surfing, down-winding, touring and expeditions. Demographically it's also attracting mid life...

Jason and Greg chat about previous guests, the lost art of patience, future challenges and Greg's health assessment for life insurance.

Drop us an email at midlifeathletepodcast@gmail.com

You can find Midlife Athlete on
Twitter @PodMid
Instagram @mid_life_athlete
 
The Midlife Athlete podcasts are free and we hope our fans enjoy them.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter and automatically get our latest podcasts, blogs, offers etc into your inbox.

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Midlifeathlete)

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Once in a while we get a guest who demands listening to. Kevin Weber is one of those guests. An extraordinary and inspiring story of how one man's refusal to give up on life after being given a diagnosis of terminal cancer has led him to run ultras all around the world and more importantly prolong his life.

There are so many lessons in this episode that should make us all reflect on how we live our lives. 

Kevin has recently released a book telling his incredible story which you can purchase at all god b...

What happens to our joints as we age and what impact does exercise have? Greg and Jason find out more by chatting to Dr Eva Carneiro, a specialist in sports and exercise medicine. Dr Carneiro has previously worked with elite footballers and athletes but via her clinic now sees what she calls the ageing athlete; basically people like us.

Dr Carneiro has a specialist interest and focus in cartilage, so we delved into what cartilage is and the importance of collagen. Along the way we dispel some common myths and end with some exciting latest research on...

Jason chats to ultrarunner, Debbie Martin-Consani. Debbie was the first female finisher in this years Montane Spine Race, regarded as one of the worlds toughest endurance races. The spine race involves running 268 miles along the Pennine Way, with over 11,000m of climbing. Debbie finished after 104 hours of running or in her words, "forward propulsion".

We chat about how Debbie got into running and then ultra running, what motivates her and of course what it takes to prepare and take part in the Spine race.

You can follow Debbie on Twitter  @UltraRunDMC and Instagram @ultrarundmc. Her w...

Greg and Jason, chat to journalist and author, David Robson. David is an award-winning science writer specialising in the extremes of the human brain, body and behaviour, who has written for The Guardian, BBC Futures,  New Scientist and the Atlantic amongst others.

David has recently been researching something known as the 'expectation effect' and his research has culminated in his book "The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life".

Listen in to find out more.

You can find out more about David via his website: https://davidrobson.me/

You c...

Greg and Jason chat to Dr Juliet McGrattan about her personal journey as a runner but also her incredible story of how she went from a running mum and practising GP to author, speaker, podcaster, and coach.  A passionate advocate for exercise as means to maintain our health and wellbeing, Juliet has just published her second book, Run Well.  Juliet was also kind enough to answer some running questions from female listeners.

For more information on Juliet, her story and books check out her website: https://drjulietmcgrattan.com/

Her Active Health podcast is: https://www.wi...

Greg and Jason explore brain health - how you can sharpen your mind but also reduce the risk of dementia in later life. We chat to Dr Kailas Roberts who is a consultant psychiatrist and psychogeriatrician with over ten years’ experience in the field of old-age psychiatry. He's a doctor with a specialist interest in brain health and dementia. He runs a busy private practice caring for people with cognitive difficulties, and advises on management of the behavioural and psychological difficulties that often accompany dementia. He lives in Brisbane, and Mind Your Brain: The Essential Australian Guide to Dementia is...

Greg and Jason chat to Wayne Grimditch and Dan Hutchison. Wayne was a world record waterskier earlier in his career and since retiring established a fitness company that works with a lot of mid life athletes. Dan is an exercise physiologist at the University of Colorado teaching undergraduate students. Dan and Wayne teamed up some time ago to figure out the best protocols for training for mid life athletes, specifically around strength work.  In this episode they both share what they have learnt; how they work with clients and share some tips on how and where to start.

Greg and Jason recap on the last 12 months, picking out some of their favourite episodes and reflecting on what they have learnt from the variety of guests on the show. We share some of our new years resolutions and our thoughts around a mid life athlete blueprint.

We'd love to hear from listeners on the concept of a blueprint for mid life athletes plus any adventures you have lined up for 2022.

Drop us an email at midlifeathletepodcast@gmail.com

You can find Midlife Athlete on
Twitter @PodMid
Instagram @mid_life_athlete<...

Greg and Jason chat to midlife athlete, Jo Moseley, who in the Summer of 2019 became the first woman to stand up paddleboard, coast-to-coast, across Northern England. Jo has an amazing story of how she went from a single mum of 2 boys & non-exerciser to a world of adventure and challenges.  Now Jo hopes to inspire others to take joy in any form of exercise.

The film of her paddleboard challenge - Brave Enough, A Journey Home to Joy - can be rented/purchased via https://vimeo.com/ondemand/braveenough

You can follow Jo on Twitter & Instagram: @H...