Blokeology

Episode Notes In this episode, I tackle regression to the mean and it's a chance to fine tune your BS detectors and understand this common phenomenon that doesn't get enough attention. Don't get conned into thinking medications or other interventions are working. And perhaps you might think twice before calling for your football team's manager to be sacked as well. I also talk about a new paper in the BJSM about strength training and the strong evidence that is emerging on its value for preventing injuries - if you are not already then strength training of some sort should be on your list of things to incorporate into any exercise programme. And, finally, I mention Robert Webb's book that is now out in paperback and a rather cool app, Forest, that gamifies the Pomodoro method. (Dept of Error: The research paper is from the British Journal of Sports Medicine and not the British Journal of General Practice as I say in the podcast. Sorry BJSM!) How Not To Be A Boy by Robert Webb https://amzn.to/2MHqVlx (Amazon

Episode Notes In this episode, we continue with the fourth instalment of Summer Shorts for the month of August. The episodes have all been around ten minutes long as it's time to get outside, enjoy the open air, take our holidays, and most importantly, catch up on some reading. So, as before, this Summer Short will cover a couple of books that are recommended and one book that I'm going to be reading myself. This week we take a dive into some books around masculinity.  The Descent of Man by Grayson Perry You may have seen Perry around. Wears a dress, slightly odd bobbed hair? This is a disarmingly brilliant book about masculinity. Thoroughly engaging, he cuts through all the flannel with consummate ease. https://amzn.to/2OQRdPw (Amazon link) Man Up: Surviving Modern Masculinity by Jack Urwin This is an easy primer on some of the toxic masculinity concerns facing men. It’s a win-win situation. Men will feel better and everyone else in the world, specifically women, won’t have such a bad time of it either. R

Episode Notes In this episode, we continue with the Summer Shorts for the month of August. The episodes are around ten minutes long as it's time to get outside, enjoy the open air, take our holidays, and most importantly, catch up on some reading. So, each Summer Short covers a couple of books that are recommended and one book that I'm going to be reading myself. The books in this week’s summer short are pretty much guaranteed to get you feeling better about your life. You may end up more productive and I think you’ll end up a bit happier too. Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matt Walker To die, to sleep - to sleep; perchance to dream etc etc as said Hamlet. Walker takes all the good evidence about sleep and bundles it up in one super-readable volume. Get your sleep right and you’ll enjoy better health. It is a super-power. https://amzn.to/2ASyGj6 (Amazon link) How Not To Die: Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease by Dr Michael Greger An absolutely mons

Episode Notes In this episode, we launch into the Summer Shorts for the month of August. The episodes will be around ten minutes long as it's time to get outside, enjoy the open air, take our holidays, and most importantly, catch up on some reading. So, each Summer Short will cover a couple of books that are recommended and one book that I'm going to be reading myself. This week we have: Deep Work by Cal Newport I’ve definitely mentioned this before. This is my most recommended book in the past year. It's all about finding a way through the distractions of modern life and getting your head down to some proper meaningful work. You'll create lots and feel good about it. Can't recommend it highly enough. https://amzn.to/2vw7PTQ (Amazon link) Mini Habits by Stephen Guise My feeling is that developing good habits is just a damn good way to live your life. You have to work hard to groove in the good behaviours and stamp out the bad ones - Mini Habits isn't a miracle cure but it's a handy strategy and Guise has p

Episode Notes In this episode, we launch into the Summer Shorts for the month of August. The episodes will be around ten minutes long as it's time to get outside, enjoy the open air, take our holidays, and most importantly, catch up on some reading. So, each Summer Short will cover a couple of books that are recommended and one book that I'm going to be reading myself. This week we have: 80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower by Matt Fitzgerald I’ve mentioned this before. I’m a big fan of Matt’s - his writing is lucid and revealing. It helps that he’s confirming all my pre-held convictions and biases. In short, runners run too hard and don’t rest enough but the truth is, as is normal, more complex than the simple title of the book. One of my Eight Essential Running Books for Blokes. https://amzn.to/2vw7PTQ (Amazon link) Factfulness by Hans Rosling with Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund The quote on the front from Bill Gates is pretty darn good. I already knew of the website http

Episode Notes In this episode, I cover some evidence around exercising and coping in the heat. Based on the 2015 consensus guidelines published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine I cover acclimatisation, dehydration, and cooling. There's time for a brief mention around the thorny and somewhat controversial issue of exercise-associated hyponatremia as well. If you understand a bit more about hydration then you should be at low risk of problems and you can keep yourself safe when exercising in the heat. Links https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/18/1164 (Consensus recommendations on training and competing in the heat) https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/22/1432 (Statement of the 3rd International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015) Podcast Promotion We’d love it if you could please share #blokeology with your Twitter followers. You can do that by clicking here.  If you got something out of this episode then please mosey on over to Apple Podcasts an

In this episode I have an interview with Keith and Gary Moseley from Run Daddy Run. They are both relatively new to runners and we talk about they got into it. We've plenty of useful tips for newbies as well as more experienced runners. Keith, Gary's father, has taken up running later in life and Gary wanted to do something to help his health and manage his weight. They went on to set up the Facebook group, Run Daddy Run, and we delve into the importance of running community and how much it means to them. Catch up with them at the Facebook group Run Daddy Run and the website www.rundaddyrunuk.co.uk   Note: We have some problems with the Skype connection at the very start of the interview. All the kinks are straightened out by the 4 minute point so it's all spot on from there.

Episode Notes In this episode I have an interview with Rob Brown from Diabetic Dad Runs. Rob is a journalist, a runner, and has been a type 1 diabetic for 27 years. Rob has been out running ultras in preparation for the Marathon des Sables in 2019. He's raising money for https://www.t1international.com/ (T1International). We talk about his initial diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and the complexity of managing it in general. And he tells me about how he manages his nutrition and reduces the risk of hypos while he is out for long runs. He tells us about his experience of hypos but he has careful strategies to manage his nutrition when out. Nutrition is important on any ultra but he checks his blood sugar every 30 minutes when out running - using a smartphone and a little chip embedded in his arm. The evidence shows that type 1 diabetics who exercise regularly have better control and are less likely to get hypos. Rob offers lots of tips and advice for anyone diabetics out there who want to get more exercise and g

Episode Notes In this episode I have an interview with Bevan James Eyles. I’m a big fan of Bevan. If you looked at Bevan’s achievements over nearly two decades you might just assume he is one of those lucky blokes who were just sorted. Not the case. Listen to hear Bevan tell of where he started from. But, the first thing I do want to highlight is all his achievements. He’s been working in the fitness industry since 1999 and is a multi award winning fitness instructor. He has competed at Ironman triathlon at the highest levels, he was a pro. He’s still heavily involved in triathlon with the hugely popular podcast IM Talk. He’s written a great book The Fitness Attitude. And, more than anything, he’s a man who has a clear sense of purpose, a mission, to help people get fitter and address their fitness behaviours. We talk about 'self-tools' and the mechanisms we use to help manage our behaviours around fitness. Those include 'black and white rules' and action triggers. We talk about how Bevan uses some quiet re

Episode Notes In this episode, John Richmond and I are talking about life hacks. We've crammed in lots of thoughts, ideas, hints, tips, and advice on how to get a little healthier, fitter, and just live a little better. Not all of them will work for you but there is sure to be something here you can take away and use. We've structured the discussion around the seven steps in the Healthy Bloke Action Plan. Check out www.blokeology.io/journal if you want to get hold of that. And take a look at the list of links below to get a feel for all the areas we touch on. Whether rinsing your mouth out with sugary water, picking a new book on Amazon, or looking for the best apps to help out with life, we covered a lot of ground. Catch up with John on Twitter @drjohnrichmond and I can be found @euan_lawson. Links Full disclosure: may contain affiliate links used to support website running costs.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b5y6c0 (BBC TV - The Truth About Carbs) (Only available in the UK until about 13 July 20

Episode Notes How does using technology and Strava affect your running? Do you use it to get fitter? What impact does it have on your training or how you feel about yourself? Could you be dependent on the tech and is it making you feel worse? In this episode, I talk to Andy Cottrell who has been doing research into wearable technology at Leeds Beckett University. We cover lots of different areas, from Stebbins' Serious Leisure Perspective and the social worlds framework. Andy also talked about how people 'specialise' within a community and he talks about the quantified self movement. Andy's research offers a fascinating insight into our motivation, goal setting and other behaviours can all be influenced by technology. It's tremendous research and he describes the five themes he pulled out of his qualitative analysis of interviews with a series of runners. You can catch up with Andy on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/speedgonzaeles (@speedgonzaeles) "Self-knowledge through self-tracking with technology" Ga

Episode Notes In this episode, I'm covering seven action steps you can use to give your health, fitness and lifestyle a checkover. We can all improve in one or more of these areas. Get these right and you are going to be well on your way to improving your physical and psychological wellbeing. As Richard Feynman said: "The first principle is you must not fool yourself.." I cover some of the questionnaires we use as doctors and that you can also use to give your health a quick check. They don't take long but they'll ensure you are not kidding yourself. You can sign up and download the full Healthy Bloke Action Plan at http://www.blokeology.io (www.blokeology.io/journal) Action Step #1 Weight loss 02:08 Action Step #2 Getting exercise 10:19 Action Step #3 Eating right 16:26 Action Step #4 Loneliness 21:50 Action Step #5 Mental health and depression 25:20 Action Step #6 Getting sleep 29:26 Action Step #7 Managing alcohol 33:03 Links https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/ (Campaign to End Loneliness website)

Episode Notes In this episode, I've got a very brief update on the future of Blokeology. Season One is drawing to a close but the aim is to cover all sorts of topics and mix it all together. There will doubtless be plenty more on running in the future but there will also be lots on all the other health topics that impact on us. After all, life and health is just a bit of a hot mess. Podcast Promotion We’d love it if you could please share #Blokeology with your Twitter followers. You can do that by clicking here.  If you got something out of this episode then please mosey on over to Apple Podcasts and kindly leave us a rating, a review and you can subscribe there too! Other ways to subscribe to Blokeology http://www.blokeology.io/apple (Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts) http://www.blokeology.io/feed/podcast (Click here to subscribe via RSS) Click here to subscribe on Android http://www.blokeology.io/stitcher (You can also subscribe via Stitcher) Sign up for the Journal of Blokeology newsle

Episode Notes In this episode, inspired by my holiday enjoying the Highlands and Islands of western Scotland I take a wee look at the evidence for running on sand. It’s known to be a lot harder work but will it reduce your chance of injury? I also cover some of the basics around Lyme disease and how to manage ticks. Papers covered: Binnie MJ, Dawson B, Pinnington H, et al. Effect of training surface on acute physiological responses after interval training. J Strength Cond Res 2013;27:1047–56. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182651fab Brown H, Dawson B, Binnie MJ, et al. Sand training: Exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammatory responses to matched-intensity exercise. Eur J Sport Sci 2017;17:741–7. doi:10.1080/17461391.2017.1304998 Links Guardian article on ticks and Lyme Disease https://www.bug-off.org (Bug Off website). Excellent resource for avoiding bugs and all bug-related disease Podcast Promotion We’d love it if you could please share #Blokeology with your Twitter followers. You can do that by clicking

Episode Notes In this episode, I take a deep dive into the research evidence around some running topics. That is what Blokeology is all about and it is time to get into a little more detail. I’ve picked out three research papers covering the topics of blisters, gait-retraining, and compression clothing. We sift out the facts (or as close to facts as we can get) but also take some time to think about the research and just how helpful it is. Here are the three papers with links and time stamps if you want to skip right to them: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28602272 (Prevention of Friction Blisters in Outdoor Pursuits: A Systematic Review) 01:30 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29065279 (Gait Retraining for the Reduction of Injury Occurrence in Novice Distance Runners) 13:15 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27106555 (Is There Evidence that Runners can Benefit from Wearing Compression Clothing) 19:04 Podcast Promotion We’d love it if you could please share #Blokeology with your Twitter follow

  Episode Notes Isaac Williams has, in his time as editor of Men's Running magazine, run round a 400m track for 24 hours, scaled a volcano, run a 63-mile ultra marathon and interviewed the heavyweight champion of the world. It's an impressive list of achievements for a bloke who could barely run 5K when he first joined the magazine as an intern. It means he has a sound understanding of the challenges facing men getting into running and also those pushing on towards the longer, gnarly end of the ultra running spectrum. We talk about getting started, running technique, the ethos behind Men's Running magazine, and his desire to "make running as fun as possible". Links Isaac's own site: http://www.isaacwilliamswriter.com/ https://mensrunninguk.co.uk/ (Men's Running Magazine) Isaac on Twitter https://twitter.com/IsaacWilliamsHQ (@IsaacWilliamsHQ) Men's Running Magazine on Twitter: @mensrunninguk Podcast Promotion I'd love it if you could please share Blokeology with your Twitter followers. You can do tha

Episode Notes  In this episode I chat to Jeff McCarthy from RunEatRepeat.co.uk. Jeff is a 5x award-winning blogger, writer for Trail Running magazine, ambassador for #Run1000Miles challenge, race reviewer, and kit reviewer. He writes regularly about his experience of running but he has also interviewed many runners for his site. It's highly recommended. He loves trail running and he is also passionate about baking, homemade food, and smoothies. We chat about getting into running and those first experiences. We also talk about running communities - from a traditional running club to Facebook groups. And, of course, we talk a bit about food and nutrition. Jeff has had a lot of problems with Lyme disease in the past but he went on to complete an ultra marathon in 2015 and he also talks about his incredibly positive experience. Links http://www.runeatrepeat.co.uk (RunEatRepeat.co.uk) Jeff McCarthy on Twitter @runeatrepeatuk #run1000miles Trail Running Magazine information page https://www.facebook.com/group

Episode Notes In this episode, John Richmond and I chat about their own experiences with weight loss and diets. They talk about people who are 'naturally thin', calorie tracking and lessons learned from using diet tracking apps, middle age spread, protein supplements, low carb, high fat diets, BMI and more. Naturally thin? 05:00 Calorie tracking 13:10 Middle age spread 15:40 Lessons from using a diet tracking app 17:30 Diet quality when running - avoid poor quality carbs 18:45 Protein supplements 20:05 Atkins Diet and the real reason John gave it up 25:00 Mediterranean diets 27:40 BMI and body image 32:00 Olympians as role models 34:00 Links https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ (MyFitnessPal) Podcast Promotion We’d love it if you could please share #Blokeology with your Twitter followers. You can do that by clicking here.  If you got something out of this episode then please mosey on over to Apple Podcasts and kindly leave us a rating, a review and you can subscribe there too! Other ways to subs

Episode Notes In this episode, Euan runs through some cornerstone techniques and key principles that will help you build an evidence-based training programme for running. There are many off-the-peg schedules for training for various running distances but understanding the underlying principles will allow you to build your own programme or adapt as needed. It will give you the flexibility and versatility to get fit for any distance, it will allow you to reduce your risk of injury, and it will help ensure you have the resilience to thrive as your training gets harder. Links https://amzn.to/2qZ3kPm (80/20 Running by Matt Fitzgerald) Podcast Promotion We’d love it if you could please share #Blokeology with your Twitter followers. You can do that by clicking here.  If you got something out of this episode then please mosey on over to Apple Podcasts and kindly leave us a rating, a review and you can subscribe there too! Other ways to subscribe to Blokeology http://www.blokeology.io/apple (Click here to sub

Episode Notes In this episode, John and I talk about goals and habits. They might seem mundane but with 40% of our lives being lived on automatic pilot getting these right is absolutely critical to developing a running habit. Or any habit for that matter. Setting appropriate goals and hacking the habits in your life is the surefire way to long-term health. It's still not easy but it'll make all the difference. Links https://amzn.to/2vrWjft (Mini Habits by Stephen Guise) https://amzn.to/2HcNiMM (The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg) Podcast Promotion We’d love it if you could please share #Blokeology with your Twitter followers. You can do that by clicking here.  If you got something out of this episode then please mosey on over to Apple Podcasts and kindly leave us a rating, a review and you can subscribe there too! Other ways to subscribe to Blokeology http://www.blokeology.io/apple (Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts) http://www.blokeology.io/feed/podcast (Click here to subscribe via RSS)