The Sonya Looney Show

How to find a stage race, how to train for a stage race, how to pack for a stage race and SO much more! This one has been a long time coming! I've done over 35 stage races in 15+ countries around the world in the last decade. I've had a lot of success and I wanted to share everything I know with you!  Thanks for submitting all of your questions! Get my Travel Pack list for free. Enter your email and under "comments for  me," type Travel Pack List.   Topics Discussed in the Podcast  types of stage racing: XC, XC Endurance Enduro solo vs team stage races how to build a training plan for a stage race mental strategies for stage race prep sports nutrition tips recovery tips for stage racing what to expect day to day at a stage race what I carry during a stage race Listen Now   Episodes Mentioned w/Stage Race Advice Stage racing as a duo or a team (and Brasil Ride)  w/Gordon Wadsworth All about the Cape Epic: how I trained, how I packed, how the race logistics worked Sudety Challenge in Poland: both my expe

This is an episode of Crush It Mondays.  Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation to get your week off to a powerful start. Today, I want to talk about doubt. There are so many times and in different areas of our lives where we have self-doubt.  The thought - "What if I'm not good enough?'  Sport is the easiest example, but it can happen any time.  It can be doubt in your own capability accepting a role at work, it can be doubting a decision you made, or doubt that you're doing the right thing. Doubt and self-confidence are linked.  Nobody is perfectly confident all the time and every single person experiences doubt, no matter what their level of accomplishment may be.  In my experience, focusing on negative thoughts are what lead to doubt.  Overthinking leads to doubt. And sometimes, self-doubt leads to giving up. I'll use a simple example.  I did a race called the Nimby Fifty in Pemberton over the weekend. I was afraid before the start because conditions were going to be da

I'm really excited about today's topic. It's something I have spent a lot of time researching and putting into practice.  A few years ago, I read a book called Mindset by Carol Dweck.  It was about the concept that things like talent or intellect are not fixed.  You've probably heard the term "growth mindset" if you've been listening to this podcast.  Someone with a growth mindset ultimately believes that they are capable at improving at anything if they work at it.  In fact, research in neuroplasticity or the ability to rewire your brain proves that we can not only improve at anything, but actually change how your brain works. Growth mindset is something I often talk about in my keynote speeches.  Some examples.  People with a fixed mindset tend to give up when they are frustrated, don't like taking on bigger challenges because they are afraid of failure, and tend to not take criticism very well.  People with a growth mindset say things like, "I didn't get that result yet, but I just need to keep working at

Mark Manson is a NYT best-selling author, blogger, and entrepreneur.  You may have seen his bright orange first book, The Subtle Art of Giving a F*ck.  It has sold nearly 8 million copies and has been #1 in 13 countries- pretty much one of the most successful books in our recent history.  Mark is about effective self-help and his demeanor is humble and funny.  Mark has written articles for CNN, BBC News, Business Insider, and more. We talked about how he started his blog in 2007, and how it has blown up to helping literally millions of people.  This episode is all about his new book that just launched this week: Everything is F*cked. The book goes into why, despite living in one of the greatest time periods in history, we still feel like we aren't enough, that things are really hard, and why we feel isolated.  At this moment in history, when we have access to technology, education and communication our ancestors couldn’t even dream of, so many of us still feel hopeless. Diving into interesting research and st

If you're a cyclist and you enjoy reading about cycling or listening to podcasts about cycling, you have probably heard of Molly Hurford. Molly is like my soul sister- she even married a Canadian guy (Peter Glassford) and moved to Canada!  She is the author of 4 books, the creator of TheOutdoorEdit.com, a coach, co-host of the Consummate Athlete podcast, a badass cyclist and runner, writes for several popular mainstream magazines like Outside Magazine and most recently: her latest book Shred Girls just came out! Her mission is to get girls and women to embrace wellness and adventure. Molly is a self proclaimed comic book nerd and always wanted to create her own superheroes.  She always had the idea of Shred Girls percolating in the background and brought it to life.  The first book, Lindsay's Joyride, is a middle grade read about how a group of girls get into BMX, find their inner superpowers, and is guaranteed to teach the readers about the confidence that you can gain from participating in sports.  Topics

Brenda Davis is one of the top authorities and dietitians in plant-based nutrition.  As the co-author of the incredibly comprehensive book, Becoming Vegan, a Vegetarian Hall of Famer, author of x books, an expert in reducing the world's Type II Diabetes problems with Plant-Based Diets. She teaches lifestyle medicine courses all over the world, has been flown by the prince of Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia to consult on diet.  A highly sought after speaker traveling several times per month to speak and pretty much the vision of health and fitness, Brenda is amazing.  And I think it's pretty clear that I like her alot! Brenda first came on the show 2 years ago and was my very first podcast episode I ever recorded.  We became friends from that day forward and I'm always inspired by how Brenda lives her life. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Why keto diets are dangerous How to eat for weight loss Rice and arsenic The final verdict on gluten Should you buy organic grains Everything you need to know about iron as

Brad Stulberg is no stranger to my podcast. This is actually the third time I've had him on the show!  He's the co-author of two books: The Passion Paradox and also Peak Performance., a consultant and coach on topics like burnout, resilience, self-awareness, long term goal setting strategies, the linkage between mental health, wellbeing, and performance and so much more.  He also write about human performance in his regular column in Outside Magazine, or in publications like the New York Times, Thrive, Sports Illustrated, and more.  He is my favorite person to follow on Twitter because he always has insightful and actionable information. In this episode, we got to go deep into his new book with co-author Steve Magness. The book is called The Passion Paradox and it is right up our alley you guys.  We are told that a life of passion is important - that we need to find our passion and pursue it at all costs. But passion can become a curse, leading to endlessly chasing achievement or the next thing.  This book is

Paula Woodward is a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  In addition to her impactful life experiences, she has also spent time China with rotations in many medical departments, a lot of educational experience in Psychology, and a passion for personal development.  I first found Paula when my friend who was suffering from a "hard to treat" skin condition started drinking some Chinese herbs and was seemingly cured.  Another friend was struggling with Post-Partum depression and was using acupuncture to help her symptoms. Both friends had experienced amazing life improvements and had been seeing the same Chinese Medicine Doc: Dr. Paula.  I'm a generally curious person and love trying new ways of self-care, so I went to see Paula for no symptom in particular.  What I did notice after my first treatment was that I was able to fall asleep on the table (daytime sleeping never happens for me) and I felt more calm for days up to weeks post treatment.  I got curious about acupuncture for some of my more frustrating

The Cape Epic is an 8-day Mountain Bike Stage Race across the terrain surrounding Capetown’s greater mountains.  The Cape Epic is touted as the “World’s Premier Stage Race,” attracted around 2000 people each year.  There are several distances of stage races, and the Cape Epic certainly focuses on endurance with most stages taking 5+ hours. This was my second trip to South Africa and my first time racing the Cape Epic. I raced the UCI Women’s Category with teammate and fellow stage racing veteran, Catherine Williamson.  Catherine has raced 60+ stage races and 2019 was her 7th Cape Epic.  She and I knew each other from previous stage races, but this was our first time teaming up. Image: Sportograf Image: Sportograf   I was really happy with my experience, and also happy with my fitness despite sub-optimal preparation. The heat training I did (if you missed the podcasts, we did a 2 part series on it) worked like a charm.  I also got stronger as the race went on which is always a great feeling. I don’t always

Dan Waldschmidt is about action.  From a young age, he believed in extreme effort.  So much so that he pushed himself over the edge and found himself holding a gun to his own head.  Contemplating suicide got Dan to turn his life around and focus on what really mattered.  Dan is an accomplished speaker, best selling author of the book Edgy Conversations, an ultra-runner, and a podcast host. His goal is to help people get unstuck, make decisions, and take extreme action. He has been published in places like Business Insider, Forbes, Vanity Fair, and CNBC.    Topics Discussed in the Podcast  How to stay motivated to exercise on business trips  Having Accountability The Power of Choice How to make the right decision for you What Extreme Behavior means Finding Your Brokenness Turn your thoughts into action and stop making excuses “The Difference Between Success And Failure Is Usually Just An Excuse You Are Making Right Now.” -Dan Waldschmidt Listen Now     Links Get his book for free: Edgy Conversations

Stacey Shand might be the most experienced ultra athlete on the planet. Not only has she ran over 100 marathons, but she has raced Ironman Triathlons, podiumed at Ultraman, Badwater... twice, won Double Ironman Triathlons and taken overall fastest times on running segments (faster than any man as well), raced a road bike for 508 miles straight at the Silver Stage 508, done races in the Arctic Circle, ran for 7 days through volcanoes in Costa Rica, and also the Marathon de Sables. I'm exhausted just beginning to discuss her race resume! Stacey aka Racey Stacey is a wealth of knowledge and shares her secrets of dealing with extremes, the importance of meticulous preparation, being a female in an ultra sport, and even talked about her shoes melting at the Badwater 135, arguably the toughest ultra-running event on the planet. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  going from non-athlete to ultra athlete how not to quit how to prepare dealing with extreme being a female in an ultra sport Badwater 135  Listen Now

What would you do if you went from being known as the energizer bunny to having declining health, so much so that you are diagnosed as terminally ill, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, heart failure, sleep apnea, lung failure, and blindness?  That was the reality for Kate McGoey-Smith.  It wasn't until she watched the popular documentary, Forks Over Knives that she realized there was another way out.  She attended a five-day intensive program at Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center. 15 months later of a whole foods, plant-based diet, her vision was fully restored, she no longer needed a lung transplant, her heart failure was gone, and she only needed oxygen at night.  Passionate about her new lifestyle, Kate founded Forksmart.org where she offers coaching, consulting, and speaking.  With her background in social services and nursing, Kate is a really interesting person with compassionate insight.  I loved this episode because we talked about not only how she healed herself with a whole foods

Courtenay McFadden is a force to be reckoned with in the cyclocross world.  You may have seen her racing World Cups in Europe, on podiums at the biggest races in the United States, and also on the mountain bike.  Courtenay's success has had its share of setbacks and comebacks.  Many of us have had the experience of dealing with injuries that prevent us from riding, and it's always a challenge, both mentally and emotionally.  In Courtenay's case, she had hip surgeries in 21 months while trying to recover and get fit in time for the next race season.  Surgeries where she couldn't walk, let alone ride a bike for months.  In this episode, we talk about how she managed expectations, hope, dealt with disappointment, and also how to deal with the mental side of things when you're on the couch and you see all of your competition working hard.  We also talked about what it's like to race cyclocross and travel in Europe. This episode is especially great for anyone who has had an injury or is currently dealing with one.

Today's guests are highly experienced in both designing heat training protocols and racing in the heat themselves!  With me today is Luke Way and Stacey Shand.  Luke Way is a master bike fitter (he does all my fits), physiology enthusiast, and coach.  Luke performs the Balance Point Assessments you might have heard about in previous episodes which in my experience, is the most informative and modern assessment out there.  He is also a nationally recognized coach that has had the opportunity to work with the Canadian National Triathlon team.  His vast personal race resume is filled with mountain biking, triathlon, running, and skiing. Stacey Shand is a coach and one of the most incredible ultra athletes on the planet. We recorded an entire episode about her exploits around the globe that'll be coming out in a few weeks.  Stacey has finished the Badwater running race twice, has done Ultraman, Double Ironman Triathlons (Double Anvil), raced in the Arctic Circle, and the world's hardest 100 mile running races. S

This is a 2 part series on heat adaptation training.  I'm racing the Cape Epic in a few weeks and got a late entry.  The heat and the length are the two main challenges I hear with this race (and also staying healthy as with any foreign stage race).  I don't have enough time to change my training or even do a training camp somewhere, but I do have time to train for the heat.  Fortunately, one of the leading researchers in heat acclimation and acclimatization is actually on sabbatical in Kelowna this year.  His name is Dr. Stephen Cheung.  Dr. Cheung is not only a well of knowledge on the topic of environmental physiology, but he is an avid cyclist himself.  He is a professor at Brock University in the Department of Kinesiology.  He also is an author of the textbook Advanced Environmental Physiology and the books: Cutting-Edge Cycling, and Cycling Science.  If that doesn't keep him busy enough, he is the Sport Science & Training editor for www.pezcyclingnews.com. In this episode, you'll learn how motivati

Sometimes it's hard to have clarity around your vision or to take the big steps needed to create positive changes. There are many paths to success and I'm excited to introduce you to Andrew Sillitoe's 4 Keys. Andrew is a former professional roller hockey player turned speaker, author, and coach. His recent book, The 4 Keys is a powerful tool for implementing a unique system to be successful not only in your business, but in your relationships, your health, and in your mind. I love this episode because we discussed several ways to get unstuck, how to prioritize what's important, time management, taking person responsibility for your action, and the power of a vision board. Andrew believes in setting lofty goals so that you can take big leaps to improve who you are and what you are doing on the way to getting there.   Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Andrew's career path Passion vs obsession The 4 Keys to Success how to make time how to take responsibility for your actions the power of a vision board crus

This week's episode is podcast recess.  My husband, Matt Ewonus is back to co-host!  We wanted to discuss some topics that are on our minds a lot at our house.  We are both incredibly fortunate to be doing what we love for work and in our lives!  However, you can push the pendulum too far, even when you're passionate about what you're doing.  Last year, we both got really burnt-out and wanted to share the signs of burn-out and how to get better.  We also talk about new habits and goals we are setting for ourselves this year.  We talked about expectations and being happy with where you are now vs always chasing achievement in the future.  We also talked about what self-care habits we are doing more of this year and how we are ensuring that we actually do them.  This was a pretty vulnerable episode so I hope you enjoy it ! Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Dealing with burnout: signs of burnout and how to recover for burnout How to identify what really makes you happy Self-Care habits we are implementing Bal

Read and hear about Kate Courtney's 2018 World Championship Win and watch the full women's World Championship replay on Redbull.TV! Kate Courtney's mantra is "WORK HARD, DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND BELIEVE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE." Many people are inspired by Kate's work ethic, positive attitude, and ability to perform consistently at the world's highest level in mountain biking. Coming up dominating the U23 category on the World Cup circuit, 2018 was her first year racing in the Elite XCO category. Kate was immediately racing in the top 10 with her sights set on the podium. She says persistence pays off and eventually, it will all come together. And come together it did on the most important day of the year, the World Championships. Kate was crowned World Champion at her very first Elite Worlds. One of the reasons I'm a huge fan of Kate is that she is humble, approachable, and down to earth. Her win inspired many, showing that if you put in the work, you can get to the top, even if you have never been there before.

Have you ever felt that positive momentum when you're on the right track or that something was meant to happen? This podcast episode with NYT best-selling author, speaker, and coach Christy Whitman goes deep into the 7 Universal Laws. You might be most familiar with the Law of Attraction where you manifest your energy to make something happen and then it does. focus what you want, feel what you want. Christy Whitman has appeared on "Today" as well as been featured in People, Woman's Day, and Seventeen Magazine. Christy's most recent book, Quantum Success is her roadmap to using the 7 Universal Laws and how to turn your vision into a reality. There's a lot of great insight in this book that we talk about in today's show. She has a formula for creating success as an "inside-out" approach through the thoughts we think, the energy we put out in the world, and the limits we set. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  The 7 Universal Laws How to create positive momentum The Three Questions to ask yourself Viewing

Nicolette Richer is making huge strides in the power of natural healing. She is an entrepreneur and owner of the delicious whole food, plant-based organic cafe franchise: The Green Moustache. She also is a TEDx speaker, author of her new book, Eat Real to Heal, host of the podcast Eat Real to Heal, and founder of Richer Health. She also also appeared on Dragon’s Den. Nicolette has used clean eating to personally help heal people with cancer, type 2 Diabetes, skin conditions, and more. Nicolette’s mission is to ensure that people know human health and environmental health are inextricably linked, and that we can cure our diseases through diet. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  What is Gerson Therapy? Are juice cleanses healthy? Juicing vs Smoothies Building Green Moustache Tips for balance in life, especially for entrepreneurs Her experience on Dragon’s Den How to get kids to eat a plant-based diet Hospitals and Vending Machines Importance of eating organic Must-take supplements for whole-foods plant-based di