The Sonya Looney Show

I'm obsessed with the idea that our mind is as powerful or even more powerful than our body.  With all my experiences in ultra-endurance mountain biking, I've seen over and over that mental toughness really plays a roll in how hard you can push yourself and what you believe you are capable of. I was thrilled to find the book: Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson.  It was jam packed with really interesting research on whether limits live in our mind or our body. I also looked up Alex and learned that he is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist whose work appears in Outside, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and more.  Another fun thing I learned was that he is a very accomplished runner, running on the Canadian National Team and even more interesting, he is actually Dr. Alex Hutchinson - he has his PhD in Physics.  Getting a PhD in Physics would be the true test for pain tolerance!  I did my Master's in Electrical Engineering which is basically

We spent the first 20 minutes doing a Q&A with the questions you submitted. The questions we answered:Since you do a lot of longer endurance type races and train with TrainerRoad, what is your main focus?  Is power building a benefit or hindrance to the endurance/stamina you need for a longer ride?  I would love a FTP of 400 watts, but...would I be better off training at 2-4 hours/ride @ 150 watts for 100 miler training? ———————— I would love to hear about any efforts you make specifically with regards to aging - e.g. maintaining bone mass density, agility, strength, speed, and - oh - grace and humor! ——————— how do you choose a bike race ____________ what made you decide to start a plant based diet, did you have any issues ————————— how do you feel about e bikes A powerful journal entry about how I actually felt before the start of my first race this year (around 30 min mark)   Mentioned in the show: How I Deal with Self-Doubt Listen Now Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Q&As that you subm

Sarah McLean has been teaching meditation for over 20 years. I first met Sarah in Sedona this past winter when I visited her at the McLean Meditation Institute.  There was an instant connection and I had even more respect for her after she guided my husband and I through a meditation.  I discovered that she is the author of 2 books, The Power of Attention, and xx.  Sarah has had an amazing and interesting life, dropping out of high school at the age of 17 and going homeless, to joining the army where she first learned about meditation. She also has traveled the world with her bike riding in places like Turkey, Pakistan, and Greece and her tremendous life experience has given her insight for her sense of purpose on the this earth. Sarah is incredibly approachable and has worked with everyone, from Fortune 500 companies, Olympic Athletes, to small families. She worked with Dr. Deepak Chopra in Lancaster, Massachusetts for 8 years at the Ayurveda Health Center, a Transcendental Meditation community. After Deepa

Jane Esselstyn is a Registered Nurse, author of 4 cookbooks in conjunction with Engine2Diet and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and a charismatic voice in the plant-based community.  She also is a researcher and hosts conferences for women on getting preventing and reversing heart disease and auto-immune diseases.  I was excited to talk to Jane because I interviewed her brother Rip back in July and her father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn earlier this year.  It was really cool to see that the whole Esselstyn family is involved with helping the world get healthier and make better food choices for health and longevity. Jane offers some great insights on how to actually implement a plant-based diet from the food preparation side of things.  We talked about the easiest meals you can make, what to use instead of salt, sugar, and oils, and whether green juice is actually a true health food.  We also talk about protein, where she gets her inspiration for recipes, and the fact that you don't need to oil to saute your fo

In todays's show, I had the opportunity to speak with a concussion expert with all of the latest cutting edge research. As someone who has had a few concussions myself, learning about CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) a few years ago was frightening.  I wondered how concussions and the after-effects would impact my life.  My last concussion was in 2016 just days before defending my World Championship title at the 24-Hour Worlds in Rotorua, New Zealand.  I didn't feel that bad but I had some definite symptoms of concussion.  I wasn't sure if I should race, after all - it was defending my World Champion title.  It was difficult and probably one of the best decisions I've ever made to skip the race.  My husband had an unfortunate injury the year after my experience.  He had one concussion and felt totally fine and was back to regular activity and intensity very quickly.  It was 3 weeks after the first concussion and he was symptom free so he decided to do the race he was signed up for. He had an unfortunate

As athletes, we all know if we exercise, we'll feel better and get stronger.  When you start adding in focus and structure, I like to say that you are no longer just exercising: you are training.  As a Professional Athlete myself, I've been through pretty much every scenario of trying different things in my training, I've been chronically overtrained, I've played with doing minimal training, and I'm always looking for the latest research and methods for improvement.  Today's guests are two people I respect and continually follow for new information - they are the backbone behind the popular cycling trainer app: TrainerRoad.  I've personally used TrainerRoad to get me through the winters and I even train for long stage races indoors using the dynamite combo of Trainer Road and the Wahoo Fitness KICKR Smart Trainer.  This episode isn't about riding the trainer per se, it's about a lot of pitfalls and common questions that come up with any type of endurance sport.  We have the Head Coach at Trainer Road, Chad Ti

Today, I had the opportunity to talk to Josh LaJaunie.  I first heard him on the Rich Roll Podcast about a year ago and was blown away by his story.  I literally had to stop by bike while listening because his story was so overwhelming and his authenticity and passion were contagious.  His story is a powerful one of transformation.  It's about how taking one brush stroke after another can create a beautiful masterpiece.  The Josh LaJaunie you see now is an enthusiastic ultrarunner who has been on the cover of Runner's World, laughed with the hosts on Good Morning America, and how regularly speaks around the country.  He is part of not only the Plant-Based Community, but an even bigger one - how to help people lose weight and create positive change in their lives. Josh wasn't always the man you see today and he'll be the first to tell you that he never imagined his life to take such a fortuitous turn.  He grew up as a self-proclaimed "coon-ass." (more on that later).  Josh grew up in the Bayou close to his fam

Last year, I went to the Bicycle Leadership conference and discovered that Bicycling Magazine appointed a new Editor-in-Chief, a female Editor-in-Chief, Leah Flickinger.  I was excited to see that one of cycling's biggest publications had a female at the top of their leadership.  I did more research into who was working at the magazine and noticed something exciting - over half the team was comprised of females.  In the bike world, empowering women to ride and to work in the industry is a common topic.  I was excited to see that Bicycling took the reins and actually did what a lot of businesses say they are going to do: create equal opportunity for women.   When Leah was appointed, she was quoted in BRAIN Magazine, "Cycling in general is becoming more diverse in terms of gender, race, and age. I'm thrilled to lead the Bicycling team as we reflect this growth while continuing to expand the gear and fitness content our existing readers know and love." We also have Bicycling's Features Editor, Gloria Liu on the

Aaron Stuber and Jackson Long are the plant-based duo behind Thought for Food Podcast and TV. Their mission is to educate and inspire people to live healthy, compassionate, and adventurous lives through plant-based nutrition.  I personally enjoy their show and use it as one of my guides for staying up to date on the latest evidence-based nutritional science. They are both high level athletes and always have interesting insight about how to be a plant-based athlete.  They are both interesting individuals in their daily life as well. Aaron is a registered nurse and also a Health and Wellness Coach.  Jackson is an elite cyclist, finishing his Master's Degree in Applied Nutrition, and has the eCornell certification for Plant-Based Nutrition (something I want to get!) I love these guys because they are authentic, unpretentious, and hilarious.  Th  is was a fun episode because we talked about a lot of the frequently asked questions about plant-based diets.  We talked about how they formed Though for Food, how to

Dr. Kris Keim is a well-known sports psychologist and work's with some of cycling's top athletes. She has her doctorate in clinical psychology and her master’s in sports psychology AND she was actually my very first podcast guest.  The link is in the show notes if you want to go back and listen to it!  She is incredibly passionate about helping others.  She said, "During my competitive cycling career I started to understand how the mind and body worked in a way that could help and/or hinder one's performance. Being a part of a team was something I enjoyed, but it also opened the door for me to help others reach their full potential. Honestly, I would rather suffer on a climb for a teammate and help them stay calm and collected so they could go for the win. This mindset helped me realize that perhaps my purpose was not behind the handlebars, but rather behind an athlete/client offering them psychological and emotional support. This is what I refer to as the human side of sport and performance. Remembering tha

You'd never guess that Lauren Gregg wasn't a cyclist growing up.  She identified as an artistic musician type.  It wasn't until she decided to grab her dad's dusty bike out of the garage and start mountain biking on a whim that she turned into an athlete.  The simple yet life-changing decision to start mountain biking has enabled Lauren to carve her own path. Starting as an XC racer, she moved up through the ranks and eventually found a love for Enduro. Enduro is an interesting sport. You ride a bigger travel mountain bike and there's a huge course you have to complete.  You have to endure the fatigue of riding all the climbs, but only certain descents are timed.  With a passion for travel and a fortuitous relationship with Ford, Lauren decided to move into a sprinter van.  That sprinter van was her year round home for 2.5 years. In the show, we talk about Lauren's path to becoming a professional cyclist.  One day, some old racer guy told Lauren Gregg, "You'll never be able to make a living as a female mounta

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn is a pioneer in medicine.  He currently directs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute and has saved thousands of lives. As a surgeon, he was operating on patients with breast cancer.  Disillusioned by treating the disease and never addressing the cause, he decided to do his own research. From his bio: "In 1995 he published his bench mark long-term nutritional research arresting and reversing coronary artery disease in severely ill patients. That same study was updated at 12 years and reviewed beyond twenty years in his book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, making it one of the longest longitudinal studies of its type. In July of 2014 he reported the experience of 198 participants seriously ill with cardiovascular disease. During 3.7 years of follow up of the 89% adherent to the program, 99.4% avoided further major cardiac events." Dr Esselstyn is incredible and I highly recommend watching Forks Over Knives. It changed my life!

Today’s guest is no stranger to the cycling world.  He has finished 5th  two times at the tour de France, won stages in races like the Giro D’Italia and the Vuelta Espana. His name is Tejay Van Garderen and he currently rides for BMC Racing.  This guy is in on top of the world stage of professional road cyclists. The thing I really enjoyed about Tejay is that he was really down to earth and easy to talk to in our conversation.  My husband Matt co-hosted this episode together and we both thought that Tejay seemed like a truly genuine guy.  He has been racing since the age of 10 and has had his ups and downs over his career.  We talked about how to deal with expectations, especially when you aren’t meeting them.  We talk about his background in racing and what it’s actually like to race at his level. In interviews at some of these grand tours, you don’t get to hear the whole story and Tejay told us a lot of interesting stories. We talk about what it’s like to have little kids and a wife and travel like he does.

Yesterday, I had moments of self-doubt and feelings of wanting to give up.  Here is a breakfast table conversation with my husband Matt.  We talked about what I was feeling, how to navigate self-doubt, and how to accept these feelings. 

Just because you don't eat meat or dairy doesn't mean that you're healthy. Chef AJ can relate.   She said, "For 26 years, I was the quintessential fat vegan.  It wasn't until I had a health scare.... that I realized I had to do something."  She is a self-proclaimed recovering food addict and a classically trained chef, author, and speaker. As an unhealthy vegan for most of her life, she jokes that "skittles was a fruit" and "cakes and candies" were a food group.  When she discovered she had pre-cancerous polyps in her colon at age 43, things started to trained.  Refusing to undergo surgery due to a fear of anesthesia, she found the Optimum Health Institute in Southern California where diet and lifestyle were used to help people with diseases.  Six months later, the polyps were gone  she went a little deeper into nutrition and started eating a plant-exclusive diet and eliminated ALL processed foods for good. After she became aware of her addiction to certain foods, she stopped eating oils, sugars, and added fa

Rebecca Rusch is one of the most prolific adventure athletes out there.  From first ascents as a rock climber (El Capitan in Yosemite) to kayaking in the Grand Canyon to taking her bike up Mount Kiliminjaro, nothing stops the Queen of Pain.  Rebecca was one of the top Adventure Racers before becoming a pro mountain biker and is the 7x World Champion in several sports.   Rebecca's depth goes far beyond her athletic endeavors.  She's a speaker, author of her book Rusch to Glory, a filmmaker with her most recent film Blood Road, and an event producer with Rebecca's Private Idaho.  Her palmares and activities are so vast that I highly recommend checking out her website for more!  This is a fun episode of the show because we talk about so many interesting topics.  Rebecca's father was shot down in the Vietnam War when she was just a young girl.  Haunted by the unknown and not knowing exactly what happened to her father, she decided to go find him.  Rebecca rode the entire 1,200 miles of the Ho Chi Minh trail with 

Julieanna Hever is a well-known plant-based dietician, author of 2 books, and has her own TV Show!  She is also a columnist for VegNews Magazines and has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, The Steve Harvey Show, Reluctantly Healthy, The Marie Osmond Show, The Jane Velez-Mitchell Show, and E! News, co-stars on The Chef and The Dietitian, on numerous radio shows, and lectures extensively around the world. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  How our metabolism works (oxidative priority) Omega 3s vs Omega 6 Supplement recomme3s vs Omega y: how do you do it and is it easy How your Palate changes Is the Mediterranean Diet Healthy? Links Complete Idiots Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition book Vegiterranean book Julieanna Hever's Website Julieanna's Twitter Support the Show If you like my show, I’m aiming to make it an ad-free zone using crowdfunding to support it.  All donations will go directly to the production of the show. I’m raising money using Patreon.   A lot of podcasts sell ads to cover the production co

Caroline Gleich is a magnet for adventure.  She is one of the ski mountaineering world's most prolific skiers.  She has been on the cover of many skiing magazines, premiered in Warren Miller films, and skied some of the most challenging lines around the world. Most notable and recent was that she was the 4th person ever and first woman to ski all 90 lines in the Chuting Gallery in the Wasatch Range.  Caroline will be the first to say, "Ski Mountaineering is really dangerous."  She is also an environmental activist. Backcountry skiing is so much more than being a skilled skier.  You have to have intuition; when to summit and when not to ski. When to push past the shaky heart in the throat fear and when to listen to it.  So why does she do it?  This podcast is about so much more than just adventures and how to decide what to do when faced with a challenge.  It's about how to stand up to cyber bullies, it's about gender equality, what it's really like to be an endurance athlete and how isolating that can be, an

Do you ever have thoughts and feelings that you don't want? What does mental toughness mean?  Do you ever worry about what people think about you or wish that you were more confident? These are all questions that 3x X-Terra World Champion Lesley Patterson and Simon Marshall, PhD have addressed in their book, "Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down."   It was great to talk with both of them.  Lesley is a badass- 3x World Champ and Coach.  Her insight and depth of knowledge is incredible.  Simon is a former professor of family and preventive medicine as well as sport and exercise psychology.  He has a lot of practical experience as a Sports Psychologist (even to the Professional BMC Road Racing team).   I enjoyed their book - they break everything that I regularly love to think and talk about into bite size chunks that can be applied to sport and life.  You'll have to listen for more!    Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Naming the book How to cope if your event or ride isn't going well Where to derive self-confiden

Brasil Ride is a 7 day mountain bike stage race in Bahia, Brazil.  This was my 3rd Brasil Ride and I raced it the Mixed Category with Gordon Wadsworth. My husband, Matt Ewonus took the helm and hosted this episode.  This podcast episode is how it all went down!  Boiling sun, technical terrain, heat stroke, 4-6 hour days in the saddle, losing and regaining the leaders jersey, how to be successful as a team, strategies for winning and so much more!  If you missed the episode where we talked about our race in New Zealand back in February and a little preview of Brasil Ride, check it out here.   Topics Discussed in the Podcast  Drug testing and what it's actually like (especially after racing 6 hours in the heat) What made this race so hard Dynamics of racing as a team and the keys to being successful Supporting friends The crazy Brazilian terrain and boiling sun Dealing with heat stroke Competitive moments Race strategy How to stay positive in a stage race Self worth and how it effects your attitude in a race