The Sonya Looney Show

Stephen Seiler, Professor in Sport Science at the University of Adger, is internationally known for his research publications and lectures about organization of endurance training and intensity distribution. His work has influenced international research around training intensity distribution and the “polarized training model.” His work includes descriptive and experimental approaches, where he’s investigated cyclists, rowers, cross-country skiers, orienteers, and distance runners. Dr. Seiler has published over 100 peer reviewed publications and written over 100 science articles about exercise physiology and the training process, and is a founding editorial board member of the International Journal of Sport Physiology and Performance. Dr. Seiler grew up in the US and earned his doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin, but has lived and worked in Norway for 20 years. While currently a professor at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway, he was previously Vice-Rector for Research an

Colin O’Brady is a 10-time world record breaking explorer, as well as a speaker, entrepreneur and expert on mindset. He completed the world’s first solo, unsupported and human-powered crossing of Antarctica. He set speed records for the Explorers Grand Slam and the Seven Summits and achieved the first human-powered ocean row across Drake Passage.  He graduated from Yale University in economics and worked on Wall Street. He is the author of The Impossible First and the recently released The 12-Hour Walk: Invest One Day, Conquer Your Mind, and Unlock Your Best Life. You can hear Colin speak on mindset and high performance in his TedX talk. In this week’s podcast, Sonya and Colin talk about accepting hard moments, optimism and overcoming limiting beliefs. Key Takeaways:   Accepting the hard moments to have more peak experiences Where his optimism comes from Limiting beliefs How to manage criticism  Why do a 12-hour walk Which limiting belief do you struggle with the most  The importance of vulnerabili

My return to mountain bike racing after having kids has been so much fun! It's also had its fair share of challenges. I sat down with my husband, Matt to talk about what it's been like going from 1 to 2 children, traveling and racing with 2 small children, and the lessons we have learned along the way. We talked about expectations, how pre-race routines and rituals are now different (and messy), and what we are learning to make traveling with kids a little bit easier. We also recapped my High Cascades 100 race (my first race back after kids) as well as the Emerald Mountain Epic. And now? I'm prepping for Breck Epic. It'll be my third time racing it although it's been 9 years since my last Breck Epic experience (and win!).

Dr. Sasha Heinz is a developmental psychologist turned mindset coach. She has her own private coaching practice grounded in psychological science. Dr. Heinz teaches the tools to change lives for good, develop mental fitness and transcend stress, anxiety, and self-criticism. She teaches her clients the science of unstuck. She was one of the first 33 people in history to receive a degree in Positive Psychology. She received her BA from Harvard, Master’s in Applied Psychology from University of Pennsylvania and Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Columbia.  In this week’s podcast, Sonya and Dr. Heinz talk positive psychology, self-help, sitting with negative emotions, coaching vs. therapy and more. Key Takeaways:   The danger with self-help Self distancing PERMA model How to sit in your negative emotions  Psychologically rich  Coaching v therapy The STEAR map tool  

Dr. Jonathan Foley is a world-renowned environmental scientist, sustainability expert, author and public speaker, and the executive director of Drawdown. Drawdown’s mission is to help the world reach the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to decline as quickly, safely and equitably as possible. Dr. Foley’s work focused on understanding the changing planet and finding solutions to sustain climate, ecosystems, and natural resources. He has been a trusted advisor to governments, foundations, NGOs, and business leaders globally. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed scientific articles and, in 2014, was named a Highly Cited Researcher in ecology and environmental science.  He has also presented at the Aspen Institute, the World Bank, the National Geographic Society and more. He’s taught at major universities on climate change, global sustainability solutions, the food system and other major world challenges.  Dr. Foley has won numerous awards and

Olympian Lea Davison began mountain bike racing in 2001. Since then, she’s earned a silver medal at the 2016 World Championships, a bronze medal at the 2014 World Championships, and finished 3rd overall in the 2015 World Cup series. Lea competed in the 2012 Olympic Games where she placed 11th and also in the 2016 Olympic Games where she placed 7th. Lea’s passion is getting the next generation of females riding mountain bikes, so she co-founded Little Bellas, a mentoring program on mountain bikes for girls.  Prior to her start in mountain biking, Lea competed as a downhill ski racer.  In this week’s podcast, Lea and Sonya talked about positivity, resilience, goal setting and the importance of family. Her dream was to get a medal at the 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics, but she missed making the team. Now, she talks about resilience and how to deal with that disappointment. Key Takeaways:   How she stays positive How to be Resilient Why we should remain open Mentorship collaboration Goal-setting in her races H

Mark Bowden is a body language expert, keynote speaker and bestselling author of the books Winning Body Language; Winning Body Language for Sales Professionals; Tame the Primitive Brain; and Truth & Lies, What People are Really Thinking. He’s well known for his TedX talk “The Importance of Being Authentic” and his YouTube channel and weekly show “The Behavior Panel.” Mark has a system of nonverbal communication called GesturePlane™ that helps audiences maximize the power of using their own body language to stand out, win trust and gain credibility. He is also the founder of a communication training company TRUTHPLANE®, where he offers presentation skills training with live sessions or online learning. Mark trains business and political leaders and he is the go-to media commentator on body language of politicians, celebrities and public figures for CNN, CBS, and Global News, and he is frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and GQ Magazine. In this week’s podcast, Sonya and

On this week’s podcast, Sonya sat down with Jamie Mason Cohen, a resilience and leadership development expert. A Canadian native, Certified Leadership Coach, and a work history that includes Saturday Night Live, Jamie teaches resilience, wellness, leadership and communication to organizations.  Jamie works to cultivate resilience through unique performance assessment, the science of positive psychology and leadership strategies. He uses a “Speed Analysis’ process, where each person learns how their strengths serve an organization in 60 seconds.  He is also a commentator on CNN, Forbes and the Morning Show, and is often recognized for his TEDx talk on leadership. Sonya and Jamie talk resilience, values, drive, handwriting analysis and more.

One of my most interesting realizations recently is that I am at my best when I'm living in the present moment and I am at my worst when I'm comparing myself.  I've been doing specific contemplative meditations on comparison to learn more because it's part of being human to compare ourselves to others. The human mind compares so it can make predictions about the future.  It can be a positive thing, but it can also be detrimental to happiness and lack of fulfillment. Comparing without awareness behind it leads to feeling like we are not enough. Even comparing ourselves to a previous version of ourselves can become a problem if it is unrealistic and/or we have different inputs to our lives.  

Michelle Segar is the director of the University of Michigan’s Sports, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center, adviser to the Department of Health and Human Services, and chair of the United States National Physical Activity Plan’s Communication Committee, and author of the 2022 book The Joy Choice.  The NIH-funded researcher at the University of Michigan, has three decades of experience studying how people adopt healthy behaviors in ways that can survive the complexity and unpredictability of the real world.  Michelle combines research with real-world health coaching to create sustainable healthy behavior change. She is also the author of NO SWEAT! - used to train professionals in health coaching and patient counseling.  Michelle holds a doctorate in Psychology (PhD), a masters in Health Behavior/Health Education, a masters in Kinesiology, and fellowships in translational research and health care policy from the University of Michigan.  In this podcast, Sonya and Michelle talk about behavio

Frank Overton is a full time cycling coach and a USA Cycling Level 1 coach since 2006. He founded FasCat Coaching in 2002 to live out his dream to help cyclists. He focuses primarily on masters road, gravel, fondo, time trial, mountain bike and cyclocross athletes who take their training seriously. He previously worked for the Priority Health Professional Cycling Team in 2006 as well as the US National Team in Europe for the 2007 World Cup race season. Frank raced competitively first as a semi-pro mountain biker and then as a category 1 roadie for 10 years. He started Power Based Training, utilizing his sports science background to maximize athletic performance.  He has a masters degree in Physiology from North Carolina State University and comes from medical school spinal cord research and molecular biotechnology (he even holds a U.S. patent for discovering a gene). In this week’s episode, Frank and Sonya talk masters athletes, recovery tips, performance goals and more.  Key Takeaways What age do

Focus on what you can do, not what you can't. Look there, go there. Where focus goes, energy flows. Perhaps you've heard one or all of those phrases. Our thoughts and emotions generate our perspective and life experience. What we believe about ourselves, our day, the people around us, and the way the world works has an impact on the actions we take, how we show up in relationships, and how we move through life.

Payson McElveen is not your traditional professional mountain biker. After cycling at Fort Lewis College and becoming a two-time Marathon National Champion, Payson decided to focus more on longer events, instead of the traditional World Cup racing and pursuit of the Olympics. In 2017, he won his first national title at the 2017 Marathon Championships, and then won again in 2018. He continued his success in 2019, taking third place at the US National Cycling Trials, second at the Whiskey Off-Road race in Arizona and first at the Land Run 100 in Oklahoma. He’s the son of a mountain bike racer, first started riding a bike at age four and began racing by 14. He’s been a member of USA Cycling’s National Team since he was 17.  Payson is also known for his podcast “The Adventure Stache”, films, and physical challenges such as FKT’s and his “Trail Town” YouTube series.  In this week’s episode, Payson and Sonya talk mountain biking, fulfilling potential, patience and perseverance and balance. Key Takeaways

Wow, I can't believe I've had the privilege of doing this podcast for 5 years! Today is the 300th episode! Initially, I was going to do a mash-up of my favorite episodes. That is still coming. Instead, I decided to record an episode on what having a podcast has taught me (not lessons about what guests have taught me). Consistency There is No End Point Metrics Don't Matter As Much Continuing Education How to Listen Reaching Out, Rejection and Impostor Syndrome

Britt Frank - therapist, teacher, speaker, and trauma specialist - focuses her work on helping others who feel stuck. Her life’s work developed out of a history of drug addiction, love addiction, borderline personality disorder, depression, an eating disorder and anxiety. It sounds like a lot, and it is, but her approach to her work comes from a deep understanding of what it feels like to be stuck.  Britt tried numerous things to get better, and got worse, but once she was on the path to recovery, she found purpose - to dismantle the mental health and motivation myths that keep us stuck, sick, and stressed.  Her recently released book - The Science of Stuck - is a research-based tool kit for moving past what’s holding you back in life, love, and in work.  Britt’s goal is to educate, empower, and equip people to transform their most persistent and long-standing patterns of thinking and doing. In this conversation, Britt and Sonya talk about how to get unstuck, celebrate successes, use past experiences

Sometimes life can feel hard and overwhelming. Big life changes often cause discomfort and stress, but out of it comes growth. Growth is something most of us want, but it's normally not something that feels good all the time. With growth can come a period of struggling, and sometimes that feeling of struggling can feel like it'll last forever. Personally, I am struggling right now. Having a newborn baby (second child) along with my son who just turned two, all while trying to meet the demands of being a Professional Athlete, run my business, have my weekly podcast while maintaining a high standard, sending out articles I write in my weekly newsletter, and have very limited childcare help has been far more stressful and overwhelming than I anticipated. In my line of work, I don't get to take a maternity leave. Some of my work is work that needs to be done consistently that I have made a commitment to do. For the podcast, I recorded three months of guests in advance before having my daughter and left a bit of s

This week’s podcast features a discussion with Stanford Female Athlete Science And Translational Research (FASTR) Program Director Dr. Emily Kraus and Lead Researcher Dr. Megan Roche. The FASTR program seeks to help close the gender gap in sports science research with an emphasis on early identification and interventions to prevent injury and identify ways to optimize performance in female athletes. The program hopes to “inspire female athletes to learn more about their bodies and embrace what makes them strong and unique. Through proper education surrounding fueling, recovery, mental health, and more [they] encourage the development [of] lifelong athletes.” Dr. Kraus is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford Children’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center. She specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation sports medicine. She is involved in several research projects, including The Healthy Runner Project, a multicenter prospective interventional study focused on bone stress injury prevention in

Fiona Oakes is an elite marathon runner, who has completed over 100 marathons and finished in the top 20 in two of the world’s Major Marathon series, winning the Main Start and placing in the top 20 in the Great North Run. She holds four Guinness recognized World Records in endurance events including being the fastest woman to run a Marathon on every Continent. But Fiona doesn’t consider herself a great runner. All of her runs and accolades are in service of a greater purpose - care and love for animals.  Fiona is a vegan. Helping others understand the reasons behind her lifestyle drives her to participate in runs around the world.  Fiona became the first vegan woman to complete the Marathon de Sables - a race she has completed twice more since - and in 2013 won the North Pole Marathon and its 'sister' race the Antarctic Ice Marathon.  She also runs to bring awareness to her animal sanctuary - Towerhill Stables Animal Sanctuary - which she founded in 1996.  Fiona is the subject of a documentary calle

Bob Doyle is a law of attraction expert and coach. The law of attraction is a belief that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person's life. He focuses heavily on helping people decide who they want to be and how they want to express themselves. Bob has been teaching these principles through programs, live events, podcasts, coaching, writing and more since 1998. He’s best known for his contribution to the film and book “The Secret.” He has recently shifted from the metaphysical aspects of the law of attraction to a more biological look at what controls our experiences and our brain.  Bob is passionate about the neuroplasticity side of transformation. Digging into identifying where you might be living life on autopilot, how to take action and change your personal story, and the importance of consistency are key elements of this conversation. We also talked about how to make your vision a reality, something that is often missed in the Law of Attraction. It's about acti

In 2017, Hillary Allen experienced a life threatening accident that had the potential to completely derail her career as an endurance athlete. She fell 150 feet off a ridge-line during a race in Norway. With 14 broken bones, she was told she’d never run again, and most definitely not compete at an elite level. She overcame the odds and made a full recovery to return to elite level racing.  Hillary, nicknamed “Hillygoat” because of her love and skill for running fast on steep, technical mountain terrain, has raced all over the world.  In 2021, Hillary published a book about her accident and long road to recovery called Out and Back.  Hillary received her masters degree in neuroscience, physiology and structural biology, and is also a running coach.  In this podcast, Sonya and Hillary talked about her career as a runner, her injury, overcoming the odds to return better than before and the importance of self-belief to get there. Key Takeaways:   Where spirit of adventure came from How she became a ru