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Mile High Endurance Podcast

Mile High Endurance Podcast is recorded in the Rocky Mountain front range area in Denver, Colorado. 55 miles to the north is the triathlon 'Mecca' of Boulder, home of some of the most prominent pros in triathlon and related sports. 56 miles to the south is the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs is the flagship training center for the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Olympic Training Center programs. The 110 mile stretch between Boulder and Colorado Springs is one of the fittest and athletic populated areas in the world. I share these statistics, not so much to brag but to give you the listener context for what the culture and vibe is here in the Mile High area. ​The objective of the Mile High Endurance Podcast is to connect you to the triathlon community and empower you to achieve your triathlon and fitness goals. Each month we will take subjects that you are interested in and connect your interests with news, expert interviews, and information about services and products in a way that inform your decisions to achieve your full potential in the sport.
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Now displaying: Page 1
Mar 25, 2018

Our guest this week is Doctor Kirk Parsley.  He is a sleep specialist and has been treating Navy Seals, Special Ops, First Responders, and yes - endurance athletes, with sleep related ailments or performance issues.  If you don't get 8 hours of sleep as a non-athlete and as much as 10 for ultra-runners, you will want to know what you could be doing to your performance and health.

Thanks to last week's guest, ultra-runner and coach Don Reichelt.  Don shared his preparation and training for Badwater 135.  We also talked about how he helps other athletes train for that distance.  We will be watching his race closely and look forward to seeing his result.  My sense is, we are going to be impressed!

Discussion Teasers:

  • Reactions to the interview and some of our take-aways
  • When we last reported we were still in Lake Havasu.  Before leaving Lake Havasu, we had a pretty interesting run in the desert and tested our navigation skills.  We have a great report on our trip to Tucson, dinner with Alain Lambert and Barry Siff, and the ride with Alain on Mt. Lemmon.
  • Time management tips when you are trying to fit all the hours of training required for long-distance racing

Interview Setup:

Kirk Parsley served as an Undersea Medical Officer at Naval Special Warfare Group One from June 2009 to January 2013. While there, he led the development and supervised the group’s first Sports Medicine Rehabilitation center. He is a former SEAL, and received his Medical Degree from Bethesda, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS) in 2004. He interned in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Balboa Naval Hospital San Diego in 2005 and subsequently completed a Navy residency in Hyperbarics and Diving Medicine in 2006.

 

Doctor Parsley has been a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine since 2006 and served as Naval Special Warfare’s expert on Sleep Medicine. In addition he is certified in hormonal modulation (Age-Management Medicine). After leaving the Navy he went into concierge medicine and consulting. He continues to consult for multiple corporations, and professional athletes/teams. Doctor Parsley lectures worldwide on sleep, wellness, and hormonal optimization and is currently completing a book on sleep and health optimization.

 

His philosophy for wellness is simple; in order to optimize our health and get the most out of our bodies and minds, we must live more closely to the way we evolved as a species. He believes that many diseases and disorders that we accept as “inevitable” in modern society are unnecessary complications of poor sleeping habits, living in a toxic environment, eating foods we were not designed to digest, and allowing stress to overwhelm us. His passion is to help his patients and clients achieve the highest quality of life possible, and realize their health, performance, and longevity goals.

 

Dr. Parsley spends as much of his spare time as possible with his three beautiful children (Hayden, Cole, and Harper). He has been a competitive athlete his entire life, and enjoys nearly all outdoor activities and sports.

Interview debrief:

  • Oura Ring
  • I was naïve about sleep aids.  How common do you think the understanding of using Ambien, Zolpidem or other sleep aids or any chemical that doesn't naturally occur in food could impair your ability to get to metabolic sleep?
  • Distinguishing drugs from supplements
  • Tryptophan becomes 5htp.  Becomes serotonin.  Saratonin becomes melatonin.
  • Ironman - Science of Sleep Article

inadequate sleep has an adverse effect on glucose metabolism. A study at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine showed that after a single week of sleep restriction in young healthy male athletes, glucose levels were altered and led to a rapid deterioration of bodily functions. The authors compared the body’s diminished ability to handle glucose to aging effects seen in the elderly.

We also need sleep to produce HGH, or human growth hormone, the substance critical to post-exercise tissue repair that’s manufactured by the pituitary gland. In short, sleep is required to speed our recovery from training sessions and and racing. When sleep deprived, athletes commonly complain that a race or workout felt harder than expected.

  • What about the impact to fat metabolism with just 2 hours less sleep?  What do you think that does to race performance for athletes who don't get 7-9 hours of sleep prior to an Ironman? Insulin sensitivity drops 30% with 2 hours less sleep.
  • It was also a little scary to hear how much lack of sleep can lead to issues like ADD, depression, all psychiatric diagnosis are precursory by lack of sleep

Lake Havasu and Tucson Trip:

Trashcan Lid run https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2564650099

dinner with Alain Lambert and Barry Siff, and the ride with Alain on Mt. Lemmon

https://www.hauteroute.org/

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2566311987

Time Management Tip:

  • In my weekly check-in with Brady we were discussing the topic of how to manage your training schedule
  • Training for Iron-distance is one of those "big rock priorities" - you need to do the training, but you also have other priorities like work, family, finances, etc.
  • One thing that Brady does to plan ahead and keep organized is he knows what training he has each day of the week, so he lays out his clothes for each workout.  I'm sure there may be some adjustments if the weather forecast changes, but it's a great way to avoid unwanted surprises.
  • What things do you guys do to stay organized or manage your time?

MHE upcoming interviews:

  • Dr Jason Karp on his article "the right way to do run interval training"
  • Elite, 16 time Kona finisher, Tim Hola

Our show is also supported by 303 Media Productions, including 303Triathlon and 303 Cycling, which are your resources for news and events on triathlon and cycling in Colorado. 

Be sure to follow 303Radio for these upcoming interviews:

  • Alon Mandel, Olympic swimmer from Israel now swimming the Cook Strait in New Zealand
  • Larry Potter for KHMTT
  • Colorado University invasion on Lake Havasu
  • Jonathon Grinder, race director of lake Havasu triathlon
  • Katie Whidden, coach of Colorado School of Mines
  • Brad Seng, coach of CU
  • Athletes from the many Colorado teams
  • Dierdre Moynahan and Kay Martin

 

Please support our affiliate brands that support the show and help you get faster!

  • The Halo Sport from Halo Neuroscience will help you learn the technique and form to get faster.  20 minutes of neural priming with the Halo Headset gives you an hour of neural plasticity to work and lock in the muscle movement that leads to strength, power and endurance.  Use code MHE150 to save $150.
  • Total Immersion -Use code MHETI10 to get 10% off items in your cart
  • Rudy Project has the helmets, glasses and gear to help you ride safe and look great.  Use code MHE30 to get 30% off your full price items.
  • TrainingPeaks Premium is the full featured version of the app.  Unlock the full featured app for 30 days using the code MHE30
  • All of these discounts can be found at milehighendurance on the Sponsors page. 

If you are enjoying the show, please let us know by going on iTunes or your podcast player and giving us a review.  Be sure you are subscribed in iTunes so you get the show automatically downloaded on Saturday evening and recommend Mile High Endurance to a friend. 

Thanks again for listening to MHE.  Train well this week.  Stay tuned, stay informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

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