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PODCAST

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for strength, resilience, and longevity

The Be Battle Ready podcast is where everyday athletes, adventurers, and seekers of strength come to forge resilience - in body, mind, and spirit. Hosted by coach Simon Ward, each episode explores the true pillars of endurance: purposeful training, nourishing nutrition, restorative sleep, a resilient mindset, and the art of recovery. It’s designed especially for those in their 40s, 50s and beyond who refuse to rust - men and women who know that age is no excuse to stop sharpening the blade. Whether

sports nutrition

All Episodes

59:26

‘Fit for Purpose’ The Grumpy Old Coaches Christmas...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/12/24

A proper Grumpy Old Coaches Christmas Special with Simon Ward joined by Steve Lumley and Marc Laithwaite, plus Bethany Ward back in the hot seat(and, as ever, dropping a couple of absolute show-stoppers).We kick off with the state of triathlon participation and what Marc is seeing on the ground as an organiser, including the way athletes are now leaving entries later and how that makes it harder to predict numbers. From there we zoom out and compare triathlon to what’s booming elsewhere, especially

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70:51

Episode 2: How to Fix Your Gut: Practical Steps for...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/12/17

In part two of my conversation with Harvey Fortis – nutritionist, researcher, and performance specialist working with INEOS Cycling – we move from theory into practical action. Harvey and I dig into the specific foods, habits, and daily choices that nourish the microbiome and help it thrive.We talk about fibre, fermented foods, stress, sleep, pre- and probiotics, the Mediterranean diet, and how simple, consistent choices can transform gut health for athletes and everyday individuals alike. Key

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65:54

Why Your Gut Is Affecting Your Sleep, Mood, and...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/12/10

In the first of a 2 part series, I’m joined by Harvey Fortis, a performance nutritionist and researcher completing his PhD at Liverpool John Moores University, where he studies gut and metabolic responses in endurance athletes. Harvey also works with INEOS Cycling and Total Endurance Nutrition, so he sees first-hand how gut health can make or break performance.We start by laying the foundations of what the gut microbiome actually is, but quickly move into why it matters in everyday life. We explore

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58:54

The Hidden Cost of ‘Normal’ Drinking After 40 with...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/12/03

“You know what you can get away with in your teens and 20s is a little different than your 30s and 40s. Your body is like a classic car now - you can't get away with not servicing it anymore.”This week on the Be Battle Ready Podcast, I’m joined by Clifford Stephan, the founder of Booze Vacation. Clifford’s work focuses on helping people take intentional breaks from alcohol in order to reboot their sleep, metabolic health, energy, cognitive function, and long term wellbeing. Far from preaching

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53:19

Broken Endurance: The Smartest Way to Run Faster for...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/11/26

In this episode, running coach Bobby McGee is back to help us understand the revolutionary concept of "broken endurance" - a strategic run-walk approach that challenges everything we think we know about endurance racing.As Bobby said "This is absolutely a performance tool, a performance approach. It is not a concession. You know, when people view it as a concession, then the whole mindset goes... You will perform better utilising this, not only as a training strategy, but very, very definitely for

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46:50

Episode 3: Should Athletes Fast? The Performance vs....

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/11/19

In the final episode of the fasting series, Simon and Dr. Jules Strauss tackle the complex question of whether endurance athletes should fast, and if so, how to do it safely without compromising training quality or health.Jules brings her expertise in sports nutrition to provide practical guidance on timing fasting protocols around training seasons, the difference between fasting for weight loss and fasted training for metabolic adaptation, and how to monitor whether a fasting approach is helping

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42:04

Episode 2: Types of Fasting Explained - What Works...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/11/12

In part two of the fasting series, Simon and Dr. Jules Strauss dive deep into the different types of fasting protocols available today. From time-restricted eating to extreme approaches with catchy names, they explore what the science actually supports versus what's simply clever marketing designed to sell products.Jules walks through the continuum of fasting approaches and importantly discusses who should avoid fasting altogether, drawing on her expertise in female-specific nutrition and eating

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41:02

Episode 1: Understanding Fasting and Nutrition - The...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/11/05

In this first episode of our three-part fasting series, Simon Ward welcomes Dr. Jules Strauss to explore the evolutionary science behind fasting and what actually happens in our bodies when we restrict food intake. While fasting has become a popular topic on social media, Jules brings her decade of research in exercise metabolism to separate the science from the hype.Together, they unpack how our hunter-gatherer ancestors evolved to handle periods without food, the hour-by-hour changes that occur

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39:17

Creatine, Brain Health, and Ageing Strong — with Dr...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/10/29

In this week’s BeBattleReady podcast, Simon Ward welcomes back Dr Tommy Wood to explore one of the most researched yet misunderstood supplements - creatine. While most athletes associate it with muscle strength, Tommy explains why its benefits go far beyond the gym, extending to brain health, cognitive function, and ageing well. Together, they unpack how creatine works, who should consider supplementing, the differences between athletic and cognitive benefits, and why it might be particularly

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65:33

The 70% Rule: Why Most 'Aging' Is Actually Reversible...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/10/22

The aging athlete's journey doesn't have to mean inevitable decline. In this reflective episode, Simon and Bethany Ward revisit September's most impactful conversations, distilling key lessons from their discussions with running coaches Bobby McGee and Matt Pendola, plus Lucy Hurn's inspiring Iron Man journey through menopause.From proprioception and fast-twitch muscle loss to hormonal chaos and identity questions, this episode tackles the real challenges facing athletes over 50 - and more

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63:49

Brain Health & Dementia Prevention with Dr. Tommy Wood

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/10/15

Your brain is your most valuable asset - yet most athletes spend more time maintaining their bikes than protecting their cognitive health. In this episode, Simon sits down with neuroscientist Dr. Tommy Wood to explore how endurance athletes can future-proof their brains and maintain sharp cognitive function well into their later years.Dr. Wood, who has also worked with professional athletes in multiple sports including several Olympians and world champions and is releasing his book "The Stimulated

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82:42

Strong Bones, Strong Future — How to Stay Unbreakable

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/10/08

Strong bones are the armour that carry us through life’s battles — whether it’s racing triathlon, carrying the shopping, or keeping up with grandchildren. Yet too many athletes only notice cracks in that armour when it fails. In this episode, Simon is joined by Dr Juliet McGrattan and Dr Catherine Jackson to explore what really keeps bones battle ready: the truth about calcium, vitamin D, hormones, strength training, and why endurance sport alone isn’t enough. Together, they unpack how both men and

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73:01

From Trauma to Triumph: Tom Page and Julia Saunders...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/10/01

In this episode of the Be Battle Ready podcast, Simon is joined by Tom Page and his partner Julia Saunders. Their story begins at Ironman Hamburg, where Tom’s race — and life — changed in an instant after a head-on collision with a motorbike on the closed course. While Tom was rushed to intensive care with serious injuries, Julia continued her first Ironman not knowing what had happened.Together they share how they navigated the trauma of that day, the long road of rehab and recovery, and how they

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62:21

Running Stronger After 50: The 4-Step Solution (Part...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/09/24

In this second part of my conversation with world-renowned running coach Bobby McGee and strength specialist Matt Pendola, we move beyond the challenges of ageing and dive straight into the solutions.If part one painted the picture of why running performance declines after 50, today is all about how to fight back. From mobility and stability foundations to strength, power, and “broken endurance” running, Bobby and Matt lay out practical strategies that any athlete can implement to keep running

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44:33

Running Performance After 50: Why It Declines More...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/09/17

In this eye-opening first part of a two-part series, host Simon Ward sits down with world-renowned running coach Bobby McGee and strength specialist Matt Pendola to tackle a frustrating reality many over-50 athletes face: while swimming and cycling performance may hold steady, running seems to decline more sharply with age.This isn't just anecdotal - it's a well-documented phenomenon that affects both male and female endurance athletes. The trio dive deep into the physiological, neurological, and

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84:05

Lucy Hurn: When Your Body Changes the Rules:...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/09/10

What happens when your body changes the rules halfway through your biggest athletic goal? Lucy Hurn found out when perimenopause hit during her 8-year quest to qualify for Kona.In this raw and practical episode, Lucy shares her journey from struggling with fatigue, irregular recovery, and changing physiology to finally earning her spot at the Ironman World Championships. This isn't just about getting faster — it's about adapting, listening to your body, and redefining what success looks like. Key

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36:22

Without a Goal on the Calendar, Do You Still Count as...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/09/03

Most of us define ourselves by the training plan, the race on the horizon, the number pinned to our chest. But what happens when that’s gone — through injury, retirement, or just life getting in the way? In this episode, Simon and Beth dig into the messy subject of identity in sport: Are you still an athlete without an event to aim for? Is identity shaped by how we see ourselves, or how others see us? Why it’s vital to build interests beyond swim, bike, run. Practical ways to navigate transitions

en

41:09

Battle Ready Fitness: Why You Don’t Need Endless...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/08/27

In this week’s episode, Simon and Beth broadcast from Istanbul, fresh from Simon’s attempt at the iconic Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim. Covering 6.5km from Asia to Europe, this unique race combines history, strategy, and a little bit of chaos. Beth puts Simon in the hot seat to find out what the experience was like, what really happened with the current, and how his Battle Ready approach allowed him to take it on without changing his regular training. They also look back at Simon’s recent 218km

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46:05

The Truth About Motivation: Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Drive

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/08/20

In this episode, Simon and Beth explore one of the most common (and misunderstood) challenges in long-term endurance training: motivation.Why do some people train consistently, even without a race on the calendar, while others need the pressure of an event to get out the door? Is one approach better than the other? And how does motivation evolve as we age? With Beth firmly on Team Extrinsic and Simon on Team Intrinsic, this episode dives into a light-hearted but deeply useful discussion around how

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52:58

5 Habits That Changed My Life (and Could Change Yours...

Simon Ward, Be Battle Ready - The podcast for... ·

2025/08/13

In this week’s High Performance Human podcast, I’m joined once again by my “exotic-accented” co-host Beth to share the five habits that have made the biggest difference to my health, performance, and longevity over the past decade. From recovering after a serious bike crash to fostering a very enthusiastic guide dog puppy, Simon and Beth dive into how small, consistent changes can have a huge long-term impact.You’ll hear: Why daily mobility work became non-negotiable after injury The link between

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195 results

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