Chasing Discomfort: Recent Episodes
Jay Smith
In a world of too much comfort and... laziness... We are swimming up stream to tackle the norm and Chase Discomfort. From Training, Nutrition, Mental & Physical Health & Mindset based conversations with inspiring coaches, professionals and athletes. It's more prudent than ever to start Chasing Discomfort. What are you doing today to Chase Discomfort...?
In August 2013, ex pro rugby player, David "Jacko" Jackson, suffered a brain injury during training which resulted in a seizure on the field and small bleed on the brain, which ultimately lead to his retirement from the sport. During his recovery Jacko discovered through the process of re-training and learning how to restore healthy breathing patterns, he fell in love with running again. Jacko is now a master Oxygen Advantage coach & mentor, from the acclaimed book Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown. Jacko, also a Strength & Conditioning coach, found the connection between nasal breathing and running helped him re-connect with himself. In September 2022, Jacko completed a 3 day ultra marathon event, Ring of Fire, running a total of 135 miles around of Anglesey, North Wales. Between Breaths is the documentary that captured the Ring of Fire event and will be out in January 2023.
Below is the link to the free breathing course discussed in the episode and link to Jacko's Instagram.
FREE course - https://www.probreathwork.com/course/foundations-of-breathing
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jacko.david.jackson/
Until next time... Keep Chasing
This episode with sit down with Jay Bright owner of the fitness performance brand Wodable. Jay tells how he turned his sign business into one of the leading UK Crossfit/Functional Fitness brands. Giving us his thoughts and insights behind the scenes on what it takes to run a successful brand.
See more for Wodable at:
https://wodable.com/
https://www.instagram.com/wodableuk/?hl=en
See more from your host:
https://www.instagram.com/iamchasingdiscomfort/?hl=en
The Carnivore diet is the most optimal diet for us, the human being. In a world of fast food, processed junk and major corporations trying to get your profit it can be easily forgotten on what we have evolved to eat. In this episode we talk all things Carnivore/Animal Based diet and go through all the typical FAQ with @TheCarnivoreUk aka Padraic Flynn.
James Pieratt is an ultra marathon runner, practices the martial art of Ju Jitsu, he deadlifted 520lbs (236kg) and run 50 miles in the same day... Oh yeah and he bow hunts bears, in the wild unforgiving terrain of North America.
James is no stranger to discomfort, his time addicted to drugs and as a prison inmate is a true testament to how this man has turned his life around.
James now serves his athletes as the owner of wild hunt conditioning which centres on "Building a system for the fighting man".
James is an inspiring individual and I loved this conversation, I HOPE YOU DO TO.
Until next time... Keep Chasing
James Pieratt Wild Hunt Conditioning Links below:
https://www.instagram.com/wildhuntconditioning/?hl=en
Documentary on 520lb deadlift and 50 mile ultra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biGuSZcV_Wg
Your Host https://www.instagram.com/iamchasingdiscomfort/?hl=en
Calmness is a super power. Can you imagine remaining super clam in real high pressure life or death moments. Former UK special forces, SBS soldier Simon Jeffries talks to us about how mindset is a skill and what you can do to be performing at your best day in day out. Simon is now the co-owner of The Natural Edge and mindset and performance coach who works with people that have lost their mojo, lost confidence, missing purpose and have unfulfilled purpose. After 8 years and 3 tours with the UK Military, Royal Marines & UK SF SBS, and now working with over 24k people Simon drops some golden nuggets on how you can forge true confidence and live with true purpose and perform like an elite level tier 1 operator.
Check out The Natural Edge on the below: https://thenaturaledge.com/
https://www.instagram.com/the.natural.edge/?hl=en
More from your host: https://www.instagram.com/iamchasingdiscomfort/?hl=en
Riley Wilson from his amateur boxing days to now as a Pro Boxing coach is used to taking blows. However in March this year he was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 30. Riley explains how is life was turned upside down and why he would not change it.
Have you ever found your self effortless flowing through a workout, run or work project? If that's a yes you've probably already experienced being in flow state or what other people refer to as being in the zone. If that's a no, then jump on in.
In this episode we sit down with Wilson Meloncelli, an expert in Flow State who explains the hows and whys of Flow State and what you can do to "tune your instrument" to be the most productive & efficient version of you.
Check out our guest @cwilsonmeloncelli on Instagram or visit wilsonmeloncelli.com
Check out your host @IamChasingDiscomfort on Instagram
The Training Design is a brand new functional fitness gym in Chelmsford, Essex, UK. We sit down with the founder and co-owner Rich Marchant and talk how his 12 year dream is now a reality of owning and running his own gym. Rich is a great coach with a skill for programming for elite athletes to your everyday gym warrior to now opening the doors of an EPIC gym. Listen to his journey how he started and how its going.
Check out your host @IamChasingDiscomfort on Instagram
Check out our guest @TheTrainingDesign on Instagram
With over 50 international and domestic ABA boxing bouts & more recently one of Europes top tier competitive CrossFit athletes, Chris Reddan is no stranger to chasing discomfort. In this episode we dive into Chris's athletic journey and the harsh lessons he learnt inside the Boxing ring and how he used his fitness to become one of the top UK & European CrossFit athletes.
Enjoy, until next time... Keep Chasing
Check out your host @IamChasingDiscomfort on Instagram
& our guest @Reddan1 on Instagram
In this episode we sit down with Mark Lewington and chew the fitness fat to help you train into your 50's and beyond. Mark played football for many years before finding CrossFit when he was 44. He has now built him self an epic home gym nicknamed The Lone Wolf training facility and he shares his secrets that has him in great shape at 51 years young. Until next time... Keep Chasing
Abbi Lucia - My Truth As A Competitive Bodybuilder
Hard Work, dedication and discipline are words that spring mind when you see a competition ready bodybuilder. However, the road to the stage comes with a whole load of other often unspoken obstacles.
Eating disorders, body dysmorphia, steroid use, 6 month preps, 9 months without a period... These are some of the home truths laid bare about the competitive bodybuilding world.
In the amazingly open conversation, Abbi Lucia talks about the trial and tribulations that goes on behind the scenes as a fitness model. Abbi competed for 3 years on the big stage and reveals all that goes into just minutes of posing on stage. This is a must listen episode, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Until next time, keep Chasing Discomfort.
You've heard of cocaine, you might have seen some, you may have even tried it and you've probably seen the Netflix series Narcos about Colombia's most notorious drug trafficker, Pablo Escobar, now you can listen to what it was really like fighting the war on the Colombian Cocaine Cartels.
In this episode we sit down with Martin Young, former international security liaison officer of the UK's NCA (National Crime Agency), who spent 4.5 years in Colombia advising Military and Police on tactics and covert operations on the war against the drug trade that has caused havoc over many years in Colombia.
Find out how a young lad from a council estate in Sunderland ended up in being in Bogota, Colombia involved in the largest drug haul in a single Police operation, 13.4 tonnes of cocaine.
Head over to our Instagram page to see photos of Martin's time in Colombia, link below:
Coach and owner of The Fit Pit in Troon, Scotland, Brian Milligan is helping busy men become: Leaner, Fitter, Stronger, Healthier, Happier and Harder To Kill.
No nonsense, honest, fitness advice and experience with Coach Milligan. If none of the above appeals to you... You've found the wrong podcast.
Enjoy... And Keep Chasing Discomfort.
Have you ever asked your self or someone else what supplements should I take?
Meet Fab aka Dr Fab aka Uncle Fab aka The Neighbourhood Protein Dealer. Fab regular turns customers away from his shop and instructs them to get their training and diet right before taking supplements. These same customers return and become regulars. It's no surprise that his non negotiable rules for life are loyalty and honesty.
Honesty is definitely what you get with Fab, who gives us his no holds barred take on supplements, steroids, bodybuilding and life in this punchy episode. And in typical Fab style this episode was recorded while he was in a jacuzzi! A larger than life character, enjoy.
19 years as a Royal Marines Commando, Trevor Terrell aka TT knows a thing or 2 about Chasing Discomfort. From the selection process to training in -40 in Norway to touring Iraq, Afghanistan, we catch up with TT to talk about his army days and now Chasing his goal in becoming an RX CrossFit Athlete at 54 years young.
Extreme adventurer Johnny Ward has been a busy boy! 1st Irishman to visit every country in the world, ran a marathon at the North pole in -40c, summited 4 out of 7 summits SO FAR, Everest booked for 2023 and a trip planned to the South Pole incoming. If that wasn't enough... Johnny made a million $ from his blog, started a travel company and helps run a non profit charity that builds playgrounds, sports areas and classrooms. Oh yeah and he just got back from rowing the Atlantic Ocean! Found out why it was the easiest physical endeavour he has ever done but the hardest mental challenge. Blog: onestep4ward.com Travel Company: muditaadventures.com
This week we sit down with DJ O'Neil, former Basketball player and more recently recruit 9 from season 6 of the Channel 4 TV series SAS Who Dares Wins. The TV show is a condensed version of the SAS selection process and the recruits have to perform so serious tests of character and try to stop the DS from breaking them down mentally & physically.
From playing Basketball in New York to being beasted in Scotland by 5 ex UK Special Forces soldiers. Find out why DJ embarked on the toughest of tough TV shows and what went on behind the scenes during filming.
I loved the honesty from DJ in this episode. Enjoy!
Born and raised in Norfolk, in the English countryside, Tim then found him self as an 18 year old Metropolitan Police Officer being on 1st response calls to London gang crime. In this very frank and honest interview Tim talks about how he had to deal with life threatening situations and why he changed his profession to the fitness industry. Tim, a very capable and competitive athlete trains with intent bringing pure savagery and focus to his workouts.
Enjoy...
Karl Steadman is no stranger to Chasing Discomfort. Karl lives in rural Scotland making everyday life tough, an environment that he thrives in. From completing a 50km Ultra Marathon around Loch Ness to throwing down an intense CrossFit workout. Karl is one of the original UK CrossFit OG's and an all round legend. Karl helped carve the UK & European scene as part of the CrossFit seminar staff that deliver and train the CrossFit methodologies to coaches, box owners and athletes alike.
In this superb interview Karl drop his notorious humour bombs, his fitness journey and why he likes a drop of single malt.
Ex Professional footballer, Ross Wareham turned International House DJ Rossko aka Man Like Rossko. This man has been on a JOURNEY! From aspiring to playing football at the highest level to travelling the world playing in some of the most prestigious clubs from Ibiza to South America Rossko was living the dream. While living in Berlin in March 2020 his world got turned up side down, he lost his younger brother Sam to suicide and then he lost his work on the DJ scene as the world went into the COVID-19 lockdown. Ross opens up on his trials and tribulations and how he reignited the fitness bug inside him to help his mental health and we delve into his rebranding of his music style and what the next chapter looks like moving forward. Ross will be working with the charity Mind in helping promote dealing with mental health issues and suicide awareness. Ross is coming back to the UK for a 3 month music tour and running Tough Mudder on 28th August in memory of his bro.
Strap your self in, this is a lively conversation.
Simone Douglas is a fitness and lifestyle coach and has had one hell of a journey. From a size 26 to 6, we dive into her journey and talk everything from addiction, eating disorders, anxiety, hormone health, PCOS, prepping for photo shoots, social media and what health means to her now.
This conversation was so inspiring for me and Simone's honesty was beautifully brilliant. What a woman, Simone is now shinning the light on the subjects we should all be talking about. Take a bow Simone Wow! What an episode, this was sooooooooo good.
Welcome the carer of carers, Nicole Crouch.
Professionally Nicole is a wellness expert looking after the guys on the front line within the UK NHS (National Health Service).
And by night Crouchy turns into a CrossFit athlete and Chases down some serious Discomfort.
Nicole has a great perspective and outlook on her life and training influenced by her wellness background, a really insightful and enjoyable conversation.
All Things Are Possible with HeartxHustle... This week we sit down with Phillip Stucki who is the founder of Proving Grounds Training Programme, Phil and the team at PG have been the creators of some serious Chasing Discomfort workouts and know a thing or two about planning pain! Check out their Instagram page @provinggrounds for daily free workouts and details of their full training programmes.
"The harder it gets, the harder I work" is Jamie Storry's tag line. Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at the age of 2 and told that he would not make it past his 10th Birthday... In 2014 Jay was in hospital for 3 weeks with 30% lung capacity, now in 2021 after being on the "game changing" drug Kaftrio, lung capacity peaked at 90% and he is a new man. Anyone can take inspiration from Jay's mindset, attitude and his never giving up ethos.
Introducing Ben Hampson GB Powerlifter, this man can lift! Competing in the 59kg class Ben is the current Common wealth champion, former British Champion in 2017 & 18. Ben is also the currently holds the British bench press record.
Wow! This lady loves a challenge... Rowing 3,800 miles across the Atlantic from Spain to the Caribbean in 43 days, Rowing 1,800 around Great Britain in 56 days, 24 hour indoor rowing challenge, marathon across The Great Wall of China, 100km indoor world record holder, 7 day fast, the list is endless. What a fascinating lady and what a great episode, very insightful conversation with this highly inspirational and grounded woman. Enjoy.
We are joined by Chris Rigby AKA The Rig, former Football player, ex Policeman, turned fitness entrepreneur. Chris works for Eleiko UK, the world famous Swedish fitness brand, and is building his very own fitness brand. This is a fascinating conversation with a very driven individual, Chris clearly has confidence in his own ability however refuses to call him self an athlete. Why? Dive in now to find out why...
In this episode we sit down with Josh Chambers and discuss how he went from Rugby to Function Fitness Athlete, he explains what Shark Mondays are, being Dad Bod Fit and we delve into his recovery methods, mindset and training philosophy. Enjoy
Remly Jones is the owner of Cloud 10, a float tank therapy centre. We talk all things float tanks, from the benefits for body and mind and discuss what you can expect to happen when you float. We also dive into his fitness journey, daily routine and practices, and not forgetting his crazy book reading skills, 50 books per month!
Elite Mens Masters CrossFit Athlete Scott Jenkins knows what it takes to win. Fiercely competitive and a highly driven individual who is among the most elite athletes in the world. We catch up with Scott to talk all things about his fitness journey, CrossFit Games experiences, training, mindset, and he's very unique take on nutrition! Enjoy.
Owner and Head Coach at Training Space Ltd, Danny Hammond has built a thriving community of functional fitness athletes. From his love of music and fitness, the two have combined and taken him on his own fitness journey. From representing GB in Ice Hockey to becoming a PT, to now running his own gym and also organising the functional fitness event, Above 100, Danny is key player in the UK functional fitness scene and this was a cracking conversation. Enjoy...
Nutrition can be such a dogma these days, eat this, don't eat that, track your marco's, eat intuitively, weigh your food, take this supplement, eat meat don't eat meat! We get it and fortunately for me I come across the Vertical diet (which is more a lifestyle than a diet) around 2016 and it blew me away the level of detail that had gone into making sure you are feeding your body all of its micronutrient requirement, as well as hitting the most bioavailable and more importantly least harmful macronutrients for your body to absorb and digest. Backed by numerous credible studies, the diet was founded by Stan Efferding, the Worlds Strongest IFBB Pro and coach to some of the worlds top athletes. We take a dive into all the great things The Vertical Diet has to offer with Matt MacDonald official certified Vertical Diet & Nutrition coach.
17 hours and 53 minutes of swimming is a phenomenal task, doing that while crossing the English Channel described as "The Everest of Swims" for its currents, rip tides, chuck in getting stung by a jelly fish in the first hour, being scrapped by 200 meters worth of kelp, dodging oil tankers and an encounter with a man sized seal, swimmer of the English Channel Mr Hugh Bennett describes his adventure, training and life up and till that point. It would be fair to say Hugh has had some life experiences, 3 tours in Iraq & Afghanistan, security work during the political uprising of Egypt & Libya, life changing surgery, and one mammoth task of swimming from England to France.
MMA, mixed martial artists, are probably the closest sportsmen to the modern day Gladiators. Combined fighting by standing (boxing, kick boxing, karate etc) and on the floor (wrestling, jujitsu etc), two fighters pit themselves against one another locked in a cage and fight it out until one remains victorious. A brutal sport combined with mastering many different disciplines, we speak to Lee Wieczorek, former UWC lightweight champion, about the road to becoming a MMA fighter & being a champion. Very insightful conversation into his journey preparing for fight night, making weight, training, sparring, nutrition & mindset. Now retired, Lee is now one of the Worlds & UK top CrossFit Masters Athletes, this guy is driven and a little bit competitive!
Stress, stress, stress is everywhere in 2021 and if you let it, it can overwhelm you and break you down, leaving you burnt out and in bad place. If you're caught up in the rat race in a constant state of GO,GO,GO (fight or flight) mode, at some point it will all come crashing down. Your body did not evolve to live in a revolving heightened, stressful state. In this episode we chat to William Frost who is a remarkable human being with a great perspective and view on life. A stress management coach who is an official certified coach of the Wim Hof Method, Will takes people beyond there limits with cold exposure and opens their pathway to controlling their immune and nervous systems as well as gaining the ultimate relaxed/meditative state with the breathing technique. Dive into this podcast with an open mind, you never know, it could be life changing. Enjoy!
What does it take to be a professional bare knuckle boxer? Arguably the most brutal sport going. We talk about the mindset Paul takes into the ring and life and discuss his training, nutrition, fasting, recovery and how he juggles life as a partner, father, coach and pro fighter. Enjoy!
David Harmer has been to the Olympics, Rio 2016, World Championships, Commonwealth games, The London Anniversary Games and The Pan American games, to name a few, with his athletes. David is an elite endurance running coach within the GB coaching team. David thinks beyond the old school approach of just clocking up countless miles. David's forward thinking has now brought him to working with the worlds most elite runners in camps around the world. David talks us through his role, experiences, expectations and challenges faced within his role and working with some of the worlds best athletes.
Ex Royal Marines Commando turned professional Mindset coach, Tom Foxley works with athletes to help them unleash their potential. We deep dive with Tom into the world of mindset and mental behaviours, mental health and discuss the limitations that we can impose on our selves with negative self talk and ego chitter chatter. Mindset Rx'd provides world-class mindset coaching to the functional fitness community. They can help you find your peak mental performance in training and competition then carry that over to the rest of your life too. Tom & his team help athletes remove mindset limitations and help you become the best version of you.
We go deep into the world of Sports Nutrition with author and Master of Science of Sports Nutrition Jack Braniff.
Enjoy!