The Sonya Looney Show

Kathryn Bertine is a retired professional female cyclist, an activist for equity in women's pro cycling, author, and documentary filmmaker.  You might have heard of the film,  Half the Road, which chronicles the inequality in women's cycling that also is a metaphor for life.  With Half the Road, Kathryn noticed that the women's road races were often shorter than the men’s events, prize money was pitifully lower, and in some cases, non-existent, the female pros had no base salary nor any sort of union to protect their best interests, and the governing body of the sport treated the female racers like second-class citizens. Kathryn couldn't help but wonder why this was so, and her voice as an activist got louder.  Things have improved since Half the Road came out in 2014, but we still have a long way to go. The powers that be continued to reject and shun her when her "why" got deafening loud, and she started asking big questions, but it didn't stop her from becoming a pro cycli

Robyn Conley downs, author and podcast host of The Feel Good Effect believes wellness needs to be simplified into small shifts to create big changes in your mindset, behaviors and decision making. The Feel Good Effect takes Robyn's big ideas and makes them easy to execute with simple shifts. Her website, Real Food Whole Life is home to all things health and wellness and Robyn uses simple, science-backed strategies to help people cut through life’s clutter to uncover small shifts that create huge change. She believes in finding more calm, ease and joy in your life right now; and lives by her motto, gentle is the new perfect. Holding a Master’s degree in education with an emphasis in behavior change, and 4 years of public policy & health change at the doctoral level, Robyn's work taps into cutting-edge science around psychology, neuroscience, mindfulness, and habits. Recently named one of the Most Influential Women in Wellness, she helps people cut through life’s clutter to uncover small shifts th

Nikki Brammeier is a cyclocross champion and had her first baby during lockdown in 2020.  Nikki has stood on many World Cup Cyclocross podiums (12 to be exact), has been British National Champion across multiple disciplines of cycling, and has had great success in road racing as well. She is also a cycling coach and founder of her company, Mudiita Coaching. "My aim is to inspire, coach, and mentor the next generation of cyclists using my past experience, creating happy, healthy bike riders" -Nikki Brammeier Topics Discussed in the Podcast  3 key elements to becoming a cyclocross champion (resilience, support, passion) how to avoid burnout as a cyclist Nikki Brammeier's decision to retire from cycling pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fluctuating hormones how Nikki handled training as a pregnant athlete post-partum healing, body image, and resilient parenting "I think that's one thing being an athlete teaches you is you learn to read your body quite well. Your mental well-being is impo

Molly Hurford is the co-host of The Consummate Athlete Podcast and her new book co-written with her husband: Becoming a Consummate Athlete.  Molly Hurford has built her career with several aims in mind: Write constantly, race often, travel frequently and live on her own terms, mostly outside.  Molly has been on this podcast a couple of times because she contributes so much to our community.  She’s also the author of multiple books on cycling and nutrition including a book about Saddle Sores that is popular. She also has a series called Shred Girls, a young adult fiction series focused on getting girls excited about bikes. Molly is also the author of the book How To Get Sponsored as well as her new course on ProKit. "A consummate athlete seeks health, community, and adventure through movement." - Molly Hurford and Peter Glassford In this episode, we do a deep dive into what it means to be a Consummate Athlete. Molly likes everything bike and everything trail running. Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

Confidence - it can be hard to boost your confidence when you feel like you are lacking it.  But research shows that increasing confidence is actually a trainable skill.  A lack of confidence can show up in many different forms; being worried about what other people will think of you, fear of rejection when putting yourself out there,  feeling like you don't have the skills, education, or training to for a task or role, or fear of it not going a certain way and what that could mean about you.  It's normal to experience all of these feelings, but part of mental toughness means you are able to recognize and allow them, investigate the what or the why, and then use mindfulness and some mental tools to overcome it. There are several elements of self-confidence and a potent one is self-acceptance   One of the biggest landmines with detracting from self-confidence is comparing yourself to others.  I've been there- I feel great about what I did... until I've seen what others have done.  The first

Pelvic health and training the pelvic floor for performance was something I thought only applied to pregnancy and post-partum women. So when I became pregnant, I went to see not one, but two pelvic floor physios to learn as much as I could about it.  During pregnancy, it mostly about education, but once I had my baby it was time to do the work.  I had some initial symptoms after having my baby- some that disappeared on their own and some that mandated professional help (that have since resolved).  The thing about pelvic health is that it isn't just for women and it isn't just for pregnancy.  If you're an athlete, you might be missing a key piece of making your body work for you. I learned that the pelvic floor isn't just the muscles in your pelvis. It's how your entire core works in synchronicity- your diaphragm and breathing coordination with your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles. In general, many athletes have tighter pelvic floor muscles.  I've always ha a tendency

Self-talk for performance is like the secret weapon you didn't know you had.  Your body only gets you so far, and a lot of the time it's your mind that gets you to the finish line. If you're challenging yourself, there's no doubt been moments of wanting to quit- or maybe you actually have quit a time or two.  Self-talk in sports is a common thread, but working on your self-talk for anything in your life is key to optimism, resilience, and even equanimity.  I like to say "the most powerful voice in the world is the one inside your own head, and it's the only voice that is with you your entire life." This podcast is a talk I gave for the TransRockies virtual training camp. It's also with great excitement I'm announcing that enrollments for my Moxy & Grit Mindset Academy are now open.  You can find it at moxyandgrit.com and also on my website: sonyalooney.com. Sign up!!   The course is all about training mental toughness and the skills you need to be your best o

Metabolic health might be something you've never considered.  Metabolic health is way more than just the number on the scale or your BMI.  It's considering things like having ideal levels of blood sugar, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, waist circumference and more without the use of medications. These factors directly relate to a person’s risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Your metabolic health also affects sleep, energy levels, recovery, appetite, and more. A study with 8,721 adults from UNC Chapel Hill noted that only 1 in 8 people, aka 12% of the population have optimal metabolic health.   I've mentioned how much I love InsideTracker on this podcast because you can order a very comprehensive blood test that teaches you about your metabolic health and so much more to optimize your health.  In today's podcast, I got to sit down with Stanford MD, Casey Means.  She is also the Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer of pioneering digital health startup Levels. Dr.

2020 was a crazy year for everyone.  2020 isn't only the year of COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, and the biggest voter turnout in the USA- it was the year I had my first child.  Even though this year had its challenges, there were a lot of positive things I pulled out of this year and having a baby really helped me along the way.  I hope you enjoy! --------------The Sonya Looney Show is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

What are the real exercise guidelines during pregnancy and post-partum exercise guidelines? How do you safely exercise through your pregnancy? With the varied advice from medical doctors and midwives, it's important to get up to speed with the current pregnancy exercise research.  Enter Catherine Cram, MS.  Catherine is an exercise physiologist and the owner of Comprehensive Fitness Consulting, a company that provides pre- and postnatal fitness certifications and information to hospitals, health and wellness organizations, and the military. Comprehensive Fitness Consulting offers the most current, evidence-based fitness information to pregnant and postpartum women and their healthcare providers. Catherine Cram is coauthor of Exercising Through Your Pregnancy with Dr. James Clapp.  She is the author of Fit Pregnancy for Dummies and a contributing author of Women’s Health Care in Physical Therapy: Principles and Practices for Rehabilitation Specialists. We talked about everything you want to know- how

Plant-based baking is on the rise and a fun fact you may not know- sourdough is actually plant-based!  It's also considered a fermented food. Enter today's guests- the owners of the first vegan bakery in the Sea to Sky Corridor in BC- Eds Bred. I'm always fascinated to learn about the different journeys people go on to work towards optimal health.  And I also love to hear what they do next. Once you start changing small daily actions, these new habits start to form a new identity and with that identity often comes a slight shift in purpose and what you believe you are capable of.  Today's guests are both intriguing and are passionate about sustainable business and plant-based baking.  Originally from the UK, Ed has been working in the restaurant business since the age of 13 and went to a culinary college to become a fine-dining chef.  Natasha is also from the UK and the two met in 2003 and soon after began traveling. After taking a snowboarding trip to Whistler, they both fell in love with

Dealing with Mom Guilt is real for many busy women.  This podcast is an audio re-creation of an article I wrote for Velonews via their Active Pass subscription service.  I got to interview some very successful cycling moms whom I admire like Rose Grant, Larissa Connors, Laura King, and Jennifer Smith.   Dealing with mom guilt and trying to balance cycling (or being an athlete), self-care, spending time with your baby, child, or children, working, and having relationships is hard.  Realizing that prioritizing self-care and happiness is the foundation of your pyramid and is what helps you show up as the best mom, human, partner, and employee.  Studies show that having an optimistic outlook on life increases both resilience and productivity. That said, I don't really believe in balance. I believe in intentional imbalance.  Balance doesn't exist but being intentional about how and where you focus your energy is useful and effective. Here's the audio of my article for Active Pass/Velonews.   Lis

Finding your strong isn't always easy, but if you're familiar with SWAP Coaches David and Megan Roche, you are probably familiar with their infectious optimism.  David and Megan are both coaches of their company, SWAP- Some Work, All Play that David founded in 2013.   The powerhouse couple coaches some of the top trail runners and obstacle course athletes in the world.  Their coaching speaks for itself with over 17 US National Championships won, athlete appearances on Team USA 14 Times, Spartan World Champions, and more.  "For us, it's all about finding your strong. We want athletes to really embrace the athletic strength-based nature of being an endurance athlete.  What that means in practice is that everyone's strong looks so different. So you can't go on looks, you can't even go necessarily on what you're seeing in the mirror because that is so distorted. And it's not analogous to anything with performance or growth or anything. What we really want is someone to

The ultimate resource for plant-based nutrition for children and teens is here! Brenda Davis is one of the top authorities and dietitians in plant-based nutrition.  She is the author of 11 books including the incredibly comprehensive book, Becoming Vegan and is the co-author of the new book, Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families along with Reshma Shah, MD.  Brenda is one of the world's leading plant-based dietitians and an expert in reducing the world's Type II Diabetes problems with Plant-Based Diets. She teaches lifestyle medicine courses all over the world, has been flown by the prince of Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia to consult on diet.  A highly sought after speaker for nutrition and medicine conferences, she has presented in 20+ countries on 5 continents. She has already been on the podcast twice which I'll link in the shownotes.  And now, her co-author Reshma Shah, MD joins us for today's episode. Reshma Shah, MD, MPH, is a board-certified pediatrician and

Hannah Grant has had a fascinating life.  From joining the navy in search of discipline to working at the #1 ranked restaurant in the world , and to being a professional chef for Tour de France Cycling teams and even the Dakar Rally- Hannah has some stories.  She also has an incredible reservoir for handling high-pressure environments and unshakeable self-belief.   While stirring a 200-gallon drum of goop in the middle of the Arctic Ocean while in the navy, she had an epiphany: I'm going to go to Chef School!  From serving big pots of goop to working in the #1 restaurant in the world was quite the shift.  And it doesn't stop there.  She's won a Daytime Emmy for her Amazon Prime series, Eat Race Win which is a documentary series about cooking for a professional team at the Tour De France... and her next endeavor? Partnering with Dr. Stacy Sims on a supplement for flights to help you stay hydrated and also supplements for sleep..I love Hannah because she is so real and so honest about her life an

This episode is about the tools to help you navigate uncertainty in your life, regardless of where you are on the political spectrum. These tools are helpful in any situation. 1. Control the controllables (and sometimes we think we are doing that by searching for even more information) 2. Self-care in the form of self-restoration 3. Mindfulness practice, sitting with discomfort 4. Looking for humanity 5. Practicing self-compassion--------------The Sonya Looney Show is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” James Clear is an expert in behavior change.  He is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, Atomic Habits, and it's sold more than 1 million copies!  I first discovered James Clear many years ago when he started publishing articles on in his website and sending out a fantastic newsletter than now has over 650,000 subscribers.  The way he describes things like goal-setting, how to be productive, and how to make habits that stick is easy to understand and put into action. Many people attribute failing to break bad habits or failure to stick to new habits with a lack of willpower.  They think the problem is them. But James says  James Clear says, “If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t w

Sometimes it's hard to say what you mean. Oren Jay Sofer says, "Communication is a learnable skill and it’s one of the most powerful levers for making change in your life and the world." Non-violent communication is about taking responsibility for what we are experiencing using empathy, deep listening, know how to make requests. Author and renowned meditation instructor Oren Jay Sofer regularly teaches a mindful approach to non-violent communication. spent two and a half years of living as an Anagarika (renunciate) at branch monasteries in the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest lineage. Today, his teaching combines classical Buddhist training with the accessible language of secular mindfulness.  Since the early 2000s, Oren has had a deep interest in the relationship between contemplative practice and communication. A graduate of the BayNVC North American Leadership Training, he has taught classes and workshops in Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC) nationally since 2006. His innovative ret

Hannah Ross has researched and documented the revolutionary potential of the bicycle. Her book, Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels is a chronicle about the history of the bike how over the last 130 years, it has helped women change history.  From the evolution of the design of bikes to the importance of the bicycle in the women’s suffragette movement, to even the Black Lives Matter movement, the bike has been a cornerstone throughout our history. We didn't have time to get into the history of women's racing, but that is a topic beautifully covered in Hannah's book. Per Amazon: Revolutions also celebrates women setting records and demanding equality in competitive cycling, as well as cyclists in countries including Afghanistan, India, and Saudi Arabia who are inspiring women to take up space on the road, trails, and elsewhere. If you like bikes and you love history, this fascinating episode will give you some great nuggets to think about and so much more. "Their lives (w

Once per month, I'm checking in with you to talk about my journey as a new athlete mom. I'll talk about time management, how getting back to and maintaining a training schedule is going post-partum, the mental and emotional pieces too.  I'll tell you what it's really like and hopefully give you some nuggets you can apply to your own lives as well. This podcast is supported by Wahoo Fitness who has been a great partner during my journey as a pregnant athlete and new mom! My husband, Matt Ewonus has joined me on many of these Athlete Motherhood series because parenthood is really what it's about! In this episode, we talked about breastfeeding and the caloric need for athletes (super important!), mental toughness, how confidence relates to fitness, habits and how goals help us create meaning from daily actions, how Matt avoids hitting snooze, and growth comes from struggle.   "The whole concept of growth and progression and growth mindset for me came through cycling and endurance tr