The Extramilest Podcast

Get 10% off your Cooling Sleep System with code FLO at https://somnuslab.com Can better sleep make you a faster runner? Chu Zhu is a sleep expert who's worked with Tour de France winners, Olympic athletes, and elite endurance performers. He's also a runner, swimmer, mountaineer, and founder of Somnus Lab. We dive into one of the most overlooked aspects of performance: sleep, one of the key areas I've been focusing to optimize my health. You'll get a lot out of this one. We're running "Back to Basics 30" right now in the Personal Best Program, a 30-day challenge helping runners build consistent habits around sleep, daily movement, nutrition, and strength. The progress people are seeing has been real. Join here: https://www.skool.com/personalbest Watch the full video on YouTube Topics covered: ​0:00​ — Can better sleep help you run faster? 2:00 — Heavenly Heat Saunas sponsorship ​3:11​ — Why sleep is an underrated performance tool ​5:53​ — Seeing sleep and recovery as training ​6:39​ — What happens when athletes don't sleep enough ​9:46​ — Why sleep is a 24-hour process ​13:39​ — The biggest levers for improving sleep quality ​17:27​ — What an ideal sleep week looks like ​19:34​ — How late-night training affects sleep ​22:28​ — How better sleep can improve running performance ​24:57​ — Floris' first marathon on very little sleep ​25:50​ — Chu's personal shift in how he views recovery ​27:50​ — Why temperature is such a powerful sleep lever ​30:43​ — How body temperature changes through the night ​32:24​ — Building Somnus Lab and developing sleep cooling mats ​35:24​ — Testing cooling mattresses with athletes and users ​38:18​ — The future vision for Somnus Lab ​40:49​ — Chu's real-life sleep routine ​45:58​ — Naps and sleep cycles strategy ​52:04​ — Food timing and its impact on sleep ​53:25​ — The one sleep habit every runner should improve ​55:46​ — How chronotypes change 57:14 — Where to find Chu and Somnus Lab ​57:54​ — How to become a stronger, healthier, happier athlete ​1:00:10​ — Chu's future adventure goals 1:01:52 — Closing thoughts Affiliate Disclosure: I may earn commissions if you purchase items via my affiliate links. "As an affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases." Affiliate links do not increase cost to you. Also, you do not need to use these links. You can also search for these same items and buy/research them that way. FIND CHU: ► Substack: https://zhuchu.substack.com/ LINKS & TOOLS MENTIONED ► Somnus Lab (get 10% off): https://somnuslab.com ► Somnus Lab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somnuslab/ YOU CAN FIND ME, FLORIS GIERMAN HERE: ► Join my Personal Best Running Coaching Program: https://www.skool.com/personalbest ► Buy my new book Running Breakthroughs: https://geni.us/running-breakthroughs ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florisgierman ► Podcast: https://extramilest.com/podcast ► Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1329785 ABOUT THE EXTRAMILEST SHOW: A podcast and YouTube channel where host Floris Gierman interviews world class athletes, coaches and health experts on the topic of how to become a stronger, healthier and happier athlete. Get 10% off your Cooling Sleep System with code FLO at https://somnuslab.com We're running Back to Basics 30 right now in the Personal Best Program, a 30-day challenge helping runners build consistent habits around sleep, daily movement, nutrition, and strength. The progress people are seeing has been real. Join here: https://www.skool.com/personalbest

Thanks to Bear Mattress for sponsoring this video. Visit https://www.bearmattress.com/floris and use code FLORIS to get 40% off your Bear mattress. Charlie Rocket went from barely being able to run for two minutes and weighing 300 pounds with a brain tumor, to completing five marathons, an Ironman, biking across America, and becoming a Nike athlete. Charlie transformed his life through running, optimism, and what he calls a "Winning Streak" mindset. Learn how to turn setbacks into momentum, reinvent yourself, find joy in training, and believe in possibilities that seem impossible. Watch the full video on YouTube Topics covered: ​00:00​ — Charlie Rocket's incredible transformation story ​02:01​ — The Delusional Optimist ​07:40​ — From 300 pounds to the cover of Runner's World ​12:20​ — How a brain tumor changed his life ​14:25​ — Becoming a Nike athlete against all odds ​17:01​ — Advice for anyone starting from rock bottom ​21:50​ — How to manifest the person you want to become ​26:17​ — How to regain control when life goes wrong ​33:28​ — Surrounding yourself with the right people 37:15 — Bear Mattress sponsorship 38:29 — Success stories from my PB running coaching program ​39:02​ — Charlie's unconventional Ironman training ​43:33​ — Finding a training style that works for you ​48:43​ — Why endurance sports are about memories ​53:15​ — Charlie Rocket's book, Winning Streak 58:10 — How Charlie became @Charlie ​1:00:02​ — The 10-minute Winning Streak Walk ​1:03:58​ — What advice Charlie would give his younger self ​1:05:53​ — Strategies to kickstart momentum ​1:07:07​ — Why you should tell people your biggest dreams ​1:13:10​ — How to become a stronger, healthier & happier runner 1:16:30 — Where to find Charlie ​1:16:55​ — Charlie's final thoughts and next chapter Affiliate Disclosure: I may earn commissions if you purchase items via my affiliate links. "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." Affiliate links do not increase cost to you. Also, you do not need to use these links. You can also search for these same items in Amazon or on any search engine/shopping site of your choice and buy/research them that way. FIND CHARLIE HERE: ► INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/charlie/ LINKS & TOOLS MENTIONED ► Join my Personal Best Running Coaching Program: https://www.skool.com/personalbest ► Buy my new book Running Breakthroughs: https://geni.us/running-breakthroughs ► Bear Mattress (40% off) with code FLORIS: https://www.bearmattress.com/floris YOU CAN FIND ME, FLORIS GIERMAN HERE: ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florisgierman ► Podcast: https://extramilest.com/podcast ► Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1329785 ► Extramilest Website: https://extramilest.com ► Path Projects Website: https://pathprojects.com ABOUT THE EXTRAMILEST SHOW: A podcast and YouTube channel where host Floris Gierman interviews world class athletes, coaches and health experts on the topic of how to become a stronger, healthier and happier athlete. Join my running coaching program and transform your running and health in 60 days: https://www.skool.com/personalbest.

Round 1 with movement specialist Lawrence van Lingen changed thousands of runners' lives. In this new conversation, we explore how runners get unstuck, how breath creates instant change, and how elite performers use awareness and play to find breakthroughs. Lawrence wrote an incredible foreword for my new book Running Breakthroughs that just launched. It's available as audiobook, hardcover, paperback and ebook on my site https://florisgierman.com (with bonuses and bundles) and Amazon worldwide (https://geni.us/running-breakthroughs) Watch this full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QSv1bEWjepE CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Unstuck your running 2:53 - From performance to presence: finding flow 4:23 - Running Breakthroughs update 6:05 - How Lawrence's approach has changed over time 11:00 - How personal experiences shape growth and perspective 13:50 - Why different tools work for different people 15:33 - Letting go of performance pressure 20:50 - Staying present and enjoying the journey 23:34 - Practical breathwork for runners 29:54 - Breath holds and safety awareness 40:48 - Stress, recovery, and nervous system balance 47:29 - Visualization and building belief 50:34 - Intuition and trusting decisions 56:44 - Adapting to change and modern life 59:07 - What the Flow Rope is and why it matters 1:03:14 - Strengthening the feet and movement mechanics 1:11:53 - Rediscovering flow and vulnerability 1:16:06 - Happy hip hack 1:18:10 - Where to find Lawrence 1:19:21 - Closing Thoughts LINKS & TOOLS MENTIONED ► Buy my book Running Breakthroughs and get amazing book bonuses: https://florisgierman.com ► Buy my book on Amazon Worldwide - https://geni.us/running-breakthroughs ► Path Projects: https://pathprojects.com/ ► My First Episode with Lawrence: https://youtu.be/zDJrNa-tO8c ► Buy a Flow Rope - https://innerunnerstore.myshopify.com/ ► Lawrence Community Membership: https://www.lawrencevanlingen.com/store ► Video Transform Your Feet with These Rehab Exercises, The Beginning: https://youtu.be/B7aUinIxeF0 ► Video The Happy Hip Hack for Better Running & Balanced Movement: https://youtu.be/vOdqpJjDH_A ► Video Basic Crawling Patters: https://youtu.be/rz-wjcjYUOI FIND LAWRENCE VAN LINGEN ► Website: https://www.lawrencevanlingen.com/ ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawrencevanlingen/ ► Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LawrencevanLingen YOU CAN FIND ME, COACH FLORIS GIERMAN HERE: ► My Personal Best Running Coaching Program: https://www.pbprogram.com/ ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/florisgierman ► Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1329785 ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florisgierman ► Extramilest: https://extramilest.com/ ► Path Projects: https://pathprojects.com/flo ► Podcast: https://extramilest.com/podcast/ Affiliate Disclosure: I may earn commissions if you purchase items via my affiliate links. "As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases." Affiliate links do not increase cost to you. Also, you do not need to use these links. You can also search for these same items in Amazon or on any search engine/shopping site of your choice and buy/research them that way. ABOUT THE EXTRAMILEST SHOW: A podcast and YouTube channel where host Floris Gierman interviews world class athletes, coaches and health experts on the topic of how to become a stronger, healthier and happier athlete. More info about our Personal Best Running Coaching Program can be found at https://www.pbprogram.com. SUBSCRIBE and hit the bell to see new videos: https://bit.ly/Flo-YT

Very excited to announce that my new book Running Breakthroughs is available now as audiobook, hardcover, paperback and ebook. Get incredible Book Launch Bonuses when you order now at https://florisgierman.com ! Getting your heart rate zones wrong can stall progress or worse, lead to burnout and injury. In this video, I walk you step-by-step through 6 ways to set your HR zones correctly, who it's for, pros and cons and troubleshooting tips. We compare each calculation from MAF Method, Zone 2, Karvonen and more. This is a deep dive that hopefully answers many questions about how to find your ideal training zone on the day to day basis. Watch this full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1AxKtpNXl8E CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Get Your Heart-Rate Zones Right: Methods That Actually Work 0:27 – I wrote a book, it's available now! 1:41 – Method 1: The Talk Test 3:26 – Talk Test: Troubleshooting 4:11 – Talk test: Advantages and limitations 4:56 – Method 2: Nasal Breathing 5:29 – Andrew Huberman on Nasal Breathing 7:36 – Nasal Breathing: Advantages and Limitations 8:11 – Method 3: The MAF Method (180 Formula) 11:00 – MAF Method: Troubleshooting 11:48 – MAF Method: Advantages and limitations 12:40 – Method 4: Zone Training by % of Max HR 14:45 – % Max HR method: who this method works best for 15:41 – % Max HR method: Advantages and limitations 16:16 – Method 5: Karvonen Formula (Heart Rate Reserve Method) 17:04 – HR calculator on extramilest.com 20:04 – Method 6: Laboratory Testing 22:17 – Lab Testing: Advantages and limitations 24:08 – Lab Testing: James' ultra training 25:58 – About my new book Running Breakthroughs 27:16 – Closing thoughts LINKS & TOOLS MENTIONED ► Buy Running Breakthroughs Book and get amazing Book Launch bonuses: https://florisgierman.com ► Buy my book on Amazon - https://geni.us/running-breakthroughs ► Buy my book Barnes and Nobles - https://geni.us/runningbreakthroughs ► Heart Rate Calculator: https://extramilest.com/hr-calculator ► PB Program: https://pbprogram.com YOU CAN FIND ME, COACH FLORIS GIERMAN HERE: ► Our Personal Best Coaching Program: https://www.pbprogram.com/ ► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/florisgierman ► Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1329785 ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florisgierman ► Extramilest: https://extramilest.com/ ► Path Projects: https://pathprojects.com/flo ► Podcast: https://extramilest.com/podcast/ Affiliate Disclosure: I may earn commissions if you purchase items via my affiliate links. "As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases." Affiliate links do not increase cost to you. Also, you do not need to use these links. You can also search for these same items in Amazon or on any search engine/shopping site of your choice and buy/research them that way. ABOUT THE EXTRAMILEST SHOW: A podcast and YouTube channel where host Floris Gierman interviews world class athletes, coaches and health experts on the topic of how to become a stronger, healthier and happier athlete. More info about our Personal Best Running Coaching Program can be found at https://www.pbprogram.com. SUBSCRIBE and hit the bell to see new videos: https://bit.ly/Flo-YT