TRIBEathlon Podcast

Episode 32: After earning short-course kudos as a 3x Olympian, 4x ITU World Champion and countless ITU World Cup victories, Tim Don turned his attention to the half Ironman distance where he picked up a collection of titles, as well as setting the current Ironman World Record of 7:40:23 in Brazil.

Two days before the 2017 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Tim Don was hit by a car whilst riding along the Queen K Highway and suffered a hangman's fracture to his neck. He spent 3 months recovering in a Halo Brace, which was documented brilliantly in 'The Man with the Halo'.

So, as one of Britain's most successful triathletes, and someone that has played a huge part of the sports rise to popularity, I wanted to learn more about his recovery from injury, his approach to goal setting and what's next for The Don!

TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting

Getting creative is such a great way to offset the lockdown boredom, to feel better about yourself and to create more diversity in your life and the life of others. As you’ll have seen from my previous Friday Footnotes, I’ve been embracing this lately in a number of ways, and I’d encourage you to do the same.

How to build you creative confidence is a brilliant TED talk that talks about whether your school or workplace is divided between the "creatives" versus the practical people? David Kelley suggests that, creativity is not the domain of only a chosen few. Telling stories from his legendary design career and his own life, he offers ways to build the confidence to create.

What I’ve Been Reading

Michael Singer is a spiritual teacher and author of two New York Times bestsellers: ‘The Untethered Soul’ and ‘The Surrender Experiment’; I’ve been hearing these repeatedly recommended lately, from fellow entrepreneurs to Tony Robbins in this interview, so I decided to read the former.

What I love most about this book is that the author really does take you on a journey of discovery, being the interpreter and guide; you don't need to already be aware of spiritual concepts to read it. He starts by making us aware that the only thing 'we' are is the witness to whatever is going on in our minds, emotions, dramas, etc. We can notice and simply detach. It you want to consider your thinking, I’d definitely suggest you take a look at this.

What I’ve Been Watching

With the weather so bad for training lately, I’ve taken to catching up on some films that I absolutely loved but have never revisited. One of my absolute favourites has been ‘The Green Mile’. Featuring Tom Hanks and based on a Stephen King book, it is laced with so much emotion and meaning that you can’t help but think deeply about the underlying message. Even the main character, John Coffey, shares his initials with Jesus Christ. Once you’ve watched it, you can read more into its biblical symbolism here. One of my all-time favourite films, and well worth a watch or a re-watch if you’ve exhausted your watchlist!

Quote of the Week

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”

• Abraham Maslow

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

Twice this week alone I have heard people comment about the lack of ongoing service they see from other firms in our industry. We speak to a lot of accountants and solicitors, as well as new clients that have experience of life as a client elsewhere, and time and again I am reminded that the norm for our sector is a very passive approach, with companies really only getting in contact when they think they can sell something.

The importance of ongoing service was easily demonstrated this week; we held a virtual Client Review Workshop to help people ensure that their planning and financial knowledge evolves with them, we spoke to clients worried about changes coming in the budget (spoiler alert, I think they will be later down the line, but that’s just my guess) and out of the blue on Monday, we had a platform provider suddenly change their fee structure with varying implications to our clients, so have been dedicating our time to searching for the best solution for them and make sure there is no disruption.

You never know what changes will come down the line, and it’s vital that your financial planning evolve with those changes. For clients in our The Progressive Review Programme, they can relax knowing we’ve got them covered, but if you or someone you know doesn’t get proactive ongoing advice, please do spread the word that we can provide a solution for them.

TRIBEathlon Podcast

Episode 31: Will Clarke is one of Britain's most successful triathletes as World U23 Champion, with 3 Sub 8hr Ironman Performances, the Beijing Olympics and World Series Podiums; he has now turned his hand to coaching top triathletes including Ironman age group World Champion Ruth Astle.

In this interview I got the opportunity to chat to him about his wins, his disappointments, balancing competing with a family life, Ironman Hawaii and what he believes creates to success in others.

What I’ve Been Watching

As you know I love running, so while I’ve been taking some recovery time after my first 50+ mile run a couple of weeks back, I’ve been watching documentaries on the subject (while cycling on the turbo trainer!).

A loved a couple of these documentaries in particular – the first being ‘The Dragons Back Race’, the film of a legendary 300km run of relentless, brutal mountain running that weaves a precipitous path down the mountainous spine of Wales. The second is ‘Running for Good’,  which follows world record marathon runner, Fiona Oakes, in her attempt to, not only to set a new global record in endurance racing, but to compete in the "toughest footrace on earth," the Marathon Des Sable - a 250km race through the Sahara Desert.

What these people do is quite incredible, and the more you understand what the human body is capable of, the more you realise you can achieve yourself. Its only 2 years ago I ran my first marathon, so to be running 50 miles is way beyond what I thought was possible. The question is, what next?

What I’ve Been Reading

The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson is as good a way of understanding how we work as any book I’ve read. As ever, Bryson gives colour to what could easily be a dry subject, whilst educating you about your most valuable asset.

As the Sunday Times said, “So packed with arresting facts (you eat 60 tons of food in a lifetime) and unlikely anecdotes (such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel's six weeks with a half-sovereign lodged in his throat) that you barely notice the sheer volume of anatomical knowledge you're digesting ... makes complex subjects simple and eminently entertaining.” A must-read book from our Life Library.

TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting

What if you knew what your co-workers really thought about you and what they were really like? Ray Dalio makes the business case for using radical transparency and algorithmic decision-making to create an idea meritocracy where people can speak up and say what they really think -- even calling out the boss is fair game in his brilliant TED talk How to build a company where the best ideas win. Learn more about how these strategies helped Dalio create one of the world's most successful hedge funds and how you might harness the power of data-driven group decision-making.

Quote of the Week

“Pain + Reflection = Progress”

• Ray Dalio

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

At the end of last week, it was announced that we had won the New Model Adviser (NMA) award for Top Financial Planning firm in the Midlands. NMA is our top industry publication, so to be recognised by them as the top firm in the Midlands is amazing. It is a testament to the hard work of the Efficient Portfolio team; the culture of ‘Constant and Never-ending Improvement’ has helped up consistently improve what we do, so it is wonderful to be recognised for that success. Normally there is a big black-tie dinner for the awards, so it’s disappointing not to be able to collect the award from the stage, but instead I was asked to make a digital acceptance speech, which you can watch here if you wish.

I realise there are a lot of people struggling with this lockdown, so I wanted to find a few resources that might be able to help you, and share some ideas that are helping me; everything from home schooling to sleeping better.

TRIBEathlon Podcast

Episode 30: In addition to being 'The Sleep Science Coach' and working at Geneva University Hospital studying the impact of altitude on sleep and the effect it has on cognition and performance, Dr. Charlotte Edelsten is also a keen ultrarunner living in Chamonix Mont-Blanc; with this wealth of experience, she is an amazing person to try to help us understand how we can improve our sleep and how we can use sleep to improve our performance.

TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting

Continuing the sleep theme because it is so important for our wellbeing, I’ve regularly recommend the book ‘Why We Sleep’ by Matt Walker that Charlotte Edelsten and I discuss in the TRIBEathlon podcast. Matt Walker also has a great TED talk on the subject too entitled ‘Sleep is your Superpower’.

Sleep is your life-support system and Mother Nature's best effort yet at immortality, says sleep scientist, Walker. In this deep dive into the science of slumber, Walker shares the wonderfully good things that happen when you get sleep -- and the alarmingly bad things that happen when you don't, for both your brain and body. Learn more about sleep's impact on your learning, memory, immune system and even your genetic code -- as well as some helpful tips for getting some shut-eye.

Home Schooling

We are lucky that our girls are both self-motivated and at a school that is doing a great job of teaching them remotely. I appreciate that many aren’t in the same fortunate position and if you, or someone you know, are having to revisit algebra whilst holding down your own job, I realise it can be a total nightmare.

I was chatting to a friend earlier about this and it reminded me of an amazing and free online platform that is available for home schooling called The Khan Academy. Sal Khan’s TED talk ‘Let’s use video to reinvest education’ is brilliant too. Worth checking out even if it allows your child (or you) to get a different explanation of a tricky concept.

Looking Forward

Half of the joy in taking a holiday is looking forward to it; that is why I always make sure that before I leave for a holiday, the next one is already booked - that way, rather than coming back with post-holiday blues, I can look forward to the next one.

The guidance is to wait and see, but I think this misses an important point. We need things to look forward to and feel a happier future is on the horizon. So, make plans that are flexible and that you can cancel/move.

I’ve booked a holiday for October that was 35% cheaper than the last time I looked. I can move it if I need to, and a relatively small deposit was required, so why not? If it doesn’t happen until October 2022, so be it but, in the meantime, I can look forward to travelling abroad again.

It doesn’t have to be a holiday, it could be a weekend with your friends, or even going to the pub! The excitement of just booking something can often be enough. Lets plan to make 2021 brilliant, even if the plans have to be amended later on!

TRIBEathlon Podcast

Episode 26: Fi Carter is a mum, a passionate sportswoman and is an age group duathlete, winning a bronze medal in both the European and World Duathlon Championships. When she isn't training, she coaches and supports teenagers through the charity CASS & Friends to help them make the most of their potential.

We all know coaching teenagers brings a whole new set of challenges, and being the dad of a teenager and a wannabe teenager, I really wanted to explore how she coaches young athletes in a range of sports, and what strategies we can use to help them achieve the greatest success.

What I’ve Been Reading

It’s not often a book appears on both The Efficient Wealth Update and the Friday Footnotes, because very few books span both themes well, however ‘Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success’ by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness was one of the best books I read in 2020 and it does just this.

Recommended by Fi Carter (see above) it combines the inspiring stories of top performers across a range of capabilities, from the athletic, the intellectual and the artistic, with the latest scientific insights into the cognitive and neurochemical factors that drive performance in all domains.

Unlike other performance books that are field-specific, Peak Performance cuts across domains and will help people involved in diverse pursuits, from athletes to artists, from hobbyists to scientists, from students to business professionals. If you want to take your game to the next level, whatever 'your game' may be, Peak Performance will teach you how.

What I’ve Been Watching

On Sunday night the Reading household enjoyed a theatre night. We got dressed up, smartly not in costume I might add, we had popcorn and an interval, and we watched the amazing production of Warhorse through National Theatre Online.

I believe this particular production has now finished screening, however there are loads of other brilliant plays available to rent. It was certainly the cheapest night at the theatre I’ve ever had, and I wasn’t sat behind some NBA basketball player either! The girls also took on the ballet Alice’s adventures in wonderland via the Royal Opera House online, but I watched The Matrix that night!

TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting

I often talk about the brilliant the book ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ by Nobel Prize winner and founder of behavioural economics, Daniel Kahneman.

It isn’t always the easiest book to access, however a brilliant insight into its theory can be summarised in his TED talk, ‘The riddle of experience vs. memory’. Using examples from vacations to colonoscopies, Kahneman reveals how our "experiencing selves" and our "remembering selves" perceive happiness differently. This insight has profound implications for economics, public policy -- and our own self-awareness. If you enjoy to TED talk, it is definitely worth reading the book!

Quote of the Week

“Our comforting conviction that the world makes sense rests on a secure foundation: our almost unlimited ability to ignore our ignorance.”

• Daniel Kahneman

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

As we age, we often find that a large proportion of our wealth is tied up in our home; should we stay in our beautiful overly large abode until our final days, or should we downsize earlier? For many people in retirement, this is a significant challenge; to stay in a big house, or to downsize to something more manageable. Aside from the practicalities of living in a more manageable house, it is easier to pass your wealth onto the next generation sooner and also to reduce Inheritance Tax so they receive more by doing so.

I am speaking at an online event at 4pm on Tuesday 26^th January hosted by leading estate agents, Pelham James, on how downsizing allows you to reduce tax, create a better legacy and also protect your family’s wealth.

If you, or someone you know would like to join the webinar, please register here.

TRIBEathlon Podcast

Episode 24: I first saw Dan Miller speak at my Vistage group (an executive coaching organisation), where he taught us about how to be healthy entrepreneurs.

Dan is an award-winning speaker and experienced martial artist with an incredible knowledge of the difference between being fit and being healthy, so I wanted to chat to him in this episode about how we can improve our performance and our health through our diet, as well as whether supplements are a waste of money or the key to our long-term success. I also wanted to explore the mistakes we make with our health, and the tactics we can use to be in the best shape possible, whether that is in sport or in life.

What I’ve Been Watching

If you listen to the Dan Miller interview, you will hear him sing the virtues of cannabinoids in promoting health and recovery. I wanted to learn more, so I watched the documentary ‘Weed the People’.

As well as many of the health benefits Dan discussed, it appears from this film, that cannabinoids can significantly improve your chances of beating cancer. What is most clear from this documentary is that the need for more research in this taboo topic it vital.

What I’ve Been Eating

Back in November I mentioned a one-a-day whole food vitamin that I now regularly take from Garden of Life. This was the suggestion from Dan, who also recommend I track my nutrient intake with the Cronometer App. Now would be a great time to start, if you haven’t already.

TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting

January is a time to kick out the bad habits and replace them with good. Whether it be rising early, exercising and reading daily or drinking less alcohol and eating more healthily - the compound effect of these good habits will have a massive effect.

The question is, can we break bad habits by being more curious about them? Psychiatrist Judson Brewer studies the relationship between mindfulness and addiction -- from smoking to overeating to all those other things we do even though we know they're bad for us. Learn more about the mechanism of habit development and discover a simple but profound tactic that might help in his TED talk ‘A simple way to break a bad habit’.

Quote of the Week

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”

• Mahatma Gandhi

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

At this time of year, people are often rethinking their approach to their life, and at the moment, more business owners than ever are doing exactly that. As an entrepreneur, if you’ve decided it’s to sell up and move onto something new, what do you need to consider?

I’ve teamed up with James McBain-Allan of Bishopsgate Corporate Finance and Mike Matthews of Roythornes Solicitors to do a free webinar on ‘Planning & Implementing a Success Exit from Your Business‘ at 9am on Wednesday 27^th January.

Whether it is understanding the legal side of things, the selling process or understanding how much is enough for you to be able to stop, we will cover it and be on hand to answer questions.

If you or someone you know is thinking of selling their business this year, please register for the webinar here or by emailing [email protected]

Happy New Year. I hope the hangover isn’t too aggressive, and that you have had a wonderful Christmas. If you read ‘When’ by Dan Pink, a book I have mentioned previously, you know the start of anything is a great time to seize the initiative. So, whether it’s your health, wealth or happiness, make sure you set some goals to make 2021 amazing. Here are a few things I’ve found interesting lately.

TRIBEathlon Podcast

Episode 22: In 2008, Mark Beaumont broke the around the world cycling record by an incredible 82 days, covering the 18,000 miles unsupported in just 194 days. He then returned with a support crew 10 years later to achieve the same feat in an incredible 78 days, averaging an astonishing 240 miles a day.

I wanted to know more about how Mark achieves such incredible endurance and where he thinks the best cycling in the world is.

What I’ve Been Watching

Over the festive period I watched ‘The First Man’, the story of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. It is a fantastic film that really highlights how much of a risk the Apollo crews were taking, and the amateurish approach that NASA took in order to beat the Russians. There really was a limited expectation for him and Buzz Aldrin to return. The film brilliantly takes you into the key moments through fantastic cinematography and is well worth watching.

App I’ve Found Useful

At this time of the year, you should be writing down your goals for the year ahead. Research shows that if you write down goals that scare you but won’t kill you; goals that make you step outside your comfort zone, you achieve a lot more. When you find that big goal, whether it is a 3 year or a 1 year goal, you then need to chunk it backwards; so what do I need to do this quarter, this month and this week to be on track. Like eating an elephant, if you take one bite at a time, it’s amazing how much you can achieve.

My team and I use a tool I have developed over the years that takes the time management and goal setting wisdom of Brian Tracey, Strategic Coach and Tony Robbins, to name a few. It combines this wisdom into one practical tool for planning your time that I have called The Limitless Life Planner. If you want to give it a go, you can download it from here. Remember, aim for the stars, and even if you fall short, you’ll still reach the moon!

What I’ve Been Reading

If you want to improve your health this year (assuming your knees are up to it), running is about the best thing you can do. It is amazing for the body and the mind - but go easy. As someone that used to describe running as ‘sport with all the fun bits removed’, I found one of the best ways to get into it was to listen to running related books while you venture out yourself. Whether it is ‘Born to Run’ by Christopher McDougall, ‘The Lost Art of Running’ by Shane Benzie, or one of Vassos Alexander’s books, like his latest ‘Running Up That Hill: The Highs and Lows of Going That Bit Further’…it doesn’t really matter, as long as you enjoy it. The latter is a very funny rendition of how Vassos got into ultra-running and really is worth enjoying while you too head out into the unknown.

Quote of the Week

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

• C.S. Lewis

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

After all the excesses of Christmas; the huge Christmas feasts, the frequency of mince pie and alcohol consumption, or the Quality Streets for breakfast, we often arrive in January craving a detox.

Cutting out the bad and focusing on the good leaves you feeling amazing, and allows you to approach the year in better health and with a better mindset. If you want to try our 2-week challenge; a health detox, you can here.

It isn’t just our health that needs a detox though, it’s often our finances too. Clearing out the old policies and shares that are carrying a little too much weight, and reinvigorating your money can make a massive difference over the long term. So, if you or someone you know needs to detox their finances and clean out the dead wood, the New Year is a great time to take the initiative, and we’d love to help you create a better future by doing so.

The snow is falling in Rutland, and it is a beautiful day. I hope you too can enjoy a walk in the snow, either today or sometime soon. Here are my observations and learnings from another week in lockdown.

TRIBEathlon Podcast

Episode 18: Malcolm Brown MBE was the Brownlees' coach from being young lads and through to Rio Olympics, so he knows the sport of triathlon inside out. I got the opportunity to chat to him about what makes a great coach, what makes a great athlete, and how we can encourage younger athletes in the sport.

Episode 19: Winner of Iron Man UK, Iron Man Florida and Iron Man NZ, as well as the British record holder for most miles cycled in 12 hours (a whopping 325 miles), Joe Skipper knows his stuff. Joe is self-coached and I wanted to explore how he has been improving his swimming during lockdown, what a typical training week looks like and whether competing in Helvelyn Triathlon has sparked an interest in doing more of the adventure style races.

What I’ve Been Watching

As an English football fan, it was difficult to like Diego Maradona, but you couldn’t argue about his genius with a ball at his feet. One of the best footballers ever, the impact he made on the pitch was incredible, but he was perhaps just as well known for what he did off the pitch.

After his recent passing, I wanted to know more about his story, so I watched ‘Diego Maradona’ to learn more. What I loved about it was that it showed him to be the amazing footballer he was, the unlikable character we all know, but also the abused superstar that is all too familiar. Definitely worth a watch.

What I’ve Been Reading

The world is going to change dramatically as a result of Artificial Intelligence, and sooner than you might think. China are at the forefront of this technology, and that is going to cause massive disruption; so it makes sense to know how it is going to impact your business and your life. ‘AI Superpowers; China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order’ by Kai-Fu Lee is a brilliant book that will open your eyes to what is coming.

Health Matters I’ve Been Thinking About

I mentioned in a previous Friday Footnotes the health benefits of Wheatgrass, because in my experience it has boosted my immune system and health, given me more energy and improved my recovery.

I listened to a talk by Dr Britt Cordi a year or so ago, and it made me switch to using frozen wheatgrass as opposed to powdered, and I have been doing so since. You can see a similar talk that she did here, and it’s really worth watching.

Britt has now given us an even better deal, so if you use this link, or the referral code ‘tribeathlon’ you will now get 10% off, free shipping, and a free bag of juices worth £15 with every order, forever! You can also benefit from the 110% 30-day money back guarantee - that means that if you don’t feel better after 30 days, she’ll give you your money back, and an additional 10%. Seriously crazy, but shows how confident she is, so it is definitely worth giving it a try. Oh, and if you want to dive deeper into the evidence of the benefits, a consolidation of the research is here.

App I’ve Found Useful

I have previously mentioned www.abetterrouteplanner.com which is a fantastic tool for all electric car owners to plan journeys. Whether you own an EV or are considering buying one, it is a great tool for optimising your travel. It is now available as an App on Apple and Android which is much better when you are out and about. Well worth downloading.

Quote of the Week

“You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep people warm.”

• Penny Reid

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

I was interviewing a client earlier this week for our Fit Finance Sessions podcast, to talk to them about retirement (this particular episode isn’t live yet). They laboured over whether the time was right, but eventually made the leap. Now 5 years in, they are so grateful for doing so, because their health has deteriorated, and had they waited, they’d have missed their opportunity to tick off some of their bucket list. So, how did they decide that the time was right? Lifetime Cashflow Forecasting. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful being able to see into your financial future is. It allows you to understand how the decisions you make today will affect your finances for years to come. We have a video explaining what it is here, and why really everyone should have one; because if you are failing to plan, you are planning to fail!

TRIBEathlon Podcast

Episode 14: Episode 14: Tim Heming is a 220 Triathlon journalist that lives and breathes the sport. You'd struggle to fill the back of a stamp with who and what Tim doesn't know about in the world of triathlon, so I wanted to explore what's happening in the world of triathlon through and post COVID-19, the stand out products that are improving times, what we can learn from the professionals and the Tokyo Olympics.

Episode 15: Phil Graves is the youngest ever winner of an Ironman, a 3 times runner up in Ironman Wales and a former training buddy of the Brownlees. In this interview I got the opportunity to explore how Phil stays motivated through the difficult times, how he combats injury and his somewhat unique approach to pre-race nutrition.

What I’ve Been Watching

It’s a shame that we won’t get to see England play the All Blacks this autumn; seeing this sporting spectacle live at Twickenham in 2018 where England so nearly won, and arguably should have after a dubious decision, is one of my sporting highlights to date. So this week I took to watching ‘Chasing Great: The Richie McCaw Story’, a documentary on the All Blacks legend as he tries to guide them to an unprecedented back-to-back double of World Cup victories. For someone that achieved so much, he is an incredibly grounded guy.

TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting

Finding the right mate is no cakewalk - but is it even mathematically likely? In a charming talk ‘The mathematics of love’, mathematician Hannah Fry shows patterns in how we look for love, and gives her top three tips (verified by maths!) for finding that special someone. A funny way to see how mathematics can be applied to almost any area of our life!

What I’ve Been Reading

‘How to Fail: Everything I’ve Ever Learned From Things Going Wrong’ is a book about…. well how to fail I suppose. Did that introduction fail to impress you? In this book acclaimed fiction author, Elizabeth Day, reflects back on her own life of failures, as well as those from the celebrity guests of her popular podcast, How to Fail (I particularly enjoyed the episode with Phoebe Waller-Bridge). The book is funny, painfully honest and an insightful celebration of things going wrong. Whilst they might be a little young for it yet, it is definitely a book I’ll be encouraging my girls to read in due course.

Quote of the Week

“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.”

- Henry Ford

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

This week I was chatting to a client who will be exiting their business over the next couple of years. The exit will mean he has more money than he will need for his lifetime. The downside of selling a business is that you give up an asset that is free of Inheritance Tax and swap it for cash that isn’t. However, because the shares are free from IHT, he can gift some of them into a trust now so that, when he sells them, they are outside his estate for IHT purposes. This can save his children 40% on these proceeds. This is just one opportunity to save tax when selling a business, but it highlights why it is good to have these conversations in advance of the transaction.

If you or someone you know is planning on selling a business in the next few years, it is good to start the planning conversations early. Do get in touch if you need any advice or assistance with this.

TRIBEathlon Podcast:

Episode 11: 5 x Iron-distance Champion & 4 x Amateur World Champion, professional athlete, Laura Siddall, came to the sport late but has achieved a huge amount since. As someone who wants to win the iconic Ironman races, I wanted to explore with Laura which events really are the best in the world.

Episode 12: Coming into running as a busy mum, Kerry Sutton went from walking in a 5km run to completing Marathon De Sables, leading the jungle ultra in Peru and even leading the Spine race...until near disaster happened in the darkness.

There is so much we can learn from Kerry's rise on the ultra scene, whether you are just starting to take up running, or you want to take your running to the next level.

App I’ve Found Useful

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a firm believer that there is a difference between fitness and health and therefore I tend to take Wheatgrass and certain supplements in order to be in the best shape possible. What I choose to supplement my diet with has always been based on a gut feeling of what’s important to me as well as cutting out the noise from an industry that is clearly keen to sell you anything they think they can.

However, over the last week I have been logging everything I eat into the Cronometer app (it was a bit of a chore, but I only plan to do this occasionally for a week or 2 at a time) and what it highlighted to me was that, despite my healthy diet and taking Vitamin D supplements, I was still low in that area, whereas I was overdoing Vitamin B. Among other things, it also told me I was too low on proteins and fats and a little too high on carbs, and it told me how much energy I was using and consuming as it’s linked to my Garmin.

This app has given me far greater awareness of how I can supplement my diet effectively without wasting money on unnecessary supplements - and it’s free, so I highly recommend you give it a try.

What I’ve Been Reading

26.2 Miles to Happiness: A Comedian’s Tale of Running, Red Wine and Redemption by Paul Tonkinson is the funniest running book I’ve listened to. Narrated by the author, listening to his stories whilst running will certainly make the time pass, even if it does make you look like a lunatic running through the park laughing out loud! You won’t get many tips or techniques from it, but whilst you listen to his determined efforts to run a sub-3 marathon, I’m pretty confident it will make you chuckle on the trails.

What I’ve Been Watching

As I don’t read much fiction, I wasn’t aware of a book called ‘The Silver Linings Playbook’ by Matthew Quick, so when Caryl mentioned watching a film with the same name, I was somewhat reluctant. I shouldn’t have been, as it was wonderfully funny and heart-warming watch.

Featuring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro, it tells the story of Pat Solatano, who, after losing his job and wife, and spending time in a mental institution, winds up living with his parents and tries to rebuild his life. Things get complicated when Pat meets Tiffany, who offers to help him reconnect with his wife if he will do something very important for her in exchange. A lovely feel good film that explores a lot about psychology too.

Quote of the Week

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

• Epictetus

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

Talking about death and money is never much fun, but sometimes it’s important. Making sure that the people we care most about are ok if something unexpected were to happen to us and that the financial plans we have in place are not derailed, is an important aspect of your finances. As such, last night I recorded a webinar on what you can do to protect you and your family’s finances. If you’d like to watch a recording of it, you can here. Better to prepare, than repair!

This week’s podcast announcement has been 18 months in the making, so I really hope you can give it a listen, that you enjoy it and you can send me some honest feedback about what you think. I can’t wait to release more of what we have produced.

Podcast Announcement

I am really excited to be able to introduce you to my new Podcast, TRIBEathlon. In line with an App that we will be soon launching (more on that later), the TRIBEathlon podcasts aim to get to the heart of how people achieve incredible things in the running, cycling, swimming and triathlon worlds.

During lockdown I have done some amazing interviews with professional athletes, world leading coaches and world record holders, and we are now in a position to start rolling them out. In the first edition, entitled ‘Marathon Improvements’, I interviewed world famous running coach and Olympian, Jeff Galloway, to understand how we can run faster, best utilise the run/walk/run technique (affectionately known as ‘Jeffing’, as this is the man that invented it) and the mental strategies behind getting through the dark moments. Still running a marathon every month in his 70’s, what Jeff doesn’t know about running isn’t worth knowing.

If you like it, please review and share it. There will be many more to come. It should be live in Apple podcasts and the other usual places soon, but for now, this is the best link. All feedback is appreciated.

What I’ve Been Reading

Not only do I find technology interesting, but I believe that it is vital to keep an eye on the future for our business. I am not one to subscribe to many email lists as a clear inbox leads to a clear mind, however one of the few I get and always read, if only at a glance is Futurism. Short punchy regular updates on how the world is evolving keeps my eye on the future, whether it is Gene-Hacking, hydrogen powered supercars or a $1 hearing aid. Stay ahead of the competition and feel great about the prospects of our planet by embracing a little Futurism.

TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting

Sticking with a technology theme, could our cities evolve to have the efficiency of the blood flowing through our veins? If they can, it will be through driverless cars creating a continuous flow of movement, rather than the horribly clogged arteries our cities currently have. Wanis Kabbaj certainly thinks so in his brilliant and short talk ‘What a driverless world could look like’.

Quote of the Week

“The label of "marathoner" has, from the beginning, been awarded to those who went the distance under their own power, whether they ran, walked, crawled or tiptoed. When you cross that finish line, you've entered an elite group. About one-tenth of one percent of the population has done it. Don't let anyone take that great achievement away from you.”

• Jeff Galloway

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

We are talking to more and more of our clients about Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing. Not only do we think that the long term returns can potentially be boosted having a portfolio with a bias towards eco-friendly companies, but even if the returns were the same, if we can all make the world a better place through our invested capital and that has got to be a good thing.

We are encouraging more and more clients to switch to this type of portfolio, so that between us, we can help make the world a better place, whilst hopefully improving our own futures too. If you want help working out how you can invest your capital in a more sustainable way, please do get in touch.