Maradona, AI and Electric Vehicles

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!