The Unforgiving60 Ben Pronk, DSC & Tim Curtis

On Riana during SAS Australia: “She’s a brilliant human. No bullshit, no ego, she just knuckled down and suffered well on the show” - Dr Dan Pronk
 In this episode, Ben and Tim speak to television personality, SAS Australia candidate and all round superstar Riana Crehan- footnote that she is also a fellow West Coast Eagle supporter!
 Brought up on a chicken farm Riana spent most of her childhood outdoors and dancing. In 2007 Riana got a work experience role with the V8 Supercars working on their onsite broadcast. The rest is (Supercars) history. She is a journalistic icon on the screens of motor sports in Australia. Married to Will Davison (Dick Johnson Racing Supercar driver), Riana balances work and life (including motherhood)-  juggling demanding travel schedules.
 
You will also have seen Riana when she took part as a contestant on SAS Australia, and she aced it.
 
And amidst it all Riana manages to also stay fit including through cycling and triathlon.
 
SHOW NOTES
03:00       On growing up on a chicken farm; dancing and playing sports
08:20       Riana decides to study nursing
09:45       How and where does car racing fit in?!
14:15       Riana the introvert- and talking about how many introverts occupy a ‘stage’
15:20       Leadership roles and natural talent- does it exist?
17:50       How does Riana deal with criticism- particularly social media warriors
22:20       How can one get interested in Supercars? What is it like?
24:40       Tim talks about working with a Supercars Team- athletes and high performance. Riana gives context?
28:20       The narrowing of sporting margins
31:00       Riana talks about her time on SAS Australia
36:10       Talking imposter syndrome… how to take stock of that.
38:50       Talking shared hardshop and team building
42:10       Dr Dan says that Riana knows about ‘suffering well’. Riana responds and gives context on how she suffers well and what got her through the difficult moments
50:30       On motherhood, and the juggling game of life
55:00       Riana’s power song is here
 
 
 
External Links
https://www.rianacrehan.com/about
https://www.instagram.com/rianacrehan/?hl=en
https://www.supercars.com
 
 
Contact Us
 
www.unforgiving60.com
Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com
Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60
 
 
Music …. With thanks to:
The Externals – available on Spotify
And Enjoy Band – available on Spotify

As a special Anzac Day release, please enjoy our chat with MAJGEN (ret’d) Jake Ellwood.  Jake is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, a role which puts him at the forefront of reconstruction and resilience within the state, particularly in the face of relentless natural disasters.  And he’s definitely the man for the job, having spent a long, distinguished and varied first career within the Army, rising to the rank of Major General.  In this episode, Jake talks to the boys about his early days, the highlights of his Army career, his philosophy of leadership and character and what he thinks can make a community resilient. 
 
05:20       Straight out of the gate – why ‘Jake’?!
07:30       Jake’s military background, from a private in the Army Reserve….to a Major General in the fulltime Army (including run-ins with both hosts at various points in his career!)
12:00       From such a long, varied and distinguished career, what are the standout moments?
15:48       Jake’s view on character as an indispensable leadership quality… and the role of ethics within this
27:30       Are ‘kids these days’ less resilient than we used to be back in the day?
32:26       Jake’s current role as the CEO of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority
36:30       What are communities doing well to ensure their resilience against – and during – natural disasters?
42:10       What does Jake do for himself? (Answer:  Running!)
45:05       The mental aspects of running – and how to overcome the mental difficulties of running
48:30       Jake on running the 2018 Boston Marathon (renowned as one of the most miserable Bostons ever! Check this out!)
52:44       Jake on Run Army, its beginnings and what it means to him
1:04:20    Jake looking forward to running the 2024 Run Army in a week’s time (postscript – while Jake spoke about doing this race at a casual, enjoyable pace, it turns out his version of ‘casual’ is probably different to most of ours – he came in the top 60 in just over 40 minutes!)
1:10:41    What is Jake’s ‘power song’?
 
 
External Links
Run Army
Dr Simon Longstaff, Executive Director of The Ethics Centre
Queensland Reconstruction Authority
 
Contact Us
 
www.unforgiving60.com
 
Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com
 
Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60
 
 
Music …. With thanks to:
The Externals – available on Spotify

This week’s guest is Dr Luana Main, a Senior Lecturer in Applied Sport Science at Deakin University.  An athlete herself, Luana’s research focuses on optimizing human performance and, in particular, finding the sweet spot between optimal load and overtraining.  She has applied this research in areas including elite sport and the military and talks with Ben and Tim about how we can all apply some of these same concepts in our day-to-day lives.
 
04:45       Luana’s background – and the third-year uni lecture that sparked her lifelong interest in overtraining syndrome. 
07:00       First of all – what is overtraining?!
08:20       There’s a number of biomarkers associated with overtraining, but what are the subjective indications that someone might be overtraining?  (PS – based on Luana’s response, there is potential that Tim is overtraining……)
09:30       Are subjective measures of diagnosing overtraining as effective as objective measures?
13:00       How can we get better at the basics, when it comes to lowering our steady state stress load?
14:40       Heart rate variability as a measure of stress
17:00       Discussion on wearables
20:55       What are the non-negotiables when it comes to improving performance?  And how exactly do we do these?
25:15       Luana’s work with the military
29:30       The impact of overtraining on cognitive function
33:50       Luana on ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ of stress
39:00       What areas of research would Luana love to get into next?
41:20        What does Luana do for herself?
 
External Links
The Stroop Test – give it a go!
Luana’s LinkedIn
Luana’s research and publications
Luana’s work at Deakin University
 
Contact Us
 
www.unforgiving60.com
 
Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com
 
Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60
 
 
Music …. With thanks to:
The Externals – available on Spotify

Ben and Tim try to remember what an 'RV' actually is.... reconciliation and reflection, before we talk about our respective travel. From Morocco, Barcelona, Chicago, Brisbane, Hobart .... and more!
Then reflections on Jaz Diab, Dr Rob Barbour, Ian Prior and the Festival of Veterans Art.
 
Then as usual talking rubbish about the perfect Easter Egg, Popcorn from Chicago..... and encouraging outright criticism!
 
Music:
With thanks to The Externals as well as Ben Frichot
 
Contact:
www.unforgiving60.com
debrief@unforgiving60.com 
 
 

In this episode, Ben and Tim speak to Rachel Vickery.  Rachel spent her formative years as a national level gymnast and Commonwealth Games representative for her native New Zealand before training as a respiratory physiotherapist.  Drawing from this unique background, Rachel now works to help people increase their performance in domains ranging from NBA basketball to the boardroom.  Rachel shares her thoughts on how to deal with stress, both in your daily life and at ‘go time’ and provides a unique insight into some of the pressures faced by athletes and coaches at the elite levels of sport.  And to wrap it up, she gives us not just one, but four power songs!
 
 
05:11       As customary in season five, the boys bang on about how hot their podcast studio is – and ask Rachel is “Bikram Podcasting” is good for recovery?!
06:30       Rachel’s background – personal, sporting and professional, including her exploits as a national level gymnast
10:40       Good for a Girl – excellent book by US middle distance runner Lauren Fleshman
11:15       The pressure of ‘Growing Up In Lycra’ – training and competing in aesthetic sports, particularly as a female and particularly during puberty
16:00       The devastating impacts of RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)
24:24       A discussion of the importance and impacts of menstruation on female athletic development
28:30       Rachel’s work on a report into the cultural problems inside NZ gymnastics
33:30       We’ve heard of athletes being bullied, but coaches are not immune from bullying either
39:50       The importance of maximising the buffer between steady state and ‘go time’ by lowering your steady state stress – and the potential for ‘fear of success’
44:00       How do we lower both steady state pressure and ‘go time’ arousal state?
48:30       Rachel talks to the negative impacts of alcohol on athletic performance – and Tim offers a powerful counter-factual!
49:30       Shifting the narrative from fear to gratitude – and the importance of doing the common uncommonly well
51:40       Getting rid of toxins – dietary and otherwise – from your life
54:00       Rachel’s three point ‘get out of jail card’
56:20       The ‘three dickhead rule’ (…or how to check if you’re the dickhead!)
57:30       Rachel on the shortfalls on the current ‘breathwork’ fad
1:12:30    What does Rachel do for herself? Including long-distance travel thoughts
1:18:00    The importance of conducting experiments on yourself to work out what is going to help your recovery
1:20:30    Rachel’s power song(s)!!
 
 
External Links
Rachel’s website – https://rachelvickery.com/
Gymnastics New Zealand Independent Report – co-authored by Rachel
Rachel’s LinkedIn
Rachel’s Breathing Baseline Reset & Habit Breaker
 
Contact Us
 
www.unforgiving60.com
 
Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com
 
Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60
 
 
Music …. With thanks to:
The Externals – available on Spotify

Do you believe that being creativity builds resilience?
Well this week we aim to convince you so get ready. In support of the the upcoming www.fova.org.au we outline how:
when you engage in creative activities, you increase your brain’s capacity for creative thinking, pattern recognition, and developing visual-spatial skills.
These skills enhance your problem-solving abilities in real-life situations
From Ruth Richards (Harvard), “Engaging in creative behaviours, makes us more dynamic, conscious, non-defensive, observant, collaborative, and brave.”
“Everyday creative activity is a path to flourishing”- Conner, DeYoung and Silvia  in the Journal of Positive Psychology. Recent experience sampling and diary studies have shown that spending time on creative goals during a day is associated with higher activated positive affect (PA) (flourishing) on that day.
The real question isn't "How creative are you?" but rather "How are you creative?" says educational psychologist Donald Treffinger.
 
Intelligence Summary (INTSUM)
03:30       Announcement from Mark Johnson from anvam.org.au 
04:20       What’s the problem that means we need creativity?
05:50       What is flow state?
09:40       What does the research and literature say?
10:30       “Brave, non-defensive and collaborative”
14:50       Laminate your neural pathways!
18:00       From Tara Swart at MiT…. Expose your brain to novelty
20:20       What is creativity for Tim and Ben?
32:15       Why did Ben have a guitar in his backpack in the SAS (artists in foxholes)
35:00       SAS Band Tongue Charge play a cover of ‘Getting Away with It in Afghanistan’… and we talk why?!
44:30       Art and identity
47:00       How do we get going? Go join a pub choir!
52:00       Ben and Tim do galleries and museums
55:00       Tongue Charge play another song: “One Crowded Hour”
 
References:
 www.fova.org.au
https://www.anvam.org.au
  
 
Contact Us
 
www.unforgiving60.com
 
Email us at debrief@unforgiving60.com
 
Instagram, Twitter: @Unforgiving60
 
 
 
Music …. With thanks to:
 
Tongue Charge
The Externals – available on Spotify
Ben Frichot