#158: Tom Seabourne

Brad catches up with Guinness World Record holding ultra-endurance athlete Tom Seabourne, a professor of Exercise Physiology at Northeast Texas Community College who has pushed the limits of human endurance with numerous finishes in what Outside magazine calls the toughest athletic event in the world: The non-stop solo bicycle Race Across America (RAAM). Tom and Brad reminisce about the old days where Tom was on the cheapest crew in the history of the race, while Brad was part of Johnny G’s most expensive crew in the history of the race. Tom was 103 miles from the finish line at 3,000 miles when he was eliminated on time. Heartbreak, but it got him “addicted” to the event, which he went on to finish several times. Cycling over 300 miles for 22 hours a day is pretty tough, but Tom’s crew follies were epic. Once, his team lost him in the California desert soon after the start. Another time his relay team members bailed in Utah! Tom also set a Guinness World record for the longest stationary bike ride of 185 hours - over 7 days (watching The Office re-runs helped pass the time)! The record performance, notwithstanding the “urine explosion” incident, that you have to hear to believe.

As a “horrible carb addict” during his ultramarathon cycling days, Tom actually developed Type 1.5 diabetes (fasting glucose 450!) despite being at 5% body fat. He also developed atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, which are now becoming commonplace maladies among extreme endurance athletes. Learn what’s happening in the mind of an ultra king during these long efforts, which Tom describes as a flow-like experience. 

 

Brad welcomes Tom Seabourne who is doing amazing athletic exploits while battling various health conditions. [00:00:16] 

What is the Race Across America (RAAM)? What was Tom's experience? [00:01:45] 

How did Tom's plantar fasciitis get cured? [00:08:28] 

What is entailed in being on the crew for this race? [00:09:45] 

Never try something without having the training or having sponsors for it! [00:16:26] 

He had a history of horrible eating. [00:20:53] 

What about calories in and calories out? [00:23:35] 

What happened when Tom did the record-setting ride on the Spinner bike? [00:25:01] 

Tom talks about his atrial fibrillation. [00:31:35] 

Has Tom changed his approach to training since the heart problems? Is he addicted? [00:35:33] 

Does Brad think about going back to the triathlon? [00:39:07] 

Is something special about the sort of meditative experience we have when riding? [00:40:57] 

What is a Type 1.5 diabetic? How is he handling it? What is the difference between Type 1 and 2? [00:53:27] 

What is the ablation procedure for atrial fibrillation? Don't wait too long to take care of yourself. [01:01:08]  

Check out Tom’s book on Amazon called, Glitches Into Gold

  

LINKS:

Glitches Into Gold: https://www.amazon.com/Glitches-into-Gold-Live-Champion/dp/0998833967/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1530055780&sr=8-1&keywords=glitches+into+gold

Race Across America: http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/

 

QUOTES:

Never try something without having training for it!

We are nothing more than the space between our thoughts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.