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Narrator: This is the Tri-Swim Coach Podcast where the most difficult leg of the Triathlon becomes your friend leaving your struggles and your competition behind you. Tri-Swim Coach.com helping you to laugh at the water.

Kevin: Welcome to Tri-Swim Coach this is Kevin and I’m back for podcast no. 52, I’m away for a few months now, actually, I was in Southeast Asia for a big trip. Just travelling out there and seeing the world. Went to a lot of different countries, I started in Bali ended in Cambodia at Thailand and a few days in Singapore and also Kuala Lumpur. I was so busy in all my travelling, and I was doing some work on the road, so I wasn’t exactly having a vacation but there was a lot of time where I really could get through my laptop and get to work. But I definitely didn’t have time to podcast. In some other places, the internet was just terrible. And, in other places it was great, it was just like home. So, I’m back in San Diego now and back in action and trying to work myself back in the shape. I did a lot of walking out there in all those countries that I was visiting. But, not much in terms of fitness. So, I lost a little bit of weight. I did a little bit of swimming but, not as much as I would’ve like. But some of the places had some awesome open water to swim especially in Thailand, there were some areas that is so beautiful and I want to go out there for some swims. And, the water is so nice and warm and I like it and those were the good times. But, while I was there, I got a treat from a woman named Barbara Mockford of New Zealand. And, she had written a book on unshakeable belief and she’s a triathlete and she has Rheumatoid Arthritis and was diagnosed with cancer in 2007. So, I went out and bought her book and went back here and read it. And, it was an amazing book so, I decided to interview her for a podcast and how about coming out in just a minute here. When I start in this podcast, so started reading ITunes review, at the beginning of the show. So , if you have anything to say, put that on ITunes all the link and, it will be shown on the blog and Tri-Swim Coach .com. And, I’ll just read one today, and in the future, what I want to do is, I want to have a contest and, whoever gets pick I’m going to pick randomly but whoever gets pick by ITunes, I will give you either one of two things, either you get a free 50 workouts 50 bonus tri-swimming workouts or you can have your stroke reviewed by me. The only thing you have to do is to get the video done. I’ll do a freestyle stroke review at no cost but you just have to send me the video and I can explain to you on how to do that. Anyway, this post or this comment comes from Michael Parsitch and he says. “Your podcasts are excellent and I just discovered them last week and, I’ve already listened to all of them there’s so many information about triathlon and swimming out there. But, you compiled it and make it much more easy and accessible. Also, your information on nutrition is great as well. I really learned a lot already. And just so you know, I’ve downloaded a hundred of songs, movies, tv shows, apps and podcasts from ITunes. And, this is the only one I’ve written and reviewed because, I want to make sure you keep making great stuff. “Thanks Michael I will hopefully continue to make great stuff without 2 or 3 months breaks in between. I will definitely want to bring you to this interview with Barbara Mockford and the name of her book Is “Unshakeable Belief” and you can find that in Amazon or, you can go to my blog at Tri-Swim Coach.com and click on the link there to access. Without any further ado, here is my part 1 interview with Barbara Mockford. Thanks and have a great week of training.

Kevin: I’m really excited to have Barbara Mockford on the show today. Barbara was raised in a farm in Buhoywakado in New Zealand. She was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 1997. In 2005, she discovered Ironman and set her goals to enter the competitions. In 2007, Barbara was diagnosed with bone cancer. As of 2012, she is cancer-free and she is sharing her inspirational stories in her book “Unshakeable Belief”.

Barbara: Hi thank you.

Kevin: I really enjoyed your book. I started it a couple of weeks ago and, it was hard to put down. I was travelling a lot and then I got back and moved in my apartment and finished it yesterday and in one hand, it was really inspirational. I was just blown away at what you had to go through and all this teachings.

Barbara: Just roll with the context.

Kevin: You seem to be very good at that.

Barbara: There is the kindle.

Kevin: I did the kindle version. The kindle was great. I was travelling in Southeast Asia, in the last couple of months and having that kindle it just saves you so much to drag to much on your books. That’s a good stuff. Can you talk about the Rheumatoid Arthritis and what exactly it is for people who does not know?

Barbara: It’s a really a low tiding disease that will fix your muscles and then your joints were locked and it’s a fluid in your joint that will fix your cartilage and of course, it will fix your muscles. You really just don’t feel like doing anything. And the pain is just bearable. But nowadays, it is pretty good. And, once you have control, and you have the information of the fuse keeping period, you can sort of live it there. But, there’s almost some cramps in the legs. And, the fingers are really swollen the swollen knee joints can have a hard time walking around.

Kevin: So make a perfect sense when you jump right at the triathlon. I’m having a hard time getting out of bad most days without that. I’m actually doing a workout in the morning. I’m curious, how does that come about? You have Rheumatoid Arthritis and then, why not just add on all these other activities?

Barbara: I think I have some control but, it fails in five because, I was diagnosed in 97’ and, that is 12 months, 97’-98’ and that is the period of my winter acupuncture that seems to get the information of the liver. And then from there, I was able to manage and it keeps me doing the normal things. And a friend seek to me and, I slowly win back the germ and then after a while, it seemed to be gone. But 2005, I feel pretty class and normal and I felt that it is gone. And, I started doing crazy things.

Kevin: So, the extra size and combined maybe with the acupuncture. Do you think that’s what made you feel better?

Barbara: Yes, pretty sure the acupuncture got me into the land of living again, and then the medication helped as well. That was a pretty good thing.

Kevin: So, we talked about a little bit and you had quite a few setbacks along the way. In your book, you get into the details of it but you were able to bounce back easily or maybe not that easy or quickly. Can you talk about the times when most people I think are giving up and just like, “okay I’m just gonna be sick” can you talk about that attitude that you just can get in the way. Can you talk about that attitude what gives you that strength to keep pushing back and what gives you that thinking that the cancer will get out of your body?

Barbara: I think that was the 12 months of training for Ironman and the dedication that you have to have and the focus. I have to wake up early in the morning or you got to do that training in your program for the day. And, I have to walk very early at around 3am. So it could be raining or snowing. And, we’re lucky enough to have snow here. And the fact that you just have to do your program for triathlon and keeps on going until reaching that stop line. So, in that aspect of getting the cancer out of my body, I have a chemo and I kind of traded that the same way. And, I have the philosophy of, knowing the 6 cycles of chemo and I have to wake up early in the morning it was quite nice to train for 12 months for Ironman. And, you could just be there the whole day and putting up the chemo. I get lucky enough to not stay in the hospital for a long time and start to fix for the chemo or it was just a neutral pin or dehydrated and all the other things. And I just thought, Oh, gosh here we go again and that was just another step or process I think. I don’t know I just admire it.

Kevin: Crazy enough to treat cancer.

Barbara: Yes, and I bring it all.

Kevin: If there was a couple of things that I like in what you said in the book, everything is in threes like triathlon take on these three things at a time is there a way that you could break it down and look at it as a goal that you could visibly accomplish.

Barbara: Yes, there’s a lot of Ironman processes and courses and how triathlon what’s the right word analogy? And the theme that goes.

Kevin: Yes, the hardest part.

Barbara: Yes, the threes are broken into cycles and all the fliptops you see. So, it was prospered as it is to be.

Kevin: I prefer the flat type.

Barbara: I didn’t want the flat type but, there’s a change. It was just a challenge.

Kevin: Yes, and I like the way that you were envisioning the mike rally announcements and I think you said something like that you are an Ironman, that you have defeated cancer?

Barbara: Yes, I’ve crossed to different finish lines and my finish line was to live but I just envisioned the rally when I got that result.

Kevin: Yes, I like that because, that’s like there’s something that’s envisioning his voice on that day like “I’ve never done Ironman even just watching it on NBC it’s like really inspirational”. But, you’re taking it to a new different level.

Barbara: Yes, you’re right you heard the McRally in the finish line and it’s just an inspiration of the all process. To get to that finish line, you have to be inspired to get to the finish line.

Kevin: I was pretty interested in towards the end you got to get in, you have sort of a relapse. I don’t want to give away the book because, I want people to buy a really really good book especially if you’re an athlete and you have to read for inspiration. But, you talk about how you changed your diet to knock this cancer out. And what do you think in the all things you do, what are the things that you think are the most important that helped the most to knocked your cancer out and then prevent it from coming back?

Barbara: Process is tending it to the dry area, I honestly, start now because I tried four major things the other is quite and the other one is in the medical world hocus-pocus. The thing is, I got the point where someone jump up to them 12 times and then turn around and I did that.

Kevin: Why not?

Barbara: Exactly, because there is nothing to lose so, I think there are lots of things on the internet there are lots of people who agrees with their chance of lost sugar. It’s like their food to survive. I definitely stopped sugar and anything to do with sugar like, cake, it is made of sugar. I didn’t have cakes so I stopped eating anything that is made of sugar. So I kind of open up on starving in, starving it with lovely acidic foods. So, I, didn’t know it and I just have to pray to what I was doing. And, it did helped me and also, I spend a lot of money on nutrients and my philosophy was like, when you have a cold, and you expect that what you get from the cold is the body is really strong and our cells that we have to give a hard work. Well, I was basically feeding the worst cells because there was initially cure from all the chemo so there were warts in the microscope that looks like a new, clear and embedded peanut trees with branches and leaves that are stuck around it. And what we saw in the microscope, it’s lucky to have the word. So I wanted all my warts cells to have about like peanut trees going around like an army going and just keeps everything that needs to be done. And that was my basic philosophy of healing myself. Always just be seriously optimistic.

Kevin: Yes, it sounds like. How much do you think does attitude plays a role?

Barbara: Yes, it’s very huge. I think also it was kind of the word oblivious or what I’ve learned. I don’t know which one. On how serious my situation was and a little bit of how this cancer was so real and no one from the Ministry of Health in New Zealand has to say a thing. And no one had from triathlons to the point where I wrote the book and no one knew much about it. And no one was able to tell me much about it and I just think about it and then, match it.

Kevin: Yes, that’s true I guess from the diver’s perspectives it’s kind of a blanket let’s just throw chemo at it and that’s all we can do which is really unfortunate because it seems that, I told my friend after reading your book that chemo is been around since I was born, which is in the 70’s. And, I can’t believe that we’re still having people going through all that and hearing this thing it’s really amazing. It was really exciting that you stopped the sugar. I’m really a believer that that’s one of the main thing that cancer loves, I think that’s a huge part. But, it won’t do all the things. Like do you have an issue at this point, like do you have a family or friends in an occasion where everybody is eating sugary desserts and drinking alcohol and all that and you have to kind of somehow not to hurt your feelings but at least stick on your cons on that.

Barbara: Yes, that was also part of my diet but it was not a problem. And so, when some people are eating barbecue and they are in their moment. I just pour along a salmon and, I just drink a lot of water. But my friends were supportive but when it comes to Christmas time, my friend Tom he would feed me and tell me that Christmas is only once a year and eat like what you feel you are going to eat. And even there, if there are family gatherings or Christmas, I have that kind of philosophy to eat what is on the table. Now that you’ve read I am more worried of my everyday you know these occasions I just ran with them.

Kevin: That’s awesome that’s what I do to sometimes. I don’t buy much sugar to bring home or I don’t buy junk food or anything like that. It’s occasionally a habit from how it’s a different thing I make exceptions. I think you’re right though that consistently what you’re eating has negative effects though but here and there it’s probably not going to hurt.

Barbara: Yes, I think that’s a good point or idea.

Kevin: Yes, so you mentioned in the book that after your last chemotherapy even hoe many months later, you were still tired all the time and I think you attributed that to the chemo. Has that gone better? I mean you also have the Rheumatoid Arthritis to deal with, but how’s that feeling now?

Barbara: I think currently I’m a little bit having a slow in the arm and I got anything to do and that was having Rheumatoid Arthritis because now I kind of terribly separated from that thing and I think that is mainly due to the fact that I can’t take any medication for my Arthritis now because, chemo damaged my kidneys. So I can’t take the anti inflammatory and I can take only plenty of medicine that goes through the liver. So, I still get quite hard easily because of the continued pain 24/7. And also, I don’t eat much meat which I probably should. I still take it hard.

Kevin: Do you take any natural supplements like the artificial like the fish oils for the anti-inflammatory?

Barbara: Yes, I take 15 mills of Amico and 9 flakes oil it looks like a chemo so it’s quite terrible but it’s only a joke.

Kevin: Yes, that’s good. In one point in the book, I found this interesting that you talk about we touched on this earlier but, I don’t want to get into it, because, this is a show about triathlon swimming or triathlon? You talked about beating cancer could not be hard as finishing Ironman and I read the rest of the book and I was like “Wow, there’s not even. I can’t even imagine the comparison”. At this point now, what do you think about that?

Barbara: I think I might be even, I watched and volunteer every year. When I have to wake up 4:00 in the morning to go beyond to the time and have number. I walked down to the beach and get in the water and I know that I could do it it’s freezing cold.

Kevin: There is something about jumping in cold water in the morning? And it’s just like the worst thing ever. I grew up in swiiming in outdoor pools and I never got used to that and I did it for years, I always hated it and they got any better and I can relay it for sure.

Barbara: It wasn’t so amazing. It was really cold this year I think it was 50 degrees Celsius,

Kevin: How do you think that doing triathlon in general can help overcome difficulties in other aspects of life?

Barbara: Huge. I think you need to focus to train to get there to the finish line in the Ironman. All the processes to get to the way and training and training for Ironman we really make sure that we are very far and in everyday life it can help you in the hurdles you do have in Ironman is kind of similar in the mid way. So, I think all the training I did for Ironman really helped in treating through cancer. So, all the training for Ironman has a good base for where I am now. If it wasn’t for the training, I won’t probably know how it would help.

Kevin: Okay that was part 1 of my interview with Barbara Mockford and hope you enjoyed that. I just wanted to mention one thing before I spoke to Barbara on the phone, she emailed me to let me know that she wanted to add one more thing to the discussion that she forgot. And here it is, I’ll just read her email. “Hi Kevin I forgot to mention that if it wasn’t for training for Ironman I would’ve carried on and ignored that bump on my wrist believing that it was just arthritis and I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Ironman. If you could read that sentence from my book post it on the podcast, this would be nice as I owe my life to triathlon Ironman and the only way I could say thank you to the Ironman Family is to volunteer each year and to help them have a great day”. Okay, so that’s it for today and I hope you’ll have a great week. And, will talk to you soon.

Narrator: Thanks for listening to another episode covering swimming and triathlon mastery. To get your free online swim clinic, just go to, Tri-Swim Lessons.com, give us your name and email and we’ll have session no.1 off to you right away. Begin your process to befriending the swim and laugh in the water now.