The Athletic Philosopher Podcast

I never imagined that I would use my years of training as an academic historian to help people get fit in body, mind, and spirit as a coach but that's exactly how my life has gone.
In this episode I wind my way through the specific training and way I was shaped to view the world as I earned my PhD and successfully published as an academic sports historian. It's the first time I've gone into depth about my historical expertise and how it's shaped the specific way I use fitness in my 1-1 and group coaching. 
The direct application to training is how the present moment is shaped by the context of past experiences to help you best aim towards a positive future. Think of how progressive overload works in the the gym as a good illustration. I spell it out clearly so you can respect the power of the historical gaze to merge seamlessly and constructively with your fitness
The takeaway lesson for you is to recognize that the skills you are learning right now may be best realized in an arena you aren't even imagining they could be helpful and to always be using the power of hindsight to sharpen up the narrative arc of your life. 
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training 

"The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you....If the machine produces tranquility than it's right." - Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
In this episode I welcome fitness coach Ronald Potts to the podcast to discuss a few book snippets on the meaning of working on a machine, highlighted by the above quote, and how we can use that metaphor to think about physical training and exercise. 
Both Ronald and I go deep into our coaching philosophies as a way to make sense of the powerful metaphor Pirsig gives us ab out the machine, the craftsman, and the dynamic interaction between the two.
The actionable takeaway is that you have to take control of your own definition of fitness in order to have it fit harmoniously into your life. You cannot let just the objective elements reign over the meaning of the activity, you have to bring your subjective values to truly unlock it. 
Thank you for you time, wisdom, experience and openness Ronald, many more conversations to come! 
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training 
If you are interested to follow along with Ronald or inquire about his coaching services see the below links:
Follow Ronald on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack  
Learn about Ronald's Coaching Services: rdpcoaching.com

Inspired by the book club I'm running inside my fitness coaching community, The Temple, this episode explores what I'm learning about my training through keeping my own 'quality' exercise journal.
Inside The Temple we are reading 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by Robert Pirsig and finding harmony between the experience and the measurements when it comes to our own training.
As a fitness and mindset coach, I often times have to steer individuals away from the numbers and towards the meaning of the experience but through keeping a journal that forces me to respect the measures I'm finding out new ways to harmonize and respect the twin forces that give sport it's deep meaning 
At the end I even challenge YOU to keep a similar journal to find out how the measures and the meaning interact in your life and training to tell you exactly what to do and how to do it.
Let's keep winning together! 
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training 

Episode 82 welcomes the great Alli Covington to the show for a shorter episode that is deep on wisdom on the power of fitness to make you a positive thinker. 
Alli is an M.A in counselling psychology who also trains individuals in fitness and has a unique approach to training. In this powerful conversation, she teaches us what positive thinking truly is and how consistency in the gym breeds it authentically inside yourself.  
This is the episode to convince you of the powerful mindset and spiritual posturing affects of physical fitness, that when we commit to physical health we end up with deep gifts of mental and spiritual health as well. Armed with this knowledge, there is no stopping what you can accomplish for yourself if you just keep showing up and pushing through all the times you think you can't get it done. 
Thank you for your time and wisdom Alli, hope to pick up the conversation again in the future!
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training 
 
If you want to reach out to Alli or follow her on social media use these links below:
 
Follow Alli on Social Media: X
Coaching Website: 'Bod By Alli'
 

I won't bury the lead, I made it past the starting line and across the finish line in my very first Triathlon race, Chattanooga 70.3 on May 17, 2026
In this race recap I bring you inside the physical effort and into my experience in the swim, bike, and run like only an athletic philosopher can.
How was I able to train in an unorthodox style while still being able to put up a great time as a first time racer? 
Listen closely and you'll find all of the secrets but the big theme that comes through strongest is having the support of a team behind you that makes any big time first challenge much easier and calmer to navigate together.
For you, there is a wealth of wisdom in how to set goals in athletics, how to create a consistent training plan that works with you, and importantly how to make the race day experience a true celebration of all the work you did to get to the starting line.
Too often adults look only at the finish line and their time to make any sense of meaning out of the race, and while that is true for some, it's a limited view that distorts the true value of doing these races and what you can learn about yourself by training and competing in them with your full and open heart! 
Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way and here's to the next grand adventure in racing and in life. 
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training 
If you are interested in never having bland food cooked at home get yourself some incredible spice blends here: https://enakflavors.com/ 

It's RACE WEEK! 
I've been building towards my first 70.3 for months and it's finally the week to put it all together. I've found that to get the most meaning out of these big time events that require tremendous effort and sacrifice it's best to pause and reflect on the big picture of the journey. Specifically, how you've grown as a person towards your best potential through the build to race day.
This helps both aim our eyes towards the real prize of the contest and make us feel light and without pressure on race day. The work is done. All that's left to do is celebrate. 
I dive deep into the way in which I've been pulled towards this day and how an understanding of Carl Jung's dream analysis as a mediator between conscious and unconscious minds helps me understand the moment of personal transcendence I've been aiming at through training and competing in my first triathlon.
This goes out to the ones who have the deep call on the inside that know they must do something big, that a dream exists for them to realize, and how we navigate through the resistance and challenges to make them happen when it's the right time, the right place, and the right moment for you to rise to your best self.
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training 
Media Referred to In This Podcast
APP Episode 76: Imagining My Way to a 70.3 
APP Episode 61: The Year of the 5 Races 

In this special episode I pour out my open heart for my love of the Montreal Canadiens as this team, that city, and the sport of ice hockey are moving in powerfully meaningful ways in my life right now.
I bounce around philosophy, history, psychology, my own experiences, and the sage wisdom of athletes and philosophers to paint a mosaic of meaning around how and why I find it valuable to cheer and follow a pro sports team despite all of the negative moral qualities that saturate the world of big time sports in the 21st century. 
I point out how to avoid 'throwing out the baby with the bathwater' and aim you towards a holistic, meaningful, and deep way to cheer for the home team and feel like you are still getting the deepest value possible in your relationship and experiences in sport.
This is how we all win together!  
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training 

Turning 40 is a big deal, and even though I tried not to let the milestone number affect my thoughts on growing older there is a stark truth. The body and the spirit know you're turning 40 and they will let you know about it! 
Turns out I needed to apply the ancient wisdom I've been helping the guys I coach come to terms with their own aging bodies and how to keep the athletic spirit alive as they enter their golden years. 
So as I break down how I see my own training evolving, it's based on the deep philosophy of Aristotle and the unique psychology of Carl Jung, I dive deep into the theory and then share how I put it into practice. 
Just because aging happens doesn't mean there isn't a harmonious way to balance all the things required to get the most out of living an athletic life, and that's exactly what I lay out in this episode.
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training 
Media Referred to In This Podcast
Aging Article: https://jordanbgoldstein.substack.com/p/how-to-come-to-terms-with-an-aging?r=xs1m1
Year of the Race Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-61-the-year-of-the-race-5-races-in-2026-and/id1759597529?i=1000735415239

This is a special episode that celebrates New York Times best selling author Martin Dugard's newest book documenting the rise of distance running in the 20th century "The Long Run."
After devouring the advance copy Martin was gracious enough to send me we dove deep into the intertwining narratives and themes he captured eloquently and passionately in this ode to the heroes and characters that helped shape and popularize the most participated in adult sport in the world. 
The common thread that emerged is the way running unleashes personal freedom, self transcendence, and gives outsiders and place to be themselves without worry of being let inside. 
Thank you Martin for a wonderful conversation and Mazel Tov on publishing an incredible book that captures the romance and tenacity of distance running. I hope after listening to this you get the itch to go for a 'long run' yourself! 
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training 
BUY YOUR COPY OF 'THE LONG RUN' AND MESSAGE MARTIN YOUR THOUGHTS HERE:  https://www.martindugard.com/

We dive back into the world of training and competing in this episode. I give you a behind the wizard's curtain look into how I am thinking about my next race, Chattanooga 70.3 in May, 2026. 
This is thin on technical elements and heavy on getting inside of the nature of the competition to best understand the ways needed to both complete and train for it. 
I show you specifically how I reverse engineer my training demands from examining the deep virtues inherent in the competition, the character traits you're going to need most to find success during the race, and how I then construct a training plan based on my current context and experience.  
My hope is that you get inspired to become creative and imaginative with your fitness, that you begin to understand how to 'vibe-train' yourself towards your physical goals. If you can crack this code inside yourself, the deep internal knowledge you uncover can truly transform your life! 
(Apologies on the sound quality on this one, had some recording issues so this is the backup audio file.)
If you are interested in fitness and life coaching opportunities you can contact me here: drjordanbgoldstein@phyaacademy.com
Follow me on Social Media: X (Twitter) / Substack
Apply to join Team Tribal here: https://www.traintribal.com/tribal-training