The Ready State Podcast

View This Week's Show Notes
Start Your 7-Day Trial to Mobility Coach
Join Our Free Weekly Newsletter: The Ambush

Marin Lazic believes the best athletes aren't just physically prepared – they're mentally free to perform. But that flies in the face of how many of us were taught to think about high performance. In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, Kelly and Juliet Starrett sit down with the Australian Men's Olympic Water Polo team's Head Strength & Conditioning Coach to explore why fun, play, and psychological safety may be some of the most overlooked performance tools in sport.

Drawing from his own experience as an athlete whose performance collapsed under stress, Marin shares how that moment completely reshaped his coaching philosophy. We dive into why reducing anxiety can improve movement, decision-making, and resilience, how breathwork and vision training are becoming part of elite athletic preparation, and why creating a culture where athletes genuinely enjoy the process leads to better long-term results.

Whether you're coaching athletes, raising competitors, or simply trying to perform better under pressure, this episode offers a fresh perspective on building durable, high-performing humans.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy reducing stress and performance anxiety and creating psychological safety can unlock higher levels of athletic performance
How fun, play, and positive team culture improve movement, resilience, and performance under pressure
Why elite coaching extends beyond strength training to include recovery, mindset, and athlete well-being
How breathwork, vision training, and movement quality help athletes perform at their best when it matters most
Why the best coaches develop durable athletes who can stay healthy, adapt to setbacks, and perform consistently over time
Key Highlights: (0:00) Intro & Meet Coach Marin Lazic
(0:38) Marin's Background & Coaching Philosophy
(0:58) Marin's Athlete Setback Story
(8:16) The Stressful Moment That Changed Everything
(9:13) How Stress Physically Tanks Performance
(16:55) Evolving from Old-School to Modern Coaching
(18:12) Happy Athletes Are Better Athletes
(20:17) Entrenched Thinking in Sport
(20:57) Finding a Head Coach Who Buys In
(24:38) Making Fun a Performance Strategy
(26:43) Pre-Game Warmup Games to Ease Performance Anxiety
(27:08) Beating Serbia at the Olympics
(29:27) Preparing for Paris Olympics
(30:25) Six Weeks in Europe Pre-Game
(32:39) Removing Decision Fatigue on Game Day
(33:04) Quarterfinal Loss to USA in Shootout
(34:24) The Physicality of Elite Water Polo
(36:04) Wrestling, MMA, & Water Training Methods
(43:21) Eye Training & Vision Work
(47:19) Breath Work & Session Structure
(48:18) Post-COVID Efficiency Approach
(54:29) The Concept of the "Stoke Tank"
(55:53) Being a "MacGyver" Coach on the Road
(1:00:33) Coaching Influences: Peter Twist & Pavel
(1:02:11) Losing Size, Gaining Water Strength
(1:06:14) Dad of the Year & Bluey
(1:09:56) Infinite Shelf: The Book Legacy
(1:12:17) Where to Find Marin & Watch World Cup

Huge thanks to our sponsors, LMNT and Momentous.

It's our 200th episode of RECESS, and Juliet and I are marking the milestone with laughs, a little blood, and a lot of gratitude. We look back at the last 50 episodes — we runs through the extraordinary lineup of women guests who've joined us, a powerhouse group that deserves more ears, and highlight one of our favorite recent episodes with John John Florence.

Then yes, we have to address the incident. On the 4th of July, at the Marin County Fair, I picked up the child's sledgehammer, went a little too hard on the high striker, and the thing bounced back and opened up my head. A surgeon friend materialized to administer three staples and with zero blood on the white shirt, we were on our way back into the fair for fireworks. But it will go down in history as "the year that Kelly sledgehammered his head".

From there, we get into the World Cup and give a long-overdue shoutout to the coaches and support staff doing the invisible, exhausting work that makes elite performance possible at that level. We also land on why Haaland wearing his mom's name on his jersey might be the coolest thing happening in sports right now.

We just got back from a week on the Klamath River - no cell service, no Wi-Fi, days of being barefoot and sleeping under the stars. We were stoked to run into the Paddle Tribal Waters group on the river - a program reconnecting indigenous youth to their land through whitewater kayaking. Our bodies felt incredible. Our nervous systems got a full reset. We can't recommend fully disconnecting out in nature enough.

And finally, we share a note we got from Jason Sacks (CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, and prior TRS Podcast guest), who emailed us after reading an Ambush newsletter piece we ran on hearing loss and dementia risk — because hearing loss is the single biggest modifiable dementia risk factor. After getting his first hearing aid, Jason is here to say that the stigma around doing something about it needs to go.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy the women guests on RECESS over the last 50 episodes represent some of the most essential health and performance conversations in the feed
What actually happens when Kelly takes a child's sledgehammer to the head at a county fair — and why zero blood ended up on the white shirt
How elite coaching staffs manage travel, fueling, and real-time decision-making during the World Cup
Why Haaland putting his mom's name on his jersey is about more than a jersey — and what mitochondria have to do with athletic potential
What the removal of the Klamath River dams has made possible for salmon, ecosystems, and indigenous communities
How the Paddle Tribal Waters program is using whitewater kayaking to reconnect lindegenous youth to their river
Why a week barefoot on uneven terrain, off your phone, and sleeping outside resets your body and nervous system in ways daily training can't replicate
Why hearing loss is the #1 modifiable dementia risk factor — outranking smoking, education, and depression — and how treating it can change everything

Key Highlights: (00:00) Welcome back to RECESS and a milestone: 200 episodes
(01:30) Kelly's pick: John John Florence, humility, and what makes a truly extraordinary athlete
(02:20) Highlights from the last 50 episodes: the women guest lineup and why it matters that downloads drop when women are featured
(04:10) Lisa's pick: Cesalina Gracie, training for Everest, and the unexpected controversy the episode sparked
(05:00) The 4th of July high striker incident: one child's sledgehammer, three staples, and a surgeon who showed up to the fair
(09:44) Kelly reads the actual text exchange from that night, including Kelly's medical self-assessment: "cut plus"
(11:10) World Cup and a shoutout to the coaches and support staff doing the invisible work behind elite performance
(14:45) Haaland's jersey, mitochondria inheritance, and why your mom is the reason you can suffer
(16:47) Kelly's session with Rich Roll on his new Open Container format and what it looked like to problem-solve in real time with an elite athlete
(20:06) The Klamath River: 300 miles of free-flowing water following the largest dam removal project in U.S. history
(20:50) Paddle Tribal Waters: indigenous youth returning to the river through whitewater kayaking, two years in the making
(22:29) Running into the group at camp, and what it feels like to watch teenagers discover a superpower
(25:29) What a week on the river — barefoot, phone-free, sleeping outside — actually does to your body and nervous system
(27:08) Bird Club, the initiation ritual, and a golden eagle with a seven-foot wingspan at ten feet off the windshield
(29:30) Hearing loss as the #1 modifiable dementia risk, and a follow-up from podcast guest Jason Sacks on his first week with a hearing aid
(32:54) Summer to-do list and send-off

View This Week's Show Notes
Start Your 7-Day Trial to Mobility Coach
Join Our Free Weekly Newsletter: The Ambush

What does it take to stay at the top of your sport for decades – physically and mentally? In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, Kelly and Juliet Starrett sit down with three-time World Surfing Champion John John Florence to explore what it really means to play the long game.
From recovering from multiple ACL tears to stepping away from competition at the peak of his career, John John shares the mindset shifts that helped him redefine success on his own terms. The conversation dives into everything from injury recovery and mental performance to fueling, training, and why learning to love the process matters far more than chasing outcomes.

John John also opens up about trading the World Tour for life aboard a sailboat with his wife and son, where surfing remote waves, solving problems, and embracing adventure have become the next chapter of his journey. Whether you're an athlete, parent, or simply someone trying to build a more meaningful life, this episode is packed with timeless lessons on resilience, intentional living, and finding fulfillment beyond achievement.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy playing the long game leads to better performance, longevity, and fulfillment
How to recover mentally after setbacks, injuries, and unexpected detours
Why learning to love the process creates more sustainable success than chasing outcomes
The surprising nutrition and recovery changes that helped John John perform at his best
How family, adventure, and purpose can redefine success beyond competition

Key Highlights: (0:00) Intro & Episode Preview
(0:40) Meet John John Florence
(3:47) Intro to The Long Game
(4:39) Post-Championship Depression & Loving the Process
(7:25) When You Win Your First World Title
(11:26) Where in the World: Sailing in Panama
(12:01) The Vela Docuseries
(14:21) Surfing Remote Waves & the Journey to Get There
(16:43) Raising a Kid on a Boat & Problem Solving
(20:49) ACL Injuries: The Mental Side of Serious Setbacks
(25:52) Daily Routine, Breathwork, & Warmup Habits
(35:15) The Warmup Ritual and Mind-Body Connection
(39:30) Fueling: The Biggest Performance Gap
(40:45) Comp-Day Nutrition & Gels in the Lineup
(43:00) Deciding to Step Away from the Tour
(47:44) Burnout, Back-to-Back ACLs, & Body Listening
(54:37) Working with Mental Performance Coach Dr. Mike Gervais
(1:00:16) Visualization & the 2024 Lowers World Title Clinch
(1:03:27) How His Son Grounded Him Before the Final
(1:04:16) Infinite Shelf: Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
(1:05:26) What's Next: Waves, Boat Repairs, & Closing Thoughts

Huge thanks to our sponsors, Momentous and LMNT.

In this episode of RECESS, Juliet and I open with a massive shoutout to local legend Kate Courtney — who, after winning mountain biking world championships, the Leadville 100 record, and a long course world title, has now casually taken over road cycling too.

We also get into something that came up close to home: Juliet watched the Barceloneta men's water polo team — European Champions League winners — practice on virtually no food or water, which opened up a real conversation about how you change deeply embedded fueling habits in elite sport. Spoiler: athletes have to feel the difference themselves.

Then we dig into surgery nutrition — a topic that affects way more people than elite athletes. Muscle loss after orthopedic surgery runs about 1% per day, with up to 18% loss in the quads and hamstrings within six weeks. We break down protein timing, pre-surgical carbohydrate loading, and how to protect your body going in and coming out.

Plus: Kelly's ACL and "sprain plus" knee update, Haute Route hike prep, and an ongoing domestic dispute about whether Stumptown Holler Mountain is the peak of human coffee achievement or just the beginning of the search.

New episodes of The Ready State Podcast drop every Thursday.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy Kate Courtney's move from mountain biking to road cycling is one of the most remarkable athletic pivots happening in sport right now
How intra-session carbohydrate fueling is changing across elite sports, and why winning teams are often the hardest to convince to change
What the research says about muscle loss after orthopedic surgery: up to 1% per day and 18% loss in six weeks
Why protein needs jump to 1.2–2g per kilogram of bodyweight in the pre- and post-surgical window
How consuming ~50g of carbohydrates two hours before surgery may reduce post-surgical insulin resistance by 50%
Why "three limb training" matters during recovery and why you can't just wait for healing to happen
How Kelly is rehabbing a torn ACL, MCL, high-grade fibular sprain, torn calf, and two menisci, and still calling it a "sprain plus"
What the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt demands physically, and how Kelly is prepping for 10 days of mountain hiking

Key Highlights: (00:00) Welcome back to RECESS; Kate Courtney shoutout — local legend, mountain biking world champion, and now national road cycling champion
(01:30) How Kate Courtney broke the factory racing model, started her own team, won Leadville 100 with a course record, and took the long course world championship, and most recently the US National Road Championship
(04:43) The mutant athlete era: Kate, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Puck Pieterse, and why cyclists switching disciplines is making the sport more exciting than ever
(06:00) Water polo and intra-session fueling: watching the Barceloneta European champions practice under-fueled, and a conversation with Heather Petri about how far sport nutrition has come
(07:50) How you actually change fueling dogma in elite sport: showing athletes the data, letting them feel the difference, and why winning teams are hardest to convince
(08:25) Intra-session carb targets across sports: from 30–50g for recreational athletes to 100g+ per hour for elite endurance, and what the Tour de France taught us about gut training
(16:40) Kids and fueling: why youth athletes are chronically under-fueled and what parents can do about it
(17:30) The coffee wars: Stumptown Holler Mountain vs. the challengers — Monmouth, Kimbo, Doma Roasters Chronic, and the Aeropress experiment
(21:10) Haute Route prep: hiking Chamonix to Zermatt, 10 days, 8–10 hour hiking days, and how Kelly is training his "sprain plus" knee for the Alps
(26:55) Kelly's injury breakdown: torn ACL, torn MCL, high-grade fibular sprain, torn calf, both menisci — and why he chose to delay ACL repair to make the trip
(28:00) Surgery nutrition: the research on muscle loss post-orthopedic surgery, why protein needs spike, and the pre-surgical carbohydrate timing window
(31:20) Can we challenge the "nothing by mouth" pre-surgery protocol? Liquid carbohydrates, glucose boluses, and protecting muscle mass before you go under
(33:55) Wrap-up, Happy 4th of July, and thanks for listening

View This Week's Show Notes
Start Your 7-Day Trial to Mobility Coach
Join Our Free Weekly Newsletter: The Ambush

What if the key to better sleep, recovery, focus, and lasting behavior change isn't another productivity hack – but feeling safe in your own body?

In this episode, Kelly and Juliet Starrett sit down with psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and Apollo Neuroscience co-founder Dr. David Rabin to explore the hidden role the nervous system plays in stress, learning, trauma, performance, and recovery.

Drawing on more than two decades of research, Dr. Rabin explains why modern life keeps us trapped in a state of chronic overstimulation – and how that affects sleep, resilience, chronic pain, emotional health, and our ability to learn. They also dive into the science of the vagus nerve, heart rate variability, fear extinction, human connection, and simple tools that help us feel safer, calmer, and more adaptable.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy feeling physiologically safe is the foundation for learning, healing, and peak performance
How chronic stress affects sleep, recovery, immunity, and the body's ability to function
The difference between top-down thinking and bottom-up nervous system regulation
Why touch, movement, music, breathwork, and human connection are powerful tools for reducing stress
How modern technology and constant stimulation may be making us less resilient, less focused, and less connected

Key Highlights:(0:00) Intro: Gen Z Cognitive Regression & Technology Warning
(0:37) Meet Dr. David Rabin: Psychiatrist & Apollo Neuroscience Co-Founder
(2:20) Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Learning
(4:41) The Neuroscience of Learning and Safety
(7:06) Maslow's Hierarchy and Physiological Safety
(12:27) The Role of Touch as Our First Language
(18:47) The Vagus Nerve: Governor of Rest and Recovery
(27:32) Apollo Wearable: Activating Safety in Seconds
(29:07) Kelly's Sleep-Anywhere Superpower & Sleep Science
(33:08) Belief, Biology, and the Dream Catcher Story
(41:06) The Amygdala as a Contrast Detection Center
(47:35) PTSD as a Learned Fear Disorder
(56:14) What Apollo Actually Does and How It Works
(1:04:26) Apollo + Oura Ring Sleep Study – 1,000+ People, 3 Years
(1:12:49) Managing Overstimulation in a Tech-Driven World
(1:14:53) Smartphone Addiction and Misdiagnosis of ADHD
(1:16:12) Book Highlights and Education System 50 Years Outdated
(1:18:19) AI Should Not Replace Human Teaching and Healing
(1:20:28) Infinite Shelf: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
(1:23:13) Closing Thoughts

Huge thanks to our sponsors, LMNT and Momentous.