On the show today, I chat with endurance athlete, coach, and father of two, Dougal Allan. Dougal has been competing professionally in multi-sport and triathlon for over a decade and has stood on the top of the podium all over the world. Most recently, Dougal knocked off his long-time goal of winning New Zealand’s toughest one-day event, the Coast to Coast. Alongside the huge amount of time he spends training and competing, Dougal loves coaching other aspiring athletes from all spheres of life and spending time with his family. He also holds an honours degree in Physical Education and writes a fascinating blog.

In this sweeping conversation, Dougal and I discuss growing up in rural New Zealand and making his own fun, his yearning for solitude and why it makes him a better athlete and father, dreaming big, going from a rugby-playing physical education student to Coast to Coast longest day champion, and much more.

I hope you enjoy it.

We also discuss:

• The challenges that come with raising free-range kids;
• The beauty of a big family and what it taught Dougal growing up;
• Goals, and when Dougal first started using them;
• The scariest decision Dougal ever made;
• How Dougal’s parents fostered his development;
• The importance of thinking critically;
• Dougal’s early interactions with cyclist Jack Bauer and multi-sporter Sophie Hart;
• How mentors can fast track development;
• The importance of active listening;
• How Dougal defines success in his coaching and as a parent;
• The art of reflection;
• Dealing with failure;
• Why fatherhood inspires Dougal to keep competing;
• Sleep

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