A raw reflection on my 510 km Movember challenge, the emotional and physical toll it took, the small breakthroughs that kept me moving and the questions I am still sitting with as I figure out what the month truly meant.
Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Lessons I’ve Learned The Hard Way About Recovery
The Pressure to Look “Perfect”: Body Image, Steroids, and the Male Mirror
Many men feel pressure to chase unrealistic physiques shaped by steroids, social media, and the fitness industry. This article explores the mental health impact of comparison, the rise of TRT and PEDs, and how training for capability offers a healthier, sustainable path toward confidence, strength, and lasting wellbeing.
Raising Better Men (By Being One)
A reflective look at modern masculinity, fatherhood, and what it really means to raise better men by becoming one yourself. This article explores healthy male role modelling, shifting provider expectations, supporting diverse identities, and showing up with kindness, responsibility, and integrity in everyday life.
The Cost of Silence: Why Every Man Needs a Brotherhood
Many men feel alone even while surrounded by people. In this Movember reflection, Coach JP explores what brotherhood really means, why so many of us lose meaningful friendships as life goes on, and how simple acts of reaching out, moving together, and talking honestly can help rebuild connection and protect men’s mental health.
The Mask Men Wear: Why Hiding Struggles Makes Us Weaker
This Movember, I’m Moving for Something Bigger
This Movember, Coach JP Siou takes on a 300+ km (MAYBE 600 km?) challenge to raise awareness for men’s health and mental health. Follow his journey of movement, reflection, and healthy masculinity as he shares honest stories, daily updates, and conversations that remind us real strength means showing up and lifting others.
What’s the Story You’re Telling Yourself About Who You Are?
What a Backyard Project (And A Decade Of Spartan Races) Taught Me About Real Strength
Strength isn’t just about the mirror or calorie burn. From moving tons of material in my backyard to completing 32 Spartan Races, I’ve learned that real fitness is about capability — resilience, mobility, and durability that carry over into every part of life. Here’s why form follows function, and why that matters for you.
Finding A New Why
From Spartan Races to rediscovering joy in movement, this journey explores overcoming fear, embracing endurance, and confronting burnout after years of relentless competition. With 2025 as a no-race year, it’s a chance to rebuild strength, rediscover passion, and find a new ‘why’ beyond finish lines. A raw reflection on resilience, growth, and the evolving purpose of fitness.
Race Recap: Around The Lake Give'R Take 30K
Read a raw, start-to-finish recap of the 2024 Around The Lake Give'R Take 30K, featuring brutal weather, challenging trails, and mental grit. Join me as I push through fear, anxiety, and pain to beat cutoff times and conquer personal limits. Discover insights on pacing, race-day strategy, and why doing the hard things is always worth it.
Doing Stuff Anyway
I'm facing a tough race with challenging weather and terrain, and I'm not sure I'll make the cutoff. To succeed, I'll need to sustain a pace I've rarely managed before, and there's a real risk of failure or injury. But it's not just about finishing—it's about pushing beyond my comfort zone, testing my limits, and seeing what I’m capable of, even if it scares me. Sometimes you just do stuff anyway.
My Journey To Ultra - The Obstacle Is The Way
My Journey To Ultra - Baseline (Day 1)
Embarking on a transformative journey in 2024, I'm taking on two monumental challenges: my first 50K mountain ultramarathon and my first Spartan Race Ultra on my 50th birthday. Despite recent health setbacks and injuries, I'm determined to reach peak physical condition. Join me as I document this journey of resilience and self-discovery - it won't be boring!
My Thoughts After The Spartan Death Race / Race Recap
I Will Endure, I Will Experience, and I Will Learn
With so little time to prepare going into my Spartan Death Race (I fly out in 2 weeks!), I'm not going to be able to do anything to meaningfully alter and train my body for the physical demands of this kind of ultra-endurance event. It's simply not possible. Preparing to take the step up from around where my current conditioning is at to run a multi-day endurance race is usually achieved on the timescale of years (yes, YEARS, plural), not weeks, so I'm just going to have to "run what I brung" to use an old motor-racing phrase.
But I can't help having some real moments of deep self-doubt. Like, literally tears streaming down my face while out on a walk or run, "who the hell do I think I am to attempt this?" and "I am in WAY over my head" kind of moments.
So, knowing that I can't change myself physically, and working through my moments of self-doubt, what CAN I do to prepare?
Is Coach JP Crazy? Maybe A *Little* Bit...LOL
What I Learned While Climbing WAY Too Many Stairs Last Weekend
I went into last weekend's Step Up For Cardiac Health event with zero expectations. I was just there to put in my best effort and support a good, local cause. To end up finishing as the first place male and second place overall was honestly quite a shock.
I can't remember the last time I was first place at anything. I honestly don't know that I've EVER been first place before. Maybe sometime in grade school at a Sports Day event...? Nope- just remembered. Raina and I won first place in the Boys & Girls Club Car Rally back in 2002, I think.
Anyway, here are a few things I learned along the way…
When You Can't Walk The Talk...
Finding Purpose / Direction In My Journey - Coach JP's Journal
OK - I’m Struggling
Over the past couple of months, but this past eight days in particular, I’ve experienced what I would describe as the culmination or confluence of a number of different stresses and struggles. It’s felt as if the sum of all the difficulties and challenges of this past 14 months has finally burst the floodgates and beaten me down. As a result, I haven’t been journaling this past eight days because I didn’t want it to be just a repeating message of negativity.