The Fitness Buff Show

Rajesh Durbal has finished the famed Ironman Triathlon in Kona and his times at races of all distances would make any recreational athlete proud. Durbal is a triple amputee who was born with a congential deformity of both lower legs and his right arm. What's even more impressive is that he did not do his first triathlon until June 2009 and only 14 months later finished the Hawaii Ironman. We'll talk with Rajesh about his inspirational story on this episode of The Fitness Buff.

Barefoot running? How about running bare? The Dare to Go Bare 5K has been hosting streakers since 1993 at the Lake Como Nudist Resort near Tampa, always on the first Sunday in May. We talk with event director Arlene Reed about one of the most-talked about events on the Florida running circuit.

Dr. Arnold Goodman suffers from multiple myeloma, the rare cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow that most recently took the life of Geraldine Ferraro. Since being diagnosed with the disease in 2006, Arnie created the "Sweetwater Paddle for the Cure" to raise funds for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. The third-annual event takes place on May 7 at Tampa's Riverfront Park downtown. We talk with Arnie about the event on this week's show.

Following the success of his 2010 21-Day Vegan Kickstart online program, physician Neal Barnard (Breaking the Food Seduction; Foods That Fight Pain, etc.) reworks his material for comprehensive lifestyle change. Day by day, Barnard discusses vegan choices, benefits and challenges. Readers learn to substitute vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and plant-based protein for fatty animal products (meat, dairy, fish) and sugary fare; eat vegan in social situations and while traveling; promote weight loss, energy and sleep; relieve pain; prevent or reverse diabetes, heart disease and some cancers; and create meals that, Barnard contends, fulfill all nutritional requirements. Home food preparation is key, but Barnard offers options for dining at restaurants and fast-food chains and using convenience foods. While readers must commit to food shopping and cooking, Barnard motivates with promises of quick results and insights from medical professionals and celebrities, and tempts with generous breakfasts (pancakes with maple syrup; burritos with potatoes and spinach), easy desserts (a delicious chocolate cake), and assurances of weight loss without deprivation, calorie counts, and exercise routines. Dr. Barnard joins us on today's show.

Any event with a Website URL of youmaydie.com has to be taken seriously. The Death Race, the annual Vermont event billed as "Survivor meets 300" takes 24 hours to complete, but competitors are not told of the time, distance, or even finish line. Only a few manage to finish a course that includes excruciating mental and physical challenges. Among those in this year's field are two Florida women. Rebecca Hansen and Megan Mays join us for this week's show.

As one of the stars of the Playboy TV show Badass, Jaclyn Swedberg has surfed, raced cars, rappelled down mountains, and run in the nude. Sounds like a fitness buff to us. Playboy's Playmate of the Month for April talks to us about her crazy life in the world of adventure endurance sports.

Bob Babbitt is the Forrest Gump of endurance sports, appearing at seemingly every major industry event and development over the last 35 years. A senior member of Competitor Group, a pioneering triathlete, radio host, and all-around goodwill ambassador for the industry, he's perhaps best known for donning a fuzzy frog suit and serving as emcee for Muddy Buddy, the popular mud runs he created. Bob joins us to talk about the kickoff of this year's Muddy Buddy series in Orlando on April 9.

Orthopedist Albert Franchi has treated thousands of athletes using "prolotherapy," an injection-based system that enables athletes to overcome acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Franchi about these breakthrough methods.

Dr. Mike Moreno, author of the No.1 Amazon bestselling The 17 Day Diet, tackles the commonly held belief that rapid weight loss is always unhealthy - and even points to new research that the faster you take weight off, the longer you keep it off. "Contrary to popular assumption," Moreno says, "it's not strictly a question of how much exercise you do or how much food you eat. Rather, it's also a question of what types of food are eaten, and how they are digested, assimilated and metabolized." Dr. Mike joins us for this episode of The Fitness Buff Show.

Danny Abshire did not create the natural running movement. But he deserves a lot of the credit for it. As the co-founder of Newton Running shoes, he's been at the forefront - or forestep - of the movement to get runners back to their natural, original stride. The author of the new book NATURAL RUNNING, he joins us on this week's show.

Lifting and abs? Yes, that's the combination says author Lou Schuler in the latest in his "New Rules" franchise, written with Alwyn Cosgrove. A certified strength and conditioning specialist who writes with clarity, insight, and humor - no easy triple play in the fitness world - Lou talks about his new book in this week's program.

In the book Racing Weight, running guru Matt Fitzgerald showed readers how identifying and reaching their ideal racing weight could shave significant time. In his new companion book, the Racing Weight Quick Start Guide, he drills down on this notion even further

Mandy McLane is a rising star on the triathlon scene, having dominated in 2010 as an elite amateur. Now the Orlando native has gone pro and moved to Boulder, where she's looking to dominate in 2011. Can this hard-driven speech pathologist be triathlon's next breakout star?

We're excited to be part of the Kiss-im-Mee 5K, coming up Saturday, Feb. 12 in downtown Kissimee, Florida. The race name is subtle dig at all of the people who mispronounce the Central Florida town near Orlando incorrectly. We'll be joined by Cheryl Grieb, a Kissimmee city commissioner who was instrumental in creating the race.

One of Tampa Bay's most popular running races returns on Saturday after a one-year hiatus. The St. Pete Beach Classic 5K/10K, created by the late Wendy Johnson, is back under the guidance of her husband and co-director Al Johnson. We talk to Al about the race in this episode.