51: Your Pain Is Not the Problem

51: Your Pain Is Not the Problem

Your Pain Is Not the Problem. What Chronic Pain Is Actually Telling You About Your Nervous System — And Why Pushing Through It Is Making Everything Worse If you have been living with chronic pain — whether that is a bad back, persistent sciatica, hip and shoulder issues that never fully resolve, or that low-grade ache that has just become the background noise of your life — this episode is going to reframe everything you think you know about what is actually going on.   In Episode 51 of Coach Eve Radio, Coach Eve gets personal about her own journey with chronic pain — the sciatica that stopped her in her tracks, the years her body had been sending signals she kept pushing through, and the moment she finally understood that the pain was never the problem. It was the message.   She breaks down the neuroscience of chronic pain — what is actually happening in the nervous system when pain becomes persistent, why the standard medical model often misses the most important part of the picture, and how chronic stress and chronic pain are not two separate issues but one deeply connected physiological reality.   For first responders and firefighters, this episode goes somewhere most fire service wellness content will not — into the occupational injury culture, the push through it mentality that accelerates damage, the broken workers compensation system that leaves people without support, and the direct line from unmanaged chronic pain to mental health decline, substance use, and career-ending burnout. These are not separate problems. They are the same problem at different stages.   This episode is for the firefighter whose back has been talking to them for years and who keeps ignoring it. For the woman in her 40s whose pain has become so normalized she has forgotten what it felt like not to hurt. For anyone who has been told their imaging looks fine and still knows something is wrong. And for the person who is finally ready to listen to what their body has been trying to say.   LET'S CONNECT! If you’re ready to dive deeper into firefighter training, functional health, help with chronic pain or injuries, stress management, faith-infused health, and hormone health, check out my links below. You can also support the podcast and help me keep bringing you valuable content by donating. Your contributions allow me to continue to create free resources that can help more women transform their health and live balanced, fulfilling lives. * Support the podcast with monthly subscription to Coach Eve’s Inner Circle: Subscribe HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/78VRRNAL] * Support the podcast with a one-time donation: Single Donation HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/r2upcN56]   —> ALL THE LINKS! https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT [https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT]   Stay connected with me on social media: Faith Driven Whole Body Health * Instagram: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.instagram.com/coachevewebber?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==]  * TikTok: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.tiktok.com/@coach_eve_webber?_t=ZT-8zPHpobhkxJ&_r=1] * LinkedIn: Evelyn Webber [https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynwebber/] * Pinterest: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.pinterest.com/coachevewebber/]  Formula F.I.T.T. Firefighter Health, Wellness, Fitness, Mental Health * Instagram: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.instagram.com/formulafitt?igsh=MWN0ZDZkb2pid2wxcQ==] * TikTok: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.formula.fitt?_t=ZT-8zPHdSM89CX&_r=1] * Website: www.formulafitt.com [http://www.formulafitt.com/]    I’d love to hear from you! Reach out with any questions, feedback, or topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes. eve@coachevewebber.com [eve@coachevewebber.com]   By listening to this podcast, you agree to the Terms of Service [https://www.formulafitt.com/terms-of-service] and Privacy Policy [https://www.formulafitt.com/privacy-policy]. This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Always consult with a licensed professional for personal guidance. For questions or coaching inquiries, contact: coacheve@formulafitt.com [coacheve@formulafitt.com]  Topics covered: chronic pain and the nervous system, central sensitization, pain neuroscience, occupational injuries in the fire service, workers compensation challenges, push through culture, chronic pain and mental health, substance use in first responders, sciatica, spinal health, somatic awareness, stress and pain connection, and faith in the healing process.

50: Embrace the Suck with Brian Velasquez

What does a decade in the US Army — including time as an infantry soldier and scout sniper — actually prepare you for when you walk into a fire academy at 34 years old with a mortgage, no income, and a class full of recruits half your age?  According to Brian Velasquez, almost everything. In this episode of Coach Eve Radio, Coach Eve sits down with Brian — a 10-year Army veteran, former paramedic, EMT instructor, tactical medicine trainer, and now a newly graduated firefighter — for a conversation that covers the full arc from military service to the firehouse. Brian talks about what the military mindset actually gives you in the fire service, how tactical medicine translates to emergency response when resources are limited, and what it looked like to be the oldest guy in the academy while quietly becoming the one everyone called Dad.   They get into the real stuff — what probationary life actually looks like day to day, how to handle constant adaptability when every captain does things differently, why earned praise from a salty senior firefighter after your first commercial fire hits completely differently than being told good job every day, and what it actually means to embrace the suck when things get hard.   Brian also talks about leadership without a title, accountability in academy culture, managing the mental load of high-pressure training without burning out on your days off, and the one piece of advice he would give every new recruit walking through those doors.   If you are a veteran considering the fire service, a recruit in the middle of the academy, or someone who wants to understand what separates the people who make it from the people who do not — this conversation is for you.    Topics covered: military to fire service transition, fire academy experience, probationary firefighter life, tactical medicine, veteran career transition, leadership and mentorship, adaptability in the fire service, burnout prevention, earned praise culture, hydration and nutrition in training, embracing discomfort, and first commercial fire experience.   LET'S CONNECT! If you’re ready to dive deeper into firefighter training, functional health, help with chronic pain or injuries, stress management, faith-infused health, and hormone health, check out my links below. You can also support the podcast and help me keep bringing you valuable content by donating. Your contributions allow me to continue to create free resources that can help more women transform their health and live balanced, fulfilling lives. * Support the podcast with monthly subscription to Coach Eve’s Inner Circle: Subscribe HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/78VRRNAL] * Support the podcast with a one-time donation: Single Donation HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/r2upcN56] —> ALL THE LINKS! https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT [https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT]   Stay connected with me on social media: Faith Driven Whole Body Health * Instagram: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.instagram.com/coachevewebber?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==]  * TikTok: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.tiktok.com/@coach_eve_webber?_t=ZT-8zPHpobhkxJ&_r=1] * LinkedIn: Evelyn Webber [https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynwebber/] * Pinterest: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.pinterest.com/coachevewebber/]  Formula F.I.T.T. Firefighter Health, Wellness, Fitness, Mental Health * Instagram: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.instagram.com/formulafitt?igsh=MWN0ZDZkb2pid2wxcQ==] * TikTok: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.formula.fitt?_t=ZT-8zPHdSM89CX&_r=1] * Website: www.formulafitt.com [http://www.formulafitt.com/]    I’d love to hear from you! Reach out with any questions, feedback, or topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes. eve@coachevewebber.com [eve@coachevewebber.com]   By listening to this podcast, you agree to the Terms of Service [https://www.formulafitt.com/terms-of-service] and Privacy Policy [https://www.formulafitt.com/privacy-policy]. This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Always consult with a licensed professional for personal guidance. For questions or coaching inquiries, contact: coacheve@formulafitt.com [coacheve@formulafitt.com]

49: The Other Side — Ryan Lowry, Part 2

In Part 2 of this conversation, Ryan Lowry takes us inside the fire academy — the physical demands, the mental grind, and what it is like to walk through those doors carrying the weight of everything he came from. He talks about what surprised him, what nearly broke him, and what kept him going when it would have been easier to walk away. But this episode is about more than the academy. It is about what life on the other side actually looks like. Staying clean. Showing up every day. Being someone his community can count on. The faith that holds it all together. And the message he wants to give to anyone still sitting where he used to sit — whether that is in a cell, on a corner, or just in a season of life where a different future feels impossible. Coach Eve and Ryan go places in this conversation that most podcasts will not. It is raw, honest, and one of the most important episodes of Coach Eve Radio to date. If you have not listened to Part 1 yet, start there.   Topics covered: fire academy experience, physical and mental preparation, sobriety in the fire service, faith as a daily practice, giving back to the community, hope for people coming from hard places, and what it actually takes to build a life you are proud of. LET'S CONNECT! If you’re ready to dive deeper into firefighter training, functional health, help with chronic pain or injuries, stress management, faith-infused health, and hormone health, check out my links below. You can also support the podcast and help me keep bringing you valuable content by donating. Your contributions allow me to continue to create free resources that can help more women transform their health and live balanced, fulfilling lives. * Support the podcast with monthly subscription to Coach Eve’s Inner Circle: Subscribe HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/78VRRNAL] * Support the podcast with a one-time donation: Single Donation HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/r2upcN56] —> ALL THE LINKS! https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT [https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT]   Stay connected with me on social media: Faith Driven Whole Body Health * Instagram: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.instagram.com/coachevewebber?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==]  * TikTok: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.tiktok.com/@coach_eve_webber?_t=ZT-8zPHpobhkxJ&_r=1] * LinkedIn: Evelyn Webber [https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynwebber/] * Pinterest: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.pinterest.com/coachevewebber/]  Formula F.I.T.T. Firefighter Health, Wellness, Fitness, Mental Health * Instagram: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.instagram.com/formulafitt?igsh=MWN0ZDZkb2pid2wxcQ==] * TikTok: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.formula.fitt?_t=ZT-8zPHdSM89CX&_r=1] * Website: www.formulafitt.com [http://www.formulafitt.com/]    I’d love to hear from you! Reach out with any questions, feedback, or topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes. eve@coachevewebber.com [eve@coachevewebber.com]   By listening to this podcast, you agree to the Terms of Service [https://www.formulafitt.com/terms-of-service] and Privacy Policy [https://www.formulafitt.com/privacy-policy]. This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Always consult with a licensed professional for personal guidance. For questions or coaching inquiries, contact: coacheve@formulafitt.com [coacheve@formulafitt.com]

48: Your Past Does Not Disqualify You - Ryan Lowry, Part 1

Before Ryan Lowry ever stepped foot inside a fire academy, he had lived a life that most people would say disqualifies you from wearing a badge. Drug dealing. Incarceration. A record. A version of himself he is not proud of. And a moment — not dramatic, not sudden, but real — when something shifted.  In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Coach Eve sits down with firefighter and former academy cadet Ryan Lowry for one of the most honest, unfiltered conversations this podcast has ever had. They talk about where he came from, what his life actually looked like on the street, what it cost him, and what it took to walk away from it. They talk about faith — not the polished version, the real version. And they talk about what it means to decide that who you were does not have to be who you are. This episode is for the person who thinks their past has already written their future. It is for the firefighter who came the long way. And it is for anyone who has ever wondered whether real change is actually possible.  Topics covered: redemption and second chances, overcoming addiction, criminal record expungement, faith and transformation, fire service as a calling, life before the fire academy, vaping cessation, and what it takes to radically change your life.   LET'S CONNECT! If you’re ready to dive deeper into firefighter training, functional health, help with chronic pain or injuries, stress management, faith-infused health, and hormone health, check out my links below. You can also support the podcast and help me keep bringing you valuable content by donating. Your contributions allow me to continue to create free resources that can help more women transform their health and live balanced, fulfilling lives. * Support the podcast with monthly subscription to Coach Eve’s Inner Circle: Subscribe HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/78VRRNAL] * Support the podcast with a one-time donation: Single Donation HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/r2upcN56] —> ALL THE LINKS! https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT [https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT]   Stay connected with me on social media: Faith Driven Whole Body Health * Instagram: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.instagram.com/coachevewebber?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==]  * TikTok: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.tiktok.com/@coach_eve_webber?_t=ZT-8zPHpobhkxJ&_r=1] * LinkedIn: Evelyn Webber [https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynwebber/] * Pinterest: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.pinterest.com/coachevewebber/]  Formula F.I.T.T. Firefighter Health, Wellness, Fitness, Mental Health * Instagram: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.instagram.com/formulafitt?igsh=MWN0ZDZkb2pid2wxcQ==] * TikTok: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.formula.fitt?_t=ZT-8zPHdSM89CX&_r=1] * Website: www.formulafitt.com [http://www.formulafitt.com/]    I’d love to hear from you! Reach out with any questions, feedback, or topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes. eve@coachevewebber.com [eve@coachevewebber.com]   By listening to this podcast, you agree to the Terms of Service [https://www.formulafitt.com/terms-of-service] and Privacy Policy [https://www.formulafitt.com/privacy-policy]. This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Always consult with a licensed professional for personal guidance. For questions or coaching inquiries, contact: coacheve@formulafitt.com [coacheve@formulafitt.com]

47: Why You Can't Recover Anymore - The Truth About HPA Axis Dysregulation, Adrenal Burnout, and Why Your Body Stopped Bouncing Back

You used to be able to push through anything. Now you can't seem to recover from a hard week, a bad night, or even a workout. You're tired in a way that sleep doesn't fix. And nobody can tell you why. In Episode 47 of Coach Eve Radio, Coach Eve Weber gets into one of the most misunderstood and underdiagnosed issues in high-performing, high-stress individuals: HPA axis dysregulation — what most people know as adrenal burnout or adrenal fatigue. Eve breaks down the real science behind why your body stops recovering, why your metabolism feels like it's working against you, and what chronic stress actually does to your hormones, your energy, and your ability to function at the level you used to. This episode also goes somewhere most wellness podcasts won't — the inner work. Because the physiology is only part of the story. The survival mechanisms, the codependency patterns, the inability to stop — those are not personality traits. They are nervous system adaptations. And until you address both layers, nothing you do on the surface is going to stick. Eve shares her own story — the losses, the crash, the sciatica that stopped her in her tracks — and what it finally took to face what her body had been trying to tell her for years.   Topics covered: HPA axis dysregulation, adrenal fatigue, cortisol and metabolism, burnout recovery, nervous system survival patterns, codependency, chronic stress, inner work, faith and healing, first responder burnout, women's hormonal health.   LET'S CONNECT! If you’re ready to dive deeper into firefighter training, functional health, help with chronic pain or injuries, stress management, faith-infused health, and hormone health, check out my links below. You can also support the podcast and help me keep bringing you valuable content by donating. Your contributions allow me to continue to create free resources that can help more women transform their health and live balanced, fulfilling lives. * Support the podcast with monthly subscription to Coach Eve’s Inner Circle: Subscribe HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/78VRRNAL] * Support the podcast with a one-time donation: Single Donation HERE [https://www.coachevewebber.com/offers/r2upcN56] —> ALL THE LINKS! https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT [https://linktr.ee/FormulaFITT]   Stay connected with me on social media: Faith Driven Whole Body Health * Instagram: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.instagram.com/coachevewebber?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==]  * TikTok: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.tiktok.com/@coach_eve_webber?_t=ZT-8zPHpobhkxJ&_r=1] * LinkedIn: Evelyn Webber [https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynwebber/] * Pinterest: Coach Eve Webber [https://www.pinterest.com/coachevewebber/]  Formula F.I.T.T. Firefighter Health, Wellness, Fitness, Mental Health * Instagram: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.instagram.com/formulafitt?igsh=MWN0ZDZkb2pid2wxcQ==] * TikTok: Formula F.I.T.T. [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.formula.fitt?_t=ZT-8zPHdSM89CX&_r=1] * Website: www.formulafitt.com [http://www.formulafitt.com/]    I’d love to hear from you! Reach out with any questions, feedback, or topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes. eve@coachevewebber.com [eve@coachevewebber.com]   By listening to this podcast, you agree to the Terms of Service [https://www.formulafitt.com/terms-of-service] and Privacy Policy [https://www.formulafitt.com/privacy-policy]. This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Always consult with a licensed professional for personal guidance. For questions or coaching inquiries, contact: coacheve@formulafitt.com [coacheve@formulafitt.com]