Getting After It

098 — Being the Best Version of Yourself: With Karsten Cebollero

• Brett Rossell • Season 3 • Episode 98

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In this episode of The Getting After It Podcast,  Karsten and I reconnect for a candid conversation about life, fitness, and the power of progress. We cover our journeys in fitness and family to sharing hard-won lessons about discipline, gratitude, and resilience.

We dive into stories about marathon training, overcoming hardships, and finding fulfillment in the small moments. Whether it’s the lessons learned from balancing family and career, or the challenges of staying consistent with fitness goals, this episode is about showing up, doing the work, and finding joy in the process.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Discipline Builds Momentum: Small, consistent steps in fitness, work, or personal goals compound into significant progress over time.
  2. Gratitude Anchors You: Shifting your perspective to appreciate the blessings in your life can turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
  3. Helping Others Creates Purpose: Supporting someone else not only helps them but also brings clarity, connection, and fulfillment to your own life.

Memorable Quotes:

“Life is hard, but it’s easier together. Build an army around you all the time.” – Karsten

“Gratitude can turn even the toughest moments into opportunities for growth.” – Brett

“The cost of not locking in is spending the rest of your life clocking in.” – Karsten

Actionable Step:

Pick a Challenge: Identify one meaningful challenge this week—whether in fitness, work, or personal growth—and commit to taking a single action toward it. Share your goal with someone for added accountability.

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I hope today’s episode sparked something within you to pursue your dreams and unlock your true potential. If you found value in it, consider sharing it with someone who might need that same push.

This podcast is built for you—the dreamers and the doers. My goal is to provide a space where you can find inspiration, learn from others, and feel empowered to chase what matters most to you.

Your dreams are within your grasp. All you need is the commitment to Get After It.

Karsten:

made a big difference or actually because it, because it was one of my first months. It was actually like 600 or no, like more, because it was like counted as a double. That's right. Are we live right now? We're live, dude, thanks. So I was just it's crazy going down memory lane. Back two years ago, brett was my manager. I had just started first month, new to the industry, the Amazon industry specifically. I had prior e-commerce experience and Brett gifted me a little account which, because it was my first month, was worth like double commission and yeah, it just says a lot about the type of person he is Dude.

Brett:

It was Christmas. He cares about everyone. It was Christmas. It was Christmas. I remember I was sitting in my room in Arizona and I was like whatever you got to make everyone happy, no one wants to be sad on Christmas.

Karsten:

He's the man, and he's humble, as always, but he was probably already at like 300% of his quota. Well, I don't know about that, but I, you know, I try. And a hundred million in revenue, all right. Who knows if this will be cut, but it's good, good stuff either way.

Brett:

The best part about this podcast is we don't cut unless. Unless we say something we don't want to say, then I'll cut it I, got you, got you.

Karsten:

It's raw. What happens if, like, a fact checker is like hey, red, could you, uh, could you change this? Would? I don't know what's the integrity like on this pod?

Brett:

I know rogan wouldn't I'd probably say integrity is pretty good. You mean like if you were like hey, I don't know, I don't want you to have, it's like the government.

Karsten:

It's like the government came to you and they're like hey, brett, like take this out, like some facebook stuff. We don't like, yeah, like some facebook stuff. Like maybe zuck sends you a message. And he's like hey, I know I've been going back and forth on my stance, but like now I'm pro-censorship again dude, I'd probably post it.

Brett:

I'd probably be like you know what. There must be a reason why you don't want me to post it. I'm doing it and that's why I'm back on the pod again. Dude, I'd post it on X, actually, because they wouldn't turn. Turn me down for the people, for the people, that's right, yeah.

Karsten:

You're back on dude.

Brett:

I know after what like a year and a half, two years, like it was when we first the morning, when we recorded, I felt like, yeah, it was early. So early.

Karsten:

We did not. I mean, I'm sure you got after it this morning, I am going to get after it tonight. That's what.

Brett:

I'm talking about dude. Yeah, you're building a sauna. Yes, yes, I'm in the process.

Karsten:

I'm very jealous. It looks like they may start framing it this Saturday there we go Just waiting to hear back, but the lumber is for sure getting delivered tomorrow. Yeah, at least for framing. I'll still need the actual sauna quality cedar or whatever we decide to do.

Karsten:

That'll come a little bit later. But yeah, starting the framing Boom, in our first conversation back in the day we talked a little bit about real estate and now it's super exciting because you know, I built a semi-custom home and you're in the process of building a full custom home and it's just been so fun to talk about.

Brett:

I know and I know nothing. So you've been very helpful with that, so I much appreciate it. But yeah, it's exciting Like I think one of my favorite like having guests on multiple times is you get to hear where they were at and then you get to hear like where they're at now and it's kind of cool just seeing. Like I always talk about progress, no matter how small, like it's still progress, and we've I don't know, we've both done some pretty big things over the past year and a half A ton.

Karsten:

You got married.

Brett:

That's crazy you have two kids now. Yeah, I did have another kid after that.

Karsten:

That's wild Wow.

Brett:

But yeah, I mean like let's get an update on you. How are you doing what's piqued your interest nowadays? Like let's hear it.

Karsten:

Yeah, I have been fantastic. Life is good. It's moving a million miles per hour. It's true. I've had the opportunity to travel a fair amount last little bit, which has been Just got back from Florida pretty recently. Yeah, we did Florida and right before that we did Hawaii and that was just my wife and I and the kids and literally my favorite vacation of all time.

Brett:

I know you've got it this year.

Karsten:

Yeah, yeah, you've got a trip coming up to Hawaii. I guess we both do like same month. I know I got to tell Allie here in a few weeks. You said March, right, I think so, yeah, like definitely springtime.

Brett:

Allie, if you're listening to this March Mark the calendars.

Karsten:

Also I need the time off from work. Just kidding. Yeah, make it happen, that's sweet.

Brett:

Yeah, it's exciting, and like I think you know, one of the reasons I love seeing that progress and seeing like people develop and get better in whatever they're interested in is like that's the whole point of getting after it. And I think it takes a person who's always focused on what's the next step, like trying to find you know how they can improve on themselves, kind of thing. But I feel like you do that normally, like you're always trying to refine your processes for at least like prospecting and sales in general, and then with like building a home, like you're getting further along in real estate, you could also toss the family in there and be like you're progressing in your family. Where's that come from? Like that desire to always move forward and like keep finding something new that's going to keep you interested in like what's that look like? Do you have a process for that? Or?

Karsten:

Yeah, I'd say it's kind of always how I've been. I've always, you know, wanted to become more, be become better, like when I first started lifting weights um, let's see, you put me to shame.

Brett:

Oh, not, not even not even Carson texted me the other day and he's like Ben's three 15 this morning. It's like gosh, damn oh that was.

Karsten:

It's like gosh, damn. That was actually crazy because, like two years ago, I could rep 315, you know three, four reps pretty easily and I didn't bench much for like four or five months. I did gain some weight, which helps, and then boom, like literally after a month of like benching once a week, I got back up to 315, which is like crazy, cause the first time I got to 315, like it was no easy feat, it was like crazy, um.

Karsten:

But yeah, I was just going to say like I've been in the gym well over 10 years now and, like initially when I first started, I always think back of my first training program and it was very similar to German volume training, if you're familiar with that, which is like 10 sets of 10.

Brett:

Yeah, I think our friend Stan taught me about that actually.

Karsten:

Yeah, yeah, stan totally was into that sort of thing and the way this program worked was I would do close grip bench press and it was three sets of eight and I'd do it every morning and get to the school at 6 am. I'd do three sets of eight and I do it every morning and get to the school at 6am. I do three sets of eight. Next day four sets of eight and I'd work up to eight sets of eight on the same weight. Yeah, and then I'd go up by like five pounds and literally I went, oh yeah, when I started, my first weight was like I don't even know if it was a 25 on each side, like it was like barely more than the bar, you know, less than a hundred pounds, and within a year I was doing that with 225.

Brett:

That's insane. That's my goal for the year, so maybe I'll try it out, yeah.

Karsten:

I loved that. It helped a lot, um, especially like doing the close grip I felt like built my, my uh tricep so much, which is what like two thirds of your arm right, so it really just made a big difference, but yeah, I mean. So there's definitely that aspect. But then, aside from that, I've always been driven like with kind of this mindset that I wanted to be successful and like have a good career and own businesses and um seek financial freedom and various, you know, various incomes, various forms of cashflow. It's like something I'm still not even near where I'd like to be, but um, like flexibility.

Karsten:

Flexibility and freedom and time management is like really what I seek. Um, and I want to. Just, you know it, it sucks when I'm putting my son uh to bed and he's like, hey, are you, you um commuting tomorrow to Lehigh? You know I'm not going to see you all day, and I'm like, yeah, dude, I'm, I'm sorry that part sucks. So you know I drive an hour both ways, so that's two hours where I'm, you know, not doing anything but listening to podcasts, which I do enjoy. But if I didn't have that commute I could, I would uh listen to podcasts in the sauna, or instead it'd be a little, a little better.

Brett:

Yeah, that's, that's tough. I mean, like I've actually talked to my brother about that because he has three kids now and I don't have any kids. Allie and I we, like you said, got married last year, so we're not rushing that. But yeah, like he has kind of a similar commute where he's like 40 minutes there, 40 minutes back and he's like it's painful sometimes and someone who's not a dad, like I don't really understand. I kind of get an idea of like when Allie leaves to go fly in Arizona for the weekend.

Karsten:

Oh yeah, it's like oh man, that sucks. I've seen the look on your face when she's leaving. Just depression, yeah, pure sadness. But yeah, I mean, mean it's tough and it's like you're like I'm gonna run instead of 50 miles.

Brett:

This weekend I'm gonna run 150. Yeah, that's it. We're tripling the number, we're going, but no, it's like I don't know. I mean, like life is obviously like you got to show up, you got to do, do the work and all that thing. But I think it's those moments when, like you are with your family or you're doing the thing that you love, it's like man, it's better than I thought it was, I don't know. It's a sense of gratitude, I guess, for me, because when she leaves like my example with Allie, when she goes and then comes back, it's always like 10 times sweeter. It's like, oh dang, I missed you a lot, didn't realize how much.

Karsten:

I totally get what you're saying. When Maddie and I were dating, we did long distance. How long the nice thing was only.

Brett:

Distance-wise and length, so she was in.

Karsten:

St George. So you know like four and a half hour car drive or whatever, and like this was literally the only benefit of COVID is her school went to being remote. Oh nice, remote nursing school, yeah there you go. Luckily it went back to in-person before she finished.

Brett:

Maddie's a great nurse. I've heard stories. She's great.

Karsten:

Yeah, she's a good nurse. She got taken care of in person but, yeah, like it was her first few semesters of the nursing program, it was actually literally her first semester of the nursing program and so it was all book work, which was fine, and she only had to be down in St George for her job at the hospital, yeah. So you know, she would go down work like four days in a row. That would take up, that would account for two weeks of work and then she would come up and stuff, so kind of similar to the situation you're in to, where it's like three, four days without you seeing. Allie was kind of similar for us, maybe like max like two weeks. Yeah, but we were first dating. But still it happens A little different when you're married. We both see that with trade shows. It sucks when, when we go, I try and bring Maddie on trade shows as often as I can.

Brett:

Yeah, there you go. It's probably over two kids now, though.

Karsten:

Yeah, it's probably not happening again. You never know though.

Brett:

Um, but I don't know. I mean, like it's interesting, those things, those kind of experiences just give you perspective. Like I was you know my story where I was 135 pounds, I was super weak and like I couldn't run at the time. And now like I'm running 50-plus mile weeks on the regular and like it's just different because like I knew the breath that was like stuck in in bed and like couldn't get out would jump to, that like would be so thrilled if, like I'd go and actually go do something.

Karsten:

I'd like push my body as hard as I I can um, I remember when you did your first sub three marathon and like what felt like weeks before that, your doctor was like you shouldn't be running like crazy. Oh no, that was that was that was the first half. Was that the half? Yeah, yeah.

Brett:

Sub three I was.

Karsten:

I was getting a little bit better, but yeah, that was man that was sad. Um, but did we know each other when you did your first half?

Brett:

Uh, I think my first official half was Team Tim 2023.

Karsten:

2023. So I think, I started? Did I start at Pattern 2022? I think you did because I started in October.

Brett:

Yeah, yeah, okay. So, yeah, we knew each other.

Karsten:

That's crazy.

Brett:

So you've seen me run my first half and I saw you run your first half.

Karsten:

Walk my first half.

Brett:

No, dude, you were killing it.

Karsten:

You were cruising why you run your first half. Uh, walk my first.

Brett:

No, dude, you were killing it, you're cruising. I killed the first eight miles. What was that like, though, dude? Because you, you trained. How long was your training? Three months, yeah, yeah, I think it was got it done and I loved it.

Karsten:

I think I did like four, ten milers before and, like you know, everyone always talks about like the runner's high and this, and that I felt like any run over an hour, yeah, like about an hour, and I really, really felt that, uh, and really enjoyed it. I'm I definitely want to do some sort of race this year I mean you got, whether man yeah, well, we'll see.

Brett:

But where were we? It was like, was it wasn't Supply.

Karsten:

Side West, but it was somewhere. It was Newtopia and we were in Denver, that's right, I don't remember the time of the year, but we were at the hotel. Yeah, yeah, and.

Brett:

I go down to the gym and I had to run 10 miles and Carson was right next to me and he's like I'm going to do 10 miles too, and right next to me and like I don't know, denver is high altitude man, so there you go, I got it in you.

Karsten:

I hadn't ran over a month before that too I know it's like beast, like uh, slow and steady, slow and steady.

Brett:

But I mean like, is there a race?

Karsten:

you've, you've thought about for this year, I don't know. So maddie's doing a trail run in september, and so I'm kind of tempted to do a trail run in. I think there's one in august I'd be interested in, so I've thought about that. But I've really enjoyed riding, like riding my bike, so cycling, and so I could definitely see myself doing at least a century this year. But I don't even know if I'll do like a sanctioned one.

Brett:

I might just go out and do it like, yeah, with, uh, my dad or a friend or something so I mean, that's what I did with my I guess I team tim 2023 was my first official half marathon, like a brace put on, but I think I did my first half marathon in like August, just on the trail back there.

Karsten:

Oh really yeah, yeah no way.

Brett:

So I don't know. I mean, I'd say, why not? That's sick.

Karsten:

Yeah.

Brett:

What's a century race? What is that 100-mile bike ride?

Karsten:

Oh dang, yeah, so the most I've done, I think it was just over 40. Yeah, it was actually one day, just right before work. That's insane. I woke up like a little early and I was like, you know, I got like three hours, yeah, so I just went for it.

Brett:

Is that like comparable to a?

Karsten:

marathon oh no 100 miles? No, like I would compare. Oh, 100 miles, like that's a long distance. I don't know that's a long business I don't know, I wouldn't know since I haven't done either, but I could say, like the 40-mile bike, you know, and I was pushing myself pretty hard Like I PR'd in various stages of the bike, I would maybe compare that, you know, and it took me. I would have to look at Strava. It's not sponsored but it will be.

Brett:

Follow us on Strava. It might be sponsored by Strava.

Karsten:

Soon enough, but it will be. Follow us on Strava, it might be. It might be sponsored by Strava soon enough.

Brett:

They hear the, the shout outs, I'm sure they'll run some ads.

Karsten:

Yeah, they got AI picking up their name, but yeah, like I think it was probably like two, a little over two hours and so like I would maybe compare that to like a six mile run. Okay, honestly, yeah, like it. And but what I really enjoyed about it is it's a lot easier to stay like in a lower heart rate, like zone two. Yeah, like zone two, et cetera. So like for me, when I run um, you know, especially being a a big dude like it's hard to stay in zone two, even if I'm going slow. So it's like what am I supposed to do? Walk, yeah, I mean it's tough, but you know, by writing, that's when I showed up in Denver after not having run and like stay on the treadmill, just fine, and I would attribute that to be you know kind of the zone too.

Brett:

I mean that's huge. Like I have a run coming up on Saturday doing 13 to 15 miles, just depending on how I feel, and the goal is zone two and like if I'm outside I always push myself into. Like I'll be in three to four for the most of it, but my hack is EOS. You go there.

Karsten:

Yeah.

Brett:

EOS is the best, like the movie room. I literally go to the movie room, dude, and I put on my headphones, I'll listen to a book or a podcast or something and then just try and zone out. And it's like the biggest hack because, like, if I'm tired of listening to something, I'll just like, look, but it is very boring. I will say, like, spending two hours on a treadmill is rough because, like, you have to keep your heart rate down.

Brett:

Like you said, if you're training for zone two, it's like you have to do that.

Karsten:

Do you think it's easier on the treadmill? Because I've been thinking about this. I'm like, okay, I want to do some zone two training, like daily, if not a few times a week. It would be a lot easier because I have a treadmill in my garage. Just go out there and be like, okay, I'm going to do four miles every day. Yeah, you know, would you recommend that? I mean I would.

Brett:

I hear people all the time talk about like how treadmill training isn't real training. But I trained for my sub-3 mainly on a treadmill, because it was wintertime up in Utah and I was like I don't have like shoes to go out there and all this stuff and you're risking injury. Yeah, I mean I probably could have and been fine Until you slip, until I slip and die. But I mean I probably could have and been fine, but until you slip, until I slip and die. Um, but like, yeah, so I I trained entirely for that race pretty much on a treadmill. I'd go to a track a couple of times. That track sounds terrible.

Karsten:

Well, like uh, it was an indoor indoor track but yeah, it was boring dude, I'm going to do 400 laps today, yeah.

Brett:

Oh man, it was brutal, you. You had to have a good book or something to keep you focused. But I don't know. I mean, like I was talking to my brother about this the other day, about treadmill training, and I think there comes a point to where your body gets used to certain speeds. Like I run very comfortably at like an eight-mile pace on a treadmill, so that's like my zone too, and usually like I can run forever at that pace and the treadmill is nice because like you can just keep it there. But I think often, like you get comfortable on the treadmill that you don't push yourself and you're like, hey, you know what I'm gonna do half a mile faster, yeah, half a mile per hour faster, and see how long I can hold it, yeah, um, but I think it's a good place to start yeah, for sure it's.

Karsten:

So when you say eight-mile pace, does this vary per treadmill or like, if you press the eight button, is that eight-mile pace?

Brett:

Well, that's so seven and a half. I meant like eight miles per hour or eight miles. Eight minutes per mile pace is what that is.

Karsten:

Yeah, yeah, and is it the eight button?

Brett:

So it's seven and a half. Oh, okay, that's is yeah, yeah and is it the eight button, so it's seven and a half. Oh okay, it's interesting. Seven and a half miles an hour is is eight, and it probably varies per treadmill. Right, I think it's done by miles per hour, unless you're like doing kilometers an hour, which when I went to uh, I went to cancun. They had a kilometers treadmill.

Karsten:

That was weird, um, we got to fix that in treadmills, because it's like when I, you know, like like when I did the 10 miles in Denver with you I don't know what I pressed, but I was like, hmm, I usually run about a 10 minute pace, yeah, and then I kind of I had my watch on and I kind of was like, okay, like 10 minutes, whatever.

Karsten:

But it would be convenient if it was like and I know there's some new treadmills, I just saw one similar to like those curved treadmills where it lets you keep your own pace on, like but it wasn't, it wasn't a curved one, it was super nice, but part of the reason I'm attracted to starting to run on treadmill more is, my wife always gave me a hard time when we'd run together for not maintaining a steady pace. She's like it's terrible to run next to you Cause you're going like super fast and then super slow when you're gas, and then super fast and super slow. You know, I mean, I think it's good for that for sure, like it gives you a guideline.

Brett:

It's like, okay, it's gonna keep going figure out my stride yeah, that's, that's, I would say, a good use of training for a treadmill like you'll be good, but it's time it's time to lock in it, to lock in.

Karsten:

I just put on my. Did you see my Instagram story? It was just like 30 minutes ago, probably not, so it's a picture of this cute grandma and she's holding this sign.

Brett:

The cost of not locking in is spending the rest of your life clocking in. Let's go, grandma. Yeah, she's cutie that's true, thoughie.

Karsten:

That's true, though. It's true. Yeah, it's a good point. Oh, I didn't realize there was music on that. Hopefully it's like is that kanye? No, that's not kanye yeah, I did not realize. I put music on there that's okay, I don't usually do that.

Brett:

Carson's all about the production, so now mean, I think that's good. My biggest advice to anyone who's trying to start running or wants to exercise more or whatever it is, is just do what you have available to you. I don't know, I know you like running outside, but yeah, that's a treadmill dude.

Karsten:

Yeah, I need to do it more frequently.

Brett:

What were? You going to say I was going to say you know what's been a huge hack for me.

Karsten:

Yeah, let's hear it.

Brett:

On long-distance runs I do the nose strips.

Karsten:

Oh, I love the nose strips yeah.

Brett:

For anyone who hasn't tried them you put a sticker pretty much on your nose and it opens it up and you breathe through your nose and like I don't know. That's a good training on its own, because a lot of people who run or ride bikes or do anything they like do they breathe through their mouths.

Karsten:

It's not good oh yeah, I slept with a nose strip every day for like probably like two or three months last year, um, until I ran out actually you know, probably longer, because I've had a few different brands. Yeah, but the hostage tape, no strips. I got them at a conference I went to. I got a bunch of like free samples, oh nice, and they're really good. Really, they're super high quality you gotta try blaze, blaze.

Brett:

Okay, I think it's like a hostage tape competitor. But they come in 60 and there's like 20 bucks.

Karsten:

Yeah Ooh, 20 bucks is like pretty fair for 60 compared to. Uh, the hostage tape was pretty pricey. It's like 30 for 20 bucks. Is that what it was? Yeah, come on but you can sponsor us though Nice when they're free. Yeah, hostage tape you can, you can sponsor.

Brett:

It's fine, but, um, but, yeah, I mean yeah, like what else is going on in your world? You got any goals that you're working towards this year?

Karsten:

Yeah.

Karsten:

So I, like my wife and I are on a fitness kick right now. Oh nice. Like, especially her, like she's setting the example right now, like she'll literally be in our garage, which luckily is insulated, but she'll be in the garage. It's still pretty cold on the treadmill with our toddler like running around. We have like a net up so like sometimes he's golfing, sometimes he's hitting a plastic baseball bat, sometimes he's we have a TV out there just watching TV, but he's all over the place. They're just watching TV.

Karsten:

He's all over the place bouncing around the walls and she's on the treadmill with like a baby holder holding our baby no way Walking, and she'll be out there. You know she gets 10,000 steps every day so she hasn't missed it. What a beast. And yeah, she's out there and then she'll get like a workout in out there and stuff. Yesterday was one of the first days I really locked in. I left my house at, I think, 5.15, came here to the office and I did a little bench work, a little bit quick, very quick triceps, and then I did a lap of lunges around the building.

Brett:

Um that's insane.

Karsten:

I love it the building's big.

Brett:

It's like I don't know 300 feet each side, each long way, and then the the width of the building is like what?

Karsten:

50 feet yeah, I could see that for sure. It took me 11 minutes and 30 seconds, I think. If I was really really to get horse legs like, yeah, that's how you do, my legs hurt so bad right now. I believe it, man. But I I was actually thinking like that because I actually liked it. When I was thinking about, I was like, oh, this is clutch, because normally I just go to the gym and there's like the little grass patch or turf. I get artificial turf and I'm like, okay, I'm gonna do 10 minutes or 20 minutes or whatever it is, and I just do it. But I have no like concept of whether or not I actually pushed myself, you know. And so with this I'm like, hmm, you know, I, this is similar to running. It's like, okay, this is, this was my time for this lap. Now for the second lap, let's see if I can beat it.

Brett:

Or, you know, I mean, even doing two laps would be its own feat, but I mean that alone that 11 minutes I like for sure is probably mostly mental, like yeah, it's gonna hurt, like your legs and stuff, but like doing that for that long is hard oh, oh, yeah.

Karsten:

Yeah, it would actually be interesting to see like what's the longest that we could do it? Yeah, like the longest I've ever done it was 30 minutes. Okay, and I was at a process. I was at a point where I was doing like 20 to 30 minutes pretty frequently, that's insane, Like 30 minutes of lunges dude.

Karsten:

Yeah, no steps in between, no steps in between, just right into it. Um, it's funny because so it's cory gregory, cory g, fitness founder, muscle farm. Uh, absolute g, like he's. He just started muscle island where he built this container what like? This container home on an island and he's got like a sweet gym there and whatnot he's he's actually a huge ohio state fan, so like, hey, let's go. Yeah, you and Allie would hit it off with him. You'll have to shoot him a message after this. Let him know we shout him out, we love Corey. But yeah, you know Pat McAfee, right, yeah, so he on one of his shows he's shouted out Corey, countless times. Really, pat's done the lunges, oh, corey, countless times, really, pat's done the, uh, the lunges. So, and I swear by him, like so when I was I was playing, I was playing, I was gonna say college football, high school football.

Brett:

And.

Karsten:

I was weighing 220 and then it was done and you know I was playing D line and so I was like, okay, I guess I don't need to have this weight anymore Like I would have. I was already too light to be playing D-line, so I definitely couldn't have lost it during the season. And so I started lunging every day and eating healthy and taking proper supplements and sleeping, and I dropped, like I don't know, like 60 pounds in like four months and got like super cut and stuff. And then when I went on my mission, it was super hard Cause, like in the winter we would just get like unlimited tamales and like other stuff. And it was like I was in Mexico and it was an insult, like if you didn't eat 20 tamales and you know.

Karsten:

So I would just like felt like sometimes I needed to. I like I would literally say no and then I would get a full plate and I just felt bad, especially when someone's giving you like all they have, right, right. And so there'd be phases in that time where I would, you know, gain a little bit of weight, but literally just with like a few weeks of 15 minutes of lunges every day, I would burn it down like super quick. So getting in the process. Now it's, you know, when you're already doing so much cardio like you do with like running and stuff, it'd probably be hard to do it daily, but, you know, two, three times a week would be pretty cool. I wonder how that would impact what you do.

Brett:

I'm interested. Yeah, I'll talk to my brother about that, cause he's we like work on each other's workout program. So he does the lifting part and then I do the running and stuff. So we like train each other. It's kind of fun, but I'll tell him cause I'm like we got to do lunges. Yeah, and it's funny Cause you mentioned like all that stuff and I think people who like either want to get fit or like lose weight or whatever the story is, um, they think they need, like you know, a world-class gym and, like you said, like all the top line supplements. But really it's like you just go outside and do lunges and eat a little healthier and you'll be fine yeah, I mean it doesn't have to be crazy.

Karsten:

Yeah, as long as you're at a caloric deficit and you're not eating just junk, like that's not slamming back the chairs and then like obviously I think everyone knows like the stair stepper's great yeah.

Karsten:

Or like if you go to the highest incline on a treadmill and you walk at like a speed of three for 30 minutes to an hour every day. Like similar thing With I've also seen a lot of people just walking on, like on trails outside or on the sidewalk wearing weighted vest, yeah. And like if you didn't want to draw attention to yourself, throw the weighted vest on, put a hoodie on over that no one's ever going to know. It's true, go out early or late, no one will ever see you and just get out there and do it. But you know you're just getting in that metabolic, like like zone to burn fat. Just shed that off.

Brett:

I love what you were saying about, like a little bit earlier. Like you tried running, you know, you ran your half marathon and now like you're falling you didn't say this, but falling in love with biking. Like you like biking a lot yeah.

Brett:

And I think it's like it doesn't have to be running. It doesn't have to be running, it doesn't have to be biking, it doesn't have to be lunges. It's just like find something that works for you, something that you can enjoy and learn how to enjoy, and then just try and do it every day.

Karsten:

Yeah, it's also just like that challenge. We've both worked for Bryce in various roles. Bryce Warning is actually a CRO now Ex-Amazon, ex-amazon CRO previously. We could only say VP. So very proud of him. It's actually his birthday today, so happy birthday.

Karsten:

Bryce, we love you. We do love you, uh, super proud of you, as I stated previously. Yeah, so he like he, he finds something all the time where he's like I'm going to summit this mountain and then I'm going to like do this marathon or this triathlon or I'm going to go to the gym and see, like, how I can push myself there. But over the last I don't know let's just say 10 years, it's probably been longer he's found something every year or so that he's done. I thought that was pretty cool.

Brett:

I think it's like Jesse Itzler does the same thing, I think.

Karsten:

Oh, I believe it. His stuff's so cool. I would love to do the rim to rim or whatever.

Brett:

Yeah, that would be sick, and the Grand Canyon Do you want to do that this year?

Karsten:

I would do it. Jake said he would like take us Really and he's done it like many times. Let's get a group text with that guy. I'm down. I know I would probably want to drop 50 pounds before I did it, but I would do it, we could do it. We could do it together. I mean you did help your brother drop 50 pounds.

Brett:

Yeah, he lost 50 pounds. And how many months was that? I think seven months, eight months. Yeah, that's good, that's solid. But yeah, we could do that. That'd be sweet. Yeah, it would be way fun.

Karsten:

I would enjoy that a lot.

Brett:

I like that principle though that Bryce does and then the Jesse guy talks about, but trying to find one new challenge every year. It doesn't have to be like I don't know, it should be something that's really hard for you, but try and switch it up a little bit. Rim-to to rim is way different than biking a century race or like whatever it is like. Just try and push yourself and see what your limit is. That's why I run. Like Allie was asking me the other day. She's like when are you going to stop? Like when's when are you going to hang up the shoes?

Karsten:

you know when he beats Nick Bear in grandma's marathon. Oh man, called it out.

Brett:

Yeah, I'm aiming for that but how many weeks out are we? Ooh, I think we're weeks out, I don't know, but we're 158 days. 158 days, nick. Better be ready. Get ready, nick, I'm coming. I'm going to look like a clown. Respond to our emails. Respond to our emails. Come on, we've been hitting you up for a while, two years Two years now With really really good data and insights and I know like valuable stuff.

Karsten:

When you hear this podcast, you know think back, think back on our emails.

Brett:

Check it out. Check out the emails. Um, but no, I think, like for me, I just want to see how far I can go. Like it could be a goggins 240 mile moab race. Oh wow, that one is insane. But if I could run that and like say I did it, I think you know I'd be pretty pumped yeah hard.

Karsten:

I think it'd be fun, like because you you did your trail run, yeah, you've done various marathons and this and that.

Karsten:

I think that would be good just to kind of mix it up, and obviously you're so like young and you're like running yeah, which is weird I mean like prime times 40s yeah well, and not only that, but it's just like think about, like a lot of people that like young and you're like running yeah, which is weird, you know what I mean. Like prime times forties yeah Well, and not only that, but it's just like think about like a lot of people that truly get passionate about this, like they try to knock off all the bucket list races, you know, boston marathon, the London marathon, the New York marathon, like um, I'm not at a level to where I'm even thinking about a marathon in general, but if I ever got to where I was running a sub three like you, I would, I'd have my sights on some of those like really, really like nostalgic ones.

Brett:

But well, hopefully, uh, nick bear again. If you're listening to this, will you please draw me for the ultra. I want to. I want to do that one last man that'd be sweet. When is that? May 25th or something?

Karsten:

That's actually soon.

Brett:

Yeah, it's pretty soon. It works great because I've been doing a lot of distance, so I hope fingers crossed. I don't know when they're announcing it.

Karsten:

And what were the rules on that one? Was it like it's a?

Brett:

4.2-mile loop every hour on the hour, until one person remains 4.2 mile loop.

Karsten:

How long would that take you for one?

Brett:

lap. I mean, if I'm doing that eight minute per mile pace, that's like 32 minutes, gotcha, and then I can have like that pretty.

Karsten:

But then there's the strategy. It's like do I want 30 minutes, or do I want 10 minutes, or you know I'd probably.

Brett:

Yeah, I mean that's a good point because, like when you ran Ragnar, you would have hours where you'd be sitting and it was so hard to keep going afterwards. But I don't know, I mean, I feel like I could.

Karsten:

I feel like the optimal rest time is going to vary per person and it's probably like would make sense to adjust that throughout the race. If you do like get drawn, it'd be interesting to do some research there and then also just test yourself. Yeah, Like go out to a track and be like okay, how was it like if I have a 15 minute gap? What's it like with 30 minute gap?

Brett:

It's not a bad call, honestly, you know cause you're going to win. So there's some tough players going. Man Cam Haynes' son signed up.

Karsten:

Cam Haynes is like did he automatically get in? I don't think so. I don't know. Maybe if you run it in jeans then you'll get in. Maybe I'll get in. Yeah, but that dude, he's going. Yeah, he's a beast, he's going for the pull-up record again.

Brett:

So I think he's he's gonna do it easy that dude is insane.

Karsten:

He did it true.

Brett:

He did it once, right and yeah, yeah, yeah, he did it one time. Um, I don't know if gogds is gonna be there, I I think Sally McRae is going to be there. She's like one of the best female ultra runners, dang.

Karsten:

Is she sponsored by BPN? Yeah, she's automatically in Sponsored by.

Brett:

BPN and Nike dude. Oh, wow, wow. But if I could throw my hat in the ring with people like that, I would be stoked, just for that opportunity too. Have you seen?

Karsten:

the minted like saucony collabs that I sell. Yeah, they're pretty cool. They have a like a blue. It's a brand minted new york. You should look at some of their, their merch and the different shoes they've done um, but I'm kind of tempted. They're actually I need to get a new pair of shoes.

Brett:

I think you should get the fire nikes oh yeah, the guy with the flames yeah, those are sweet coming straight out of like 2008 yeah, they're legit.

Karsten:

If you had like, maybe if you bought the oakleys that are like all one frame that go like kind of weirdly over your nose and you had those that and maybe some like three inches, three inch shorts, yeah, some threeinch, like kind of bright shorts.

Brett:

Just play the role man. Yeah, just go into it. Welcome to the past. That would be good for the Vegas one, that's true, yeah yeah.

Karsten:

yeah, I know you got the Team Tim shirts, but you know, we could dress it up like that.

Brett:

Yeah, Team Tim is almost a month out, that's coming up, yeah, that, yeah, team tim is almost a month out, that's coming up, yeah, coming up. And then I run the race on the 23rd and it's the evening one, right, yeah, it's at nighttime, so it's it's gonna be fun. But, um, yeah, shout out to team tim, we'll get you there one of these years no, yeah, I would love that.

Brett:

I think the goal for the next one is that it's just team tim's race. So typically we go and we go like to a half marathon. That's already happening and then we'll run that um, but we want to do it where it's like specific for families who are going through. You know, one of their loved ones has cancer, um, but then just to honor him, like I think it'd be cool just to have everyone come out and be like hey, because registration is the biggest issue yeah.

Karsten:

And then, especially if you could make it like to where it's like, hey, you know, donate up to what you feel inclined, you know, or anyone, if you want to get any sponsorships or this or that, like it's appreciated and we're going to help families in need. You know, not expected but appreciated whatever you guys end up doing, help families in need. You know, not expected but appreciated Whatever you guys end up doing, I think you could get a lot of people you know open to it, especially if you found you know like somewhere beautiful to do it.

Brett:

Yeah.

Karsten:

Probably not Arizona. You know what I mean, or, yeah, I don't know where it is, but there's just so many. Like, the half marathon I did was in St George, overlooking Snow Canyon, yeah, and it was just beautiful. You guys was in St George overlooking snow Canyon, yeah, and it was just beautiful the whole you guys. Actually, you ran that race, you and Allie, so, um, maddie and I ran it and she beat me Um, but yeah, it was just beautiful the whole time which I think, and you know, like the one you're doing next month.

Karsten:

uh, it's an experience too.

Brett:

It's nighttime, vegas strip, like Allie tells me that, like elvis is on the strip like marrying people on the race, that's crazy so there's like ladies who run with a veil in their hair because they just got married by elvis. Like there's guys rapping on the side yeah, so that's gonna be an experience.

Karsten:

I think that's what makes it fun. I'm, yeah, like people, the haunt. I would like to do a haunted half one day. I think that'd be kind of cool about those I want to do one like you, wear, wear a fun costume, and I just think it'd be maybe that's the race that you do this year with me. We'll go and do the haunted house or the haunted half that could work out nice, because if I did a trail run with maddie, um be ready, dude, that'd be easy, yeah, at that point that would be because I'd probably do a little less, like maybe a 10 mile trail run or something I I don't know.

Brett:

But I love it, man. Anything else, anything else top of mind, any advice you want to give, you know might as well, might as well wrap up and kind of with that.

Karsten:

That in mind, I'd like to just end plan on being back in the pod. Yeah, I think I think we should get on. Let's let's talk about it and just find like two or three things that we're like look, let's cover this discipline or this. Like I love storytelling, so maybe we can get deep into a story of you know something that happened to either of us or whatever. I think that would be fun.

Karsten:

But, yeah, this time I would just say, like life is hard, like it's super hard and, honestly, like I haven't gone through too many like crazy things. But as I look at like things you've gone through, things that I've had family members go through the last few years, like it helps put it in perspective a little bit. Where it's like a like, okay, I need to stop moping around sometimes and feel sorry for myself and I just need to be positive and be like you know I have. I'm so blessed, like with you, you know, my education and where my wife and I live and our kids and my career, like so blessed in so many ways you know. So there's like that reminder and then, also with that in mind.

Karsten:

Um, you know, there's always opportunities to help people, like help someone get a job. Like I've enjoyed, I felt many people interview for jobs and land land jobs recently and just over the last few years, and that's something that's fulfilling and I would always, you know, if you feel like, even if you feel like things are going terribly and you're just like want everyone to feel sorry for you, yeah, like take a second and go do something for someone else. Like, if you, like you know, hate something about your life and just are really like not loving it, go and find someone else and just ask them, hey, like what is the hardest thing for you right now? And it could be like, oh, I'm out overweight or I don't like my job or I need to make more money or this or that, and then just offer unsolicited help. Like I don't do that as much as I should, but from time to time when I do, I fill like a million bucks.

Brett:

That would be my advice. I think that's honestly great advice. And yeah, I mean there's two ways of looking at hardship, like from my own experience, and it's ways of looking at hardship like from my own experience, and it's one you can either, like you said, mope around and just be sad and sometimes that's okay Like if you lose a loved one, yeah, you probably should mope around for a little bit, but don't let it hold you down. Like you can use it to. Allie and I were talking about this last night either refine you or destroy you.

Brett:

Allie and I were talking about this last night either refine you or destroy you and I was talking to her about like when I was sick and I had every opportunity to like give up and just be like whatever. Like this happens to me. It sucks, but it's like what that Rob Jones guy who I had on this podcast, who ran 31 marathons in 31 days with no legs that's crazy. Like on prosthetics, but like just painting the picture for me that, hey, no matter what someone always has it worse and there's always times when you can like step in and help.

Brett:

Yeah, I love that there's this. I'll tell a quick story and then we can wrap up. But there's this old lady that lives in Arizona. She's Allie's neighbor. One day Allie was walking with her dog and she was just like this old lady was out in her wheelchair, just like waving and stuff, and um, allie walked over with the dog and like let her pet the dog and stuff, and then they became friends. Um, they've been friends for like three years, I want to say, but she's 86 years old, she's like a hoarder years old, she's like a hoarder. Oh, um, like her house is just, it's crazy. Um, but like I feel so bad for her every time we go over there because like she's alone, she doesn't have anyone, she can't really move that well and she's in like a lot of pain, like she's actually in the hospital now because she fell down oh my um, and it's like we, we always go over there and we don't think we're doing something nice for her because we're just spending time with her.

Brett:

But like things like that go a long way, yeah, and so like with what you're saying about like just help someone else, like help someone out if you're ever feeling down, like I love that advice and like that could just look like talking to someone for a minute. Yeah, you know.

Karsten:

It's crazy, like how much people appreciate that. Yeah, I had my aunt Rosemary growing up. We would bring her taco time once a week when I was pretty little my mom's doing, but when she passed away she left me and each of my siblings $500. Like she didn't have much but she didn't give really, from how I understand it, money to anyone else. Yeah, but she just appreciated, you know, the joy that brought her so much, just 30 minutes once a month that you know she just wanted to make sure that. You know we understood that she valued that with a small, you know a nice gesture, especially for a little kid.

Brett:

Yeah, I mean that's super nice and yeah, it shows the power. Like you don't know what means something to someone, so just be there for them. Yeah, like the time will come when they will tell you what they need, and like the fact that you're nice to them. Like dude, you're probably one of my best friends up in utah, if not the best friend I have in utah I love you, man, everyone else can you?

Karsten:

know just kidding pound sand if you're, if you you're listening and you feel like you're one of his best friends, close your ears. Close your ears, no, but like it's, there's room for others.

Brett:

Yeah, it's like what you and I were talking about, like we've, you know, built our relationship. We're always, you know, down to talk to each other and if I ever need help, I know I can call you up. Life's hard, but it's easier together.

Karsten:

Yes, it is. Build an army around you all the time.

Brett:

Let's get after it. You want to close it out and just say keep getting after it, keep getting after it, let's go. Thanks everyone for listening.