.jpg)
Getting After It
This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a relentless pursuit of growth, grit, and getting after life on your own terms.
Every week, we break down what it takes to push limits, embrace discomfort, and turn ambition into action. This is where wisdom meets execution—because knowledge alone doesn’t cut it. You have to apply, refine, and outwork your own self-doubt to see real results.
We bring on guests from all walks of life—entrepreneurs, athletes, creatives, adventurers—people who have battled through resistance and come out stronger. Their stories aren’t just inspiring; they’re roadmaps for anyone looking to level up.
The mission? To fuel your fire, challenge your thinking, and equip you with the mindset and tools to chase down your biggest goals.
This is Getting After It—not just a podcast, but a movement for those who refuse to settle.
Getting After It
149 - Conversations With Discomfort: Running, Injuries, and the Mental Game
This one’s personal.
In two months, I’ll toe the line at my next ultra 31 miles through the Canyonlands. I’ve done this before, but this race is different. I’m carrying new lessons, some from the trail and some from the weight room, but most from the setbacks that nearly pulled me out of the game altogether.
Injuries have a way of humbling you. They strip away your ego, your timelines, your illusion of control. This year, Ally's knees forced her to slow down—not just her pace, but her entire approach.
Mobility, strength, patience, recovery… the things I once brushed off as optional became non-negotiable.
Running is the perfect metaphor for life. You don’t get to choose the terrain, but you can choose how you meet it. Every race, every training run, is a conversation with discomfort. Sometimes it’s a whisper. Sometimes it’s a shout. But if you stay in the fight long enough, you start to realize the finish line isn’t just a place, it’s a person you become along the way.
This episode is about persistence. It’s about discipline. And it’s about the quiet, unseen work that makes the visible moments possible.
Three Takeaways:
- Longevity is built on the boring stuff — strength training, mobility, recovery, and nutrition are the pillars that keep you in the game.
- Everything good is on the other side of hard — whether it’s the last painful mile or a personal setback, the breakthrough lives just past the moment you want to quit.
- Your journey is yours alone — stop comparing your chapter two to someone else’s chapter ten; progress is personal, and patience is a discipline in itself.
–––––––––––––––––-
Website: Keepgettingafterit.com
Follow on X: @bcrossell
Subscribe on YouTube: @gettingafteritpodcast
Follow on Instagram: @bcrossell
Follow on TikTok: gettingafterit_podcast
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.
Getting After It is for those who. want to silence their self-doubt. Refuse to be owned by comfort. Understand their limits are man-made and breakable. We live in a time of constant comparison. Social media drowns us in highlight reels and overnight success stories. But what most people don’t see is the grit behind it all. The reps. The quiet mornings. The sacrifices. The failures.
You are just getting started.
Keep Getting After It.
That's true. Maybe we should get after it. All right, I'm ready. That's important. So this episode, I don't know. One thing that I always talk about with this show is how it's a compilation of things that I wish I would have learned when I was younger. And now it's kind of different and we're in an interesting situation with. I've ran an ultra race before and now I'm training for another one, october 25th. It's coming up Almost two before, and now I'm training for another one, october 25th. It's coming up almost two months out. I learned a lot in the first that I'm going to take into this next one I need to learn all those tips and tricks.
Speaker 2:Well, you're doing great.
Speaker 1:That's what's super interesting about this is like you're doing great, like I think you'll be fine, you're being so nice. We know it's been a rough year for me with running. What I'm saying is you're doing great.
Speaker 2:Like I think you're going to be fine, You're being so nice. We know it's been a rough year for me with running.
Speaker 1:What I'm saying is you're doing great getting back into it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, getting back into it two months before the race is a little scary.
Speaker 1:Well, let's talk about that because I think that's an important thing for a lot of people to understand is like and I'm not saying people look at us and put us on a pedestal when they think of running. I don't think that's the case at all.
Speaker 1:I think people just definitely do not do that no, I think it's just, people see our consistency and maybe they're like oh, that's, you know, maybe I want that. I don't know, I might take that part out. I don't like what I just said people aren't putting us on a pedestal okay, all right good yeah, take that part out. Anyways, it's interesting you hear these stories about people who are unbelievable. I think of Cameron Haynes, Truett, all those guys.
Speaker 2:Yeah, outliers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you don't really see they deal with their own injuries and they deal with their own setbacks, kind of in their own different ways. But kind of walk through what happened to you, when did it start and what actually happened and how are you overcoming.
Speaker 2:Well, a couple things about the other guys you were just talking about. I feel like I don't know if we see their injury side all that much.
Speaker 1:Well, kind of. I mean, Cameron Haynes was like, yeah, I have a broken foot and he ran the Cocodona 250.
Speaker 2:Right? Do we know how he broke his foot?
Speaker 1:I think just overuse or something, I don't know right.
Speaker 2:I feel like we don't get many details actually about people's injuries and, like sally, she just had like knee surgery and stuff. I'm like, oh, no one mentioned that, that's a big deal.
Speaker 1:I think they don't want to tell people.
Speaker 2:I don't think it's like lack of wine to tell people. I think to them it does matter.
Speaker 1:Interesting Okay.
Speaker 2:They're like they're going to keep doing what they're going to do anyways. So it's a hiccup and they're going to move on.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's one thing that I struggle with is it cripples me. I am not the same type of strength. I am not those type of people.
Speaker 1:What do you?
Speaker 2:mean strength. These people are like. They go through, obviously, a lot of injuries, like Sally with her heel, like the freaking ulcer from her ultra.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:And her knee that she's got surgery on and Cam's broken foot and still ran like 200 miles Like if I broke my foot. No, sir, I'm not even walking upstairs, like absolutely.
Speaker 1:I just throw you on my back, like Yoda will take you up there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, put me in your backpack. I'll put you in the back there's no way I'd be doing all this crazy stuff. So they're like different breed and I think that's maybe why they don't talk about injuries as much, because they're going to do the thing anyways, yeah, a lot of the time, and maybe they wouldn't even advertise that because, like, if it doesn't work for somebody else, like they know they're probably different that's probably true.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're very disciplined and consistent and they've been doing it for years, right?
Speaker 2:so they know like what their bodies can and can't do, and so maybe it'd give the wrong message to like run through certain injuries for people who are not like on their level. Um, because even with you talking about the type of stuff that you run through, other people are mad about it, but they're actually just weenies, you know, and so it's like everyone has different pain levels yeah seriously and everyone has different pain levels and um can push the different stuff.
Speaker 2:So maybe that's why people don't talk about their injuries that much. For me, as I'm saying like this might be a reason my knees hurt. No, um, I don't know what happened. I didn't have. I think what happened maybe is in March. I think I had a little bit of overuse. I think maybe I had runner's knee or something for my left knee Really sharp pain when I ran underneath the kneecap, kind of all around the bottom of my kneecap. Outside I definitely have tight IT bands. That's got to be a factor. But I'm thinking I was babying it a little much and overcompensating on my right knee, the right knee, I remember like the second I heard it like it was so fine up until mid-july was that when we were at the gym?
Speaker 2:yeah, okay, yeah, I remember that that was sad I was like that was like a week out from the marathon we were gonna run um the grandma's marathon, and I was like, okay, I need to hit like 20 miles today or else I I'm not gonna be ready for the marathon because my left knee has been bothering me. So I pulled back so much on running in like april and may, or maybe it was may, june, um and then july.
Speaker 2:Like you didn't run very much at all yes, I haven't been running much at all this summer so it's like if I can't pull 20 miles I'm not ready for grandma's, first of all. Second of all depends on the pain level, because if I can run through it, that's one thing, if I can just finish, but if it's something that I'm gonna dnf or like have to limp to the a station and they go cart me somewhere, I don't know, just zooming around mario, but I have so many good references I can make.
Speaker 2:So I was like I got to do 20 miles. If I can't, I'm not probably going to run grandma. And I was running, felt great, like this is awesome. And then, boom, right knee was like see ya, that was like the sharpest. That hurt actually so bad. I was like ready to cry, I couldn't even walk on it. I was like halfway through my, that was like the sharpest pain. That hurt actually so bad. I was like ready to cry, I couldn't even walk on it. I was like halfway through my run stopped right then.
Speaker 2:And so then my right knee's been the issue. So I'm like so my left knee, I think, might've been overuse. Right knee felt more injury than left, but regardless, I've just been having such sharp pains. So, in order to build back our friend, obviously, is a physical therapist, brinley. You had her on the podcast and she's been giving me exercises. You've been giving me exercises. I've been focused a lot this summer on strength training rather than running, which is frightening knowing that we have a 50k coming up in two months. So trying to build back those muscles really and flexibility, mobility, that's what I've been working on.
Speaker 1:It's important, it's frustrating it's um. You know I love math, so it's almost like an equation for everything, right? We always have equations like you have the training piece right but if you're missing the stretching and the mobility piece, you're gonna have issues. If you're missing the strength training piece, you're gonna have issues. If you're missing the strength training piece, you're gonna have issues, so many issues. So it's like you need the and then the recovery also. So there's maybe four steps to this equation, five steps actually, nutrition. Throw that in there too.
Speaker 2:But that's also part of recovery. So actually we'll combine that as one well, I wouldn't even say it's just part of recovery, because nutrition prior to working out yeah, but like that helps with recovery in the end.
Speaker 1:Okay, like as long as you're feeling your body right. But okay, for this instance, you need training plus stretching, plus mobility, plus strength, plus recovery, plus nutrition, nutrition plus some good music, and then you'll.
Speaker 1:That equals results so if you can do seven steps, well, I mean that just kind of shows like what needs to go into it? Right, it's like I think a lot of people they just think like, oh, yeah, running, like you just get out and run. It's like, yeah, that's true, I think a lot of people have success with that like there's many runners out there who I don't think are bench pressing. Um, I mean, you could just, you know, it's an easy thing to skip upper body.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like I think if you want to get good at running, like that makes total sense, like have that be your passion, have that be your main focus. But I believe in from my own experience and from seeing other people talk about the importance of strength training and stretching and taking care of your body, like that's what leads to long-term success and longevity and running and that's ultimately both of our goals I think like we're not stopping running. Team Tim is every year, so we have at least have that.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:But it's important to take care of yourself and like what have you learned through this process?
Speaker 2:How much time it all takes Because I would go to the gym. Yeah, I'd go to the gym, go lift maybe, do 30 minutes of cardio go home, not including the stretching, the mobility, all that foam rolling. I feel like I spend so much more time, which is tough for me because I'm so impatient. One thing I've really been focusing on is slowing down and being intentional. Because I was able to squat so much more and stuff, because I was just like going quicker, I was just like probably form wasn't so great and then I was like, okay, I'm going to refocus on my muscle to brain connection and slowing down and counting the rep Slow, you know, like four seconds down or whatever, and pausing at the bottom or all these things. So my gym sessions have become a lot slower, which has been hard for me.
Speaker 2:I think I have ADHD or something.
Speaker 1:No, I think it's tough. Like being intentional is difficult because it does require a lot of time, but it's so crucial to do that, like to actually go through the steps to make sure you're doing it right, because, like you said, it could lead to injury if you aren't doing it right, if you aren't taking your time, if you're just trying to rush through. And I've had both experiences with like kind of that approach. Like you get in the gym, you go as fast as you can just to get the workout done, so you can be done, and it's almost like a chore that you check off. Recently and by recently I mean like the past few years um, I've changed my mindset around the gym and now it's like I feel like I'm getting stronger, I feel like I'm getting better if I just go slower.
Speaker 1:And uh, dr Mike Izzertill um, yeah yeah, it's the guy Um, but he's great. He's been on Chris Williamson's podcast. I think he has a podcast of his own.
Speaker 2:I think he's on Huberman too.
Speaker 1:He might have been on Huberman actually.
Speaker 2:Anyways, carry on.
Speaker 1:But he talks about, like, the importance of slowing down, and he always says like when you're going down with the weight, like if it's a bench press and you're going down, or if it's like a squat and you're like lowering, you should go slow and then, at the bottom, explode up right because that's like a different muscle that you're using and um, that kind of training sucks, like I've been doing that, it's it's hard like I don't know.
Speaker 1:You might see me at the gym like doing dumbbell presses or whatever, and you just it looks like I'm just going in slow motion you count how many seconds you go down or it's just a feeling You're just going in slow motion? I just try and go slow motion, really, yeah, because I feel like if I'm counting then I focus on the numbers, but if I'm just trying to go slow, I'm doing the motion itself. You're the feeling. I try and feel it in my pecs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like recently because I'm more, because I it reminds me to slow down. Yeah, because, say, for bench press in this example, I'll just like go down, up, down, up. You know, it's like two seconds each way. And as I've been thinking about being more intentional and really like dialing in the motion, the form and stuff, counting like makes me like okay, like I have to keep like moving, or else I think it's like four seconds and it's actually like one you know, and so like for me that helps because I'm so used to going fast with everything I do, especially like movement and talking.
Speaker 2:I move, I go fast.
Speaker 1:That's a good distinction to make, though it's like I just said, I don't count. You just said you count, and that's one thing that fitness kind of makes difficult for a lot of people is there's so many voices out there that tell them like, hey, you should do this, you should do this, and and maybe you should, maybe you should try it and see if it works out for you. But that's the thing is, it's a very personal endeavor. Um, what works for me might not work for you. What works for you might not work for me, right, and so like, with what we're saying, like the people, people who are listening, take it with a grain of salt. Try it yourself, right, see what works for you and build a routine around that. Like that's kind of what's good is like now, because I've been doing this training, like I feel like I'm in a routine, I feel like I know what works for me and how to tie that into running. Like still have my focus there. But you're right, it is a time suck, it's a lot it is.
Speaker 2:And one thing actually that I didn't really consider when I was first starting my knee issues was I honestly didn't really know the difference between, like, stretching and mobility. I thought, like you're being mobile, that's stretching and that's flexibility yeah but I've been learning a lot recently about what it means to actually do mobility and I don't know, like, do you have like a certain circuit you do, or anything like what do you do for mobility?
Speaker 1:yeah, is it different?
Speaker 2:every day for you, uh yeah, a lot of times.
Speaker 1:It's different for me every day, like, but I'll do it when I'm working out, so like in between exercises when I'm squatting or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just cause, like I don't know, it works for me, saves time. Saves time Kind of mixes it in, and then, like I'm still resting in between, cause I'm not, I don't have 250 pounds on my back, so like I don't know, I'm able to do more things like that. Um, but for me, stretching is a big one because I feel like my mobility, like obviously I do exercises that are specific to that, like you put a kettlebell or a band around your foot and you lift your leg up with your hip flexors, those kind of things. Or you put a kettlebell or a band on your foot and you do tibialis raises, like so it helps your shins. Even that one stupid, I don't know what this is called, but it's the one exercise. I don't think it's mobility, it's a strength one, um, but you put your legs in it, you face the ground and you go down. It's like you're. So this is your body, you're like that oh, like it's like it works your butt yeah, but like you're
Speaker 1:like leaning over it yeah, and that's the thing that, like I've come to understand, is like okay, well, what muscles do I learn in running? This is like a recent thing. You and I have been talking about this a lot.
Speaker 2:I know this was so frustrating. We've been running for so long. It feels like I've been doing Team Tim since 2019. Also, I never really tried with Team Tim until like a year or two ago, so that doesn't count. So we so we've been running for like two years and we learn something literally every day. I swear like we've been talking about the different muscles we've been using. All of a sudden we're like oh, that's so smart to work out hamstrings more like that is the dumbest thing that it took us so long to like, really emphasize yeah, I mean it's.
Speaker 1:That's part of the journey as much as like it's it's. It's frustrating to like look back and have that hindsight 2020 vision, being like, oh man, I could have done things so much different, but at least you learned it now.
Speaker 1:Like at least we're getting better now, right, and another great example like some people who want to start their running journey like maybe they'll sit down and be like, okay, I need to do mobility, I need to do strength, I'm going to have it all planned out. But for someone like you and me, it's like, hey, let's just go figure it out and understand what we need to change. And unfortunately, with that mindset. It's like the knee thing comes up right, um so.
Speaker 1:And then you learn after the fact right and so it's not the best, but I mean pain's a great teacher, um, so you will learn. I learn like I have hip issues from time to time, but doing mobility and stretching and all those things like it helps take care of it. There's this quote from Abraham Lincoln.
Speaker 2:You love your presidents.
Speaker 1:Yeah, why did I say his name like that though?
Speaker 2:Abraham Lincoln.
Speaker 1:Lincoln. But he says discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most. And with this example that we're talking about now, it's like, okay, well, discipline, like you can choose what you want now, which if you're at the gym, you don't want to do your mobility, you don't want to stretch, like you can choose that. But if you want to use discipline, you should choose what you want later, what you want most, which is a healthy body, strong joints, like all those things, and that requires mobility or requires stretching, requires strength training and running all those things. And so I think it's just being disciplined with your time, sometimes like understanding where that's at, um, but yeah, I mean, it's difficult I don't know if my, I don't know where my dad got this quote, but he used to say it.
Speaker 2:Sometimes he'd say, um, everything good is on the other side of hard, and I'm surprised we haven't talked about that before actually you and I, yeah, but I think it's a good point. Like you, have to get over that hurdle in order to see the progress, to be able to become a better person, to just progress in all aspects of life.
Speaker 2:And as I think about that, with like running like running itself is hard, but overcoming the issues is also hard. Yeah, so it's like they both suck. But also being a catch potato is hard in its own way, because then I can't move, I can't do anything right. So everything is its own version of hard, and obviously hard is relative right yeah, thank you, um, and so choosing that hard, what you want to be disciplined in like. If you're choosing the hard thing, though, the other side is going to be rewarding yeah, it's true.
Speaker 1:Here's another analogy that's not running related okay so when I was a kid, my parents had this rule that if we wanted anything, we had to earn the money and go buy it.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Which I think is a great rule. Like, taught me how to work. They didn't give me things on a golden platter and, being the baby, that was a risk, so shout out to the parents.
Speaker 2:Anyways, it's so funny because at the time you're like this sucks, my parents suck.
Speaker 1:You know it's like hey doing hard things or whatever. And then you grow up and you're like that was great parenting, good job, I always had fun, like I always had a good time doing the things. Um, I guess it depends. I can remember one time drew and I really wanted lego star wars.
Speaker 2:It just came out it was the first lego star. No way lego star wars. Holy smokes, how old are you?
Speaker 1:I don't know I was like, probably like nine or ten.
Speaker 2:That's really cool, baby Twice.
Speaker 1:Lego Star Wars was ahead of its time.
Speaker 2:Ahead of its time.
Speaker 1:Wow, you could be a Lego guy.
Speaker 2:I'm so happy for you. I really am. Anyways, we really wanted this game.
Speaker 1:Right, it's like something we've.
Speaker 2:A game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, lego Star Wars is a game is a game. I thought it was a lego piece set, no, okay, ahead of his time, onward, onward, um. And so we wanted this game. So, bad, right, and my mom's, like you, gotta earn money for it. And so we went to the store, we bought a bunch of sodas, we bought a bunch of waters, and my mom was having a garage sale the next day and so we sat out there and I, we sold waters. I think they were like two dollars for a water, three dollars for, uh, a soda.
Speaker 1:No, no, it was not that high I was saying when you were 10 yeah, but um, anyways, we had like, by the end of the day, like 65 dollars, that's cool, and we went and bought lego star wars and it was like so rewarding, but we had to sit out there in the heat for like five hours to do it. Right, it was a little lesson as a little kid. But basically, you know, we couldn't have done that and I'm sure if my grandma because she was the gift giver we could have asked her be like Grandma, can we please have Lego Star Wars? She probably would have done it. That's funny, but but who knows, maybe I wouldn't have appreciated it as much. Long way to say, sometimes it does pay, almost every time it pays to do the difficult thing Because it leads to a better future.
Speaker 2:I don't even know when, it would ever not be the better thing. I mean, maybe you can do a difficult thing and you fail, but the lessons learned like seems to still be worth it. I don't know really what bad things come from being disciplined and doing hard things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I love Alex Ramosi's perspective on this because he always talks about it. He's like before I was successful, I had seven failed businesses.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And that, like I'm not a business owner, I have getting after it. It's getting there, to where we start making some money and stuff.
Speaker 2:It's getting after it.
Speaker 1:It's getting after it there, but like if that failed I would have such a hard time to be like okay, well, Like first seven didn't work. What's next? Like let's do another one. And that continues six more times. And then you're like, okay, I'm going to do it again. And then that one finally takes off Like that's insane, like that's a different type of persistence and he does talk about all the time. Like he's grateful for those experiences, because they taught him so much right um and I think it's only like um.
Speaker 1:One of my favorite talks um okay yeah, president, elder, elder, now elder dietrich uchtdorf um, he actually quotes Steve Jobs okay, so Steve Jobs quote actually Steve Jobs, but you can't connect the dots. You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. Um, I think a lot of that applies to like learning, those difficult lessons and all that stuff. So Steve Jobs through Elder Uchtdorf.
Speaker 2:Very beautiful.
Speaker 1:So perspective changes a lot.
Speaker 2:I feel like I noticed that I mean going back to running a little bit. Is I get so frustrated because I didn't run much this summer and it's easy? To be living in the moment and you're like, okay, this sucks, I literally barely run. Like summer, and it's easy to be living in the moment and you're like, okay, this sucks, I literally barely run. Like I did 15 miles on Saturday. That's the longest run I've had since. I even know when.
Speaker 1:Team 10 maybe.
Speaker 2:Team 10 was 13 miles.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah. So I was thinking like I haven't beat 15. Yeah, Like 15 miles as far as I've gone. I don't beat 15. Yeah, Like 15 miles as far as I've gone. I don't know. Yeah, since before this whole year probably. Yeah, and I was like frustrated with myself because we have a 50K coming up in two months and I'm just now getting to 15 miles with my stupid knees.
Speaker 1:But you got to be pumped on that.
Speaker 2:Which are progressing.
Speaker 1:They're getting better, may.
Speaker 2:I add, so it's easy to look at it and be so frustrated because I'm just now hitting 15. I have so much more to do before then, but it's fun because this is actually kind of lame big loser, let's go one thing about me she loves hannah montana I love hannah montana. The second thing about me is a great butt okay, thank you third thing anyways.
Speaker 2:third thing is I I don't know what it is Someone runs a race. I'm looking up that time. If I see a bib on anyone in a post, I'm like what race is that? Ding ding, ding, ding, ding.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's good at it too. So if you don't want that, hide your bibs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I'm finding you. But the other night I was like laying in bed and I'm just like thinking about the ultra. So I'm looking up everybody's times from last year's Canyonlands race and I'm going through to see like what their paces were and then I'm stalking them to see what their Strava's like. If I'm in the ballpark where I think I'm gonna be, I'm like hardcore diving into this just mainly for perspective on my part to be like okay, like what am I like the work I'm putting in now? Where am I filing in? There was only like 65 people that completed it last year, not a lot total, yeah, or 70, 74, um, and a girl came in first place. That's kind of sick. Shout out to Helen, I think her name was.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Helen let's go.
Speaker 2:I don't remember for sure, yeah. So I'm kind of weird that I'm obsessed over that stuff.
Speaker 1:Do you think that's dangerous though?
Speaker 2:No, I don't feel very comparing in that way. I think it can be if it depends on how competitive you are. I'm very competitive, but I also think I'm most competitive with myself. Where I'm looking at their these girls times, and I'm like dang, like if I came in last of these girls. These girls seem like freaking studs, like I'm just happy to be in the race, you know and yeah I'm just happy here.
Speaker 2:So looking at their times, I was just trying to understand like where I could be.
Speaker 2:So I went back to my Strava just out of curiosity and was just looking over the years and it's like the same thing with connecting the dots.
Speaker 2:Looking back, it's fun to think because I was like, wow, I never thought that I would ever be able to run a half marathon in under like two and a half hours Right, and now my half marathon is like an hour 45 or whatever I don't know. And then I ran a full marathon. Now I'm doing my first ultra, and so when I get down on myself, I like to look back on old Strava and be like, oh, I actually do see progression, even though if I look at just my yearly Strava, it's like pretty pitiful with my numbers as far as how many miles I've been able to get in because of my knees. But when pretty pitiful with my numbers as far as how many miles I've been able to get in because of my knees. But when I look at it long term over the last six years, it's like dang, I actually have been progressing and my baseline is so much higher than it used to be yeah and so you can still find like confidence and even the seemingly small wins absolutely so.
Speaker 1:I talk about the importance of journaling and stuff, and it doesn't like journaling, not necessarily in that sense of like I'm going to sit down and write down my thoughts, but like, yeah, having data to support your evidence moving forward in the future. It's like with anything that you do, you should have some kind of idea and write down whatever your starting point is, if it's a hobby, if it's a business, if it's fitness Right, and then keep doing that. It could be a weekly thing.
Speaker 1:But, then look back, like when you get discouraged, look back at where you came from, because that is a really powerful tool to use and I've done that myself many times. But, yeah, I think that's a great tip.
Speaker 2:As far as like, actually journaling, I didn't tell you this, but I actually journaled for the first time a long time, like three days ago, really. Yeah, and What'd you journal about?
Speaker 1:A secret, that's fair, not a secret.
Speaker 2:Just the fertility stuff.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:But no secrets here.
Speaker 1:No sperm either.
Speaker 2:No secrets no sperm, but we'll see, got me good there.
Speaker 1:No secrets, no sperm but we'll see.
Speaker 2:Um, you're the one that said it, man, it's like a blow that candle out over there. Oh my gosh, don't try to rizzler this, but anyways, yikes, I was gonna say was the last journal entry I had before, like three days ago. I think it was like November of last year.
Speaker 1:I'm like ooh Do you remember what it said though.
Speaker 2:In November. Well, I looked at it the other day, yeah, and it was interesting reading it, because I don't remember writing it at all, but it was like very much what I needed the other day when I started writing journal again. I'm like every time I look at my journal I'm like I love reading back on this stuff. Why can't I just put in the work every day to write a little something? So I need to get better at it. But yeah, like you were saying, whether it's journaling or whatever kind of data or any type of information of your current day and age, it's fun to look back and see where you were, where your mindset was, because that's how you recognize progression and that's how you recognize answers to prayer, that's how you learn where your mindset was, because that's how you recognize progression, and that's how you recognize answers to prayer, or just learning all of the above, like there's so much that you can learn from your past self and prep for your future self.
Speaker 1:What would you tell your past self now about your journey with running? We'll keep it running specific. We don't have to get super personal. But what would you tell that person new with running?
Speaker 2:we'll keep it running specific you know we don't have to get too super personal. But what would you tell that person? Um well, if I was saying I was running a 50k old alley, be like yeah, right, uh, as far as how cool is that though yeah, it's pretty cool, it's pretty badass I'm like nervous because my goal for this 50k is to finish.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because obviously it's my first race. We have 2500 feet of elevation gain and I did like a thousand the other day and I was like, oh, I found my weakness, quads and booty. My butt feels like somebody lit it on fire with the torch.
Speaker 2:I said I'm scared you're gonna do great but I think that if I went back, if I had to give my old self a tip, so like if I knew I was going to get into running, I'd probably say start the mobility and stretching now, because even get ahead of it yeah, even knowing now, like what probably my issues are with my IT bands and um, just like my hip flexors are so tight and so like knowing the issues those are causing it's still hard to do every single day and I know that's an issue I'm dealing with.
Speaker 2:So if I could have gotten that habit a long time ago, I think. One, I would be a lot better at preventing injury. But two, I think you're just such a so much a better or such a better runner when you have that strength in your hips, like if you look at sprinters, their hips, like their hip flexors, are like one of the strongest out of all the athletes because they're sprinters and they have to have that mobility like to like drive your knee forward and stuff. Yeah, I'm like I think I would have been able to get faster, a lot quicker. I think I think I would have enjoyed running more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think one reason that people hate running is because one, you start off too fast. I think that's a big issue spot with new runners is like they're so embarrassed by the 12 minute pace so you go for the nine and then you hate it because it was miserable, because you've never ran two miles at a nine minute pace and then you like, hate it and you swear it off and never do it again, right? The first thing with the new beginning runners, in my opinion, is go slow, like, keep it as comfortable as you can, because if it's miserable you're not going to do it a second time and that's when you're screwed right.
Speaker 2:So go slow yeah and then my other thing would be the stretching and flexibility, like if you're flexible in your hamstrings and your hips, in those areas, your calves, then it's so much more enjoyable because the pain is so much less. Same with foam rolling.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:I always talk about. My first half marathon was the most pain I've ever been in as far as muscles and I've knocked over an hour off my half marathon time and I haven't felt as sore. And I've ran a marathon since. I haven't been as sore as my first half marathon because of dehydration and lack of stretching and mobility and rolling.
Speaker 1:You can really get ahead of a lot of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so much of it starts before you ever put your tennis shoes on.
Speaker 1:A thousand percent.
Speaker 2:And I'm just not figuring that out after two years of running more competitively.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, like I said, everyone's on their own journey. So frustrating.
Speaker 2:So if you're listening to this, if you want to start running, that's the hack Start slow, stretch mobility yeah, Having that type of flexibility, it's going to give you a lot farther, a lot faster.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're going to feel a lot better too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, then you're not going to hate it like how everyone does in the beginning.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:How I still sometimes do, but you're supposed to. It's normal to hate running. You like the outcome.
Speaker 1:You don't have. I mean, it is difficult, it's. It's one of my favorite tiktok things but it's a tiktok thing, a trend?
Speaker 2:no, it's comments.
Speaker 1:It's a tiktok, I guess, but um, I saw this one time and I was like you know what? Tiktok is not all. Tiktok is not all that bad, oh not the fedora man I kind of think I like tiktok anyways. Um, this is one thing that I love. It's I don't know. I'll show the screen. It's just some random guy in a barn with some text, but it says anyways, it's supposed to be a conversation between a guy and his friends.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll put it up right there. It's between a guy and his friend and the guy is like, why do you run so much? And he basically says like, oh, you know, it's something like keeps me busy, Like I like it all this stuff. And the guy's like, yeah, but there has to be a reason behind it. And then this is the friend's response. He says it's a conversation with discomfort. Every run there's a point where your body starts to protest the ache in your legs, shortness of breath. The voice telling you to stop Discomfort shows up like an old rival waiting to see if you'll back down. It's about negotiating with it. When the discomfort shows up, you have two choices ignore it and keep going blindly, or listen to what it's telling you. It forces you to ask yourself is it a limit or just a hurdle? Every step beyond that discomfort is like saying I know you're there, but you don't get to decide my limits.
Speaker 2:Boom so good when I ran my first and only, I guess, marathon. It was cool because after 21 miles I'm like every step is the furthest step I've ever taken and it's just that mindset of like, just one more every step, step is a victory.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know when you were running your first ultra? It was last July in Arizona. Two Julys ago, oh my gosh, you know what I meant. Last year July.
Speaker 1:Last year, 2024.
Speaker 2:When you had to face that discomfort, obviously our minds are the first to leave. Usually, yeah, the mind's the first one to be like hey, you're done. Face that discomfort, obviously our minds are the first to leave. Usually.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:The mind's the first one to be like, hey, you're done before your body, even though your body hurts really bad. But when you're doing your first ultra, what were you telling yourself to keep pushing past those hurdles?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean there was a lot. Yeah, the first two laps sucked.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Especially the second one, where I kept throwing up every quarter mile.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was pretty bad.
Speaker 1:That was bad. And then like that was actually.
Speaker 2:It's not funny. It's funny now looking back.
Speaker 1:It's funny now Because we made it through. Yeah.
Speaker 2:But watching that happen because I obviously did the second lap with you I was like surely he's going to stop, you know to like throw up and stuff. No, you just kept running, leaned off the trail, like literally projectiled, and then he got back on. Did he even like miss a beat? I'm like still huffing and puffing, trying to keep up with you as you're just like shooting out, throw up. Every so often. That's the grossest description, but that's like what was going on. I was like, uh, is this healthy, what's going on? I was like, uh, is this healthy, what's going on?
Speaker 1:I was nervous, I don't know. I mean that showed up like my headlight died a few times A few times. Yeah, I was like I didn't train in the heat so I wasn't used to how hot it was.
Speaker 2:The sand was the sand.
Speaker 1:It was like yeah, running through sand was hard, the sand was horrible. The sand it was like, yeah, running through sand was hard and it was windy, it was kicking up.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I mean there's a lot of factors that sucked, right. But that race was kind of special for two reasons. One is my first one, right. So I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, that I could actually accomplish something like this, and I wanted to prove to myself that it wasn't just a mental like that, it was a mental game. I mean, like I knew my body wasn't in physical pain, it wasn't in the best shape, but it was in physical pain and I kept telling myself if I could take one more step. That means I can keep going, and so like I would always do that and like the reason I love that stupid photo comic strip thing of an old man in a barn is because he says it. He says it's a conversation with discomfort and that's really like. Once I read that I was like that is completely what it is Like you are having a conversation with discomfort that entire time, like even when you start, even before you start you have all these thoughts and that's what you enjoy.
Speaker 1:I mean enjoy, no, but it gives me a sense of like you can do other things too, Like running. I love it, it's a passion of mine. But when I say it's a metaphor for life, like I'm not joking around. Like I think it's a great metaphor for life and that ultra like when everything is going wrong, if I can control my thoughts if.
Speaker 1:I can tell myself, hey, this is fine, like I'll make it through, I'll be okay. Then that carries a lot of power in it. And so, like, if something goes wrong in my life like boom Brett, you got no sperm it's like, okay, we'll make it through this, we can figure this out. It sucks, like it's not fun. It's a crappy thing to go through. You and I both want kids bad and it kind of hurts every time we go over and see like our nieces and nephews and I'm like who knows, who knows if that'll be soon and it's hard. But it's like I mean, also in in the ultra, I relied on you a lot, like we support each other during this, those times and, um, I feel like running just kind of trains my brain to not run away when discomfort shows up. Instead, it's like just talk to it, talk to discomfort, have a conversation, and so I think that's one thing that like really got me through that first race.
Speaker 1:The second thing was jordan. Um, I ran that race for jordan um, my buddy who had stage four cancer at the time, but like I kept thinking about him and you know know he had a, uh, a battle. He could not stop fighting and I could have dropped out at any time in that race. But I was like Jordan's going through hell right now, his family is suffering, like they can't stop that, they can't just drop out. And so, like I wanted to finish it, for him to be like, hey, you know what? I love you man, like I'm thinking about you, I thought about you this entire race. You got me through this, so I think it was kind of like a circumstantial thing, but those two things are kind of what pushed me through to the end. And then you, of course, you ran with me, you supported me the whole time. What are you talking about?
Speaker 2:I can see that you got me a little tender there.
Speaker 1:Why I?
Speaker 2:don't know. Uh, I mean obviously I think about Jordan's family. That's so sad, um, and obviously it hits home cause of my dad. But it's neat running with a purpose.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Like I think that's why team tim is so powerful right like everyone's. They're just, they're pumped up. They're like hey, we're running for 10 today and you know, people are scared, but they're not saying it because they're like oh people are saying it really yeah, people have talked about it, like most people, I mean, it's normal to get nerves before a race.
Speaker 2:Yeah, especially if you're unfamiliar with the environment and how it goes. That's normal. It's normal to feel that way. But I think that's. What's neat is, like I like herbs before a race, especially if you're unfamiliar with the environment and how it goes.
Speaker 2:That's normal, it's normal to feel that way, but I think that's what's neat, is like I like. I like people overcoming their fears. Yeah, I think that's what's really cool. But, um, yeah, that race was special for a lot of reasons. Like you said, what are you taking into this ultra marathon that you learned from that one?
Speaker 1:Definitely in that mantra of like hey, just have a conversation, talk to discomfort, see if you can negotiate with it this comfort is gonna beat me to a pulp yeah, it's gonna it's gonna it's gonna be on your back it's gonna be kicking at your hips and your knees, yeah, heavy as heck it's gonna be throwing rocks at you.
Speaker 1:Great, yeah, it's brutal, but it's it's worth it. Um, so that that's definitely like. One thing I'll tell myself is, like have that conversation and then, um, honestly, I gotta give a shout out to brayden because his no excuses just finish like that's what registered, huh I think we make a lot of excuses a lot of the time when we're doing things like this, absolutely Like oh man, my knees, this isn't you.
Speaker 1:Okay, I won't use that example. Maybe it's like oh man, I didn't feel for this run, I'm not going to be able to do this. It's hot, maybe I'll just stop. I'll just stop, that's fine. Like you, maybe I'll just stop. I'll just stop, that's fine. Like you can make excuses anytime if it's a race like same thing. Be like oh man, not feeling good, I'm having an asthma attack. I gotta stop.
Speaker 1:That was me in vegas, um hate vegas and uh, anyways, it's like what was I saying? Don't, don't, quit yeah, don't quit like, don't make the excuses, don't even think about the excuses there's no excuse like don't let them even enter your brain, and that when you think about that, like when those thoughts come in, that's discomfort and you say, hey, let me see if I can take one more step, and you just push past it. And so I know there's gonna be lots of things. I also I'm gonna be doing the premeditation of evils come again the premeditation of evils.
Speaker 1:It's, uh, one of the stoic principles, which is you basically just think of the worst case scenario that could happen, how you would respond to it okay, what's the worst case scenario that you're thinking of? I'm thinking we're running in the mountains. It's freezing, the rain's coming down.
Speaker 2:There's mud all over the trails I feel like I do so much better in those conditions I lose one of my electrolyte bottles um.
Speaker 1:My pack gets punctured by a tree, so I lose all my water um, my shoes. Something happens to them and they're they're bad, maybe I have blisters, but like, I try and think of the worst things to be like, okay, well, if this happened, how would I respond? If this happened, how would I respond? And that way, if it does, I'm not entirely surprised because I thought of a situation, I thought of the plan.
Speaker 1:Um, I didn't do that in the first race, I just showed up and I was like I'm just gonna run this thing yeah and had no idea what could go wrong, and so I'm fully expecting to throw up every quarter mile on this next one great and I'll keep going.
Speaker 2:But, like I, I want to think about the worst case scenarios, because if they show up because chances are they will I'll be ready for him but, like every time I run, I'm like envisioning the finish line every single time and I'm like I'm like, if I take a seven mile run, I'm like I'm seven miles from the finish line. I, I literally envision. Obviously I'm a, I'm a dreamer, but I literally envision like I'm in the desert, like I can picture the whole thing, like you're on the other side, I'm crying, you're crying.
Speaker 2:You're kind of a little big baby sometimes, but we're both crying you're excited to see because you're proud of me oh, I probably will share it too, and I'm like one tear will come out and that's like the vision I keep seeing over and over. It's just me finishing crossing line, crossing line, like that's what I see every single day. When I'm going to bed, I'm dreaming about that yeah like I literally have that, just that, just that mindset, like I have to cross the line.
Speaker 1:See, I love that because people that's like manifestation right.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You think about it and it'll happen.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Not true. You're putting in the work, that'll go into that, not true Okay?
Speaker 2:I don't know, I'm just saying like in general, you know, those people who are like oh man, I just want a lamborghini like mother, I'm gonna think about a lamborghini, I think about a lamborghini?
Speaker 1:I'll get it. Yeah, that doesn't work. You have to work for it right so I think it's important to envision that and be like yeah, oh, I'm gonna run the finish line.
Speaker 2:I'm envisioning it as I'm running.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no all I'm saying is that it's very different because you've put in the work I think you'll be able to get it done because you have the evidence to support it.
Speaker 2:I have a lot to do in the next two months. What is your training looking like leading up to October?
Speaker 1:Lots more time on feet, so it's starting to pick up a little bit. 16 miles in the mountains on Saturday.
Speaker 2:It just stinks. I'm in Arizona on Saturdays.
Speaker 1:I know it's so hot right now. Drew's having the same problem.
Speaker 1:And I feel bad for Drew tooude, but I think this is a special race for me too. Um, because last race I ran for someone I loved. This time I'm running with people I love. That's cute, so that's kind of a cool flip. And it's you and drew both people who inspire me more than any others. Like you with all the things that you're doing in your life, your motivation, your mindset, like how you push through, how your knees bothered you and you still fought through, like that's inspiring, that gets me excited and like I want to see you do really well. So I'm going to be proud of you.
Speaker 2:And then Drew, I'll let you down.
Speaker 1:Drew in 2023 was 265 pounds Right and he swore off running. Last year he did his first marathon marathon this year he's doing his first ultra marathon, yeah it's crazy. I'm so proud of him. He's a beast and like the training that's gone into that like I hate. People have given him crap, say names. People have given him crap about his running and stuff. But that dude works unbelievably hard and he has three kids. He works a full-time job.
Speaker 1:He's still a husband right like, and he made this entire life change over a two-year period right and like that is so inspiring to me. So I'm running with two of the most inspiring people in my life, two of the people I love the most, and so, like this is gonna be a very special race, it's gonna be cool that's why I feel like we're gonna be big tender babies I might not be a tender but, like I said, maybe one tear will fall I think that will happen.
Speaker 2:I think I'll be crying the whole way through. I made 13 miles in on the terrain it like dips down and then at mile 13 it's like a fat climb for like however many miles. And I just know, after that 13, I'm gonna be crying the whole way up. I'm gonna say, dad, where are you? Help me, help me, he'll be there. You better be here. I'll be pissed because I'm always running for him. I mean, you literally got me to run 31 miles and you're not here.
Speaker 1:The audacity he's like sorry, ohio state was on I know honestly he would he went.
Speaker 2:Oh, priorities yeah we love that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I'm excited. I think it'll be good I do too, so a lot of time on feet, a lot of time on the trails lots of food my favorite part yeah, well, it's hard to have an appetite after like a long run, though for me at least yeah, I suppose, but mean it's like the day before. Yeah, eat some carbs the day before. What?
Speaker 2:kind of carbs are you eating? Eat some candy while you're running. I can't eat candy when I run.
Speaker 1:I mean good carbs. Alessandra's sourdough bread is my favorite source.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, my sourdough starter died. It killed us internally, yeah, so that's my favorite source for sure, though, um bananas are great.
Speaker 1:I love bananas.
Speaker 2:You're a big banana guy. Yeah, um, you're a big rice cake guy I love rice cakes.
Speaker 1:If I'm really trying to get in the carbs, rice is great I love rice. Rice potatoes are my most favorite food potatoes are one of my favorites, but it's hard to eat them the night before like they're. They're pretty starchy. Um, it starts not good. It doesn't sit well with me, like. I think it's fine to eat them the night before Like they're pretty.
Speaker 2:starchy Is starch not good.
Speaker 1:It doesn't sit well with me, like I think it's fine for some people, but like it's kind of heavy.
Speaker 2:I see.
Speaker 1:Usually when you go for a carb source when you're running, you want like a lighter carb.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's heavy.
Speaker 1:Pasta's fine. I just wouldn't eat a lot of like the sauces and stuff. Oh, yeah, because you don't want a lot of grease and you don't want a lot of protein. This is if you're carb loading. If it's like the night before, you're probably fine, but if you're carb loading. It's like I think 75% of your calories will come from carbs. That's a good amount. Yeah, it's a lot. It's a disgusting amount.
Speaker 2:That's going to be a tough thing mentally. I'm sure I don't feel like it is.
Speaker 1:it is always yeah, it's hard for me mentally actually, um to carb load because, like I, I mean you get a little bit bloated because you have more water retention, all that stuff and like I don't know it's like against everything you've ever talked about, right like but it always pays off. That's the problem.
Speaker 2:That's why I hate it because it works that's interesting so and then protein right after, or what are you eating after, after the runs?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, protein for recovery Protein. Yeah, shout out to Spence for that tip.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't think it's required, but if you want to recover faster, I think having some protein within an hour after your workout is good.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I need to remember this stuff and according to Dr Spencer, yeah, yeah, I need to remember this, dr spencer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's harder to do that when I'm living in a different state half the time, because you're the cook in our family and you're the one that has all the nutrition facts and knowledge, and so I'm like calling you, asking you what to be eating.
Speaker 1:But you can't go wrong with meat, although if you're running, I'm just saying like, if you want to eat healthy meat and vegetables, vegetables, it's great.
Speaker 2:Meat vegetables, sweet potatoes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a good carb source. It's technically a vegetable, so a root vegetable, I think.
Speaker 2:What do you mean technically? I thought that was like fact. What do you think it was?
Speaker 1:A potato? Isn't that a root? I'm just real, just kidding.
Speaker 2:no, it's a vegetable yeah, I was like didn't we already know that was a vegetable? What the heck? Okay, good to know well that's what I'll be doing anything else? No, I got my MRI on my knees today. I'm assuming it's gonna be fine, I just and they are progressing. I just wanna make sure everything's nice and spick and span getting into these next few weeks Higher training. So I'm excited, I'm nervous, but I'm excited.
Speaker 1:I'm excited for you.
Speaker 2:I think I'm going to like the trails, so far it's so much better. That's what it seems like. It's fun. I need to get a lot of strength going, a lot of lifts.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm proud of you for your journey. You've come far and, um, yeah, I think it's going to be a really good time. But I know this episode was kind of all over the place with the things that we talked about. But, um, I think the important thing that I want to note is, just like, we're all on our own journeys, so it's not fair to compare yourself to other people who have been doing it longer. It's not fair to compare yourself. If you're injured, like, be very intentional with your own personal journey and recognize that it's unique to you. So treat it as such and you'll be fine. You'll make progress. Be patient, keep your head down, stay disciplined, be consistent. The dreams will come. Always do, always do. Thank you everyone for listening to this episode and, as always, keep getting after it.