Getting After It

152 - Dallin Shurts - The Mindset of An Athlete

• Brett Rossell • Season 5 • Episode 152

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In this episode of Getting After It, I sit down with Dallin Shurts—BYU record holder, Team USA discus thrower, and a man who has learned as much from failure as he has from victory. His story isn’t just about breaking records; it’s about breaking limits. From awkward beginnings on the basketball court to standing on international stages in the discus ring, Dallin has forged his path through discipline, simplicity, and the relentless pursuit of small daily wins.

We explore the unseen work behind greatness, the mindset shifts that separate those who cave under pressure from those who thrive in it, and the timeless truth that success comes from focusing only on what you can control. Along the way, we touch on Stoicism, Stephen Covey, and the paradox of learning to enjoy life’s resistance rather than wishing it away.

Three Key Takeaways

  1. Chase the feeling, not the distance — True progress comes from focusing on the quality of your effort, not the outcomes you can’t control.
  2. Resistance reveals strength — Getting after it means doing the work when it’s hardest, not when it’s convenient.
  3. Keep life simple — Mastering the basics, in sport and in life, creates the space to thrive and enjoy the process.

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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.

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. 

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Brett:

but yeah.

Dallin:

So I do have to say you, you win tallest guest of course I do yeah, yeah, I'm sure you get that a lot well, I mean once you start getting basketball players, I'm sure oh yeah, I'm sure I'll lose that crown pretty quickly yeah, trying to get uh shack on, but yeah, I can't compete with a seven foot one person. I think he's seven foot one, I think. So, yeah, okay, he's insane, yeah, but, dude, thanks for thanks for coming on. It means a lot.

Brett:

I'm of course excited to chat with you today. One person, I think he's seven foot one, I think so. Yeah, okay, he's insane, yeah, but, dude, thanks for thanks for coming on. It means a lot. I'm excited to chat with you today and, um, our good friend, michael Whitaker. He uh introduced me to you. So grateful for him for that. And he says you have an amazing story. So I'm excited to dive into a little bit of that today.

Dallin:

Yeah, me too, I guess I wonder what that story is. I guess we'll find out, I guess we'll find out.

Brett:

Yeah, well, we'll see if I can pull it out of you. But yeah. Yeah, why don't you just introduce yourself Like let us know your name and kind of why I had you on today?

Dallin:

Yeah, so I'm Dallin Schertz. I grew up in Oregon, born in Texas. Yeah, so I'm Dallin Schertz. I grew up in Oregon, born in Texas. I kind of dwarfed the rest of my family. I got the best part of the genes there. You got the tall ones. Yeah, no, my oldest sister's 5'2". I always use her as an example that we're not all freakishly tall. I just got lucky.

Dallin:

She's got the genes, yeah, but also everything big comes from Texas, and so it's very fitting that I was born in Texas, although I grew up in Oregon, which is kind of like track town, usa, so exposed to a lot of that culture of running. And, believe it or not, I ran cross country, I played soccer, I did a lot of basketball.

Brett:

Played lots of sports.

Dallin:

In high school I was very active, and much to my credit too, which is really good. And, uh, you know there's a reason for that. There's also a lot of studies. That support, being a multi-sport athlete, just helps you excel in the sport you really like um and specialize in I've actually seen that.

Brett:

Like not to take the conversation too much off track, but uh, like you've noticed or I've seen and I'm sure you've seen this too but like kids who specialize in let's just take basketball, for example yeah, they put them in when they're like three years old and get them all the way through high school and they don't do as well as the kids who like play baseball, football, basketball. Yeah, it's kind of interesting. It's just different techniques and anti-coordination. I've seen some of the studies with that?

Dallin:

because, yeah, when you specialize in an event too early or a sport, the chances of injury are just increased, and when you get injured, that's one of the biggest forms of interference for progress. Yeah, and so if you can minimize, minimize injury, well, you maximize. Um, you know, gains, the gains. So, uh, you know every weight, weight weight lifters biggest fear is catching cold for a week or two. Yeah, you know. Yeah, they just hate it. Uh, because you know it's interference, like you gotta fight through that and like your gains just aren't as efficient. Um, but yes, and I would say the biggest thing in track and field that being a multi-sport athlete gives you is, um, oh, I'm spacing on the name, it's, it's, uh, it's a coordination.

Brett:

Oh, yeah, okay.

Dallin:

Yeah, you get. You just get used to how your body moves, doing different things, and that's so, so important, especially in track and field, with the technical events like throwing um, it's very technical pull vault very technical Um, if you can just get coordinated, it's huge. Through other events, you just have body awareness and you just can like be aware of of like what, what your body is doing in certain positions and how things feel. And when you kind of like figure that out, it's a game changer for just efficiency and practice. Yeah, just going forward because you have those skills right, you know right, was that tough?

Brett:

like you being tall because I've heard that is something everyone talks about is like oh yeah, the tall people aren't coordinated.

Dallin:

I was told that by my own volleyball coaches it's true, really tall people are less coordinated when they go through.

Brett:

Well, I mean, okay, I because you're in a very technical sport I haven't read any like research articles that support so hearsay.

Dallin:

I'd say probably true, but basketball was the most beneficial thing I could have ever done for track and field.

Brett:

Interesting how come.

Dallin:

Because I was so uncoordinated. I just remember kids laughing at me in first couple of practices in high school yeah Cause I would just do things. And people are like why'd you bounce the ball to the roof? I'm just like I was trying to guard you.

Brett:

Yeah, why not?

Dallin:

You know, like I I just, I just looked really awkward on, you know, on the court, yeah, but um, I I improved really quickly because, um you know, mindset wise. Okay, story time. Right, let's go middle school. I hated basketball. My parents made me do it and I'm just like, oh why am I playing basketball like I don't want to be in this gym, yeah, and like we're a musical family, we're all kind of quirky, so I didn't really relate to their slogan my sport is your punishment like shut up who cares?

Brett:

you know it's yeah, runners man, they get the worst rap. I mean they do the worst stereotype. I mean like worst stereotype, and I'm a runner myself and I can say that.

Dallin:

So and so, yeah, with that in mind, you know like I just didn't enjoy that environment Because that's not the environment that I grew up in, you know Right? And so in middle school I was just like no, I don't want to do this. In high school, so freshman year I didn't play basketball. But I come from a very small school and height is is like prime real estate. Yeah, for a small school and our basketball team I was taller than everybody there 380 people total in our high school. That's insane.

Dallin:

going from 9th to 12th grade, that means our graduating class was more than your high school in theory, when you at home, I'm just visualizing what does it feel like to throw far and uh, then I'd like, okay, you know, like, do like a drill or two, and you know I'm in like the living room and then, and then I just like sit down again and watch film, be like okay, and then I'd, you know, compare the part of the my throw that I'm trying to improve with another thrower who's really good at that, you know at, you know that skill right, because you should never copy another thrower. Um, you need to like build your throw off of your own strengths. And so, you know, you know, do a little research that way too. And eventually I'd get to the point where I'd find a cue.

Dallin:

I'm like, okay, it sounds, it feels like, it feels like this, and so I'm going to go to practice tomorrow with that in mind, and so I would do that. And I just remember there's some practices where nick was like, you know, nicholas rainey's, my coach, um, I would just throw like four meters on average further in that practice really, and nick is like, wow, what a great day. I'm like, yeah, you're telling me I'm, I'm having a great practice, this is awesome, yeah, and so a lot of those like moments.

Dallin:

you you know where I just like have breakthroughs in practice all the time, and it's because I did my homework.

Brett:

Yeah, I was about to say like that's one thing I think gets, you know, hyped up on social media is some people will look like an overnight success but they don't see like you watching film, practicing in your living room watching film again, trying to see what cues you can develop, understanding how feel, like throwing feels, yeah, like all that goes into. You know nick saying hey, you had that was a great one, like what a good day.

Dallin:

Yeah, it's all the unseen work that people overlook, uh-huh so, and it wasn't just one throw, it was like a consistent practice, or three or a week, and they just carry on and like the skill was learned. You know, right, like I remember one cue that was an overnight success for me because I think all the work that I put up until then allowed my, my mental space to just trust it really well. Um, it was a friend of mine, an, uh, an old teammate. We still disc golf together. His name's Austin Carter, but he suggested a cue called Heel Me, hip right, and the idea is to turn the left heel, drop the knee and push the hip into the ring.

Dallin:

Okay, okay, and so I did that and I threw really far and the next day there was a track meet at UVU and I PR'd by four meters. That year that was my freshman year. So, uvu and I PR by four meters. That year, that's my freshman year. So I went from 50 meters to 54. Yeah, and I remember my coach and Cameron Bates and I think Ashton Reiner, they were, I think they were in California. No, they were in Oregon. Okay, for me to out there in Oregon. And was it in Oregon? I can't remember, but I just know that, you know, once my coach found out, he texted me and he's like well done you know and then I see him the next day, you know, the next week, in practice and he's just like, look, you threw 54 meters.

Dallin:

And I'm just like look at me, I did it here it is and then, you know, in the meantime I'm like like inside, I'm like I'm really happy with that weekend and I know there's a lot more there because I just feel potential in my technique, I feel potential in my routine, I have a lot of confidence in all the work I've done. So by the end of that season I threw 58, 30 that's crazy um, which is you know, another four meters, 30, 30 centimeters yeah, for college, like what's average numbers I?

Dallin:

don't know, honestly don't know. I'd say like 50 meters is pretty good. Okay, you know, like 54 will get you to regionals in Division I. Yeah, and so whatever doesn't yeah, it's hard to say yeah 54 is considered really good.

Dallin:

That's top 48 in the West and probably top 48 in the East. So I'd say like over 100 Division I athletes hit over 54 a year. That's crazy, yeah. And so when I hit 58 that year, that year specifically, 58 was top 10 in the West. That's insane. And then I barely made it to nationals that year with a 56. Same mentality I was just focusing on what I can control in that ring and just doing those cues and I just hit one and went 56 and I made it that year and luckily that year was just enough for me to get in so what was your first time?

Dallin:

at nationals, like it was fun. It was in eugene oregon, that's cool. Yeah, I mean my performance was somewhat underwhelming. I did take some names because I went in placed um. I went in as the last person, so I was 24th going in. Okay, everyone that made it through further than me. And then I think I placed 15th or I can't remember, maybe it was 18th.

Brett:

I mean, that's pretty good, though, that's a good little jump. Well, you know, I took some names.

Dallin:

So you know people that have you know through further than me. At the regional championships, you know the prelims.

Brett:

Yeah.

Dallin:

I guess a couple of them, just you know, were probably in a worse mental state than I was that day and I just happened to perform a little bit better than they did.

Brett:

But I mean it was fun. How did you handle the pressure then?

Dallin:

Because, like some people sounds like kind of caved in under it you handle the pressure then, because, like some people, sounds like kind of caved in under it. Yeah, sometimes the cue's off and that's just how it is. Um, I, I really enjoyed it, though it was really, you know, it was really fun pumped you up.

Dallin:

You're like, let's go yeah, you know I was ready for next year and you know, after, after that whole year, um is like. It's like something changed. You know, I went from just being your, your regular thrower and and now people were asking me for technical advice and that's cool and I was like hold up, you know, I'm like you know I'm still trying to figure this out myself, but I appreciate it yeah, I'm still trying to figure it out.

Dallin:

you know, um, a lot of my understanding is from doing, yeah, you know, uh, you know there are those who who are really good at seeing and understanding, but I've, I've learned this sport fundamentally like very well, fundamentally very well, just from throwing far myself.

Brett:

Yeah, I think until you actually step on and do it, that's the best way to learn. There is through experience. Yeah, because you can watch videos, people talking about technique all you want. You can read as many books as you want, but until you actually do it, all that means nothing. So it's like you have to actually do it and I think that's that's an important thing to call out. Is, you know, if there's something you want to try and do out there, like if it's you want to run, you want to throw discus, like you just have to start. Yeah, and you might look silly in the beginning, but you know it's worth it in the end if you're willing to stick with it. Yeah, um. So yeah, I mean, you obviously stuck with it, went to year two. What was that like year two? Um, you kind of know how it's working now, year two, I think it was year two that I choked really yeah, so year two is really good.

Dallin:

I threw over 60 for the first time that year. You know I broke the 60 meter barrier, which is really big and in discus right, everyone, everyone wants to throw over 60. That's crazy, and so I remember that was the meet that elected the current world record holder through 66 meters for the first time. That was in san diego. That was really fun. And then I also remember at that meet we had the best hamburger ever at some, at some place. It was amazing really. Where was it? In california? I have no idea, dang, I have no idea, but I know they had like three different cuts of meat and in the burger.

Brett:

Yeah, let's go. It's really good. That sounds good it's really good.

Dallin:

You know, throwers, if anything, love food. So, oh, everyone loves food, especially a nice burger. Come on, yeah, that's good stuff. So that was, that was a good day. And then, you know, the season went on and wait so you broke the record no, the BYU record is 66, okay, which I eventually broke, but not that year. Not that year we'll get to that.

Brett:

I want to hear about that, yeah yeah, we'll get to that, um.

Dallin:

But yeah, the next year I was doing really well and I went to all these meets and I was thrown over 60 consistently. It was like like 60, 60, 60. And then I threw 61 and that was another PR at Long Beach, um, and so, you know, slowly moved up on the top 10 board and that was really fun. And then regionals rolled around and I just had a terrible day. I threw like 53 and didn't make it and I was, uh, I was pretty upset, yeah, um, and so so you know, shrugged that off my shoulders and uh, went back to byu and there's still other competitions to get ready for. There was, uh, I guess usa or there's like the utah championships or something usatf utah association associate something just all the utah schools coming together, or no, it's just like a master, it's just like a usatf meet.

Dallin:

That was put on at, at, at, uh, it was at, uh, yeah, it was at byu, oh, nice, okay. So I threw there and I pr'd and threw like 64 meters and that was like freaking awesome, that's insane. So that PR I think it was that year yeah, that qualified me for USAs that year, the USA Championships in Eugene. So I'm going back to Eugene now and this is like a month later and I'm just happy to be there. I'm in the first flight. The second flight has the better throwers and I hit over 60 on that first flight and I, to get myself into finals, which is the top eight, dang um, so were you feeling pressure at this time, or were you just easy under pressure?

Dallin:

I was just happy to make finals there and man, that's chilling, and I'm throwing and nick, uh, you know he's giving me cues. Um, I I forget what my cues were for that particular meet, but I I know one throw, I'd nailed it and I threw 62 meters, 32 centimeters, and everyone else was just doing bad that day and that got me second place, dang.

Brett:

And that was really fun.

Dallin:

Yeah, and I remember it was Andrew Evans who won. I got second, and then Sam Mattis who got third, and they're all incredible throwers, really really fun guys. You know I get to, but because he got second at a nationals, I qualified for a U S team.

Brett:

Really.

Dallin:

Yeah. So that was later that summer, after working in Oregon a little bit to get some money Wow, I went down to get some money. Wow, I went down to the Bahamas.

Brett:

That's so cool.

Dallin:

For the NACAC, the North America Central American Caribbean Championships. Really Wow, it was really fun.

Brett:

So what teams go to that?

Dallin:

Obviously as many from Mexico, Brazil, yeah, I guess any country, I guess I'm not sure how other countries qualify people to send to that competition. I know some countries are just too poor to want to even send one of their throwers to represent. But Canada was there. Jamaica was there. Jamaica is a discus-throwing powerhouse, really. Yeah, there's a lot of talented throwers out of Jamaica. We were obviously there. There's Costa Rica, like all those people.

Brett:

How did that feel, representing the great US of A?

Dallin:

It was bittersweet for one reason A month before I left to the NACAC, I had this dumb idea that I would throw the hammer and I sprained my ankle. I had a two-degree twist. No way or two-degree sprain caused from twisting my ankle from throwing hammer. So I did a lot of rehab and I was barely able to throw with a boot on.

Brett:

Dang.

Dallin:

Well, not a boot. I taped it up really tight and stuff.

Brett:

It was tough.

Dallin:

Yeah, it was not ideal, but I threw 56 meters despite that and I got to wear the usa jersey and all and that was really fun. Yeah, that's so and you know, when you make a us team maybe you don't know if, when you make a us team, you get a package so they send you like a suitcase full of gear, that's so cool these right here are from one of the teams that I made. That is rad, yeah, so I wear it all the time.

Brett:

It's comfy, it's like the most comfortable athletic wear I've ever had I would, I'd wear it all the time be like hey, I got this, for the country sent me this and that's crazy, you know.

Dallin:

It trumps what byu gets us every year because I could actually get, like you know, shirts in long, which for a tall guy like myself is kind of a big deal. Oh yeah, I always nothing worse than having a shirt that fits. But then, like every time you raise your arms, your stomach comes out, it's like oh, that's great, that's awesome that was a big perk yeah, man, that's so cool, though I can't even imagine that like that's.

Dallin:

That's the dream getting yeah, you know sponsored and all that stuff but um and then yeah, and after that I was like let's go.

Dallin:

You know, yeah, sponsored and all that stuff. But, um, and then yeah, and then after that I was like let's go. You know, yeah, so the next year. I didn't PR that year but I did really well, you know, hitting a really close average at three, 63, 70, I think that year. And and uh, at USA is I made, you know, stuff came up and they didn't want to go to the US.

Brett:

Really.

Dallin:

You know, make the Pan Americans, which was a US team you could qualify for. So I was selected. It was me and Joe Brown, and he's another great discos thrower, really good friend, um, and so and that was fun. But yeah, that was in santiago, so that was my second us team and so far it's just the two yeah I'd love to make more.

Dallin:

Us has gotten really good, so we'll see. But um, yeah, you know those two are, you know we're great, so that is so cool, really, really fun yeah, so I mean it was the third year, the year you broke the record that was my senior year, your senior year, okay, yeah okay.

Brett:

So how did that happen? Was it just in a championship or like?

Dallin:

well, a couple years ago this uh throwers kind of started to pr a lot in this remote town called ramona in oklahoma, ramona, oklahoma. Yeah, why there? Right, the reason is because of the wind. Now, any wind anywhere is optimal, but the difference is it's just more consistent there so you can plan like a year ahead of time. Yeah, if you just set up a meet every week, you're going to get really optimal wind at some point Interesting. So it got the hype.

Dallin:

And then my senior year they, you know, did this world invitational and they started just inviting all these bigger throwers and stuff. And you know I submitted to go, you know, and obviously you know I was accepted. So I went and got to Oklahoma on. I think it was uh, yeah, friday is the first meet. I didn't do very well through like 59 meters but it was like no wind that day. So you know whatever. And then Sunday um, it was really great wind that day and you know it was a lot of hype. Um, I made finals and probably the best competition of my life. Like I was really far in warmups and I just felt really really good, everything was coming together and I wouldn't say I was flying it really well for the win, but I was flying it well enough, and when I say flying it, I'm talking about the disc flight, because there is aerodynamics involved. Um, just by the shape of the implement Right, and just popped one out there and it was just a couple centimeters further than Nick's PR and that was quite a day.

Brett:

That's awesome, and you still hold that record right.

Dallin:

Yeah Well, what's crazy is I can't remember the order, but I think I hit that throw and then, a couple rounds later, electna broke the world record really yeah, so I was in that competition when he broke the world record for the first time and I just remember like the whole competition pause and they brought out the steel tape which come to you know, come to find out they didn't need to do.

Dallin:

But yeah they did it that day because I guess we haven't dealt with the world record in discus for so long. That's crazy. It's been since the 80s. So, um, yeah, so that happened. That's so cool, so you know. And then I was, like you've witnessed, last last in the uh, yeah, you know, made finals and yeah, he was obviously first cause he threw the furthest, and then I was last in lineup. So Nicholas throws a world record and you know, guess who's next? That's crazy. Um, so, yeah, that was a tough act to follow, but you know, I held my own pretty well.

Brett:

So, yeah, I mean, do your best in whatever way you can, but that's, that's amazing man.

Dallin:

That's pretty cool. That's gotta be a good feeling. Yeah, no, it's been a really, really fun ride. I never would have expected in high school that mid-20s Dallin would have experienced all these things and got to know all these incredible throwers. It's been really fun.

Brett:

Yeah, that's way cool, really fun. How has mindset played into it, with just everything that you do?

Dallin:

um, I don't know, that's a great question actually, I do know, but there that's such a broad question yeah, that is true, that's very broad yeah, because mindset is like um, oh, it's like the air in the room.

Dallin:

You know it's there, you know it smells great, but sometimes you just can't place it. It's like, yeah, it's like the air in the room. You know it's there, you know it smells great, but sometimes you just can't place it. It's like this ethereal thing, that's like part of your everyday living. Yeah, you know. So mindset, all right.

Dallin:

Well, let's start with the process, because that's really where my love is. You know I love throwing far in competitions, but I think, more than anything, I love the little wins you get every day. And so when I go to practice, I think I just obsess over the potential to have a good throw every time I step in the ring. It's there, it's just there, like no one can take that from you, sure, there. Like no one can take that from you, sure. And oh, I think a bad mindset is when people, I guess, define their success based off of the results that you get, and unfortunately, in throwing, sometimes those are far and few between yeah when you have results that objectively you would be happy with like a PR, you throw a certain distance for me.

Dallin:

like I really want to know what it feels like Like physically in the ring.

Brett:

Yeah.

Dallin:

I want to know what it feels like to throw over 65, 70 meters consistently, yeah, and that's like sometimes I do lose my focus and and you know I'm obsessing over results because I really want that, but like I just want to be able to describe the feeling physically in the ring and that comes off your hand and you just kind of see the flight and you're like, wow, I just did that I was going to ask you how do you describe the feeling?

Dallin:

oh, um, oh powerful. You just feel really efficient, you feel smooth, you feel rhythmical.

Brett:

Yeah, everything's moving like synchronized almost. Yeah, that's a hard feeling to describe honestly, because I just do it all the time Like you're the orchestrator.

Dallin:

Yeah, all the instruments are going. For a while it felt pain because my knees would hurt. But just from lifting so much, let's see when you hit it. You just know off your finger, based off of the pressure that you have on your hand.

Brett:

Interesting.

Dallin:

Like you can feel force. Yeah, force is like this. You know not to quote Star Wars, but it's this invisible thing right, you can always quote Star Wars here.

Brett:

Yeah.

Dallin:

Like which is mass times acceleration right.

Brett:

Yeah.

Dallin:

And so you can feel that when you throw In my experience I don't know about other throwers that throw far what they feel, but for me when I throw far it's because I feel very efficient and I just feel the force just transfer so well all to that tip of my finger, yeah, into the implement right. When I feel like it's not efficient and it's not going to the fingers because I'm pulling away and so my, you know, I split your forces, yeah, and so I might have really good speed of release, but I just it wasn't really transferred very well into the implement. That's so interesting.

Brett:

So it comes off the finger then.

Dallin:

Yeah, you know I got calluses right here. It actually comes off kind of like like the bottom part of the finger there. You like the bottom part of the finger there. You know, if it comes off the side that probably means you're flying it wrong. But if you come off right there, um, you just can fly it better. There's a little bit more control of the flight when it's in the bottom, because you're like pushing it like this. Almost that's fascinating boom, you know. So yeah, crazy yeah that's amazing.

Brett:

Yeah, you have no. Like. It's been fun talking to, like michael and ashton and now you about javelin and now discus, because I had no idea how much actually goes into the sport itself, like when you're watching it. They do make it look easy because they practice so long, yeah, and the technique it's like oh yeah, I could get out there and throw that, but in reality it's like if I went out there and threw it, I'd probably get maybe 12 meters. I don't know. There's one way to know who knows. Yeah, exactly, but I think it is super interesting, like understanding how your mind has to be so connected to your body and so in sync with what you're doing, like it requires you to be fully present, and that's something I think is a powerful tool to have is being able to be present with what you're doing and, you know, not focusing on the results, which is easier said than done you have to focus on the right results.

Dallin:

Yeah, right, because the distance is maybe the wrong result for progress, but the feeling that you chase, I'd say, is the right result to chase. That's a good way to look at it yeah, I like that.

Dallin:

Because if you chase the feeling which is kind of a direct result of your actions in the ring and then the external consequences you can't control. And so you know we always go back to Stephen Covey's book right, focus on what you can't control, be proactive, and there's no lesson better than throwing where productivity. You know he has those graphs of circles. You know, focusing on what you can control in your circle of influence increases. Well, if you focus on what happens in the ring and focus a little less on what happens out in the sector, where it lands, your focus of your, you know your circle of influence is going to increase and you're gonna end up influencing a little bit further distances out there. But you have to focus on what you can't control, and you can't control when you shift over.

Dallin:

Everyone can control being a little lower in the ring. Everyone can't control starting a little slower out of the back. So they are set themselves up technique wise for success on the release, just simple things that you can control. Yeah, and when you start having those thoughts you've you build a lot of confidence, because when you focus on something that you can't control, you have a lot of confidence that you can do it. But when you focus on something you can't control, like the distance, all of a sudden you lose confidence in your ability to throw far.

Brett:

Yeah.

Dallin:

And when that happens you kind of find yourself in a rut and that can be hard to get out of. Yeah, Because there's a lot of emotion that's attached with that. Absolutely, because negative feedback tends to encourage negative emotions.

Brett:

Absolutely, that's a hard thing to rein in. Yeah, I mean, mean I deal with that, with running all the time, like I'll think of the distance I have to go run, like for a training run or something, and it gets.

Brett:

Sometimes it's like man, that's so intimidating. Yeah, and you have to focus on, like the mile that you're in, because if you start focusing on hey, I have 18, then your brain's like I don't know if I can do any more. It's like, well, can you do this one? Focus on the one that you're in now and once you get to that step, like just keep going exactly, it's you just gotta slow down like that's a big thing.

Brett:

I think you focus on what you can control. Um, I love stoicism. I don't know if you know what stoicism is, but it's like unlike me.

Brett:

I might know it, but I don't it's like all these the old greek and roman philosophers, pretty much they all came up with something called stoicism. But there was a roman emperor whose name was marcus aurelius and his famous thing is you can't control what happens to you, you can only control your responses. Yeah, it's basically the same thing. It's like you know, if the weather's bad one day, if it's, you know you're didn't get as much sleep as you would have liked the night before, like hey, you can only control how you respond to those things and it might not be the result you want, but at least you gave it your effort, at least you tried your best.

Dallin:

Yeah, it makes sense. I love Stephen Covey's seven habits book. I've read it multiple times and one of my favorite things to quote and bring up is there is a space between stimulus and response.

Dallin:

There's a space that people like to take that space away because that takes away your need for accountability, but whenever there's a stimulus, you have a choice, yeah, on how you're going to respond, absolutely right, and uh, when athletes can own their throw and take accountability, they have a bad throw. Before reacting, sit in that space a little bit, widen that space between the stimuli which could be anything in that response, and you'll find that you know, reactively, you're gonna not, you know, not just be so naturally angry. You know you, canively, you're going to not, you know, not just be so naturally angry, you know you can process before you make a decision.

Brett:

It's a helpful tool to use.

Dallin:

Oh, it's a life tool that you can use in every situation, right, and sports is a great place where you have a lot of opportunity to exercise that skill and practice it. You know, with maybe lower stakes than life, right, you know, like you know, a family member is yelling at you and boom, you react and now you have a grudge for the next five years versus you play a basketball game and the ball hits you in the head and now you have to think if you're going to.

Brett:

You know, swear, or if you're just going to sit there and breathe and just like keep going, you know.

Dallin:

Yeah swear, or if you're just gonna sit there and breathe and just like keep going. You know, yeah, and you know both of those situations. You can practice that skill and you know I I think it carries over absolutely in every facet of your life. So, yeah, yeah, really fun to talk about that, I mean there's so many things that, like I, I do.

Brett:

The one of the reasons I run is because there's so many lessons I learned while doing it that I can't apply to other things in life, like patience. Like, if I want to improve, I need to learn how to be patient, because it's not going to take, or it's going to take, a lot of time, it's not going to be overnight, and you have to, like you to do a lot of that self-reflection, take some time to think about what's what's going on and focus on improving that. One thing, same thing, with like discipline. On the days I don't want to do anything, I still have to show up and get it done, and I'm sure you've run into the same thing with discus.

Brett:

That's. That's a hard thing to do, but I feel like if you can just show up, even if it's not your best, if you just even go through the motions, like that's telling your brain that you, you're the one that's in charge, not like your feelings, not how you felt that day or whatever it was.

Dallin:

That's part of that stimulus, yeah exactly Like there are days I wake up and my back just hurts. Yeah, you know, and I've come to find out, a lot of my chronic back issues have been because of my tight pecs. They just pull my shoulders forward. Really, I sleep all night like that, oh man, and my tight pecs they just pull my shoulders forward. Really I sleep all night like that, oh man. I wake up and I'm just like oh, you know, um, you know it took a while to figure out that trend, but you know, there are days that I wake up like that, I just hurt and I'm just like, oh, I guess I guess today is going to be a very slow, technical day in practice, you know and I hear that response because that's usually how I would, you know, interpret that versus someone else that would experience the same pain the big.

Dallin:

well, I guess today is an off day right exactly you know the difference and like sometimes because of that, just perseverance, through that you know mental fortitude, or perseverance through having that kind of mental fortitude. Those practices sometimes ended up being the best ones that I've had.

Brett:

Oh yeah, it's so interesting.

Dallin:

And then I, like you know, I think back in retrospect. I'm just like, wow, I'm really happy that I fought through that initial discomfort, because that was a great practice and it put me in a freaking good mood today. Yeah, you know, and now I'm going to think about this all evening.

Brett:

Yeah.

Dallin:

And so moments like that, lots of them, oh it's huge and it just builds, and so really really good thing to really good skill to learn.

Brett:

That's why I always try and work out in the morning first, because if I get up and it's the same battle every day- I'm like I don't want to get out of bed. It's warm. My wife's next to me. I don't want to get up and have to go like sweat and work out.

Dallin:

Everything you need is right there. Why do you need to leave?

Brett:

Yeah, exactly, but it's like every time I do, though one, I feel better, I'm mentally prepped for the day, and it's like, hey, I overcame something difficult at the start of the day. So like, whatever comes my way, hey, so be it. Like I can probably handle it. Yeah, it just teaches you a lot, and I love that. Like stimulus versus response, like you got to just take time to sit with it.

Dallin:

And sometimes the stimulus is nothing. Sometimes the stimulus is I just want to lay here, and then you think about it. You're like okay, nothing is happening. Yeah, do I want this to continue? Oh, I know.

Brett:

Yeah, I tell myself that all the time Like, man, I wish I could just like not work for you know two weeks and I'm like I don't think I'd be happy with that. Actually, I gotta have a hard time.

Dallin:

Yeah, you know, after enough off days where you don't do anything, you realize how much you actually enjoy having stuff to do. Yeah, absolutely, you know. And so absolutely you know. And so you know, with that in mind, you know, I'd much rather do something of my choice and make my, my schedule busy because I want it to be busy, yeah, and not because, like some corporate job wants, wants my schedule to be busy for sure, um, but that's a whole nother discussion.

Brett:

But, yeah, oh man, yeah, I'm I could have a discussion about that all day long yeah, a lot, of, a lot of a lot of people can yeah it's brutal, but, um, have there been any other lessons that you've learned through discus that have bled over into your life, other areas of your life or anything? Let me think about that. I know that's another big question. Who's throwing them at?

Dallin:

you today? Yeah, those are big questions.

Brett:

Harlan will match you like a discus.

Dallin:

Yeah, let's see. Keep things simple. And oh well, here's a big one, right? When it comes to success, there are certain principles that every successful person follows. Very, very rarely are you an exception to the rule of that, and if you are, there's probably another principle of life that you're really good at that just makes that look less relevant to that individual. Let me expand on that.

Dallin:

In throwing to throw far, there are three basic laws of physics in life that you just need to obey, and if you don't obey them, you're not going to throw far. One is physics you need to generate force, and mass times acceleration will generate force, right, because that's the equation for, yeah, force, right in physics. And so the longer you can like, the more you can accelerate the implement, the more force you generate. And so to accelerate, implement, you have to give it a long path, because the longer you can apply force, the more acceleration you generate, and so a lot of technique is resolved around creating a very long path for the discus. So the longer it is, the more it accelerates. So that's one. Another one is physiology right, the body just has positions where it generates power more naturally and more efficiently, and if you put yourself out of those positions. Theoretically, you generate less power.

Brett:

Yeah.

Dallin:

And if you're stronger, you just have a little bit higher potential for power. Okay, and the other one is aerodynamics. The flight of the discus will obey aerodynamics, no matter what you do. Yeah, you cannot go out there and change it and take a fan and just like chase it and have it flow farther. It's just not an option. Yeah, you know, it's like an airplane. You have to fly it in a way where you know it can catch, can catch the wind, it can catch the air, yeah, and it's a rotating object so it will be gyrating.

Dallin:

If that's a word, it's like shaking, like that is that what you mean? It rotates. So something that rotates turns Mm-hmm, right, and so like part of the flight of the out and is rotating, and so it's naturally just going to like turn this way. If you're right-handed, if you're left-handed, it turns this way, interesting. And if it doesn't turn, it's like it's going to decelerate in the air. Yeah, right, and so, like those are like the big three aerodynamics, physics and physiology. You just kind of put them together. Yeah, right, and to throw far in discus, they're, they're. You know, to get all that together in application you have to master three things, and some, some, some throwers have strengths in one of these three things more than others, and so that's why there are nuances in technique yeah but essentially you have to be linear because you're throwing straight into the sector, but the nature of throwing is also circular, so you have to put linearity and circularity together.

Brett:

Interesting.

Dallin:

But you also have to have rhythm, because if you don't have rhythm, you disrupt both, and so you have to be linear, you have to be circular and you have to have rhythm, and those three describe every thrower interesting right, some throwers are really really good at sprinting and they have just this linear force that's just super explosive.

Dallin:

yeah. So you know they might not look the best rotationally, but you can. You can see the sprint. Yeah, and some throwers don't really have a great sprint, but boy do they get that circular pop on the oncus. But no matter what, if you're throwing over 60 meters, 70 meters, whether you're good at being circular or whether you're good at being rotational or linear, you have rhythm, bum bum. And if you close your eyes and listen to the discus throw, you hear this dum ba-dum, push off the left and then the right or, depending if you're right or left-handed, it's this ba-dum, push off the left and then the right or, depending if you're right or left-handed, it's this ba-dum Interesting. The middle foot lands and very shortly after, the front block foot lands. And if you hear bum bum, that's not very rhythmical.

Brett:

You're off. This is bum, ba-dum.

Dallin:

So watch every thrower that throws far. You're going to see it.

Brett:

If you close your eyes, you're going to hear it. I'm going to look up some after this. Yeah, check it out. Yeah, that seems. Yeah, that's that's super interesting and I mean it ties into what you said about just simple like, if you understand the very basics, simple those are the very basics and, yeah, you know, according to you, when you've gone to nationals, you've gone on team usa, broken the record at byu, like that's what you need to do. Yeah, that's smart. Keep it simple. Yeah, right, I love it yeah, yeah, keep it simple.

Dallin:

There's just. If life is simple, you're just going to enjoy it more yeah you know, the more you complicate it, it's just the less it's enjoyable it's harder to enjoy. Yeah, it is harder I mean, you can enjoy the complexity, but with that line of thinking there's there's a simplicity to that right, you know what? Do you enjoy the complexity? Like okay, like, what does that mean? Like, oh, it's just kind of cool, you know yeah, what do you like being busy?

Dallin:

I don't know and I you know I'm not really that knowledgeable on that to expand on that, but it's just, you know, kind of fun to think about.

Brett:

I mean it's yeah. I don't understand people when they like complex lives. I like to keep things very simple.

Dallin:

Like.

Brett:

I have a podcast I do. I like to run, I like to hang out with my wife, study my faith, work, you know, whatever Need there be more?

Dallin:

Yeah, I don't think so.

Brett:

I mean pretty easy stuff. But no, I think that's great man.

Dallin:

One question I always ask my guests, before we wrap things up, is what does getting after it mean to you? Getting after it, hmm, I think getting after it boy, that is a, you know that's a, that's a thinker. I think getting after it is a mindset of doing it when it's hardest, because getting after it no one gets, gets after when it's easy, but when it's hard and you still do it, then that's where that mentality applies, because you're getting after it. Yeah, it's not easy, you know, it's really easy to go to bed. Are we getting after it when we, you know, get to bed, maybe if it's early enough?

Dallin:

yeah, it can be really hard to get to bed early. That's true, like I'm getting after it on my routine.

Brett:

Yeah, you know.

Dallin:

I think it applies when there's resistance, when there's interference, and so, yeah, like it involves effort. Yeah, and the most effort in any endeavor is when it's hardest, absolutely when there's resistance. You said it. Yeah, that's what getting after it means for me.

Brett:

I love it, man. I mean, that's the title of the show, yet I've never heard that definition before, and I think there's a lot of truth behind it too. Yeah, because I mean you said it You're not going to do it. If it's easy, you're not going to have to get after something. If it's easy, yeah, like it's going to require you overcoming resistance, overcoming adversity and just pushing yourself, like trying to become a little bit better every day. Where can you improve? Focus on that and celebrate the small wins. Yeah.

Brett:

So that's huge, yeah, but exactly yeah, man, I I really appreciate you coming on. Your story has been awesome like I've. I've learned a bunch about discus?

Dallin:

I didn't. It really scratches your ego when you have, you know, get to talk about yourself for a little bit.

Brett:

Hey, listen, that's okay I, I enjoy it and that's that's why we have this is, you know, to have people come on, share their stories, and I mean what you shared about, like the technicality and all that within the process of throwing the discus and and finding ways that you can improve on one thing versus 50 things, like there's a lot that you said that I think will be very valuable to like the listeners and to anyone who's trying to um, get after life or make a change, like to to be more consistent, to be more disciplined, like there's a lot that you said that I think will help with that.

Brett:

So it's been awesome you know that's the whole goal.

Dallin:

I mean me and mike are starting this throw syndicate, um, and like the whole, our whole mission is just to help kids out and so, like the, the sports psychology and the mental discipline and toughness that we learned just through experience and also through you know that that course that we took by craig manning, that's such a pivotal part of what we're doing. There's just tools that you can that. It's just when. When do people need them the most?

Dallin:

when they're developing and when they're younger yeah and, like we, we just want to be able to help the. You know those individuals, and a great catalyst for that is sports. Yeah, and fortunately, we're both very, very experienced and passionate yeah. And so like, for me, this is, this is a great way to give back, you know, to the community, to, uh, you only teach the technique, but the mental disciplines of success that allow you to be good not only in your sport or your discipline but in life and that's what sports psychology is like.

Dallin:

Skills that is applied in sports, but a lot of them transcend every aspect of your life and I think that's pivotal for kids. If you're coaching high school kids, they need just some mental toughness skills, and sports is a great, great place to learn them.

Brett:

Oh yeah, it's a real good place. Sports is a great, great place to learn them. Oh yeah, it's a real good place. I still have memories of high school where my coach would make us take our shirts off and run up and down the court like mopping the floor, because that was our punishment. But sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you with a stupid story.

Dallin:

No, you're good, yeah, but that's the point. There's better ways and more efficient ways to be good, right, you know? Instead of punishment, like there's just a lot, of, a lot of things you can do.

Brett:

So that's that's what we're trying to do is yeah, what's the uh, the future of it looking like and you guys launching anytime soon or we'll see, okay, see you know stuff's in the air.

Dallin:

So, yeah, when there's more you know, finite, finite proof, I guess, yeah, well, you know, we'll, we'll'll, we'll announce it, but it's, it's exciting. I'm mostly just excited to be able to provide tools to, to a generation that you know we enjoyed in college but isn't very available in high school. You know, and that's that, that's those mental skills, that, absolutely, that I really, really, you know, embrace when I was in college and I was like man, if I could just have this in high school, yeah, this would have been pivotal, it would have been great, it would have been really, really good. So you know, that's that's one of that's part of our mission and that's that's a huge aspect of it. But there's, you know, obviously, the technique, yeah, you know huge aspect of it. But there's, you know, obviously, the technique. Yeah, you know, be good at what you do, experienced, be able to teach it, and you know that's that's part of it.

Brett:

So we'll see that's so awesome man yeah well, yeah, let me know when it's it's ready to go and I'll start shouting you guys out. But you guys are doing cool stuff and I'm excited to see where it goes me too.

Dallin:

Yeah, it's very much. We're laying the groundwork and it's really exciting. So yeah, who knows, maybe I won't be at fidelity very much longer. We'll see, who knows?

Brett:

yeah yeah, that'd be cool, that'd be best case scenario right, it's.

Brett:

uh, yeah, I mean that's. That's the thing that, like, is tough is, you know, we I mean I talk about that stuff all the time like trying to go after your dreams, um, trying to achieve things like I'm trying to do it with, getting after it, like I'd love to be my full-time job, that would be the dream where I'm coaching people, doing a podcast, selling shirts, whatever it is, like you said, giving people the tools to be successful in their races, um, but you know to, to get there, it requires a lot of effort and work and time and until it, you know, comes to fruition. There, it requires a lot of effort and work and in time, and until it, you know, comes to fruition, it's like, hey, you just got to keep working at it, you know and I think about that.

Dallin:

You know like I want to look back and be like, wow, I worked really hard for this, yeah. But then I don't want to look back and be like, man, I should have enjoyed it, like I'm just trying to enjoy every day. You know like it's hard. Why don't I just enjoy the, the challenge of of life not being very convenient for me?

Dallin:

yeah you know, once it, because once it's gotten easier, I'm gonna look back and think, wow, I really took that for granted, right, and I think that's a really important mindset to have. Life is gonna suck sometimes, absolutely, but why not learn to enjoy just the gr? You know, the the dredge of life, yeah, and just like you know, you can choose to be happy. Might as well be happy while it's hard.

Brett:

Yeah.

Dallin:

Because then it's going to be so much easier to be happy when it's easy, you know.

Brett:

There's a.

Dallin:

Then you're going to chase challenges that are healthy for you and fun, you know yeah. So yeah, that's a big thing Like this has gone through my mind. There's a lot going on and it can be overwhelming sometimes and then I have to take a step back and be like but you know what? I'm okay with this, I enjoy this, Just like that same mentality in basketball. I'm just going to enjoy the basketball year because it'll be better that way.

Brett:

Anyway, I love it man.

Dallin:

Take that to life. While it's hard, just choose to have a better attitude. It's really that easy. I mean it's hard, but also it's not that hard, it's really not.

Brett:

Do you know who Alex Hormozy is?

Dallin:

No. He's a big business guy, but he has this quote where he says if you can be in a bad mood for no reason, you can be in a good mood for no reason. Yeah, okay, I've heard that.

Dallin:

Yeah, it's like, yeah, I mean it is hard, but not really at the end of the day it goes back to that stimuli and response, right yeah you have a stimulus which life is hard, right, it's really easy for that to response, to naturally just go to like begrudgingly, you know, like, oh, this sucks, yeah, but you know what? Because there is a choice in between. You could just choose to respond differently, right, you could just choose to be happy or like, respond hopefully or be. You know, the cup is half full, instead of the cup is half empty.

Brett:

Find something to be grateful about.

Dallin:

Exactly, and the power of gratitude is so underrated Absolutely, but that's Takes you far? Oh, it does. It can change a mindset so quickly.

Brett:

There's a lot of power and gratitude that isn't given enough credit. I absolutely like fully echo that that's yeah, gratitude's gotten me through a lot, like even some of the hardest situations in my life, like it gets me through a lot. So, yeah, yeah, gratitude, patience, all that stuff. So, yeah, man, anything else you want to share before we wrap up?

Dallin:

oh, I think we got most of it. There's a lot of, there's a lot of fun stuff we talked about.

Brett:

I was a little bit bummed. We didn't talk about smelling salts.

Dallin:

See, I've never actually bought smelling salts, but that's something that people have provided me, that I've enjoyed being, you know. I've enjoyed the fruits of them secondhand really is and you know, it's such a shock that I'm just like I'm okay with the world. That's a little bit less um. What's the world?

Dallin:

word amplifiers or whatever extreme yeah, yeah, because that that really goes from zero to 100 very quickly and then it goes back to zero because the smelling salts were away yeah, I mean, and yeah you, you now understand why all the strong men do it and stuff, though yeah, you know and you know I'm a thrower before I'm a lifter. So you know I lift to a point, but I try to stay healthy.

Brett:

Yeah, that's good so, yeah, well, seriously, man, I really appreciate you coming on. This is an awesome episode. I'm excited for everyone to hear it and yeah, um, um, it'd be fun. Yeah, I'll, I'll link your Instagram and stuff in the bio just so people can check you out, follow you and see what you're doing. And yeah, let me know when when throwing syndicate goes live and we'll yeah, we will.

Dallin:

We got. We got some fun stuff in the works, so more tangible to start talking about it a little bit more, but it's exciting. That is exciting, it's exciting, looking forward to that day. Me too. Me and Mike are having so much fun.

Brett:

That's good dude. Well, seriously, thank you. Thanks for coming on. Everyone else, thank you so much for listening. As always, keep getting after it.