Category: Podcast

Speaking notes

Your default response to anything unpleasant or painful is to get away from it.

You leaned this early in life when you first touched a hot stove.

In my case it was a hairpin in an electrical outlet at 18 months.

But you will put up with pain and suffering

1. If you think the reward it big enough.
2. If you think change will be too hard.

Ultramarathon runners.

Most of the US stuck in jobs, or life events they hate.

Other parts of the world: same situation – This is a human behavior.

If you are going to put up with pain and suffering, you have three choices. Two are unhealthy. One is both healthy and effective.

I know several ultramarathon runners who have finished their 100 mile race with a fractured bone in their leg.

And not just a few miles: 20 or 30.

Those of us who run ultramarathons know we are going to deal with pain at some point. Blisters, chaffing, muscle cramps, tripping and falling, these are a normal part of what we deal with.

Why do we do it?

The reward is worth it.

Everyone is different. =====>> Knowing you did something that you once thought was impossible. 

Strategies to manage the pain:

Block it out.

Your mind is powerful. It can block the sensation of intense pain.

There is an internet famous runner who does this and wrote a book teaching others.

“Mental toughness” to make your body tough and strong.

It works. But it’s not healthy and actually dangerous. Pain has a purpose.

Distract yourself.

You think about something else and dull the pain.

This is more common and easier to do.

Runners who listen to music.

Physical pain. Pain of boredom.

Accept and embrace it.

The first two methods are a form of resistance.

What you resist will intensify.

When you acknowledge the pain and accept it, the power of it will diffuse.

Maybe not right away. But it will pass.

If you are willing to let the pain be what it is you free yourself from it.

If you’ve listened to stories of runners here on the show, you’ve heard these stories. 

If you’re new, my next guest, Nita Sweeney, talks about the relationship she has with running and meditation.

Meditation is one way to manage your thoughts and emotions.

That is how you run an ultramarathon. Manage thoughts and emotions.

That is how you have success in life. Manage thoughts and emotions.

Block them.

Distract yourself.

Be willing to feel it and let it pass.

Life:

Block: Emotional robot.

Distractions: Drugs, sex (porn), eating, shopping, sports, news.

Acceptance: Identity & goals ====>> you let the pain come and then pass.

NOTE: This is not a strategy to use in order to stay stuck.

This is a part of the mindset you need to become the best version of yourself you can be.

Soul-sucking job, friends who drag you down: these are things to endure while you make a plan to be who you want to be.

The Mindset to Not Quit

The stories that Sally McRae shared with me stuck in my memory. When I thought of what conversations I could share as a “best-of the show” episode, this conversation was the first one I thought of.

Sally McRae’s path to being a professional ultramarathon runner was unconventional. As a teenager, she had her hopes set on being a professional soccer player. And the mindset she developed that led her to become a competitive ultramarathon runner started when she was young. 

She was drawn to gymnastics from watching the Olympics. But, when her mother looked into the cost of training, it wasn’t in their budget. When Sally said, “That’s not fair!” Her mother responded, “Complaining won’t do anything. You can try to raise the money yourself.”

So Sally started babysitting, and worked to be the best she could be. Her clients came home to find the house cleaned, dishes done, along with the kids asleep in their beds. She was able to get enough money to enroll in gymnastics.

But she soon discovered that she also needed to pay for an additional class: dance. She had to give up on her gymnastics dream. Instead of crushing her spirit, this experience drove her to work hard in every new opportunity she had. She developed a winning mindset.

Sally’s mindset practice starts with taking hold of the day with gratitude and prayer. She says this also helps her stay focused on the big picture of what she is working for. 

This mindset served her well in her race at Badwater. She had trained hard, working to adapt her body to the heat and discomfort she knew she would face. She knew she was strong. The challenge that came was her stomach. At only 14 miles into the race she began to have problems keeping food down. But she chose to focus on what was working, her legs felt good, and she kept going. 

Her closing comments about her mindset at Badwater come close to being a super-power. She went into this race with the mindset to feel and experience all the difficulty and struggle. Rather than put on a tough persona to convince others, and herself, that she is better and stronger than any challenge in the race, she accepted the discomfort and pain as part of the experience. And kept going anyway. 

Besides being a professional runner, Sally is a coach, and she is working on a fitness app that combines strength training and mindset training. Connect with her through the links below to find out more.

Connect with Sally:

Website: https://sallymcrae.com/

Instagram: @yellowrunnerFacebook: @yellowrunner

Speaking Notes

This week the US will celebrate Thanksgiving.

It encourages us to stop and think about what we are grateful for.

Other countries also have celebrations of thanksgiving – not this week.

Last week I talked about the power of gratitude.

One of the most powerful ways you can make your life better.

This week is a continuation of the power of gratitude.

Gratitude can help your body heal.

You and I are three-part beings.

Spirit, soul, and body.

Psych: Consciousness, mind, and body.

Your soul is the interface between your spirit and body (consciousness & body)

Your soul (mind) is also in 3 parts: thoughts, emotions, & will.

Last week I talked about how gratitude is powerless if it is only intellectual (in your thoughts).

You must attach emotion for it to be useful.

Benefits – happier, less stress, enjoy life.

These qualities will give you better health.

But I want to take gatitude a step further.

You can use gratitude to help your body heal.

Ultramarathon runners: dealing with pain – resist & it will persist. Block it & risk more damage. Acknowledge & accept – it will pass . . . And gratitude speeds the process.

Have you noticed how injury demands attention?

Talk about it. Complain about it. Focus on the problem.

What you focus on will grow bigger.

Your body will eventually heal.

That’s how we are designed.

But the power of your mind/soul can make it heal faster.

Scientific studies on prayer – speeds recovery.

Your own words and thoughts also affect your recovery.

How to use gratitude?

1. Find a few minutes when you won’t be distracted.
2. Bring up the emotion of gratitude. (listen to last MMM – show notes)
3. Focus on the area of pain or injury while holding on to the feeling of gatitude.
4. Expect your body to heal. 

Do this at least every day. Several times a day is better.

When you feel pain or discomfort, remind yourself your body will heal and feel gratitude.

I used this after my 100 mile race: foot was injured from shoes too tight.

It took 3 months to heal.

I could still run. But my foot was sore.

I don’t know of scientific studies on gratitude and healing.

But I know the power of the mind/soul.

Expectation/faith & gratitude is a powerful combination.

Go practice. 

Teach someone about it.

Ciara Carter is a mindset coach, a marathon runner, and she isn’t afraid to do things that scare her. This year she decided to pack up her stuff and move from Florida to Utah. 

In this episode, we talk about how easy it is for us to get stuck in our comfort zone and settle into a rut. Ciara knew it would be a challenge to leave her friends in Florida and move to a place where she knew absolutely no one. But she went ahead and took the leap. She knew if it didn’t work out the way she wanted she could always move again.

Subhead: Keeping your mindset flexible by taking risks

Today’s Guest: Ciara Carter

Information:

She works in mental health and fitness training.

Ciara just finished her 15th marathon, the New York Marathon.

She is focusing on good nutrition to help with recovery. Also red-light and cryotherapy.

She has been training to not have as much difficulty in downhill races and to qualify for Boston.

She says she came out of the marathon injury free but was in a lot of pain.

She lived in New Mexico and then moved to Florida for 8 years.

This year she decided to pick up and move to Utah.

Ciara has a puppy and says it has changed her life.

Things we discussed:

We talked about the advantages of doing cryotherapy to reduce inflammation.

She said that red-light therapy works to put her in a better mood. But cryotherapy works wonders on helping her body.

We talked about how she started meeting people through networking when she moved and how much she enjoys connecting with people.

She talked about her fear of moving and what she does to keep her mindset flexible, trying new things all the time.

In the winter she will start training for a few races she has in mind.

This winter she will run less but do all the winter mountain sports.

Bridge questions:

Her most important piece of gear when running is her headphones that help her stay out of her own mind as she listens to music or podcasts.

The strangest thing she has seen while running is a person dressed all in black with leather gloves riding a bike in 80 degree weather in Utah at 6 in the morning.

The word or phrase that sums up her life philosophy: Lead your life, make sure you can make your own decisions and guide you down the path you want to go.

Website: Run Thrive Survive

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Speaking notes:

There was a psychological study done where people were asked to watch a video and tell how many times basketballs were passed by a group of people. 

About half of the people watching were so focused on counting the passes that they did not see a “gorilla” walk through the middle and beat his chest.

You can see an example of the video HERE

Take a couple of minutes to watch it and see for yourself how this works in your own brain.

You and I are wired to filter out a good deal of “reality.”

Your brain takes in 2.3M bits of information each second.

It filters out 99.994%: Deletes, Distorts, Generalizes

The 0.006% that you are aware of you process at 126 bits per second.

When you focus your attention, your brain deletes what you don’t expect to see.

This is how magicians create their shows. 

But I’m not here to talk about what you don’t see.

Your “reality filter” can be a powerful tool for your mindset if you know how to use it.

A story I heard:

There was a man who had identical twin sons. 

One was pessimistic. The other completely opposite.

Dad decided to give them birthday presents to adjust their perspective.

Pessimist – latest state of the art bicycle.

Optimist – pile of manure.

Pessimist: “I’ll probably crash and break my leg.”

Optimist: Jumping for joy. “This means there’s a pony around here somewhere!”

1. You will see what you give your attention to.
2. The story you tell yourself will determine your quality of life.

Ep 116: Cam Awesome. Look for gratitude to create more joy in your life.

Before looking at phone – write 10 things you are grateful for.

He began looking for gratitude as he went through his day.

Story he told himself – I have many things in my life that I am grateful for.

More than a gratitude journal! No repeats!

This is a good exercise. Even keeping a gratitude journal is a good way to help you see what you have to be grateful for.

Awareness and focus is a good starting point.

But if you want to discover the kind of power gratitude has, you need to feel it.

Thanksgiving is coming up in the US.

National holiday – family and/or friends

Official day to reflect on our blessings and give thanks.

This holiday and gratitude journals have the same weakness.

We think about what we’re thankful for. But there’s little or no feeling of gratitude.

If you want the benefits of gratitude, you have to get into the emotion.

The stronger the emotion, the more the benefit.

You can practice and get better at feeling the emotion of gratitude.

1. Remember a time when you felt deep gratitude. Replay the memory.
2. Lean into the feeling you had from that memory.
3. Hold on to the emotion while you shift your attention to the present.

I started doing this as part of my morning routine. I took time to meditate and relax my body. I began to bring the emotion of gratitude into my meditation practice. 

That was when I started to make progress to change my mindset.

Challenge: Do this every morning and evening between now and New Years. 

See what a difference it makes in your life.

Added benefit: You won’t see the gorilla!

Messages of fear, disaster, crisis, and conflict.

1. Inner strength to deal w/ real crisis.
2. Inner peace about your future – no fear.

Mindset for sustainability.

Today’s Guest: Ben Reale

Information:

Ben Reale started running in high school but only as a mandatory extracurricular and then realized it was something he was good at.

In the first few years of college he didn’t do anything physical but in the last few years of his college career he started looking to do physical activity again for recreation, to look and feel good.

When he was in law school in Miami in 2008 he ran his second half-marathon, and that’s when he started exploring long distance running.

Then it all came down to being selected for the Marine Corps.

Ben had knee problems and had to undergo surgery and the recovery took about a year.

The doctors told him he could run again but when he started running it was very painful.

He specialized in the legal side of the military, but worked in the enforcement side of the law in security.

Things we discussed:

We talked about the RCS which is an intensive course in the military.

He started a company where the goal was to train people who are not just looking to do random workouts but are looking for a solid training program that addresses their lifestyle and nutrition.

We talked about how he helps his clients make the mindset change to have sustainable changes.

He wants to do the Tunnel Hill 100 next year.

Bridge questions:

The must-have item in your races: Gummy bears?

Strangest thing you’ve seen while running: A man organizing a pile of trash and strange metal objects.

Word that describes your philosophy of life: Sustainable.

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Speaking notes:

Most people like to know what to expect. They don’t like change. They don’t like surprises.

The appeal of fast food franchises is they are all the same.

McDonalds in Tucumcari, NM has the same food as New York City.

How would you feel if you woke up one day and discovered that every McDonalds in the world was now vegan? And every one has a different menu.

Vegans: every option you had in your city was now a BBQ.

Now imagine that everything in your world turned upside down. Not just food choices, but everything about your life.

If you’re an ultramarathon runner, you will have a huge advantage over the rest of the world.

You have the mindset to adapt to changes and overcome challenges.

I remember when I first saw The Matrix. I watched it 3x.

It was one of the turning points in my journey to be where I am today.

I was like Neo – living in the Matrix with the feeling that something about reality was off-kilter.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have someone pull me out and download new programs into my head.

It took decades of work (trial and error) for me to change.

I still like a routine. I like to know what to expect from life.

But, as I talked about last week, It’s easy to have life throw you a curve.

Our car broke down. It probably needs a new engine.

The dealer said 2 weeks before they can even look at it.

We have to rely on our Ford Expedition – work vehicle.

This is only a minor curve-ball.

Sometimes you go through circumstances that turn your whole life upside down.

You feel like those in the Matrix who suddenly get unplugged.

At least Neo had a clue that things weren’t what they seem.

This is why I talk about the ultramarathon mindset. Listen to people here who push themselves to extreme.

Physical and emotional exhaustion – and then rain, heat, equipment failure, nutrition or hydration problems.

Mindset is what gets you through.

Train your mind like you train your body.

When things go wrong. When your plan falls apart. Thats when you need to keep yourself together. If you fall apart, you’re in deep trouble.

Running long distances will help you with your mindset.

But train your mind separate from running.

Also, you can train your mind to be resilient without running.

Ultramarathon mindset is for life as well as running.

Ultramindsetpodcast.run

 Knowing the signs for when to take a DNF

Today’s Guest: Andy Moskal

Andy Moskal is willing to push hard to find his limits. But he’s also willing to pull the plug when things aren’t going right in a race. His hundred-mile attempt at the Yeti 100 had him looking at a sub-eighteen-hour time and in 5th place overall. But around 50 miles in he was facing the symptoms of  rhabdomyolysis. He decided to pull the plug and survive to race another day.

Information:

Andy was a police officer.

He was in the Special Operations Division.

He did martial arts, played soccer.

He competed as a Cat 1 cyclist.

He was on the SWAT team and was one of the team’s snipers.

He started out running on the roads.

He had an injury to his posterior tibial tendon and had a very long recovery.

Andy does not like road racing.

He ran a road race and ended up qualifying for Boston.

Things we discussed:

How he started running; when he went to a bike store and ended up talking to the owner.

In 2019 he signed up for his first marathon but it was canceled and starting in 2020 the only races they were doing were Ultras, so he skipped the marathon and got right into the ultramarathons.

We talked about Andy’s race nutrition.

The importance of listening to your own body and being willing to pull the plug when there is a risk to your health.

Bridge questions:

What is your must-have piece of gear? An elastic utility belt to hold his phone and gels. And a foot pod to get an accurate reading for power.

The strangest thing you have ever seen while running? A bobcat in the suburbs.

The phrase that sums up his life philosophy?  He says that something he thinks about a lot is the Western States documentary that in an interview he said he was not going to quit and that always stayed with him in the back of his head for life in general, that he has to keep pushing and trust that he will succeed.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-moskal-57b186149/

https://www.instagram.com/andymoskal/