Deep Roots

I’ve spoken enough about my personal efforts and experience ~ the story is told.

However one story that hasn’t been told on this channel is this -

We were a team of 16. For 9 months we toiled and strove for more from ourselves to prepare bodies and minds for the amazing challenge of the @mdslegendary. All 16 crossed the finish line. A incredible result for @ironmindinstitute

To put this in context, when I did the race in 2016 only 50% of my tent finished the race. The race’s standard DNF rate is 15 - 20%.

Much more importantly, we shared an extraordinary experience together. This is what it is all about really - stepping into the void and fighting, struggling and suffering to achieve something remarkably difficult together.

I’ve been on a lot of expeditions and this was a special group to share an experience with. Connections made for life.

Next stop - just the little matter of attempting to run around the island of Ireland.

Much to be done…. Chop Wood, Carry Water.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If I had to choose a word to describe the stage it would be - Uncomfortable.

It rained.

I limped.

It sandstorm-ed.

I hallucinated.

I slept while I walked. I slept in a bush.

I chose my response. I smiled.

An epic day (and a bit). I spent the vast majority of it in a place I enjoy - on my own; in my own head. There was stuff to get some clarity on. The long reflective periods of silence were healthily broken by moments with Kevin from Cumbria, the 2 Pauls (@pfarr1980 & @paulbyas ), James at CP 7 and Gary from our @ironmindinstitute team.

Despite the discomfort, there was little “1st level thinking”. You know - the focus that arises as a consequence of the physical stress: “How long is left?”, “How far until the next checkpoint?” etc, etc …. outcome orientation. I’ve practiced the 4 Controllables Method for close on a decade and mind - body connection has become my default state - even in duress.

Discomfort is the price of evolution. Therefore the capacity to endure discomfort is truly important if you desire to do more with your life. The longer we can endure the feeling of discomfort, the more time we give ourselves to organise our psychology and change our state - a true superpower.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's important to me that I am honest with myself. For years I wasn't.

My dishonesty inflicted plenty of pain on me and others close to me.

Honesty, I find, has the opposite effect and counterintuitively, the more brutal and confronting the information uncovered, the deeper its properties to bring goodness into the world.

The truth is enlightening and empowering despite its often ugly facade.

Although the act of being honest with myself is often an internal wrestle, I've fought hard and engrained a meaningful practice within. So if I am honest with myself - The night of Day 2 and morning of Day 3 was where I lost the internal battle to keep pushing myself.

I can have all sorts of reasonable excuses; discomfort, pain, injury, team to lead, etc but they are still excuses. The truth is - I let my mind and its admirable powers to recruit whatever it is that amplifies my fears, doubts and insecurities onto its team, win the battle.

Note: This is not the first battle of the mind I have lost and it will not be the last. What is ultimately important here is that I face the consequences with honesty, respond with integrity and try again with a wholeheartedness.

Follow the story of my dispatches from the desert here - https://lnkd.in/gSGDbpjB

Strength, courage & integrity,

Damian

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The question that had to be answered: “Is my foot really stopping me running and pushing myself more, or is it a convenient excuse not to try?”

I’m a father of two under 4. I started the Ironmind Institute 2 years ago and pour every ounce of energy into it daily. I train 2 - 3.5 hours each day to prepare my body to absorb the punishment of running 3,000km around Ireland in summer 2026.

Life is full. My physical & mental prep for the Marathon des Sables met my standards. My technical prep didn’t, but I justified that due to the demands of life. A solid history of expedition experience gave me some solace when the voice in my head got louder: “You need to get your fueling sorted.”

I knew the risks of neglecting technical prep but was quietly confident I’d be fine. “You’ve done it before. You know what’s coming. Where are the threats? Nowhere that can’t be sorted before we fly.”

Quietly confident or not—that mindset left holes for mistakes.

The Marathon des Sables organisers recommend wearing trainers at least one size bigger than usual. I bought a pair half a size bigger. Loved them. Breaking them in was painless. Training went great. From memory, that’s what I did in 2016.

Midway through Day 2, I had doubts.

My foot had swollen, hardly surprising—but I’d overlooked that my left foot is slightly longer than my right. Ten to twelve km into Day 2, the toes on my left foot were jammed into the front of my trainer. Running became uncomfortable. I was there to undo regrets from 2016 and push from start to finish. This was deflating.

To add to the challenge—I was leading 15 individuals who had trained under me and the Ironmind Institute for the last 9 months.

“Do I push to run and risk blowing up with the team under my leadership? Or do I dial back, walk, and manage the issue? Or… are these just excuses to protect myself from the truth?”

You can tune into the latest @deep_roots_podcast episode to hear the full story from Day 2 of the @mdslegendary

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As I lined up to start my second Marathon des Sables, I wasn’t sure on how I would start. In previous days, my, until that point, clear intent had been disturbed due to some achilles tendon issues.

A driving reason behind why I was standing here, staring down 250km across the Sahara desert was to settle some regrets from 2016. Therefore, focus and clarity of approach had not been an issue until inexplicably, the ache in my achillies ramped up as the shadow of the race loomed over us.

As AC/DC’s Highway to Hell boomed through our little corner of the Sahara, I was with slight surprise when I started running out the gate.

By the time I reached Checkpoint 1 I was a very happy man. This was the exact start I wanted. Aggressive, present, courageous.

All in all a stage 1 I’m very happy with, however, the reaction of my body to the output and demanding conditions has left what is ahead quite the daunting prospect.

Tune into today’s episode of @deep_roots_podcast to hear the full story of Day 1, including my secret delight when John and Conor from our @ironmindinstitute team passed me between CP 2 & 3, my old Saharan nemesis humbling me again, and my rating for standards and efforts for the day.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 194 of Damian Browne’s prep for the Million Euro Lap—a 3,000-kilometer run around Ireland’s coast to raise €1 million for charity. It’s Saturday, January 18, 11:34 AM, and Damian’s savoring a rare, peaceful morning—two coffees deep, kids at the zoo with his fiancée, work simmering. Then, snap: a stiff, throbbing Achilles crashes the calm. Week four of cycle four, a push phase, has been stellar—8+ RQS scores across four sessions, new strength PBs, and a gutsy 2,000-meter interval run last night. But that aggression’s cost creeps in: a heel flare-up that’s now threatening tomorrow’s heavy sled pulls.

Fresh off a 30-minute treadmill high last week, Damian’s chasing consistency despite sleep deficits (three to six hours nightly) and a body still unconditioned for running’s grind. Last night’s late gym stint—five 400-meter intervals at rising pace—felt triumphant until the Achilles stiffened post-rep five. Now, he’s weighing heavy eccentric fixes today against the sanctity of a rest day, all while battling work overwhelm and a noisy gym debate. Tune in for a raw wrestle with pain, patience, and the relentless focus on what moves the needle: quality work.

In This Episode:

✔️ Peace pierced: A serene Saturday derailed by a tender Achilles flare

✔️ Interval aggression: 5x400-meter runs (2,000 meters total) push pace and position

✔️ Week four wins: 8+ RQS scores, PBs in trap bar walks, and deficit deadlifts

✔️ Sleep strain: 3.5–6 hours nightly test recovery amid a brutal push

✔️ Work vs. body: Prioritizing quality training over shiny distractions like ice baths

Take Action: Want to fuel Damian’s mission to conquer Ireland’s coast? Visit https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ to support his journey and stay updated on this epic endeavor.

Produced by Niall Killeney Taylor of baLORE Media https://www.baloremedia.co.uk/

Chop wood, carry water

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 184 of Damian Browne’s prep for the Million Euro Lap—a 3,000-kilometer run around Ireland’s coast to raise €1 million for charity. Tonight, at 9:30 PM, after a long, stressful day and scant sleep, Damian hits the treadmill with a nagging Achilles stiffness that’s haunted him since returning to Australia. What starts as a cautious test—90 seconds of biting pain—turns into a 30-minute run at 9 km/h, his longest nonstop effort since cycle three’s 28-minute peak. Relief floods in: no flare-up, no setback. But shame lurks too—an inner voice sneers, “You’re celebrating 30 minutes when you can’t even run an hour?”

Three weeks of heel stiffness had stalled his running, a glaring red flag with the Mount & De Bla three months away and Ireland’s coast in 16. Patience, a virtue Damian prizes, clashed with his urge to push, but heavy eccentric work—sled pulls and calf drills—unlocked progress. Tonight’s run, born from a “fuck it” gamble after a five-out-of-10 warmup, proves his body’s adapting. Yet, that cruel inner critic, mocking his pace against Iron Mind’s 5K benchmark, fuels a deeper fight. Tune in for a raw clash of triumph and doubt, and the stubborn grit keeping him in the ring.

In This Episode:

✔️ 30-minute milestone: 9 km/h nonstop—longest run since cycle three, no Achilles flare

✔️ Heel hurdle: Three weeks of stiffness tackled with heavy eccentrics and patience

✔️ Inner critic unleashed: Shame vs. excitement—can’t hit 40 minutes or Iron Mind’s 5K

✔️ Risk and reward: Scant sleep (4.5 hours) and stress test his injury-prone edge

✔️ Fight within: Battling the “conniving fucker” of doubt to stay on the path

Take Action: Want to fuel Damian’s mission to conquer Ireland’s coast? Visit https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ to support his journey and stay updated on this epic endeavor.

Produced by Niall Killeney Taylor of baLORE Media https://www.baloremedia.co.uk/

Chop wood, carry water

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Nine weeks since his last recording, life’s thrown a whirlwind his way: a five-week family trip to Ireland, patchy training, a breakthrough 40-minute run, and a near-disaster coaching a team through the Galway Mountains. Picture this: Damian, hauling 29 kilos up a brutal peak, catches the group only to hear, “Have you seen Paul?” Cue the panic—Paul’s vanished, the clock’s ticking, and sunset’s closing in.

✔️ Running breakthrough: 40 minutes on Ireland’s dark roads—28 straight, then 12 more

✔️ Ireland chaos: No gym, late drives, and family-work juggling dent training quality

✔️ Mountain scare: Paul goes missing on an 8-hour loaded hike; Damian hauls 29 kilos to regroup

✔️ Back setback: Hack Squat clack halts a two-week training gap, but rehab cuts it to five days

Take Action: Want to fuel Damian’s mission to conquer Ireland’s coast? Visit https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ to support his journey and stay updated on this epic endeavor.

Produced by Niall Killeney Taylor of baLORE Media https://www.baloremedia.co.uk/

Chop wood, carry water

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 100 of Damian Browne’s prep for the Million Euro Lap—a 3,000-kilometer run around Ireland’s coast to raise €1 million for charity. This week, Damian hits a game-changer: his longest run without stopping in 100 days. Late at the gym, past 11 PM, he hops on the treadmill to “play around” and ends up floating through 12 minutes straight, then adds another 10. After weeks of breakdowns and fear, this 22-minute pain-free run—totaling 50 minutes for the week—marks a leap from cycle two’s eight-minute stints. What’s behind it? New loaded mobility drills, dialed-in core work, and a stubborn resolve to push frequency.

Damian’s testing a second running session every nine days, battling the ghosts of past injuries while chasing progress. Tonight’s unplanned breakthrough—fueled by glute ham raises, weighted Cossack squats, and banded ab exercises—unlocks his hips and steadies his stride. From feeling “great” to marveling “sweet child of mine,” Damian digs into why this works: subtle tractioning, patient positioning, and a stronger, more connected core. Tune in for a raw look at his training evolution and the mindset that turns late-night experiments into triumphs.

In This Episode:

✔️ Running milestone: 12 minutes straight, then 10 more—longest run in 100 days

✔️ Loaded mobility magic: Glute ham tractioning and 12-kilo Cossacks free up Damian’s hips

✔️ Fear in the rearview: Second run every nine days despite past breakdowns

✔️ Core connection: Banded ab wheel isometrics and max decline sit-ups anchor his stride

✔️ Volume surge: 50 minutes of running this week, up from 8 in cycle two

💡 Take Action: Want to fuel Damian’s mission to conquer Ireland’s coast? Visit https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ to support his journey and stay updated on this epic endeavor.

Produced by Niall Killeney Taylor of baLORE Media https://www.baloremedia.co.uk/

Chop wood, carry water:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 95 of Damian Browne’s journey to conquer a 3,000-kilometer run around Ireland’s coast for the Million Euro Lap, aiming to raise €1 million for charity. Fresh off a trip to Ireland, Damian’s back in the grind—cycle three, day three—battling the aftermath of COVID, jet lag, and a nine-day training hiatus. What started as a triumphant return quickly turned into a war against fatigue, fever, and a body screaming for rest. But Damian’s not here to fold.

Day one kicked off cycle three with a bang, only for day two to deliver a brutal reality check: coughing, stiffness, and a positive COVID test. Undeterred, he hit the gym for a “light and hot” session—bear crawls and glute ham raises that torched his body and soul. Halfway through, he nearly tapped out, but clawed through the essentials. By day three, an upper body strength session scored an 8.8 RQS, and he’s feeling “a hundred times better.” This episode is a gritty testament to resilience, the healing power of sweat, and the will to keep pushing when the odds stack up.

In This Episode:

✔️ COVID comeback: How Damian turned sickness and jet lag into fuel for cycle three

✔️ Light and hot magic: Bear crawls and glute hammers with minimal rest—simple, brutal, effective

✔️ Strength unleashed: Smashing cycle two targets in just three days of cycle three

✔️ Running reset: Upping the running frequency with a cautious eye on recovery

✔️ Road ahead: Tackling gym disruptions with trips to Sydney and Ireland looming

💡 Take Action: Want to fuel Damian’s mission to conquer Ireland’s coast? Visit https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ to support his journey and stay updated on this epic endeavor.

Produced by Niall Killeney Taylor of baLORE Media https://www.baloremedia.co.uk/

Chop wood, carry water:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.