If you're familiar with Ironman, then you've surely heard the voice of Mike Reilly.  The four words, "You are an Ironman" are some of the most powerful words uttered at the finish line of endurance sports.  Mike has been announcing Ironman events since 1989 and is fondly known as "The Voice of Ironman."  He has been inducted into the IRONMAN Hall of Fame, the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame and the Running USA Hall of Champions, and is the only person to have been inducted into all three.  He has connected with hundreds of thousands of athletes, making each one feel individual and special as they cross the finish line, but also at the start line and throughout the grueling 19 hour day of announcing. 

Mike's book, Finding My Voice was published about one year ago and is an inspiring and fun read about some of the most incredible moments through Mike's career with Ironman.  You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll feel inspired when you read it.  It's about how Ironman changes people for the better.  

Throughout this episode, you'll immediately notice Mike's positivity and his passion for attitude.  He says, "You're the cause of your own experience."  He says that it has been his privilege to see people cross every Ironman finish line. It's always hard to pick just one quote for the intros of these episodes.  Here's one from the end that I loved and can't agree with more: "No matter what happens today, you've got control over one thing and one thing only- that's your attitude.  If you take care of it, it will get you to the finish line. You can't worry about all the external stuff that will come your way, and it will. It could be raining, it could be heat, it could be a perfect weather day and you get 3 flat tires. But if you control your attitude and keep it positive, it'll get you to the finish line. If you don't, it may fail getting you to the finish line." 

We talked about a lot in this show and thanks to those of you who sent in your questions too! 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• how Mike got into announcing
• how he announces for 19 hours straight
• the life-changing importance of getting to the start line
• how goal setting in endurance sports forever changes you
• what a typical day of announcing looks like
• what it means to be an Ironman
• favorite finish line stories
• how he manages his energy with all the travel and long days announcing
• Ironman tattoos
• how make stays so positive 
• why Mike believes family and community are the most important thing
• Listener Qs
  • oldest ironman finisher?
  • does Mike like swim, bike, or run best?
  • how has the sport changed and how does he see it evolving?
  • does he go on vacation?
  • best advice to a 1st timer Ironman starter on race morning
  • favorite venue 
  • where would you like to go ride

 

 

Listen Now

 

Resources

• MikeReilly.net
• Get Mike's book: Finding My Voice

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2 Ways to Give Back to the Show

 

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Michael Klaper, M.D. is a board-certified physician, internationally-recognized teacher, and sought-after speaker on diet and health. In addition to his clinical practice and private consultations with patients, he is a passionate and devoted educator of physicians and other healthcare professionals about the importance of nutrition in clinical practice and integrative medicine. He is the author of x books and has authored dozens of articles for both scientific journals and the popular press.

Dr. Klaper is well known for taking complex medical topics and making them easy for everyone to understand.  He is also an expert in water fasting after 9 years on the medical staff at True North Health Center.  He shares a lot of great information through his website and YouTube Channel. 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• How Dr. Klaper found Plant-Based Nutrition in the 1980s
• Dr. Klapers initiative to educate medical doctors on curing chronic disease
  • Moving Medicine Forward
• water fasting, medical fasting
• should athlete's fast?
• why the keto diet is dangerous
• what meat does to your colon
• heme vs non-heme iron
• where vitamin B12 comes from, how to supplement, what to look for in blood work

Listen Now

 

 

Resources

• Dr. Michael Klaper's website
• Subscribe to Dr. Klaper's YouTube Channel
• Dr. Klaper's TEDx Talk

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2 Ways to Give Back to the Show

 

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Our most primitive cravings and habits come down to three words: Trigger, Behavior, Reward. But our brains can trick us into creating bad habits and driving is to be addicted to technology, love, thinking, and unhealthy food and beverages.  To break the cycle, Dr. Jud Brewer believes that curiosity is our ultimate superpower.  He has his MD and PhD and is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center.  He is also an associate professor in psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University, as well as a research affiliate at MIT. He is the founder of the digital therapeutics platform, MindSciences, and author of the book, “The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love—why we get hooked and how we can break bad habits.  It was one of my favorite books I read in 2019.  Dr. Jud is also a fellow mountain biker.

As an addiction psychiatrist and internationally known expert in mindfulness training for treating addictions, Dr. Jud has developed and tested mindfulness programs for habit change, including both in-person and app-based treatments for smoking, emotional eating and anxiety  You can get the apps at DrJud.com. (Craving to Quit, Eat Right Now, Unwinding Anxiety).

I'm a big fan of his work and was really excited to have the chance to sit down and talk with him. His TED Talk on breaking bad habits has over 14 million views. 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• why it's so hard to break bad habits
• does willpower exist?
• reward-based learning
• overcoming procrastination
• how to use curiosity to beat addictions
• is there such a thing as an addictive personality?
• why you should single-task
• difference between happiness and excitement
• letting go vs muscling your way through things
•  

 

Listen Now

 

Watch his TED Talk   Resources

• DrJud.com
• Get his book "The Craving Mind"
• His Mindfulness-based app programs: Craving to Quit, Eat Right No

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Matt Fitzgerald is a runner, coach, nutritionist and acclaimed author of well over 25 books.  You may have heard of his book on mental toughness- How Bad Do you Want It.   His online training plans at 8020endurance.com have helped thousands of athletes of all experience and ability levels achieve their goals. Certified by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Matt has consulted for numerous sports nutrition companies and he is the creator of the Diet Quality Score (DQS) smartphone app. A lifelong athlete, he speaks frequently at events throughout the United States and internationally.

Frequent topics on Matt's writing cover things like diet and ideal race weight, training intensities, mental training, and so much more.

The mental aspect of sports in relation to the perception of effort, fatigue, and whether limits live in our mind or our body have been frequent topics on this show.  It's one of my favorite things to discuss. If you enjoyed this episode and want more, check out some related episodes linked in the show notes to mental fatigue and training.

Check out his newest book: Life is a Marathon.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• building his career + parental influence
• how to overcome fear of suffering
• pain v. perception of effort and how to make it seem easier
• aging as an endurance athlete
• mental fatigue & inhibitory control
• pressure and personalization of failure and social comparison
• growth mindset in sports
• race weight
• what is 80/20 training?

 

9:25 - edit out stutters

The main thing I've found is true in my experience and I have studied the subject a lot because it is of deep personal interest to me. The number one factor is intentionality. (bumbles in his speech) If you dislike the discomfort that comes with racing and even hard training, you can't just sort of bumble along vaguely hoping the next race isn't so painful or just hoping that you bring your mental A-game. You have to make a conscious decision to improve your mental game.  

Listen Now

 

Resources

• Follow Matt on Twitter
• Matt Fitzgerald's website
• Matt's endurance coaching website
• Related episodes: Endure with Alex Hutchinson, Mental Fatigue with Dr. Walter Staiano, Mental Fatigue with Dr. Stephen Cheung

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2 Ways to Give Back to the Show

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Being productive, getting up early to get stuff done, being organized- these are all traits I admire and aspire to do more of!  What about boundary setting, better focus, and accountability?  Yes!  If these topics are ringing a bell for you, then you'll enjoy today's podcast guest- Jeff Sanders.  Jeff Sanders is a keynote speaker, productivity coach, Podcast Host of The 5AM Miracle, author of a few books, and founder of The Rockin’ Productivity Academy.  He is both productive AND busy.  In his spare time, he is also a plant-based marathon runner and personal development junkie.  His background is surprising- it was actually in theater and you can tell with his melodic voice.

 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• how Jeff's background in theater helps him in his career in personal development
• why he is interested in productivity, habits, and routines
• tracking and getting out of reactive mode
• how to eliminate distractions
• boundary setting
• how to set goals without burning out
• favorite apps and tools 
• how eating plant-based makes him more productive

Resources

• Earthlings documentary
• John Maxwell
• Books
  • Getting Things Done - Gary Allen
  • Ultramarathon Man - Dean Karnazes
  • Essentialism- Greg McKweon (listen to my episode with the author Greg McKweon of Essentialism)
  • The One Thing - Gary Keller
  • Deep Work - Cal Newport
  • Hyperfocus - Chris Bailey
• Check out Jeff's Podcast: The 5AM Miracle
• Check out Jeff's website

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Todd Sadow founded Epic Rides in 1999 and produced the inaugural 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo with 176 participants in attendance. Since then, Epic Rides has grown into one of the most successful mountain bike event promotion companies in North America. 

The Epic Rides event portfolio includes six diverse venues in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Arkansas that draw from a regional base with world-wide attendees to accent the more than 8,500 participants and 60,000 general attendees annually.

The Epic Rides business model is simple. Provide the customer with an experience above and beyond anything they have grown to expect from the events industry; our events aren’t just a race, they are life-changing. 

Events:

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo

Whiskey Off-Road

Grand Junction Off-Road

Carson City Off-Road

Oz Trails Off-Road

Tour of the White Mountains

 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• how it started
• how Epic Rides evolves and adds races
• scaling a race production company
• attracting newbies and course difficulty level
• choosing race locations and community
• staying in the lane of mountain biking
• equal payout, large prize purse, and why pros are valuable to the sport
• USA Cycling/UCI and Ironman commentary
• Ebikes, sponsorships, and party atmosphere
• Listener Questions

 

Listen Now

 

 

Resources

• Epic Rides Website
• Epic Rides IG
• Epic Rides Facebook
• Epic Rides Strava club

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Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth of my show, I’d love your contribution on  Patreon.  The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Self-care is a major buzzword and self-care has helped a lot of people create time for themselves.  You often hear of creating a "self-care routine" that might involve things like essential oils, journaling like keeping a gratitude journal, a meditation practice, going to yoga, stretching and foam rolling, drinking tea, going to bed early and being on a consistent sleep schedule, taking supplements, having a "morning routine", using positive affirmations, reading self-help books, or even going to a Naturopath to get an IV or going to acupuncture.

Just listing all of things we could or should be doing seems overwhelming to me.  Some people feel like there's a lot of pressure to do some of these things, but instead of being rejuvenating, it just turns into another stressful task on an already overflowing t0-do list.  By telling yourself that you should be doing it and then when it doesn't happen, it can add to an endless loop of more anxiety and overwhelm. That's eliminates the purpose of having a self-care routine to begin with. Or we'll see other people having success with their self-care routine on social media and feel like we should emulate them.  There are also people who apply their perfectionist mindset to their self-care routine, or maybe they have a list of things they want to do for self-care but use all-or-none thinking with it. So if they can't do all the things on the list, they don't do anything at all.

If this is resonating with you and the idea of your self-care routine or lack thereof is contributing to more burnout and anxiety, then how do you "take care of yourself" without making it stressful, something you have to spend money on, or you feel like you have to force yourself to do it, then it's probably a good idea to take a step back and reconsider if self-care is helpful or not.

So what to do?  I wasn't able to find much data on this other than how self-care routines may be harmful if people have clinical mental illnesses.

Based on my own experience and some anecdotes from friends who have found a certain amount of a self-care routine stressful, here's where I think a good place to start is:

Make it as simple as possible.  Self-care is about checking in with yourself and noticing when you feel good or noticing things that lead to greater feelings of well-being.

If you feel overwhelmed with all these things you feel like you should do, I suggest looking for simple things you're probably already doing with very basic mindfulness.  You can do it just once and it only takes a few seconds, or you may find that it just starts becoming something you do all day every day which was the case with me.  I have to say that I do feel good when I journal or do some of the self-care tasks, but adding them to my list causes stress.  If it feels natural, then I'll do them. But if I feel stressed that I should do them then I don't do them and I take

• notice when you are outside and just note something smiple like the sky or what leaves on a tree look like
• positive social interactions with others- this can be as simple as smiling and feeling connected to a strange on the street
• if you're eating something healthy, just recognize you ate something healthy

This is just basic mindfulness that doesn't require a routine, it doesn't require any real work.  I'd start there if all the self- care shoulds are  causing you stress.

 Listen Now

 

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Cory Muscara is a super interesting person.  Today, he is known for his work as a mindfulness teacher, author, podcaster, and speaker.  You'll find his career path interesting- he started meditating to impress his hippie girlfriend.  When that relationship didn't work out, he went all in, looked for the most challenging meditation training he could find and became a monk for 6 months in Burma where he meditated for 14+ hours per day under the instruction of Sayadaw U Pandita.  Fully engaged, he wanted more.  Not only does he have his Master's Degree in Positive Psychology from UPenn and teaches mindfulness-based leadership at Columbia University. He also currently serves as an assistant instructor for the positive psychology graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he has a wide array of meditation training including the 2-year Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader training,  Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), completed certification with Mindful Schools & Search Inside Yourself, and has trained in Mindfulness-Based Inquiry, Breathworks Chronic Pain with Vidyamala Burch, the Trauma Institute led by Bessel Van der Kolk.  He is a 200-hour hatha yoga teacher, certified NLP & Eriksonian Hypnosis practitioner, and an Integrative Health Coach through Duke Integrative Medicine.

Since then, he has had numerous appearances on Dr. Oz, has his own meditation courses and retreats, collaborates with meditation apps like Ten Percent Happier (my personal favorite), and recently published his first book called Stop Missing Your Life where he incorporates all of his teachings to help people navigate and take action to have more meaning in their relationships with others, internal relationships with themselves, and even how to have a positive relationship with digital devices. 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• Good luck/bad luck/who knows parable 
• how today's events impact the future in unknown ways
• what is equanimity?
• becoming a monk in Burma
• the importance of sitting with suffering & pain
• how not to quit despite deep discomfort
• intersection of mindfulness, positive psychology, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• FACE Model from Cory Muscara's book Stop Missing Your Life
• Pushing through internal walls holding you back in the PAIN Box

Listen Now

 

Resources

• Get Cory Muscara's new book: Stop Missing Your Life
• Text your email to Cory for resources (mentioned in the show): +1 (631) 405 -4631
• Cory's meditation courses and website
• Listen to Cory's Podcast: Practicing Human
• ABC Model/Martin Seligman mentioned in show
• Dr. Jud Brewer's book: The Craving Mind mentioned (smoking cessation example)

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2 Ways to Give Back to the Show

 

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Today's topic is an interesting one and I want to talk about it just to inspire some thought around how we talk about hard work.   It's more just a phrase or topic of conversation that is thrown around, but I don't think many people even realize they are saying it.

The phrase is "it's a lot of work."

This phrase is haphazardly thrown around in our regular conversations, so much so that I'm not even sure we realize we are doing it.  The fact is that saying something is a lot of work is often used as a negative caveat. If you're talking about a good experience to someone and then throw in, "but it's a lot of work," the person you're talking to might feel discouraged or might not even want to try what you are doing.  "It's a lot of work" is also an excuse people use to create a barrier to getting started.

Here are some examples I've heard recently about the phrase "it's a lot of work" either being used as an excuse or just in regular conversation that can inadvertently come across as negative.

"Cooking a plant-based meal? Or even cooking a meal at home?  It's a lot of work."

"I'd love to get a dog, but they are a lot of work."

"Babies are a lot of work, but they are fun too."

"Training for a mountain bike race sounds like too much work."

"Starting a side project would be cool, but it would also be a lot of work."

and here's one I'm guilty of saying we people ask me about podcasting

"I love podcasting, but it's a lot more work than you'd think!"

I'm not saying it's bad to tell someone that a task is a lot of work, but I think it's important to be aware the context.  Also, why do we feel the need to emphasize that something is a lot work?  Most of the time, we have the best intentions. We want someone to know that if they want to take on a new commitment, we want to prepare them by letting them know there will be some time and effort involved.  Most of the time, we are not trying to discourage someone but it can inadvertently come off that way- or worse, you can sound like you are complaining.  Saying something is great but then adding "but it's a lot of work" can take away from how great it sounds.

And when we use "it's a lot of work" as an excuse to avoid getting started- well that's a whole other story.

My comment is: why is something being hard work a bad thing? Why are we so afraid of the idea hard work?

I've broken it down into a few sections.  The first is one I'll lightly touch on, but won't go in-depth because the topic is very broad and is even something we've spent hours talking about on the show with guests: topics like the brain's quest for dopamine, building good habits, setting goals, sticking to commitments. There are tons of articles on why we are lazy, how not to be lazy, etc.  I'm not going to go into laziness.

First, let's have a mindset shift around "hard work"

Matt and I were talking about this topic as I was writing this post. I was telling him that I actually enjoy working hard. I don't mind investing my time and energy into things. An example: when we decided to get a puppy last year, everyone told us that getting a dog was going to be a ton of work.  It doesn't feel like work to me, it just feels like a fun addition to my life that takes attention I want to give. When I start and commit to projects or to races, I know I'll have to put in a lot of work and effort, but that excites me.

My question is what else would you rather be doing with your time rather than committing it to "working hard" for something you care about?  The idea of endlessly relaxing may sound good, but in truth, I would find that horribly boring and unsatisfying. I want to sp

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Molly Hurford has built her career with several aims in mind: Write constantly, race often, travel frequently and live on her own terms, mostly outside. While she runs her own brands, including The Outdoor Edit, The Consummate Athlete Podcast and Shred Girls, she also works as a freelance writer for many major outdoor publications.  She’s also the author of multiple books on cycling and nutrition. Her most recent project, Shred Girls, is a young adult fiction series focused on getting girls excited about bikes. It’s also a website that features interviews, advice and inspiration for young female cyclists at Shred-Girls.com.  Molly was a guest on this podcast last year where we went in depth into Shred Girls. Listen to that episode.

In her spare time, Molly has raced almost every type of bike, from cyclocross to road to mountain at an elite level; competed in triathlons from sprint to Ironman; and currently spends most of her time competing in ultra-running races, where she often finds her way onto podiums.  She was also the team manager of the former CX team: Aspire Racing that was the most professional CX program in the USA. 

Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• Molly's experience as team manager for former team Aspire Racing
• Best practices of pros like Jeremy Powers and Mag Rochette
• How to do a DIY photoshoot
• social media practices
• Blueprint: where to start
• how to budget, acting locally but thinking globally
• types of sponsorships and how to ask for money
• what to include in a proposal
• where to find the right contact at a brand
• how to build a relationship with media/journalists

Listen Now

 

 

 

 

Resources

• Get the Athlete Sponsorship Guide
• Get Shred-Girls
• Check out Outdoor Edit (Molly's website)
• Listen to the Consummate Athlete
• Follow Molly on Instagram

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2 Ways to Give Back to the Show

 

       

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.