Grow the Good

If you aren't familiar with the triathlon world, I'm excited to introduce you to our podcast guest, Mirinda "Rinny" Carfrae.  Rinny is pretty amazing. For starters, she is 3x Ironman World Champion and has been on the podium at 6/7 Ironman Worlds she has done!  She has also been World Champion at the half-ironman.  distance.  The Australian currently lives in Boulder, CO.  Standing at 5'3" tall, her first love in sports was actually basketball and she played for 11 years starting at the age of 7.  She was introduced to triathlon in college with running as her primary strength.  I think Rinny is inspiring for a number of reasons.  She is someone who thrives under pressure.  She has an incredible work ethic.  On top of her busy career, she took a short period of time off to have a baby and continued her career after her baby was born.  She said her short sabbatical was something she was ready for and the break from racing was a nice change of pace.  If you follow her on social media, you'll see is she back to kicking some serious butt and her YouTube Channel shows how she and her professional triathlete husband, Tim O'Donnell, live their day to day with their little girl, Izzy. 

In this episode, we talked about how she manages expectations and pressure, pushing through the pain, about her experience becoming a mom, avoiding injury, some of her race strategies and so much more! 

• her 1st sport: basketball
• how Rinny got into Ironman
• how to have longevity in endurance sports
• how she avoids overuse injury
• her sabbatical to have her baby, Izzy 
• her comeback after pregnancy
• sleep deprivation with a young baby
• managing expectations 
• the community of triathlon
• how to train 3 sports
• her race strategies and some stories from her races
• how she pushes through the pain

• Follow Rinny on Instagram
• Rinny's YouTube Channel
• Follow Rinny on Twitter
• Rinny's website

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. 

This is an episode of Crush It Mondays.  Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation to get your week off to a powerful start.  In this week’s episode, I want to talk about the meaning of competition.

It's normal to be intimidated by competition or your competitors.   Competition is a measuring stick for comparison on a given day.  Competition has many contexts; athletic, business, contests to inspire action, and even simply just competition for attention.  Competition and comparison can be positive, but it can also be a slippery slope because while it can have positive benefits, it can also harm your confidence and cause anxiety without the right outlook.  I'll use athletic competition as an example in this podcast because it's what we are most familiar with.

All of us who have ever worn a timing chip, a number plate, or had our name on a team roster have felt the exhilaration, nerves, excitement, and even anxiety about our performance.  We look at start lists to see who else is there, we compare our preparation to others.  It's normal to have that tense feeling.  Even after racing for 15 years, I get both nervous and excited on race day.  Sometimes, I will even admit to dreading race day and wondering why I put myself in a situation to feel so uncomfortable.  That's how I can tell I'm super nervous about it.  Have you ever asked yourself why you are nervous?

Personally, and I'm sure some of you can relate as well, it's because I'm afraid of several factors.  One, I'm afraid I'll look stupid if I don't perform well relative to my competitors. I worry I won't have good legs that day. I worry I won't be good enough and what will other people think?  What will I think if I put in all this work, made sacrifices and I don't meet my expectations?  Some people's most daunting expectations are their own while other's are more nervous about external expectations.  Competition also has an extrinsic motivation component to it.  When you compete, you can "win" something. You win recognition, a prize, money, or a trophy. You could even win the respect of fellow competitors which is something we all want. Extrinsic motivation is tied to an external reward.  I think it's very important to look for your intrinsic motivation.  I think it's the key to longevity in a competitive environment because if you can tie your success, or feeling proud of your effort to something that is less about comparison and more about a different purpose in which you have more control, it can help relieve the pressure of needing to achieve a certain time or a certain place.  I think we do need to be ranked by our race time or a game score compared to others or it wouldn't be a competition, but if you make your goal to perform your best on the day, be consistent in your preparation, work on having a positive attitude even when it gets hard, or nail a technical section, it can broaden the measurables of what success meant to you on the day apart from just your race result.

Now what if you fear the actual people or the competitors?  It's something I've been working on for years, but I try to look at my competitors not as my enemies, but as people who will make me better too. I've seen peoples' names on a start lists and been intimidated thinking I'll never be able to beat them, but that's a self-limiting belief.  I've proven myself wrong.  It doesn't help to stare at start lists and guess what the outcome may be.  It's better to focus on your own strategy that plays to your strengths.  It's good when there are lots of strong people on the start list, not bad.  Some of my proudest performances haven't necessarily been from winning, but they've been circumstances where I raced my bike better than I ever thought I could, and that was a win to me. Without strong people around me, I wouldn't have risen to another level.  It can be hard to remember this sometimes, esp

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

This is an interesting story of how a young girl was frustrated by a tumultuous relationship with her mother and learned about self-awareness and personal development through her father's advice.  The inputs we have while we are young always have an impression on our adult lives.  The young girl's father was her mentor, telling her that she will never change her mother, but she could change her own perspective. 

He told his 14 year-old daughter,  "Whenever you feel upset and frustrated, remember that the only thing you can control is what you focus on and what you think about. See this as a opportunity to train and strengthen your mind." 

The young girl's name is Mo Seetubim, and out of her frustrations, she learned how to be happier.  Initially, she was a blogger, writing about different emotional difficulties that come up in life and how to cope with them.  Blogging lead her down the entrepreneurial path where she started the journal - The Happiness Planner.  The Happiness Planner has grown into a company that inspires many with various planners and notebooks.

Mo's goal is to help bring happiness and inspiration to other's through the art of journaling, planning, goal setting, and prioritizing what's important.

Use the code "SONYA5" for $5 off!

• how this started
• dealing with worry
• journaling for self-confidence
• growth of her journal business & coping with ups and downs
• life as a traveler & non-attachment to things
• life lessons from traveling the world
• should you type or handwrite in your journal?
• what real happiness means to Mo

• Check out the Happiness Planner
• Mo's Blog
• Mo's TEDx Talk

If you would like to support the growth 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!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products! 

Leave a review or share on social media

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

Google Play

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

This is an episode of Crush It Mondays.  Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation to get your week off to a powerful start.  In this week’s episode, I want to talk about the currency you use to define your life.

I think the majority of our listeners are pretty in-tune to what makes them happy, but a lot of people outside our bubble put their stock, self-worth, or value in how much money they make or the outward appearance of their lives via fancy cars, houses, watches, etc. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with having nice things or making a healthy income, but when you tie your self-worth to external things, it's not good in terms of long term happiness.  The currency/metric that I think we should be looking to enhance in our lives is not money, it's not achievements, it's not things, it's not race results... it's happiness.  Happiness and a sense of flourishing are what gives our lives value and meaning.  While that might sound obvious, it's easy to get stuck in the trap of knowing it, but our actions saying otherwise.  I've gotten stuck in this trap many times, specifically with feeling bad about how much money I'm getting to do something if it feels like I'm not being valued and with the harsh self-judgment if I am not living up to my own expectations with an outcome based metric.  It's human... but it's having the awareness of when you're doing it and then reinvesting your time, your focus, and your energy into the things that increase your happiness that can help get you unstuck.

Examples would be if you don't get a promotion or even lose your job, you feel like you are not a valuable, smart, or useful person.  Another example would be if you don't achieve a certain result or time goal in a race, or even simply if you don't achieve a goal you set out to hit in anything, then you're not worthy.  Earning money and feeling validated financially for your effort DOES feel good.  Winning a race or hitting a goal DOES feel good.  But those feelings of happiness or worthiness are temporary and as I said in a past episode about the danger of saying, I'll be happy when I do or get X, you are actually putting your happiness stock in an external metric and you're also putting your happiness into the future.

Once our needs are met, I think our goal should be, "how do I make myself happier today" as a first goal.  I've mentioned several times that I badly struggled with burnout last year.  I have an incredible life, but I did not feel happy because I was simply trying to do too much so I could achieve. It might sound strange and it definitely feels strange, but I've worked really hard this year to do less, to expect less, and strip down what it is about the things I'm doing that truly make me happy.  The answer has been spending more time with people, traveling less, working less, and worrying less about "getting left behind."  I also am spending less time comparing myself to others on social media. I am definitely not immune to any of it, but I've put "what makes me feel happiest today" as one of my main objectives.  It takes courage to step off the crazy hustle train if it's out of control...and the funny thing is that if I look at the results of my goals, I've actually been more successful this year achieving them by working less. (I don't mean be lazy, but I was working 7 days a week and almost all hours when I wasn't sleeping).  Hustle culture and finding the right amount of pushing is a topic for another day!  So happiness. I realize that happiness, positivity, and motivational quotes can be overused or blown out of proportion.  It's unrealistic to be smiling and feel good all the time, but if someone were to ask you on a scale of 1-10, how happy are you on average, it's a good starting point.

What ca

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

I'm excited about today's episode because I get to share a keynote speech I gave back in July at a new bike festival called Inspire Your Ride in Nampa, Idaho.  Public speaking is one of my favorite things to do.  Some people fear public speaking more than death, but for some reason, I really like it!  I love speaking because I feel more alive when I'm in front of an audience.  I feel the energy of the people listening and it gets me amped!  This speech is about how I got into mountain biking and the elements of high-performance living I attribute to feeling positive, having a strong mindset, being your healthiest self, and some tricks for dealing with stress.  This bike festival was put on by an amazing community building bike shop in Nampa called Rolling H Cycles. I hope you enjoy it. 

• • my journey to cycling
  • Mindset to get through the hardest challenges in life
  • Growth vs Fixed Mindset
  • Dr. Martin Selgiman- Explanatory Style
  • ABCDE Model
  • How to Meditate and creates space
  • How to deal with stress
  • Identity-Based Habits
  • Eat with a Plant-Slant
  • Blue Zone Lifestyle

• My TEDx Talk about Nepal
• Book: Mindset by Carol Dweck
• Rolling H Cycles
• Book: The Upside of Stress Kelly McGonigal
• Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear 

If you would like to support the growth 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!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products! 

Leave a review or share on social media

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

Google Play

Spotify

Thanks for listening!

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

This is an episode of Crush It Mondays.  Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation to get your week off to a powerful start.  In this week’s episode, I want to talk about aging.

I find it frustrating how our society strongly values youth.  I'm still relatively young in life- I turned 36 a few days ago, but I wouldn't go back to my 20s.  I value the things that I've learned, the person I've become, the experiences I've had - and I certainly would not trade that to have younger-looking skin or even for a longer runway in front of me. Now, I can understand that some people have a lot of regrets of how they've lived their life or maybe it just isn't what they had hoped for, so the younger days seem more attractive. I don't want to invalidate that.  Aging also means loss of loved ones over time, potential illness, and difficult changes in life that I haven't experienced yet. So I don't want to say aging is this glorious, amazing thing all the time.

Last year, a good friend of mine turned 60. She said she was so excited to be 60 because she always knew her best years would be her senior years.  I loved hearing her perspective.  Now let's look at ways that our society talks about aging to turn it into this menacing thing.  One, all advertising is about looking younger. Use this cream, get this surgery, feel like you're 25 again!  On TV (and yes, this does sometimes happen in real life too)- an older person pining for someone much younger than them.  Showing "old" people as being decrepit, senile, helpless - how many times have you heard someone say "I don't WANT to live to be 100." This is the picture that has been painted of aging.  People ashamed to tell others how old they really are... I've made it my intention to always say proudly my age.

So what else can aging look like?  For starters, if you take care of yourself- aging will not look like it does on TV.  I am always admiring older people who are fit, who like to be learning and trying new things, and who still strive to be better.  My parents and also Matt's parents have been a great example of this.  My neighbors are also closer to my parent's age and they are always going on bike trips, spending time with friends and family, and look great.  Eating with a plant-slant as I've mentioned before and as mentioned in the Blue Zones will help prevent getting things like heart disease and certain types of cancer...and even diseases like dementia and alzheimers.  If you want to learn about the habits of people who live to be a healthy 100 years old- the 100-year-old who is still out there exercising, has it all together, and is a healthy image of aging- read Dan Buettner's Blue Zones where he teamed up with National Geographic to find the areas around the world where people live to thrive at age 100.

Another really interesting read I enjoyed was John Robbins' book, "Healthy at 100."  This book actually came out before Blue Zones, and it was John's idea that Dan made even bigger. In this book, it follows different people- the Abkhasias, Vilcabambas, Hunzas, and Okinawans where people actually like to make themselves older.  In fact, some of the research was difficult because people would lie and say they were 130 years old!  Kids always want to be older until a certain point, so when, as adults, do we start trying to make that number smaller and why?  People in these places value the elderly and make sure they are not lonely in old age by either having elders live with them or near them.  Loneliness, as discovered in John Robbins, researched can kill you faster than cigarettes.  For the Abkkhasians, sickness is not considered normal or a natural event in very old age. In Abkhasia, it's an insult when someone tells you you are looking young.  In John's book, he mentioned we talk about life span- but some old people are not living- they are more waiting to die.  He uses the term

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

Inside Tracker is a company that uses bloodwork to assess biomarkers, blood analysis, athletic performance, and nutrition software to optimize fitness and longevity.  Founded in 2009, the Boston company first started working with professional athletes who wanted to see what their biomarkers, hormone and mineral profiles looked like during their training and how they could use nutrition and lifestyle to improve.  They measure over 30 biomarkers and recommend food and supplements to optimize thinks like your energy, cognition, endurance, heart health, and more. I started working with Inside Tracker in 2017.  I liked it because their ranges for your biomarkers change based on your goals. I also think it's important to have baseline and also recurrent bloodwork as you age and also simply as an athlete. Today I sat down with accomplished runner and sales manager, Jonathan Levitt from Inside Tracker.

Get 15% off your tests with the Inside Tracker Discount Code: SONYALOONEYSHOW

• • common deficiencies
  • optimal time to get a test
  • recovery tips & food
  • is there an optimal diet
  • how often should you test
  • inner age + longevity
  • cognition
  • Inside Tracker's scientific advisory board
  • criticisms of Inside Tracker & how they manage
  • when to go to your doctor

• Inside Tracker Website
• Inside Tracker on Instagram 
• David Sinclair (advisory board member) on Joe Rogan

If you would like to support the growth 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!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products! 

Leave a review or share on social media

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

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

This is an episode of Crush It Mondays.  Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation to get your week off to a powerful start.  In this week’s episode, I want to talk about how changing just a few words can make a big difference with your perspective and attitude.

How many times have you felt like you had to do something?  I have to go to work.  I have to take out the trash.  I have to do intervals today.  I have to take my kid to soccer practice.  Even if you don't always intend for it to be this task you are forced to do, saying I have to makes it sound like a chore. And let's face it, sometimes they are just chores and you would rather be doing something else.  Simply rephrasing how you talk about things you have to do, whether it be in your head or out loud, it makes a difference.

So instead of saying you have to do something, trying saying you get to do something.  Saying I get to go to work, I get to take out the trash, I get to do intervals today, I get to take my kid to soccer practice helps us have more gratitude and not take for granted things that we get to or have to do.  If you lost your job, you would not get to or have to go to work.  If you didn't have trash pick up, you would not get to take the trash out.  And I have to say, from the third world countries I've visited, I've seen what it looks like when people don't have trash pick up.  Having time and being healthy enough to get to go out and do intervals is a privilege, even if it's hard.  Having time or even making time to be there for your kid and take them to soccer practice is also a privilege if you choose to look at it that way.  Next time you find yourself saying "I have to" and you feel like it's a pain or you aren't really that happy about having to do something, try saying you get to do it.  It takes time, but this practice really helps!

The next word I want to talk about is a word that helps you practice a growth mindset (that is, believing that things like your talents, athletic ability, intelligence are not a fixed level that you are born with).  People who have a growth mindset believe they can cultivate their efforts to improve. A lot of times people say they can't do something...but that sounds so definitive. So say that you can't do it ... yet!  If you use the word yet, you can say that you aren't there now, but you can get there with more time and effort.  Some examples, "I can't make it up the hill... yet.  I don't get it... yet.  I can't do a stage race... yet."  For the majority of things you say you can't you do, you actually can if you choose to put more work in and keep going.  When you start using the word yet, you also realize there's a lot more opportunity waiting for you. Recognizing that you have a choice and that you can choose to improve is really powerful and gives you back some power when you feel like you have no control over something.

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

Did you know your body has more gut bacteria cells than human cells?  The emerging field in gut health has made huge strides in how we view our health and how we treat diseases.  A newsflash: everything you put in your mouth also feeds your gut flora.  Many autoimmune diseases live in the gut and the bacteria in our gut even have an effect on our neurotransmitters like serotonin.  90% of serotonin is produced in the gut- this has a tremendous impact on depression.  That means that our gut can dictate parts of our personality. So how do you make sure you have a healthy gut?

Well, that's where Dr. Will Bulsiewicz comes in!  As he liked to be called, Dr B is an MD, a gastroenterologist and internationally recognized gut health expert He is passionate about the incredible healing power that lives inside you—your gut microbiota. Dr. B's medical training involved 16 years at America's elite institutions. He completed a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, a medical degree from Georgetown University, and Master of Science in Clinical Investigation from Northwestern University. Dr. B was also the chief medical resident at Northwestern and the chief gastroenterology fellow at UNC, and received the highest award given by both his residency and fellowship; and he completed an epidemiology fellowship at UNC's prestigious Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Dr. B has published more than 20 papers and presented more than 40 times at national meetings, and he is the author of a highly anticipated book on gut health to be published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House. For more gut health pointers, follow Dr. B on Instagram at @theguthealthmd.

The biggest takeaway from this show is that you should eat as much variety of whole plant foods as you can.  Diversity is key and that's something I put into practice after recording this episode.

• what is the microbiome?
• how does our gut flora affect our personality and mental health?
• Decoding cravings
• Diseases and the gut
• The study that changed how Dr. B practices medicine
• Demystifying antibiotics, probiotics, and prebiotics
• discussion about candida overgrowth
• are we over sterilizing our world?
• the best foods for your gut
• the danger to your gut with fad diets like paleo, keto, cutting out legumes, etc
• is kombucha good for you?

15:50

You are not the victim of the genetic profile that was handed to you.  You have control over your health which I find to be very empowering and it's your choices during your lifetime that ultimately will determine whether or not you actually manifest disease.  You will have predisposition. Ther are certain things that because of my family I am more prone to. There are certain things that I"m fortunate because of my family that I am not as prone to. But it's my lifestyle choices that will ultimately will lead to the manifestation of those conditions.

• The study that changed how Dr. B practiced medicine
• Follow Dr. B on instagram
• Dr. Will Bullsiewicz Dr. B's Website

If you would like to support the growth 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 p

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

This is an episode of Crush It Mondays.  Each week, I’ll bring to you an inspiring message, habit, or contemplation to get your week off to a powerful start.  In this week’s episode, I want to talk about how changing just a few words can make a big difference with your perspective and attitude.

How many times have you felt like you had to do something?  I have to go to work.  I have to take out the trash.  I have to do intervals today.  I have to take my kid to soccer practice.  Even if you don't always intend for it to be this task you are forced to do, saying I have to makes it sound like a chore. And let's face it, sometimes they are just chores and you would rather be doing something else.  Simply rephrasing how you talk about things you have to do, whether it be in your head or out loud, it makes a difference.

So instead of saying you have to do something, trying saying you get to do something.  Saying I get to go to work, I get to take out the trash, I get to do intervals today, I get to take my kid to soccer practice helps us have more gratitude and not take for granted things that we get to or have to do.  If you lost your job, you would not get to or have to go to work.  If you didn't have trash pick up, you would not get to take the trash out.  And I have to say, from the third world countries I've visited, I've seen what it looks like when people don't have trash pick up.  Having time and being healthy enough to get to go out and do intervals is a privilege, even if it's hard.  Having time or even making time to be there for your kid and take them to soccer practice is also a privilege if you choose to look at it that way.  Next time you find yourself saying "I have to" and you feel like it's a pain or you aren't really that happy about having to do something, try saying you get to do it.  It takes time, but this practice really helps!

The next word I want to talk about is a word that helps you practice a growth mindset (that is, believing that things like your talents, athletic ability, intelligence are not a fixed level that you are born with).  People who have a growth mindset believe they can cultivate their efforts to improve. A lot of times people say they can't do something...but that sounds so definitive. So say that you can't do it ... yet!  If you use the word yet, you can say that you aren't there now, but you can get there with more time and effort.  Some examples, "I can't make it up the hill... yet.  I don't get it... yet.  I can't do a stage race... yet."  For the majority of things you say you can't you do, you actually can if you choose to put more work in and keep going.  When you start using the word yet, you also realize there's a lot more opportunity waiting for you. Recognizing that you have a choice and that you can choose to improve is really powerful and gives you back some power when you feel like you have no control over something.

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