To sign up for a 250-kilometer foot race through the Sahara Desert without having run more than 10k in your life, and with only 6-months to train, may seem like total insanity to most people but not to Luke Tyburski. Especially not at the time in his life when he decided to take on the toughest foot race on earth known as the Marathon De Sables. What Luke couldn't see at that time was that he was desperate to escape the deep pain within that was left over from unexpectantly leaving a career he dreamed of since the age of four. He did not have the tools at that time to navigate the intensity of his failed expectations and loss of identity.

So as most people do who avoid the deep pain of sadness, he ran. And he ran. And he ran. Across the Sahara Desert, down Mount Everest and through the jungle on an island off the coast China. Luke quickly moved on, or so he thought, from his identity as a professional soccer player and into the role of endurance adventurer. From running he added cycling and then swimming. In a matter of a few years, Luke took his adventuring to the extreme level and in 2015, crafted his perfect endurance overdose.

The Ultimate Triathlon: Morocco to Monaco in just 12-days included swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar, cycling along the coast of Spain and France and then running into Monaco. The entire event covered over 1200 miles and with his crew of four, Luke made history once again. But it was what occurred following The Ultimate Triathlon that spawned his greatest achievement yet.

Luke's recently released book Chasing Extreme is an up close and personal look at the story of a guy who will never give up. His vulnerability is palpable as he gives us a very raw perspective into his struggles, realizations and healing that have taken place over his lifetime. He describes the writing of this book as better than therapy and shares with us just how painful it was to relive the darkest of times in his life.

He has since entered the light and he now has clarity on how he wants to live his life. In this episode, he shares guiding principles and sage advice with our listeners. We have been following Luke for a while now and we are incredibly grateful to have connected with him to share this podcast with the YT community.

*CONTEST ALERT* Please share this episode on your social channels this week, tag both YogiTriathlete and Luke Tyburski and get yourself in the running to win a signed copy of Chasing Extreme. This book is a must read and we are glad that Luke chose the bravery it took to complete it. Winner announced Friday, February 15, 2019