Project Warman

This week I try and break down how and what I've been feeling lately. I'm generally not good at talking about my feelings but this was a big step forward for me. For the past week or so I've been feeling extremely stressed which has put me into a near-burnout type of state. I try to sort through what might be causing it while offering some perspective on some of the great things going on right now.

Life is a grind. There will be highs and there will be lows. If we can learn to be strong and push through our lows then it will make the highs that much sweeter.

Moral of the story today: KEEP GOING!

GET AFTER IT!

Have a Great Friday!

On Episode 143 I sit down with Taylor Somerville. Taylor founded Symmetry after working in the investment business for 15 years. Going through a divorce in 2014, Taylor discovered breathwork as a way to deal with the stress and anxiety in his personal and professional life. Through breathwork, Taylor was able to learn how to respond to stressful situations in a productive manner rather than reacting.

In 2017, after seeing the positive changes in himself, Taylor felt a calling to help others with improving their own stress management, anxiety, athletic performance, and overall health and wellness. We all struggle with these issues at some point in our lives but there are tools we can use to better prepare ourselves to handle stress. Now, Taylor focuses on teaching you these tools to empower others. He wants you to take control of your life and become more resilient.

Taylor is affiliated with XPT, founded by Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece. Through XPT, Taylor gained extensive knowledge into breathwork, heat and ice contrast therapy, and XPT’s breath, move and recover lifestyle. In 2018, Taylor became one of the first XPT certified coaches and recently became one of the first master coaches. As a master coach, Taylor is certifying the next generation of XPT level 1 coaches.

In addition to Taylor’s XPT certification, he also holds the Art of Breath certification, is a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, and has a certification in CrossFit’s Aerobic Capacity program.

This week I talk about the importance of unplugging and unwinding from this external world we live in. No matter where we turn, where we go, or what we do there will always be some sort of distraction/stressor that we can fill our minds with. If we wanted to, we could live in a reality where we never had to face our true thoughts, feelings, emotions, and ideas. Instead, focus on creating time for yourself and learn to go internal. Be comfortable being alone with your thoughts and no other distractions. In doing this, you will learn things about yourself that you never even knew were there.

Have a Great Friday!

On Episode 141 I sit down with Pat Barber AKA "The Manimal". Pat always had the dream of growing up and being paid to play a sport and when he found CrossFit it eventually gave him the opportunity to make that dream come true.

Pat has been involved in CrossFit since 2003. Since finding CrossFit he has competed at the games numerous times, worked for CrossFit HQ on the Seminar Staff, coached, and now works with his wife Taz on their business Warm-Up and Workout.

It was truly an honor having the opportunity to chat with Pat and I truly hope that you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

This week I talk all about thoughts and how we don't really have control over all of our thoughts but we do have control over what we do with them. I dive into my idea of having a filter in your mind that filters out the bad, toxic thoughts. I also talk about making the real estate in your head expensive. Meaning, don't let every little thought and idea that pops into your head stay and claim residency. Toxic thoughts that you have no control over have the ability to grow uncontrollably until they consume you. It's important to have control over what thoughts are being given life and what thoughts are being put to bed by you. Start to pay attention to what you're giving attention to.

On Episode 139 I am joined once again by Jason Grubb. During this episode, we talk about what he's been up to over the last year, the online qualifier for the 2020 CrossFit Games, his switch from CompTrain to Mayhem programming, learning to pace workouts, his love for training and competition, future events he's got on the schedule, and much more!

Jason is also offering a deal exclusively for Up Before You listeners. He's offering $100 off any one of his 12 week online programs that you can find at JasonGrubb.com. Use code upbeforeyou to redeem this offer!

Throughout the weeks to come, I'll be talking through all sorts of different ideas, thoughts, topics I've written about or talked about on social media that I wanted to elaborate more on, etc. And I want to deliver them in a way that is natural and raw. That being said, I'll be recording these thoughts as I take a morning walk and I won't be going back through and editing.

These are meant to be fairly quick listens that you could easily listen to on your commute to work, the gym, etc.

AKA I'll try not to ramble too much and just get to the point!

On Episode 137 I sit down with Jerred Moon. Jerred is a coach, author, and veteran that served as Captain in the U.S. Air Force, leading teams throughout his career. After leaving active duty, he founded his company, End of Three Fitness, with the aim to build better humans. The award-winning and best-selling author of “The Garage Gym Athlete,” Jerred is recognized as one of the most influential leaders in the fitness industry.

It was truly an honor to have Jerred on the podcast and I hope that you guys enjoy this conversation and are able to take something valuable from it and apply it to your own lives.

“He who sheds blood with me shall forever be my brother”

This is the first quote that Noah Currier printed on a t-shirt and also the motto which he lives by.

Noah was one year in the military when Sept 11th happened. He did two only to return home and have his life turned upside down. Three days after he returned home uninjured from war, he was in an automobile accident that paralyzed him from the neck down. Six months later he lost his fiancé, the love of his life the exact same way he lost his ability to walk. For years he suffered from severe depression, frequent thoughts of suicide and was lost in a downward spiral. Another injured veteran encouraged him to participate in adaptive sports. He finally agreed and the decision would positively change his life forever.

Noah immediately realized that staying physically active was a game changer and he wanted the same for other injured veterans. He officially started Oscar Mike, the cleverly named organization which is military radio jargon for On the Move. Through public donations, the sales of apparel, along with private funding and corporate donations, Oscar Mike successfully supports hundreds of injured veterans each year.

Wheelchair Rugby - His Passion

Wheelchair Rugby is a mixed team sport for male and female quadriplegic athletes. A unique sport created by athletes with a disability, it combines elements of rugby, basketball and handball. Players compete in teams of four to carry the ball across the opposing team's goal line. Contact between wheelchairs is permitted, and is in fact an integral part of the sport as players use their chairs to block and hold opponents. Wheelchair Rugby is a Paralympic sport, with twenty-six countries competing in international competition and more than ten others developing national programs.

Oscar Mike has the only all-veteran team in the country - The Oscar Mike Militia - and they are the current hosts of the annual National Wheelchair Rugby Tournament which is the pinnacle event for the sport.

I truly hope that you all enjoy this episode it was a pleasure having Noah on the show!

On Episode 135 I'm joined by Chris Cronin. Chris flips the script and asks me some questions about my first step into the ultramarathon world. Recently I ran my first 50KM race out here in the mountains of Colorado. We talk about the mindset surrounding the race, what I do to prepare myself for things like this, how the actual race went, what I learned, and more! As always I truly hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!