What holds when everything breaks is not motivation, talent, or hype? It's rules built under pressure. In this episode, elite ultra-endurance athlete and coach Jeff Browning, aka Bronco Billy, talks with Joe De Sena about how distance exposes weak standards and why rules, not motivation, decide who finishes. They break down hard calendars, pre-set rules, and the cost of quitting under pressure. This is a straight talk on ownership, preparation, and making clear decisions when fatigue hits. Listeners leave with simple rules they can apply immediately to training, work, and life. Things You Will Learn

• How setting rules in advance prevents quitting under pressure
• Why long distance and hard deadlines force discipline faster than motivation
• How finishing hard things builds repeatable resilience

Tools & Frameworks Covered

• Hard Calendars: Force daily accountability and consistent action
• Pre-Set Rules: Remove emotional decision-making under fatigue
• Finish vs. Quit Framework: build resilience by training completion, not comfort

If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses. Jeff Browning, known as Bronco Billy, is one of the most durable and decorated ultrarunners on the planet. With over 200 ultras and 40+ career wins including 32 victories at the 100 - mile distance he's proof that grit, adaptability, and discipline can outlast age and adversity. From farm chores in Missouri to near-death mountain moments, Jeff's story embodies endurance through hardship, mindset mastery, and the pursuit of longevity through "the hard way." Connect to Jeff : Website: https://www.gobroncobilly.com/about-jeff-browning/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gobroncobilly

Pressure doesn't ask if you're ready. It hits, and most people freeze. Retired Navy SEAL officer and combat leader Jason Redman talks with Joe De Sena about Hell Week, Ranger School, combat failure, recovery, and the rule of getting off the X. They break down why thinking too long gets you stuck, why quitting in the moment is a mistake, and how discipline is built by moving first and fixing it later. The takeaway is direct: act under pressure, own the outcome, and build resilience through discomfort, not comfort. Things You Will Learn:

1. How to act when pressure hits
2. Why hesitation keeps you stuck
3. How discipline is built through movement

Tools & Frameworks Covered:

1. Get Off the X: act before conditions improve
2. Never Quit in the Moment: avoid bad decisions under stress
3. Awareness–Preparation–Action: stay effective when plans fail

If this episode hit, don't sit on it. Get off the X. Take action. Subscribe to the podcast. Follow for more hard rules. Check Spartan races, books, and resources at Spartan.com. Own the work. Jason Redman is a former U.S. Navy SEAL whose life was transformed by combat injury and near-death experience, turning that hardship into a powerful message of resilience, leadership, and human potential. After being severely wounded in Iraq and undergoing dozens of surgeries, he authored bestselling books and built a career speaking and coaching on overcoming adversity, teamwork, and mindset. His core themes: "get off the X" (moving from crisis to action), leadership under pressure, and the belief that greatness is within you regardless of circumstance. Connect to Jason: Website: https://jasonredman.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonredmanww/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasonredmanww/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-redman-b8324210/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYlcniaDl7BxOLMCn-EoXqw

When everything gets hard, discipline decides the outcome. This episode cuts through the noise and shows what holds when the body quits and motivation is no longer an option. Explorer, ultra-endurance athlete, and expedition leader Ray Zahab talks with Joe De Sena about surviving cancer, crossing the Arctic, disconnecting from distraction, and choosing action under pressure. A no-nonsense breakdown of ownership, resilience, and rules tested by real pressure. Things You Will Learn:

1. How to keep moving when energy is gone and comfort is no longer available
2. Why simple decisions outperform complex plans under pressure
3. How repeated hardship forges real resilience through action

Tools & Frameworks Covered:

1. Stop or Go Rule: eliminates hesitation and forces commitment
2. Calendar Discipline: enforces action before emotions interfere
3. Discomfort as Training: conditions mental and physical endurance through exposure

If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses. Ray Zahab went from being a sedentary smoker to one of the world's most accomplished ultra-endurance explorers, running thousands of kilometers across the planet's harshest environments. His journey from unhealthy habits to global expeditions reveals the power of mindset shifts, resilience, and purpose-driven adventure. Through his non-profit impossible2Possible, he transforms exploration into education proving that breaking limits, physically and mentally, can empower others to do the extraordinary. Connect to Ray: Website: https://zachbitter.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachbitter YouTube: https://zachbitter.com/hpo

Your mind quits before your body does. That's where most people fail. World-record ultra-endurance runner and endurance coach Zach Bitter sits with Joe De Sena to talk about what breaks people when the miles stack up. Discipline under load. Mental control past mile 60. The rules that keep you moving when quitting makes sense. They cut through ego, impatience, and comfort, explain how to manage mental breakdowns, and show why comfort destroys performance. Things You Will Learn

• How to hold the line when your mind tells you to stop
• How to manage fatigue without negotiating with yourself
• How to build endurance through structure, not motivation

Tools & Frameworks Covered

• Zoom Out / Zoom In Rule: keeps you moving by shrinking the problem and controlling focus
• Low-Intensity Discipline Model: builds endurance without burning out or quitting early
• Anti-Comfort Execution Rule: removes easy exits to maintain forward momentum

If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses. Zach Bitter is an American ultramarathon runner who set world records in the 100-mile and 12-hour runs, showcasing the limits of human endurance. A former collegiate athlete turned elite ultrarunner, Zach has built his career around disciplined training, mental toughness, and strategic performance. As a coach and podcaster, he helps others develop resilience, focus, and sustainable methods for peak endurance. Connect to Zach: Website: https://zachbitter.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachbitter YouTube: https://zachbitter.com/hpo

Being smart won't save you when pressure shows up. Why intelligence fails without discipline, ownership, and the ability to read what isn't written? CodeBreaker Mindset author, former investment banker, journalist, and venture partner Chitra Nawbatt talks with Joe De Sena about making decisions under stress, voluntary versus forced pivots, and why comfort keeps capable people stuck. The focus is on simple rules, earned judgment, and building discipline that holds when conditions get hard. Things You'll Learn:

• How to recognize unwritten rules before they cost you momentum
• How to make decisions under pressure instead of freezing or defaulting to comfort
• How to build discipline that allows you to pivot before life forces it

Tools & Frameworks Covered:

• CodeBreaker Mindset: A discipline for reading unwritten rules before they break you
• Voluntary vs. Forced Pivots: A rule for moving early instead of waiting for failure to decide for you
• Pattern Recognition Under Pressure: A method for making cleaner decisions when stress and noise increase

If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses. Chitra Nawbatt is a multidisciplinary executive known for building businesses, guiding leaders through high-stakes decisions, and developing the CodeBreaker Mindset framework. Her career spans investing, media creation, and interviewing top leaders on growth, innovation, and resilience. She represents the themes of strategic pressure, personal reinvention, and disciplined mindset transformation. Connect to Chitra Nawbatt: Website: https://www.chitranawbatt.com/about-chitra Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chitranawbatt/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChitraNawbattPage LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chitranawbatt/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/chitranawbatt

Most people fail under pressure because they never trained for it. What holds up under pressure is built long before comfort disappears. Army veteran, burn survivor, speaker, and actor JR Martinez sits down with Joe De Sena to break down how discipline is built before the crisis, why weak standards collapse fast, and how ownership, autonomy, and daily reps create real resilience. They cover parenting without rescue, pausing instead of reacting, using discomfort as data, and why refusing to lower standards is non-negotiable. Listeners leave with clear rules for holding the line when pressure hits. Things You Will Learn:

• Why pressure exposes weak standards and untrained discipline
• How refusing rescue builds strength, autonomy, and resilience
• How to stay in the fight when stress removes comfort

Tools & Frameworks Covered:

• Pressure as the Test: Shows what was actually trained
• No-Rescue Parenting and Leadership: Builds ownership and accountability
• Pause Before You Break: Keeps control when pressure spikes

Timestamps: 00:38 Childhood responsibility and building autonomy early 07:37 When pressure exposes weak standards 13:15 Learning to pause instead of reacting under stress 17:45 Pressure as a test not a punishment 20:49 Using hardship as data instead of excuses If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses. Connect to JR Martinez: Website: https://jrmartinez.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjrmartinez/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamjrmartinez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrmartinez/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JRMartinez83 Twitter/X: https://x.com/iamjrmartinez

Mental toughness doesn't come from motivation—it comes from choosing discomfort on purpose. In this episode, endurance legend Michael Wardian, elite ultra-runner and Senior Olympics competitor, breaks down the daily discipline that carried him through failed record attempts, a 3,332-mile run across the United States, and years of relentless endurance training. He explains why simple reps like 100 burpees a day build real accountability, how purpose outlasts motivation when everything hurts, and what sustained suffering teaches you about identity, resilience, and grit. Timestamps 04:30 The treadmill 50K world record attempt 09:07 Running 3332 miles across the United States 14:07 The 100 burpees for 100 days challenge 18:10 The mental trick that gets you started 20:02 How to choose a meaningful goal 23:12 Helping athletes with disabilities Tools & Frameworks Mentioned:

1. 100 Burpees for 100 Days protocol – builds daily accountability and discipline
2. "Do 5 First" resistance-breaker – lowers friction to get started
3. Purpose-driven goal setting – sustains effort when motivation fades

Things You Will Learn:

1. Daily discipline builds mental toughness faster than motivation.
2. Purpose keeps you locked in when everything hurts.
3. Do hard things every day. That's how endurance and identity grow.

Discipline comes from choosing the hard way every day. Set a purpose, stay accountable, and build the reps that move you forward. What's your hard? If this story moved you, sign up, show up, and do something about it. Spartan.com. No more excuses.

Ryan "Birdman" Parrott grew up without direction, failed classes, and struggled to connect. One sentence from a Marine teacher flipped a switch and pushed him toward the Navy SEALs. That decision dropped him into one of the toughest training pipelines on the planet and later into Iraq, where a roadside bomb almost killed him. In this episode, Ryan breaks down the mindset that carried him from a chaotic childhood to SEAL Team deployments, a near-fatal blast, and the long climb to rebuild purpose after war. His story shows what grit, discipline, and resilience look like when the pressure is real. If you want a clear picture of mental toughness from someone who earned it, this conversation will push you to get moving. Three Key Learnings 1. How daily discipline builds real toughness. 2. Why taking care of your body keeps you in the fight. 3. How purpose and forward movement rebuild you after hard hits Timestamps

• 00:00 Who is Ryan "Birdman" Parrott
• 01:00 Growing up without direction
• 03:08 The teacher who changed his life
• 04:09 Discovering the SEALs and committing fully
• 05:53 What it really takes to survive BUD/S
• 00:00 Ryan "Birdman" Parrott
• 00:13 Growing up lonely without direction
• 03:14 Committing to becoming a SEAL
• 05:48 Surviving BUD/S and learning real toughness
• 07:24 Entering the teams and finding meaning
• 08:42 First deployment realities
• 12:30 Explosion & how Team survived
• 17:00 Returning injured to deployment
• 18:47 Leaving the Teams
• 19:42 Rebuilding purpose
• 21:08 Sons of the Flag

Tools & Frameworks Mentioned

• Win the fight first
• Get off the X
• Take care of your body after training
• Repetition as progression
• Movement prevents idleness
• Stay busy to avoid complacency

Remember that omorrow is not promised. Discipline and movement keep you sharp, intentional, and ready for whatever comes next. What's your hard? If this story moved you, sign up, show up, and do something about it. Spartan.com. No more excuses.

She grew up with no roadmap, no support, and no clear path forward. One pull-up changed everything, leading her into the Army and a career in explosive ordnance disposal. Twelve years later, Kaitlyn Hernandez built a life defined by discipline, resilience, and service. She shares how daily discomfort, purpose, and small hard choices shaped her mindset, helping her run a bomb-suit mile, set a world record, and tackle some of the military's toughest challenges. 3 Key Learnings:

• Small daily challenges build discipline, mental toughness, and high-stakes performance
• Leaning into discomfort strengthens resilience, focus, and decision-making
• Purpose, service, and consistent action create long-term endurance and growth

3 Tools / Frameworks:

• Controlled discomfort protocols: rucking, cold exposure, physical stress
• CNS reset through structured challenges
• Mindset reframing: "I get to, not I have to" and "Fix your face" to shift state

Timestamps:

• 00:51 – Growing up without structure and finding purpose in service

• 02:27 – Joining the military and discovering direction

• 04:08 – How she chose the bomb squad and what EOD means

• 07:48 – What EOD teams do during stateside and presidential missions

• 09:14 – How bomb suit training works and what "bomb suit dumb" means

• 10:28 – Breaking the world record and the strategy behind it

• 12:59 – Running a bomb-suit mile on all seven continents

• 13:39 – Preparing for the Antarctica mission and raising awareness

• 18:50 – Her step-by-step advice for building resilience through daily discomfort

Start with one hard thing, lean into discomfort, and build discipline through daily action. 📲 Short, Impactful Content 👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast 👉 From me directly: @realjoedesena 💥 Join the Spartan Community: 👉 Find Your Next Spartan Race: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/find-race 👉 For everything Spartan: https://www.spartan.com/

When the mission ends, the mindset stays. Navy SEAL veteran and leadership coach Kevin Stark talks with Joe about rebuilding identity after service, finding calm in pressure, and using simple daily discipline to stay grounded when life shifts. This conversation goes inside the habits, decisions, and mindset work that strengthen resilience, mental toughness, and control under stress. Timestamps 00:58 Why Kevin joined the SEALs at 18 02:29 How BUD/S training builds mental control 05:15 How he rebuilt identity after service 09:55 How service shapes leadership and humility 14:51 How cold exposure builds calm under stress Three Key Learnings

• How discipline builds mental toughness when external structure disappears
• How small daily actions raise resilience and calm under pressure
• How service and leadership shape identity after major transitions

Tools, Frameworks, Strategies

• Response Gap: Creating space before reacting, rooted in Viktor Frankl's work
• Daily Discipline Reps: Push ups, cold exposure, breathwork to shift mindset fast
• Rota Path Method: Reflection-based leadership work through structured challenges

Calm is trained through consistent action, not comfort. What's your hard? If this story moved you, sign up, show up, and do something about it. Spartan.com. No more excuses. Listen & Subscribe: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt Short, Impactful Content: Instagram: @spartanuppodcast From host directly: @realjoedesena Join the Spartan Community: Find Your Next Spartan Race For Everything Spartan