After The Abominable Snow Race 2024, Nate Duisterhof and I broke it down on the way home. We got his perspective as a first-timer and talked about how we can use difficult challenges like these OCR events to prepare us for the real trials that life will throw at us.

In this pre-race episode, I’m joined by special guest: Nathan Duisterhof. We rode down to the Abominable Snow Race together and talked about our hopes, expectations, and mindsets heading into the event. It was interesting to get the perspective of Nate who was not only doing his first winter OCR, but his first ever obstacle course race! Not exactly where most people start when they first get into this sport. What leads a person to make such a drastic shift like that? Listen in to our conversation and find out! :)

It’s been two and a half years since I started making content and posting it regularly on social media. Seems like a good time to look back and reflect on what sparked that change in the first place.

For the past couple of years, I’ve been trying to do less overthinking and taking more action. In the process, I’ve learned about the value of “just starting” and learning what I need along the way. While that’s helped me to break some of my overthinking tendencies, I’ve realized that I need to be more intentional about how I’m going to grow and develop once I’ve begun. Without a plan to get a little bit better each day, I’m going to stay stuck at my current level. It’s OK to be a beginner when you’re just starting something new, but it’s not good to remain a novice indefinitely.

When you’re trying to make something happen or make a change, it’s usually not the big issues that get in your way…it’s all the little things that slow you down.

Everyone is a consumer. We all eat, drink, buy things, read, watch, listen, and, of course, scroll social media. But the idea is to become someone who doesn’t just spend their lives consuming. Hopefully we strive to produce, to contribute, to leave a legacy. Of course, we never stop consuming; it’s part of life. But if we want our lives to be a net positive to those around us instead of a drain, we eventually need to increase the ratio of our production to our consumption.

It’s one thing to be artistic and make things that you like. It’s another thing to be creative and thoughtful, and make things that serve other people. But how do I know if I am the only one who likes what I’m making? How do I know when I’ve gotten good enough at my craft that my creative abilities can actually add value to other people? My answer: keep making stuff, put yourself out there, and when people start asking you to make stuff for them, you’ll know you’re on the right track.

People often say that “comparison is the thief of joy”. And I know what they’re trying to say. But comparison isn’t the problem. Noticing the differences between people (or between myself and others) is unavoidable. The question is: How will I respond? Will I allow it to breed discontentment and envy? Or is there a more productive way to use this information?

The day before a race always has me a little on edge. Recording a podcast and sharing my pre-race thoughts has become something of a tradition (and therapy) for me. In this episode, I talk about my expectations for the race and what kind of thoughts I’m dealing with as I get ready to take on an event that I’ve never competed in before.

Everything always comes back to “Why?” Unless there’s a clear answer to the question, “Why am I doing this?” then it’s only a matter of time before we fizzle out. Asking myself, “What’s at stake?” is just another way of getting at the “Why?” By creating a sense of urgency in terms of what I stand to gain or lose, it renews my focus and helps me connect the daily grind with the big picture.