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Sachin Latti on running 22 marathons in 22 days and why, being a high lever athlete, working through personal struggles, mental health and ptsd, finding running after years of Jiu Jitsu, wrestling and bodybuilding, Run to Remember: Honor House Society
147 Plays2 years ago
Every so often someone special comes across my social media feed and is doing something incredible. I guess that’s the blessing, that we can connect with strangers through one common passion and in this case it’s running.
On this episode of Just In Stride I spoke with ultra runner and mental health advocate Sachin Latti.
He didn't start out as a runner but has been a high level athlete his whole life, competing in wrestling, bodybuilding and jiu jitsu. It was during Covid that Sachin found his stride, using running as a way to stay active and work through troubling times, as many of us can relate.
Through this new way of movement he fell in love with the sport, taking on longer and more challenging distances. Having a career in law enforcement opened his eyes to the troubles active and retired members of service face each day, and wanted to do something about it. So he’s running to raise money and awareness for his community, most recently taking on 22 marathons in 22 days in support of veterans and first responders mental health.
Fundraiser by Sachin Latti : Sach-in-Motion's Run to Remember (gofundme.com)
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Thanks for tuning in to the Just In Stride Podcast. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen and I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Please take a minute after this to rate and review our show on Apple Podcasts. With your feedback we’ll be able to make the show even better and it’ll help us reach new listeners too. You can also find us on Instagram @justinstridepod and YouTube @justinstridepod for all the latest episodes and updates. Glad you came along for the ride with Just In Stride!
Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:06
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Justin's Drive Podcast. I'm your host, Justin Puleze. If you love endurance sports, you've definitely come to the right place. On this show, we'll talk to athletes, coaches, and professionals who can help us reach our true potential. Being a student of distance running for over 10 years and interviewing people in the sport for the last five, I've learned a ton, but there's always more to discover.
00:00:29
Speaker
Everyone has a story, and I know you'll resonate with each of our guests as we embark on this new journey together. Join us at home, on the road, or while you run. Together we'll have some fun. So follow along on Instagram at justinstridepod and your favorite podcast platform and prepare to be inspired. Come along for the ride with Justin Stride.
00:00:53
Speaker
This episode is presented by our friends at Exact Nutrition, a tasty and healthy way for you to fuel your body before, during, and after a solid training session. I can't leave the house without a few fruit bars in my pocket and they never make it back home. Exact is offering you 50% off your order when you use the code justinstride. So head to exactnutrition.com and fuel your goals today.
00:01:16
Speaker
Every so often, someone special comes across my social media feed and is doing something incredible. I guess that's the blessing, that we can connect with strangers through one common passion, and in this case, it's running.
Interview with Sachin Lati: From Bodybuilding to Ultra Running
00:01:28
Speaker
On this episode of Justin Stride, I spoke with ultra runner and mental health advocate Sachin Lati. He didn't start out as a runner, but has been a high-level athlete his whole life, competing in wrestling, bodybuilding, and jujitsu.
00:01:42
Speaker
It was during COVID that Sachin found his stride, using running as a way to stay active and work through troubling times, as many of us can relate. Through this new wave movement, he fell in love with the sport, taking on longer and more challenging distances. Having a career in law enforcement opened his eyes to the troubles active and retired members of service face each day, and wanted to do something about it.
00:02:06
Speaker
So he's running to raise money and awareness for his community. Most recently taking on 22 marathons in 22 days to support veterans and first responders mental health. Hey Sachin, welcome to Justin Stryde podcast. Thanks for taking the time today.
00:02:24
Speaker
Thanks, man. Thanks for inviting me. Social media is a two-edged sword, I think, for some people. But I find it fun just to follow people. And your journey, or what you're currently up to anyways, came across my feet. And I immediately looked you up in 22 marathons, 22 days.
00:02:48
Speaker
was kind of the thing. And I'm just curious to get into that with you and know a little bit more about you. For sure, man. Yeah, I'm stoked. I can't wait. Yeah, cool. So I mean, you just kind of completed this, this adventure. How did it go? How are you feeling? You know, just kind of like in the present moment.
00:03:07
Speaker
In this moment right now, I'm tired. I'm still kind of reflecting over the last month or so because there's been so many things that happened through the 22 days of running that I haven't had nearly enough time to reflect on everything. So now I'm just kind of.
00:03:27
Speaker
you know, decompressing, taking some time to myself, um, thinking and, um, relaxing. What was that? Can you believe that you did it? Uh, just having completed it, um, it seems like, you know, I'm a marathon runner. We train, you know, four or five months, um, leading up to an event and then it's, it's over. Um, but like during that day after day, it's gotta be exhausting. I mean, yeah, it is. I mean, um,
00:03:57
Speaker
Am I pleased with it? Yeah, I'm pleased with the outcome for sure. Because I had never done anything like this, even close to this, right? So I didn't know if I could, like I believed in myself, I believed in my training, I believed in my capabilities, and I believed within myself that I would do it. But doing it after the fact is also a different thing than believing in yourself. So after the 22 days,
00:04:23
Speaker
Right now, I'm just pleased with the outcome. I'm pleased that I completed it. But not only that, I'm pleased that we raised a ton of money for the charity. I'm pleased that I made a bunch of connections and met a whole bunch of people. So overall, yeah, that's how I'm feeling right now. And where did that idea come from?
Purpose Behind Sachin's 22 Marathons
00:04:40
Speaker
So the 22 marathons of 22 days, honestly, is a training block for the future. So I have a run coach, Ron Lowen. He's in the Lower Mainland here in BC.
00:04:54
Speaker
And he and I were discussing what my future plans are because I've kind of created a five-year plan for myself. And part of that plan is to run across Canada in 2025. So in order to run across Canada and to do it within like a certain amount of days, I needed to have certain types of training blocks to get close to that goal. And so we came up with this, you know, maybe do 30 marathons in 30 days or something like that.
00:05:22
Speaker
And then we refined it to 22 marathons in 22 days, specifically 22 because I'm a mental health advocate, advocate for first responders, veterans, and emergency personnel in uniform. And 22 is a significant number in that community. So in 2011, a study was conducted that revealed that 22 veterans a day commit suicide. So I wanted to kind of highlight that number.
00:05:48
Speaker
And then also raise awareness. So that's kinda in a nutshell, how it all kind of started out and why I did 22. Yeah. Some kind of significance to the task at hand, you know, it's gotta be motivating too. I mean, you gotta find something within yourself to be able to string together that amount of effort for that amount of days. Like there's, you know, little time to rest and recover and
00:06:16
Speaker
certainly that would have propelled you forward, I guess, to know it's for a greater good. 100%. I think from my experience with over the last couple of years, having a sense of purpose, depending on what that purpose is for you or for whomever it is, definitely drives you to continue moving. So I feel almost over the last couple of years, I've kind of created a purpose for myself, and now I feel almost an obligation to do certain things.
00:06:43
Speaker
So there's no way that those 22 marathons wouldn't have happened unless something catastrophic or a catastrophic injury, because like my conviction to do that was on a whole different level because of the purpose.
00:06:58
Speaker
You're not the first person to want to tackle the run across Canada. I spoke to Skyler McDonald, if you're familiar, and he also did it for mental health and completed that. I got to speak to him and we connected through social media again, like yourself.
00:07:16
Speaker
I think the messaging that we can share through movement and activity and in this case, running is quite powerful. Did you ever expect that you could convey such a message through an activity like running? Yes. And this is why I think that I wasn't a runner. I'm 45 and I started running about two and a half or three years ago.
00:07:46
Speaker
I hadn't ran since high school, like 18, right? And so for me, I was a bodybuilder and a jiu-jitsu guy. And that's kind of what I did. But I was going through some of my own personal issues three, four years ago that were really
00:08:01
Speaker
really affecting me negatively. So I thought, you know, I started running to help myself really kind of helped me through the things that I was going through because during the pandemic, obviously, certain physical activities and groups were not allowed to connect. So I had to find something that I could do that could continue managing my mental health. So that ended up being running.
00:08:24
Speaker
But through the process, I saw the benefit that I was having. And then I thought, OK, maybe there's something here. And then it was a very easy connection in the sense of touching people, because everyone understands what running is.
00:08:45
Speaker
Even on a superficial level, people understand the difficulty. People understand 50 or a hundred K's like, whoa, that's crazy. So I started using running as a tool to connect with people so that it can resonate. Wow. Like that's a lot of distance and then get attention for the cause that we're trying to support.
00:09:03
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. Well, that's, yeah. And then that's it. People understand what running is. They know it's, it can be difficult. It's difficult to go through, you know, challenging times that you, uh, before, like you say, you know, so you mentioned the pandemic and yeah, it was challenging because how do we.
00:09:22
Speaker
How do we give an outlet to be able to deal with certain things? And also, for myself, running wasn't training for anything. I'm a runner, and I knew that running existed for me, that purpose. But it really became a time to think and to...
00:09:39
Speaker
get in my own head and to work through whatever I was thinking or doing. I mean, we didn't know what was going on. Did you have coping mechanisms for that before? Was that the fact that you were going through maybe some challenging times? Did you know how to deal with those things before you found them? That's a great question, man. I had a couple coping mechanisms, and one of them was lifting or going to jiu-jitsu.
00:10:08
Speaker
The other one was the other ones weren't that positive. So, so for me, it was like, um, I really didn't have enough coping mechanisms to manage the things that I was going through. And like, I didn't start running to like, I mean, in the moment, I didn't know that's what I was doing. I was just trying to do something in terms of fitness related. And through that process, I recognized the benefits that I was having through running. Um, and.
00:10:38
Speaker
It also kept me kind of occupied mentally in the sense that I wasn't much of a runner at the time. So it took, so I was focused on how do we become a better runner? You know, I was reading and doing research and maybe talking to people and, and then also applying, um, you know, various different, um, skills while I was running. So I was kind of occupied in that way. So it was a, it was a good tool for me to, um, because the type of person I am, I kind of obsess and I kind of go all in on things.
00:11:08
Speaker
And so I just dove real deep as far as I could to learn as much as I could. And through that process, I developed another makopi mechanism, but also through the process of raising awareness and connecting with people, because that's fundamentally what I'm doing on a regular basis, is connecting with more people and trying to share the message of what we're trying to do. And all of that.
00:11:32
Speaker
started because of running. So it all kind of, you know, spread out and it was a huge benefit for sure. Right. So now like, so you start to cope with your own things through running. So
00:11:48
Speaker
What's the response been for others? Like what's motivating you now to raise money and to speak about this more and more and more? Like I, again, I don't know if this is, was this something you were doing before or is it now, you know, it's, it's kind of snowballed into what it is today. Yeah. It's kind of evolved for sure. Right. Cause I mean, two, three years ago, I had no clue that I'd
Challenges and Emotional Moments in Marathon Journey
00:12:10
Speaker
be speaking to you, right. Or, or, or running 22 marathons in a row or, you know, being on the news or, you know,
00:12:17
Speaker
in the last six months, maybe 100 podcasts I've done. It's crazy. So I never thought that would happen. I've just been evolving with the process and allowing it to kind of unfold as it does.
00:12:31
Speaker
And I'm just being the best version of myself in the moment and trying to do my best. And then that's kind of the parameters I've set for myself. And then I'm allowing things to unfold and whatever presents itself, I kind of just go along to what feels right to me. And I've been kind of going in that direction. And I'm just being authentically organic. It's just being myself.
00:12:56
Speaker
And through that, I'm, I'm seeing a lot of positive things for me. And then also positive impacts to the people around me and by extension on my social media. So it's, it's pretty, it's pretty awesome, man. Yeah. And like, what's the response like? Like, do you get people like reaching out telling them like, you know, they're into running now or they're dealing with something or I mean, it's got to branch into so many different things.
00:13:24
Speaker
Yeah. All of the above, man. Like maybe someone's like, I mean, just last week, a buddy of mine was like, okay, well, I was planning to do maybe one marathon this year. Maybe I'm going to do two now. Right? Little things like that. Or like, Oh, someone maybe saw me last week when, after I completed out, you know, there's a little news story locally here. And, um, and you know, a buddy of mine sent me a text message that he received from a friend saying, I saw this guy on the news and it got me to go run 5k in the morning the next day. So little things like that.
00:13:54
Speaker
And then also the impact it's having on the community that I support in the sense of first responders, veterans and emergency personnel. Like the response from that community has been overwhelming in the sense of like the love and appreciation and the support that I am getting through that community. And it's been humbling for Sherman. And so like, um, so what was the actual thing that you were doing? You were, you ran.
00:14:23
Speaker
You know, 22 marathons, 22 days. Where did you run them? Was there a kind of a plan for that and the strategy around it? So the, the initial plan was to run across the province of British Columbia. So from Revelstoke to Victoria, which is a, you know, and the route would have been about, well, the 22 marathons is 9, 960 kilometers. And the original plan was to run the 960 kilometers all the way to Victoria. And that would have been.
00:14:52
Speaker
uh, elevation gain probably would have been like 15,000 meters, 16,000 in around there. But as you know, that was the initial plan and that was the plan as I started out. But as you know, I can't remember who said maybe Mike Tyson, but everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. So the first few days I got punched in the face and things had to change.
00:15:14
Speaker
And the fires, the smokes, all the fires across the province were affecting massively how the running would have taken place. And I didn't have a full support crew. My girlfriend joined me, who was my support and helped me through the process.
00:15:34
Speaker
It was, so I had to make a couple pivots because of certain things that occurred. So what I ended up doing was running across the province, but not every single day to another town. So say, for example, in Revelstoke, our car broke down within the two days, first two days of the thing. So I had to, you know, pivot and okay, we're staying in Revelstoke for a couple of days to sort out the car. So I'll run around Revelstoke and run marathons here.
00:15:58
Speaker
And then, um, so that was really the beginning of the pivots. And, um, but, but essentially I did run from Revelstoke, um, to eventually we got to Ashcroft BC. And then Ashcroft BC has the chair, one of the, um, the charities that I support has a location in Ashcroft called honor ranch. And it's on 120 acres and it has like 10 cabins, beautiful spot for veterans and first responders to use at any, anytime.
00:16:26
Speaker
And so I set up camp there for about three or four days due to the smoke and fires that were around. So it would have been difficult going to certain areas. So I stayed on the ranch and around for three or four days on the ranch, 42 kilometers on, on the 122 acres. So I did that. And then eventually we kept running. And so I, you know, chase BC. There was huge fires there. I think maybe a couple of days after I was there that
00:16:52
Speaker
Adams Lake area and all that was on fire. So we just got past that. And, um, so yeah, got to little wet, little wet tip, pretty much little wet Pemberton squamish ran to each of those places. And then we set up camp in those areas. And then, um, yeah, I mean, essentially running across the province, it was a slight difference from the beginning plan was to run town to town, town to town. We had to make a shift based upon, uh, some of the limitations that we had throughout the time.
00:17:22
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, you have to, like, that's kind of what you have to do in these, in these events. Like, was that the biggest challenge you faced in this, uh, in the stretch or? I think there was a lot of challenges. Obviously the pivots, the changes, cause I'm as you can probably tell right before we started, I'm so regimented. Like if something kind of goes sideways, I'm like, Oh man. So I have to in the moment and have to figure it out. So for me, that's something I've always tried to work on to be better at. And so I was.
00:17:52
Speaker
Thankful to be honest that the things that I had planned didn't happen or they were shifts because then it got me better at
00:18:01
Speaker
managing the frustrations, managing the issues that I normally deal with when things don't go the way I want them to. So it was a gift for me to have those issues. And yeah, so I hope I answered the question. Yeah, totally. And what do you think was the most memorable part of that journey? Maybe there was a day in particular that you remember that struck you? There were a lot of days.
00:18:31
Speaker
Day 15 and 16 were pretty cool days. Cause day 15, I started feeling the adaptation of all the running. And then day 16, I felt good. And then from then for the last week, I was like, I was on, I was feeling okay. But so like the last day was pretty amazing feeling for me. Cause.
00:18:53
Speaker
I was running, um, basically. Yeah. I ran to Victoria. So, you know, the whole last run to Victoria from Schwartz Bay all the way down was amazing. I almost felt like, cause I was trying to keep a pace within a certain amount, like seven minutes, a kilometer kind of thing, just so I could manage my body over the 22 days. It wasn't a speed trial. It was just a attrition trial. And, um, so for me, I felt I could have brought that pace down way down to like at least six and a half. Um,
00:19:23
Speaker
that last day because I just felt great. And, you know, that could be multiple things. You know, the last day, you know, adrenaline dump and all these things. The last day was very memorable. And I'll give you one specific reason why. When I got to, so the final destination was the BC legislature and the BC law enforcement memorial is there with the names of all the names of the members who've passed away in the line of duty.
00:19:52
Speaker
So I wanted to finish there. And when I got there, um, the chief of Victoria police was there waiting with a dozen police officers and which was unexpected to me. And, uh, when I got there, they're all there. And, you know, I said a few words and while I was talking a gentleman, probably in his seventies, just was kind of part of the circle of people that were there. And, but he wasn't part of the group. He just kind of wandered there and he was watching.
00:20:20
Speaker
And then after I kind of spoke a little bit, he raised his hand and was like, uh, he wanted to say something and he was basically saying, he was basically saying like, he couldn't believe what I'd just done and why I had done it. And, uh, he said he was a, uh, uh, air force pilot for the, uh, for the Canadian air force. And when he retired, he became a Toronto police officer and through his service, um, he w he was diagnosed with PTSD and, um,
00:20:47
Speaker
you know, all service related, obviously. And he was just, he was emotional. And he was thanking me for what I did. And I was like, man, that was, for me, it was, it was one of the highlights of the 22 days for sure. He's thanking you for what you did, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Bringing the awareness, raising the money. I mean, for me, I didn't think I did anything in the sense of like, I, okay, I know I did something and I, I, it,
00:21:15
Speaker
like, conceptually understood that people would maybe appreciate it or something like that. But to see someone who I'm actually doing this for tell me to my face, who's a veteran who's in his 70s, and who is emotional saying it, man, it really hit home for me. Mm-hmm. Because you don't know. I mean, I get that feeling per se, but I understand what you're saying. Because even with the podcast, I know people are listening. I don't know exactly who's listening. I don't know. Some people reach out, but maybe
00:21:46
Speaker
a small percentage I know reach out or I know are impacted by these conversations.
00:21:53
Speaker
I get that real life that you meet that person and this is for you.
Sachin's Motivation and Charity Work
00:22:00
Speaker
That's a nice way to kind of wrap it up, right? And to that point, obviously we don't do these things for that, like in the sense of getting the kudos at the end. We're doing it because we love doing it and we want to maybe inspire people or show people what's possible given the time and all that kind of stuff, right?
00:22:18
Speaker
But to have someone at the very end after I had just done it, it's almost like positive reinforcement immediately. Totally. You're right. It's totally one of those things. When that person is in front of you, I know I get like, wow, you listen? That's crazy. Thanks so much. I'm so appreciative. Thanks for saying something. I guess that's common with mental health too, a little bit.
00:22:47
Speaker
It's hard for people to talk about. I'm sure it's hard in the service industry as well, law enforcement.
00:22:55
Speaker
You know, there's a certain, I mean, stigma, is stigma the right word for that? Like, I think so. Around it, you know, they're tough individuals, they're strong minded, strong willed. How do you break through that? You know, you are in law enforcement yourself. Yeah, I mean, I don't know how you break through it. I don't have the recipe for it. I know what I can do. And I know what kind of person I am. And I know I'm not, I know what
00:23:24
Speaker
You know, the stereotype is, you know, with mental health, oh, they're weak or you're this or you're that, right? And, um, you know, I'm not that I'm a pretty strong individual. I've, you know, trained a lot. I've done jiu-jitsu and.
00:23:40
Speaker
I just ran 22 marathons and, you know, all the types of things that you would say that aren't a weak thing. So I think, you know, doing these things together, being someone who's speaking about these things as well should over time help with, uh, reducing the stigma and giving people the opportunity or feeling safe enough to actually say something. Cause I don't really care what people think about me that much. I mean,
00:24:08
Speaker
No, that's true. I don't really care what people think. I'm just doing me and I'm trying to be the best version of myself. And through that, if that helps, then that's cool. Right. And so, you know, you said you raised a lot of money and stuff like that.
00:24:23
Speaker
you know, through what you were doing. So what's the organization, talk about that a little bit, and like, how much money did you raise? And like, were you surprised by the amount? And like, I'm always curious about this, like, because it's kind of, again, a snowball thing, people start talking, they start seeing your face, and like, wow, that's really noble, what you're doing, you know? I appreciate that. You know, it's a good question. Like, so the charity I support is called the Honor House Society.
00:24:50
Speaker
It's a charity based on the New Westminster BC area. It's a small charity, one full-time employee. And it's basically run and supported by volunteers, almost 100% of it. And in New Westminster, they have a house that can service about maybe seven to 10 families. And what it's used for, the local one in New Westminster, is if a member anywhere across the province is dealing with any medical issue whatsoever, mental health or physical,
00:25:21
Speaker
Um, they can come down to the lower mainland, stay free of charge at that house and get whatever treatment they need for however long they need it. And so they don't have to pay anything for that. And they can also stay there with their families. So they don't have to be without their families as well. So the families can stay there. Everybody can stay there free of charge. Now the money that I'm raising and trying to raise an awareness for is for their ranch in Ashcroft.
00:25:45
Speaker
which is 120 acres with 10 cabins. It's a like, it's a beautiful spot, right? And it's got a large full-function kitchen of the whole nine yards, right? And the money I'm trying to raise will help build an additional 10 cabins and then also provide possible like future
00:26:06
Speaker
treatment modalities that could be beneficial, equine therapy, and all these types of things. Members who are either retired or currently serving can stay there free of charge. If they want to go there to chill, recalibrate, or set up retreats there, they can do all of that and they don't have to pay for anything. That's what I'm trying to do with this charity and what that charity actually does, which is amazing.
00:26:34
Speaker
And over the 22 days, we raised about $16,000 towards it, which is amazing.
00:26:42
Speaker
Well, I continuously fundraise for them. So there's always money coming in because I'm always on my social media talking about things. So there's always, you know, maybe $20, $50 every week or something. But over the 22 days, it was a significant amount. And so that and that was this for this year, like over the last two years, I've been fundraising and raising money through this whole process. And I've been training to do these various different things. So when I first started,
00:27:11
Speaker
I ran in 2021. I ran 100 kilometers from Chilliwack, BC to Vancouver Airport. And I raised 21,000 that time. And then the second year, which was last year, because I recognized after I did it that first year, I was like, oh, man, I feel amazing. And I feel, wow, we raised a ton of money. So maybe there's something here that we can kind of ride the momentum with.
00:27:41
Speaker
So last year I was like, okay, cool. Let me see if I can do nine ultra marathons in nine months. And, uh, had no clue what that meant because I had never done one before in the sense of, in the sense of races. And I, I did that partially one is to obviously raise money and awareness, but also to just throw my, my hat in the ring kind of thing, just to see what I could do. And, um, what I.
00:28:05
Speaker
felt, yeah, to see what I could do and to understand that world and that space. So last year I ended up raising about 15,000. And then so that, you know, in a span of
00:28:18
Speaker
12 months, almost 40K just by running and using my social media to raise awareness. So I was like, okay, clearly there's a need or a gap here that is getting filled. So let's just keep running with it, so to speak. Yeah. So I mean, it's upward of 50,000 right now that you're at. So yeah, that's, that's pretty like, yeah, again, it's amazing. You're doing it for an amazing cause. You're helping, you're helping people and people close to you and you're in your community specific to you. And
00:28:45
Speaker
Yeah. Hats off to you, man. That's, that's incredible. And so after like venturing into this ultra world, what, what have you discovered? I discovered I didn't know a thing. I was so, uh, it's hilarious too. If you think about it, I was so ill-equipped first going in. No idea. Cause I thought, oh yeah, I'm a, I'm an athlete, you know, I've done jiu-jitsu, I've done bodybuilding and I've been decent at both of them, you know?
00:29:15
Speaker
How hard could it be to run 50 or a hundred K? I just ran a hundred K last year. And so I just did that. But I didn't know what I didn't know. And as soon as I went to the first race, which was a backyard ultra and salmon arm.
00:29:29
Speaker
I was like, what? It was a whole different world that I had no clue about and that there's savages everywhere, like everywhere. And I didn't know that these people existed, to be honest. So for me, it was amazing to see. I was like, okay, cool. I need to be around this because that was inspiring me to do more.
00:29:50
Speaker
So I went to that backyard ultra man and I saw these pit crews and all this stuff. I went there by myself with like a bag of nuts. And I think I made it like, I don't know, 47 K. Like, you know, I didn't quit. I just couldn't make it to the next
00:30:11
Speaker
Um, cutoff point, but, uh, but yeah, it was, it was an awesome learning experience and it was awesome to meet all these awesome people in that space. Like, I don't think I've met like such cool people before, like in the ultra running community there. It's, it's, and I've done a couple of marathons and it's, it's, it's a different vibe, eh? Like in the vibe, I think for the marathons is a bit more.
00:30:35
Speaker
Selfish I guess a bit more. Okay. I need to get the speed and that's cool. Whatever. I mean I get it I've done those types of things and not marathons, but like bodybuilding is very selfish or you know those types of things and But in the ultra community, it's all about what the individual can do for themselves and everyone else is cheering each other on which is so cool, man, so I loved it and so I continued with a bunch of those and
00:31:01
Speaker
And then the last one, so every year I kind of would do a fundraising one. And last year was a 90 K run. I ran from Chilliwack to the, to New Westminster where the charity is and kind of did that thing. And, but, um, but yeah, it was an amazing experience. Great learning. It's a different world, a hundred percent. Like I'm a more road guy and, and, but you know, I've touched on some trail stuff, um, but you're right. Like it's just more relaxed.
00:31:30
Speaker
It's more chill, like, yeah, people have their crews, they, they have their strategies and sets set up because you need that. Like from nutrition for manage heat, manage.
00:31:41
Speaker
chafing whatever could go wrong, but you know, whereas like road races kind of like done in, you know, whatever between two and five hours, six hours, seven hours. And that's it. But yeah, the trail community, certainly something, it's something special there for sure. It's a different sport, right? If you look at it, it is running, but it's a different sport altogether. And I'm recognizing that now because I've primarily trained on the road and I don't have the legs for mountains, right?
00:32:09
Speaker
And I don't have the, the dexterity or the, um, swift of feet to run down a mountain, like those people, cause they're on it all the time. And that's by design too, right? Like I'm training to run across Canada, which is all road. And I'm training to see if I can break the record for the fastest run across Canada. So that's like, I got to figure out all road running. So my, my training has all been on the road as it should be. And, you know, I thrown in some of these chair ones just to see what they're like.
00:32:39
Speaker
And, um, and have those experiences, but I think it's super important to recognize that, you know, when you're training for something, you're training for something very specific. And, and if the goal is very specific, you have to train specifically on those terrains. So that's what I've been doing over the last little while. Have those other sports you've trained for, um, helped you in some way with your running? Like, is there some kind of mental or physical aspect that you can, you know, find a, you know, relation between.
00:33:10
Speaker
between them. Yeah. I mean, um, so any, there, there's skill stacking everywhere, right? Like, so if you're doing some sort of sport, there are elements that you can, um, that are helpful. Like I've been an app I'm 45, I've been an athlete most of my life, so I've done something. And, um, so you know, maybe the growth or the speed at which I've progressed is probably some elements of that. But, um, but I think beyond that, I have a growth mindset.
00:33:40
Speaker
I want to keep growing and everything that I do. So, you know, I'll throw a white belt on, you know, quote unquote, a white belt on to start something new. Frequently. I did that with bodybuilding for the very first time. I started jujitsu when I'm 45. Now I started when I was 39. Right. So, you know, at the age of 39, I started something brand new and I was a big guy. Like I was probably sitting around.
00:34:06
Speaker
you know, 2.10, 2.15 when I started jiu-jitsu. And through the process of doing jiu-jitsu, my body transformed into a jiu-jitsu athlete. And it was a brand new experience. I got to learn new things. I got to develop new skills all through that growth mindset process. And then when I started running, again, throw that white belt back on, starting from the very bottom, didn't know a thing. But I think there's gold in that, man. Like to start something brand new,
00:34:34
Speaker
And to go through the process of learning, I think, you know, sometimes when people get good at something, they stay there and they don't want to start something new to get good at another thing. They just want to stay comfortable. And for me, I prefer to be uncomfortable and I prefer to.
00:34:52
Speaker
learn more things so I can be diverse in various different areas so that in the future when I get to a certain level or stage, if I have any wisdom or knowledge, I can just pass that on to somebody else. So starting new things is not a challenge for you, you would say. For most people, I think that it is to start anything, a new sport, a new
00:35:14
Speaker
challenge a new business and new, you know, there's often barriers that hold us back. Why do you think that you can just be vulnerable and be bad at something? You know, like a lot of times it's that too. Like people don't want to show up to a run club because they think they're bad, you know? Yeah. And I will just, um, I'm not good at it. Like in terms of, um,
00:35:38
Speaker
Like, oh, it's easy for me to do it. It's not, it's a challenge. It's absolutely hard, super hard. Like just said, I was 215 pounds when I first started jiu-jitsu, pretty strong dude. And I started first day, I was like rolling, like when you just kind of rolling, sparring with someone. He was probably about 145 pounds, but he was a brown belt. And he was like,
00:36:01
Speaker
made me look silly and my ego was hurt. I was stung man. And with jujitsu that lasted for at least eight months. You don't know anything for at least a year because you're just getting pounded all the time. And I think through the process of getting pounded all the time in jujitsu did help me understand that, Oh, okay. You know, that's just, that's the process of life, man. That's the process of what you need to do all the time. And I think, you know, some people,
00:36:30
Speaker
don't want their ego to be hurt. And for me, I'm at a point now where that doesn't bother me so much because I see the value in doing things new and the benefits to it. So for me, it's not as much of a challenge to start something new. It just has to interest me enough to want to do it. So I have to be curious. So for me, it's a curiosity.
00:36:54
Speaker
And then it goes into a sense of adventure. And then through that process, I'm having fun. So tell a quick story on how I even started this running thing. And I'm kind of like a... I have friends, but I'm kind of a loner to a certain degree, because I just am.
00:37:16
Speaker
I was, you know, during the pandemic, I was even more so. So I was listening to all kinds of podcasts, right. And I, I had to heard Cameron Haynes on a Joe Rogan podcast and Cameron Haynes. I'm sure your listeners might know who he is. All children's athlete is in his fifties. And when I heard him on the podcast, he was, I think he was gearing up for the Moab 240 or something like that. And it's 240 mile run in the desert. And, um, he, he was talking about how he would run a marathon a day to train.
00:37:46
Speaker
And that curiosity in me was like, what? You ran a 42K every single day? How is that even possible? It was just curiosity for me. And then I thought, okay, I want to, I want to figure out how to do that. And that's what started a lot of the movement in that direction. And after two years of training, I can run 42K every single day now.
00:38:09
Speaker
Yeah, it's incredible. It's incredible. The cool thing about that is I'm not the only person who can do that. Anyone can do that, given curiosity, a sense of adventure, and a little bit of conviction and discipline. That's kind of what I would like to be able to share, too. It's hard to believe that for a lot of people, though, because they see that big end goal.
00:38:33
Speaker
And they're like, they're, they're going from zero. And it's like, how do I, how am I going to run 42? You know, and that, that can be a daunting, a daunting thing. But when you break it down into steps, like you were talking about a five year plan earlier on, it's the process, the whole, that whole journey, that whole learning that you're talking about. That's the exciting part. That's the meat of, of what it is to get you to that point. And then it's like anything else, man. Like, um,
00:39:00
Speaker
Like anything, any sport, any activity, anything that you're doing, it's the same thing, really. There's no difference whatsoever. It's just, let's say someone wants to start a business. Well, you're gonna be grinding in that business for five years before you turn a profit, right? You gotta be okay with that. And I think I've learned over the last few years, really the last 15 years, is that's how things are done. Like through jujitsu, through bodybuilding, through running, through law enforcement, whatever it is.
00:39:29
Speaker
you got to almost set a five and 10 year plan, not even a 10 year plan, but like a 10 year goal, let's say, five or 10 year goal. You don't know how you're going to get there, but you got to set the goal. And through the process of moving forward constantly, you'll figure out how to make that happen. But you kind of have to stick to it. So for me, I know I can stick to things. And I learned that sticking to things from the bodybuilding stuff, because I could set for 16 weeks,
00:39:56
Speaker
diet, diet, diet, and you know, I could do that. So almost that discipline to stick to something, not knowing what the end result would be, but having faith in the end result will occur based on working my hardest, doing my best. The outcome will be what it be, but it'll be a good one.
00:40:14
Speaker
And like a lot of these, what you're saying, you know, that's instilled from you at some point in your maybe childhood or adolescence. Like, can you talk about yourself maybe as a, as a young kid growing up and like, how did you kind of get to that point, you know? So, I mean, I didn't start as an athlete, to be honest. I mean, um,
00:40:32
Speaker
My parents are immigrants. I'm Indo-Canadian, so my dad had a pretty strong work ethic and so did my mom. They didn't play any sports. They didn't know much about sports. They advocated for it, but they didn't practice what they preached in that sense. So I never really played any sports until I got to high school.
00:40:54
Speaker
And I didn't really, like I wrestled in high school as well, but I didn't really understand these concepts or refined them until about three years ago.
00:41:05
Speaker
Because I messed up a lot of my life, to be honest. Four or five years ago, I went through a divorce. A lot of the issues were caused by me. So there's a lot of self-reflection I need to have reflecting back on my life, on all the things that I did poorly.
00:41:24
Speaker
and how many times I drove my life into the ditch. I was like, okay, maybe I got to think about how to do things better. So that's kind of what started the process of figuring out, okay, I need to start figuring out how to do life better. And it wasn't even the running piece. It was just, I want to be a better person. I just want to be better all around. So how do I do that? And I was taking small incremental steps in that direction. And I was curious and I was reaching out to people and talking to people that might have some experience or knowledge that I can,
00:41:54
Speaker
learn from. Quite a few people along that journey that helped inspire me, helped refine how to do what I'm doing. And those individuals were also high achievers in their spaces. So I was kind of learning from those people as well and learning how they were doing their life and then just kind of taking that knowledge and then applying it the best way I could for myself.
00:42:22
Speaker
Yeah, because at a certain point it must, you know, it gets tiring, you know, I can relate a little bit to what you're saying. Like, I feel like I only started growing up when I was like, hit my thirties or something, if that, um, it's almost like, I'm just tired of this happening to me all the time. And like, there's a common denominator and it's me, you know, whatever it is. Um, you know, looking back, you know, maybe 20 years, like, is there some advice you could give to a younger version of yourself? A hundred percent.
00:42:52
Speaker
I think it's important to really understand what kind of person you want to be. I think it's a fundamental thing. So for me, I created a mission statement for my life about three years ago. And I was like, okay, I want to maximize my skill sets for everyone around me.
00:43:10
Speaker
That's basic what I started, like that one line. And then I just started moving in that direction. How do I maximize my skillsets for everyone around me? So it was less self, it was no selfish in the sense of like most of my life had been selfish, only revolved around me, what do I want to do? How do I want to do it? As soon as I started making the shift into how do I be better for everyone around me, more of a service kind of mindset,
00:43:36
Speaker
things started really changing because I wasn't focused only on my issues. Because when you have your own issues and you're focusing on them all the time, then it starts spiraling even more. Everyone's got problems. Everyone. No one's exempt from having crappy things happen to them.
00:43:53
Speaker
But I think what the difference is is that when you start focusing on all the crappy things that you may or may not have done, and that you're the only one who's done all these crappy things, the reality is no. So you can start looking into other people and say, okay, how can I help other people? And through that process, I was helping myself. So it was kind of a synergistic benefit through that whole endeavor.
00:44:16
Speaker
Yeah, there's some healing in that commonality. And I think the more people you talk to, the more you realize that you're like, you know, alone in, in your experiences and what you go through, you know, can be often related to somebody else, maybe not the exact same way, but that like, we all go through troubles and we all go through challenges and some of our stories align quite, quite in the same way, you know?
00:44:40
Speaker
Um, how was your like career? Like, how do you feel like your career affected you? Like, I think maybe from an outsider perspective, they see it like, wow. So-and-so is in the law, law enforcement, like that must be so rewarded, you know, and I'm sure, I'm sure it is. But with that comes some, some stresses too. Well, I mean, like any career that stresses in every career, right? Um, I think for me.
00:45:03
Speaker
going into a law enforcement career, I knew what I was getting into in terms of like dealing with the public side of things. I think maybe what affected me more was like, I'm a certain type of person and maybe those certain types of people weren't around me in those workplaces. So I felt I couldn't relate. And then, you know, operational sort of things happen or organizational things happen that maybe people may or may not agree with. So those effect, those types of things affected me more.
00:45:33
Speaker
But I think I already had some issues that I never addressed before I even went into law enforcement. So I think it just exasperated things for me. And look, my career in law enforcement, I'm still in law enforcement.
Personal Growth and Mindset Shift
00:45:46
Speaker
I'm just now I'm almost in the place where I'm trying to figure out how to transition out so I can continue doing what I'm doing permanently and full time. But I think I don't regret anything in terms of my 18 years in law enforcement
00:46:00
Speaker
It's been amazing. It's been an education. And without those experiences, I most definitely wouldn't be able to be the person I am today and be able to try to do the things that I'm trying to do. And I think it's important to recognize that I'm 45. We all have things throughout our entire lives that affect us. And if we don't address them appropriately when they need to be addressed, it can really hit you
00:46:30
Speaker
And like at a point where you're not expecting it. And that's kind of what happened to me. So like when I was 43, 42, smacked me in the side of the head and all of a sudden I just, I crashed. Like, and I was a guy that I prided myself on never breaking or, you know, it was real strong or all these kinds of things. And man, I was broken and it, I just had, uh, maybe too much and I never addressed. And now I recognize that.
00:46:57
Speaker
You got to address the things that they happen as they come and talk about them or at least feel them so that you can move forward in a positive direction rather than negatively.
00:47:11
Speaker
So many times we push it aside, you know, I think, yeah, I mean, I'm guilty of that too, I gotta say. Everyone is, we all are. Yeah, it's, it's, uh, I don't know what it is, you know, something like, I'm pretty open, like I'll talk about anything, but there's certain things that you just, sometimes you just keep it in your, in your mind and just sit there in the back of your, you know, of your thoughts and eventually something triggers it. You know, you don't know when that's going to happen or what it's going to be, but
00:47:36
Speaker
You know, it's like I said, it's like about talking about things and and where you go with it. And like we were talking about earlier, like, look, the human experience is the human experience, right? I could have a different career. You could have a different career. I could grow up in a different environment. You can grow up in a different environment, all the things. But I think fundamentally, we're so much more alike than different, even despite those, whatever they are, this is a human condition. We all experience them.
00:48:06
Speaker
So it's just on how we communicate it and how we communicate it. And I think now I see it a lot more now because I thought it was special before. I thought it was unique and not so not unique. And I mean, we're talking together. We're relating to each other. I just met you now. Yeah, exactly. That goes to show that.
00:48:29
Speaker
there's not that much difference. Maybe some of the specifics might be different, but the overall experience is the same. Are there, are there tips and tricks that you've kind of developed to like, maybe other than physical, because, you know, let's face it, people in law enforcement or in service, maybe they're, they're older or maybe they're not, they're not able. Like, are there ways that we can cope with these mental health issues?
00:48:53
Speaker
Uh, other than physical, you know, because physical is an easy one, you know, go lift weights, go run, go walk forever. I think, um, connecting with people was a fundamental shift for me. It was like depression. What's depression, isolation, and not connecting with humans. And, um, I think being able to communicate, being able to relate, being able to have conversations.
00:49:16
Speaker
being able to hang out with a buddy and not have any other issues, just sitting with somebody and not having to talk, connecting. So I think for sure, and that's an easy one. If you were looking on the face of it, you don't have to run 20K, man. That's not what you have to do. I think connecting with people is amazing. And I think also another one that's helped me
00:49:37
Speaker
nature like actually going I mean it's part of exercise but you don't have to run or anything but if you're going for a walk like by the ocean listen to the sounds and when you're doing those things you're in the moment if you're paying attention to the scenery that puts you in that moment so you're not thinking about the past
00:49:55
Speaker
which is depression, and you're not thinking about the future, which is anxiety. You're in that moment. So I think those types of things have definitely helped me in terms of managing my mental health. Because fitness is one thing. But what if I break my legs or something? Then what happens? Or what if something catastrophic happens to me? How am I going to manage myself? There's got to be other tools. So now I feel like I have a plethora of tools to be able to fall back upon.
00:50:24
Speaker
to be able to manage my mental health in a much more productive way other than, you know, drinking or partying or whatever the case is.
00:50:32
Speaker
Yeah. And like so many times like that's the outlet, right? Like we just resort to something that's not like not good for us. It masks those, those feelings or those thoughts that we have. But in reality, it's just like hurting us ourselves even more, you know? And I know that Skyler, like I was part of his thing too. And like, again, like again, in the, in the same
00:50:55
Speaker
like breath is what you're saying like with mental health and proving that you know physical activity and um can help you and and also like spread a good message too and stuff like that so when you say like you want to do this more full-time what does that that mean it's like this can you feel like this can be a full like a full-time job you know so i um i don't know if it can i'll make it happen though yeah
00:51:24
Speaker
I think over the last few years, I've built a belief in myself that I can do anything. Given enough time and given enough discipline and grit, I feel I can do anything. So what does that mean? I think I can, look, I don't need millions of dollars, right? I need enough to pay my bills. And even if that's less than what I make in law enforcement, and I can still pay my bills,
00:51:52
Speaker
I'm good, man. Cause then I could just do whatever I want and control my destiny without having someone else to dictate what my future looks like. I want to be able to control what my future looks like. So if I want to have a future that's relaxing and fine, I get to meet cool people and, and, um, get to raise awareness and funds. Well, I'm going to start figuring that out. So now how do I figure that out? Well, I know how much I make in law enforcement. Let's say 85 K a year. Cool.
00:52:23
Speaker
How do I bring in enough money, 85K, to be able to keep running? That was the question I asked myself two and a half years ago, three years ago. So now I'm just figuring out how to do that. And that's not that hard if you break it down, if you're getting after it, if you're building a community, if you're doing all the things that I'm trying to do. I mean, you can find a few sponsors, you know, you can maybe create a YouTube channel, you can maybe create enough social media presence where
00:52:53
Speaker
you can get a return on some of that time that you're putting into it. And I'm starting, like I'm not making any money, obviously, but I can start seeing the direction that things are going in terms of making that happen. And, you know, speaking engagements, maybe, I don't know, sharing some of the wisdom I've learned from other people and then through the process of what I've been doing. So it's all, it's all a journey and I'll, I'll figure it out as I have done most of the things over the last few years, but I think it's possible and if it's
00:53:23
Speaker
Man, I didn't think running 22 marathons was possible, right? For me. I didn't think Dave Proctor could break the record for running across Canada in 67 days. But that's possible, right? If that's possible, I think I can figure out how to make 85K by running. I think I can. I don't know. Maybe I can. I'll go back to work. I don't know. But I'm going to try.
00:53:46
Speaker
Have those people reached out to you, like people that have attempted similar things to you or, uh, to give you advice or to encourage you? No, no. I mean, I don't expect anyone like that to reach out to me. Um, they've done so many amazing things and I'm just some dude running around over here doing just starting. Right. Um, but, um, you know, I think for me, I'm just trying to connect with people like that. And, um, there are lots of people like that. Like for example, I've got a buddy of mine, um,
00:54:16
Speaker
who actually quite helped him quite a bit. And I almost argue he's a good friend and he was a mentor to a certain degree, retired fellow. He's about 60 years old, lives in the Rossland area of BC, which is mountainous. And he's an ultra endurance guy himself. He was a special forces military guy and tier one operator for JTF two. And, and he, he was a 24 hour solo mountain bike racer after he had retired for, well, he started that when he was about 40.
00:54:45
Speaker
and became a world champion. So talking to people like that and, you know, picking their brains on, Hey man, what's that about? What's, you know, so hearing things that are impossible, but that are possible by really normal people, but they've given themselves 10 or 15 years of time doing something. Now I understand things very differently. It's like, okay, well, you know, people in the Olympics are amazing athletes, but they've trained for 10 to 15 years and that's it.
00:55:16
Speaker
Well, if I train to 10 to 15 years and that's it, I think I can be pretty exceptional because I, anyone can, if they put all that dedication, all of that focus and they're all in. I mean, anyone can achieve great things. So I'm confident in that roadmap because it's already been done. So if I go all in and put my a hundred percent effort, I think I can achieve what I want to achieve. I was going to ask you like,
00:55:45
Speaker
Do you feel like it's great what you're doing, but you feel like a sense of pressure maybe or like a response, like it's responsibility and pressure, you know, like that you can feel like maybe sense of overwhelmed could be in a good way. It could be in a not so good way. Like there's things that come with this, right? A hundred percent, man. So I used to,
00:56:10
Speaker
But two years ago for 23 and a half hours out of the day, I would be like, you're an idiot. You're a loser. What are you talking about? You can't do this. You're not a runner. You're, you're nothing. Like I would say that all day, but I would still continue doing what I was doing. I would still do all the things, but I would doubt myself so much. But given consistency of effort over a period of time, that voice started diminishing in my head.
00:56:39
Speaker
and it got to a point where it would be maybe half the day, or then it would be like a few hours, and then it would be a half an hour before bed, now it's barely even there. So what I've learned is, yeah, man, I've changed that negative voice into more of like, this is my job, this is my duty, it's my obligation, which does put stress, but I think that kind of stress is a good stress, and it's a positive stress.
00:57:04
Speaker
Does it affect me? For sure. Like during those 22 days, I didn't think I was stressed, but now reflecting back on it and how emotional, how irritable I was from time to time. Yeah, man, I was stressed. I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, but good, I'm glad. Because that weight of the world on my shoulders helped push me to get to that finish line. And I was telling some friends, man, there's no way I would have not
00:57:32
Speaker
completed 22 marathons. Like if I had to crawl it, I would have crawled it. But that's the conviction and the obligation mindset that I've put onto myself. Because I feel I've created certain anchors in my head that like, well, if I don't do that, that doesn't happen. If I don't do that, that person may not get help. So I've kind of changed the the dialogue in my head. And I think it's been a good stress overall. Right.
00:57:58
Speaker
And what happened to you physically I wanted to ask you that like someone like that's relatively new to running. Where were the obstacles physically for you as you, you know, began running because you kind of went right for a big distance.
00:58:16
Speaker
Yeah, I jumped right in. It's not like, it's not like from a coaching standpoint. It's not like the best advice you could get. Right. Oh man. I'll tell you straight up to that first year I had zero, I did it all on my own. No coaches, no, nothing. I was just running around trying to figure out how to run 42 K on a Saturday. I'd run 21 on it. Like just, it was a hot mess, but it was, but I was crying. So the pains I was feeling were all over the place. Cause I was also a lot heavier, a lot more muscle bound, all those kinds of things. And, um,
00:58:46
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, but I think the pains were more like, like, just like muscle pains like nothing that was like breaking. And I was a bigger guy I had trained, and I had decent sized muscles so I had some stuff to kind of deplete or work with that. And I also had a structure that was decent in the sense of like I've already put some load on it so
00:59:10
Speaker
and I hadn't ever ran. So those running issues weren't even there before, like knee problems, feet problems, they weren't there. So I was starting fresh, so that was a positive. But over the last, let's say two, three, four months, even the training block before I started this 22 days, those were challenging in the sense of like the planter, fasciitis, the feet, the ankle. Most of that stuff I was having problems with because I hadn't trained that much to develop my feet and ankles.
00:59:38
Speaker
In terms of quads, hamstrings, calves, um, well not the calves so much, but let's say quads, hammies, glutes, everything else. I've trained bodybuilding and other modalities that I had decent strength and endurance there.
00:59:52
Speaker
but the feet and ankles I never worked on, right? So it's like, Oh, what's going on? So like the balance on one foot, the toes, being able to manipulate the toes and how they move and how all that kind of stuff was all, um, you know, over the last three months I was having problems walking, getting up, sitting down, like things like that. But that was, I think now that I'm noticing, cause I haven't been running now for the last few days. And I think I probably will won't run for a couple more weeks.
01:00:21
Speaker
I think those were just soreness things. So like getting up, sitting down my feet. When I'm walking around my place, like for the last little while, I'd be wearing my Hoka slides because it was hard to walk barefoot on my floor. So that was the extent. But for me, I was like, okay, I'm just getting used to it. But now I can move okay now. This is awesome.
01:00:47
Speaker
Yeah. That's awesome. And like, yeah, it's kind of, I mean, it's, it's tough. It's tough on the body for sure. Like, is it tempting to want to, like, are you tempted to want to go out for a run or after, you know, you ran consecutively, ran big time, you know, you attempt to go out for a 30 minute kind of thing. Like, how do you know to just keep resting?
01:01:07
Speaker
because other people are telling me to, I'm not that guy. I'm that guy who's going to be like, I want to go run tomorrow. I want to go lift. I want to go training. I'm that guy that needs a coach that's going to be like, hey, let me pull you back a little bit because you're going to be doing too much. And so for me, it's having respect for the people that are giving me the guidance and that they have the understanding. So I'll listen to them because they know better. And for them, for me to want to get better, they need to talk to me in a manner that lets me understand that. So what's that mean?
01:01:37
Speaker
So like my coach will be like, hey man, if you want to be able to run faster and better and have this adaptation, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, you need this much break. I'm like, okay, I'll be better if I do that. Yes. Okay, cool. Done. Then I'll make it happen. So I asked him right even the day after, it was Sunday, we were talking, just doing a debrief of the whole thing. And I was like, okay, look man, when can I start going again? What are your thoughts? And he's like, look man.
01:02:06
Speaker
Sorry. Number one question. Yeah. And I was like, when can I start? What can I start doing this? And he's like, look, man, your central nervous system is probably pretty shot. So no strenuous activity for like four weeks. I go, what? So what's that mean? You can go for bike rides. You can go to jiu-jitsu, but nothing hard in jiu-jitsu. Just kind of flow, roll, relax. I'm like, okay, cool. And he's like, just have fun. I'm like, okay, I can figure that out, I guess. But for me, that's also learning and being patient.
01:02:36
Speaker
The purpose takes the forefront. So if he's saying I'm going to get better, I'm getting faster. If I do this, that, and the other, and it's going to help more people, cool. I'll chill. Nice. And what did you, like, what have you learned in terms of like nutrition and recovery? I mean, this, when you're running distances like that, you can't hide from nutrition. No. So, um, so as I went through the 22 days, I understood that I would never be able to,
01:03:02
Speaker
I'd be constantly in a caloric deficit because it's 22 days, right? So there's no way, it's impossible to be able to eat enough over that period. Now, if you're doing one, two, three, four, or even let's say five marathons in a row, you could probably get away with a little bit, but I noticed, I can't remember which day it was, but there was one day I didn't eat enough and it affected me the next day.
01:03:24
Speaker
And that was probably like 10 days into it or something. So I was constantly eating after the run and just not healthy things, just things to consume that had extra calories. Cause it was burning so much. So, you know, chips, you know, ice cream, burgers, like all this kind of stuff, which I normally don't eat, but I had to just to, and I still lost weight. I was sitting around maybe one 83 ish fairly lean in the morning.
01:03:53
Speaker
I weighed myself yesterday after eating tons and not running that training. And I weighed 173. Okay. And that's why I've lost 10 pounds. And that's with eating constantly the whole time and not running the last few. So I probably was 170 at the end of everything, maybe a little bit less in around there, but I was expecting that to happen anyway. So I was prepared for that.
01:04:16
Speaker
And I wasn't, you know, I kind of framed it differently too. I was like, you know, I don't eat this all the time. Let's have some fun. Let's enjoy the food, man. So, so post run, I would just kind of just consume whatever, like as much as I could. That was at least not harming or not affecting my gut so that I wouldn't have issues there. And so how I prepared for that was in advance of the run for most of the year, let's say six months out of the year, I would be eating those things once or twice a week.
01:04:43
Speaker
Or if I had a massive training block, I would eat those things. So my body was kind of used to those things so that it wouldn't affect me later on. So there was an adaptation with some of the food. And then when it came to fuel while I was running, I was using groupo nutrition and it's Canadian company based out of, uh, I think Windsor, Ontario, and, um, basically it's liquid fuel. So what I was having was formulated for me and they formulate specifically for athletes, whatever they're doing.
01:05:10
Speaker
And this, um, what I was using was groupo pro and it had about, uh, 290 calories per hour I was taking and about 400, just over 400 milligrams of sodium. And then all my electrolytes, everything within that drink. So I'd have about 700 milliliters of water with that, depending on the heat for the day and sometimes more. Right. In terms of the water intake, but generally every hour I'd be having that. And then that seemed to help with.
01:05:40
Speaker
movement. I could feel the uptake of the carbs in that too, like pretty quickly, as opposed to like, I never, I never really liked using goo or these kinds of things. I wanted higher quality stuff that was, and this stuff was pretty high quality. It wasn't affecting my gut. It was just seamless. Just went right in. And, um, and I think, you know, a lot of triathletes and stuff, from my understanding, use this kind of stuff. So, uh, I was like, cool. So with that, I, uh,
01:06:09
Speaker
That was super helpful, I think. Cause I, that, cause I hadn't used that most of the year. I used it for my last big training block and I noticed the huge difference there. I was using tailwind and stuff like that before much better than tailwind. And you didn't get sick of like flavors or anything like that. I know that's a, I mean, for me, man, like I had, I had a few different flavors. I bought like 10 bags of it. Right. So I went through three or four bags. Um, so I had like orange, grape.
01:06:38
Speaker
you know, a few other flavors. And for me it was like, I mean, it tastes good. Like it tastes good. It tastes better than some of the other things that I would have. So I was cool. I had no issue, no fatigue from drinking it. I was
01:06:57
Speaker
A pleasure, actually. Nice. That's good. Well, that's the most important thing, that you like it, that your body agrees with it. Because I've got the, you know, I've had the opposite words, like, I'm just so sick of this orange face or whatever. Yeah. This one is more subtle, so it's not punching you in the face. Yeah, that's good.
01:07:14
Speaker
I tried a bunch of different things to test what I liked. And like everyone should do the same thing. Test your body on a bunch of different things. Just because I'm trying something doesn't mean it's going to work for anybody else. Everyone has different taste buds. Everyone's body reacts differently to different things. So, you know, the way I'm feeling my body will be different than other people, man. Because I'm just a different human, right? So you can kind of have a rough
01:07:40
Speaker
you know, guide, and then you can kind of try those things out. And then from there, refine it for yourself. What's the best advice you can give to anybody just wanting to start something new, wanting to get into running, you know, maybe not run a marathon, but just get off the couch. I think everyone knows what they need to do. Generally speaking, everyone knows deep down what they should do. So the question is, how do people get up off their bums to do that thing?
01:08:08
Speaker
and I think it comes with purpose. Whatever that, it doesn't have to be a lofty one, but whatever your purpose to drive you forward, you got to first figure out your why. Why do you want to run at 5K?
01:08:20
Speaker
What is it for to, to get healthy, to, to see what you can do, whatever that question is, once you figure that out, then you can, um, set the pace in which you want to achieve that thing, the velocity. Right. So for me, I'm a dial 15 person out of 10. I'm going right away, but some people aren't like that. Right. So number one, figure out your wide number to figure out at which speed you want to do that at.
01:08:47
Speaker
And number three, get to work, man. That's it. Get to work. Like at the end of the day, it's get up and work. There's no secret recipe. There's no hack. There's no nothing. Like to put it in perspective, I've been full time training for two years. Like religiously obsessed and consumed by this. That's how I made it to 22 marathons in a row.
01:09:11
Speaker
I mean, it wouldn't have happened if I was just like, Oh yeah, whatever. No, you got to get to work. Yeah. And my training block leading up to this was a six week training block and I ran 150 kilometers. Right. So I was running 150 K a week before I started. And then at the end of this, I was 275. Wow. Yeah. Right. Yeah. So it's, so it's just, you got to work. How do you stay that discipline? You know, like it's easy to just say like all dude in an hour or like, I mean, I'm, I'm guilty of that. Like.
01:09:39
Speaker
I know I'm better when I do my runs first thing in the morning. Cause then I got the whole day to do stuff, you know, but I don't always do that. I'll wait till lunch and then something will happen and all. So the question is why, why, why, I'll ask you, why, why does that happen?
Prioritizing Time and Personal Goals
01:09:52
Speaker
Yeah. Um, what does it makes you to maybe do a little bit later or maybe the next day? What is it? What do you think? Yeah. Cause I just feel like I have all the time I like ahead of me, especially if it's like a day off, let's say, right? Like that I have time to do stuff that I, that I maybe need to rest or that I would rather do something else that I haven't had a chance to do yet. You know?
01:10:16
Speaker
Um, you know, I do quite a bit, you know, and it's, it's hard to even find that downtime sometimes. So, you know, it's a good point. I think it comes to prioritization, right? How important is it to you? If it's not that important and if other things are more important, then that's cool too. Yeah. Right. But you mentioned time and that's a finite commodity. We don't have time. We actually don't.
01:10:44
Speaker
People think we have it, but we don't have time. It's continuously going by. So when people say we have time, we actually don't. And I've known people in various different spaces that thought they had time and they're no longer here. So now they thought they had time and they didn't spend time with their family. Well, now what?
01:11:10
Speaker
do the thing that they wanted to do because they thought they had time. So I think understanding that, like I'm 45. I have zero time. I said that to myself. I have no time. Like I have to do this because otherwise it's not going to happen. So I guess it depends on how one prioritizes the thing that they want to do.
01:11:33
Speaker
And then again, get to work. So if it's not a priority, I mean, I get it. People have other priorities than running. So what's the priority? Okay, we're building a business or we're spending time with our family or whatever the thing is, prioritize the thing and then get to work. But for me, it's like, I also want to set a good example for my daughter.
01:11:58
Speaker
So there's multiple reasons as to why I'm trying to be a better person for myself and for everyone around me. So that's my priority. And people have different priorities. So I guess for me, it's not that challenging anymore to get up and train or go for that run. Now, having said that, when you're running 42 every day during my training blocks, it was getting to a point where it was like, man, I got to run 42K.
01:12:29
Speaker
Uh, and like on my last sort of week of training and I was doing like three or four marathons like that week. And I was like, it would take me like an hour or two just to get up and do it. Like I'd be staring at my shoes. I'd be like, Oh, I get the, I get the reality of it. Um, but I think, you know, a number one piece that we can kind of walk away here is that we don't have time.
01:12:53
Speaker
Time is fleeting. Time is the only commodity that we can't create. It's just there and it's gone. So I think it's super important to figure out what's important to a person and then start figuring out how to achieve those things as soon as possible. That's a very good point. Yeah. And that's something we have to be reminded of, unfortunately, from time to time. Agreed. At 45, do you think you found your stride?
01:13:24
Speaker
So what do you mean by that? Like have you, you think you've figured it out? Like life, you know?
01:13:30
Speaker
I don't know, man, I'm trying my best to figure myself out. I don't know if I figured anything out, but I'm trying my best every single day. And I'm trying to move in a direction that's positive every single day. And that's all I know. And what I've noticed over the last couple of years since I've had that focus, my life has gotten better. And the lives of people around me have gotten better in the sense my daughter has gotten better in the sense I'm a better dad. And so those types of things. So do I have life figured out? No.
01:13:55
Speaker
Do I have, uh, um, I have nothing figured out. All I know is that I'm moving in a direction that's positive and that I do understand. At this point, you know, what, what impact this has running had on, on your life? Oh man. Um, the most that started the act of running and the journey of this whole thing.
01:14:24
Speaker
and the process of learning, everything that's been associated to this effort has been the most impactful thing in my entire existence. I can't even articulate or even explain how much of an impact the act of running has had on me, and I hated it. I hated running.
01:14:49
Speaker
That's another reason why I picked it because I hated it so much and I didn't want to hate something so much and not be able to endeavor in it. So it took me a good year and a half to learn how to even like doing it. Now I, I enjoy it, man. I enjoy going for a run. I, you know, I got decent mechanics now, so it's not beating me up every single day. And so it's been so impactful so much on every metric that you can assess.
01:15:17
Speaker
That's so great, a great answer for that question. And like, what do you do for fun? Like, you seem so dedicated and so like hardworking and like,
01:15:26
Speaker
You got time for a little fun. So I've been asked that question a couple of times and I don't know, man, this is fun for me. Yeah, of course. This is fun. Everything about I'm doing is, is, is fun. Like talking to you, man, that's fun, man. And, um, meeting people is fun and seeing what's possible for me is freaking fun. Like being able to see what my performance envelope is and then pushing it even further, seeing what's possible for me. I mean, that's cool, man. Like I didn't like.
01:15:55
Speaker
I didn't think in a million years I could run one marathon five years ago. I just ran 22. That's freaking cool, man. That's fun. So now the next goal is like even greater and figuring out how to get to that level is going to be fun. So I think my whole, I've created a life now for me that is joy. Now it's not always like there are days where it's not, but the whole sort of overarching like that I've been trying to create
01:16:25
Speaker
is what I've wanted to create and I don't want to do anything else other than what I'm doing and then keep pushing that envelope. And actually what I love about what you're doing too is that like, and I kind of share this similar mindset is it's running is tough because it's a, you can compare so much in running. Um, whereas like my thing is like, I want to be
01:16:48
Speaker
better than I was yesterday. I want to continuously get better. And that's why I'm connecting so much with what you're saying. And I think that's so important to know that it's for you and screw everybody else. If you want to have a PB this year, then work hard and get the
Resilience and Self-Worth Through Running
01:17:06
Speaker
PB. Or if you want to run a mountain, go and sign up for that race and run the mountain. But really do it for yourself.
01:17:14
Speaker
And like through what you're doing, you're doing it for others also. Like you're spreading a message through running. Like, yeah, what is the, what is the great, the great message that you can share through running or like, if you could just sum it up, like, what would you say? That's a good question. I think it's not even just through running, but anybody can find this through, through any act. But if we're going to be using running specifically.
01:17:41
Speaker
What's the message, the greatest message? I mean, being able to achieve something that you never thought possible is pretty gratifying and builds self worth. It builds self-reliance, builds resilience. It builds a lot of things to be able to do something
01:18:06
Speaker
that you never thought you could do. And I think that's a cool thing to be able to achieve. And running is so hard for everyone, right? It's a hard task, man. You're by yourself. No one else is around. Winter's coming. You'll be running the snow, you know, rain, whatever it is, the heat, 38 degrees, smoke, fires, like whatever it is, it's hard, right? And I think, you know, being able to accomplish something that you never really thought that you could possibly achieve, man, that changes people.
01:18:35
Speaker
Like for the better, like it actually changes you. If you're aware of what you're doing and if you're intentional behind it, it's changed me. Like I'm a different human because of running and doing really hard challenges for myself. And I think if anyone takes anything away from what I'm saying, challenge yourself, man. Like put yourself in those scenarios where you find a challenge, but you overcome it.
01:19:00
Speaker
however your world will come in. And that builds all kinds of self-worth because I didn't have a lot of it a few years ago. I thought it was a piece of garbage. I thought it was a loser. I thought it was all the things. And really through two years of hard effort, seeing myself do things, I never thought I'd be able to, like talking like this to someone was a challenge for me and being able to connect with people or speak how I'm speaking. It's not just I've gotten better at running. I've got better at being a human.
01:19:30
Speaker
I've gotten better at communicating, listening, speaking, thinking with clarity, like all these things. So I think the one takeaway is, man, if anyone takes anything away, find a challenge, whatever that challenge is and get after it.
Future Plans and Ways to Support the Cause
01:19:46
Speaker
Awesome, man. Thank you so much. So now what's between the FKT across Canada and today? Like I want you to appreciate what you just did, the 22. So often we jump to the next one.
01:19:59
Speaker
But like, what's, what's the plan between? Yeah, I already have the plan. I have a rough idea. It will, we'll flush it out a bit more and maybe refine it, but essentially it's going to be run from Thunder Bay to Victoria next year. And that's the rough idea. Um, how that looks, not sure how that looks quite yet. I'm not sure. I know it'll be an ultra every day, not a marathon. So I'm tentatively thinking 60 K for 52 days. Um, but again, I'll speak with my coach and some of the other people that are around me and
01:20:30
Speaker
We'll have a further discussion on what that looks like. And then how do we, um, make that beneficial for everyone around us and how do we raise more awareness and connect with other, all the things that are associated to it. So from the challenge perspective, my next challenge, we thunder beta Victoria. So that's 3,100 kilometers. Incredible. That's so good. And where can people find out more about you and the causes and all that, that good stuff? So I'm on pretty much all platform. I'm on Instagram.
01:20:59
Speaker
Uh, such.in.motion. I'm on Tik TOK at such in motion. I got a website, uh, such in motion.ca, um, YouTube channel that I'm slowly building against such in motion. So yeah, any of those platforms, if anyone wants to donate to the honor house society, I have a link in my bio on Instagram and, um, anyone who makes a donation gets a tax clean and tax credit. So none of that money comes to me and go straight to the charity.
01:21:29
Speaker
And yeah, that's where you can find me and see all the silliness that I do and all the fun stuff that we get up to. Keep it fun. Yeah, keep it fun. And we'll share the link too in the show notes. So if anybody wants to donate, yeah, that'll be great. We're lucky, like we were almost going to be, this podcast was almost going to be just in motion, so we wouldn't have been so close. I wouldn't have let that happen. If I had to come over, do you live in the Lower Mainland?
01:21:59
Speaker
No, I'm originally from Montreal, but I'm living in Switzerland. You have to come find me. I have to go to Switzerland. Which would be good for your training. A lot of mountains, I guess, out there. Yeah, lots of mountains. Yeah, it's still spending time to discover the nature out here. Amazing. Such thanks so much for making the time for us today and hopefully some people that
01:22:25
Speaker
you know, inspired by your message and I'm certainly inspired and energized by what you had to say. So thanks a lot. No, I appreciate the opportunity to share, um, you know, my journey and share the one and share possible future endeavors. And thanks for reaching out, man. And, uh, I appreciate you. So, uh, let's do it again sometime for sure.
Closing and Listener Engagement
01:22:45
Speaker
Awesome. Take care. Thanks for tuning into the just in stride podcast.
01:22:51
Speaker
I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen and I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Please take a minute after this to rate and review our show on Apple Podcasts. With your feedback, we'll be able to make the show even better and it'll help us reach new listeners too. You can also find us on Instagram at JustinStrydePod for all the latest episodes and updates.
01:23:13
Speaker
Of course, this show wouldn't be possible without a solid team behind me, with logo and design by Vanessa Pugliese. Guest outreach, social media, writing, and advertising are handled by me, your host, Justin Pugliese. Finally, we'd like to thank you, our listeners, for coming along for the ride with Justin Stride.