Transcript
Rich: Welcome to episode 535 of the Grit to Greatness Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts, coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde and we are on a mission to help endurance athletes train smarter, race stronger, and build the grit it takes to achieve greatness. Today's episode is about redefining success and finding meaning in the moments that don't go according to plan. We are joined today by athlete Chris Schothen. recently raced Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston and let's say while his day ended not the way he wanted it to he he has been able to look at this experience and find the win we are really excited to hear
Rich: I'm leaving you on the cliff here with this one because I don't want you to know the details until we get into this. But anyway, it's a great conversation about courage, showing up fully, learning to celebrate the effort and finding the wins and progress, even when the outcome isn't what you hope for. Hey, Chris, welcome. We're really excited to have you here and and to get ready with us.
Chris Sjothun: Well, thanks for having me. This is very exciting.
April: Yeah. I can't wait to dive into our interview. Chris, you're just so much fun to hang out with too. So this is going be a great episode. Let's bring in our announcements first.
Chris Sjothun: Oh, we always have fun. It's fun.
April: Yeah. Let's have fun. we're going to bring in our first announcement, which is,
Chris Sjothun: that fo
April: all about mind over miles. We've got a webinar with the amazing coach, Bobby McGee, and it's going to help you run faster by thinking differently.
April: What if the biggest limiter in your training isn't miles or Watts, but your mindset? On April 9th, world-renowned coach Bobby McGee coached to five Olympic teams and nine Olympic medalists shares a simple four-level goal framework that changes how athletes train, race, and show up under pressure. You'll learn why outcome goals can backfire, how to focus on daily controllables that build confidence, and the identity question elite athletes ask before every hard session.
April: Walk away with a framework you can apply on your very next run. Plus a downloadable worksheet and bonus mindset toolkit for live attendees. Rich, this sounds insane and awesome.
April: Holy mackerel. So yes, this is April 9th at 12 PM, central standard time or 7 PM.
Rich: I know. I know.
April: You can register. Now we have a link in our show notes. We'd love to see you there. That is an open webinar folks.
Rich: Yeah. It's just kind of crazy. Like, I think back to when I got started in the sport, there's no way I had free access to Bobby McGee. I, I, and I knew who who he was, right? This is, this guy's a legend. just to be here in this, you know, in today's environment of the sport and have access like this, know, obviously thanks, uh, predictive fitness and try that because it's through, through them and try that and run dot that, uh,
Rich: This is, course, sponsored. But yeah, what a great. and And of course, if you're listening to this, you're welcome. So it's in the show notes. Click the link and hope you can join us. Speaking of great community time, listen, you know, whether you're chasing performance or you just want to ride strong with great people, velocity rides are where fitness meets fun.
Rich: These structured group rides are really designed to help you ride smarter, learn new skills, find, know, kind of work through these limiters that you have from a power perspective. I'll tell you what, man, when you can really learn how to pedal a bike and learn how to control your cadence and power,
Rich: Wow, that really is a game changer when you're out there racing. It really gives you a lot of confidence in a lot of situations. And this Saturday, April 4th, we are hosting its Ladies Ride, supportive, inclusive ride, focused on connection with especially our limitless athletes. We're really excited to have an all ladies ride. This Saturday tomorrow at 8 a.m. m Mountain Time. The link here is in the show notes and really hope to see you there.
Rich: All right. April, you can be there.
April: I'm going to be on my way to the bear. Rich.
Rich: Oh, that's right.
April: rich
Rich: That's right.
Rich: You're on the way.
April: I'm doing my first race of the year tomorrow over at bear Creek Lake park. I'm very excited. And then I'm literally getting in the vehicle and going over to crested butte.
April: I know I've got such a tough life, but I will be thinking about you ladies.
Rich: Dang.
April: You're going to be rocking it with coach rich. He's a lucky man. but
Rich: like what what What life do I live? that you know What did I do right?
April: Yeah, I love it. We have one more announcement here. We want you to mark your calendar for our next team meeting Tuesday. believe this is April, right? This is our first April seventh
Rich: Yes. yeah Sorry.
April: My Paul. Yes. Okay. So Tuesday, April 7th at 6 PM mountain time. This is an on your bike meeting. So come ready to ride as we jump into velocity and explore its features together in real time. We'll demo how velocity works, show you how to use it during your sessions and help you understand how it fits into your training and team experience. This is a hands-on ride along.
April: Sing along maybe. Walk through a design to make you feel more confident and more effective on velocity from day one.
Rich: April, I'm so glad that you said sing along. Do you wanna know why i am so glad that you said sing along?
April: Tell me.
Rich: because Because, and and Chris, you may not know this, but yesterday, no, sorry, two days ago was April's birthday. April Spilde, born on April the 1st.
Rich: And guess what? She is a ripe old 40 years old. She's a kid. She thinks she's old as dirt. She's a kid, obviously.
April: the
Rich: and Look at her blush. This is awesome.
April: Oh my God.
Rich: You know, actually, but let's not sing along. We probably shouldn't sing it, but let's at least, hey, wish April, I know it's belated birthday, but this is actually your birthday weekend.
Rich: We hope you have a wonderful birthday weekend.
April: Yes.
Rich: Race safe, travel safe. We love you. Okay?
April: I love you too. And I'm just so excited. Thank you, Rich.
Rich: Awesome. All right, Chris. So this is the moment everyone's waiting for. This is what we can't wait to get into. So, but you know, just a little bit of quick background. First, Chris and I work together.
Rich: k Chris and I found each other a couple of years, two, three years ago now.
Chris Sjothun: Chumming up on two years, yeah.
Rich: been awesome. Chris is a dedicated age group triathlete who continues to challenge himself across sprint, Olympic, and half Ironman distance racing. At six to about 200 pounds, Chris brings strength, termination, life, and a lot of life experience.
Rich: And having lined up at races like Ironman 70.3 Florida, the Columbia River Triathlon, and mostly recently this Ironman 70.3 Texas, his his journey is less about podiums, more about personal growth, consistency, mental toughness.
Rich: And I got to tell you, he's really, he's really inspiring people around him. i'm really glad we could have him on the show. and on this interview, Chris, again, welcome.
Chris Sjothun: Thank you. Appreciate it, Rich.
Rich: Yeah.
Chris Sjothun: And happy birthday, April. That's fantastic.
April: Thank you, Chris.
Chris Sjothun: i'm I'm glad we're not singing. No one told me that this was going to be a musical. So I was getting little nervous for a second there. and I thought missed something in the notes.
April: Just wait till we get to the fun segment.
Rich: Oh no. What's coming, Chris? I don't know.
Chris Sjothun: Oh, geez.
Rich: Hey, so let's kick things off here. Let's have a little fun here. We like to play this game, little icebreaker, two truths and a lie. to ask you for three statements about yourself. Two are truths. One is a deceitful lie. I'm going get my pen and paper here.
Rich: are you ready?
April: I'm ready. I'm bringing it.
Rich: Born ready, huh?
April: I know coach Lauren's not here.
Rich: All right.
April: She's usually the, the winner of these things, but I'm stepping up. Okay. I'm going to put my coach Lauren hat on and channel some, uh, some, uh, deception, uh, unveiling here unraveling.
April: So I'm excited.
Rich: we're we're no longer racing for second. Right.
Chris Sjothun: yeah yeah I got a shot.
April: If you're not first, you're last. yeah
Rich: It's awesome. All right, buddy, Chris, we're ready for you.
Chris Sjothun: All right.
Rich: Three statements.
Chris Sjothun: Two truths and a lie. So after high school, I had aspirations to become a chef. So I signed up for culinary school right after i graduated. That's one. And then another is i am a black belt in Kung Fu.
Chris Sjothun: and in was an instructor. And my last is i have six kids and two little grand babies.
April: This a good one. It's a stumper.
April: Rich, do you want to go first or would you like me to start my, okay.
Rich: I will, I will go first, Chris.
April: Okay.
Rich: I may, I might need to go back into my texts, my group texts with you and your family. I'm actually good at, well, so first of all, I'm really, if, if the high school chef thing is true, I really want to hear about that. That sounds interesting. I actually think that you are just like Kung Fu Panda. I believe that that is you. I, believe I think that you have a black belt in Kung Fu.
Rich: Or some martial art, maybe you're getting me out of technicality, but let's, let's just go with it.
April: I think that might, yeah. Yeah.
Rich: And think the technicality is on the kids and grandkids. I don't know, like for some reason, I think like you're giving me one extra, but okay. That's my, that's my call. I'm saying the, uh, the six kids and two grandkids is the lie. April.
April: I keep coming back to the Matrix when Neo says, i know Kung Fu. And Chris, man, i I could see you as a Zen master, but I i don't know if it's Kung Fu. I'm thinking Taekwondo or karate.
April: So I'm going to go with, yeah, that's the lie on a technicality and I'm excited to hear about.
Rich: You think that's the lie?
April: If it is that you have a black belt in a martial art, that's a pretty dang cool thing.
Chris Sjothun: Well, as a matter of fact, I do.
Rich: Watch it. It gets us both.
Chris Sjothun: I'm a black belt in Kung Fu. And yeah, i I thought I was going to get you that culinary.
April: Oh my gosh.
Chris Sjothun: I put a lot of thought into that culinary.
Chris Sjothun: So yeah, just like my adventures in triathlon, it started one way and then I got completely obsessed with it.
Rich: You did.
April: You did get us.
Rich: yeah There's a lot of detail. was like, Ooh,
Chris Sjothun: I started with just taking my kids and I'm like, well i'm not going to just sit here with let my kids do it. and then I started doing it, became an instructor for the teens class, and it was a lot of fun.
April: Wow.
Chris Sjothun: I really enjoyed
Rich: Okay, so.
April: Favorite move.
Chris Sjothun: Hitting the other guy before they hit me. That's always my favorite.
Rich: It's right there you go. The surprise move. Yeah.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, yeah.
April: but
Chris Sjothun: i i used I used to like all the kicks, and and it's it's a really interesting form of Kung Fu.
Rich: Okay, so.
Chris Sjothun: it comes off of bruce lee actually and out of hawaii so yeah it's it's a it's a fun one so i always enjoy it
Rich: I got a follow question on the Kung Fu. You're like the second athlete I've worked with that is like been a black belt in a martial art and is, you know, gone you know into triathlon. is there like Is there like a common DNA thing in there for you?
Chris Sjothun: i uh i don't know i maybe there's just like really like hurting all the time
April: okay
Rich: Well, there you go. there there That could be it. Yep. The masochist gene.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, you better keep going.
Rich: Okay.
Chris Sjothun: It's saving Kung Fu. Don't stop. Keep going.
Rich: Okay, so now where are we? this that's That was the truth. what The lie is?
April: Yeah, where are we here?
Chris Sjothun: Oh, the lie is the, oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. Geez. The lie is the the the culinary. i and i went to I went into business right after high school, college and business.
Rich: yeah Okay, gotcha. Okay.
April: He got us both, Rich.
Rich: Okay.
April: We both lost.
Rich: See, there it is. we yep you guys both.
Chris Sjothun: Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you'd come. Yeah. So I win.
Rich: We're so sad.
Chris Sjothun: I win. Where's my shirt?
Rich: Yeah. Well, you know, so you know what, Chris? Very, very good call. Yeah. we We need to get you a shirt, my friend.
April: yes
Rich: Yeah. Love the Ironman shirt, but you need one of these.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, I do.
April: Absolutely.
Rich: We'll we'll get that too.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah.
Rich: We'll get that taken care of for sure.
April: Yes.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah. I was representing in Dallas and in Florida with the G2G kit. So it's looking good.
Rich: Okay. And please apologize to one of your six children, who I apparently have forgotten about. So here, since we have, says, we have you here and we're talking about it.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, that's okay. That's all right. It's a bit over.
Rich: Name them. Tell us tell us who your kids are and your grandkids. You're proud. I'm sure as heck but let them hear your name on a podcast.
Chris Sjothun: Oh, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah they're all great. Yeah, so like my my oldest is Kelsey.
April: Yeah.
Chris Sjothun: So she is a makeup artist here in Vancouver. where I live just south outside of Portland, Oregon. And then I have Jordan, my my middle son, and then Bailey. they're all Everybody's here except my my oldest middle son. He's a Marine. He's off in Japan right now.
Chris Sjothun: So he's serving the country and doing a great job and intelligence. So we're not really sure if he's in Japan. He can't tell us where he is, but that's that's the last we heard. And then we have Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn has just turned 19. She's here, graduated high school not that long ago, and will be going off to college here pretty soon. And then the youngest is Faith. She's 16.
Chris Sjothun: She's the super, super smart one, and she's going to college and high school at the same time. So she gets that from her mom. Yeah.
Chris Sjothun: And then i had two little grandkids at home, four and three.
Rich: You're so humble. You're so humble.
Chris Sjothun: and four and three They're Bailey's kids. and That's Owen and Jace.
April: He still knows kung fu though.
Chris Sjothun: They're hilarious.
April: i mean...
Chris Sjothun: They'll be triathletes one day.
Rich: He still knows Kung Fu.
Chris Sjothun: okay
Rich: Yes. He still knows Kung Fu.
April: Chris, I would love, yeah, let's jump in.
Rich: all right.
April: i would love to know, and hearing a little bit more about Kung Fu, this might've already answered itself, but before triathlon, what was your relationship with sports exercise and fitness throughout your life?
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, I mean, growing up, i had I had one older brother, Scott, and he and I were always doing something, baseball, football, basketball. When the streetlights came on, you know, it's time to go home. You know, that that kind of, raised we were raised that way.
Chris Sjothun: So I've always been athletic. I've always been into sports, watching sports, and then then then the kung fu, and then, you know, work kind of kicks in. And i was traveling quite a bit, so for quite a while there, there was nothing but Growing up, it was all about sports. It was definitely an athlete.
Rich: Well, i'm going to follow that within, you know, I guess, given the, uh, the two truths and a lie, I'm kind of guessing that, uh, might know the answer to this one too. How did movement and physical challenge evolve for you as you got older? And, what did it kind of come to mean, you know, beyond training and staying fit, did it mean something at a deeper level, you know?
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, well, I mean, it was when when i I really got focused on my career and it was know traveling 250 nights a year, you know, movement. is it I wasn't moving as much as I could, and it definitely took its toll on living on the road. It's tough.
Chris Sjothun: It's a hard lifestyle. You tend to eat poorly and at weird hours and of the day and night. So you know that 6'2", 200, that wasn't always the case. It was 285. And starting to affect my health.
Chris Sjothun: <unk>ve I've always stuck enough to personal, but a fib is a big thing in my life. So I've been cardioverted 10 times when they paddle you and reset. So it's just that it was a really hard lifestyle.
April: Hmm. Wow.
Chris Sjothun: So being on the road constantly and just on the go nonstop. So anyway, so yeah, there was a time there that I i wasn't working out as much as I would have liked to have.
Chris Sjothun: And then once you kind of start that downward spiral, it's tough to break that cycle and turn it around.
April: Is that what kind of what drew you to triathlon needing a change?
Chris Sjothun: No, not necessarily. you know what What drew me to my wife and I went to Kona for her 50th birthday. And i am the I'm the guy that I pack like five books, about 30 pounds of books on vacation, and I don't open one of them ever. So I just find something that I'm interested in. And when we were in Kona, I got really interested in learning more about the Ironman. I knew about it, but I didn't know.
Chris Sjothun: much about it so i was but by the time we were getting ready leave kona i was ready to sign up for a full ironman i didn't know there was a sprint option or even a half ironman i'm like yeah i can do this what the heck what's the worst that could happen so thankfully i didn't but just found it really interesting and and i had no idea what i was signing up for in all honesty i thought i was something up
April: wow
Chris Sjothun: you know just straight athletics it's it's a complete lifestyle change i mean top to bottom mentally physically it's there's just so much to it uh the community i mean you're you're on a bike by yourself all the time or running by yourself or swimming by yourself but it's the community also that i'm like blown away by and I've really, really enjoyed both you and the TriDot teams, the G2G teams, and total strangers in the middle of nowhere, Galveston, who all of a sudden are my best friends, and they're telling me to keep going, and I'm telling them to go, and I don't know who they are. that i am I just think it's really cool.
Rich: Yeah, it's a, it's a really, it's an interesting sport in the, how deep it reaches into your life, you know, you know, and you, you really, it becomes something that is somewhat spiritual, somewhat somewhat of a spiritual journey, you know, for a lot of people.
Chris Sjothun: Oh, no question. yeah
Rich: so you know, you're, you're, you're considering the sport, you're getting in the sport. Listen, and hiring a coach is a big, is a big step. It's like, you know, a partial car payment, you know? what, what, what made you consider that? Like made what drew you that way?
Chris Sjothun: Well, because I didn't have a coach at first and night I did everything they said don't do. So don't don't go out and run until your knees hurt so bad you can't walk for three days. i Of course, at every time, every single time.
Chris Sjothun: so i And I also started thinking a little bit more serious and listened to a couple books. I do a lot of books on tape. You've got a lot of time to do it when you're running, swimming, you're biking. so And I realized there's a lot more to it. There's a strategy here. It's not just as simple as just you know, just keep going. There's, there's a lot that goes into it and everything I said, like I said, they said, don't do, I was doing, and I knew that I was setting myself up to failure. And so then I started looking around and that's, that's when I was introduced to rich and here we are now, two years later.
Rich: Wow. Been awesome. It's been awesome.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, it's been great. Yeah, sometimes he's my coach.
April: Rich I didn't know.
Chris Sjothun: Sometimes he's my Dr. Phil and some, I didn't know all that was coming. But you you spend so much time when we talk, certainly every week or text or email all the time and the talking and it's not always just about triathlon.
Chris Sjothun: It's about like, you know, there's more to you know the the whole thing. It's a lot of time. So.
Rich: the the athlete is is also the whole Chris, right? So like everything that you bring to this, everything that is a part of your world, your support systems, your stress, your, so you know, like in your coaches, kind of like in that personal world with you, you know, you know, you knowm usually the first person know.
April: Thank you.
Chris Sjothun: Oh yeah, absolutely. i mean, leading up to a race and after a race, there's, there's so much, and that's when the psychological side of it really kicks in is, you know, obviously pre-race and post-race and processing all of that.
Rich: Yeah.
Chris Sjothun: And, and my conversations with Rich, like it, it, it's been such a huge help to help me just kind of process. And I, and it's been different. We'll talk about how I process it at Florida to how I,
Chris Sjothun: did in Galveston and what I learned. And it was very different. And that was all through just kind of talking it out with Rich. So if you don't have a coach, i'd I'd recommend it. And I do today to anybody that'll listen. you know i'm I talk about Ironman to anybody.
Chris Sjothun: If you're in an elevator with me, you're gonna learn about Ironman.
Rich: Ha ha ha ha ha.
Chris Sjothun: I'm just going warn you at a time.
Chris Sjothun: We're going to talk about it. It's like the old joke is, you know how do you tell who's an Ironman in a crowded room and you do nothing, they'll just come and tell you? Yeah, I'm that guy. Yeah.
April: I didn't know that you two gentlemen had been working together for two years. That's a testament also to the relationship that you've built. I'm sure, Rich, there's times that you've seen in Chris's journey that just made you proud as far as the growth and the bre the perspective and all of that.
Rich: It has been one amazing challenge and and a an example of perseverance and resilience.
Rich: Like, honestly, you have you have faced so many challenges in this journey, Chris. Maybe, you know, it might be worth just kind of sharing. This isn't just, you know, this isn't just like the first challenge.
Rich: yeah I mean, we had, you had a big health issue to recover from, like, shortly, six months after we started working together. Maybe you can tell little bit of that story
Chris Sjothun: Yeah. Yeah. And it goes back to again, doing things wrong. So, I mean, the first real obstacle I had, i mean, the day that I was supposed to fly to Florida to do the race, I had knee surgery and that was just from not doing it right and and going out and doing too much. So I ended up tearing my meniscus up. So, I mean, the day i was supposed to fly, I'd instead I had to have surgery. So that set me back, certainly.
April: Mm-hmm.
Chris Sjothun: then after that i i've traveled quite a bit and i ended up with congestive heart failure and had to spend a week in the hospital and got pretty serious for a while there so and that was right in the middle of i mean these are all things and you know that along with the swimming and the running and all that you know i got that the health stuff i mean that's reality life still happens when we're training so those are two big obstacles that i had to overcome through this whole thing so but now i mean my my cardiologist loves it i i'm the example he wants to like put a picture of me up in his office when i get a medal so he can show people what what's you know that you can do it too so it's been it's been a great journey i mean you can't you can't write this stuff it's just life so you know along the way you know maybe your your why might might change at least for me it changed several times through my journey so
April: Wow. I'm just kind of letting that marinate. That's incredible. I, I'm impressed that this, not only this relationship, but the connection with the sport has fueled you through some incredible, almost life ending things. And that's, that's just, again, a testament to who you are, Chris.
Chris Sjothun: Oh, I appreciate it. Thank you.
Chris Sjothun: But now that I've lost 85 pounds, it's not as serious as it used to be. So there is the know the benefit, that the the physical side. So, yeah, I'm definitely enjoying that.
April: Yeah.
Rich: April, do you want to ask that sixth question there?
April: You said that it's been hard.
Chris Sjothun: It was just the training.
April: You you're doing everything wrong.
Chris Sjothun: So Rich has been my coach for any of the competitions that that I've done.
April: Yeah.
Chris Sjothun: So, you know, not knowing there, there's, there's so much to learn. Like your, your nutrition is so different than, know, I was trying to do low carb lifestyle when I'm training and it just didn't work.
Chris Sjothun: I mean, and you know obviously you can't, you can't do that. or I always couldn't do it. So I speak for myself, but yeah, that, that was obviously a bad idea. you know I didn't know what to buy.
Chris Sjothun: And man, that would have saved me a lot of dough if I would have ran at all my dumb ideas by Rich first. So you say, no, don't do that. Don't do that. Don't fall in that trap.
Rich: He came fully loaded. He came fully stocked. He had everything.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, I joke.
Rich: It was great.
Chris Sjothun: I'm like Karate Dangerfield. Remember from Caddyshack? had that giant golf club and you had every single club in the world. That's what I feel like like. I felt like I could buy myself. i got technology on technology. This is my third watch.
Chris Sjothun: I've only been doing this two years with my coach at it, so I better have it too. so
April: Bye.
Chris Sjothun: So it doesn't help. I'm just saying, you know, you look good. You look like what you're doing, but you don't necessarily.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah.
Rich: Oh, that's funny. All right. So, all right, we've talked about how you found the sport. You're now consistent, you're in it. You're part of the fabric of it. So now, you know, you get this foundation, you've got this, I think having all that background is like important for the audience to hear, because I think that's going to set up like, it's giving, it gives us the right context. So going into Ironman 70.3 Texas,
Rich: What kind of like, personally, what did this race represent for you in your journey?
Chris Sjothun: So I think it was a shift, a mental shift for me, especially coming out of the disappointment in in Florida. To put a little context around it, in Florida, when I did the race, I had the flu, and it's it was a terrible idea. I should have just not even tried. I mean, you can't i it's swimming obviously isn't my strength, and to swim with the flu is just a terrible idea. So But i I didn't give myself the grace to say, hey, you had the flu. you know I talked about it for so long. I bought the sweatshirt. I was in pretty deep. you know I had my Florida sweatshirt. so yeah yeah you can't back out then. so But I left Florida disappointed. In fact, I told Rich, I'm going to pout for the next week and then I'll get back out at it. edit and
Chris Sjothun: And going into Dallas or into Galveston, my mindset, I'm here to have fun. like, I'm not going to lose any endorsement deals out of this whole thing. And and and it's not just about the finish line. I can name a hundred positive things that have come out of this before I even ran my first race. So, you know, to get wrapped up in the finish line, least for me, was taking a lot out of the event.
Chris Sjothun: And I wanted to have fun. And my wife went with me to Galveston and, you know, we had some great, we spent some great time together and it was super low key before the race. And so But I just wanted to go have fun. I got in this to fun. It's just like golf. If I stop having fun, if I start breaking clubs, I'm going to put my clubs in the dumpster and never golf again. i I want to have fun. I'm not going to pay to torture myself.
Chris Sjothun: So I just wanted to get out there and swim was a big deal. I focused heavily on my swim between Florida and here. I swam more than I'd ever swam before. I just did my 1.2 miles in the pool. Obviously, it's a lot different, but I was feeling very confident.
Chris Sjothun: and And to put some context even around that, I mean, a Coach April, you're my coach during swim school. And, you know, I was kind reminiscing and I looked at the email that you sent me after and it says in there, like, although you had to flip on your back after the first lap of the timed 100, blah, blah, blah. So I've started out, it wasn't even that long ago. That was, what was that, nine, 10 months ago at the tried out swim school.
Chris Sjothun: You know, I couldn't even swim a hundred and, you know, I'd look at the Galveston going into it. I swam the 1.2 and that's, that's a big deal. It was a big deal to me. So I felt very accomplished leaving. I mean, a little, little disappointed. I'm not gonna lie, but not, you know beat myself up. I had people cheering for me when i was walking down. It was kind of funny.
Chris Sjothun: So. You know, if and actually it was actually kind of i was telling Rich about this as I'm walking up, people are like, hey, you know, you did you you tried more than I'd ever do that kind of conversation. And right then I look up and there's a motorcycle cop coming with the number one bicyclist male and then another cop behind him, like right in front of there's no one around.
Chris Sjothun: It's just me. And there I'm just like, OK, if that wasn't inspirational, I don't know what is. That was the coolest thing i've ever seen in my life.
April: Wow.
Chris Sjothun: So, you know, just got you just got to get back at it.
April: Yeah, I love the way you approach this. And i'm I'm looking forward to breaking this down a little bit more with you, Chris. So walk us through this swim. What was happening physically and mentally as you worked your way through what the day what the day provided?
Chris Sjothun: I mean, like think for for most of us leading up to the the race day race day, it's just i can just hear Rich's voice. like Don't forget this. You know, is that set up like all the things that we've talked about leading up to this?
Chris Sjothun: Is my area set up right? Do I have my my gel to take you know before I jump in the water? Do I have my bottle of water to take? me and like All those kind of things just to make sure you don't leave anything behind.
Chris Sjothun: But then I got in line and, and know, it it was just a different, different start for me. So the Galveston, they they jump off the dock, never done that before.
Chris Sjothun: So, you know, I'm watching, watching people jump in and their goggles fly off. So i'm like, okay, I got to protect the goggles and that kind of thing. So, but I, it definitely, you know, a little, little bit of anxiety going into it, but I was in a really good spot. Like I was just there to have fun.
Chris Sjothun: They were playing good music. The lady in front of me danced for the hour that we waited. job She did not stop dancing for one second. And it ends up that she was the one, it was her and I and one other guy toward the end that we were kind of coaching each other on. And at the same time we're bumping into each other and dragging each other down and then we'd root each other on and you know all the things that you do in those swims.
Rich: So, you know, you know, you had a chance to talk about this a little bit and there's, there's a fair amount of physical contact out there.
April: you
Rich: Talk about how, how that, you know interrupted kind of your rhythm and what that process was like when you got knocked off your rhythm, what was the process to work through that and then to refine your rhythm? Talk talk about that cycle.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, that, you know, that is something that, you know, I know that we talked about in training and I've done a couple of races and i've I've experienced it, but not where, you know, you've got a hundred yards to go and you got people that are T-boning you still or clark crawling over the top of you. that That reset was really hard for me to kind of snap out.
Chris Sjothun: You know, I get in my rhythm and like I would do in the pool and I can go and go. And then you have somebody that just c clobber you in the back of the head. And then for me,
Chris Sjothun: like getting that, that shock of having somebody hit you was really tough for me to recover from because I would slow down or stop. And then I've got to get going again and, you know, explore all the, all the energy to, to get going again. So that definitely made the last, maybe third of the race more challenging. And I just, that, that was the mental side. It wasn't the physical side. it was the mental side. Like, like, you know, it's coming, but how you respond to it or how I would respond to it, you know, that, uh, that was a tough part.
Rich: Yeah. and you So your head that's that's happening. It's happening over and over. you're probably keeping your eye on the time. When does it start to occur to you, hey, I've got more more water than time?
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, I was probably about two thirds of the way and it was close. I mean, i'm watching i'm watching my my watch and and there was in the weird part, there's about a 10 minute window. i don't read like I just somehow fast forward 10 minutes. I hit a matrix or something. like I thought I was doing really good. I was right on time. Then I looked down, I'm like, where'd the last 10 minutes go? it was the craziest thing.
Chris Sjothun: and i think it's just there's so much going on you know i just lost track of time for those those 10 minutes so i uh i had the the kayakers out and and i said am i gonna make it and they said if you are you better hustle and and then i thought and and i'm looking at my watch and i'm thinking i don't it's pretty unlikely i'm gonna make it at this point i mean it's gonna be super super close but But i you know I didn't want to do the boat ride. and you know the book with that wasn't on I was going to finish one way or the other.
Chris Sjothun: It's either they're going to cut through the middle or I'm going to go around. it So I went around, finished the race, and I walked off. And there was the the lady that I mentioned earlier. She was immediately in front of me, and the other guy was behind me and missed it by just a couple minutes. so But, you know, it was cool.
Chris Sjothun: I got out of the pool. And, and and you know, I was – they were like, I'm so sorry. They they were like – I thought was going to have a good cry or something. I'm like, hey, I just did a 1.2-mile swim.
Chris Sjothun: This is fantastic.
Rich: Yeah. You just did a 1.2 mile swim.
Chris Sjothun: that
Rich: Congratulations, buddy. That's awesome.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, thanks. Yeah, that was – that's a lot better than I did before.
Rich: With 3000 of your closest friends.
Chris Sjothun: So, progress.
Rich: Yeah.
Rich: Yeah. Congratulations. It's big milestone.
Chris Sjothun: Thank you.
Rich: Yeah. We're going build off of that. I know. so
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, absolutely.
April: One of the things that really stuck out to me, Chris, cause we were in a group chat. Cause I had an athlete also, racing and, and once, Richard had shared that, came out of the water with three minutes right over.
April: and then you put in the chats, Hey, I'm having a good time. I'm just happy. I made it I'm going to go celebrate rich and I just, they' just beaming. because not a lot of people have that mentality right after.
April: when they feel like they failed or they feel like they had a setback or they, can't see the forest through the trees, whatever metaphor you want to put on it. But you are an example of what it's like to make this, to find the joy in the journey and make this a lifestyle versus just a destination.
April: So I wanted to point that out to Chris, that that's a huge, huge win.
Chris Sjothun: Well, thank you. i appreciate that.
April: So looking back now, What lessons from Galveston feel the most important and how did they shape the way you approach this next step, your sport and life moving forward?
Chris Sjothun: Sure. I mean, there's there's things I learned that I want to work on. and My siding isn't what i'd I'd like it to be. I'd like to do more open water swim, all those kinds of of things, you know, that you pick up on.
Chris Sjothun: So, you know, I will, Richard and I will, we'll work on that and get that in the plan. I got another race coming up here in a couple months in Salem, doing the 70.3 in Salem. So, so that'll be fun. I'm looking forward to that one. But, you know, I, I just, I don't know if I learned it or I just continue to reinforce it. Like, again, I go back to the whys and and I, and I've talked, Rich and I've talked about a lot. When I started this, I, my why was just to prove that I can do it, you and,
Chris Sjothun: in my 50s and, you know, I've had the surgeries and all that stuff. Like, can I even do it? And then I went through a little phase in my life was kind of to prove the naysayers are wrong. yeah there's always the people that are going to say you can't do it.
Chris Sjothun: So I kind of went through that little bitter phase. And then I'm out running and I'm spending more time listening to the Bible for dummies or something like that. And then I started this spiritual journey. didn't even see it coming.
Chris Sjothun: I ended up giving a saying a prayer at my church and part leading up to it, I'm talking about the Iron Man and you know where I'm at and then rich pointed out you like if you look in the the logo tried out There's a cross right there and the whole history behind it like it was just crazy and then the anything is possible Certainly, there's a biblical reference in there.
Chris Sjothun: So, you know, all that's so went what my takeway I'm still having fun, but I again if I stopped having fun i'll I'll do something else or something but i'm I'm enjoying it. I love the community. i love working with with Rich and with everyone else at Grit to Greatness and everybody to in the community. It's it's so much fun.
Chris Sjothun: Put on a tri-dot shirt or an Ironman shirt and go fly on a plane. You're going to make a friend somewhere, I guarantee it.
April: Hmm.
Rich: Yeah. You know, when I first, I don't know how you felt about when first approached you about being on the podcast and talking about this, you know, again, boy, you know, you're already probably feeling vulnerable.
Rich: And here I am asking you, Hey, would you come up and talk to everyone, you share this story with everybody?
Chris Sjothun: yeah Not exactly how I saw my first grit to greatness going.
Chris Sjothun: I thought this would be like, tell us about your win.
Rich: right. You thought I got to, we I got to get on the podium to do that. Right. No, man. this is, this is our this is like like Coach April said, the first value you went to was gratitude.
Rich: We are about gratitude, resilience, impact, transformation. You are all of those things, my friend.
April: Mm-hmm.
Rich: And so, you know, thank you for sharing your story, you know, living those values. You know, what stands out for us isn't, you know, the, the conversation about the cutoff. It's a conversation about courage and effort and choosing growth when things don't go according to plan.
Rich: Right. You know, not, not everybody gets the first punch in. Right?
Chris Sjothun: Absolutely.
Rich: So, yeah. Hey, man, at at its core, this is what our coaching philosophy is built on. So we're really glad that you you could be here and share share this with with everyone. so And hey, man, good luck is with Salem. Listen, we've got we've got a lot of things. We've already started talking about a lot of things we've learned and a lot of things we're going to build on. And You know, we're going to get that master's class going.
Rich: We're going to get all of those all of those pool noodles and you know just beat the heck out of you as you you know you go down the lane. We're going to have blast, right?
Chris Sjothun: I'm looking forward to
Rich: No, seriously, we're incredibly incredibly proud of you. Grateful for your willingness to share and excited to see what your next journey is.
Chris Sjothun: Well, thank you. e And thank you both. We've been in this together for a while now. And, you know, it's, I just, I didn't see it coming, honestly. You know, it's, it is a journey for sure.
Chris Sjothun: And I don't know that we all, at least for me, I didn't know what that journey was going to be, but there's been some hard lefts here and there, but I, I, would recommend it to anybody. It's it's so cool.
Rich: and And thank your family for me, for sharing, you know, for you share you know them giving you the space to do this sport and spend time with me. Your family, I know this supports the heck out of you. So, you know, shout out to to your whole family.
Chris Sjothun: Well, thank you. Yeah, i should I need to send a shout out to my wife, Brenda, who's, I've mentioned all my kids, but my wife, Brenda's awesome. She's never once said, like, are you gonna get on that bike again? Just say, yeah, got a three and a half hour ride. And she's like, see ya.
Chris Sjothun: She's been great. And she was a huge support for me in Galveston. And so, yeah, definitely a shout to wife. She's fantastic.
April: Gentlemen, that was exceptional. And i appreciate you again, Chris, for being willing to share. we are not done yet. I'm going to drag you along here for another, for our third leg of this of this podcast, for our fun segment. And since we are dropping in around April Fool's Day, we're doing something a little different. This game is called April Fool's.
April: Or is it? So here's how it works. I'm going to read a statement related to triathlon training or endurance life. Some of these are completely made up.
April: Some of these are 100% real, tell me but your job is to tell me Is it a joke or is this actually a thing? And Chris, knowing you have tried so many different things, you might have a little bit of an advantage, but fair warning endurance sports are weird enough that the fake ones might sound real and the real ones might sound in fake.
Chris Sjothun: Ready.
April: So let's see who's paying attention and who's about to get fooled. You guys ready?
Rich: I'm ready. I think
April: All right. I, I think so too, but let's, let's, let's try it. All right. So this first one, there is a triathlon bike, except accessory designed specifically to hold a banana on the frame of your bike for mid ride access.
April: his Is this real or is this April fools?
Rich: I'm going April falls.
Chris Sjothun: I I'm with rich. It's gotta be April 4.
April: You guys are both wrong. This is a real thing.
Rich: No way. Is there a link?
April: but but
Chris Sjothun: Really?
Rich: Can I see? Can you verify this?
April: I will pull it up. I will pull it up and put it in the chat.
Rich: Okay.
April: I looked it up too. Cause I was like, no fricking Yes. This, it looks like a water bottle holder, but it's specifically designed to hold a banana and it goes on your down tube.
Rich: Okay.
April: All right.
Rich: That's awesome.
Chris Sjothun: Wow.
April: Yeah.
Rich: Is it soft or is it hard?
April: Sick. Right. No, it's a hard, it's a hard, it looks just like a bottle holder, but it's sp yeah it's made for a banana.
Rich: Is it hard? Like it's.
Rich: That's
Chris Sjothun: you know I said I bought all the accessories, but apparently I missed I didn't buy that one.
April: All right, i already got you guys, good.
Chris Sjothun: So I might have to look into that accessory.
Chris Sjothun: That might be the way what I'm lacking.
April: You know what it made me think of, Rich, was Caroline's French baguettes on the back of of a bike. at at a The baguette holder.
Rich: Oh, yeah.
April: That's perfect for this.
Rich: So funny.
April: All right, next one. Training with an altitude mask directly increases your red blood cell count, like real altitude. Is this April fools or is it real? So this is the out that altitude or, restriction mask.
Chris Sjothun: I'll say real.
Rich: I'm going to go real. I'm going to go fake.
April: Rich, you are correct.
Rich: Fools, April Fools.
April: You are correct. sorry, Chris, it can strengthen respiratory muscles, but they do not boost red blood cell count as training at actual high altitude does. They can also cause discomfort such as breathlessness and feelings of panic.
Rich: Brother, I had the coaching advantage on that one.
Chris Sjothun: Man, I, you know, I could barely focus. I'm still kicking around that banana thing.
April: You're stuck on the banana holder.
Chris Sjothun: I'm not ready. I wasn't ready to move on.
April: but Rich is looking it up right now. I can tell.
Chris Sjothun: another
Rich: No, actually, I'm really afraid to look it up. I don't know why.
April: oh
Chris Sjothun: was that passionate about that one banana.
Rich: I just like, I'm a afraid i just.
April: You know, you should put this as a post next week.
Rich: Okay.
April: We'll do that, Rich. We'll put this as a post of, uh, do you believe this or not?
Rich: Okay.
April: Yeah, here it is. Here it is in black and white. Okay. Okay.
Chris Sjothun: You can like a torpedo with a banana on the side and the garment on top. like It's like Batman belt.
Rich: Right?
Chris Sjothun: and
April: utility belt. ha All right. Next up, we've got carbon plated flip-flops, a company released carbon played flip-flops to improve recovery. Walk efficiency. Is this April fools or is this real?
Rich: I mean...
Rich: I mean, I wouldn't put a past, you know, like, you know, like maybe hoka flip-flops and you put a car.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah. I wouldn't need it. It sounds stupid, but I can see it
Rich: mean, I'm not, I don't know.
Rich: I don't know.
April: I need an answer, gents.
Rich: know what you need. You need carbon plated, like bike flip-flops. Right? You know, with a click you know cleat in it so you can like have your flip flops, but you know like and you know like you know, like convertible on the top, but like muscle car underneath, you know?
Chris Sjothun: Yeah.
Rich: i don't know. i don't
Chris Sjothun: I'm going to say it's real.
April: We're going off the rails. Bad.
Chris Sjothun: I'm going say it's real.
April: but
Chris Sjothun: At
Rich: I'm going go real too. Of course.
April: Okay. You guys are both wrong. All right.
Rich: of course
Chris Sjothun: least I'm consistent.
April: You were close though. Yeah. At least you're consistent. All right. Honestly, someone will make this someday. So I do think you all are pretty close here with the foreshadowing.
April: Okay. Okay.
April: Pre-raised carb mouth rinse. Athletes can improve performance by swishing carbs in their mouth and spitting it out, not swallowing. Is this April fool's or is it real?
Chris Sjothun: I'm going to say real.
Rich: I'm going to say real too. And it is because the brain actually so knows that there is carbohydrate in that your tongue is delivering a message to your brain.
Rich: Sorry, going coach, coach nerd here, but like literally you will get a hit, a performance increase.
April: Yeah.
Rich: You didn't actually put any sugar in your body. There's no physiological difference other than the mental change that the brain knows sugar's on the way.
April: Love that.
Chris Sjothun: you you You knew the answer.
April: That is correct. You both got this right.
Chris Sjothun: Mine name was a guess. Mine was a guess. Obviously, Rich knew the answer. Mine was 100% guess.
April: I'll share a little science here to a pre-race carbohydrate mouth rinse boosts high intensity, 30 to 60 minute endurance performance by two to 3%. By signaling the brain to reduce perceived exertion and increase motor output.
April: It stimulates oral receptors, activating reward motor control centers, like the anterior cingulate cortex without digestive distress. So absolutely has a performance boost.
Rich: And I thought i was the nerd.
April: Okay, gents, we are getting here to the end. I've got one more for you. This is the cooling the palm strategy. There's research suggesting that cooling your palms during exercise can help reduce core temperature and improve endurance performance. Is this April fools or is it real?
Chris Sjothun: Rich has the look that he knows the answer again.
Rich: It's gold.
Rich: You want to take guess? Just, you know, just take take a guess.
Chris Sjothun: going to say April Fools.
Rich: but An educated guess. Okay. I'm to go real, just from practical experience.
April: You've done it.
Rich: Man, you just put some ice cubes in your palms and you just feel the temperature come down. It's crazy.
April: Ding, ding, ding.
Rich: Hat too, of course. Yeah.
April: Rich, you got it. It is definitely niche.
Chris Sjothun: All right.
April: It is definitely niche, but backed by legit physiology, cooling the palms. During exercise specifically using water around 10 to 16 degrees Celsius or 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit acts as a highly effective non-evasive method to lower your core body temperature.
Chris Sjothun: You know, the cool thing is, is I don't need to know because my coach knows.
April: Guys.
Chris Sjothun: So i don't have to worry it.
Rich: You do need to know, brother.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah. I have a great coach, so I don't need know this stuff.
April: but
Rich: yeah you know, tuck that away.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, I'm ready
Rich: Because like, seriously, when you're out there, like just holding at your palms and I'll just sit there and like, when it gets small enough, I'll pop it my mouth and now it's cooling my mouth and I've got them in my palm.
April: It makes a huge difference.
Rich: Oops, I just punched the microphone.
April: on the head too. You punch the mic.
Chris Sjothun: to go.
Rich: So animated. This is like so much fun. Golly guys, we could do this all night.
Chris Sjothun: yeah i'm ready
April: know. love it. All right. All right. We are bringing it in here though. And I love all the fight metaphors that we've had tonight. Just got to say that with the Kung Fu and the matrix, rich literally punching his microphone.
Chris Sjothun: Okay.
April: right. All right. So that's April fools or is it? And if tonight proved anything, it's this and endurance sports, the difference between genius and ridiculous is razor thin.
April: Some of the things that actually work sound completely made up. Chris, this is true, true. And some of the things that sound legit are total nonsense. So the next time you see a new hack gadget or game changing strategy, pause, pause, pause,
April: Ask yourself, is this really going to help me get it better by having a banana holder? or am I just getting fooled? Because at the end of the day, it's not the tricks that make you faster. It's the work, the consistency, the grit. And that's what we're here to build.
Rich: Awesome. Guys, hu Coach April, Chris, this has been an absolute hoot. Great job on the fun segment, April. Love that.
Rich: And Chris, you know, you're you're getting smarter and smarter about this sport every time. In fact, didn't you even take some of the the coaching classes that TriDot was offering?
Chris Sjothun: Yeah, I'm in the middle of it. Yeah, I saw i think I was one of the first ones to sign up under the endurance athlete.
Rich: Yeah.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah.
Rich: That's great. That's awesome.
Chris Sjothun: Yeah.
Rich: Yeah, keep educating yourself.
Chris Sjothun: I just have to know how things work. yeah I'm really good at breaking it to understand how it works. I can't make it work again. I can't put it back together. but
Rich: Hey, proud of you in so many ways. Thanks for being on the podcast. And folks, hey, listen, and but you know, hey, I know that you use this too. We're gonna give a shout out here to our Get Gritty sponsor, Vespa Power. Vespa Power Endurance helps you tap into steady, clean energy so that you can stay strong, focused, and in the zone longer. longer Vespa is not a fuel, but it's a metabolic catalyst that helps shift your body from burning sugar burning fat, which, hey,
Rich: can all use more of that. Listen, less sugar, higher performance, faster recovery. Vespa products. Got the link right here in the show notes. Use the code G2GVespa15 to get 15% off of anything in your cart anytime.
Rich: Chris, putting you on the spot here, you use it. What do you think?
Chris Sjothun: I love Vespa. I couldn't imagine running race or any of the, a lot of my workouts without a, without my Vespa.
Rich: Yeah.
Chris Sjothun: It's just part of my routine.
Rich: Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. Well, folks, thanks for spending time with us today on the Grit to Greatness Endurance Podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, please follow us and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and on YouTube. It helps us reach more athletes just like you. Stay gritty, train smart, and keep chasing greatness.
Rich: We will see you next week.
