Ultramarathoner Mark Dowdle

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

Ultra endurance athlete Mark Dowdle joins Theo Von to discuss his recent victory in the Last Soul Ultra Marathon in Germany, where he ran 39

Key takeaways

• The true challenge of ultra-endurance races isn't just physical—it's managing the mind's tendency to create stories of inadequacy and defeat.
• Crying during a race is not weakness but a necessary release of emotional and mental tension, serving as a form of 'emotional hydration'.

Main topics

• Ultra endurance racing
• Mental resilience

Notable quotes

"After you cry, you feel great, which is crazy."

"You'll meet the person that you are out there on that course. And that's why you love them, dude."

Conclusion

Mark Dowdle's journey through the Last Soul Ultra reveals that true strength lies not in

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) He's an ultra endurance athlete known for running some of the most brutal marathons in existence. He just completed the last sole ultra in Germany, 395 miles in four days. I enjoyed my time with today's guest, Mr. Mark Dowdle. Speaker 1 (0:36) You can drop this down just a touch. Yeah. And if you need to move it or whatever, if something's getting weird, just do whatever you got to do. Yeah, dude, you're a freak, bro. Like a nice freak. I appreciate that. Yeah. Not like a carnival one, but the race you just won, it's called the Last Soul Ultra Marathon. You ran 395 miles in just under 94 hours without sleep. It's a backyard ultra. Yep. For our listeners that do not know, can you explain what a Backyard Ultra marathon is? Sure. Yeah, a Backyard Ultra is when you run 4.167 miles or 6.7 kilometers every hour on the hour until one person's left. So it's also, people call it the last person standing. So you have, you know, 59 minutes and 59 seconds to complete this four-mile loop. Speaker 1 (1:29) If you run it in 45 minutes, you get 15 minutes of rest. If you run it in 52 minutes, you get eight minutes of rest. And you just keep doing this same loop over and over again until either you time out, you physically can't go anymore, or you mentally just are done. And the real obstacle of this race, yes, is the physical aspect to it, but it's dealing with the unknown because you don't know when the race is going to end. And so it's a constant battle between how do I stack up against these other people? And it's a big game of trying to bring yourself back to the present and not compare yourself of how you perceive your pain because we're all experiencing pain out there. Right. But I can only feel my pain. And then I look at somebody else who might be. Speaker 1 (2:22) doing a good job of posturing and I will perceive myself as worse off or less than or not capable enough because of a perception that I've created in my mind about who they are compared to myself. And so the thing I love about this race is yes, it's a physical thing, but it is like every loop I have to make a commitment to say the story in my mind. that I'm creating is not the full truth. And can I take one more step? And it is a constant recommitment to that process of like, I can do this. If I take one more step, that's evidence I can keep going. And it's a, it's the race has blown up a lot over the last couple of years. And I think a lot of it has to do with how accessible it is. Like if you've never run. Speaker 1 (3:14) a mile in your life, it's more digestible to say, I can try and complete one loop of four miles over, I'm going to sign up for a half marathon and do months of training to get to that point of being able to run 13 miles or 26.2 miles. So you might have a lot of people signing up just to like, oh, I can do four miles and I can at least do one loop. Yes. And that's the beauty of it is we're all on the same loop at the same time. And so I go for. almost four days and somebody out there went for three loops and the relationship to hard is equally as difficult for that person as it is to me. It is both of us trying to figure out how far can we go? And then when we come up with obstacles, how can we just take one more step forward? You said like the story in your mind that you start to create that, I guess it's like a story of like defeat or that I can't like what, what, what. Speaker 1 (4:08) What stories do you notice your mind start to create? That's a great question. I think it is, I'm not good enough. I'm not capable enough. I'm not worthy enough. This race, the outcome of this race is going to determine my value or not. Like all of these things that I know aren't true. And this is the power of having friends like Cody who's here with us or my wife or my friend Kellen who was out there at the race is every time I get to go back into the tent where they're sitting, I know in my heart of hearts, even out when I'm on the course and I'm 60 hours into the race and the story starts to be crafted in my mind of I'm not good enough. I get to go back to a tent full of people that say, Speaker 1 (5:03) not through their words necessarily, but through their actions and through the trust we've built is like, dude, whatever happens here is not going to change how we feel about you, how we love you. We're going to be proud of you no matter what. They just want me to be able to make a decision I'm going to be proud of at the end of the day and be able to honor my word, honor my commitment of taking that step when I know I'm able to. And so the narratives are constantly going of like trying to convince myself that I'm not done yet, even though every logical reason to stop has presented itself. So it's almost like you stop and get like an emotional hydration in a way. Yeah. Wow. So the funny thing is I think about it in terms of these like highs and lows of the first 24 hours are always the most difficult. Speaker 1 (6:01) Because I haven't invested enough into the experience to really see the benefit of that outcome or going through that hellish experience to be worthy or valuable of any side. Once you get through those 24 hours, you start to get into the experience and you start to feel the effects and you're like, okay, let me just kind of settle into this feeling, this experience and really test out what it's really trying to teach me about myself. And there always comes a moment because after you kind of get out of that first lull, you start to slowly decay. And it's from a physical side. It's a mental side. It's a spiritual side. And there's always a point in the race where I need to cry. Like crying is my release point of all the tension, all of the burdens that I'm holding on to, all of the. Speaker 1 (6:54) pressure that I'm putting on myself about this what this race means what it means about me what it means for my family and So 60 62 hours into this race I called Cody and I called another friend and I was just like I just need to verbalize that this is so hard mmm, this is so hard and The problem with it being so hard is I know that I'm not gonna stop And because of that, that means I have to keep walking into this pain and I have to keep going towards it. And that sucks. That sucks. That realization that you know it's going to be hard. You can't imagine it being more difficult than that. And yet you have to say, I'm going to stay right here. And when I can verbalize that with somebody that knows, loves, and trusts me, and they can sort of reinstate the belief of why I'm there. Speaker 1 (7:51) and I can cry, it's almost like I'm rejuvenated in that moment because I've released myself of all this external pressure and I've let myself and my body release itself of that tension. And then I'm like, oh, okay, let's go. Oh, dude, yeah. After you cry, you feel great, which is crazy. And dude, I've thought about this for a while. Actually, crying is not like... If you're like crying because like you did something didn't happen, like that's maybe one thing. But crying, it's almost like it's sweat from the weight that we carry inside, dude. It's like sweat out of my eyes. It's like if anything deserves to sweat, it's this discomfort. It's this weight. It's this like whatever heaviness or whatever I'm holding on to. Speaker 1 (8:35) you know, whatever I can't understand or can't fathom or can't like matriculate enough to be okay with me. You know, like those are the things it's like, please God pull this sweat out of me. Like, let me release this. And if it comes out of your eyes, that's fine. You know, like, yeah, dude, but just to get that out, bro, I heard, I heard, uh, I heard you say that at hour 60 of an ultra, you'll find out. who you are. Yeah. Not what you think, not what you believe, not what other people think you are, but you'll meet the person that you are out there on that course. And that's why you love them, dude. And no joke, bro, that got me out of bed to go work out, bro. It was four 30 in the morning. I probably should have stayed in bed, but it had me that hyped, dude. Just like hearing you talk about like this relationship, uh, like with yourself and just confronting that part of us, um, Speaker 1 (9:29) that we don't want to just, and just confronting this thing of quit, you know? Yeah. I think it's so easy. Like it's easy sitting here talking about the experience and saying, yeah, I am who I say I am. But what does it actually look like practically out in real life? And to be truth be told, it's easy to do it in a backyard ultra for me because I've had experience with that. And let's be honest, I get applauded for it. When I do it out on the course and I have success with it. people will applaud me for it. And so there's a certain level of selfishness in that, to be frank. But the true essence of where I build that from and how I'm able to do that out on the course is, like I say this all the time, like... Speaker 1 (10:18) I don't get to determine if I'm a good friend. My friends get to determine that. I don't get to determine if I'm a good husband. My wife gets to determine that. And they base that off of the integrity and character that I have. And where am I getting that from? I get that from scripture. I get that from Christ. And how do I live up to that? That is by me continuously doing the little things in my day-to-day life, even outside of like the training, the running, the stuff that gets me prepared for that. honoring my commitments in all the little aspects of my life, because this conversation right here will show up in my next race because the story that will then be crafted is like, you were on the Theo Vaughn podcast and you talked about how you are a man of your word. Are you going to do that right now when it's really tough to do so? And that's scary because Speaker 1 (11:10) I can't run from that version of myself out there. I have to make a decision when it's most difficult, when it's most challenging. And I have to say, I am going to be that man or I'm not. Or I'm going to allow the excuses that are rational justifications to convince me that I can walk away before it's my time. Yeah, dude, like, yeah, just just hearing you have this relationship kind of with your own integrity. You know, I think it's such an important conversation that needs to kind of be happening in the world right now. And I shouldn't say that. It's an important conversation that I need to be happening with myself, you know, and I'm so I'm just so glad that. Speaker 1 (11:55) that you're here kind of sharing some of your thought processes and just us even thinking about that. Yeah, because I like to believe I'm one person, but live kind of like another person. Yeah. And that creates a conflict in me. Yes. And it creates an uncomfortability. Yes. And at times it creates... You know, it's created an unreliableness even to myself. Amen. And dude, that a lot of times is like when I'm at my, when I'm with myself, that is, um, it's not embarrassing, you know, but it's just like, uh. Speaker 1 (12:31) I can do better. Yeah. You know, and I, and I want to, so I'm glad that I notice it more, but it's, it is an uncomfort because it's like, yeah, it's like I'm this, but this is what I do. And if those things aren't in messed with each other, then I'm going to, I'm going to be in a state of discomfort. Um, well, can I just say something on that? Like that, does that make sense? What I'm saying? It does a hundred percent. And I relate to that, uh, so completely because I'm sure at least what I'm pulling from that is there's a burden to that almost because there's a recognition of there are parts of our lives that we feel disconnected to our action and our word. There creates this discomfort and that can be burdensome. That can be like, man, I'm not living up to who I want to be. And that can almost bring us down. Yes. But there's a flip side of that. A lot of people don't think like that. Speaker 1 (13:28) A lot of people aren't aware of that. And there is a true blessing in, one, we're never going to be perfect, Theo. Yeah. So we got to remove that and give ourselves grace and understand that. Through the awareness of that, we can either beat ourselves down or we can build ourselves up and say, I can do better. I will do better. And if I fail, I'm going to continue to try and work to be better and have people in our lives that are going to hold us accountable and build us up so that we can continue to live that way. But it's a blessing and a curse because... Speaker 1 (14:11) when we are aware of that, we can, man, we can beat ourselves down. The trap, yeah. Yeah. For me, it's like the discomfort kind of became just sometimes too much. But also, yeah, it's like if I hold myself to too high of a standard, to some type of a perfection, right? That's such a trap. We can't do it. I know. It's impossible. Dude, so much of my life, I would hold myself to this level that was impossible to reach, right? It was impossible to reach. So that way, I was always failing. Speaker 1 (14:39) And then in always failing, it would match with some old belief of mine that I was always, that I was a failure anyway. And so it's like, it's weird. Like in aiming for perfection, I was always setting myself up for this old magnet that was just deep inside of me somewhere that was like, you're not worth it or whatever. Or yeah, you're a failure. You're no good. You're ugly. There's something wrong with you, right? And so, and yeah, man, that's been a big trap in my life. And I have more awareness about it now. I think the place that I'm in right now is a lot of the kind of giving myself grace just for the times that I've held myself to. Speaker 1 (15:23) To some level of impossibility, you know, unrealistic expectations. Yeah. Do you ever feel like giving yourself that grace is giving yourself, like cutting yourself slack that you don't deserve? Does that make sense? Yeah. Let me think about it for a second. Do I ever feel like giving myself grace? Like there's this perfect standard that you're holding yourself to. And if you fail, it's reinforcement that you're a failure. And at least that's the story in your mind. And there could be another story of like, I'm going to give myself grace. Speaker 1 (16:02) And the negative story of that is, oh, you're just giving yourself grace because you can't hold yourself to a higher standard. Does that make sense? Yeah, it does. I don't, yeah, I don't do that. Okay, good. But I do see exactly what you're saying. Yes. Yeah, I don't do that. I think it's just like, I just feel like I should always be able to figure it out. It's this eternal thing of like, man, why can't you figure this out? You can like, it's not even like an encouraging thing. It's not like you can do this. It's just like, why can't you figure this out? You can figure it, you know? And so some of that is realizing that I can't, but then also there's a gift in it is that I don't have to do things alone anymore. Speaker 1 (16:42) and starting to realize that is going to change my life. Where did you learn that? I think just when I was a kid, it was just like, yeah, there was just nobody to rely on. Yeah. And so you just start to rely on yourself, I think. I guess where did you learn that you could rely on other people? What was the turning point for that? It's been coming new into my life, I think. I think some of it has come through recovery. I've been just focusing back in on my recovery a lot more. Speaker 1 (17:12) probably developing a better relationship with God and my higher power, you know, and just realizing that I'm not alone. Yeah. You know, and it's, uh, we're supposed to be talking about racing. Um, but this is okay. This is great. Hey, this is the biggest race in the world, you know? Uh, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, I do. Yeah. So I think it's like that. And just like, yeah. Leaning on other people with like, what's really going on, you know, and not being afraid to tell God what's going on. Like to the word. Yeah. Speaker 1 (17:41) you know not to be like uh even sometimes words and language i'm afraid to use that i wouldn't even want to use around god or whatever yeah but then it's like you gotta you know what i'm saying like you gotta put them in the fine print of a prayer you know so it's like i think yeah it's like that yeah it's like i think kind of being louder with the fine print of my prayers if that makes any sense it does yeah so yeah thanks for me think about that i didn't even know i needed to think about that today man it's got me sweating Speaker 1 (18:08) That's good. That's okay. Yeah. Yeah, man. One of the things I was so like, that really like woke me up to you was just some of your, just the ways that you look at that stuff. Cause it's so important, you know? And I think just having a bit, I think just having a bigger relationship with myself, like a real relationship, like, what am I really doing here? You know, like who do I, you know what I'm saying? Like asking myself some of the tougher things. And I want to get into that. And I know that you – I know about your journaling practice and that you have this – that you've kind of developed this relationship with yourself. And I think that's really cool and I want to learn more about that. But I want to learn more about the race first. Is that okay? Yeah, that's totally cool. Okay, cool. Thanks for being here, dude. Yeah, thank you for having me. Speaker 1 (18:53) So you talked about like if you finish a loop first. So the loop is – let's just say it's four miles to make it easy for people. Cool. So the loop is four miles. And then at every hour on the hour, you have to go back out for the loop again. Yes. And the contenders that continue to show back up for that loop, they're still in the race. Yes. And it keeps going on until only one person can do the loop by themselves. Yes. Got it. Is there a strategy in finishing that loop early so you have time to eat or hydrate or communicate with your tent? Or do you want to finish right up at the minute so you just go right into the next run? Take me into some of those type of strategies. Yeah, there's different strategies for different people on how they like to run the loops. I personally like to run the loops in 50 minutes. Speaker 1 (19:46) Pretty consistently, almost like a dog that's being trained. I will come in at 50 minutes. I'll lay down immediately. I'll sleep for five minutes. And when I say sleep, sometimes it is me just laying down and resting. Other times, sleep deprivation will take its hold. And I will get like these fragmented images flickering, like these photographs cycling through my mind. Like I can't even hold on to them. They're just flipping so fast. And it'll happen for, you know, five, six minutes. And then at 57 minutes into the hour, there's a loudspeaker that'll say, three minutes, runners, three minutes. And that is your wake-up call, Theo. That is like, I'm awake enough to hear that, but also asleep enough to, like, be getting rest. And so then I'll wake up at that alarm. Speaker 1 (20:42) I'll sit up. I'll sit in my chair. My wife will feed me. She'll feed me pancakes and syrup. Oh, God. Steak and eggs at three in the morning. This is so Roman. Oh, it's great. It's great. Yeah. And I'll eat for about two minutes, two and a half minutes, and then I'll walk to the start line. And you got to be in the corral when that bell rings. So if I'm in my tent and they ring that bell, I'm out. So you got to be in that corral. And do you have a coffee or something right before you go out? Oh, coffee, Red Bull. So you're just like a construction worker. Pretty much. You should see the stuff I'm eating and drinking out there. It is like. Speaker 1 (21:24) You know, a kid in a candy store, you're like, let's go. And will you put a piece of gum in your mouth? Do you keep something like that to keep you going? Are people putting Zins in? Is that a thing that people are doing? People do Zins and nicotine out there. I don't. I do it in my daily life. Not entirely proud of it, but I don't do it during the race because I'm like, this is a reward for after when it's all said and done. And it can kind of mess with your bowel system out there. You know, so there's a thing called the poop loop. So you have as much time in that hour to take care of, you know, sleep, nutrition, going to the bathroom. Some people they'll know they'll need a poop loop. So they'll run the loop in 45 minutes so they can take a poop. Speaker 1 (22:09) and then they'll be ready to go for that next loop. Can you tell when someone's on their poop loop? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. People like to announce it too. It's like, all right, I'm going for a poop loop on this one. So they'll just speed it up? Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. Or sometimes there's porta-potties right outside of the corral. So as the loop starts, you are able to use the two. porta potties that are right there and they'll sprint right for it and get it out of the way on the course yeah they'll do it right there in the first like few steps in the porta potty and then they'll run you know if you're gonna run a poop loop you want to get it done before you have to run fast yeah that'd be tough to carry with you if you're trying to run pretty fast um but then there's other things like uh i'll get in and i'll do a 45 minute loop and i will get Speaker 1 (22:59) entirely undressed. I'll stand in a bucket of water and my wife will shower me like full service, um, servant, uh, wife of like being able to be there and help me through this entire experience. And she's like, yep, we got to get you showered up. We got to get, you know, aquaphor and lube on your feet and in between your armpits and stuff. So is that like a caretaking ritual almost in a way? Yeah. So there's an emotional value to that as well. Oh yeah. Oh, yeah. Because if you feel cared for, then things are possible. 100%. And in those dark moments during the race, really it's not something that she says to me, but it's more of a look where I can say, Lucy, this is really hard. Speaker 1 (23:44) And sometimes she'll say it more often. It's more of a look of like, as long as you're in that darkness, I'm going to be right there with you. And she'll just hug me. And it's like that hug tells me everything's okay because I'm not experiencing this darkness alone. There's somebody who might not be out running the course with me, but she's back here as invested, as concerned, as, you know. experiencing the hard times as I am. And that allows me to keep going because somebody is there with me. You have the power almost of two people when you're doing it. Yes. There's love and commitment there. Yeah. It's beautiful, dude. Yeah. And just the, the, the ability, just like when someone is like saying something's hard, just not even to tell them something and just give them a hug. You know, my brother does that sometimes like, Speaker 1 (24:36) a couple times over the years i've been going through it dude not like one time i pulled over by this donut shop and like i was just like what just it was just like one of those times i was like processing old stuff and i was just like balling in my truck and my brother was like uh and i was just telling my brother like what was going on and um he's like i can just sit here with you and not say anything you know he's like i have like 20 extra minutes i'll just sit here with you not say anything that's beautiful but i just want you to know that i'm here you know and dude Speaker 1 (25:06) I melted, bro. I like melted things that were like hurting from like, I don't even know. Like my feet got smaller, bro. I was just loose. I mean, I was just, all these came up. You know what I'm saying? My shoes didn't fit later. But it was just like, just like all this old stuff came up because it just, that kind of moment, it never happened. I'm not trying to take away from your story. But that's what it's about. Like that's why I run. Because I think it's such a good depiction of how... Like, I really feel this responsibility to share what I experienced on that course and how I genuinely think I have the success I have is because we get those moments. And that's the recipe for success in life. Like, how good did you feel after those 20 minutes? It was honestly, in a weird way, one of the neatest times of my life. And you feel connected to your brother. Speaker 1 (26:05) And no words need to be said. And it's like, what else are we chasing after? Like, the win is great. Don't get me wrong. I love it. And it's part of the reason I'm sitting here with you. And all of that's great. But, like, what I take away from that race and the races that I get to do is I get to create stronger relationships with the people that I love. And do so in a way where we're all working towards this same mission together, not to win the race, but to come out the other side of it transformed by this experience. Bro. Speaker 1 (26:40) As you're saying that, we have this guy coming on named Bishop Robert Barron. He's an active bishop, and he's also a historian, like a Catholic historian. And then we had this guru on the other day, Guru Dev. And both of them, I've heard say this thing, that when people have a friendship or a relationship, that's fine. If they're friends, a friendship is good, right? If there's a relationship or a husband and wife, that's good. But when they have a common interest, Speaker 1 (27:08) that moves them forward. Those are the things that keep people together and keep friendships and relationships together. So even as you're saying, it's like you run, right? But it brings people into your world and gives them something also to care about. It gives, um, it gives your friends something to be associated with and like, and then now they're a partner in it. And somehow it's like, so it's like, I think when people, it's like taking action in some way, I think helps, um, Speaker 1 (27:34) sometimes we don't realize like the actions that some of us take or, uh, are things that can keep us together with someone else. And then once somebody else is on board, now you're taking that action together. Right. And you have like a journey in the world. And sometimes that journey just gets you through a few years. Sometimes it'll get you through a lifetime, you know? And there's no, there's no action too small for that to happen. Like someone doesn't have to go run 400 miles in order to experience that they can just sit. Speaker 1 (28:02) In that car, asking a brother for help. And that is the most important thing I get from running 400 miles. And we get to do that in our everyday life if we take action, like you said. Yeah, man. So much of it's action. I quit letting my thoughts, like I start to notice my thoughts more. I've been meditating a lot and I'm just having, finally, I get to see what's going on, dude. I had no idea. I was a damn video game. And now every now and then, I have the control in my hands. And I'm like, oh, interesting. Where even just a second, I start to notice some thoughts. I'm like, those are trash, bro. These are recyclable. That's a thought that they played yesterday. It's like, but I just, I don't know. I'm not saying I know anything. I'm just saying like, that's just been like an experience I've been having. And it's been, it's felt kind of rewarding. Yeah, it just felt like. Speaker 1 (28:56) I don't know. It's starting to make me a little bit want to know myself even more. And that's cool, but it's also a little spooky. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you could wake up tomorrow and be better at one thing, what would that be? For me, it would be probably... Just listening better and not just offering an idea. Just listening. If somebody asks for a suggestion, maybe offer something. But otherwise, just be a batch of ears. I think that's what I would like to do. That would just be something I'd like to do better. Better is a feeling defined by you. And for better help, it's a better help therapist who really gets you. It's a focus on global emotional well-being. With thousands of therapists and millions of members in over 100 countries. It's progress. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com slash Theo. That's BetterHelp.com slash Theo. Speaker 1 (30:06) To get back to racing, do you plan the calories and hydration you're going to intake before you go out there and when you're out there? Yeah. Yes and no. So we go into a race having a plan that we hold loosely onto. Speaker 1 (30:28) So much can happen in four days of running. The weather can change. My appetite can change drastically. And so if I had a certain, like, I'm going to eat this, this loop, and I'm going to have this amount of calorie intake, and I'm going to have this amount of sodium, to me, that would stress me out. Because if it didn't go according to that exact plan, then... I would think something's wrong. I'm going to fail. And it's like, we are so adaptable because we are made that way by a creator that we don't need to have everything planned out. We're not built to know all the answers. And so I approach a race very similarly to that, where it's like, I have an idea. Speaker 1 (31:19) And obviously we bring the kitchen, as Lucy and I say, we literally bring the kitchen like rice and beans and potatoes and steak. And you can mix and match all of those to make a different meal. And my wife has gotten really good at just predicting what. based on my mood, what I'm in the appetite for. Yeah, because it's almost like you come home for dinner like a hundred times. 94 times. So what are you going to feed someone that? Who is this guy? Get a new job. You're putting us out. So that, you know, there's not a detailed plan, but anything that I, I guess the thing that I do most is like every loop I'm eating something. So even if it's a handful of chips or Speaker 1 (32:05) Um, you know, the best is obviously the steak and the, the, you know, uh, what's it called? Orange slices and eggs and stuff like that. Like, but that's not too heavy on your system in a race. Not really. So I train it by, uh, I'll, I'll run four or five miles to a diner and I'll shove my face full of food and then I'll run home and I'm like, this is race prep. Um, but you get used to it out there, you know, and that's kind of the way it is. Um, yeah. Speaker 1 (32:36) Oh, you were talking about like, if, if things are too planned out that it creates, like once there's a plan and then if things deviate a little bit, it can create like a lot of uncertainty. It's almost like when you're learning to ride a bike and the wheels start wobbling. It's like this, like, oh, we're trying to like be too specific. Um, and especially in a race when things can be different, right? Things, obstacles can come up like you're saying. Um, But I saw that you barely even made it to the race on time. Yeah. Your flight was delayed. Yeah. So that, honestly, that, and I'll talk about it, like that is what gave me the confidence and further reinforced this belief that the less, know what you can control and understand it's not a whole lot. Speaker 1 (33:19) You can control your energy and your attitude in a situation, and you can be prepared to handle what's coming up. But ultimately, we have far less control than we think we have. And so the race started on August 14th at 2 p.m. German time. Wow. And the Germans are there. They're freaking dialed. Yeah, yeah. They don't even do a leap year. Really? I made that up. But it would seem they'd be like, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine. So I had a presentation for a company that I had committed to back in March. And it was in Alexandria, Minnesota, which is two hours north of where the airport is. So that was at 8.30 in the morning. Our presentation, get to the airport for a 1.15 flight. Speaker 1 (34:12) and there was a layover in Chicago. And brother, I am on the tarmac, sitting in the plane for an hour and a half. And I'm watching my flight to Frankfurt fly away. I'm like, I need to be on that flight because it's a four-hour drive from Frankfurt, which... So you just missed it? I just missed it because... Oh, the layover flight. So you flew in one. Flew into Chicago. You were sitting on the tarmac watching your flight to Frankfurt go. Yes. And so they rebooked me for a later flight, but I wouldn't have been able to make it to the race in time. So I'm on the phone with Lucy and my friend Kellen and the race director, Kim. And we're like, okay, how do we make this work? And the plan shifted from Frankfurt to flying me into Amsterdam, which is closer to first to now where the race was. Speaker 1 (35:02) And then Kim's like, all right, the only way that we're going to get you to this race on time is if we schedule a private jet from Amsterdam to Mooster or Moonstar. And then it's an hour drive to the race. So I get on the flight flying to Amsterdam. I'm racing through security and border patrol. And then I get to the tarmac for the private jet. And I'm explaining to the pilots who are like, who are our age. And they're just like so excited telling them about what I'm doing there and the situation. I'm like, dude, we got to go. So we're up in the air and we're down. I'm like, man, that was, that was really fast. Speaker 1 (35:43) And we're getting off the flight, and the pilot looks at me with a little smile on his face, and he's like, don't tell anybody I said this. But that 45-minute trip that it usually takes to get here, we got here in 20 minutes. What? And he's like, you got to promise me one thing. You won't quit on that course. Really? Yeah. And what's crazy, so Kim's dad picked me up. We drove an hour to the race. And I was there 15 minutes before the race started. Was everybody already there? Everybody was there in the starting corral. They had already done pre-race announcements. And there's a photo of a bunch of us. Everyone's in their race gear. They got their water bottles and everything. And I'm standing in jeans with a suitcase. So I quickly got changed. I did a quick shower. Speaker 1 (36:33) got my race stuff on. And by the time I got into the corral, there was two minutes to go to the race. Did it almost add like a new freedom in a way? Oh, it did. Yeah. And you, but the fact that you're able to process that as that, that's the important thing. Like if, if when a moment gets tough, if we can like manipulate it enough to have our