34.Running Towards Resilience: How a Stroke Survivor Proved That Anybody Can Become a Runner!

Hey, he sorry I'm a little late this week on episode 34th level survivor podcast. This week, we chat a lot about running and my journey to running as a stroke survivor, something I disliked my entire life. You probably can relate if you love sports, but hate running. I know I'm not alone. Yeah, so I get a lot of questions a lot of the time because I'm been doing a ton of running the past year, kind of figured out for myself. So I go through my journey, which is unique to me. But I think some good lessons that I learned, you can go from hating running your old life to really enjoying it, I think as shock survivor, because I was in a wheelchair because walking, regaining the ability to walk. Not taking it for granted. No longer being an alcoholic or a cigarette smoker, or really doing a lot of negative things. Those Those have been removed from my life for good. Hopefully no reason to go back and revise my book. But yeah, so I'm very candid. I started weight training in 2020 I finally got out of the wheelchair got to walking a long journey with that but doing therapy every single year. Because for whatever reason the health insurance here in the United States doesn't allow you to you know, it's good and it's bad because I think it gives you a break to work on things yourself when you only have x amount of visits per year. And then you can go the next year or so it kind of works out. I'll be a little annoying. But yeah, I got into that I got into weight training. I worked with a personal trainer started walking last year 22 started cycling gotta do peloton really love it, enjoy it. Fix by nasal fix going from a mouth breather to a nasal breather last year. That was a big eye opener for me. Petra McGowan Wim Hof both have a lot of good books, oxygen, and Yvette age has an app. Again, that's the book by Petro Gowen. I've taken his courses, his classes, his trainings to really figure out by breathing. still work to do you can hear it in the podcast. But overall, it's better and I'm now a nasal breather when I run has helped me I can't even tell you how much say I fixed my breathing. Slowly went from Walk, walk, run, running slowly, still running slowly. But it's been a progressive thing over the last year. Last week I ran six marathons in eight days. Today I actually recorded in the middle of running ran now seven marathons in nine days, changed my diet. I'm a Keto guy now. We'll see how that goes but really has been the ongoing commitment to running. Having fun enjoying it has really changed my mindset and really changed my health for the better. Not perfect, but a long ways from where it was at 500 pounds. So anyways, enjoy episode 34 Today on Global's viral podcast My name is was rear welcome back to another episode of our podcast this week in Episode 34. I am fired up about running. That is the topic of this week's show. I'm exhausted already because my camera decided to disconnect so I've recorded this now for the second time. That is why I am actively looking for a producer. Because I am actively looking to not record each episode several times. I've been doing this for years. I don't know what's going on. Probably overdo it because I've been running a ton that's why this episode is late. And it already looks like we're glitching anyways, I'm going to try to keep a focus on this episode. I'm exhausted honestly, it's been a it's been a Monday. That is for sure. I swear to God if this episode cuts out again, I am done with Riverside. It has been really good for a couple of months but now I don't know if it's Riverside or my tech. I don't think it's my side. Anyways. Before you tune out before you say I hate running to well, it's stupid. It's dumb. I thought all those things I thought it was the most idiotic thing I still think I still have really strong thoughts about running races. But I've realized everybody has their own intake. Everybody has their own journey. Some people love it. Some people hate it, some people will change their mind. Some people will never change their mind. I definitely thought I would be somebody who never changed their mind would always dislike running would always make fun of runners, I still do that. I still do it my way. That's what makes it fun. Yeah, so we're gonna get into a lot of those things this week on the show, I just want to assure you that I, too, was one of those runners that I'm one of those runners that just again, it wasn't my cup of tea wasn't my thing. Anyways, let's settle in to Episode 34. Again, I'm sorry, I started recording this earlier, I did 15 minutes, and it just cut out. So I'm collecting myself who are going to have a good episode, we're going to talk about running. And again, I want to assure you, I hated it. My whole life, played sports, my whole life. Love being active love going outside. And we'll go through my entire journey on running. And maybe you can take some insights from what I learned along the way. Some things that I think I always knew, but didn't really enact into my life. Some things I just didn't genuinely didn't realize, you know, and we'll go through all that from the beginning to getting started with running to eventually started to like running and stop hating running to where I'm at today and where I want to go. In the future. You know, some of that I know some of that, I don't know. But yeah. Lots of interesting takes lots of different, you know, I don't have a really an agenda per se, like, I don't care. You don't want to run ever. Yeah, this may not be the episode for you. If you're curious about running, you want to get to another level of fitness. Again, maybe you're somebody like me, just bigger. thought of running is never going to be for me. It may never be for you. But here are some things you could try. So just share those things. Full disclosure, my wife is also a runner. She tried to get me into it for years. I never listened didn't care. Didn't want to do it. So that I want to do it her way. She does it differently. That's cool. That's her thing. Yeah, I think there's there's a lot of positives that I've actually found as a result of running. Anyways, I do want to apologize for this episode being a little bit late. I didn't want to rush it last week. Also, I have run now six marathons over the course of the last eight days. Today. God willing, I will get to my seventh mileage marathon. There'll be seven out of nine days after I record. I'm going to go back out running, go to the gym, do some indoor miles, outdoor miles. Already did smiles. It's just not super hot today. So for a change. I'm not sweating all over the place. Although you can see a little bit here. If you're watching on YouTube. I am a little bit sweaty but not nearly as bad as most of the time because it's only 60 degrees today in Florida where I'm at. So yeah, really running took over last week had a lot of doctor's appointments. Just a lot of things in October sometimes. There's never a shortage of things going on in my life. But yeah, just just it was a week. Today has been a Monday, I am trying to get back on track didn't have an episode or pre recorded in the tank. Wish I did. Unfortunately, you know, things happen. I just couldn't say I'm behind. But I just wasn't ahead. And then when you are not ahead, that's when things kind of get off the rails. Anyways, I've been really good most of this year with this podcast, really trying to get everything honed in trying to work the producer trying to take some things off my plate. That's been going well, but my daughter is at a town currently. So that extra set of hands is not around at the moment. And yeah, I think I'm good when she's here, but she's not here. i Yeah. I decided to run six marathons in eight days. Yeah, you're gonna have a hard time keeping up. Something's gotta give. That's always the case. I think we know that as survivors. You know, I've certainly learned over the last couple of years being prepared, having things ready having tools, processes, things in place are great. Yeah, but sometimes even when you have all those things, it's always that one moment or that one week where you're a little bit not behind but just not ahead. one or two things falls off track and then all of a sudden you're behind. Anyways, Episode 34 I did I do want to acknowledge I hated running my whole life. But it's weird to be me. I'm now 40 I started running at age 39 A couple months before I turned 40 last year. And so we'll go to the beginning. disliked running my whole life played sports play was very active in the 80s and 90s. As a kid, obviously, there were less electronics I think we had Nintendo PlayStation Super Nintendo all those things. Nintendo 64 played a fair amount of video games watch a fair amount of TV but we definitely played outside. Whether it's sports or just a game Keith can man hunt, roller hockey in the streets, basketball, football, baseball, you name it. We were playing all my friends. We grew up in a neighborhood with like, 30 kids it was it was quite a time. It's different nowadays. For my kids, unfortunately, things are more spread out. Things are just different. But yeah, I just never was really into running always a bigger kid. Yeah, I think I'd really didn't learn proper running technique. Even though I played sports my whole life. I think running is something we all kind of take for granted. You know, when you're a big kid, you get labeled as such, people just are like, well stop eating so much. They'll be a big kid lose weight. None of these are great things to say to kids, I think. So fast forward. Let's say at age 39 hated running two and a half years into my stroke recovery. doctors have told me to walk to run you know I finally get out of the wheelchair towards the end of 2020 2020 I was lucky enough to have had some exercise equipment at the house which I bought prior to my stroke but unfortunately too late. Still suffered the stroke. Good thing is I had that equipment ready to go during the pandemic good timing on my part for a change. So yeah, 2020 started slowly lifting weights, walking. You know, Walker cane. Walking was definitely a process I talked about that to no end. But I was able to lift weights because you don't have to be able to run or walk to lift weights 21 IV my previous career as developer I really start to work on some things I'm doing way much more weightlifting starting to do some light cardio stair climbers. Bike, starting to feel okay on the bike, got my balance, better. Worked with a personal trainer to try to take that to another level. Again, still in physical therapy. Fast forward to mid 2022 I decide finally I'm going to buy a peloton bike anymore. They finally are producing shoes that are covered come in my size so I can ride the peloton I take that overboard last summer you know doing anywhere from 50 to 100 miles on the bike every day. A lot of work strengthening my legs continuing to lift under the summer last summer in 22 basically rode the bike so hard for so long over the summer sweat so many hours a day on the bike started to cause some issues with my buttocks and skin is kidding a lot of it's gonna sound gross, but it's getting like a bike rash. I guess that's thing from sitting from standing like it was just a lot of bike. So I decided okay, I'm no longer a smoker. I'm no longer alcoholic. I am trying to be physically active I can walk I can't quite run but um I get into this mode where I've been biking I find nasal breathing here in this part is a big thing. Nasal Breathing has really significantly changed my running overall. It has gotten me into running. It just showed me that I didn't know what I didn't know. I always knew that I had some issues with yo you get a lot of those Barry I just thought I was bigger. And so I suffered from running cramps, but by breathing was incorrect and when I realized I could fix that I did. Over time I started breathing better nasal breathing has really changed all my exercise are better. Again, this isn't every for everybody. But if you're struggling and you're having lactic acid you're having issues with running you're not able to breathe properly. You know, some of it could be biological or you might have to see an ear, nose and throat doctor or regular doctor, you might need to be on some medications for allergies. But generally, I think the truth is, a lot of us are mouth breathers, even if we don't realize it. And so when you really focus on nasal breathing, you realize you can unblock your nose, it is a little gross in the beginning, because you're basically have a runny nose all the time, I still have that. I wear a nose dilator you've seen me wear it on a few episodes, that yellow thing in between my nose, you definitely see it on pictures on social. And it really helps keep my nose, open my nasal passages open my airways open through my nose so that I'm able to easily breathe through my nose because that was a problem for a long time. Again, I've talked about Patrick McGowan. Wim Hof, they both have great, there's a lot of other great books on breathing techniques, finding your diaphragm. You know, I use a we live in Florida, it's very flat. So I do use a mask a breathing mask to kind of train some of my nasal muscles for better breathing. To get those deeper breaths. Again, you think you hear a lot of breathe through your nose, in through your nose out through your mouth, not the worst advice. But you can also to add resistance you can breathe through in through nose out through your nose, you were one of these masks that gives you that feeling of it's basically called an altitude mask. It's not one to one, but it simulates a little bit of that altitude that, you know, if you're in Colorado, you get naturally but if you're in Florida, you don't really get a lot of mountains. So that helps, again, with resistance training in nasal breathing and building those muscles and training them. And so again, remember, if you think you hate running, you know you hate running, just know that it is possible to change it. If I can do it, you can do it. And the big takeaway here is, it doesn't happen overnight. I didn't just start running marathons last week. I mean, I kind of did, but not really. So fast forward, I write I'm riding the bike all last summer, summer 22, I start getting a little bit of blisters on my buttocks from overriding. Now as gross as that sounds, I've been through far worse and experience far worse as a stroke survivor. You have really lived into your paralyzed on one side of your body and realized you're a grown ass adult and can't can't really wipe for a while. That's that's the thing. Yeah. So you get over that quickly. So anyways, as I realized, all right, I'm no longer a cigarette smoker. I'm no longer an alcoholic, I don't drink, I don't smoke. Why can't I run, fix the breathing. I tried to start running now I started very slow. Because I don't really have an option. As a stroke survivor. It's not like you just start running naturally. I mean, some people might, but I didn't because I was paralyzed on the right side of my body. Still some weakness a year, a year and a half, you know, a urine change into it, I still have some weakness. That's something I'm constantly working on constantly strengthening my legs, my glutes. All my lower body, my upper body. You know, running is a whole body activity. But because of the stroke, I was really forced, in a way, I could only run slow, which I think was actually kind of the gateway because I wasn't interested in. I mean, I'm interested in running quicker. But I don't want to I don't care about winning a race. I just wanted to see if I could run. So I start running. And again, I started running very slowly in September of 22. A little over a year ago. Start slow. I'm doing the run walk. You know, I think in the beginning it was like two miles every other day. Just building up a little bit of strength. And by that I just happen to know the date because the day I started tracking on Strava October 6 2022 I just commit I commit to trying to see how many days in a row I can go trying to see how far I can push myself. And I think you know as I started I just kind of got enamored because I was like oh, I can do this because I've fixed my breathing. I've corrected my breathing. You know it's not perfect, but it's a lot better. It's definitely very intentional when I go running a breathing in through my nose out through my nose. If I'm breathing too hard, I know I need to slow down and just jog even walk is I have no problem walking for a Blap or two. Sometimes they'd have to do it because it was just sore. But I run locally here in my neighborhood because I feel safe as a stroke survivor. That is what has helped me gain confidence. You know, there's this in my neighborhood, I just do kind of lap after lap after lap. And every day, I just say one more, one more than yesterday. I know it sounds silly. It sounds ridiculous. It sounds redundant. Some people think I'm walking, you know, I think people are starting to see that that actually is running because I've actually over the year, you know, I've built up that strength and stamina to where I definitely have significant lift off. I'm definitely not somebody who's going to run. Let's be honest, at 640 and 325 pounds, I'm not five foot two on earn 140 pounds. I'm not giving you the same lift off the ground as somebody who never had a stroke doesn't have MS never had a neurological event never had a life event. They're just dainty and fast. And there's nothing wrong with that. I wish I was dainty or fast. Neither of those are two words that people have ever used to describe me or my running. So I acknowledge my running is very different than other people's, but I genuinely don't really care. I've had to put the blinders on. I hear crap from my kids, I hear crap from my wife. You're doing too much. You're not doing enough. I think I said this last episode or or another episode. You know, people will always give you their two cents, some of it. You know, if you need to hear you'll hear it. If you don't need to hear it, you'll ignore it. I think, generally. You know, if you're looking to get guidance or help, obviously, you're open to it, you're more willing to listen. You know, I didn't want to listen to people when they're telling me to run. Sometimes people are telling me to run and walk and I was still in the wheelchair as a kid to hell at AIR. Again, I think we hear different things at different times. You know what I'm sharing this journey because I hated running for 39 years. And it wasn't until two and a half years of my stroke recovery that I started exploring what this might look like. So fast forward. A little bit more I start running, I commit to trying to run every single day I did run 361 days at a 365 from October 6 2022 to October 6 2023. I've continued to run every day since October 6 of this month. So again, I hit the mark of 361 days at 365. That's only significant because that means it's four days total of Miss running. During that time I said I think recently I said that I ran five miles a day at a minimum which is true, but I think there were one or two days in there where I ran less than five, but that so a lot of miles over the course of a year calendar year. And last week, the reason I didn't record an episode of This podcast was because I was behind. Because I was so focused on running I decided last week to try to see how many days in a row I can run a marathon. Mileage wise not running an actual racing event. We'll get into that a little bit because I have thoughts on that stuff. But I ran I've I think I said earlier the show already. Sorry. Sorry. This double recording is killing me. But um, yeah. So over the last week, and change, I've ran six out of six, six out of the last eight days. I've ran marathons the two other days I ran 22 plus miles. What sparked this, I have no idea. But I've been doing a little bit of keto. I mean, I'm mostly keto. I call it mostly keto. Because I am not super strict. Had a few beans here and there. But I'm pretty strict because I'm seeing good results early on from Quito. I feel amazing over the last week. And this didn't just happen last week, honestly, like I've been building for over a year to getting up to this mileage, it is steadily increased, you know, first it was two than what I committed October 6 2022 To really running every day. It was about by miles a day for at least half a year. Then we got up into the 10s and then fifteens and then 20s. And then this week, you know, just so happen to be I'm running on average a marathon a day. I don't think it's long term sustainable. I don't even think I want to be there. But I also just like testing and seeing how far for how long. I am in that mindset right now. One more lap one more mile last night, I ran till nine o'clock at night because Francisco was out. For a lot of this weekend, I had the boys because alleys away. And it's fine. I love my boys love hanging out with them. But you know, they're riding their bike, I'm running laps. You know, when Francis is home or you today, I'm gonna go to the gym for a little bit indoors, trying to get back outdoors. I'm in the middle of running right now recording this episode, hitting some snags. But again, I just want to circle back and let you know, this didn't happen overnight, this has been a year long process to go from the couch, basically, to not running it all to the Run walk to just steadily increasing over time. And having that mentality of just like one more lap, one more hour or one more half hour or one more. Whatever, just keep pushing myself. And it's been a gradual process. And I honestly in the beginning, I kind of hated it. But then I realized pretty quickly because I was going kind of slow, not hurting my body. That's been a big thing. going slow has allowed me to keep in good physical shape. Obviously. getting good sleep, taking care of my diet has been instrumental focusing on what works for me. You know, my wife is like, Well, I think now you're running too much effort not running at all. And now you're running too much. And I'm like, No, I'm, I'm listening to my body. Like, if I don't feel good, or I get hurt, I'm not going to push it. There's a reason to, I just keep running because it just keeps feeling good. I feel like a lot of brain fog. has, you know, I don't know if it CMS has solved the residuals from the stroke, I just feel very clear headed level headed. I've gotten back into music as a hobby DJing. So there's a lot of bybit listen to podcasts, sometimes, although I do listen to a lot more music than podcasts when I'm running. But I'm able to consume things while I'm running. So I mean, I know we're not big on multitasking in the world right now. But I definitely like being able to listen to a podcast or listen to music intentionally while running, because it takes my mind off the actual running it just rather than counting latch or counting miles, I'm just less thinking more doing in that regard. And again, I'm seeing a lot of health benefits, losing weight, that wasn't the original goal, it was just see if I get into running. And then feeling better, looking better, obviously helps keep that momentum going. You know, you just steadily increase the volume of running over time. And again, I just I know I keep sobbing in the middle of what I'm saying to reiterate this, but I hated running my whole life. I played sports loves sports, stuff that I just wasn't good at running. And I couldn't quite figure it out. And I guess I never asked for help. Like, how could I be a better runner? Or maybe when I did, I just wasn't getting answers that fit my body type and my size. So then I tried to do that, oh, overdo it and I'd get hurt or I get cramps and I just couldn't figure out how to get around that. And yeah, I'm sure being a bigger guy. But listen, most of the lifts last year, I was sold 300 pounds or more running all these miles. So that can't really be an excuse. I mean, I definitely was down for 500 pounds. So I do think he had to be like I mean, I was 325 when I started you know down under 300 Now you know some of this is mental and I've broken through these mental barriers. That's the significance for me of that one more lap I run close to home as a stroke survivor I feel safe doing that it's good safety practice. God forbid anything goes wrong you know I've been fortunate I've had a couple of trips I've never fallen from running but I you know as a stroke survivor building the muscle building the glutes rebuilding the legs, strength is stamina a lot of running you know, like the other day mile 22 is like shit a clip my toe on a sidewalk thing because I just stopped hopped onto the sidewalk because I was trying to get out of the way of a car in the neighborhood. And I'm running Am I you know, I just wasn't looking like tow got caught. I almost stumbled I mean, I definitely stumbled thankfully I didn't fall but again, it's gradual build up. Some things I will say. Finding the right shoes for your body type is important. Try a bunch of different things. That's also why I got into running because I love sneakers What better way to justify sneaker purchases than running? Again, I've said this many, many, many times on all my podcasts, I play a lot of cards when I need to, I will play the strokes of our card if I have to, I will play the MS card if I have to. Nobody can are you if you're running all the time, that you need to be doing something else? Because honestly, do you need to be doing something else other than take care of your health in your body? Because without those two things, the rest is insignificant. It is it is not worth it. It is not worthwhile. And you're just basically. Yeah, I mean, I just don't want to be a slave to my desk. I love working I do it at different varieties, the running breaks my day, it works for me, it doesn't work for everybody. But again, let me reiterate that the previous attempts in my life where I tried to run I either overdid it, just didn't find a good groove, couldn't find out, figure out how to breathe better, couldn't figure out how to really love it. And I think as a stroke survivor, one of the things is that I can't run super fast. So that allows you once you get over that sort of set of in a mental hurdle, I don't think it's just like you're just kind of annoyed that you can't run a little faster. But running slow. And so Lee has made me appreciate running because I'm like, alright, well, I can go slow. And yeah, it takes a little longer. But you know, if you can build up an hour slow. And you run three, four or five miles an hour slowly. That's actually it's not not fun. And something happens in your brain once things start to kick in. For me at least last year, it was like, Oh, this is fun. This is another way for me to I'm feeling good. When I'm doing this I'm my body's not hurting because I'm not trying to run too fast. What I can add to, I don't need to I just want to run I just want to like see if I can be a runner. And now I'm definitely a runner. So if ands or buts about it. Am I the best runner? No. Am I looking to run races? Absolutely not. Am I looking to run a little bit faster more quickly? Yeah, love to work on it. Building building towards that. And again, that is kept me motivated, because the running slow. Helps me enjoy running in a way that I never enjoyed it before. It helps me figure out the breathing so that I'm not sucking wind and hurting. And, you know, I am tired at the end of a marathon day for sure. But it's not the same tired. I'm not in pain. I'm not. It's like it's a good pain. You know where it feels like, Oh, I feel good. I feel clear. This is fun. And that's how I know. It sounds crazy. It's only been a year for me. But I've gone from 000 but now gone from zero to two to five to 10 to 15 to 20. To now 26.2 20. I think I topped out at 28 miles the other day. And yeah, there's going to be setbacks. There's been two struggles. Learning what shoes are good, what shoes are bad, you just kind of learn that trial and error. Because I think shoes that work for some people don't work for other people. Some people have narrow feet, some people have issues with their feet from stroke. From Ms. Some people just have issues with feet in general, whether you're a stroke survivor, or somebody living with anything, you know, but the consistency I wake up every day I've been able to do this consistently. I don't dread it. I will say sometimes it's a little like, takes me a minute but by that first jog down to the corner and around, I'm ready to go. And I feel good and I feel motivated throughout the day break up the runs throughout the day. helps me stay motivated. It helps me not sit for too long of a period of time at my desk. You know again, you see me sweaty a lot of times assuming this show, which is good and bad. It's showing you that I've committed to running it's it's honest, I run I come in I do work. I go back out. Come in, do more work. Go back out. But yeah, I've just had so many all the things and then I can say running solves all your problems as sets ridiculous. But a lot of kids miss. There were a lot of thoughts I had about running that are now gone. It's not dumb. It's not bad. Eventually it becomes fun. I will say it probably takes a month of consistently running. I do think that first month So September of 22, where I was doing the run walk, I that was, that was a good way for me to build a little bit of confidence before I fully committed to running daily because it showed me it was possible. And I was, you know, having fun and there was no pressure. You know, I just wanted to try it. And I did and because I wasn't putting pressure on myself, or I wasn't feeling a certain type of way about how fast or how slow you know, and that has been annoying at times when you hear different people get put their give their two cents that my son I love them, but digestive slow again. Thank You okay, buddy, like I was in a wheelchair four years ago, what do I care. But that takes some time to break through those barriers. Because obviously, as a former athlete, and somebody who enjoyed sports their whole life, it's hard to go from a wheelchair to running. And then you got to hear that you're slow from your nine year old, it's, it's a time. It's not exactly what you want to hear. But we just I just keep thinking to myself, I keep laughing. I'll get better, I'm getting better. I'm running a hell of a lot more than he is. And it's not a competition between me my nine year old. I think now he's nine. He doesn't understand all these things. But yeah, it that. There's so many benefits. I mean, the mental clarity, there are reflections of the time we're running and thinking the listening to music and getting into DJing gives me a lot of time to listen and find new music. appreciate music, appreciate things. You know that with everything in life, there's goods and Bad's. But again, every survivors journey is unique. Not everybody is going to take to running the way I did. But I genuinely feel like some of the things that really obviously, I think it goes without saying when you when you become a stroke survivor and you like myself, I was previously a cigarette smoker or an alcoholic. Not doing those two things significantly helps your chances at committing to running. You know, again, that cycling, cycling lead to running. Music has helped with the running because it helps drown out the voice in my head where I'm thinking I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. And I really changed my mind. I'm like, do I eat? Or do I just think I hate it. And over time, because I've seen success now and I've been consistent. I've really taken to running and I love running I again, I don't love races. I don't want to run races. So much, although I am considering starting to run Ultras because that's interesting. To me. It's a unique challenge. It's not for everybody. I just know that I'm on track that I could probably start to do that. And we'll see we'll see if I do it at all. We'll see if I do it one or two times. I like Ultras because they feel more like a challenge versus a traditional marathon where everybody feels like trying to run super fast and trying to run for time. I'm I guess I'm more of a distance over time guy. I just like the challenge, I guess is what I'm getting at. But again, running has led to me just the journey that I've had running is it's allowed me to see things and appreciate things for what they are and appreciate them in a different way than I didn't before. So again, it's that mindset thing. It's it's it's the why not? Why can I Why not me? You know, and my wife again is a runner. She does it differently than me there's nothing wrong with it. There's no right or wrong way to run. So if you don't love running just know that you could. But it's not for everybody. I just think if you want to do it, you can do it. And again, I'm just sharing my journey because it our bet many benefits I feel I was driving home last night in the dark, which is something I've really haven't felt super comfortable with the longest time but I'm, I feel this sounds crazy, but I feel better as a result of all this running. Even last week running a marathon six out of the last eight days. You know today if I finish up with a marathon will be seven out of nine days. I never thought I would do it. i i Yeah, it's just it's been a journey. It's been fun. I just I don't want to be one of those people who like oh, you have to run. You have to run no you don't have to do shit. Honestly. Again, sorry for the strong language but I like strong language I you know I didn't survive a stroke. Just take it easy. I am passionate. I believe that If you if I can do it, you could do it I was down, you're 500 pounds that I'm on my stroke four years ago, I was a mess for the longest time I've still not. I just see the benefits. And it is slow, it is a grind a little bit. It doesn't happen overnight. You can say that about a lot of things throughout your court in the course of your life. But again, the cycling was sort of the gateway drug for me to getting into running. I love lifting weights. I love the stairclimber I love cycling. Fixing my breathing has been a big, big, big help. You know, running has also I was I was a little lazy with my diet over the last year. And that's why I've kind of turned towards keto because now it's not lazy. I just because I've been running so much. I was able to maintain good weight. And I just realized like I was eating I've been eating well for a while. But I just I am now trying to dial it in a little bit more like just turning the knob a little bit just like the running, I'm adding a little bit one more lap. one more mile, you know, 20 to 25 to 30. You know it just slowly adding to the consistent nature, adding a little bit over time correcting the diet, tweaking it here tweaking it there. I don't really miss carbs. Honestly, that's what got me interested in keto is like now, do I really need to eat bread and like, yeah, we're moving some bread marooning some grains. There have been some gotchas. Like I said, with the beans. It's like, okay, well, maybe I don't, I don't really need the beans. I like spinach. I like green vegetables. I like meat. Like this is not a rocket science diet. And I just think it works for my body type in particular, because I'm a big guy. I definitely have so classified as obese, I guess. Because, you know, just a bigger guy. I wouldn't say I'm morbidly obese in a gross way. But I'll tell you, I don't have a six pack I never have. And that's fine. That's, that's not the body type that I want. But I do think I could dial it in and just like the running, it can be dialed in with the food. So I'm committing to that this year. And again, all these things don't happen overnight. You can't make. I mean, you can try. I've tried this many times in my life to make 27 changes at one time. It just never pans out. Never longterm, doesn't work out for me. It may work out for you. But again, this has been a lot of my journey with the running. And again, it's it's gone from a year, a little over a year ago. Yeah. You wanna you want to get technical, I guess 13 months probably. Since I even started running period, in the beginning was very much Walk Run. Again, October 6 22. Committed to the daily running is now October 16. Episode 34. Here, it's October 16 2023. I just ran six marathon the last eight days. feeling good, feeling clear feeling like this is something that if I could do anybody could do. And again, hated running. Just really, really hated it. And now I really, really enjoy it. And I don't enjoy it to the point where others do but I don't hate it at all. I really do have a good time doing it. It makes me feel good. It seems to have stuck in a way that it's never previously stuck. When I've attempted to be a runner. I am not the fastest I'm not the best. I'm not looking for that I'm looking to be the fastest and best version of myself each and every day. Again, that's a mindset shift. Here a lot of things about mindset and this and that and some of it sinks in some of it. Some of it takes some of it doesn't but it's just yeah, I don't know. I don't know what else to say except for it's a it's gonna be unique journey. Looking ahead, what are my plans? Again? I think it is maybe doing an ultra? I'm not sure. Again, I like the ultra from afar from what I can tell because it's it's less about speed and it's more about distance and endurance. But yeah, I just think I'm gonna continue to run I do. I don't keep saying this. I want to slow down but I keep going up and it's crazy. So yeah, I think we training really getting an emphasis on that. I'd like to balance out the number of marathons that are run per week. I think six in eight days is a lot I don't think it's needs to be that many 234 week tops with some lower mileage days with weightlifting I think is probably a good mix for me. Yeah cuz I definitely would love to again if I'm going to run as as a stroke survivor living with MS if I'm going to fix by diet the next big thing seems like why not be you know do I ever go for the six pack? ABS known I don't know I never really wanted them never really cared I'd rather have 22 inch arms which is going to be a lot but I think some reason now I'm stuck on let's let's get in the gym and just say overall fitness like benchpress deadlift leg press squats like the basic big muscle building exercises and let's build that foundation then let's go from there. That's for me. I'm sure you have a different plan. But again, if you're interested in running and you want to know more about how I did it let me know hit me up on social media thing global on on X Twitter. Tick tock. What else Instagram, I'm actually just back on Facebook, I just started a personal page, I'm going to set up a page for think lovable, which is like combination to think blah blah calm for links to the various social media is everything's think level except for YouTube, which is a local server for this podcast in particular. And again, you can always go to think global icon book call if you want to, I have some free options for people to book some time. I have some paid options if you if you want to go more in depth. If there's anything I help you out with specifically, anything you want to know about my journey. I do have stroke group this week. So I think we'll get some fun things out of that. always enjoyed that group. Man again, sorry for the late episode this week. I didn't want to rush it. But I feel like everything worked out really well in terms of timing. Because all the running last week during this episode are running. So I'm rambling and before I go a couple of things I want to touch on in terms of books that I'm enjoying things and watching reading listening to podcasts wise, always to bears mancave good episode out today with Tom segura. Matt rife. The books let's see books, books, books, books, books and reading. Tremendous by Joe dad Diaz who is a fantastic comedian, one of my favorites. Another book, which is actually on keto. So if you're into a little bit of diet and nutrition, you just want to explore it. I liked his book for a lot of reasons the case for keto. Some good things there. I just picked up Arnold's new book be useful. I'm just starting that so that looks very interesting. Podcast Oh, is it's boring comped in two bears 1k back podcast. Whitney Cummings. Andrew Santee. No, all my favorites. I'm sure I'm forgetting somebody this week but a lot of great comedians with a lot of great podcasts obviously Joe Rogan I don't think we need to say that anymore. Still a big big fan of Howard listen snower recently. But I do want to give a shout out to my favorite song of the year I'm going to link it in the show notes but the song I've been listening to on repeat for the last couple days is asking which is by Sunday furs and MK featuring Clementine it's an awesome song I'll link it in the show notes I've just I think it's for me I think it might be the song of 2023 a really enjoy it let's get music haven't DJs in a couple of weeks just I'm behind on some stuff but again working on getting a producer for the shows getting some things in order because the processes and tools are all in place I just need to get a better overall slow so I apologize if I don't know why I'm Polish I think I'm I'm just one of those guys this is sorry for no reason. Which is weird because I used to be a coach. I still do coaching just not as as often but yeah, I just always said genuinely I'm sorry because i am sorry i Yeah, it happens to the best of us we all fall behind anyways I think we will call it on that one but yeah again if you're interested in how I did it any tips topics gestures, thoughts email podcast, lovable podcasts All books are our.com Hit me up I and you can hit me up on social happy to answer any questions again book call if you want to. And I think we'll leave it there for this week and I will try to get another episode out by the end of the week. So we're all caught up but Anyways, hope you have a great rest of your week and