In this episode of Bulletproof Radio, my guest defies aging by pushing the limits of his own endurance as an athlete and adventurer well into his sixth decade. After a 20-year hiatus from competitive fitness, Robert Hamilton Owens took it up again at age 50. By age 65, he felt ready to take on five of the world’s toughest endurance events. IN. ONE. YEAR.

He competed in an 8-day race over 200 miles across Greece; a combination run/ocean swim event lasting more than nine hours; an Ironman Triathlon; seven marathons in seven days on seven continents; and a 50-hour challenge modeled after a Navy SEAL-style Hell Week.

Yet, Robert says; “I'm an average guy. And what I learned in this process was that if an average person will continue to do the right things and persevere, they'll do far more than they think they can ever do.”

In our conversation, we talk training styles, grit, toughness, and what it takes to find your “why” and keep going. That includes being vulnerable and asking for help.

“Most people will hit a natural mental ceiling,” Robert says. “Your mind is geared to protect you. You think thoughts to protect you, you don't want to be hurt. And yet to get to the places you want to go, you're going to have to go through pain; mental pain, emotional pain, relational pain, financial pain, situational pain. And you don't want pain. None of us do. But the only way to grow is to embrace that pain.”

Enjoy the show!

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Tom Fisher, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, MapR Technologies