The B.rad Podcast Gordo Byrn Essays (Breather Episode with Brad)
(Breather) My good friend and old-time triathlon colleague Gordo Byrn writes a brilliant blog/email newsletter with concise and thoughtful essays confined to three subjects of his expertise and passion: Fitness, Family, and Finances. I string together two of them to provide insights and reflection for the competitive types who might be struggling with transitioning into the years past competitive peak, and trying to balance other life responsibilities with athletic aspirations. The first is titled, “Athletic Beyond 45,” followed by related insights in “Vanity and Victory.”
As you’ll soon learn, Gordo brings 100% effort to everything he does in life, approaching all of his pursuits with the intention of true peak performance. He’s ambitious and goal-oriented, not to mention the super high standards (set by himself) that he adheres to. Now he’s a dad and raising kids in Boulder, CO, and is more insightful than ever, offering so much wisdom about topics we can all relate to: Family, Fitness, and Finance.
Athletic Beyond 45
In this essay Gordo highlights how athleticism has helped him stay engaged and energetic throughout middle age. He says,“Middle age is going better than I expected. Why? Because choices that I made when I was younger have been replaced by a lifestyle that is a better fit for where I want to take myself.” He also notes that you’ll start to notice a change in how you respond to training once you hit your mid-40’s. He cautions people to be aware that a sustained tempo will “gobble up” your energy, leaving you absolutely spent for other aspects of your life. Gordo says, “Letting go of deep fatigue enabled me to re-establish consistency, which was being shot to pieces by minor injuries, slow recovery, illnesses, and low motivation...All of which stem from giving myself more load than I could absorb.” Try asking yourself the following three questions if you also struggle with this problem:
- Where is this likely to take me?
- What is my goal here?
- Is there a better way to achieve my goal?
Gordo pushes us to expand our lives beyond athletics, and also remove whatever it is that’s messing with your sleep patterns.
Victory and Vanity
“How are you going to feed that part of your personality that craves recognition, thrives in adversity, and wishes to dominate others?” Gordo asks. He also brings up a good point: have you ever considered what is driving your desires? He recommends we look deep within ourselves to find the answer and adopt a new perspective on getting recognition for our pursuits. He repeats his “endurance mantra,” which is: “Many people would like the ability to do this, right now.” He also adds that if you want to change your motivation, then simply change your location! All you have to do is remove the “friction” between your current habits and the kind of life you really want to lead, and focus on doing activities that can actually help (instead of hinder) your future self.
Enjoy the recording and be sure to subscribe to Gordo’s email list. These messages take only a few minutes to read and can provide valuable insights and perspective on the three F’s!
TIMESTAMPS:
Gordon Byrn’s blog is at Fitness, Family, Finances. He’s full of interesting insights worth listening to. [03:38]
Engaging in athletic competition is different from being athletic. [07:43]
Coaching youngsters takes a lot of energy out of you. [10:32]
Stop hurting yourself. [12:59]
Ask yourself: What is my goal here? Where is this likely to take me? Is there a better way to achieve this? [14:02]
How are you going to feed that part of your personality that craves recognition? [16:17]
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