The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

“Don’t talk about it, Be about it.” ~Even-Esh “Let your actions speak so loudly, that I cannot hear your words.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Zach Even-Esh talks about how this manifests in a coaching environment with his athletes in the gym. I like to use it not only to drive me forward with action, but to also help manage my expectations of others. It’s so often we are told one thing or another by someone who could either be trying to ‘sell’ you, has low or distorted self-awareness, is confused or no idea, etc. If we always put full stock in their words we are likely to be much less satisfied with any results. Proof is in the effort of action. When someone tries to convince you they intend to do something or be something, nod and then observe. It’s the actions taking place (or that are absent) that will measure the true authenticity. LESSONS: Look for activity that you would expect to see if intent were pure Train yourself with a do not say attitude When someone is always telling you about what they are going to do, it’s more likely that it never will. Otherwise, it’d already be happening. LINKS: SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP AND Tosh: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod Tosh on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tosh.crookedbutterfly/ CREDITS: Producer: Marion Abrams, Madmotion,llc. Host: Brian “tosh” Chontosh Show notes: Brian “tosh” Chontosh © 2019 Spartan

Matt B. Davis talks to “Air Force” Ken Corigliano - Ken has been obstacle racing since 2012 and is currently serving in the U.S. Air Force as a Major. He uses military training and obstacle racing as a basis for a mindset of embracing challenges and learning from failures. LESSONS: Obstacle Course Racing builds character. Connect with adversity and embrace the challenge. Failure can make you better or worse. Take small steps with family when enrolling them in a fit lifestyle. SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW US: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod Matt B Davis at Obstacle Racing Media on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/obstacleracingmedia/ Air Force Ken on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airforceken/ CREDITS: Host: Matt B Davis (@mattbdavis) Show Notes: Matt B Davis Producer: Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Videography: Jeff Marier (@ocrvideo) Editing: Heather Knox © 2019 Spartan

The Bataan Memorial Death March is, as they say more than just a marathon… it ‘honors the thousands of heroic service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II, sacrificing their freedom, health, and, in many cases, their very lives.’ Joe, Colonel Nye, Sefra Alexandra, Erica Walker, Marion Abrams and Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Frank Grippe embarked on a sojourn to honor the men that exhibited true grit to their bone marrow. The 26.2 mile ruck through the White Sands Missile Range brought with it sweat, crippling dehydration, pain so excruciating it caused dry retching… yet in comparison to what these veterans had been through (as told by Death March Survivor Dan Crowley on Spartan UP! Podcast Episode 229) this was just a walk in the park. Walking alongside OEW, thousands of men women and children- our frame of reference was once again shifted. What the body can endure is extraordinary and the experience of rucking through the gorgeous yucca-clad landscape with beans on head, smiles on face and laughter in the belly- once again proved that friendships are only made stronger when you get comfortable being uncomfortable.   Lessons: · Colonel Nye dehydrates faster than a camel drinking saltwater · Joe needs a backpack sponsor · Erica Walker needed a walker at the airport · Marion secretly ran more than all of us with more weight · Frank Grippe needs to buy a scale · Sefra should get sponsored by Goya · The men that survived and died in this march should never be forgotten

If you haven’t experienced performance anxiety yourself then most likely you know someone who has. Performance anxiety is common and its intensity can span across the spectrum. Although dealing with performance anxiety can sometimes feel like a hopeless feat, there are actually some pretty effective strategies that can help you learn to manage the worry you feel in the face of public performance. First, remembering that the individuals around you - whether out in the crowd or on the race course - are just people; people who have struggles, who live and breath just like you. They are just humans! So being afraid of them or their judgments won’t serve you and certainly won’t serve your performance. Second, remember the preparation that it took for you to participate in whatever event you’ve got on the table. Use a mantra that can help you call up your level of preparation and remind yourself that you’ve got this! And lastly, predict your success in the future through using a visualization. When we visualize and use mindful practices to envision our success, we are more likely to behave the way we feel - which is more confident! LESSONS: Performance anxiety is a common struggle that you can experience in different arenas and with varying levels of intensity. Using strategies to help you push through performance anxiety will serve you in learning to manage the worry you experience. These three concrete tools (the three Ps) can be used to help you reduce your anxiety: Remember that your audience or peers are PEOPLE just like you! Call up your PREPARATION and use a mantra to remind yourself that you are more put together than you feel. PREDICT your success in the future through visualization and mindful practices. Envision yourself with a win! SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP AND DR. L: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod Dr. L on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drlarapence/ CREDITS: Production Team: Heather Knox, Knox Creative; Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Host: Dr. Lara Pence Synopsis: Dr. Lara Pence © 2019 Spartan

How do you create a corporate culture that allows people to live their best lives? Based off the principles that Lonnie observed in his father, the famous red shoe wearing wrestler Moondog Mayne - he created a philosophy that helps spread positivity in the workplace. Lonnie is an expert aggregator and motivator of brilliant minds, this week you will learn what it really means to walk a mile in someone else’s red shoes!   This episode of Spartan Up is brought to you by DNAfit. Get personal with your race training and nutrition by unlocking the power of your genetics. Save 20% off your test at https://www.dnafit.com/spartan/ LESSON At the center of every accomplishment is amazing people Implement a holistic approach in business Self-awareness is key Find a community that holds you accountable Put yourself out there and really live Empower people to do their best work and live their best life LINKS https://redshoesliving.com TIME STAMPS: 0:00 Joe De Sena, Sefra Alexandra, Colonel Nye & Guest Host Ret. CSM Frank Grippe introduce this weeks interview 1:25 DNAFIT.COM/SPARTAN for 20% discount 1:53 Interview begins 2:15 Moondog Mayne 4:50 Living your best life 6:30 SPARTAN X Leadership : The Spartan Way 8:05 DNAFIT.COM/SPARTAN Break 12:00 Red Shoes Living philosophy 14:00 How do we keep people engaged? 16:00 Positivity and self awareness are key 18:00 Joe De Sena, Sefra Alexandra, Colonel Nye & Guest Host Ret. CSM Frank Grippe discuss Lonnie’s interview and how to integrate the Red Shoes principles into your life 22:50 DNAFIT.COM/SPARTAN close SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena, Sefra Alexandra, Colonel Nye & Guest Host Ret. CSM Frank Grippe Synopsis – Sefra Alexandra Production Assistant - Andrea Hagarty © 2019 Spartan

Let’s be more cautious about always over-prioritizing Safety above everything else. Using the phrase “Safety First” as a default teases us to not engage in the critical conversations revolving around risk assessment, risk mitigation, and risk acceptance. It feeds risk aversion and zero defects mentality. It can create mindless procedural automation. And, it can also create the exact hesitation that leads to increased danger or threat. I like to tell my loved ones to “Be Smart” not “Be Safe”. I feel it implies much more and automatically includes the elements of safety consciousness. LESSONS: Without Risk, there can be no Reward. Appropriate Risk Being smart includes the elements of reasonable risk and safety.   LINKS: SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP AND Tosh: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod Tosh on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tosh.crookedbutterfly/ CREDITS: Producer: Marion Abrams, Madmotion,llc. Host: Brian “tosh” Chontosh Show notes: Brian “tosh” Chontosh © 2019 Spartan

What Is Mental Flow: A State Of Self-Motivation Do you remember the last time you completely focused on a task that was both challenging and satisfying? It may have happened during your last a long race (Sprint, Super, or Beast), or listening to an intense piece of music, or while you were solving a crossword puzzle. What do those moments have in common? They may have been times when you experienced “flow.” What is it? How to achieve it? WHAT WE TALK ABOUT Getting into “flow” (which is similar to what athletes call “the zone”) not only feels great, it has a great halo effect, too. One study shows that people who experience flow get positive after-effects – feeling more productive, creative and happy – for almost three days. So how do know you’re in the flow? And how can you increase your chances of getting into it? Here are some signs. The most common one is losing awareness of yourself and losing track of time. This is tightly connected with being completely focused on whatever task you’re doing and feeling completely in control over the requirements of that task as well as its outcome. But that feeling of control doesn’t mean that the task is easy. You have to “earn” that feeling of flow. If the task is too easy, then it doesn’t require concentration. In contrast, when the task is too hard, your focus can be disrupted because you don’t feel in control. It’s that sweet spot in between. But even then, you can break down a difficult task into smaller parts that are easier but still require focus to master (like when an art student might give up on doing a whole portrait quickly and just focus instead on getting the eyes of the subject just right.) So, it’s cool to be in flow, but how can you increase the chances of getting there? Whether it’s a mental or a physical task, you can do three things to improve the chances of getting into flow. 1) Get the clutter out of your brain. This means putting tasks in order and making sure your responsibilities are all under control for the moment. 2) Stop interruptions. That means not letting little things interrupt you (like checking emails and texts) and procrastinating tactics like starting some big project at home that can easily be scheduled for another time. 3) Get calm. Hunger, thirst, and random noises can all make claims to our attention. Eat a snack, drink some water, and put on some music that might help you concentrate. While for many people, experiencing “flow” may be a rare occurrence, you can (and should) practice achieving flow – in little ways as well as big. The more you practice, the more you’re likely to get there. KEY TERMS & IDEAS Flow is the “temporary psychological merger of the person with the activity” (Amabile). It is a product of (as well as a platform for) sustained focus to complete an activity. That activity involves some challenge that requires concentration, but it neither too easy nor too hard. There are ways to prepare yourself and your surroundings to increase the chances “getting in the zone.” LINKS & RESOURCES: Follow Dr. Nada on: Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nada-milo... Sage Tonic www.sagetonic.com Sage Tonic on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sagetonic/ Alayna Kennedy, “Flow State: What It Is and How to Achieve It,” Huffington Post, April 5, 2016, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/alayna-kennedy/flow-state-what-it-is-and_b_9607084.html, accessed January 2019. Teresa M. Amabile, et al., "Affect and creativity at work," Administrative science quarterly 50.3 (2005): 367-403, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/37e6/1bf9382d80aa6640a1d6be8d12652319201d.pdf, accessed January 2019. Chistine L. Carter, “3 Steps to Finding Your Flow,” Psychology Today, September 9, 2015, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/raising-happiness/201509/3-steps-finding-your-flow, accessed January 2019. Melli O’Brien, “How to Enter the ‘Flow State’ Any Time: Four Simple Steps,” Melli O’Brien (blog), https://mrsmindfulness.com/how-you-can-enter-mindfulness-in-4-simple-steps/, accessed January 2019. SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppo... Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer: Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Writer and Host: Nada Milosavljevic MD, JD © 2019 Spartan

This week's Spartan Athlete host Matt B. Davis talks to Faye Morgan. She was a gymnast and spent time in the Marines. Now, she is a mom of 4 and a Spartan Pro. She talks about how she conquers obstacles and finds time to train, and how she thinks about an athletes unique strengths and weaknesses. LESSONS: You can’t just rely on speed anymore as a Pro racer. There are multiple ways to attack obstacles. You can train in smaller chunks of times. Once you start small, you can build up your training over time. SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW US: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod Matt B Davis at Obstacle Racing Media on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/obstacleracingmedia/ Faye Morgan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fayemocr/ CREDITS: Host: Matt B Davis Show Notes: Matt B Davis Producer: Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Videography: Adam Coe Editing: Heather Knox © 2019 Spartan

Experiencing painful emotions is a part of life that we cannot avoid. But we try to through various types of numbing mechanisms. This could be anything from alcohol to drugs to food to over-exercise to gambling to social media. We are pretty proficient as a society in wiggling our way around uncomfortable feelings and moving towards either a numbing position or something more comfortable. But if you are looking to toughen up your mind and improve your performance in life, learning how to manage painful emotions is going to get you much further than numbing. LESSONS: Painful emotions exist for everyone and working to manage these emotions can build a healthy level of resilience and tolerance skills. Work on observing the painful emotion, acknowledging that it exists, and then ride the wave, trusting that there will be a peak but there will also be a lull where you can catch your breath. Remember, you are NOT your emotion. Being angry does not mean you are an angry person. And being sad doesn’t mean you are a depressed person. It just means that you are experiencing those emotions. SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP AND DR. L: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod Dr. L on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drlarapence/ CREDITS: Production Team: Heather Knox, Knox Creative; Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Host: Dr. Lara Pence Synopsis: Dr. Lara Pence © 2019 Spartan

World famous for his physique and his “Insanity” workouts, Shaun T has graduated from teaching healthy body to teaching healthy MENTALITY. His superpower is getting uncomfortable - the more uncomfortable he is, the more he is learning and growing. Shaun T tells Spartan founder Joe De Sena how he has spent his life confronting issues and resolving them with “truth, trust and transparency” and moving forward with “passion, power & persistence.” True strength is in vulnerability, honesty and letting your emotions come forth. LESSONS: Fit doesn’t have a size it has a mentality When people deny the truth that’s when turmoil begins Life is a journey not a destination Accept who you are Visualize what you want You can’t control the future but you can control your experience Confront yourself first - honesty leads to betterment Let your emotions out - connect to the feeling Be in dialogue with your food The more you know the more you grow This episode of Spartan Up! is brought to you by Tiger Balm Active. Trust Tiger Balm Active for proven pain relief. Get new Tiger Balm Active in Gel, Rub and convenient Spray. https://tigerbalm.us/ LINKS Shaun T shauntfitness.com/safespace Shaun T on Facebook FB.com/shauntfitness TIME STAMPS 00:00 A moment of truth 00:20 Joe, Col. Nye, Dr. Johnny & Sefra introduce this weeks interview 1:40 Interview begins: T for Transformation 3:30 Running through a Spartan Race 6:00 Fit mentality 7:00 A difficult childhood 8:00 Not being a victim 9:00 Working hard 9:40 Tiger Balm Active https://www.tigerbalm.us 10:55 Interview returns: how to not spiral into a dark place 11:30 Using visualization 12:15 Controlling the experience 13:15 “Telling yourself” first 14:15 Who are you surrounding yourself with? 15:45 Honoring your emotions 17:30 Talk to your food 19:00 Passion, power & persistence 20:00 The more you know the more you grow 21:45 Joe, Col. Nye, Dr. Johnny & Sefra discuss this weeks interview 26:22 Tiger Balm Active https://tigerbalm.us/ SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Joe De Sena, Sefra Alexandra, Colonel Nye & Dr. Johnny Waite Synopsis – Sefra Alexandra Production Assistant - Andrea Hagarty © 2019 Spartan