The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

Spartan Way host Zach Even-Esh says: I was 19 years old working in a hospital fitness center. I came across a sign that STILL influences me and inspires me to this day! Watch the video so you can learn from this lesson I learned 20+ years ago! LESSONS: Often times simplicity is more powerful than complexity. Take accountability for things. Did you open it? Then close it? Did you make a mess? Leave...

Dr. Lara Pence says: We are a society of human beings that engage in relationships, look for connection, and are looking for ways that we fit into the pie of community. So it's no wonder that we can get activated in relationships and with the people that we come in contact with. Getting activated is often best identified by feeling irritable, angry, frustrated, or 'hot' when you're in connection w...

How did a cigarette at a Spartan race spark a journey that led to an appearance on Shark Tank? Kressa Peterson talks about how she and her husband found Spartan, embraced the struggle but resisted the mud. From that the "Shower Toga" was invented. How many of you have been joyful after a Spartan Race- but driven home filthy? Kressa's life was changed after being almost broken at a race in North Ca...

Zach Even-Esh says the way of the world shows that we are MORE connected than ever before thanks to technology, yet we are also FEELING more disconnected & lonely than ever before. Thank you technology! For more on the subject of technology and distraction check out the Spartan Up episode with Nir Eyal. LESSONS: If you REALLY want to feel happier and more connected, put down that phone and connect...

Dr. L says - We are a society that is filled with distractions. And we aren't very good at taking accountability for our own role in this absent-minded behavior. Time management matters when we've got so much happening AND when distractibility is so available to us. But you've got to be able to integrate some time management skills into your daily life in a way that supports all of your busy activ...

Host Joe De Sena interviews "Fear Guru" Patrick Sweeney on Joe's Vermont farm during the 2019 "Death Race." What are the fears you face in your life? Is it possible that they are holding you back from what your true gifts actually are? Sweeney shifted from a life bounded by terror to one led through courage. There is immense power in fear and if you can learn to harness it as fuel - your true supe...

Host Matt B Davis talks to Spartan ATHLETE Leigh Anne Wasteney about training for elevation, diet and pre and post race meals.   LESSONS: • Learning to train for elevation
 • Elevation prep on hills or treadmills
 • Her plant based diet helps her feel lean and mean
 • Everybody is different when it comes to nutrition
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Host Zach Even-Esh says: 1 night during the Summer I went out for a family stroll and we got some ice cream. It fired me up SO much because I felt that I was ending my day on a WEAK note. NO good! LESSONS: No matter what happens between the morning and night time, you can ALWAYS start AND finish the day with something Strong & Positive. Choose something that Benefits YOU & Betters YOU. It can be 1...

Life is filled with tough choices, especially if you are looking to challenge yourself and elevate your own life. We are wired to look for comfort but sometimes the tough choices put us in a position of discomfort no matter which you choose. Keep in mind that avoiding tough choices is never going to benefit you - but rather leave you unfulfilled and pining for more, despite the ease of being uncha...

Are digital devices, coworkers or social media distracting you? What does it take to channel you action into traction? Nir Eyal works at the intersection of psychology, technology and business teaching you how to avoid triggers and make pacts with yourself to actuate your intentions. Don't blame phones social media or your corporate or personal culture. Learn how to build beneficial habits and sto...

Ashley grew up playing sports and competed at the highest levels in track and cross country during college. She's been on several podiums in the last couple of years, and consistently finishes in the top 10 against the top competition. Today she joins Matt B Davis on Spartan Up to discuss training, nutrition and more. LESSONS: • Learning to embrace what you don't want to train.
 • What her workout...

Many people equate being alone with loneliness. But they are not one and the same. We can be alone - with our self and by our self - and still feel very connected to others around us and our support system. We need to practice being alone more so that we can learn how to be with our own thoughts and feelings. Too often we are looking to others to fill up the white space when we could be getting mo...

When we think of strength and power, how often do we include the magnetic and influential force of positivity? Pete Cohen has a long and successful track record of turning around some of the best known sports teams and business with his positive, motivational coaching style. In life it's important to look for mentors, role models and leaders- but, at some point we need to become our own. Never sto...

Lindsay Webster has won more obstacle racing titles than anyone. She is beating everyone in the field, and usually by several minutes. We talk about her skiing and mountain bike racing background, what she loses sleep over, and how she stays on top year in and year out. LESSONS:   Staying consistent year in and year out. What she's improved the most in recent years. How she balances run and obstac...

Feeling insecure, struggling with self-esteem, and being unsure of whether you're good enough are all common issues that can arise in your lifetime. It doesn't make you broken, it just makes you human. But working hard to cut off the parts of yourself that you don't like isn't the best way to go about building up your self-esteem and certainly flies in the face of self-acceptance. Embracing those...

When you sit at home in the evening and watch horrific recountings of violence happening around the world, have you thought about who is doing the reporting? One must remember the brave souls risking their lives to shed light on these realities, in an effort to bring global awareness and balanced reporting to these issues. Lara Logan, an Emmy award winning television and radio journalist / war cor...

Alyssa burst onto the OCR scene by winning her home race in Seattle, WA in the fall of 2015. Since then she has seen 40 plus podiums, including 3rd best in the world at the Spartan Tahoe World Championship in 2017. On today's episode she talks with Matt B Davis about coming back from injuries and switching up her training and coaching to become a better athlete. LESSONS:   Coming back from injury....

Having hard conversations are part of life. Not the part that we always enjoy or look forward to but essential and unavoidable nonetheless. Because of the discomfort associated with hard conversations, we like to avoid them or engage in unhelpful practices that actually don't serve communication or intent. Learning how to have a difficult conversation is something that many of us have to do if we...

Mixed Martial Artist and UFC Champion Keith Jardine, known as the Dean of Mean talks about his relentless spirit in fighting his way to infamy in and out of the ring. Famous for some legendary takedowns, a reality tv show and now a successful paleo business venture- learn what it takes to be a heavyweight in business and battle. LESSONS Find your purpose Be relentless in achieving your goals Know...

We don't always have the time to do a deep dive to uncover what might be impacting us negatively. Nevertheless, we need to pay attention to the things that are bothering us so that we can understand the way that we operate more intimately. It doesn't take a whole lot of time to ask yourself a few easy questions that might pinpoint what needs your attention and remediation. Tuning into your hunger...

He's not the first to tell Spartan founder, Joe De Sena, he made it to the pro level of soccer, or that an injury changed his trajectory and set him on a new path. Like many there were successes and failures along the way, challenges to overcome and great rewards. But Andy Ramage is not here to talk about that. He's with us to talk about the discovery he made that changed EVERY aspect of his life...

Everyone has a valuable contribution to make and everyone gets stuck. It's part of what makes us human. Sometimes what works for one person doesn't work for everyone. Which is why we've brought the Spartan Up podcast family together to ask what works for them when they feel stuck, Sefra the Seedhuntress, retired Col. Tim Nye and "Dr" Johnny Waite. Each answer is unique - a testament to each of us...

This week Joe sits down with Jim Gregory a former Green Beret & Olympian (with an asterisk.) Jim didn't always reach the ultimate goals he set for himself, but he always persisted with confidence and a positive attitude. The result is a life of incredible accomplishment. How can you grow from disappointment? What can you learn from failure? Does tough training in youth give you the foundation to w...

Ryan Atkins is the current Spartan Race Ultra World Champion and the winningest obstacle racer of all time. Ryan talks to Matt B Davis about a winning mindset, how he approaches his weaknesses, and how he mixes his training up to keep it fun and enjoyable. LESSONS: • Adding fun training like mountain biking or stand up paddleboarding.
 • What he eats.
 • Making workouts can be intense AND fun.
 •...

Stress is a part of life. It's nearly impossible to avoid. So the goal shouldn't always be reducing the stress in your life but instead integrating ways to manage your stress and lower the intensity. Some of us are better and managing stress than others but the good news is that all stress management skills can be practiced and learned. First and foremost, we need to consider what we are putting i...