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Transform FEAR into TRUST Guided Meditation

It was just over six years ago when Derek Mitchell fell unconscious at work after ignoring persistent signs and symptoms that his health was compromised. He was quickly diagnosed with a benign tumor on his pituitary gland that was blocking his body’s ability to produce testosterone, a symptom that goes hand in hand with obesity and the inability to maintain a healthy weight. Relying on pharmaceuticals to do their job, Derek used his diagnosis as a crutch, an excuse not to take charge of his health. Instead, he waited for the drugs to kick in and his hormones to return to normal levels before attempting to lose weight.

That all changed in November of 2014 when he stepped on the scale during a routine doctor’s visit and saw that a truth that equaled 625 pounds. In an instant, he woke up and decided that it was time to set the excuses aside and make a change in his life.

Like millions of people, he started on January 1st. His New Year’s resolutions were to cut out soda, eat healthier meals and reduce his portion sizes. And unlike millions of people, he remained true to his resolve to change. It was difficult, his cravings for soda were intense and in a time of challenge, his sister suggested that he step up his game.

A marathon runner herself, she recognized Derek’s strong will to change but saw a missing piece. He was not exercising. She encouraged him to start moving and on January 15, 2015, Derek went for a walk. He made it one block.

Derek’s sister then recommended that he sign up for a 5K in reason that it would keep him motivated to stay active. He signed up for a local race that was set to take place in March. It was this race that began his 3.1-mile journey, a quest that has since gained national media attention.

He has defied the odds, he has pushed through the pain and failed. He has picked himself up and, as Derek would say, “dusted himself off” to take another step. He has been the biggest person out there and the last person to finish. He has every reason to quit and every reason to keep going.

This is a conversation about resolve and the will to stay true to our choices. It’s a message of consistency and fearlessness to wake up every day and move, no matter what. It is a reminder to rely on our supporters and community for strength. And that finishing last is better than never starting at all. We talk about the ineffectiveness of diets and Derek shares tips on how he is shifting his relationship to food. He wipes away the excuse plate and is candid with us about his journey. It has not been perfect. Derek accepts that he will fail and sees failure as a necessity to true success.

This is such an honest conversation about moments in life that wake us up and the realization that no one gets us anywhere except for ourselves. Derek is a beautiful soul who is no doubt serving his purpose by showing people every day that we can do anything we put our minds to.

The Derek Mitchell Story, From 625 lbs To The Finish Line

Imagine yourself on mile 5 of an Ironman marathon and you feel great. You are on goal pace.

"It's all coming together, this is THE race I've been waiting for".

Then you look at your heart rate and it's 10 beats higher than what it should be and all of a sudden you don't feel as good and you slow down and your dreams are left to fade away for another day.

Sadly, this is common series of events for athletes who rely too heavily, because they have never trained any other way, on that external piece of equipment called the watch. Data is good, heck yes, but detaching from data to get to know thyself proves far more valuable when it comes down to pivotal moments in training and racing.

By practicing letting go of the watch in training we create space to develop a skillful awareness of our bodies and minds that lifts the limits that numbers can impose. Again data is good, it helps us get a sense of where we are in our pace and exertion levels but it's not the end all and be all of training. Envision going out for a workout and knowing, without question, your heart rate within a beat, pace within seconds and sustained wattage based on your breath and perceived exertion through heightened body awareness. How might that benefit you in a race when your bike computer fails or your watch battery dies?

BJ was introduced to this first hand from our guest today and has relied on it many times when his bike computer has failed and his watch battery has died. In fact, BJ's regular practice is to race without a watch and his times continue to get faster and faster.

Lucho came into our lives a decade ago on a plane ride home from Ironman Arizona. He struck up a conversation with BJ and from that moment on he was a changed athlete. Lucho soon became BJ's coach and has remained his mentor for many years.

Lucho is an accomplished athlete, he was a very active kid. He ran in high school which led to a scholarship to college which led to a unique twist which led to travels which led to a hurricane which led to his introduction to triathlon. In 2000 Lucho was the top amateur at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI and 16th overall. It was after this incredible accomplishment that he turned pro. He's a multi-time course record breaker in the sport of triathlon and ultra running. He utilizes his athletic experiences, especially the crummy ones, to self-reflect and learn so that he can rise back up to the next challenge as a better-equipped athlete and human. He is constantly reinventing himself and most recently he's been hitting the track to see what kind of speed he is capable of at this point in his life.

Lucho is so transparent, he's really an open book and I love that about him. We've known him for ten years and even though this is the second time I've met him in person I feel like I've been right by his side through times of joy and otherwise as we've followed his journey through his blog and by listening to him on his Endurance Planet podcast.

This conversation is most definitely one to listen to a few times, there is so much gold in here for athletes from the traditional training standpoint but also in the development of self-awareness and mental strength.

Thank you so much for your support, we couldn't do it with you all. We have a goal of 100 reviews on Apple Podcast by the end of August so if you enjoy today's show please go and leave a few sentences in support of the YTP.

Sit back, unplug and get ready to really plug into an awesome conversation with an accomplished athlete, coach, podcaster, dad, husband, and cake artist.

Podcast 66: Tim "Lucho" Waggoner from All American to Two Packs a Day to Ironman to Leadman

YogiTriathlete and its co-founders, Jess and BJ, are waking up and shaking up the world of endurance sports. Their approach is anything but mainstream and they are known to go deep. Buckle up because jumping on this train has the power to change your life forever.

The Derek Mitchell Story, From 625 lbs To The Finish Line

YogiTriathlete Podcast

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