Spartan Up! - A Spartan Race For The Mind!

Like magnesium, zinc is a mineral that’s present in many of the body’s functions. We talked about Magnesium in another episode and if you remember it’s important because it’s involved in many different ways in your body’s cellular activity. Well zinc is another much needed mineral and let’s talk about why! EPISODE SCRIPT Zinc might not be as ubiquitous as magnesium, but it’s still very important to pay attention to in your diet. Why? Because the body lacks a specialized zinc storage system! Zinc has a lot of benefits, but three in particular can have a big impact on your daily health. First, zinc supports your immune system. While you only need a little zinc to have your immune system work well, a deficiency could have dire consequences. That’s because zinc is the ingredient necessary to activate T-cells, which are important for two reasons: 1) T-cells attack infected and cancerous cells and 2) they help to control and regulate immune responses. A measure of how important T-cells are for the immune system i

We’re afraid to tell others what they need to do. We’re afraid to tell others to step up and stop being lazy, stop being a clock puncher, stop being average! LESSONS: There is nothing wrong with telling others that the standard of excellence is NOT being met by them. Tell them to step it up and tell them how to do it! Challenging others might be scary at first, but you will be helping the individual and yourself by expressing why you are demanding excellence. You have achieved more in your life by pushing yourself. Perhaps a Coach or mentor pushed you as well. Someone is waiting for you to push them! LINKS: More about Zach https://zacheven-esh.com Read “The Spartan Way” https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview?article=the-spartan-way-book SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP & Zach: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitt

Yes! There actually is a right way to plan! Whether you are planning to run errands, planning to change your relationship with food, or planning to start a new workout routine, knowing what works and what doesn’t can help. A phenomenon called the planning fallacy can get us into trouble when it comes to planning because here we tend to overestimate our abilities because we assume perfect conditions and ignore past data. When we assume perfect conditions, we disregard all of the things that could make the road more rocky and the path more of a struggle. And when we ignore past data, we take the approach of this being the ‘first time’ and leave all of the great wisdom from past failures in the past. How do you get around this? First, assume imperfect conditions. Assume struggles and mud will slow you down and plan for it! And next, take wisdom that you’ve gained from the past in regards to what you’re planning for and use it in the present. LESSONS: Understand the planning fallacy: the tendency to overestimate

What do cage fighting and gluten free waffles have in common? Vince Nance. Vince and Joe De Sena cook up a great interview that discusses operational leadership, the rigors and rewards of Brasilian Jiu Jitsu and the importance of women’s self defense. Anarchy has never tasted so good!    LESSONS Don’t punch unless you mean it (always act with full intention Start where you are! Adjust as needs change  Leave deep tracks  Designate mental real estate to your commitments  Legacy = people, love and action  You can’t make excuses and learn at the same time LINKS https://anarchywaffles.com This episode of Spartan Up is brought to you by Duke Cannon. Visit Dukecannon.com right now to get 15% off your first order with the promo code SPARTAN. Free shipping on orders over $35   TIME STAMPS  0:00 The Col, Johnny & Dr. L introduce episode 1:15 Dukecannon.com sponsor intro 1:40 Vince & Joe De Sena begin by making waffles 4:30 Battling with the pancake tycoons   5:30 Growing up with martial arts  8:30 Lessons

Brian "Tosh" Chontosh says: Defining what Initiative is seems fairly easy. Now, let’s discuss it from a lack of and where we are responsible for others lacking it. When I find myself frustrated with others I like to ask myself what guidance or information or incentive am I not providing to excite initiative from them. On another vein, I also find myself getting frustrated with others who are acting with hyper or too much initiative. Again, it could be a function of many things, but I like to ask myself the same questions of what am I not doing or providing? Then, I always put myself in check to make sure I don’t ever take too much or not enough when I am supporting others’ causes. LESSONS: Ask yourself what your responsibility is in helping others take appropriate initiative Check in and identify if you are taking too much or not enough when supporting others SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP AN

Dr. Nada Milosavljevic MD says: Kidneys take a beating during times of extreme, extended exertion; there are natural ways to give them a bit of support. There's a host of beneficial foods, nutrients, and herbal teas and drinks that can aid in kidney cleansing, detox and optimal functioning. Hydration. Kidneys need water to create the urine that flushes out the majority of the waste in our bodies. So what happens when you don’t drink enough water? Essentially, waste starts backing up in your kidneys – and that can lead to kidney stones. Foods. In recent studies, brown seaweed has been shown to help reduce kidney damage from diabetes. Eating cranberries has been associated with a drop in urinary tract infections. And foods that have lots of calcium, like tofu or fortified cereals, help to reduce the possibility of kidney stones. Calcium binds with a compound called urinary oxalate that contribute to kidney stones. When it’s combined with calcium, that oxalate can be more easily excreted from your system. Bev

Zach Even-Esh says: Sometimes, the very thing that you love is also the very thing that can break your heart. Ultimately, you must live your truth.   LESSONS: It’s OK to be vulnerable if you’re following and living your truth Focus on giving. Giving and helping others. Live your truth. Support people are doing good for other but can use your help. Do something for someone who can never repay you LINKS: More about Zach https://zacheven-esh.com Read “The Spartan Way” https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview?article=the-spartan-way-book SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP & Zach: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod Follow Zach on Instagram https://instagram.com/zevenesh Follow Zach on Twitter https://twitter.com/zevenesh Zach’s STRONG Life Podcast https://apple.co/2vFaCv1   CREDITS: Pr

Before you head into a race, or any event that means something to you - a job interview, a first date, a meeting with the boss - it’s important to mentally prepare. When you are more mentally prepared, you can set up an outcome in your mind that works for you, walk into the event with greater confidence, and use mindfulness tools to keep yourself calm. There are a few questions that you can ask yourself to set yourself up in such a way and thought they may take a few minutes to answer, the outcome will make it well worth it. LESSONS: Getting yourself mentally prepared for an event that matters to you can help you experience the event in a more positive way and may even impact the outcome. Ask yourself the following three questions: What does success look like here? What do I need to ensure confidence going in? What do I need to do to remain calm? SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP AND DR. L: Spart

This week’s guest is full of ideas and has surrounded herself with the best minds for decades. At the time of this interview she was the Executive Editor at Harvard Business Review - hosting the IdeasCast podcast for over a decade and more recently the Women at Work Podcast. She and Joe talk at Fenway about actionable advice on how success can be achieved through small wins & conquering proverbial mountains each day. Be consistent, track your time & celebrate your progress! LESSONS Power of Small Wins: making progress each day keeps you motivated Accept the risk in achieving your goals Set a goal: be specific & concrete- make yourself accountable! Be consistent: climb a small “mountain” everyday Keep a “time-diary:” track what you spend time doing- celebrate progress LINKS This episode of Spartan Up is brought to you by Shady Rays Polarized shades you can afford to lose or break - because they’ll replace them for free. Go to www.Shadyrays.com and use code SPARTAN for 50% off 2 or more pairs. TIME

Brian "Tosh" Chontosh says this is just another way of saying don't be an emotional based decision maker, don't be impulsive, or think about what you are doing / not doing. For me, phrasing it this way simply invites engaging about what it means to not allow a transitory feeling or emotion to rule on my actions. I start to introduce the power of feedback mechanisms and discipline. When we give in to mood we have an often temporary high followed with a low of sorts. [ It doesn't always have to be the pleasure & guilt dynamic. ] What happens is the decision to arrive at the immediate high receives the connection to a response from mood and the further down the road low just gets labeled as a new mood that needs to be placated. The opposite is true where discipline to do an uncomfortable thing now yields a down the road high where if we can remember to associate that feeling of high as a reward to the decision to deny comfort (in this example) we can modify behavior and decisions. LESSONS: Anytime you say to

It can be a big help for achy joints and general inflammation in the digestion tract and respiratory system as well. The use of BOSWELLIA resin dates back thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine. But, more recently, medical science has begun to research its full potential and extensive anti-inflammatory properties. Most notably, scientific studies have suggested that boswellia can also block what is known as “5-LOX inflammation,” which has great therapeutic possibilities. Boswellia is an herbal extract derived from Boswellia serrata, a densely-leaved tree (that looks like a beautiful over-sized shrub) found across India, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia. The extract’s name comes from old French and means “high quality incense.” It’s gathered from the resin of five varieties of Boswellia trees. It’s healing properties have been noted for centuries and has been used for a variety of illnesses and ailments, including: asthma, cerebral edema, chronic bowel diseases, arthritis and cancer. In the case of arthritis, fo

Having a team is powerful, but, sometimes, you will be alone, without the team. You must learn to exude strength even when in solitude. LESSONS: If you’re following the common path but your gut instinct says NO, then it’s time to live your truth in solitude. Do not fear starting alone. Do not fear progressing alone. Look inward to find your truth. You will and can find strength when you follow the path you were meant to be on. LINKS: More about Zach https://zacheven-esh.com Read “The Spartan Way” https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview?article=the-spartan-way-book SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP & Zach: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod Follow Zach on Instagram https://instagram.com/zevenesh Follow Zach on Twitter https://twitter.com/zevenesh Zach’s STRONG Life Podcast https:

Sometimes you can get so caught up in the daily grind and the day-to-day routine that you forget to slow down, pause, and ask yourself, “how does this serve me?” When it comes to our mental energy, resilience, and toughness, we have to clear our head of all the junk so that we can make room for that which improves our mental clarity. It’s important for you to reflect on whether the things you are reading, listening to, and watching are filling your mind engine with helpful and use information, or stuff that makes clogs it all up. LESSONS: It’s important to take time and evaluate if you are creating space in your mind so that it is more clear and available to wisdom, knowledge, and constant working flow. Ask yourself the following: Does what I’m listening to serve me? Does what I’m reading serve me? Does what I’m watching serve me? It’s okay to listen, read, and watch things for fun. Just make sure you are also leaving space and time for your mind to rest! SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpSho

Bruce lives where fighting and business converge. With a background as an executive level headhunter and a youth spent in the boxing gym, he’s translated those tactics into building champions. The renowned boxing coach sits in the podcast ring this week with Joe De Sena and discusses the keys to coaching to glory, rebuilding them after loses, and the importance of vulnerability. What it comes down to is the Law of Outcomes: “ the amount of pain, suffering and sacrifice you make must be equal to the goal you wish to achieve.” Bruce is the guy you want in your corner! LESSONS Work hard, pay attention & listen Be an active observer Keep notes! Follow your passions The key to coaching is connection Humility and empathy are worthy traits “Deserves” got nothing to do with it Be vulnerable in life “Law of outcomes: the amount of pain, suffering and sacrifice you make must be equal to the goal you wish to achieve” Have a vision for yourself- success is an exclusionary process There is no easy path- be willing to

It takes more energy to catch up than it does to simply keep up. This extra expenditure of energy ends up creating a greater deficit which in turn feeds the loop to fall behind yet again. This is simple physical conservation of energy theory. What happens with individuals on a psychological level is an entirely different story. The tendency is to attempt finding shortcuts rationalized as improved techniques, greater efficiency, or new moves etc… Where in our lives are we creating shortcuts to catch up when we should have been playing keep up? LESSONS: Gradual loss of capacity creates dangerous thought patterns to look for shortcuts Spend the time and energy now keeping up before you have to spend more catching up later   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 In

Organic foods are generally more expensive than conventional foods because conventional foods often use substances to accelerate plant and animal growth, protect against insects or increase the scale of farming. These substances are certainly not part of the natural growth cycle of the flora and fauna that we eat. For flora, there are pesticides, ionizing radiation, artificial fertilizers and, yes, even sewage sludge. For animals, the substances include antibiotics and hormones. If any part of this long list of artificial means is used in the food on your table, it is not organic! But because it isn’t as easy as conventional farming, organic food can be difficult to find. And if you can find it, paying for it may give you a case of sticker shock. Moreover, some food that isn’t quite organic can still be pretty good for you. Being an organic farmer is a complicated business. There is a certification process and it can take a few years to transform a conventional farm into an organic one. But there are two cave

Is your work or career just a job? Or, do you truly live the code, being a pro whether you are at work or not? LESSONS: If the culture at your work is about kindness and excellence, do you live this after the 9-5 hours are over? Excellence is a habit. Practice excellence, even when you’re not at work or when the cameras are not rolling. Joe DeSena is a Spartan whether the camera is rolling or not. He’s doing his burpees, carrying kettlebells, etc all the time, NOT just when cameras are rolling. You’re not trying to be perfect, you’re just trying to get better! Do the little things, at all times. LINKS: More about Zach https://zacheven-esh.com Read “The Spartan Way” https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview?article=the-spartan-way-book SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP & Zach: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter htt

Our mind is a melting pot of different kinds of thoughts. Joy ones, excited ones, worry ones, hopeful ones, and, yes, negative ones. It is important to be aware of your own negative thoughts because denying they exist doesn’t make them go away - and in some circumstances doing just that only makes them grow stronger. And, at the same time, you want to be strategic about how you address them because if you give them too much attention they can grow and get stronger. Countering your negative thoughts with positive ones can be a useful strategy - whether you do this in your head or write it down in a journal. Also, work on trying to remove the judgment that you may be placing on top of the negative thought. We all have negative thoughts so to shame yourself or be self-deprecating because you have negative thoughts only makes things worse. LESSONS: Negative thoughts can arise in anyone at any given time. Being aware of your own negative thoughts can serve you when trying to implement strategies that decrease the

Fran Martinez tragically lost his son to an undiagnosed illness when he was an infant. In the beginning, the pain seemed too much to bear. In the midst of this his marriage ended. He ran from life and friends. Loving friends brought him back to society, got him exercising, and eventually he found Spartan Race. He realized the obstacle course was a metaphor for life. The community, the exercise, and overcoming those obstacles worked a kind of healing magic on him. Now his mission is to bring that healing to others. He has started Proyecto Daniel in Spain and the “Hero’s Heat,” to build a community for parents (now over 3,000 strong), to come together knowing they are not alone and to realize how strong they really are! Joe sat down with Fran at our Spartan World Championships in Morzine France for this powerful and moving interview. LESSONS Obstacle courses are a metaphor for life You are not alone when going through tough times Let people love you LINKS   This episode of Spartan Up is brought to you by Duke C

Host Brian "Tosh" Chontosh takes a deeper look at the value of consistency. Everyone should take a moment to go back and dig into the definition of consistency. And on that note, appreciate the difference between consistency and persistency. If we look at consistency as harmony towards a whole and seizing opportunity when it presents it reframes how we may hold ourselves accountable towards failure and allowing it to take hold of us in a negative fashion.   LESSONS: Being consistent is not necessarily about routine Reframing who we view consistency will allow more room for life to happen Consistency is about seizing opportunity when it presents and creating opportunity when it seems unpresent   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.instagra