Spartan Up! - A Spartan Race For The Mind!

Processed foods are foods that are handled and altered in some way before they get to your pantry or refrigerator. The more harmless kinds of processing are things like cutting and peeling a variety of fruit and packaging those things as a “fruit salad.” The next step in processing is canning food, which can either reduce the nutritional content of food or introduce some unhealthy quantity of natural elements, like adding sodium. The next step is changing foods by chemically altering them. There are many reasons why these chemically altered foods are really bad for you. The most obvious is that they’re often full of chemicals! Even those lists of artificial ingredients on the food labels of heavily processed foods don’t reveal the whole story. Proprietary rights on secret ingredients, for example, allow food companies to omit a lot of details about what’s in their products. The term “artificial ingredients” can have several unnamed chemicals lurking behind it. Here are some other specific reasons why heavil

Major (Retired) Scotty Smiley became the first blind active-duty officer in military history following a face-to-face confrontation with a suicide car bomber in Iraq in 2005. After his injury, Scotty’s faith led him to forgive his attacker and inspired him to rebuild his life while continuing to serve his country in the U.S. Army. His wife Tiffany's drive and support are an incredible model of partnership in resilience. He recently completed an Iron Man and was featured in the film "Beat Feat" LINKS: https://hopeunseen.com/ 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, Col. Nye, Johnny Waite & Guest host Lonnie Mayne Synopsis – Sefra Alexandra Production Assistant - Andrea Hagarty © 2019 Spartan

Sweep the Sheds Comes from the book Legacy, a book written about the New Zealand All Blacks. In order to build a GREAT team, no individual can be too good for something, including sweeping the shed. LESSONS: "Sweeping the Shed" is a tradition that says that no individual is bigger than the team and its ancestors. This includes cleaning out the locker room after practice or a game. The All Blacks want a culture in which you leave your jersey better than you found it. You’re essentially “planting seeds” that will grow trees and fruits that you might never see. 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 Z

Anger is one of those emotions that few like to acknowledge and even fewer like to talk about. Either way, however, avoiding anger doesn’t mean that it goes away. In fact, the more you understand your anger the more likely you are to manage your responses appropriately and not be overcome by expression. It’s important to remember that anger is a normal emotion and, although it may be uncomfortable, it is neutral in nature. We also all experience and feel anger at various points in our life - denying your anger usually only makes it grow and become less easy to manage. LESSONS: Anger is a part of being human. Recognizing and understanding your anger gives you an opportunity to manage this feeling more appropriately. Use the right language when you are describing how you feel. It’s okay to say, “I’m angry.” You don’t have to water it down by using language like frustrated or annoyed. Give yourself permission to stop, pull back, take perspective, observe, and then choose the next right move for you when you are

“We were made to do hard things,” is Katie Wells family motto. Her popular website “Wellness Mama" features simple answers for healthier families. Mama to six children, she has found ways to bring lessons from the workplace to the management of her home. She systematizes her household (spreadsheets are one of her “love languages”). All this to empower her children- who by the way, have to start their own business before being given a cell phone or car! Joe De Sena and the Spartan Up team really learned a lot in this one and as Katie says, “if you want to change the trajectory of society… HELP THE MOMS!” LESSONS Systematize your house Siloing: everything has a time & a place Raise adults not children: identify & align common goals Recognize the workflow & natural consequences Cold water helps with singleness of focus Define long-term priorities & core objectives Creating “white space” for kids creativity LINKS https://wellnessmama.com Listen to the newest Spartan Podcast Trail Talk with Luis &

It’s fairly obvious that if you look for your car keys or you look for your wallet, you will eventually find your keys and wallet. When we are riding our mountain bikes and there is danger to the right, the inexperienced tend to look to the right - where they want don’t want to go. Which is where the bike then tends to turn. If you walk through life looking for conflict you will find it. If you look at life negatively, you will find negativity. LESSONS: Don’t look where you don’t want to go. Focus on where you want to be. When you find yourself looking at negativity, acknowledge it, then deliberately look for 3 positive things to offset it. 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:

The popularity of collagen is skyrocketing. It’s especially effective in compensating for problems related to our bones and our skin as we age. Although human beings start out making collagen naturally, as people get older, they become less capable of absorbing nutrients or synthesizing them. In that case, collagen-rich foods and supplements can compensate for deficiencies. Collagen is also the most abundant protein in your body so you might want to know a bit about it. Collagen can help a lot with arthritis, a painful disease in which the body has an autoimmune response against its own cartilage. There’s a few theories as to why this helps relieve joint pain. One is that it might accumulate in the cartilage and stimulate production of more cartilage. Another, is that that this supplementation might not replace collagen due to the autoimmune response. Instead, it may lessen the severity of the autoimmune response itself by increasing the body’s tolerance of (or familiarity with) collagen through repeated expo

Scott Jurek is widely considered one of the best ultra marathoners ever winning Badwater, and Western States multiple times. He also recently broke a speed record for running the entire Appalachian Trail. You can learn a lot more about him by reading the book “Born To Run”, and two books he’s authored, “Eat and Run”, and “North”. LESSONS: Finding things that motivate you. The best way to find what you love is experience, over suggestions. Our bodies are always ready to take on new challenges Be open to all possibilities You can take on an ultramarathon without doing shorter races first. Find your own “personal best”. 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/ Scott Jurek on Instagram: https://w

Pressure is a privilege. I first heard this from Tim Grover, the author of Relentless. Tough times and challenges mold us into stronger men and women. Spartans love challenges. Rather than avoiding challenges, Spartans say Bring it on!!! LESSONS: High performers seek out challenging opportunities while “normal people” see challenges as something that holds them back Nothing worth having will ever come easy Learn to find comfort in situations that would break down “normal people” Seek out discomfort, even if it’s just for 30 seconds. 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://

We have become pathologically attached to the end product of things. We focus more on the grade, the paycheck, the medal - all while ignoring the hard work and process that it took to get to the end. The problem with this is that when we only focus on the product, we are missing out on all the vital, awesome information that we can gather from the process. We need to look more towards all of the greatness that came before the product so that we don’t get attached to the wrong thing. And when we focus on process, we are more likely to gain important information that can tell us about how we were successful or how we missed the mark.   LESSONS: Try to move away from just the end product and spend more time thinking about what got you there in the first place. Remember that regardless of what happens in the end, there is important information in the process of getting there - be open to learning more about yourself through looking at your own process. When you attach to the product, you risk letting yourself do

“It’s the START that stops you” says the electric Eric Byrnes who launched his Major League  Baseball career with a 22 game hitting streak. Byrnes was a player who relied on his speed and hustle, and he brings the energy of a fast ball to this interview. Drafted out of high school by the Dodgers, he went on to play for the Oakland Athletics, the Colorado Rockies, the Baltimore Orioles, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Seattle Mariners.  He was living the dream. After “retiring” Eric discovered new outlets for his drive - triathlons & ultras, and for his voice - as a broadcaster on ESPN, in his book “the F*ck It List” and his podcast. If that’s not enough - On April 22/23, 2019, Byrnes set a new Guinness Book of World Records mark for most holes of golf in a single day, 420 holes. It’s a  power packed convo about not taking your feelings too personally, living in the now, and seriously maximizing your days! Get after it Spartans! LESSONS 1. To succeed immerse yourself 
 2. You get out what you put into li

“You’ve got to give respect to get respect.” Well, if everyone is waiting for someone else to give it to them, we will be waiting an awfully long time. If you share anger, anger gets returned. If you’re always picking fights, you’ll always be fighting. If you want Love, love others. If you want friendship, be a good friend. LESSONS: Rise up, Give. Give, not for the sake of getting, and it will be given. 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

Because the word “fat” is associated with being overweight, many people go overboard and think that all fats are bad. But that’s far from the case. Some fats are necessary and … some fats are amazingly good for you. What we talk about A source of some of these amazing fats is coconut oil. These good fats are “medium-chain fatty acids” (or MCFAs). They are: ●        Caprylic acid, ●        Lauric acid, and ●        Capric acid One of the amazing things about these fatty acids is that they are much more easily converted into energy than many other fats. How much more easily? While most fats go through a process that entails twenty-six steps to be converted into energy, these MCFAs require only three steps. Because they are smaller than long-chain fatty acids, they’re relatively easy to digest. And because they’re processed by the liver, they become energy immediately after the liver does its job with them. All the potential benefits of coconut oil are too long to cover in this podcast, so look up some o

Have you ever found yourself being busy yet not productive? In a day and age where too many people are over inundated due to having too much information and too many options, we are afraid to just do the work! LESSONS: Instead of thinking you need to “get ready” for something, why not just get started! Organization is crucial for success Cook your lunch and dinner for the week ahead by cooking in quantity and organizing the refrigerator Organize the week ahead on Sunday night. Don’t react to things in the moment. Instead, block out your schedule so you are disciplined with the work you need to get done 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 Twit

We can only store and attend to so many things at any given time. Our mental energy actually has a limit. Because of this we need to be intentional on where we invest our mental energy and take inventory on what is occupying space in our mind. If we are more curious and intentional around where we are investing mental energy, we can adjust time spent so that very little time gets wasted. A simple exercise of evaluating your seven most filled areas can aid in getting you to where you truly want to be. LESSONS: Your mental energy is limited to being intentional with where you spend it can help create a more engaging life and leave you feeling more productive. Try this simple activity to get your mental energy aligned with your intentions: Make a pie chart and write down the 7 areas that take up most of the space in your head on a daily basis. Identify what percentage each area takes up. For example, family may take up 10%, while work takes up 40%, and training 15%, and so on. Ask yourself: Is this where I want

Nicole Alexander, Major, U.S. Army Special Operations & PROMOTE Co-Founder, was born with grit and determination. As a young girl she always wanted to be doing as much as possible, which led her into the rigors of a “company” of ballerinas. In college she found rowing and pushed herself to the limits, inspired to “find her swing!” Joining the army and then Special Operations she utilized rigorous dedication and discipline to lead groups through unimaginably difficult situations. Now she and Joe discuss the importance of mentorship and working out till you throw up- enjoy! LESSONS Find your swing (rhythm) and who/ what inspires you Work hard with determination- there’s no way around it! Realize “you get to do” these things & that’s a privilege Do it till you throw-up Mentorship is key LINKS www.promoteleadership.org www.goarmysof.com This episode of Spartan Up! is brought to you by Gone Rogue High Protein Chips. 17 grams of protein in one crunchy ounce, and less than 2 carbs. Made from fresh, never fro

We tend to all be able to appreciate what ‘leaving something better than you found it’ means in a physical sense. Picking up after yourself, picking up trash off the ground, leaving the surroundings a little nicer than when you arrived. Now, the mark of really appreciating this is how you apply this to relationships, feelings, and some of the less observable, measurable imports in life/community. And the great stretch exercise is how you apply it to yourself each and every day. LESSONS: Do one thing in every situation to leave your physical environment just a little better than when you arrive Do one thing in every situation to leave a stranger or friend just a little better off than you found them Don’t forget about yourself - one thing each and every day to improve you It doesn’t matter how small or trivial, sometimes the most trite can have the greatest impetus for growth SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOL

Allium vegetables – like onions, garlic, leeks and shallots – have a host of health benefits, including possible reductions in the rates of some cancers. Two of the most commonly used of these veggies – onions and garlic – are also the most pungent; sometimes too pungent. But despite some drawbacks, they are minor compared to the variety of health benefits that these veggies can bring. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT Let’s start with garlic. This vegetable has been a part of great, tasty dishes for hundreds of years. It’s also been used as a home remedy for colds with some recent studies suggesting that people taking garlic supplements have a reduced rate of catching colds compared to people who didn’t. And there are some even more serious conditions that garlic can help with. It’s been shown to reduce both blood pressure and total cholesterol. And for people with diabetes, garlic supplements over a few months have reduced their fasting blood glucose levels. All pretty impressive. Next, let’s move to onions that have thei

On this episode, Kevin talks talk with Amber Klein. Amber is a well spoken, well known & passionate high energy Spartan Ambassador for the Spartan Race brand. She truly believes in our mission & has the passion, and race experience, to back it up. TAKE AWAY POINTS: You CAN really do more than you think! Promote & support what you believe in Keep your training fun Anyone can do a Spartan Race! SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP AND KEVIN G Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod Kevin Gillotti on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kevingillotti/ Kevin Gillotti on The Web www.kevingillotti.com CREDITS: Host: Kevin Gillotti Show Notes & Artwork: Kevin Gillotti Producer: Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Videography: Madison McGahan, Mike Isabell, Alberto Campos Editing: Heather Knox   © 2019 Spartan

Have you ever talked yourself out of an opportunity for no reason at all? Excuses for no reason at all? Self sabotaging yourself before you’ve even put your feet on the floor is a great recipe for frustration and never getting out of your own way. LESSONS: If you’re nervous about doing something, perhaps this means this is an opportunity you SHOULD take Are you answering the knocks on the door? Those thundering knocks are opportunity, waiting for you to answer the door and say YES! Discomfort and nervous energy will go away once you start experiencing the benefits of facing the very things you are afraid of. 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