"It doesn't matter what you do in this moment. It's all about everything that we put together this entire season. We don't have to have, you know, this "A" workout. You can have a bunch of "B" workouts put together. And again, the accumulation of all those workouts is going to end up with a really great result."

Today's guest is Emma Bates, elite marathoner for the USA and one of the three U.S. women's marathoners competing at the upcoming World Championships. 

Emma said one of the coolest things we've heard anyone say on this podcast. She said we all need to learn how to “dance with discomfort.” In other words, if you want to reach your potential in anything you’re pursuing, you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. You have to make “discomfort” your go-to dance partner. By embracing this notion, Emma was able to place 2nd at the 2021 Chicago Marathon back in October. On that day, she became one of the 10 fastest female marathoners in US history! 

Make no mistake about it, it wasn’t an easy journey for her to achieve this milestone. What’s really cool is she admits she had to make adjustments to her circumstances to finally experience the successes she’s now having. We talk about those adjustments and the importance of enjoying the journey in this fun-filled conversation with Emma! We think you’re going to love it.

Timestamped Show Notes:

3:01 Training in Colorado, taking breaks, and running shorter…

5:38 Different approaches to road races and the track…

10:35 “There's so much to be said though, for trying to connect with the audience, with the fans.”

11:29 The role of emotions…

15:00 Outside of running…

17:46 “I just want to be giving back to the sport as much as I can.”

19:06 Becoming self-aware, gaining perspective, and dancing with discomfort…

23:49 Having a plan and using a mantra…

25:03 Doing well in tough conditions, Chicago 2021…

28:57 “Your body and your mind are working as one, and everything kind of falls away and you're on autopilot almost.”

30:18 Methodical patience…

34:11 The impact of environment…

38:34 Training for World Championships…

39:33 How do you fuel your pursuits?

43:09 How Emma uses UCAN…

49:20 Bryan and Jon recap…

References:

The Holistic Psychologist - Instagram

The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford - Amazon

Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman - Amazon

Emma on the C Tolle Run podcast - C Tolle Run

UFC Strength and Conditioning Coach Bo Sandoval on Fueling the Pursuit - UCAN

Guest:

Emma Bates - Instagram | Twitter

Emma's fav UCAN product: Strawberry Banana Edge

Hosts:

Jon Rankin - gobemore.co | @chasejonrankin

Bryan Green - maketheleapbook.com | @maketheleapbook

Learn More:

UCAN - ucan.co | @genucan

Your Personal Best Awaits

"We have this misconception that we need to look a certain way to perform on our best. Physical aesthetics and athletic performance don't go hand in hand always."

Today's guest is Jessica Isaacs, the Sports Dietitian for the Los Angeles Clippers and a Master Nutrition Coach for BodyBuilding.com.

Everyone has questions about diet – from what to eat to lose weight, to build muscle, to think more clearly, to have more energy, to perform better and to sleep better. Our guest, Jessica Isaacs, not only shares much needed answers to some of these questions, she does it in a way that’s fun and easy to understand. Jessica was inspired to become a sports dietitian after overcoming her own negative experiences with diet and exercise. She’s determined to help others do the same. I like to think of her as a dietitian on a mission. 

It’s amazing how easy it is to take our health for granted. Thankfully, people like Jessica exist in the world. She reminds each of us about the significant impact the right eating habits can have on our daily life experiences. I can’t wait for you to listen to this conversation and find one piece of advice that could help you take a big step forward towards your next personal best!   

Timestamped Show Notes:

3:22 A working definition of a dietician…

6:33 The similarities between dieticians and therapists…

8:00 Success comes one small step at a time…

11:56 “They make their own choices. At the end of the day, they can choose to do something or not choose to do something.”

14:33 Simplifying the message…

17:10 “I struggled with nutrition and body image my entire life. I struggled with eating disorders, diet culture, and constantly on a quest to lose weight, even when I didn't need to lose weight.”

20:04 Aesthetics and athletics don’t always go hand in hand…

22:14 High school success story…

25:09 Having a really good “why”...

30:17 “The one thing that diets don't do is they don't teach you anything.”

32:30 Flexing a creative muscle through content creation…

38:06 After the episode… MORE questions on nutrition answered…

45:49  Where to start with products?

48:50 Where to find Jessica…

49:25 Recap with Jon and Bryan…

References:

Jessica's website - JessicatheSportsRD.com

Guest:

Jessica Isaacs - Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Jessica's fav UCAN product: Orange Edge

Hosts:

Jon Rankin - gobemore.co | @chasejonrankin

Bryan Green - maketheleapbook.com | @maketheleapbook

Learn More:

UCAN - ucan.co | @genucan

Your Personal Best Awaits

"I think that we don't give ourselves enough credit in many areas for the strength we have cause it doesn't seem like the connection should be made to something else. But if you can be strong in one area, you can translate that to almost any other area of your life."

Today's guest is Tommie Runz, a 2:48 marathoner who recently qualified for the upcoming Boston Marathon.

Tommie has one of the coolest stories in running today. Five years ago, running became the tool he used to transform his life. It has taken him on a journey to not only becoming sober but also a growing inspiration to anyone who hears his story. What makes this conversation special is Tommie’s willingness to be open, honest, complex and vulnerable.

His message: be honest with yourself so you can finally overcome what’s holding you back. We talk about the transformative power of running throughout this conversation, but if any sport makes you feel free and empowered, then it can do for you what running has done for Tommie. His story is proof that the right personal changes can help you overcome whatever seems impossible to you right now.

Timestamped Show Notes:

3:08 Training for Boston… 

6:49 Approaches and strategies to stay on track… and using the past negatives to reach new goals…

10:54 “If you can be strong in one area, you can translate that to almost any other area of your life.”

13:13 A road to sobriety…

18:30 Who will I be without drinking?

22:21 “No matter what the habit is, it's not like everybody's a drinker out there, but whatever thing you're trying to break, you have to tell the truth. At some point, you got to tell the truth out loud.”

26:04 Small random moments that meant everything along the way…

29:16 Getting into running…

33:39 Filling up time with other things…

35:34 How other projects came to be…

38:18 “I need my kids to see. I need us to have a sense of ownership of something. And no matter if it's small, big, or at least see their black father, try something a little more different than what he's already doing.”

42:19 Championing the effort for other young black men…

47:57 Becoming better and creating opportunities through sports…

48:50 Advice for fueling the mindset…

51:17 PR Project and UCAN products…

54:57 Q&A with Tommie after the show…

60:45 A recap with Jon and Bryan…

References:

Run Eat Sleep Podcast - Apple Podcasts

Chip Time Running - homepage

PR Project YouTube - YouTube

What the Health movie - Wikipedia

Josh Shipp - homepage

Marathoner Sara Hall on Fueling the Pursuit - UCAN

Guest:

Tommie Bailey - Instagram

Tommie's fav UCAN combo: Lemon Energy with Watermelon Hydrate

Hosts:

Jon Rankin - gobemore.co | @chasejonrankin

Bryan Green - maketheleapbook.com | @maketheleapbook

Learn More:

UCAN - ucan.co | @genucan

Your Personal Best Awaits

"You know, it's the weirdest thing because sometimes I step back and try to think of how I do it. And it's just a real natural love for running. Like when you hear those things about, you know, this person was born to do this sport or this thing, like I really feel I was born to run."

Today's guest is 2017 master's gold medalist at 60m and founder of Equity Design Inc, Maurelhena Walles.

Maurelhena is just dripping with cool throughout our conversation with her. The cool factor she brought with her today made for a high energy conversation that left me and Bryan wanting more. If you don’t know who Maurelhena is, let me try to describe her in just four words — community builder through sports. 

Maurelhena has spent her entire life making the most of what was around her. She didn’t allow limitations or a lack of resources to discourage her from going after whatever she set her sights on. And as an adult, she has found a way to continue this approach to life. She’s found a way to continue competing in the sport she loves (track and field), while building a business that helps others improve their own lives through movement. Even though it’s understandable how much we all struggle to find time to do what we love or to get involved in our own community, it’s not something we have to accept. Maurelhena’s entire life journey is proof that this is true. 

I feel so inspired to be more involved in my community after learning about Maurelhena’s story and her company Equity Design. She’s expanded my perspective and opened my eyes to what’s possible. This conversation is one I think I needed to hear right now. After listening to this episode, my guess is you’ll feel the same way too.

Timestamped Show Notes:

4:43 In the middle of a training cycle while managing a business…

6:40 Pursuing dreams outside of work make you better at work…

8:18 “I grew up happy, had a great childhood, but didn't have access to a lot of resources.”

12:07 The culture shock of college…

17:32 Taking control and pushing forward…

18:39 Launching Equity Design…

22:47 The opportunity from the pandemic…

26:15 “It's so great, how we're using technology to be able to impact the health of these teachers.”

27:34 Excelling at Empire State…

31:14 The by-product of reaching teachers…

35:21 How does pursuit of excellence on the track impact the work with teachers?

36:52 Structures and strategies…

41:48 How to support Equity Design and final piece of advice…

46:49 Q&A after the show…

59:02 Jon’s and Bryan’s recap…

References:

Equity Design Inc - homepage

Being Bold and Driven by Cecilia Hegamin-Younger, PhD - Amazon

Tony Reed on the Go Be More Podcast - Simplecast

Guest:

Maurelhena Walles - LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Maurelhena's fav UCAN product: Vanilla Energy + Protein & Watermelon Hydrate

Hosts:

Jon Rankin - gobemore.co | @chasejonrankin

Bryan Green - maketheleapbook.com | @maketheleapbook

Learn More:

UCAN - ucan.co | @genucan

Your Personal Best Awaits

"The biggest thing for me is trusting my fitness, trusting my body and saying, ‘Hey, you know what, if I end up, you know, not making a team or end up not placing where I wanted to place, it’s because I took the approach I wanted to and knew that I could be successful.’”

Our guest today is Nathan Martin, the fastest ever U.S. born African American marathoner and 8th place finisher at the 2021 New York City Marathon.

You may not assume it (and he intentionally will not boast about it) but Nathan Martin is one of the best long distance runners in the world right now. He’s genuinely humble about his rise in the sport and is interested in only two things: reaching his full potential and being an inspiration to others. That’s it. The really cool thing is his recent accomplishments serve as a reminder that there’s no standard route to the top of running or any other sport for that matter. It shows what’s possible when you wholeheartedly embrace a “never give up” attitude. 

There’s no question that this kind of thinking is required if you want to achieve your goals, both big and small. As you listen to our conversation with Nathan, you’ll discover why focusing on your potential rather than things you can’t control, like your competitors and what they may or may not do on race day, can eventually lead to achieving a new personal best, quite possibly more than once.

Timestamped Show Notes

(3:01) The 2021 New York City Marathon experience…

(4:48) Developing an adaptive approach…

(6:34) Weekly mileage, training groups, and long-term goals…

(9:12) “Originally, I was the farthest thing from a marathon.”

(12:56) Finding a work/life balance…

(15:28) “I just want to be somebody who says, no, you don't have to give up. And if you work long enough, you can achieve a lot of things, even if you're hitting your late twenties or early thirties.”

(17:50) The road to the Olympics…

(21:01) Breaching the upper echelon…

(22:29) “The biggest thing that I try and do is focus on what I'm trying to accomplish. Right? You can't control what other people do.”

(25:28) Two helpful conversations…

(27:41) “I try and focus hard on making sure they're enjoying what they're doing and they're seeing the bigger picture.”

(31:43) How the transfer of information is impacting the world of running…

(36:26) Creating an ecosystem and infrastructure to flourish…

(40:11) How has being an African American impacted your experience?

(44:27) What advice do you have for athletes?

(46:24) Nathan’s experience with UCAN

References:

Marathon Project 2020 Results - Athlinks

2021 NYC Marathon Results - NYRR

Guest:

Nathan Martin - Instagram

Nathan's fav UCAN product: Tropical Orange Energy

Hosts:

Jon Rankin - gobemore.co | @chasejonrankin

Bryan Green - maketheleapbook.com | @maketheleapbook

Learn More:

UCAN - ucan.co | @genucan

Your Personal Best Awaits

"I think there's so much value in being a dreamer and a visionary but that could be deflating at times too because you know, those are your visions. Those are three, 10 years out, well in a month from now, if you're not that much closer, that could be really deflating. And that's where having your daily process goals and, and just knocking out those daily wins. That's where keeping track of those can also be a tremendous asset as well."

When it comes to sports, there are a lot of highs and lows. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. And, every once in a while, you lose a game or competition that hurts more than the others because you had to go so far to get to that moment only to fall just shy of winning. In our conversation with former Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Eric Wood, a lot of our conversation centered around this idea. The idea of dealing with unexpected, abrupt changes that you’re not quite ready for when they happen. 

In this episode, Eric was kind enough to share the heart-wrenching story behind his career ending neck injury and what it took to figure out what was next for him. We explore the concept of how serving others helped him carve out a clear, meaningful path in life after a nine year career in the NFL. And he drives home a lot of the tips and insights he shares about how to achieve personal growth with a unique 30-day challenge that might help you achieve more of your goals this year. 

Eric really brings it in this inspirational podcast conversation with us today. So get ready for a conversation that’s filled with ways to make meaningful progress in your life.

Timestamped Show Notes:

(3:51) What’s going on in your life right now?

(5:39) As a Bills fan, how did you feel about this last game?

(8:52) Using sports to get better at life… 

(12:39) Facing injury and channeling the need for competition in other directions…

(16:28) “So for me, it was about taking in all that perspective and then figuring out what I was going to do moving forward.”

(17:25) Figuring out “the why…”

(21:05) The new monster contracts…

(22:41) How did you go from disappointment to helping others?

(28:25) “If you want to be recognized and you want to feel important, go out and serve others and bring value to others and lift others up and you will then feel that importance.”

(29:08) Finding the balance between serving ourselves and serving others…and the freedom in discipline.

(34:38) “The number one thing for self-confidence is to write down three things at night that were wins for you that day.”

(37:32) The 1% rule…

(41:59) What does it mean to be the best version of yourself?

(44:26) What does goal-setting look like?

(50:41) The power of accountability…

(51:49) What fuels your pursuit?

(54:00) Q&A after the episode

References:

What's Next? with Eric Wood - Anchor

Eric's conversation about goal setting with Jason Selk - Anchor

How UCAN helped Eric lose 60 pounds - UCAN

Guest:

Eric Wood - website | Instagram | Twitter

Eric's fav UCAN product: UCAN Energy Powder

Hosts:

Jon Rankin - gobemore.co | @chasejonrankin

Bryan Green - maketheleapbook.com | @maketheleapbook

Learn More:

UCAN - ucan.co | @genucan

Your Personal Best Awaits

“You're just a foot away from success. And it's just being resilient and fighting for what you want. It doesn't matter how many times you're knocked down. It's just standing up.”

Our guests this week are Saxon and Spencer Panchik, two of the fittest men on the planet today.

For most, living up to an older sibling's success is a deterrent when it comes to choosing a sport or similar endeavor. The opposite is true for Spencer and Saxon. It’s actually become a major factor that drives them in their pursuit to crossfit excellence. The experience gained by their older brother, Scott Panchik, one of the greatest crossfit athletes ever, has become the blueprint they leverage as they navigate their own journey in the sport. As twins, they have a built-in accountability partner when it comes to training at a high level everyday and growing a successful gym business. They credit a lot of their success to their ability to do three things really well: staying in control of their emotions, mastering proper execution and knowing when to take risks. 

Throughout our conversation, you’ll benefit from hearing how they use these skills to maintain a steady rise in the crossfit global rankings year-after-year. Make sure to listen ‘till the very end when they share a powerful story of how their fall from a 75-foot cliff when they were 12 years old led to where they are today!

Timestamped Show Notes:

(3:12) Getting to the Crossfit Games…

(7:49) Focusing on positive outcomes and the law of attraction…

(10:04) Managing expectations…

(13:56) Training, working, and strategizing together…

(18:02) “In training, we're pushing ourselves to fail. We are taking those risks every single day to see what's truly possible. And then when we get into competitions, we'll make those adjustments as needed.”

(21:23) It’s all about pacing.

(23:51) “At the end of the day, we're brothers, and we train together every day. And we're brothers before we're competitors.” 

(25:43) Is there a Panchik mentality?

(28:22) A crazy accident and a new direction at 12…

(32:33) “It doesn't matter how many times you're knocked down. It's just standing up.”

(35:15) Q&A after the episode…

References:

Crossfit Cliffside - Instagram

CrossFit Champion Scott Panchik on Mental Fortitude & Training for the Unpredictable - Fueling the Pursuit

CrossFit Games Athlete Fee Saghafi on Taking Things Personally - Fueling the Pursuit

Guest:

Saxon Panchik - Instagram

Saxon's fav UCAN product: Plain SuperStarch Energy powder with Hydrate

Spencer Panchik - Instagram

Spencer's fav UCAN product: Edge Energy Gels

Hosts:

Jon Rankin - gobemore.co | @chasejonrankin

Bryan Green - maketheleapbook.com | @maketheleapbook

Learn More:

UCAN - ucan.co | @genucan

Your Personal Best Awaits