Miles & Mountains
Join Nick, a social worker and coach by day, as he unravels the inspiring stories of athletes and the public, uncovering the motivations behind their actions, from conquering mountains to participating in ultra-endurance races and competing in rodeos. Get ready for heartwarming tales of community support, acts of kindness, and the revelation that everyone has a deeper story to tell. Whether it's running, climbing, or participating in rodeos, these stories will inspire and uplift. #Running, #Climbing, #EverydayAthletes, #Rodeo
Miles & Mountains
From Addiction to Ultra Running: Joe Hardin’s Journey of Sobriety and Storytelling
Joe Hardin, known as Trail Tortoise Running, transforms personal struggles into inspiring narratives. Having overcome addiction and celebrated sobriety, Joe found solace in ultra running, allowing a deeper connection with nature and community. We explore his journey from battling personal demons to discovering the meditative power of running and the joy of storytelling.
Join us as we venture into the world of ultra marathons with Joe, where camaraderie and creativity reign. Music and craftsmanship reveal another side of Joe’s multifaceted life. We discuss his favorite albums of Radiohead's "Kid A" and a love for Queens of the Stone Age. Joe's passion for woodworking not only provides a creative outlet but also hints at a budding side business. Through storytelling, running, and artistry, Joe exemplifies how embracing multifaceted interests can lead to a fulfilling and enriched life.
Instagram:
@trail_tortoise_running
https://www.instagram.com/trail_tortoise_running?igsh=ajZ0OGFzYXZjcGh3
Shoutout to:
Joe Hardin
The Hardin Family
Run Tri Bike crew
Everyday podcast athlete network
Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/
Miles & Mountains Promo Code: Milesmountainsyr3
Joe Harden. How are you man?
Speaker 2:Hey, what's up? Man Doing great. I'm super stoked to be here. You know, we've been chatting for a little bit on Instagram and I think we've been following each other for a little bit, so it's rad to be here.
Speaker 1:um, on this side of the mic too um, I'm just super stoked to uh have this chat with you yeah, yeah, yeah, in my earbuds I have that song. It's been a while, and it's been a while since I've been trying to get you on, so it's been a while yeah, yeah, yeah. So so you're man of many titles. I've known you just for your social media, because you followed me, I follow you, I do a follow and you know, add myself and whatever. But I've known you for being the Trail Tortoise Running. That's your tag.
Speaker 2:That's my running handle. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And we'll get there. So the many titles that you have. Yes, you're a tortoise runner. You're an ultra runner. I guess you're proud to be in the back, which some people are, and you boast about it. Nothing bad about that. You're a rider for RunTriMag, correct?
Speaker 2:Yeah, runtrimag Mag runtrybikecom.
Speaker 1:Yep, yep, yep. So shout out to those guys and the team and most recently, man, you became a podcast host.
Speaker 2:Wild right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So you're the host of Beyond the Finish Line and you do a segment of what's in your Earbuds.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay. What's in your earbuds? Yeah, okay, what's in your earbuds is me and Om Gandhi's baby. Yeah, it was. So I guess we'll back up to be on the finish line. Maybe we can go back further to riding for run. Try a bike, well.
Speaker 1:I was just getting your mini titles, so, so let's finish that first you have a segment. What's in your earbuds besides me and your podcast that you did earlier today, right? What's in your earbuds when you're working out? Number one artist, go in your ear, but lately, earlier today.
Speaker 2:Earlier today, um, I was listening to an audiobook, uh, by a guy named eli elliot masson. I just interviewed him, uh, but music wise, it's going to be really, really random, but I usually go through like I mean, I listen to everything. It's like my spotify playlist is pretty confused right now but I'll be fully honest with you.
Speaker 2:I was listening to some really old school, uh mystical this morning while I was running, which isn't my normal thing. I'm like highland country, like outlaw country, yeah, like, uh, cody james, why do you work in the 78s? Waylon jennings but randomly today I was doing like this really hard treadmill workout and I put on some some mystical so mystical that watch yourself right yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't know why I did it, but I was like, all right, I'm here for this. It was a pretty hard workout, so it got me uh, kind of got me fired up okay, along with the podcast, you are a huge part of the ever-growing network.
Speaker 1:Everyday Athlete Podcast Network, correct. Yeah yeah, so you're always busy. You guys are busy, like I said before, and kudos to all you guys and keep it going for what you're doing, man, so keep going. So you had a segment Run, Try Bike Mag.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I write monthly for Run, Try, Bike and then. I usually write about you know running or variety or you know whatever, and I guess, if you want me to, I can kind of dive into how that details, into the, the podcasting for the network, if you want, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, dude, you, you started writing and then now you got podcasts and you're still writing. So I mean dude, it just went bigger to bigger and better things now yeah, uh.
Speaker 2:Well, it kind of started with reaching out to Run Try Bike. They had this little Instagram post. You know, we want to talk to the everyday athlete and it's kind of on a whim. I was just like, well, I mean, that's a message to end up turning into Om Gandhi, who's a good friend of mine now.
Speaker 1:I said, hey, I'm the everyday athlete.
Speaker 2:And I felt like a good vibe about what I was seeing with them, uh because uh and you'll hear them say this all the time they are the premier voice of the, of the everyday athlete, and that really resonated with me. And then something else they said is uh, and this is their mantra now is there's a starting, there's a place in the starting line for everybody and everybody. And that really stuck with me and I reached out to Run Try Bike. They were nice enough to interview me. They actually made me the cover story of January 2024. Nice, and next thing, I know they're asking me to write. And that went well for a while. And then I get this random email in the middle of the day hey man, would you like to host a podcast? And that's just the wildest thing. It doesn't feel real and I'm just super happy for the opportunity.
Speaker 2:It's a labor of love. I love talking to everyday people, I love getting to know people. Every time I get a chance to interview somebody, I come away with a different source of inspiration, a deeper love for fellow humans. There's something beautiful about as you know, nick diving into people's stories. Everybody has a story worth telling, every single person. I mean. I love getting a chance to talk to the everyday people and tell them and share their stories and it's um, it fills my heart every single um, every single time I get a chance to do this for the everyday ethic podcast network. It's, it's the labor of love and we're going to continue to grow and continue to tell these great stories. It's something I truly believe in and I'm going to keep doing it until it doesn't make sense anymore.
Speaker 2:It's always going to make sense, man, it's always going to make sense.
Speaker 1:Trust me, it's always going to make sense. So you're sharing stories Well. Congrats, man. You guys are doing a good job. Keep it up. Keep it up. All right, the podcast what's the main huge difference between writing and being behind a mic? Besides, you know the audio. What's the big difference, man?
Speaker 2:I think what I love about podcasting more than like interviewing someone for a story, like writing a story is this in real time. You're like you're really seeing a side of someone you know. You know you're saying like a genuine person when you're talking to them, especially when, especially when you hit them with like a question they were expecting.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And, like you know, especially if you show them that you care about talking to that person when you see that light bulb go off, like, oh man, like you did your homework, um, you know, you actually care about talking to me when I see that that light bulb go off in them, that just man, that brings me so much joy and it's so fulfilling to see that it's like. So I just like the idea of of actually getting to know somebody. Maybe, you know, yeah, oh yeah, whether it be in podcast form or talking to someone on, you know, on the street.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, it's, it's, it's uplifting, man, for it's rewarding for us and awesome for them. Just to know that you know people do pay attention and do support them in any feat that they accomplished, or starting or finishing, or you know whatnot out there. Okay, yeah absolutely. All right. So, like I said, I've known you for a trail, tortoise running. Not a lot of people embrace that. I know there's a podcast.
Speaker 2:You know chasing oh god, chasing cutoffs chasing cutoffs.
Speaker 1:I know that guy, very nice guy. I haven't had him on but he has a stellar podcast and, uh, he calls him in back of the pack. I don't believe him. He's not very nice guy. Met him on or at a race. I blew out my ankle. Hey, long story short. Great guy, but why tortoise running? I I know in my book I tell people, I tell people the tortoise, one man beat the hair, you know yeah, because slow and steady wins the race Right.
Speaker 2:That's right, man. Um, where did it actually come from?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, I'm, I'm slow, I mean, and I, and I'm fine with that. I learned very early on in trail running that I'm always in the back of the pack. Uh, middle of the back of the pack, middle of my best day, right, um, and man, I'll probably do it. I'll probably, uh, dfl a race man. That's fun, um, being back there, I call it the party pace, um, and honestly, uh, I lean into it. It's my favorite place to be. You hear all the good stories back there. You mean, I mean some, some of these people I meet in the back of the pack I'm still friends with and, honestly, the nickname came from. One day I was just like slogging through my local trail and I almost stepped on a turtle and I stopped and I was like oh sorry, you know I'm not myself.
Speaker 2:I talk to animals, Right. I'm like oh sorry buddy and I kind of scooted them off to this off the trail a little bit, so nobody else would trample on them.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And while I was like moving, I was like man. We're kind of the same, you know, we're both moving kind of slow. We're both like eating, you know eating plants and snacks along the way. And then that's where Trail Tortoise Running came from. I'm slow and it's my spirit animal, like you said, slow and steady. I may be slow, but I'll get there eventually.
Speaker 1:Okay, but to embrace the slowest moving reptile? Okay. More power to you, man. It's all good, dude, it's all good. So we talked about what you're doing. Now You're doing great things, sharing voices, sharing your voice. Of course. I know you've done a few podcasts yourself and, uh, more power to you. So for my listeners and for me, how, when, what and why running man, oh man all right, so he's having got plenty of time.
Speaker 2:How did it?
Speaker 1:start, man? How did it start? Why did you pick up you know running shoes and just go on a jog to begin with?
Speaker 2:And when did it?
Speaker 1:start.
Speaker 2:Let's see, would you say, how. So I guess let me preface this conversation with I'm also sober. Going on five years, congrats Everything alcohol, drugs, all of it and I lived that life for a very, very, very long time. Most of my life I struggled with addiction, substance abuse, problems, and I was also very you know, I was very unhealthy. I was, you know, you know, very overweight. The lowest rock bottom. I hit a lot of rock bottoms over the years. The low just kept getting lower.
Speaker 2:December 4, 2019, I hit my last rock bottom. I had a moment that I'm sure a lot of fellow alcoholics and recovering addicts can agree with. It was like a moment of clarity. I know it sounds cliche and I thought it was like a cliche thing to say, but, man, it was just like a light bulb went off that night. I knew I was. I knew I took my last drink. I knew I didn't have any more rock bottoms left in me. I knew that the way I was living my life was going to kill me very quickly.
Speaker 2:At that, I was going through my second divorce. I divorced the mother of my kids. First, I remarried to somebody that maybe wasn't the healthiest to be around in active addiction. You know that ended up falling apart when I got sober and, you know, I worked my way through sobriety. I actually wound up mending my relationship with the mother of my children over the years. We remarried last year, march 31st which is a miracle, you know, I get to. I got my family back, you know, and that I, you know, I get to, uh, I got my family back and I'm, you know, and that's a really long story too. So, uh, my first year, sobriety birthday. We, uh, we celebrate my sobriety birthday more than we do my real birthday. You know, I'm 40 something years old. We don't, we don't care about our birthdays 40 something.
Speaker 1:You know I'm 42, so yeah 42, yeah, 42 as well man, uh.
Speaker 2:So we're out to eat. We're celebrating my sobriety birthday. This is huge, right? Um, I never thought I could make it a day without using uh drugs or alcohol. So a year is a lifetime. Uh, the place where we're dining up at night there's a gym right next door. My wife goes to that gym. Uh still does when at times still does. She's like you know, for your uh sobriety birthday, we should get you a gym membership. And, like you know, I started uh, after I quit drinking, I lost some weight, I started feeling better and I was like you know what, I'm ready to uh, to take that leap. So I went in there that night. I signed up for a gym membership at the anytime fitness um, karen left and chatted to John Santieri. I've become really close with the family that owns the gym. I love them. They've become a second family to me.
Speaker 2:Went like 5 am. I was embarrassed to exercise in public. Um, you know, I was in bad shape and I would just do 30, 30 minute thing on a treadmill. For the first six months I started feeling even better. I started lifting weights. I started feeling even better. Um, I changed my diet, started feeling really, really good and I, and one day I thought I saw this flyer for a turkey trot. It's a Thanksgiving 5k. Um, here in town I still do it every single year, I don't miss it. Um, and I pulled that little tag, you know, and I and I, I go in, I my wife's getting ready for work that morning I said do you think it'd be like this wild idea to do a 5k in November?
Speaker 1:Uh, she's like no, that'd be great.
Speaker 2:You know. So, uh, we trained together, that goes well, we run it together. It was awesome. You know, like this huge thing, uh, 5k is still a big deal. Don't ever let me, but don't let anybody take that away from anybody who's striving for a 5k. It's a big deal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, still a scary distance to me.
Speaker 2:um right, it's fast, it's fast, right uh it's fast, and I realized that after the event was done I was like man, that was cool, but I missed that training. Um. So you know, I that progressed to a half marathon and that that really started getting like nuts and bolts of like long runs, like speed work, and I was like man. I really really love training for these things like. To me, the event is just like kind of like the icing on top and, um, I started learning a lot about myself training. Um, uh, I didn't know there was a world outside of road races at the time. Uh, so I, though I've dove into longer distance. I looked at like marathons for a while and I just like just felt like something was missing with that distance. It just never appealed to me and I'm kind of, uh, what's that? The camaraderie?
Speaker 2:yeah uh, and that's, and that's what I think it was lacking. You know, I'm not. If road running is your thing, that's great. I think it was lacking. If road running is your thing, that's great.
Speaker 2:I think there's a community for everybody. You're right. But yeah, I'm scrolling through YouTube and I found this video by Billy Yang called A Day in the Life, and I was just like, wait, people run in the woods. I grew up in the woods, my whole family hunted and all that stuff, and people run 100 miles. This is wild to me, um.
Speaker 2:So as I, as I've heard someone say, I drank the kool-aid. You know, I went, I went all in, uh, I signed up for, so basically, I skipped half marathon, I skipped marathon distance, I went from half marathon to 50k. Uh, trail run and uh, a lot of people do, and and uh, the rest is history. You know, I've been working my way up through some mileage and we can dive into that later if you want, but that's the start of my running journey. It's, it's became more to me than just exercise. It transcends exercise. To me now, it's a way of life, it's meditation, it's um, and running, running ultra, is like experiencing the woods, like that is is spiritual, it's meditation, it's healing, it's exercise is just a you know a cool side effect of all that right it's community, like it's so much bigger than, um, what I could ever imagine becoming to me.
Speaker 2:You know not to get too far off in the weeds with that, but that's you know. That's my running journey. I went full in like I, like I would with anything I'm, you know yeah.
Speaker 1:So a lot of people, like a lot of the the clowns on social media, would say, well, you went from one addiction to the next. I've heard that too. You know what I mean, and it's like I just give them a bird. Okay, and so what about running? Did you try bike biking? Do you try anything else? What? What did running bring to you at that moment when you knew deep down like, holy crap, man, this is what I want. Like why running? Why not cycling? Why not just be a gym rat lifting weights? You know trying to, you know be the physique guy, or you know bulk up power lifting, you know you could. You have so many other choices, but why running? I think.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's a. I could tie a lot of things into that. First of all, I love the outdoors, and that took me a while to do. But I thought deeply about this.
Speaker 2:There's something, there's something my way through this like kind of switchbacky single track trail a few weeks ago and I and I it was just like me, alone with my thoughts, um, just like the sound of my feet kind of shuffling through the foliage, and it was like this, like synergy that I was like creating, and I just don't think that I could ever find anything like that that gives me that, um, that moment. Because you know, I spend my whole life, even now, I'm always kind of, uh, daydreaming about, like what's to come or like things that I've done, and I'm always kind of in that limbo for some reason. And trail running it forces me to be present and, um, I can't find anything else that gets me to that point, and I think that's why I keep chasing these longer distances. You know, it's like you're present and I'm always, you're always kind of learning something new about yourself every time you take them like a longer distance, and there's always something you can take away. Even if it doesn't go right.
Speaker 2:Someone could go terribly, an ultra could go terribly, and I'll still learn from that. All right, okay.
Speaker 1:Your mission now Sober, sharing stories, paying it forward. Dude, that's awesome. Keep it up, man. What's next? You said you're always thinking what's next, what's next, man? Because I always think I'm like'm like, okay, right now. You know, I had two back-to-back multiple day races that I had to decline because of my foot right. It's always something, it's always something. So I'm always like all right, can I try this mountain? Can I just walk the mountain? You know, trek the mountain, the mountain. I'm like I need to get out. So I know what you're going through. So what is next for you? I know you have a hundred miler coming up right, or a hundred K.
Speaker 2:A hundred miles yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So so what is next for you besides that? What, what, what goes through your mind Just trying to fulfill that void, that that need to get the miles in to feel present?
Speaker 2:Uh, um well, there's a couple of things outside of just running. Uh, I'm diving deeper in the community.
Speaker 2:Um that's something else that's kind of been coming up. I realized that I take a lot from the sport, so I'm trying to give back um the best and the most that I can. So I've been diving deeper into like networking and growing like kind of like a trail family, and I think that's really important. I guess I just want to emphasize that. And as far as races go, I've got a 12-hour and a backyard coming up, but I'm kind of going to use those for tune-ups for 100-miler. Just more riding, more podcasting. We're really pushing to see where I can take my riding and we're trying to grow that. And then man, just kind of eyeing the prize for the 100 miler and I'm stoked, I feel good.
Speaker 2:I went through a little injury problem too. A couple weeks ago I did a 24-hour event. I probably shouldn't have pushed as hard as I did, but that's kind of mended up. And I guess I'll say this out loud, I'll be fully transparent. I'm using the 100 miler for something bigger and if I say it out loud, I'm committed to it. So my plan is to go for the Oregon 200 in 2025.
Speaker 1:2025 because 2024 is canceled because of the smoke.
Speaker 2:I don't know what that's going to do for next year. My plan is to reach out to them and make sure. If not, I understand. So maybe I'll find a 200 mile somewhere else, but I really Nebraska Cowboy 200 is a good one is it a good one okay?
Speaker 1:it's a good one, it's flatter, it's flatter, it's a lot flatter.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I mean that's. I'm just trying to, you know, grow my role in uh, trail running more. Uh, maybe not.
Speaker 1:That doesn't always mean mileage, that could be, yeah, like I got you diving deep in the community well, you're doing it, man, you're doing it, dude, you're doing it by the podcast, the writing, just you being present, you know, not just here, but sharing other stories. You know, oh, oh, oregon, 200, man, that's a, that's brutal, have you? Have you been over here in these parts?
Speaker 2:not in a long time, but, uh, I don't know what it is. It's, uh, why that number is really sticking out to me right now, but it's like I've got to at least try right like yeah yeah I mean if I, if it doesn't go well, like, maybe I'll get a few cool days in the mountains, I guess.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, hurtful days, correct, and have you done the a backyard yet?
Speaker 2:I've done. This will be my third, third, fourth, third, backyard yeah okay.
Speaker 1:And do you have a crew? It's all about the crew. Do you have a career? Do you do it alone?
Speaker 2:I usually do it a lot. Well, I don't have a crew, but I usually do it with a buddy of mine. I met my buddy, eric, at my first backyard, and this will tell you a lot about backyards, right, I guess, for anybody who doesn't know what a backyard is. It's a 4.167-mile loop on the hour, every hour. It's the brainchild of the great Ladris Lake, gary Cantrellll, and you get one hour to do that loop and if you don't make it, you're out. Um, it's kind of like a run club vibe. It's, uh, I, I still talk to everybody. I still talk to people from every backyard. I've ever done so.
Speaker 2:Uh, this year I'm linking up with my buddy eric. We did, we've done some stuff together um, my buddy cameron balzer shout out to cameron balzer he just completed, uh, a run around the entire country, the united states of america, 12 100 miles around the country. He'll be there. So it's going to kind of be like a little like a little reunion at this backyard, nice. So, yeah, I'm really fired up. I don't know what kind of distance I'm gonna do yet since, uh, it'll be like a month before my hundred miler, um, so I don't know, I'll just run with my heart and see uh, I'll probably. Maybe I'll piss off my run coach if I run too too far, but we'll see. I'll ask for forgiveness if I go too far so it's all about the crew.
Speaker 1:Man bet, the person with the best crew normally goes the farthest. So another thing is, if you do uh backyards by yourself, the best, the best way to, I guess, make it as far if you're alone. Organization I see some crazy organization for, you know, for runners and everything, the best organized runner I've seen. Instead of using boxes to organize their stuff, they use the plastic shoe uh shoe rack that you can put on the backside of a door.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Hey, telling you best way to do it. Best way to do it, man. So just FYI, giving you a little pointer man, I love backyards, I love backyards, and I definitely like to do the ruck backyard more though, because it's just.
Speaker 2:Oh, where's it. So where's that at?
Speaker 1:Uh, there's some in, uh, washington, okay. Uh, in Spokane area though. Yeah, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the. The weighs a buck, 30, 25 pounds. If you weigh two bucks and 30 or a little less, or anything above 175, 180, you have to have like 30 something pounds. Man, it's, it's a difference, it's a difference I'll check that out.
Speaker 2:That sounds like fun, though what like? How long's the the loot? The same, the same amount okay I think's a backyard, I think it's. I think it's silver.
Speaker 1:I think it's silver. I think it's a silver. Uh, backyard, I think, yeah, there's bronze silver and gold. Uh, I know that's how they rate them um oh, yeah, yeah, I can. I can give you, uh, more input afterwards, but yeah, I've done it a couple of times, man. So when you are running and fueling, what's your go-to fuel?
Speaker 2:Well, I've talked about this a lot, but usually, and shout out to smokers and send trustables, man, I love them. Trustables, that is. That's, that's nutrition of the champables man. I love Uncrustables. That is nutrition of the champs man. I love Uncrustables. I love those little mini Clif bars too, the little peanut butter ones like 100 calories. Black Forest gummies with the juice in the middle. I love those and I really love.
Speaker 1:I'm not a big fan of, like the goose or like yeah, same awesome sauce or whatever.
Speaker 2:You know that whole debacle. Um, I'm really into these mama chia chia seed packets it's like a blackberry jam with, like, hydrated chia seeds on them, and I love those. They're always easy on the stomach. This isn't, like you know, a reigning endorsement, but that's just one of my favorite. Uh, if they wanted, if they would ever uh, give me a sponsorship, I would certainly back that brand.
Speaker 1:But that's one of my favorite goats yeah, my goatee is scratch.
Speaker 2:I love scratch and the the drink is so good like yeah, um, I forgot, I like forgot to throw some like tailwind in my, in one of my models that one of my last ultras and I was just like what's that? Like scratch, you know I can't. It was like the mandarin orange or something right, I mean, it was so good like honestly, it works I might.
Speaker 2:Yeah I, I no shame in that game I might have to make the switch to scratch because it was phenomenal. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, so you said Uncrustables.
Speaker 1:Everybody knows my listeners know about Uncrustables. It's the lazy man way, but it's effective, so I get it. But when you do, I know during your lifetime, I know my lifetime, and now up till now, I still eat peanut butter jelly sandwiches. Do you eat peanut butter jelly sandwiches besides Uncrustables?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So when you have time, you know, sit down, have a dinner, a PBJ dinner, Just joking. By the way, how do you build a peanut butter jelly sandwich? Matt?
Speaker 2:I usually do. I usually like to do peanut butter on one slice and jelly on the other and then smash them together. But I like to leave the crust on. And crustable is just like you know, it's like real handy, it's like all ready to go. But on the crust on, yeah, spread on both sides and mash together what's the ratio? I try to not go real heavy on like. I try to go real heavy on like the jelly ass side of it, but like for the peanut butter like.
Speaker 2:I'll put like a three-eighths slab of like peanut butter on that side and just like cover like 80 of the middle of the other slice. Okay. All right, that's a really specific breakdown, but I don't want too much jelly.
Speaker 1:Hey, I totally get it, and you won't believe what I've heard on how people build their peanut butter jelly sandwich. It's quite fascinating.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yesterday blew my mind, or the other day blew my mind, rodeo athlete. She said that you know she, she makes them, but she puts them in little squares. She cuts them up in little squares and puts them in a Ziploc bag, so when she's hungry she just eats it like a snack. I'm like what that's out of two hundred and thirty two episodes. You know, this one gal just blew my mind. I mean, I've heard sourdough, I've heard tortilla, I've heard some amazing peanut butter jellies. You know how to make it, but this one was like weird, you know, I'm like what. I can't do that to my peanut butter jelly sandwich because I don't. I don't think it's feeling, you know, but that's her way of doing it. You know she's also a model, so that explains it all. You know. But that's her way of doing it. You know she's also a model, so that explains it all, you know.
Speaker 2:I can almost appreciate the commitment to that, though like to individually cut it all up. So All right.
Speaker 1:So that that's OK, that's the way you go. I like more peanut butter jelly, so I appreciate you sharing that. Man, I do, I do, all right, so do you. I drive my wife crazy because when I listen to music, I have to listen to albums. I don't listen to playlists. I don't listen to some random like 1990s rock, rap, whatever I have to listen to albums. I drive her crazy, right? Do you listen to albums or you just listen to playlists?
Speaker 2:Kind of depends on the artist too, I guess as well. I'll start with that. But I mean, honestly, I'm I hate to admit it, but I, you know I spent I can't tell you the last time I listened to like this like a full, full album, oh my God. Like I said, it depends on the artist, but I'm a playlist guy. Now it's like I need, I just need like little, like tidbits out of each album and create like a greater playlist. But yeah, it's, it's hard. It's like we live in such like a like a quick world with like reels. It's like you just want like the best of this, the best of that. So I'll admit I've gotten away from listening to whole albums okay, so I got a couple questions for you, man.
Speaker 1:When was the last time you actually listened to a full album front to back dude?
Speaker 2:oh, probably about a month ago, I listened the to the entire Kid, a album by Radiohead. I love Radiohead.
Speaker 1:Oh, radiohead's good. The old stuff is good. The new stuff is just like oh God, what are you trying to do? It's almost like Modest Mouse. You know, their old stuff is just phenomenal. It's just like, oh my God, where is that? And then they went to the new age sound. I'm like radio head.
Speaker 2:Uh, a lot of smiles, yes, so kid a all right, okay, favorite album of all time, oh no, uh, it's weird because it's not like my favorite artist, but, um, and it's for reasons so before me and my wife had kids, we used to, you know, take a lot of trips together, road trips and stuff, uh, and we always had like this road playlist and there's this, uh, live oar album that we used to listen to all the time and I had on cd. Like one of my friends left the double disc cd in the car. This is when you still had cds, like it was in a big, that big book, you know?
Speaker 2:hey, I still have cds, don't knock it yeah it's like a, it's like live at red rocks or something by oar. Yeah, and me and my wife would listen to that album the entire, the entire road trips. And it's like I said, oar is not like. I like oa at r, like I kind of like I'm like you know, I like dad rock, I like jam bands so it's not my favorite artist, but it's my favorite album.
Speaker 2:That like life of the. I like jam bands, so it's not my favorite artist, but it's my favorite album. That like life of the red rocks I think it's what it's called, or it's called like here and now by OAR. I wish I could remember the name of the album right now, but it's so damn good from begin like start to finish, so that's my favorite album of all time because it's like a nostalgia. Yeah, there's a lot of memories yeah, memories, you remember.
Speaker 1:You know there's tons of albums of me thinking like, okay, where was I when I first was on? Yeah, I was here there and in between. Yes, yes, yes, favorite artists of all time, even your go-to artists. Like it never fails, dude, when you put it on your playlist, you know it's going to be a good one I am a huge queens of stone age fan.
Speaker 1:I saw that I saw that man. That's another eclectic sound. I just have not been a fan. I'm a huge fan of foo fighters. I know they're friends, but it's just like ah, that's just. I'm not a fan of theirs. But okay, queen of Stone Age, okay. Yeah yeah, All right all right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like it's not for everybody. I can understand that, but I don't know what it is. I just love. I just always loved Queen of Stone Age. Like it grew on me as I got older too. It's like, ah, it's just so good. Like it ages so well. Like, like ages so well, like they always age so well with their music.
Speaker 1:So Okay, I gotcha, I gotcha Song that you must have in your hundred miler coming up.
Speaker 2:Okay, this has been a absolute like. I've got like a rescue playlist that I listened to when I'm running through the woods and there's a song called black critic by Brent Cobb that has to be on my hundred mile playlist, absolutely has to be on my 100 mile playlist. Absolutely has to be on that playlist, man, I could listen like if I'm going dark on a trail, like on an ultra. I'll just put that on repeat. I don't know, it's just like ah, that song just gets me every time and it's like it can only do that when I'm in the woods and I'm suffering really bad.
Speaker 1:When you have downtime, whenever. That is because I know you and I have similar schedules a bit. You know, when you have downtime, what do you do for fun? Don't say run either.
Speaker 2:People say that it's like are you kidding me.
Speaker 2:Well, it's weird because it's become more of like a side business now, on accident, but for fun. I am crazy about woodworking. I love hand tool woodworking. I love woodturning, I love teaching woodturning to other people. That's something that we've been me and a business partner hopefully a business partner I've been kind of planning and trying to see if we're going to get work. Um, like I said, uh, woodworking, woodworking has become a side business for me. I also in my fun time now make uh finisher medals for a lot of trail races, uh I saw that beautiful one.
Speaker 1:I like that, so thank you what's that? You made that hand saw one, oh no no, that was.
Speaker 2:Uh, that was my dfl prize at my 100k I draw across that finish line, uh. So, yeah, something, something I do for fun. It's become almost a business on accident, but it's still something I really love to do. Um, I love creating. I would like to sometimes call myself an artist, but, uh, you know, imposter syndrome is what it is, so I don't really feel like I earned that title yet, but I'm working on my craft artists are everywhere, man.
Speaker 1:Whether you run, you write podcasts. Come on, man yeah, true yeah all different types. Okay, all right. So when you do have downtime, my downtime is watching movies, all right, I I lost touch because dude streaming is ruin cinema. Hate it, hate it Okay. So there's certain kinds of movies, but there's one actor that I always have to know Cause, you know, for the guys that come on, I always have to know their personality. So I have to ask you man favorite Adam Sandler movie?
Speaker 2:Well, all right, it's Billy Madison. Come on, it's so, it's billy madison come on it's so it's so good.
Speaker 1:Okay, so the original ones yeah, I love that movie.
Speaker 2:I'll still watch it. You can't, you can't outgrow billy madison.
Speaker 1:If you do, you're taking yourself too seriously, right, he called the shit poop, yeah, yeah stop looking at me, swan yeah, yeah, exactly that's my go-to man. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:Okay, favorite movie of all time oh man, I gotta ask this recently. Uh well, and it's weird because it's also because I it's a thing I share with my wife, shawshank redemption. We always make it a point to watch that movie together. I don't know if I can watch it without her. It'd be weird. So I think Shawshank Redemption, I've got a lot of like favorite movies, like of a certain genre, but I think Shawshank Redemption is my favorite movie of all time.
Speaker 1:All time Okay, all right.
Speaker 2:Comedy all right, comedy, then go comedy. Oh uh, yeah, what's that, what's?
Speaker 1:that my favorite comedy? Oh wow, uh, probably billy madison.
Speaker 2:Uh, yeah, yeah, it's so damn funny, uh or uh, pineapple express, actually, let me say that for favorite comedy.
Speaker 1:That's one of my favorites man yeah, yeah. And then there's other guys oh yeah, oh yeah. Sometimes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love Talladega Nights, yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, man. Well, dude, I don't know. We can keep going and going. I appreciate your time, I know you're busy and everything else, but would you like to add anything? Did I miss anything?
Speaker 2:No, I think you captured it well. I you know, I guess, maybe, maybe, if I could leave some like closing of advice, wouldn't it be okay? Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And this is something that I have to remind myself all the time and I always like to say don't be afraid to say yes to scary things. I think that's a big thing, right, sign up for the thing that scares you and just get out there and do it. It doesn't have to look pretty, it doesn't have to look pretty, it doesn't have to be perfect. It's all about progress. I've learned a big thing that stands in my own way is myself. So I just want to, I just want to you know, share that what I'm kind of, what I'm learning about myself as I go. Just get out of your own way and get after the scary stuff, don't you know? Don't be afraid to say yes and on yourself, that's. That's just something I want to. I got to get out All right.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you, and forgot to add one thing the artistry, artistry. Right, I had a. I have a buddy of mine, the only guy that I talked to out of the Army, the only guy that I talked to. I don't speak of it, don't really highlight it, you know, yes, I am a veteran, but he did. He turned into woodworking and turning and everything else, and it was kind of interesting because he lives on the peninsula, right outside of Tacoma, right, he would look at trees a lot differently than I would, right, and so anytime we came to a tree that had cancer, right, he'd be like, oh my God, I want that, I want that. So my question to you this is a good question about artistry and everything else.
Speaker 1:Are you one of those guys that when you see a cancerous tree you're like dude? I want to turn that.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, my wife, every time I go for a walk there's this tree just in this park by us. It's got this huge burl on it and it's like I want to like. She's like no, you can't cut that. Like I'm not gonna go cut the burl off the tree. It's like I bet it's like a 200 pound burl. Yeah, and it's maple, so maple burl looks crazy when you turn it and like add a little, add a little uh, oil to it, the character in that. I mean it turns like powder. But if you can get it turned and in one piece and a little bit of linseed oil, oh it's pretty well turned Burl is a thing of absolute beauty. Yeah, you guys are different.
Speaker 1:And you guys are a different breed. Yeah, to see this guy who doesn't even do a lick of stuff, you know, and just get you know just high and just drool over this bump in a tree, a tumor in a tree, guys, if you guys don't know what I'm talking about, it's just a bump in a tree, an odd bump cancerous tumor of a tree and he just at odd with it.
Speaker 2:So man, I, I get it. Man, I totally understand your friend.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I totally understand what you're going through too, man, with your story. I appreciate you sharing, not just here but everywhere else, and sharing online threads. And you know the new thread. I'm not a fan of it. I'm not because a lot of people there's a lot of bs in there but I saw yours and I was just like man. This guy's opening up and it takes a lot of balls, takes a lot of balls, man and uh. But you're there, you're healthy, mentally, physically, emotionally, dude. You got what it takes to carry on your story others. So, without further ado, man, I appreciate your time and what you do for the community. Continue sharing stories, whether it's yours and others. Thank you for helping others find their voice. Until next time, please come again. You're always welcomed, thank you.