#217 Adam Wood on Chasing the Olympic Trials, Navigating Panic Disorder & Changing the Plan, Not the Goal

Adam Wood was barely recruited out of high school in Utah. He reached out to the coach at BYU anyway, was given a time to run, and spent the summer betting on himself until he walked on to the team and earned a scholarship. These days he races marathons and makes running videos, and his wife, Mica,…

#216 Cam Bostock on Trading Video Games for a 1000km Hiking Record, Quitting on Day Two & Why His Best Mates Are People He Met on Trail

Cam Bostock spent his teens inside. He was homeschooled, played video games all day and had social anxiety that followed him into his twenties. At about 19 he decided to change it: he got rid of the computer, started saying yes to invitations, and made himself walk up to strangers, which he says wa…

Why do we Quit? (Part 3) #215 Psychological Impacts on Physical Performance: Raising the Willingness

Four days after our baby was born, I ran my version of the Sydney Marathon. It took me over four hours. Three weeks later I lined up in Berlin to run a sub 3:30. The only difference was how much I cared about the outcome. In this episode I get into why the effort we're willing to give changes from…

#214 Pro Surfer Letty Mortensen: Surf Trips to Russian Military Zones, Tearing His Hamstring Off & Navigating Fear

Letty Mortensen was a late bloomer. He turned pro by sending Rusty photo after photo for free until they put him on the team. Then he had a big injury three years running: his shoulder, a fractured tibia, and a hamstring torn off the bone. He was just getting back in the water when a board hit him …

Why do we Quit? (Part 2) #213 Psychological Impacts on Physical Performance: Lowering the Effort

Most of us already have something we reach for when a session gets hard. Music, a mate beside us, the odd swear word. I wanted to know which of them hold up in the research, and why. This is part two of a three part series on why we quit. In this episode I get into how to make the same effort feel…

#212 Jake Taylor on Leaving Pro Soccer for Content, Why He Gets Best Ideas When Running & How Grief Changes Priorities In Life

Jake Taylor grew up in Sydney before moving to England on his own at 17 to play soccer. Now he's a content creator known for his signature running shot, bringing high-quality filmmaking to running content. A year ago he ran his first marathon, in Berlin. We recorded the day before this year's race…

#211 Nick Pearce: Travelling Around Australia in a Caravan With 3 Daughters & Everything They Brought Home (Including a Cookbook)

Nick Pearce opened his first cafe a few days after his 19th birthday and spent the best part of 13 years in hospitality on the Gold Coast. He sold the cafe and the coffee roastery, and then last year set off around Australia in a caravan with his wife and three daughters. He cooked a recipe at ever…

#210 Elliott Hagen: The Ultimatum His Wife Gave Him Before They Started a Family & How to Face What You're Running From

Elliott Hagen hosts Mind Your Head, where he's been really open about his own mental health. A while back his wife Jordan gave him a choice, and he went and did the work. He's just become a dad, on the same day I did, so there was no better time to sit down together. Two new dads reflecting on lea…

Why do we Quit? (Part 1) #209 Psychological Impacts on Physical Performance: The Wall Is In Your Head

I spent the last few days going through the research on what actually stops us when we think we are done. This is Part 1 of a 3 Part Series on it, and it is one I have been waiting to make. In this episode I get into what 8 years of NRL pre-season actually teaches you about the conversation you ha…

#208 Matt Formston on Becoming the Partner You Want, How to Measure Trust & Why Standards Matter More Than You Think

This episode includes discussion of suicide and voluntary assisted dying. If anything in it brings something up for you, Lifeline is 13 11 14. Matt Formston lost most of his vision at five years old, and the doctors told his parents his life was effectively over. He has since won world titles on a…