The Athletic Philosopher Podcast

In this episode I peel back the curtain and discuss my practice of stacking small wins in fitness over a long time span that lead to incredible growth over that time period. I share how I've gone about staying consistent over the past 12 years that has me in the best fitness of my life as I aim at turning 40 next year. 
My methods are more intuitive and feel based but are backed by expert trainers and the philosophies they've used to train the some of the world's best athletes. The aim is not to boast about myself, but use my path as an example for people looking to find consistency in fitness but haven't been able to crack the code for themselves. 
I give 3 important pillars to build this type of foundation for yourself and aim you out from the heart in order to make it stick, when so often fitness has been elusive at best. This is an inside look into how I build fitness routines and lifestyles for my coaching clients and athletes which then launches self growth, personal development, and living a life of values. 
Happy training team and let's keep winning together! 
 
 

Episode 44 is my response to a question I get all the time from people when they find out I'm an endurance athlete who likes to run long distance "What do you think about?"
I detail the 3 main categories of thought that I oscillate between on runs to describe my beliefs on the meditative aspect of running without external distraction or stimulus. I then use those  3 categories to provide you 3 ways you can begin to use running to find that inner signal that meditation affords the consistent practitioner.
Part explanation, part coaching, part exploration, I hope you enjoy the way my mind operates while running miles and miles undisturbed and inspires you to unplug and allow the mind to wander while the body moves with purpose. 

Episode 43 takes a bit of a different turn but it's all part of the same long winding path of using athletic training to mine the depth of truth in our lives. This episode is a direct response to a fellow academic traveller I met during the free speech wars of 2017-18 when I was a university professor making enemies in the administration that likely led to me parting ways with the Ivory Tower a few years later. This friend asked me about my experiences in business after leaving my prof job. This episode is my direct response. 
I talk about my journey by discussing why I chose online business, why an open mindset was my secret weapon, things I'd do a bit differently, and advice to anyone who is curious about taking a run at the online business world. One of my key secrets is the training and I make sure to highlight how important physical training is to helping you as an entrepreneur in the digital space. 
At the end, it's all about not quitting when things are tough and not going your way, and the virtues of courage and fortitude you get from the training help immensely in your mindset and actions in the business world. That's what I've learned about the synthesis between the two in my 5 years of creating space for myself in the digital landscape. 
Lots of good advice in here about making it your way, on your own terms, and living life by your design that I hope inspires someone to take the first step on their own heroic journey! 

Episode 42 is why I love hosting a sport philosophy based podcast. In this wide ranging and expansive conversation, world class brand builder Torrey Dawley and I swirl around how to realize our individual essence in the world through an understanding of physicality and passion. 
Not many conclusions but a treasure trove of golden nuggets of wisdom abound for all of us to consider. If you are in business, aspire as a high achiever, and need to  find the BEST ways to express that potential and realize it you will be in for a real treat with the knowledge and perspective Torrey drops consistently in this episode. 
Perhaps the best discussion yet about how sports wisdom applies equally well as deep life wisdom when it comes to entrepreneurship, business, and building a life of individual destiny. 
Thank you Torrey!
If you're interested in working with Torrey or inquiring about his brand building services check him out: https://www.torreydawley.com/

Episode 41 blends the 30,000ft view with the literal steps on the ground in talking about a recent run where I felt a moment of 'athletic transcendence' in my performance. 
I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to get out of the run, but I knew I wanted it to be framed by a passage in the latest Tribal Book Club selection, “The Game'“ by legendary Montreal Canadiens Goaltender Ken Dryden. It’s a feeling of flow in excellence that only physical exertion can produce in these fleeting moments of athletic perfection, what he calls 'That Feeling."
Because I was intentional in what I wanted to focus on during the run, the activity itself opened up for me and provided me the exact type of moment I was hoping to experience. This is the most detailed and personal exploration of the idea of sports as a spiritual practice I've gone into on this pod and I hope it inspires each listener to put the frame around their own exercise and fitness! 

Episode 40 takes you on the wild ride that was my Pirate King of the Suburbs Marathon. I ran 13.1 trail miles and 13.1 road miles from my front door, in a fasted state, without taking any food or water on the run with me as a way to proclaim my arrival in Suburbia. 
I go into where this challenge came from, how it materialized in my mind in January '25 when we moved to the North Shore suburbs of Chicago from rural Ontario, how I trained to take this down, and how the run itself unfolded on May 12, 2025.
I share this story to inspire you to dream big, imagine a challenge for yourself, and find the bravery and courage to go after it hard and with intimate care. 
Runs like this are big time for my spiritual confidence and physical capability and probing deep inside these efforts reveals to true beauty of sports in teaching us all the truth about ourselves and our place in the world. 

Episode 39 goes hard on Team Tribal's epic race weekend at IronMan Chattanooga 70.3 where 19 Tribal athletes, 2 coaches, and an army of family supporters showed up ready to pour our their hearts on race day. 
This is the definitive guide to my own experiences, how our team does race day differently than any other sporting organization in the world, and what I saw in each athlete over the course of our weekend together. 
Get a real behind the scenes and behind the mind insight into these team race experiences which I view as the truest manifestations of my philosophy on sports lived in action. You get a sense of how I treat these events as primary research and evidence of the sporting philosophy I love developing and living to its fullest.
Thank you team for giving me the space to tell these stories, they come from my heart!  

You're in for a treat with this discussion between myself and ultra running superhero Barefoot Ken. On the day after I completed a fasted, no water, no fuel marathon I sat down with only other person I've met who didn't think it was insane and has done it himself as well. 
We dive into why we enjoy running in a spiritual way that harness adversity and eschews comfort so we can learn deep lessons about ourselves. We bring up philosophers and poets who inspire us to enter nature, challenge ourselves through running, and offer our deep experiences as evidence you should at least consider taking on big challenges. 
Follow Ken's writing on Running at his website (https://thelongbrownpath.com/) and keep an eye out for a new book on running he's releasing in the fall, at which point I'll invite him back on to discuss it. Thanks Ken! Happy Running team.  

This episode goes deep inside the competing pressures of competing in sports seriously as an adult. There's a paradox at play and we don't shy away from diving right into the middle of it.
Exercise and sports should be built upon a spiritual foundation, that is, a practice that ennobles character and leads to self discovery and truth, in order to experience them at their best. But does caring deeply about the outcome of a competition get in the way of these internal motivations?
If you care about competing but don't want to compete in a superficial way, I provide a deep justification that playing seriously and caring deeply about results in sports is an appropriate signal of growth and courage if you've already built your exercise foundation on spiritual grounds.
Let's GET SERIOUS ABOUT PLAY! 
 

This episode features an open ended conversation about the subjective value of running with creative writing professor Scott Parker, of Montana State University, that he captured in his upcoming book "How to Run: A DIY Guide for Romantics"
We discuss the unique ability of running as vehicle of self-knowing and self-discovery, why you need to hit the trails in the winter, why the numbers block us out from true meaning, and how to utilize the deep connection between running and creativity to become courageous in living an authentic and meaningful life.
Thank you Scott for this incredible conversation, I can't wait to invite you back to have another one! 
Order your copy of "How To Run"
https://www.amazon.com/How-Run-DIY-Guide-Romantics/dp/B0F2B7R75W