Colin O’Brady Shatters The Explorers Grand Slam World Record: Ruminations On Risk, Limits, Fear & Giving Back

Four and a half years ago, I hit record and spoke my first words on this podcast from a cavernous warehouse on Kauai's North Shore. An experiment without much forethought, it was at best a simple creative outlet. Without attachment or any expectations whatsoever, I wasn't sure there would even be an episode 2. Today I celebrate 300 episodes. About 500 hours spent going deep with the most compelling minds I could find. It's a catalog I am extremely proud of. A catalog I wish I had access to guide my younger years. A catalog I hope has brought you guidance, perspective, inspiration and education to inform your journey we call life. Today I celebrate by taking a moment to reflect back on the journey with my audio producer Jason Camiolo. Then we launch into a Q&A that was recorded before a small live audience on July 14, 2017 at Sacred Space in Miami at Julie's This Cheese Is Nuts! book launch event. In recognition of the 300 episode milestone and to honor you, the listener, I am giving away 10 signed copies of Finding Ultra as well as a handful of #BuildTheHouse t-shirts. To be eligible to win, simply take a screen shot of your favorite RRP episode and share it on social media with a brief explanation of why you found that particular episode meaningful. Tag your post with #RRP300 and we will select the winners one week from today (July 14, 2017). Just a small way for me to say thank you — because without you, this beautiful thing would not exist. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange. Peace + Plants, Rich

7 Juli 20171h 15min

Imagine yourself growing up around the wrong people. Because it's easy, you fall into the wrong crowd. Blink, and you’re in. Deep. A victim of impossible circumstances, it’s not long before you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the reflexive moment — impulsively and without thought – you do the wrong thing. A thing so terrible, it forever alters the trajectory of your life. A thing so unimaginably horrible, you dedicate the rest of your life in service to atonement. This is the story of Shaka Senghor. At the age of 19, Shaka shot and killed a man. Convicted of second-degree murder, Shaka would spend the next 19 years in different prisons, seven of which were spent in solitary confinement. While inside, Shaka made a decision. A decision to fully own his circumstances. A decision to transcend victimhood, understand his past, free his mind and expand his thinking. When he wasn't voraciously reading, he wrote. And it was through this relentless commitment to knowledge, self-understanding and compassion that he ultimately pulled himself out of the anger that led to his incarceration and prevented him from reaching his full potential. Released in 2010, Shaka did not return to a life of violence. Instead, he committed himself to one singular idea: that our worst deeds don’t define who we are, nor do they prohibit our contribution to a better world.  Fidelity to this ideal transformed Shaka's utterly broken life into one of meaning, purpose and advocacy. Now a leading voice in prison reform, he is a powerful public speaker, a Senior Fellow with the Dream Corps, a 2014 TED Prize finalist, a former MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, a former University of Michigan lecturer, a current Fellow in the inaugural class of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Community Leadership Network and the founder of The Atonement Project. In addition, he recently launched Mind Blown Media, a new media company that aims to create high-impact content focused on the criminal justice system and mass incarceration. Shaka’s memoir, Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death and Redemption in an American Prison* debuted on The New York Times Best Seller List as well as The Washington Post Best Seller List. He has been interviewed by Oprah and his TED Talk, which received a standing ovation, has been viewed more than 1.4 million times and was featured by TED as one of the most powerful TED Talks of 2014. Shaka has appeared on CNN, CBS This Morning, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Good Day New York, and he has been a guest on numerous radio programs, including NPR’s All Things Considered. And if all that isn't impressive enough, Shaka is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2016 EBONY Power100, the 2016 Ford Man of Courage, the 2016 NAACP Great Expectations Award, the 2015 Manchester University Innovator of the Year, and the 2012 Black Male Engagement Leadership Award. I’m honored to share Shaka’s powerful story with you today. Enjoy! Rich

3 Juli 20171h 44min

We all yearn for connection, yet often feel trapped by our sense of isolation, anger, or envy. But there is a key that can free us from this prison of despair. Love. The problem? Love is just hard to talk about. Harder to understand. And perhaps even harder to practice. How we get it? How we give it? How do we attract it? How do we cultivate it? To answer these questions, first we have to define it. What is love, exactly?  Ask Sharon Salzberg and she'll tell you that it's not an emotion we should be trying to extract from another. In fact, don't even think about love as a feeling at all. Instead, consider it as an ability. An aptness or facility that resides within all of us that can be cultivated to create real, profound connections with others, with all, and most importantly ourselves. And it is that connection that will nourish the very sustenance of life itself and ultimately set you free. Today I sit down with Sharon to redefine our limited interpretation of love. To dispel the misunderstandings that confine and circumscribe it. To plumb the eternal truths within it — love based on direct interactions rather than preconceptions. And to explore how we can better cultivate and expand our experience of real love in our daily lives. For the uninitiated, Sharon Salzberg is a towering figure in the field of meditation. A world-renowned teacher and multiple New York Times' bestselling author, she has played a central, crucial role in bringing meditation and mindfulness practices to the West and into mainstream culture dating back to 1974 when she first began teaching. She is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and the author of ten books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness*, her seminal work, Lovingkindness* and her newest release, Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection* (the focus of today's conversation). Sharon is also a regular columnist for On Being, a contributor to Huffington Post, and the host of her own podcast, The Metta Hour. One of the many striking things about Sharon is that she's just cool. Like, really f*$king cool. Despite her undisputed luminary status in the meditation space, conspicuously absent is any hint of pretense or artifice. Down-to-earth and fun to be with, her approach to Buddhist teachings is modern, secular, and accessible, rendering the wisdom and it's practical applications relatable to all. This conversation is a deep dive into Sharon's extraordinary life. Enjoy! Rich

26 Juni 20171h 51min

Today I am joined by Chris Hauth for round two of my new and novel Coach's Corner edition of the podcast. A sub-9 hour Ironman, Chris (@AIMPCoach) is the current Age Group Ironman World Champion, a former Olympic Swimmer and one of the world's most respected endurance coaches. In 2006, Chris won the Ironman Coeur D’Alene and went on to be the first American amateur & 4th overall American at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. When he's not training and racing, Chris coaches a wide spectrum of athletes ranging from elite professionals — including Ironman and Western States top finishers, Ultraman winners and Olympic Trials qualifiers — to first time half-marathoners. A friend and mentor as much as a coach, Chris has deftly guided me through three Ultraman World Championships ('08, '09 & '11), EPIC5 in 2010 and is currently preparing me for the impending Ötillö Swimrun World Championships in Sweden this September, an event we will race together — literally tethered to each other — as a team. Today we sit down for a brief (by the standards of this podcast) state-of-the-union on our training at 11 weeks out from Ötillö, then shift focus to a number of fitness, training and overall wellness subjects germane to the listener — whether you are an elite athlete, a weekend warrior or just looking for that nudge to get off the couch. Specific subjects discussed include: * Chris & Rich's preparation for Ötillö * Getting Rich ‘race fit' at 50 after a 5-year break * Training into your 50's & 60's * Chris’ training & racing philosophy * Pros & cons of external monitors/trackers * Fitness versus racing * Chris' three pillars for peak performance * Training smart vs. training hard * The primacy of process over results & enjoyment over obsession * Strategies for optimizing recovery  I could have never achieved the level of athletic success I have enjoyed without Chris' deft counsel, so it is with pleasure that I share his wisdom with you today. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange. Peace + Plants, Rich

22 Juni 20171h 2min

Last week we discussed the how behind ditching dairy. This week we discuss the why. Right now the average American eats more than 33 pounds of cheese a year. Packed with calories, loaded with saturated fat and teeming in highly addictive casomorphins, it's a habit that's intimately linked to obesity and a litany of chronic illnesses, including heart disease and type-2 diabetes. It's a habit that wrecks significant havoc on the environment, polluting our skies and poisoning our water table. And it's a habit that perpetuates unspeakable cruelty on the sentient animals it relies upon to serve its unabating appetite. Nonetheless, the U.S. continues to produce more cheese and dairy products than any other country in the world. Relentless, well-funded dairy industry lobbying efforts have entrenched government subsidies that not only incentivize production but even quietly fund corporate product development and marketing efforts, such as Pizza Hut's infamous grilled cheese stuffed crust pizza, McDonald's McCafé products and even Starbucks smoothies — all products specifically produced, developed and marketed to increase consumer dairy consumption courtesy of the federal funded and USDA regulated dairy checkoff program. It's time to stop the insanity. So let's talk about it. I can think of no better steward to facilitate a conversation on this subject than my good friend Neal Barnard, M.D. A pre-eminent authority on diet and nutrition and its impact on illnesses such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s, Neal is the founder & president of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), where he leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research, and the Barnard Medical Center, a ground-breaking non-profit primary care medical practice where board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners, and registered dietitians help patients prevent and reverse serious health problems, leveraging a holistic approach that involves tackling the actual causes of illness, with extra attention on nutrition. Neal is also an adjunct associate professor of medicine at George Washington University and has authored over 70 scientific publications as well as 18 books, including the New York Times best-sellers Power Foods for the Brain*,21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart*, the USA Today best-seller Dr. Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes* and the subject of today’s conversation...

19 Juni 20171h 18min

“I would totally go vegan but there’s no way I can give up cheese.” If this is you, then today's episode is required listening. This week my wife and creative partner Julie Piatt returns to the podcast to discuss the hows and whys of ditching dairy in celebration of her brand new book, This Cheese Is Nuts! Delicious Vegan Cheese At Home, hitting bookstores everywhere Tuesday, June 13. Equal parts mother, author, yogi, musician, and doyenne of vegan cuisine, Julie spent the last two years ensconced in her kitchen lab, dutifully pushing plant-based culinary boundaries to create an extraordinary new work to empower each and all with the required tools and techniques to prepare over 75 facile vegan cheese recipes for home and family. Introducing Cheese 2.0. As her taste-tester in chief, take it from me — it doesn't mimic dairy cheese. It's better. Way better – for you, your family, the planet and of course the animals. If you loved The Plantpower Way, then you're going to flip for This Cheese Is Nuts — a next level nutritional primer designed not just for vegans but for everyone and anyone looking to live better and more sustainably. So whether you are paleo, lactose intolerant, plant-curious or just looking for healthier options for your kids, this book is a must for your and loved ones. This week I sit down with Julie to talk about why she wrote this book and what she hopes it will accomplish. This is a conversation about creative exploration, the power of self-expression and the hidden strengths of naiveté. It's about why and how you should finally ditch dairy. And it's about food choice as a powerful political act to improve personal health and sustainably preserve our collective ecological resources for future generations and our animal friends alike. I'm so proud of Julie and I couldn't be more excited about the impact her new book will no doubt have on positively transforming countless lives in the years to come. The recipes forever changed our lives and I promise they will change yours too. So pick it up for yourself. Pick it up for a loved one. Pick it up for the animals. Pick it up for the planet. Because time is running out. Because good food truly is the first portal to self-actualization. And more than ever, we need everybody to be who they really are. I sincerely hope you enjoy the discussion. This Cheese Is Nuts! Peace + Plants, Rich

12 Juni 20171h 19min

Back by popular demand, my good friend, podcast favorite and provacateur-at-large John Joseph returns for an unprecedented 5th appearance on the show to share more of his extraordinary story. A story that lays bare the indelible power of the human spirit to face and transcend unimaginable, seemingly insurmountable obstacles and ultimately transform one's life wholesale. If you're a longtime listener, Johnny Bloodclot needs no introduction. For the uninitiated, John is a sui generis American original. The very definition of hardcore. A survivor. A spiritual warrior spouting straight talk directly from the streets of the Lower East Side with one singular, driving purpose: getting people to wake the f&*k up. Conceived and raised in abuse, deprived of opportunity and left to his own devices, John turned to violence and drugs on the rough and tumble streets of New York's Lower East Side in the 1970’s. It's a path that predictably led to violence, crime, addiction and incarceration. Spending his teens as a drug mule led to a series of unsavory foster care homes, culminating in unimaginably horrific stints in juvenile detention. Then things went downhill. To avoid long-term incarceration, he enlisted in the Navy, only to go AWOL after a fight. Fleeing the law and rudderless, John found redemption in the hardcore punk rock scene flourishing on Manhattan's Lower East Side in the early 1980's. Taken in by the Bad Brains' frontman H.R., John began to explore not just his musicianship, but his spirituality. It's a journey that birthed the Cro-Mags – one of the era's most iconic and influential hardcore punk bands. Later, he found his spiritual salvation living in a Hare Krishna monastery, birthing a life-long love of meditation, yoga, the vegan lifestyle, racing Ironman triathlons, and most importantly, his profound devotion to service. Renown for his straight talk, no BS approach to living and the power of PMA — positive mental attitude — John continues to tour as frontman for both Cro-Mags and his new band Bloodclot. He also just released a 2nd edition of his memoir Evolution of a Cro-Magnon* and is the author of nutrition primer Meat Is For Pussies*, with a foreword by yours truly. A man who truly walks his talk, every conversation with John leaves me better than before. Today's conversation proves that just when I think we’ve covered it all, new layers emerge. So even if you've enjoyed all of John's previous appearances on the podcast, this episode will find you riveted by a stream of mind-blowing, never previously told stories that are certain to incite, provoke, educate and inspire. LANGUAGE ADVISORY: John drops more f-bombs in this conversation than I could count. John is John, and editing was out of the question. So if you're queasy about foul language, consider yourself warned and make sure the kiddos are out of earshot. Enjoy! Rich

8 Juni 20171h 44min

Plenty has been written about achieving peak performance in sport, career and life. But there is a black hole in the literature when it comes to the tools and practices required to consistently perform at your absolute best over the course of an athletic season, a long professional career and ultimately an entire lifetime. Until now. This week I convene with Brad Stulberg (@BStulberg) and Steve Magness (@stevemagness), two high performers who both quested for greatness but fell short, succumbing to the paralyzing burnout that all too often destroys the hopes and dreams of even the most talented, determined and capable. Once a rising star at McKinsey & Co. with a stint consulting on health care at The White House, Brad was a golden boy determined to maximize his seemingly unlimited career potential. Instead, he worked himself right out the door of his chosen profession. Reinventing himself as a writer and author, today Brad specializes in the health and the science of human performance, known for his ability to merge the latest science with compelling personal stories to offer readers practical insights that they can apply in their own lives. Currently a columnist for Outside Magazine and New York Magazine, Brad has also written for Forbes, NPR, The Los Angeles Times, Runner’s World, and The Huffington Post. And because Brad's insights are generally so awesome, they often find their way into my weekly Roll Call newsletter. An elite track & field athlete with very realistic Olympic dreams, Steve clocked an extraordinary 4:01 mile in high school. As a collegiate, he would spend the next several years chasing the elusive sub-4 minute barrier, unable to best what he accomplished as a teen. Steve reinvented himself as one of the most accomplished, respected and in demand track & field and cross country coaches in the world. In addition to serving up duties at the University of Houston, he is the personal coach to some of the most accomplished professional and Olympic runners on the planet. In the wake of their respective course corrections, both Brad and Steve wondered: what could we have done differently? And more importantly, what can be learned from the latest science, our experience and that of others to save people from suffering our fate? The product of that inquiry is Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout and Thrive with the New Science of Success*. Based on science and insight derived from some of the world's most accomplished athletes, artists, and intellectuals, it's a must-read primer on the common principles that drive and ultimately sustain performance, regardless if you're trying to qualify for the Olympics, break ground in mathematical theory, craft an artistic masterpiece or just become a better weekend warrior, parent or professional. Today, I sit down with Brad and Steve to unpack the aforementioned common principles. Chockablock with life-enhancing treasures, this is a great conversation. Enjoy! Rich

5 Juni 20172h 8min