Samantha Pruitt: 0:23

Hey beautiful humans Polly and Sam here.. What are we talking about today?

Polly Mertens: 0:31

We’re talking about champion mindset.

Samantha Pruitt: 0:34

The champion mindset, mmm, mmm Dang girl, that’s going to be good.

Polly Mertens: 0:39

The A team, team awesome.

Samantha Pruitt: 0:41

Team awesome. Yeah, let’s do a quick revisit on the 30 day challenge, because we’ve got a lot of peeps that are in the middle of that right now and I think we should acknowledge their commitment to themselves and to team awesome taking that challenge on and maybe hearing from a few people who are struggling. And we feel you, we feel you. So, pauly, let’s talk first about your challenge.

Polly Mertens: 1:04

Yeah. So one of the things I just wanted to share was, you know, as I took on the I am awesome, you know declaring every day I am awesome for five minutes, what some of that started. You know I’ve done challenges before. You know, just throw in here I did the 75 heart challenge and I modified it for myself. You know like what worked for me and they would say technically that wasn’t 75 heart, don’t give a fuck. It’s like who’s life is this? But I’m making the change that I want to see in my life right, I’m using his format and his structure and I’m making it work for what I wanted, which was more sleep.

Polly Mertens: 1:39

We’re not here to create clowns.

Samantha Pruitt: 1:41

No, there’s nobody like you, there’s nobody like me, there’s nobody like any listener out there no flicks. Yes.

Polly Mertens: 1:46

No flicks. So what I was realizing is I started saying I am awesome every day for five minutes a day and I would set an alarm.

Samantha Pruitt: 1:52

That’s a long time.

Polly Mertens: 1:54

Well and yeah, and so you’ll hear my tweaks and my modifications. So some of the things that I adjusted is, as I was saying, awesome. I started to sprinkle in I’m amazing and because I’ve done I’m amazing before and that actually is working more for me than I am awesome. So some days I’m awesome comes out 20 times and then I go to I’m amazing and sometimes all I say is I’m amazing. So adjust it. What feels freaking awesome to you, right, so keep doing it, but adjust it so it works for you. And then I tried some with dancing, walking, and then some were quiet, interesting, like there was times where the vibe that where and when I was going to do it, it was like I can still be amazing and awesome and it doesn’t have to look like dancing around partying in my room.

Polly Mertens: 2:42

Like I can have a real excuse me fucking hard ass conversation with myself like you know what girl you’re awesome Like you are awesome.

Samantha Pruitt: 2:50

Sitting in the shit. Yeah, like.

Polly Mertens: 2:51

I’m awesome. So there were moments where it wasn’t dancing, it wasn’t hard walking, it wasn’t power walking, it wasn’t you know whatever. So sometimes it was quiet but it was intense and it was deliberate and, just you know, mindset shifts, new insights. So we’ll talk about that. But my, you know, two of my keywords for this year are elevate and expand. And saying I’m awesome every day. Saying I’m amazing every day, like it activates parts of your brain. It’s activating parts of my brain anyway. So that elevate and that expand, it’s like I’m noticing, like I’m having aha moments day in and day out, because I’m setting my mind to, hey, look through this lens, look at her, look at me, look at my life, look at the opportunities, look at things around me through that lens, and there’s more for me to appreciate about myself. It’s like the more I appreciate myself, the more I’m finding to appreciate about myself. Like that elevate is happening. I want to say, naturally, but it’s I’m doing it Organically.

Samantha Pruitt: 3:53

You know what that reminded me of. When you’re saying I am awesome or I am amazing, you’re not making a statement about anything external from you right or even your life per se, cause sometimes it is a pile of you knew what right, but you’re owning it and embodying it. So I love that, because that’s really liberating to me just to think of it that way.

Polly Mertens: 4:20

And I think one thing that some people might fall into the trap of that I don’t let myself fall in the trap of, is it’s not because of something, it’s not as a result. Like like I don’t sit there and go. Oh, I did that yesterday. Okay, that’s something I could tell myself. I’m awesome about or it’s not accomplishment oriented.

Samantha Pruitt: 4:39

Yeah.

Polly Mertens: 4:39

It’s not like oh, like sometimes, yeah, I made my bet I’m awesome, like I do like throw that in there. You know, look at me, I’m being awesome, right. But those five minutes are not a rehearsal or a reminder or replay of oh, what did you do yesterday, girl, that you’re so awesome today? It’s just, I’m just declaring it because deep in my soul, that’s who I am, and honoring that and honoring that.

Samantha Pruitt: 5:02

So so we’ve heard from a lot of our audience that they’re having some challenges with your challenge. Well, maybe just some of mine too, but let’s talk about what you’re hearing from the peeps.

Polly Mertens: 5:12

So, and there’s some that I have heard- I’m awesome that we hear you, so yeah some that I’ve heard and some that I know is out there still right. So things like I don’t have time, okay, right, I don’t have time to be doing that. What am I?

Samantha Pruitt: 5:25

going to do. You talked yourself all day Me. Okay, anyway, you’re in a two minute shower.

Polly Mertens: 5:31

You’re probably on the toilet for two minutes, you’re pooping for five minutes a day. It’s not your most awesome moment. It is. It could be yeah In your world. Yes, um resistance could look like. I don’t feel like it.

Samantha Pruitt: 5:45

I don’t feel like it Right.

Polly Mertens: 5:47

Yeah, um, or the big one. And I’ve had times, even when I’m doing this challenge, where it doesn’t feel authentic, right. And so what I said earlier about making these little tweaks was in the some moments where, like just the, the energy of where I was at the time or, you know, like the space that I was in or whatever it didn’t, it wasn’t appropriate, it wasn’t authentic, right, to dance around and say I’m rainbows and I’m awesome, but it was to have that deep inner like yeah, yeah, girl, you’re awesome, right. So, even if it doesn’t feel authentic maybe it doesn’t feel authentic to do it one way, but it can feel authentic Just find those tweaks, you know, find those little ways to tweak it, and then you get the imposter syndrome, ouch.

Samantha Pruitt: 6:31

Who do you think you are? Been there, done that a zillion times.

Polly Mertens: 6:34

So I’ll just point out, imposter syndrome is, you know, just traces, and it’s an opportunity for you to notice what’s showing up, right. So, like, notice that, like, oh, I’m feeling like an imposter, okay, well, what’s behind that, right? Oftentimes, what you’ll find behind that is perfectionism or self-doubt. So I’m just going to say that I don’t want to go deep into that, but just notice it’s likely linked to some traits of perfectionism which has a lot of fingers in, you know, expectations that you know you’ll never achieve. So cut that shit out.

Samantha Pruitt: 7:03

You know, like, get on this. And when you say that out loud and I’ve had that syndrome many a times I almost hear someone else’s voice. Family members, you know, exes, not friends. I’m not friends with anymore, like the outside world copping that attitude with me and then me accepting it.

Polly Mertens: 7:23

And that’s where perfectionism comes in, because it’s our, you know. We think we have to be perfect so that other people like us. We have to be perfect so that we’re a good girl, whatever you know like misperfect. We could go into miles and miles of content about that, but you know. And then you know I’m conceited if I say that.

Samantha Pruitt: 7:39

Yeah, that’s just yeah.

Polly Mertens: 7:41

Hails. No, that’s just the rest of the world dragging you down right, or we get into my favorite, especially as a habit coach. Oh, I forgot.

Samantha Pruitt: 7:49

I forgot. Didn’t you write it on a post-it note and put it everywhere, like we told you to? I forgot, you didn’t forget, right.

Polly Mertens: 7:56

So what that looks like is either you know some of this is habit building, right, so it’s prioritizing it, you know, tying it to other habits We’ve talked about that and I would say what are you committed to, right? So when you’re committed to something like this thing is happening, like I’m sharing and transforming my life from the inside out, I’m transforming who I am. I’m, you know, creating this champion mindset. Like what are you committed to it? Or you’re just interested in it. Yeah, are you committed to it or are you?

Samantha Pruitt: 8:25

interested and, to be clear, this is a 30-day challenge. So everybody’s got 30 days and you know the ones who don’t have 30 days left. You know we really need to be championing them, but everybody’s got 30 days and committing to a 30-day challenge. Well, let’s talk about the 5K.

Polly Mertens: 8:44

I was going to say what’s going on for you.

Samantha Pruitt: 8:47

So 5K a day, but I was clear. You know it’s not at a set pace, it doesn’t look a certain way. It’s definitely adaptable to whatever the humans decide to take on, and we even talked about doing other activities. If they’re not feeling a 5K walk or run a day, that’s totally fine. Pick something else to do. But for sure, the number one I’m hearing is I don’t have time, which that fascinates me, because everybody well, okay, let’s say, a 5K for some people will take around 30 minutes. For other people it might take quite a bit longer than that. It could even take up to an hour for some people.

Samantha Pruitt: 9:27

But what are they doing with their time? How are they prioritizing their time? Right? So if they say, if the excuse is, I can’t get it done because I don’t have time, then there really needs to be again that look in the mirror and an evaluation of how they are spending their time. And if they’re not committed to themselves for an hour out of their 24-hour day, we all get the same 24 hours. What we choose to do with it is completely up to us, and in most instances you will find you are giving it away to somebody else. So you’re making their needs trump yours, and that’s something we’re going to talk about at length in another show or you are simply whittling and squirreling and wasting it away, doing something that is not serving you in any way, shape or form. So take an inventory of your 24-hour cycle and find the time.

Polly Mertens: 10:17

I don’t have tolerance for that excuse. Yeah, and I would say, if you and I want to give people credit, if they are on a going down, like, let’s say, eliminating something else so that they can grow into this, that’s fine. You know, like, if it’s Phase approach, yeah, it’s like. You know, I can’t cut off my number of hours at work, whatever it is or some other thing that they’re previously committed to. They want to do this challenge, but maybe it’s like that. You know, week one they were, they couldn’t flip the switch.

Samantha Pruitt: 10:47

It was a holiday and gain that hour. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re so much nicer than me, but but or I should just say flexible.

Polly Mertens: 10:54

Yeah, but, like, grow into it, you have to be committed. And what are you committed to? So, as long as you are committed to that and you are like, I had a friend who we did numerous challenges together and you know they often look like a, like a calendar on her refrigerator and there was like all these things, I was like, damn woman, you’re trying to do all this in one day. You know, drink the amount of water, get the amount of sleep, talk to her kids for this much make her kids lunches.

Polly Mertens: 11:22

I mean like countless things. I was like that’s a hefty order. You know she was committed to all these things and the first few weeks weren’t perfect, uh-huh. And I was like I know I’m going to get there, like I’m not checking all the boxes off every day and that’s okay. And she God bless her would get there. Wow. So that’s what I mean by that phased approach. It’s like okay, you’re not hitting, you know, an hour or five K or whatever every single day, but you’re lacing up and you’re getting out there on whatever that activity is for you like kudos you know, like I still give you kudos and you’re on your journey and some people just have a lot more stuff that they realize they have to untangle from.

Polly Mertens: 12:01

So kudos if you aren’t doing that work.

Samantha Pruitt: 12:04

Yeah, yeah, show up, show up. A big feedback loop. Also, I’m hearing from people, as I don’t have any energy to do that amount of exercise, whatever it is they’re choosing. So again, I didn’t say it was high intensity, I didn’t say it was fast, I didn’t say any. None of that stuff is relevant whatsoever in any way, shape or form. So if they don’t have energy to get dressed and to put on some kind of clothing that will facilitate the movement of their body, then we have a real health concern.

Samantha Pruitt: 12:33

Something else, yeah, something else is going on, right. So there is I, physically, am not well and don’t have the energy, and that is possible, and I have been that person who literally could not get out of bed. So I feel you been there, I know how awful that is. I think, however, the bulk of the people are saying they don’t have the energy for that because psychologically, mentally, emotionally, they’re so exhausted from life and making other choices around their life cycle that have drained them of that vital energy that it takes to move. So what I want to say to those beautiful humans is that the movement will actually facilitate the energy, so the movement will come. The energy will come from moving the body. So you will slowly release some of those emotional burdens, some of that stuckness. It does feel kind of crappy at first. I mean, I’m not going to sugarcoat it, but the energy will come sometimes during the movement itself, but many times, the majority of times, it will actually come after the movement itself.

Polly Mertens: 13:42

That’s just physiologically how it works in the body. Yeah, I remember you and I did that community run recently and I hadn’t been running as much on the road and I was like this is freaking hard. You gotta forget how hard it is Much. I didn’t enjoy road running and it was only. I think it was a three-mile thing right. And like towards the end, is when I started to actually feel good. Yes, and so it reminds me. I’m like it actually feels better to run more, or it actually feels better.

Polly Mertens: 14:13

Your body gets into a groove or you kind of work the kinks out. You work the lactic acid, the things that keep you inertia, you know, keep you out of motion. Once you get into motion, you feel like you want to keep in motion.

Samantha Pruitt: 14:27

Yeah, and the less fit you are, the harder it is to start and unfortunately, that’s a cycle that feeds upon itself.

Samantha Pruitt: 14:35

But as you start to move and your body starts to adapt and your brain starts to adapt to, this is what I do now. I move my body. This is how I move my body. It will meet the challenge, it will step up to the plate. You’ll amaze yourself. It’s shocking how it happens, you know, but physiological adaptations are a real thing, you know.

Samantha Pruitt: 14:57

Another thing I’m hearing is it hurts and it’s hard, and you touched on that. Sometimes it hurts and sometimes it’s hard. Guess what? So is life. This is not a surprise to any of us that challenging yourself in whatever capacity, definitely in the physical realms, sometimes hurts. Yes, it can be hard. Who gives a shit? It’s still worth it, you are still worth it. So you have to be able to move through that barrier, that wall, to the other side. Right, I’m not saying it’s easy on the other side, but again, adaptations will happen in your brain, in your body. Accommodations, progress will be made and it will get easier, and joy is waiting there. Believe me, sometimes I have to be moving for a really long time for that shift to happen.

Samantha Pruitt: 15:51

Yes, exactly, and other times it’s there, it’s right there, it’s readily available. I never know, every day is different but I know it’s a real thing and it does exist and I’m up for it and I think that every human is up for it. That’s how we evolved.

Polly Mertens: 16:06

Yeah, and anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first. Yeah, that’s right. It sucks, it’s hard, it hurts it’s. I don’t like the sweaty part or I have to take extra showers or it’s inconvenient or it’s uncomfortable, Like yeah okay, yeah, we get it, we totally get it and it’s totally worth it.

Samantha Pruitt: 16:26

Yeah, it’s like me saying I’m not gonna train for Iron man this next year because I have to get in a pool. There’s chlorine in the pool and it’s gonna damage my hair, so therefore I should not train for an Iron man. Is that a reasonable thing?

Polly Mertens: 16:38

For some people. But that not us, but not us.

Samantha Pruitt: 16:42

No, not reasonable. Okay so let’s talk about this. Oh my gosh, this is so fun.

Polly Mertens: 16:46

Wait, I just want to say one more thing for the those people and all of you who are on this challenge with us like kudos, like I just want to congratulate high-fi, celebrate wherever you are, if you’ve fallen off or you haven’t made it every day, or if you’ve been like stellar, you’re like this is amazing, like I can’t believe the breakthroughs I’m having. Wherever you are on this journey, I just celebrate you for stepping in and raising your hand or stepping up for yourself. Yes, because this isn’t about us. I mean, we love you and we appreciate what you’re up to, but it’s you doing it for you, right? And that’s the most important thing is, you do these miles, you do these incantations, you do whatever you’re doing in this challenge for you, not for anyone else, and you’re gonna see the results. You’ll have outward ripples, but this is for you and god damn it. We celebrate that.

Samantha Pruitt: 17:35

Yeah, it’s true, 1000%. It is about the human on the other side of this microphone who actually said yes to Team Awesome and is like hey, maybe I don’t feel that way today, but I’m gonna say yes to becoming that. I know I’m capable of it. I know I deserve it. Let’s go.

Polly Mertens: 17:54

Or I don’t know where this is going, but I want to.

Samantha Pruitt: 17:56

Who cares where it’s going. We’re gonna have so much fun together.

Polly Mertens: 18:00

I just want in.

Samantha Pruitt: 18:01

We know where it’s going. Yeah, speaking of where it’s going, you and I have had a few things in the last week that have some stuff’s come up called life that have allowed us to, personally, and with each other as well, revisit our own champion mindset. There was a little bit of that going on initially, champion mindset, and so you’ve made some big commitments to yourself, I’ve made some to myself, and I want us to share that with our people, so they know that you and I are far from perfect. So can you share?

Samantha Pruitt: 18:39

I want to talk to you about what you’ve been up to.

Polly Mertens: 18:42

Well, I think it was fun. When you and I were on a hike and we started, I said, have you seen that goddamn movie Under Pressure? And you’re like which movie? And I’m like that movie. Netflix mini series. Netflix mini series about the Under Pressure. Was it the 2019 World Cup? Yeah, yeah, the awesome Team Awesome right there and embodied Team Awesome going for the World Cup championship. The ladies World Cup, and hearing the locker room talk, the interviews, the mindset of these ladies Unreal.

Polly Mertens: 19:16

So good, I mean when you listen to Eagles and how they soar and what it takes like we win every game, like just imagine if you went through like we win every game kind of mentality, how you show up for yourself differently, right, and so you and I had like had a pause, like we both turned around on the hike.

Samantha Pruitt: 19:39

We’re screaming on the top of the mountain. What about when there’s heaven? Do you see that? Do you see Raponi? She said that, yeah, all the like flashbacks. We had to watching that. We watched it totally independent from each other. We didn’t know the other was watching it at all, like we had no clue. But we both got such a high level pump from being reminded of what true champions look like, what they sound like, how they operate in their life. I mean, and it’s they didn’t win the World Cup, by the way. That’s soccer. They Spoiler, if you want. Not important, yeah At all. I’m not saying we wouldn’t have loved them to win. We want to win everything. Like you’re saying. You go at it with that mindset. We win everything. Sometimes life has other plans. Winners, full on champions, so freaking good.

Polly Mertens: 20:30

So you had a race, a hundred miler that was out in front of you, and I think one of the things you were thinking before you changed your mindset after we talked about this was yeah, I’m going to go do.

Samantha Pruitt: 20:44

Cruise control yeah, go, go, get it finished.

Samantha Pruitt: 20:47

Doing the thing I know that’s a hundred miles. I’m just going to hang out and run for a hundred miles For two days. I’m an ultra person so I do these things and it’s not my first hundred mile race. However, I had in my mind this was a bit of a last hurrah for the closing out of year. Moving on to the next year, I’m transitioning a little bit, not that I’m never coming back to ultra. It is absolutely beloved for me and that community. But I’m going to pony back up to a full Iron man next year and challenge myself to beat my time. 13 years ago I did a full Iron man and I’ve decided I’m turning 55 next year that I will beat my time from 13 years ago at a full Iron man distance. So I made that commitment to myself and that is super, exciting, super pumped.

Polly Mertens: 21:39

Yeah, yeah, the real deal. That’s like the self coaching, that’s the like, self initiating. Yeah, like I’m taking responsibility for how this is going to go. I’m setting an intention for myself, my own goal, right.

Samantha Pruitt: 21:52

No one’s telling me to do this. No one gives a crap what the hell I’m up to right, they just are like oh, she’s up to some other shenanigans.

Polly Mertens: 21:58

And that I just want people to recognize. You can give yourself permission for that. Yeah, like we think we need, like so and so or whatever.

Samantha Pruitt: 22:05

No one called me and told me I was talented, by the way, and that I should absolutely pursue this sport and I would have success at it. No one’s making that phone call. I’m not a sponsored athlete, no, this is just me.

Polly Mertens: 22:16

Yes, raising your hand for yourself. Yeah, right, yeah.

Samantha Pruitt: 22:21

And I think of that commitment I had already made and was planning for in the new year, etc. Making some life adjustments appropriately. I was coming up, I’m coming up to this 100 mile race, yeah, and I thought, well, just show up, you know, check the box.

Polly Mertens: 22:42

Nobody expects anything of me.

Samantha Pruitt: 22:43

Nobody’s expecting anything. Show up, check the box. It’ll be a little bit of a last hurrah before I refocus into triathlon and I’ve got some friends going and you know it’ll be over union. So I had this different vibe and energy. I also was feeling very stressed about a lot of things in the personal life going on and so I didn’t feel like that race coming up, that 100 mile distance was something I could commit a lot of time, energy, resources to, or really inspiration, yeah. So I was going through the motions, making some things happen. I’m fit enough to do it. Yeah, let me just show up. And then I had an epiphany with myself. I had a moment with myself, actually a few of them, but watching that Netflix mini series reminded me.

Polly Mertens: 23:32

Wait a minute.

Samantha Pruitt: 23:33

Hold up. You are an ultra athlete. You are an ultra woman, an iron woman, excuse me. You’re an athlete. You need to show up to this race, this 100 mile race, but if it was a 5K, same thing. You need to show up and fully own not only who you are and embody that, but what are you?

Polly Mertens: 23:54

capable of. And I want to say, like you are, samantha Pruitt, right, and so it’s like you have standards for yourself, yeah, right. And it’s like were you living your best standards, were you?

Samantha Pruitt: 24:05

To my potential.

Polly Mertens: 24:06

Exactly.

Samantha Pruitt: 24:08

And how would I even know what my potential is that day if I didn’t call it to the carpet at the starting line and say what is the potential for you today? Yeah Right, Awesome. So then I changed my mind and I’ve decided I’m going to go at it and I’m going to actually try and PR the 100 mile distance. So then I had to go back and look at my fastest time for 100 miler and that was also hilarious, and I know the courses aren’t comparable. You know it’s a different thing. Whatever, yeah, it doesn’t matter. 100 miles people is 100 miles. Let me tell you.

Samantha Pruitt: 24:39

It’s not just a walk around the block, yeah 100 miles of nonstop running is no joke, no matter where it is and what the temperature is. But so I went back to look at my times to see what I have to beat, because PR means personal record.

Polly Mertens: 24:52

Yeah.

Samantha Pruitt: 24:54

And I realized my fastest time was almost 10 years ago. I was 10 years younger, yeah, okay, I had to really do a deep belly laugh on that one at myself because I was like whoo, okay, yeah, okay, yeah, still didn’t stop me, I’m not deterred at all. Yeah, I believe I can and will achieve it, and that’s what’s going to happen?

Polly Mertens: 25:19

That’s your personal mountain, whitney. That’s your personal mountain. This is what I’m, this is your lane and this is your race. Yeah.

Samantha Pruitt: 25:24

Right.

Polly Mertens: 25:25

And that’s the race that you’re running, and I think anybody who’s ever run races, or, if you haven’t, one of the best pieces of advice I ever got was run your race. Yes, right, yeah.

Polly Mertens: 25:36

And so you’ve decided what your race is about for you, yep, and that’s who you’ve been. You know, shifting. I think the brilliant thing that we’re bringing up is it’s about the mindset shift going into it, total mindset shift, and I want to point out this wasn’t the mindset shift that got you into the race. No, right. So you don’t have to necessarily have like, oh, I’m the champion signing up for it. You can feel like Not at all, what the hell am I doing? Oh, my God, I’m scared. Can I finish it? Whatever, yeah, it can grow in you and some of these things that we’re talking about who you surround yourself with, what you feed your mind, what you say to yourself, the environment that you’re in, the people you’re hanging around with, what you’re watching, like the videos, like you and I don’t just watch gossipy television- we don’t watch standard TV.

Samantha Pruitt: 26:19

It’s not healthy for us. We know that the world is complicated and messy. We don’t want to be all up in that, but strategically we watch things that are very inspiring Inspiring.

Polly Mertens: 26:28

Yeah, and there’s entertainment. I mean I watch, you know, goopy movies, and you know what was that one? You served me Puss in boots. That’s a cat lover, you know. Sure, we watch, you know entertaining movies. But you know where are you spending the bulk of your focus and your energy? Because that’s what will show up for you, that’s who you will show up as right.

Samantha Pruitt: 26:49

Part of me being able to make this mindset shift is because I am confident in who I am as a human being. I know my purpose and my place and gifts in the world. They’re not related to this finish line result. So, yes, I have said a very high bar for this particular 100 mile race that really, whatever happens, it’s not a win or lose for me. Right, like I don’t lose my career. I don’t like it’s not a cosmic shift in the planet if some people doesn’t. But for me it’s important to deliver the goods for myself and because I have also failed radically. I mean ever so messy but yet beautifully so. So so many times I’m super comfortable with taking big risks, facing fear, doing audacious things and rolling the dice.

Polly Mertens: 27:49

How do you how?

Samantha Pruitt: 27:50

I give myself a lot of freedom there too.

Polly Mertens: 27:52

So that was a journey that you went on to build that mindset that wasn’t born that way, right. That sense of self, that this ability to not take it or leave it. But it doesn’t, it’s not defying me, yeah, it doesn’t defying me.

Polly Mertens: 28:07

It’s a nice worthy goal that fires you up and gets you up, gets you around those laps and gets you whatever, pursuing your personal best and your potential. How did you go from a former mindset or one that we sort of come out of our conditioned family upbringing or the lifestyle that we find ourselves in and then shift that? Do you remember some of the things or some actions?

Samantha Pruitt: 28:34

I do, I do. I want to double click on something real quick is why this is so rewarding to me now, because the race hasn’t happened yet. I’ve just set this Audacious, crazy Goal. How I feel right now, giving that gift to myself of this insane challenge, of this very wild, hard. I mean it’s going to hurt, it’s going to be very difficult. I gave myself a massive gift to now say this is how you’re going to close one year and move on to the next year. You’re gonna set yourself up for the rest of your life because this is who you really are. So it’s that’s what’s making me feel good, irrelevant of the results. I just wanted to kind of double-click on that. That’s the fire. Right, that’s the fire.

Samantha Pruitt: 29:22

How did I get there? Oh my gosh, how much time you got. I got a lot of years on this planet Athletically. How I got there is not the same as how I got there in the rest of my life experience athletically. Quick story is my first hundred mile race, just so it’s relevant to this particular challenge. I had never in my life Ran more than 50 miles. I had only even been doing ultras For over a year before that. I was doing triathlon and had done Iron man etc. So I had fairly recently moved into ultras. I’ve been doing them for about a year. I’d run a 50 mile race. It was horrible.

Samantha Pruitt: 30:05

I hated it hard things before this I had done some hard things physically, but I had a goal to get to the Western States 100, you know my friends were all doing it was the thing whatever. And so I thought I wonder Curiosity of self could I potentially get there one day? How would you get there? What are the steps? And I was in the endurance world and coaching and doing a lot of other things. So I decided to sign up for a small hundred miler. Nobody really is gonna show up, there’s gonna be less than a hundred people, doesn’t matter what happens Like. I just allowed myself the freedom to Try something new and so I signed up for this race. I showed up and I said, whatever happens today, my goal is to get beyond 50. So if I get to 51, winning, if I get anything beyond there. And I really had set a goal to get to a particular aid station. It was a mile 67. So I thought, well, if I can get there, that would be unreal, epic, that to me would be an absolute win, a new level, new level in my goal ultimately someday to get to the Western States starting line right.

Samantha Pruitt: 31:18

So I showed up at the race. Gun goes off off, I go. You know, I felt great, I felt amazing. Sure, of course I did for 20 or 30 miles, but then of course it started to be pain, suffering. It was very difficult, was rocky Rudy, it was in Northern California, you know, it’s like getting cold and then it’s getting dark and all the things are happening. So then eventually, the wheels really fell off the bus and I mean, I’ve never experienced anything like that in my mind or in my physical body up until that moment. Literally stuff started shutting down, so I couldn’t eat anymore, I couldn’t speak anymore, I was just annihilated, annihilated and I got to that aid station and.

Samantha Pruitt: 32:03

My friend was there waiting for me and I mean, I’m just, you know, a bucket of pieces absolutely done.

Samantha Pruitt: 32:08

Yeah, lay down in the ground, got into a sleeping bag, like it was. The party was over, dirt, the dirt nap was in, suing. So I planted myself into the dirt and curled up into a ball. Well, slowly, in that ball of rubble on the ground, there in the middle of the night, out in the cold, you know, mountain air or whatever I Start to eat, drink a little bit, I kind of slowly came back to life. I could hear voices around me and I peeked out of the sleeping bag and I said to my friend, I, I still have time on the clock right. And she’s like, yeah, you do. I mean, the race is still on. You’re not out of the race, you know, you just look like shit, but you’re still. And I said I want to see if I can make it to the next aid station, nice. And she’s like, okay, crazy fool, this is, captain, right, yeah.

Samantha Pruitt: 32:57

So I changed my clothes, drugged myself out of there, charged off into the night with my flashlight I mean, in the mountains, I’m by myself, you know and I felt better, felt a little better and get the body moving and I was able to kind of run, jimmy jog, jimmy jog, and then, next thing. You know I’m running. Oh, I make it to the next aid station. There she is ready to cart me off, you know, in an ambulance. Basically, if she’s prepared for anything and I’m like, you know, I feel good. She’s like what are you talking about? How are you still moving? I go, I have no idea, but I am making a decision right now. I might not make the cut off, I’m not gonna get the belt buckle, I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I don’t care. I’m gonna move on to the next stage and the next stage until I just either they pull me off the course I did whatever was gonna happen. I’m just open to what is gonna happen next?

Polly Mertens: 33:49

These feet are heading that way. We’re getting going. Yes.

Samantha Pruitt: 33:52

And miraculously I was able to run and continue through the journey I mean all through the Friggin’ Night into the next day as the sun is coming up and I finished that race in the time cap, which was unbelievable to me. And there was a point in the race, somewhere around mile 80 or whatever, where I was definitely no longer attached to this body. I was having an out of body experience. I was floating above myself. I could see myself trotting along on this course and it was unbelievable. It was amazing. I didn’t feel any pain in my body Cause I had kind of removed myself from the physical experience, disconnect this.

Samantha Pruitt: 34:36

And the grace I’d given myself the freedom of not caring at all about the finish, the time, the belt buckle I didn’t care about any of that stuff, didn’t care, I could still keep moving forward. It was the biggest gift I could have given myself. Finishing in the time that, getting the belt buckle, all that was amazing. But when I took off my shoes and looked at my feet, every single toe was a giant blister. There were nile. It was a disaster. I just literally fell in the grass and laughed my ass off, cause the whole thing was ludicrous and nobody could believe it. I couldn’t believe it, but I blew my own mind.

Samantha Pruitt: 35:14

And so for me, that kind of experience of giving myself the grace to see what’s gonna happen next, what is possible for me, exploring the edges I mean, I was exploring the edges of my personal, physical, meant to all. The bodies were being pushed to their limits and I continued to rise to the occasion. So I just know that that’s what’s possible for all humans, not just me. I learned that day, dang, this is what’s possible for all of humanity, and that’s really a day. I knew that this would be part of my life’s. Work is like I have to take this forward. I have to do something with this.

Polly Mertens: 35:55

Wow, I think you’ve told me some of this story, but not all of it, and so just hearing all of it, I’m like just inspired and in awe. And I’ve heard something like the first 50 miles of 100 miler is physical and the second is spiritual or something like that Mental for sure. Yeah, it’s like the first. Your physical body will get you through the first 50 or 80 or something like that, and then you need something else, and that something else was whatever gear.

Polly Mertens: 36:20

You put yourself into that state that you put yourself into right, Because we truly have more inside of us than we think we do.

Samantha Pruitt: 36:28

Yeah, yeah, by the way, I did make it to Western states after qualifying four years in a row Major that start line charged up those mountains and ended up in the medical tent.

Polly Mertens: 36:39

Just to be clear.

Samantha Pruitt: 36:40

Yeah, it was not my day and that’s okay. That is freaking okay. It was also such an incredible experience in learning and just like hard charging at life and, yeah, I learned so much about myself through that process and through that day and gave myself complete freedom to not need to ever redeem myself there, like there’s so many things to do, and I’ve continued to do them as we know, and I will continue to do them literally.

Polly Mertens: 37:10

And you are, you know, I mean like signing up for the. You’re like yeah, I’m doing another Iron man, I’m gonna do it better. Damn it, you know, it’s just who you are Speaking of Iron man, yeah. Should we? Yes, well, I’m throwing my hat into the ring. It’s done, half Iron man coming. I’m wearing the shirt. As we record this, I think I’ve got the hat and the shirt and then finding that the more so go to the gym this morning. I’m like champion’s mindset Putting that Iron man shirt on.

Polly Mertens: 37:37

Hell’s, yes, damn it Not an Iron man yet, or in woman, but I’m becoming one and in my mind I already am, I’m already doing. You know, if you listen to these champion, you know this has been taught in champion mindset for years and decades probably. I think even you envision the wins in your mind right, so I’ve for weeks I’ve been seeing myself jumping at the finish line, you know, doing my usual jump finish that. Give me that medal, give me that medal, so yeah of course I’m wearing the shirt right.

Samantha Pruitt: 38:08

And you know what’s interesting. I know it’s not a law of attraction thing, right? Like if I just say this out into the universe and this is gonna magically appear in front of me. You’re doing the work, but there’s so many things that go into laying the groundwork, the fabric of the net, that will allow that huge leap to happen, right? So let’s talk a little bit about those things for our people. Let’s give them some tips and tricks, since you and I are all about it.

Samantha Pruitt: 38:36

I mean so for me, leaning into these big things, I knew I had to make some shifts in. You know, was my eating on point? My nutrition? Was my sleep on point? Am I wearing the clothes Like you talked about? Wearing some Iron man swag and how it totally just fires you up. I know what my ultra gear looks like. I know what my tri-leard gear looks like, like when I pull that stuff out and dust it off. I mean it fires me up when I get new tennis shoes like these are things that really make me feel empowered and I think people should utilize some of these things to their advantage and don’t underestimate the power of that. Also, other environments that you walk into, people and the team you surround yourself with. Can you talk about that?

Polly Mertens: 39:22

Well, I think you know mastermind groups, circles that we find ourselves in. You know, one of the things that I’m finding for myself on my beginner part of this training journey and I just wanna say that all of this stuff we’re relating to fitness and these races and stuff, it’s life.

Polly Mertens: 39:41

This translates Like if you’re not translating this already for your relationship, your business, whatever, then start doing that Like just be hearing in here how this translates. But so you know, I’m finding that the place that I’m going to to work out and lift heavy stuff is not filled with champion mindset people. And so I click in my headphones, show up with the Iron man shirt and I get busy right, I get busy into my lane running my lace race, doing my whatever I’m doing that day, because the only person I care about in that gym is me. You know, in my pursuit of my goal, I mean I care about the people. Forgive me, you know, but I’m saying You’re not there for them.

Polly Mertens: 40:25

You’re investing in yourself. I’m not there for them. I’m not there for looks, I’m not there for whatever race they’re running go run it or not running. You know slugging along, you know, but and that’s sometimes how it has to look, you know, because it’s not always. You don’t not everybody is working out with the. You know $500 an hour, trainers or the this and that, and you know they don’t have the peak, that, like I don’t have a you know $5,000 tri-mountain bike or a tri-bike right now. That’s all right. You know I’m still getting on this and but if anyone has one.

Samantha Pruitt: 40:55

They want to send your way your 5’5″ and we’ll take it.

Polly Mertens: 40:59

I need a 5’5″, 53 inch.

Samantha Pruitt: 41:01

Send me there.

Polly Mertens: 41:03

Yes, it’s. Yeah, I’m attracting that too, but but the races happened. It’s already happened in my mind and so, like you said, it’s getting in the environments. Where would I like to be around more people like that? Yes, right, and if I can’t be, I create it within my mind is what I want to say. So you know if you can be around those people, if you can, you know be Seek them out. Yes, you know, like you join the triathlon club right, like that’s something that you’re doing. Saltoncy yeah, for yourself, for-.

Samantha Pruitt: 41:29

And I go to the CrossFit gym and I tell you those people mean business and I love going there. I mean that, honestly, is therapy for me. I am all about what is going on in the mindset, in those spaces, and so pay attention to the energy of who you’re around.

Polly Mertens: 41:44

What are you watching? Yes, is it firing, you know. Is it taking you closer to your?

Samantha Pruitt: 41:48

objective, you know, is it Exactly.

Polly Mertens: 41:50

You know how your life feels like. Are these things that you’re engaging with, who you’re talking to, what you’re wearing, the things you’re looking at like? If you don’t like them, yeah, make some changes.

Samantha Pruitt: 42:02

Same same for your career.

Polly Mertens: 42:03

You and I’ve been doing some clipping in our life and like Cutting some things.

Samantha Pruitt: 42:07

Triminal abosius.

Polly Mertens: 42:08

Yeah, and cutting some things off in our life that are not. What were we saying before this. We were recording like heavyweight or drop, dropping heavyweight. What were we gonna say?

Samantha Pruitt: 42:17

Yeah, yeah, and we really Let me throw out some sandbags that I think are-.

Samantha Pruitt: 42:21

We also really relate our messaging and our just how we operate in the world of being an A-team player and surrounding yourself with A-team players. Absolutely, you say it all the time and we talk a lot about work and a lot about career path and a lot about business, because these are things we do and we are in the world of business, coaching with people every single day. A-team players want to be around A-team players Period Right. End of story. End of story.

Samantha Pruitt: 42:48

Yeah and if you aspire to be an A-team player in your career, in your relationships, in your life, in your physical activities, show up, show up as that. Do the work and be an A-team player for the people in your life also.

Polly Mertens: 43:03

Let’s just say I forget if we talked about this. Yeah, I think we talked about this in another episode, but it just reminds me. So true. So I think it was Christmas day. We were out on a bike ride and there was this guy in a park John John, I love John, this guy. I was like, oh, I just moved to this area and I’m like, what are you doing? I mean, he’s got all the gear. He’s having his own little one-man outdoor crushing at work. His hat is spreading.

Samantha Pruitt: 43:27

So low-spreading yeah, so everything.

Polly Mertens: 43:30

I mean he’s on team A and there’s nobody around.

Samantha Pruitt: 43:34

Beautiful, right Beautiful, it’s so beautiful.

Polly Mertens: 43:36

It’s you, with you. Yeah Right, like you said to yourself.

Samantha Pruitt: 43:38

Imagine he was saying to himself what was going on in his brain yeah, yeah, yeah, just so, of course, we mosey on over to John on our mountain bikes. We’re like whirrrr.

Polly Mertens: 43:46

So find those people, or be those people, and they will find you, whatever it looks like, Right? So, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think. The one other thing I just want to insert here that I learned from a great teacher many years ago and this we could do a whole episode on this, but it’s my word is law in the universe. My word is law in the universe, and that has to do with, like what I say I’m up to, like this challenge you know we talked about our 30-day challenge Like are you interested in this or are you committed?

Polly Mertens: 44:14

Right, and so are you prioritizing yourself. Are you prioritizing these things? Are you, you know, ignoring the either naysayers or your own naysaying? You know your self-doubt or whatever, and getting up to it, Right? So your word is law in the universe, whether you remember that or not. And keep your word to yourself, Right, and the universe will keep it to you is what I have found. So, like I say I’m doing something, it’s done Like it happens.

Samantha Pruitt: 44:40

So so the take home for our people is maybe they fell off the rails for a hot second on this 30-day challenge. But that’s okay, that’s okay, we love them.

Polly Mertens: 44:51

I would say we see you. If you get nothing else out of this episode and maybe I hope, you got a lot out of this I did. Just sitting across from you, my dear, and hearing that story goes that’s freaking awesome, freaking awesome. But for anyone listening, if you started this challenge, finish the challenge. Yes, you’re worth it, you deserve it. So finish, keep on, even if it’s hard, even if resistance is showing up. Finish.

Samantha Pruitt: 45:14

Yeah, 100%. I love that. Okay, my beautiful humans, remember this how your life feels is more important than how it looks, and every day is an opportunity to find your awesome.

Polly Mertens: 45:26

Let’s do it, woo.