excellence, actually

Latest Episodes:

089 - Marathon 101 with Steve Magness: Insights & Strategy Nov 07, 2024

Show notes

Today, Clay asks Steve to answer all of your most pressing marathon questions: what to know before signing up; what he thinks the Boston Marathon should do about qualifying standards, how to think about setting a reasonable and achievable goal; breaking down the physiological and psychological importance of building an aerobic base; how to think about building out a plan; how to incorporate speed work; how to find your marathon pace; what novices can learn and use from an elite runner's training block; a simplified way to think about threshold and tempo workouts; how to think about skipping or cutting short workouts. All that and more to get you ready to run 26.2 miles, whether it's your first time or your fiftieth.

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Got a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503, (We're offering a $5 Venmo for anyone who leaves a message that makes it into the show!)

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088 - Flow: The 8 Factors of Optimal Experience Nov 04, 2024

Show notes

In his 1990 book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi laid out the ideas that would give birth to the idea of the "flow state." In the years since, the flow state has long been sought after by all manner of people—athletes, artists, performers—who are hoping to increase their productivity and happiness by losing themselves in an activity or getting "in the zone." Today, you'll learn the eight factors that Csikszentmihalyi found most reliably led to optimal experiences and how you can better organize the activities in your life such that you might lose yourself in flow.

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087 - Training Tips for the Aging Athlete Oct 31, 2024

Show notes

We are, each of us, getting older every moment. (Scary, we know!) So how should we think about adjusting our training as we age, particularly if we're still hoping to perform at a high level? That's the question we address today. Steve, Clay, and Brad talk about how to constructively use life's constraints, how to think about approaching progressive overload as one gets older, and why the wisdom that comes with experience—including a better understanding of one's fatigue—can help offset physical decline.

Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!

https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/

If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!

Got a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503

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086 - The Coach Up: Should You Do "All-Out' Workouts? Oct 28, 2024

Show notes

Steve Magness is back on The Coach Up to discuss the nuances of doing "intense" or "all-out" workouts. Since the explosion of High Intensity Interval Training, there has been much discussion about how to use maximally difficult efforts in training plans. But a lot of that discussion misunderstands the complexities of fatigue and how it's best deployed as a stimulus. Steve explains how to know if you're working too hard, what the risks are, and how to think about stressing your body in such a way that it goes into "grow and adapt" mode not "protect" mode.

Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!

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If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!

Got a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503

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085 - Quitting: When to Give Up (and When to Push On) Oct 23, 2024

Show notes

Knowing when to quit, and when to push on, is as much an art as a science. Where is the line between normal fatigue or difficulty, and harmful discomfort? It's a question we all have to navigate in many different endeavors: work, creative pursuits, relationships, long-term projects, physical goals, and more. Quit too soon and you'll constantly fall short of your biggest ambitions—but sometimes hanging on can do as much as harm as good. Today, inspired by a recent story from The New Yorker (link below), the guys discuss how to understand one's tendencies towards quitting or persisting, reframe the mindset around quitting to avoid negative self-identity, highlight the importance of small, manageable steps in growth, and explain the concept of being 'good enough.'

"Should You Just Give Up?" by Joshua Rothman (The New Yorker)

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/open-questions/should-you-just-give-up

Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!

https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/

If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!

Got a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503

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084 - The Coach Up: How to "Practice Your ABC's" Oct 21, 2024

Show notes

On this week's Coach Up, a lesson from the book "Everyday Zen" by Charlotte Joko Beck about expanding the upper reaches of your comfort zone.

Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!

https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/

If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!

Got a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503

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083 - The Science, Art, & Mystery of Hot Streaks Oct 17, 2024

Show notes

After a brief discussion of Ruth Chepng'etich's world-record marathon from this past weekend, Brad and Steve get into the science of the "hot streak" phenomenon in sports, creative pursuits, and even business. Why do hot streaks occur? Are they even real? And if so, what can we do to increase the likelihood of getting "hot" in our own life and work?

Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!

https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/

If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!

Got a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

082 - Thinking Beyond the Brain: Exploring the "Extended Mind" (Part 2) Oct 14, 2024

Show notes

This is the second episode of a two-part Coach Up where we're diving into the work of science writer Annie Murphy Paul and her book "The Extended Mind," which explores the ways in which our bodies and our environments impact our thinking. Last week, we explored how the movement of our bodies impacts our thinking. Today, we're talking about the ways we can use the physical spaces in which we live and work to enhance our thinking, productivity, and creativity. You'll learn how to use the everyday environment around you to replenish your attention, to make cognitively demanding tasks easier through "home court advantage," and to solve abstract problems through the use of physical objects.

"The Extended Mind" by Annie Murphy Paul

https://anniemurphypaul.com/books/the-extended-mind/

Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!

https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/

If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!

Got a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

081 - Picking Goals, Pushing Through Plateaus, and Navigating Post-Race Blues Oct 10, 2024

Show notes

Today, Steve, Brad, and Clay discuss three stages of tackling a big, ambitious challenge: (1) How do you find the right goal for you? (Particularly if you're someone who is finding it difficult to get motivated.) (2) How do you push through plateaus—and get used to the monotony of the grind after an initial burst of progress? (3) How to handle the come down that often follows in the wake of working towards something big (whether you hit your goal or not)?

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Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!

https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/

If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!

Got a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

080 - Thinking Beyond the Brain: Exploring the "Extended Mind" (Part 1) Oct 07, 2024

Show notes

Over the next two weeks of Coach Up's, we'll be diving into the work of science writer Annie Murphy Paul and her book "The Extended Mind," which explores the ways in which our bodies and our environments impact our thinking. (This is the book we are currently reading in The Growth Equation Academy's book club. If you'd like to learn more about The Academy, click the link below.) Today, we're going to learn about "embodied cognition:" how our bodies impact our thoughts. More specifically, you'll learn how bodily sensations and physical movement can help you manage emotions, enhance creativity, and problem-solve.

"The Extended Mind" by Annie Murphy Paul

https://anniemurphypaul.com/books/the-extended-mind/

Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!

https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/

If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!

Got a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.