Jan 22, 2019
A few years ago, I remember reading about a guy who decided to take on the incredible task of completing 50 Iron Man Triathlons in 50 days in all 50 states.
One triathlon is a 26.2 mile run, 112 mile bike ride, and a 2.4 mile swim. Doing a single one is an incredible feat by itself, but doing 50 in a row is almost inhuman!
And when I started this Podcast a few months ago, I knew this was a man I needed to have on the show.
His name is James Lawrence (aka The Iron Cowboy) and is a man more full of grit and determination than anyone I've ever met. On the surface, he's a regular guy; a husband, dad of five, and coach. But underneath that exterior lies a man driven to excel and push far beyond the limitations thought humanly possible.
His story is incredibly remarkable and has been covered by most major media outlets including a full length documentary called Iron Cowboy: The Story of the 50.50.50. His story has inspired so many that he's now an internationally requested speaker and has traveled to 48 countries sharing his message.
He's spoken for organizations like Google, Proctor & Gamble, and the Minnesota Vikings and has written a book called Redefine Impossible.
Talking with James inspired the sh*t out of me and his humility and dedication to his family is so evident. And although he now has a very successful and thriving business, his priority remains with his family.
He shares the reason he started on this adventure and why he HAD to make it happen; for himself and for his family. His story of losing it all and going for broke is inspiring in itself, but what happened after he made that decision is even more so.
We talk about his journey to complete his 50.50.50 and how emotionally and physically demanding it was; for him and his crew, which included his wife and children.
He talks about the breaking point that he reached on day 30 and said that his "why" got him through it. Actually he said that he needed more than a "why", he needed a purpose, which is how he stayed on track, sleeping 4 hours a day, riding, running, and swimming for 15 hours a day and eating upwards of 12,000 calories daily.
This was a very emotionally powerful conversation and his words left an indelible mark on me. When he said "there is no success outside the home that can ever compensate for failure inside the home", it showed the type of character this man has.
Honestly, there is so much I took from our conversation and the fact that he pushed himself to the literal brink of physical and emotional failure sets a very powerful example of what we are capable of.