#079 – Are you looking to create a long-term health and fitness transformation while being part of a supportive and encouraging community? Carmichael Caldwell is here to share the solution so you can bring your goals to life! Carmichael’s unexpected journey to peak physical fitness shows that anything can be achieved with dedication and a commitment to becoming 2% better each day.
Topics Covered:
- Embrace a growth-centered attitude to facilitate constant self-development
- Grasp the critical role of self-discipline, sincerity, and self-evaluation in goal accomplishment
- Adopt the 2% better approach to create lasting lifestyle advancements.
- Develop a nurturing community for sustaining fitness enthusiasm and overcoming obstacles
Today’s Guest
Carmichael Caldwell
Carmichael is an American nomadic entrepreneur, philanthropist and runner splitting time between the United Kingdom, Europe, and Africa. Given his hectic travel schedule, Carmichael found his passion for running through his desire to find a sustainable approach to fitness that was location agnostic and provided a low barrier to entry. Carmichael has lost over 50 lbs and inspired others through his 2% better philosophy to increase their fitness and take a sustainable approach in general to accomplish their goals.
As an entrepreneur, Carmichael leads a sales consulting firm helping B2B technology companies sell their products to large Enterprises and is ideating on a new project in the health & wellness space. Similar to his passion for travel, behind his computer Carmichael travels through his SDR network and software development teams based throughout South America & Eastern Europe where he spends parts of the year.
Furthermore, Carmichael is a firm believer that talent is widespread, but opportunity is not. In his quest to bridge the talent and opportunity gap, Carmichael is currently developing and expanding on philanthropic initiatives throughout Kenya and Tanzania. While in the early stages, Carmichael is currently learning Swahili to increase his understanding of these communities to provide access to clean water, sustainable farming alternatives, and educational resources.
Follow Carmichael:
- Instagram – @carmichael_iii
Resources:
- Inspire to Run on Instagram – @inspiretorunpodcast
- Free Guide – Kickstart your Fitness in 5 Steps
- 8 Week Fitness Coaching Program with Underdog Fitness
- Sign-up using code INSPIRE10 for 10% off
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Listen to Inspire to Run Podcast:
Richard Conner 0:00
Hey everyone, today we’re going to talk about how a 2% better mindset can help you reach your health and fitness goals. We’re also going to chat about some tips that can help you improve your performance when it comes to race day. Also, our guest today is very active in the running community and happens to be at the London marathon running show at the time of this recording. So this episode might sound a little bit different, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Intro/Outro 0:26
Welcome to Inspire to run podcast. Here you will find inspiration. Whether you’re looking to take control of your health and fitness or you’re a seasoned runner, looking for community and some extra motivation. You will hear inspiring stories from amazing runners, along with helpful tips from fitness experts. Now here’s your host Richard Conner.
Richard Conner 0:49
Hi, everyone. Welcome to Inspire to run Podcast. I’m here today with Carmichael Caldwell, who is an American nomadic entrepreneur, philanthropist and runner splitting time between the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa. Given his hectic travel schedule, Carmichael found his passion for running through his desire to find a sustainable approach to fitness that was location agnostic and provided a low barrier to entry. Carmichael has lost over 50 pounds and inspired others through his 2% Better philosophy to increase their fitness and take a sustainable approach in general to accomplishing their goals. As an entrepreneur, Carmichael leads a sales consulting firm, helping b2b technology companies sell their products to large enterprises, and is ideating on a new project in the health and wellness space. Welcome to the show, Carmichael.
Carmichael Caldwell 1:43
Thank you, man, thank you, I’m super excited to be here.
Richard Conner 1:46
I’m excited to have you as well, I have a lot going on here between your fitness journey between the work that you’re doing in the entrepreneurial space, visiting and living in different countries. So really excited to have you on the show. And, you know, just kind of learn a little bit about you. So, you know, let’s kind of jump into the conversation a little bit and just learn a little bit about your background and kind of what led you to the life that you’re living now.
Carmichael Caldwell 2:10
I often think about this a lot. Like why do I travel all the time? Why do I never want to live in one place. And I think it kind of goes back to my childhood. I lived in like 13 US states as well. So I guess I’ve kind of had this curiosity, just throughout my life of like seeing new areas, having friends everywhere, seeing new cultures, and just meeting new people. And so that’s kind of how this has all happened, I guess from childhood. And then like, from like a career standpoint, I guess everybody’s asked like, Well, how do you make money? Like, like, how do you get to live everywhere, all these type things. And so I used to lead with that answer, but they’re like, no, like, like, actual tangible thing, like making money. And so that’s how I always wanted to kind of live everywhere. So wanted to do things remote, studied the future of work, the future of living, and actually the future, the future of education as well. And that led me to start like more like a remote consulting company, something that I can do anywhere and everywhere. And I think a lot of that inspiration also came from my first company called minty, where I moved to the silicon, I moved to Silicon Valley and just saw all these people just kind of challenging the status quo and kind of bending the rules of life. And I want you to do the same.
Richard Conner 3:19
I love that. I love that. And you know, I never had the opportunity to live somewhere else I should say, Never took the opportunity to live somewhere else. But I’ve had the opportunity to visit a number of countries. And I just, you know, I would recommend that for anybody. If you haven’t left the country that you’re living in, just get out and explore even if you’re not living there just to see what life is like outside of you know, kind of your, your country, your bubble, I would say so I love that you’ve had you taking that experience, taking the opportunity to do that.
Speaker 3 3:50
Definitely, definitely, I would say the same. I think everybody should like try to live somewhere different. Even if it’s the city next door to you or state or even even just just local neighborhood or like whatever it may be. I think it’ll it’ll challenge your your mindset or challenge, like the way you think and push us out of your comfort zone to kind of just be a different person in general. For sure,
Richard Conner 4:11
for sure. So you mentioned mindset. And I want to talk a lot about that today. Because I think you have a great mindset you have like this positive thinking positive mindset, and you talk about growth. So let’s learn a little bit from you about your philosophies around that. I think that drove a lot of what you’ve been able to accomplish and the success that you’ve had in your life. Speaker 3 4:32
Definitely. So I guess I go by like the 2%. Better, like philosophy, I guess, everybody a lot of people say 1% better. I say like 2% Because it’s doing more than what’s expected. But it’s still that compounded interest every day, doing things that are sustainable. A lot of people like going zero to 100 and then they don’t sustain it. If you don’t sustain it, it’s almost as good as doing nothing at all. So for me, it’s like what can I do daily? And what systems can I create that allowed me to be a better person overall? More down the line. And most importantly, over time, I think a lot of like, some of my other philosophies have come in like ideologies, I guess have also come from like traveling and studying like, more like stoic philosophy, like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, reading some of their old books. There’s also a book called The monk who sold his Ferrari who talks about like the sage who really didn’t have lands about kind of how they change their behavior around negative thoughts as well. So I tried to, like practice some of those things in my life every day. And that I think, bits and pieces of those have helped formulate what that means for me. And so I guess down the line, I’ll be also writing two of my own philosophies as well as
Richard Conner 5:38
I love that I love that 2%. And, you know, I’ve been on this journey myself, about, you know, overcoming fears and doing things that I’ve never been able to do right to be better than where it was before, whether it’s in fitness, whether it’s in business, or just other aspects of my life. So I love that 2% rule and, and just doing or being better than you were before. And it’s you against you, right? It’s not a competition with others, necessarily, but it’s, it’s doing more than what you what you did before.
Speaker 3 6:05
Definitely, definitely. I mean, there’s like, I guess a lot of people compare themselves to others, but everyone’s unique, right? So it’s, it’s to your points, it’s really just up to you. And kind of defining your own reality, I think a lot of people will live in other people’s reality. So they’re kind of not that, you know, they may be unhappy, or whatever it may be. But it’s really to kind of define your own reality. And as your, to your point, you’ve as you like, what is that next level for you? And just be okay with that, too?
Richard Conner 6:30
For sure, for sure. So, you know, let’s apply this to or let’s learn a little bit about your fitness journey. So I know that you’ve kind of applied this mindset to your journey, and your bio, read that you lost over 50 pounds. You’re a relatively new runner, I think so, you know, tell us a little bit about how that journey started.
Speaker 3 6:48
Yeah, so I guess in my 20s, I’m 31. Now, like, in my 20s, I was just partying constantly, like wild parties, like it was, it was actually crazy. Because like I’ve been traveling for, you know, quite a bit. And I would say most of the most of the time, I would know a lot about the light nightlife. I would obviously, obviously do some of the cultural things as well. But that was like just one piece of it. And then I kind of the pandemic, honestly, I was just super bored. And I guess some people may say this is bad, but I was living down like near Miami, we were still throwing like pool parties and stuff in my house. And then I was like man like, this isn’t there’s gotta be more to life than just like, kind of drinking, partying and doing all these things. And then you could only do so much like we couldn’t go out. So only a certain amount of people could even come to our house, like me and my buddy’s house. And so we just started running or exercising or doing something like with our bodies every every day. And so I just started running a little, I would actually run and walk because I couldn’t even run a mile. At first, I had gotten like extremely overweight, I was like 216 pounds, 220 pounds, I guess that’s over 100 kg. I don’t know how many stone for my UK people, you know what I mean? And so I just started to just slowly like, we were living close to the beach. And so the goal was, can you run to the beach, then the second goal was can you run to the beach and back. So while we were living in this house, we were just trying to just run to the beach without stopping. And yeah, that’s kind of just how it started. And then I guess after that, I started traveling again. And I was like, alright, like I’ve already started to change the behavior around this, I should also just keep it going. And so then it moved to to these Lost and Found runs. So every time I would hit a city, I would immediately as I stepped off the plane, I dropped my bag off, the first thing I do is go for a run. And maybe I go to maybe I’m running down the street and I say every red light, take a right, every stop sign, take a left, you can’t stop period. So just make sure you don’t stop there, take a left, take a right just don’t start right. And so I would get lost in the cities, it would be kind of like a fun way for me to just stay fit. And it would be something I couldn’t make an excuse that I couldn’t do. Because I didn’t want to say Oh, I can’t find the gym. I can’t box today, I can’t I can’t do yoga today, whatever it may be, as long as I have a pair of shoes, I could hit the street and go for a run. So you would see me running like it would be pouring down rain I’d still run. So that that was kind of like the like unlocking the mentality as well. Or like the 2% piece, and also the start of the fitness journey as well. And I think once you start changing the behaviors, then you start kind of getting addicted to it. And so then I started joining gyms and that’s sort of getting more strategic with the plan and all that type of stuff. But I think a lot of people would look at the goal, like oh, I want to lose 50 pounds. Like that was actually never my goal. Actually. I didn’t I don’t think I even wanted to lose 50 pounds at all. I just wanted to change my behavior and my relationship with exercise. And that was my main focal point.
Richard Conner 9:54
I love that. I love that and you said so many great things and you know, try to recap some of what you said. So I love which you said about your run Walk Run method, which is actually pretty common for new runners, if you’ve never run before, I love what you said about community have doing this with your friends and having someone there to rent to the beach and back or you know, whatever that run might be. And then the work that you’re doing overseas and kind of continuing with the running, and kind of a no excuses mindset, because that’s one of the great things about running is that you can do it from anywhere, and you don’t really need a lot to get started or to do it. So it’s wonderful that you kind of carry that with you through your travel. So you didn’t have those excuses to say, well, I can’t do you know, certain exercises, if they don’t have a gym or don’t have access to equipment, you have your pair of shoes that you’d mentioned, and you just did it? I love that.
Speaker 3 10:43
Definitely definitely. And Nike, maybe I’ll talk about that. And as well as like, because now I don’t even run with headphones I started with with headphones then. So like, you start unlocking these crazy things for yourself mentally with running. And it really just starts with just not making an excuse. Because you realize, like, at the end of the day, there’s two things will always say one main thing is you have to keep the promises you make to yourself. And I guess we’ll say the second one is you have to be honest with yourself to like self criticism, right? So those are two things that I think can unlock a lot of people’s lives that they just don’t do. Some people are not honest and critical with themselves. And some people are just like, not true to themselves. And saying that, hey, I’m gonna wake up and run. Like now I say, I told a guy in the steam room the other day, I take a cold shower every day. And I’m like, every day I’m like, do you really want to take that cold shower? Well, you told that guy that you do it every day. Are you a liar or not? Right? So it’s like these these type days are like, no excuses is cool. But always just say like, keep the promises you make to yourself. And if you don’t like don’t expect anyone else in the world, to keep their promise to you. You can’t even keep it to yourself. So
Richard Conner 11:52
yes, yes, totally, totally agree with that. And, you know, I’d love to learn a little bit more about what was that moment in time where you made that decision that you wanted to make a change, you mentioned that you were, you’re partying or hanging out with your friends. And then at some moment, you’re like, I need to make a change in my life. And I want to choose running like, was there like a specific moment in time where like, this is not the life I want, I want something more I want something different at first. And then Part B to the question is why running?
Speaker 3 12:23
I would say I don’t even know if there was a moment per se. I was just like, oh, I should probably like work out like, if not, this is gonna be bad. And then I just chose running. And I was like, Alright, I can do this from anywhere. It’s easy, like, just start doing that. And then now I would say is I’m putting like stakes in the ground like, No, you’re going to be meat running, right? So I think it like kind of evolved. I didn’t have that moment of like, oh, you should stop drinking and partying and all this stuff. And I actually didn’t even give that up until later, after I was changing the behavior. So I would still be working out. I still go out and drink. But then I guess you hit a point where you’re like, I know to get that next game. I’m gonna have to cut alcohol one day or two days. So you started doing Oh, one day a week. But then you’re like, alright, well, I’m only gonna drink once a month. Then you’re like, Well, why am I drinking at all right? So now I don’t actually drink at all. So that just kind of spiraled out. And then even even in that, like, I when I quit drinking, I started like smoking cigarettes because I was living in Eastern Europe. Right. And so Eastern Europe, that’s just culturally, that’s just what you do. Like, you smoke cigarettes and drink coffee. So I don’t even think I had a moment it was just like more realizations throughout the journey, you know? But is is like a whole thing. It wasn’t it was not easy. I will say for sure.
Richard Conner 13:41
For sure. Okay. All right. That’s cool. And, and that’s interesting to know, you know, one of the things that you said, I think it’s important for our listeners is around not having to give up everything right to get into health and fitness. And I think that might scare people away. They’re like, Oh, well, I can’t do all these things are keen, ie all of these things. And, you know, there’s certain things that are probably not good for you, right? That you probably should consider limiting anyway. But it’s not something that you would need to do or need to do cold turkey. Right? So I love what you know your journey where he you started on the health and fitness journey, but you made changes along the way that best suited you that best fit the lifestyle that you wanted.
Speaker 3 14:23
Yeah, and to be fair, I wouldn’t even tell people to even go to the extreme that that I am of like, I don’t drink because I just don’t have the desire to. I wouldn’t even say I don’t drink at all. Like that’s I’m never gonna drink again. Like I don’t I don’t know if that’s true. Because like Life is like, this is life. Right? So maybe I drink or another time. I don’t know maybe like I smoke another cigarette one day. I don’t know. It’s life. But like right now I just don’t have the desire to and I think you just go with like the seasons of of your life and your body. And at the very minimum. I think you keep that in moderation. But yeah, you definitely don’t have to cut out These days, you know,
Richard Conner 15:02
for sure for sure. So you have an incredible journey, just even in the last couple of years. With your races, I see all of your photos on Instagram. I know you’re working with a coach, you’re doing just incredible things, and you have incredible goals. So let’s talk a little bit about that. So you know, you mentioned that you want to be that elite runner, that’s what you’re striving for. Tell us a little bit about that. How’s that journey been for you so far, and kind of where you headed?
Speaker 3 15:26
Yeah, so far. So I guess my goal is to definitely get self to 30 in the marathon. So like 220 something, I want to be like the 220 guy, right? Like at some point, like, once I hit that, I’m sure that’ll be I wouldn’t be sub 220, whatever. But that’s the goal right now. So I guess my last marathon, I did 250, which was good. But I was a little bit disappointed only because I was definitely like, right there to get to 40 something, which was my first marathon properly. So I like I’ll take it. But obviously, every runner they see it, they’re like, Oh, I’m so close. But I learned a lot, right. It’s a lot of fuelling like strategies, I could have done differently pacing strategy, I could have done differently. A few little tweaks would have definitely gotten me in the 240s. But I’ve had some success with like the 5k in 17 minutes, but this year, going sub 17 For sure. had some success last year in my first year of running with 10k. And I was like 36 minutes, definitely going down to 34 this year. So it’s like, I’m just trying to keep pushing the limits and all these things. The half marathon last year, I went 119. That was kind of the race where I was like, okay, like, you’re pretty decent at running. But I want to get that down to 110 At some point, right? So it’s, it’s now like, Alright, hey, you, you have a good base. But now it’s the studying of the game and become in becoming a student of the sport that I’m really interested in now. So even even now I’m, I’m London Marathon weekend, right? So talking to a company that focuses on glucose levels of athletes. So I felt like I had poor fielding on my last race. Alright, well, how do I get more in tune with that and my training sessions, and then make sure I’m ready for that, like in the week leading up to the race to make sure I’m, like not overfilling, and not under fueling. So it’s now I’m getting like more scientific about it taking lactate tests, like all these activity, things, to try to get to that like elite level, like ideally in the next 18 months, or close to it. So those are like some of my goals. And like, you know, some of the metrics I’ve heard so far, but I’m switching up a lot of things on my training, I was like, more so doing a lot of strength work, more like Eastern European bodybuilding style, because at first I was still like, I want it to be like kind of built. But But, but still fast. But now I’m very focused on speed. So doing more running specific type of training, like yoga twice a week, like actual strength work for the legs and things twice a week, and then maybe just upper body, like one time a week, you know, it’s still summer in Europe coming up. So after that to be proper, you’re properly prepared for that, as well. But it’s these are like the goals and kind of the things that I’m doing. I’m doing now, just taking a much more like student approach to the sport. And still having fun even though I know all of that you’re like, Whoa, like, You’re doing all this testing man. Like, I do love it. Like, I am obsessed with it. I love it so much. And I think the community too, is just so critical, like so like podcasts like this. People, people that are also encouraging you, I think with running, it’s one of the most amazing sports because everyone has started with like slow times or, quote unquote, slow times, like the slowest person is like, actually, you know, sits on the couch, right? So, so everyone’s already fast now. It’s just constantly making progress. And so that’s what I really love about the sport right now.
Richard Conner 18:38
For sure, I love that as well. I mean, everybody has to start somewhere, and then kind of build from there. So I love that you mentioned that and, and thank you for shouting out podcasts. I mean, this is an opportunity for me as a host to share inspiring stories like yours and help others learn how are you doing it? What’s your success look like? What’s your failures? What have you learned? So this is a great opportunity to, you know, for others to learn from you.
Speaker 3 19:02
Definitely, it’s very interesting to be on that because like, a lot of people have been reaching out to me like, Hey, what should I buy? How do you get faster, and like, I’m still learning as well. But I also now do have some knowledge to share with people when like how to tweak the running game just a little bit. So I’m definitely trying to, you know, get do a better job of, you know, sharing some of the tips that I’ve learned too, but like, I’m still a student, I’m, I’m studying like now intensely on kind of every aspect of it.
Richard Conner 19:29
So, yeah, for sure. So tell us a little bit about those tips. So, you know, you mentioned hydration was big, right? And then you’re looking to use technology to help you kind of in a hydration and fueling part. But, you know, what are the other things key things that you think this helps you as a runner?
Speaker 3 19:45
I think the biggest thing is like really looking at this as like a longer journey. A lot of people try to get fast, quick, right? And it’s like, that doesn’t happen typically. And so just like enjoy the ride, right? I would say that’s the The main thing that you need that extra Foundation, because the next step that is like run slow, right? A lot of times people are just running too fast. And really, it’s also about like running to your heart rate, right? So making sure you’re like in your specific zones from your coach or whatever it may be, but like that zone, too, that’s different for everyone. And I specifically say zone two, because you’re gonna be like, what? Like, like, what does that even mean? Like, that’s good, like, go Google that, so you can understand it. And then, like, make sure you’re staying in that zone a lot. Because that’s actually how you’re gonna get like faster, or at least, like build up your base. And then after that, you move into more like, like speed training, like, like, that’s like really taking advantage of those hard sessions, as well. I would say something else is uphill. That’s something I’m working on a lot right now is like trying to increase like my knees, like, like, like my stride length. And then also like my knees coming up more as I’m running. So the smaller details, I didn’t probably take advantage of hills sessions, enough in my last session. There’s not a lot of hills in London, and like Central London, to be fair. But I’m definitely trying to do like more of that, for sure. Like that. That is definitely I think, an unlock that a lot of people don’t take advantage of I
Richard Conner 21:16
agree, I agree. And I can relate to a lot of what you just said, especially around the hills. So I’ve had so many conversations actually just share this with the community last week, so many conversations with runners. And that was one of the number one thing that they self said help them improve their performance and improve their speed and races was doing Hill work. And I think most of us as runners avoid hills, I know I do. I know I used to have him in my in my workouts, but not as much anymore. So now I’m building it back in so definitely can relate to that. And also can relate to the heart rate training. So I’ve been running half marathons, which is my longest distance at this point, probably for about three years. But the training plan that I’ve been following was definitely a beginner plan, right, it got me to the starting line, but not didn’t get me to the finish line at the time that I was looking for. So I went to my coach, probably last fall, and I said, Look, I didn’t hit my target time this year, for at my half marathon, I got a PR I’m happy about that, but didn’t get my target time, I will do whatever it is you tell me to do to help me get to that time. So whatever the training program is, that’s what I’m going to follow. So that’s what he put me on. So instead of running by pace and distance, I started running by time and heart rate. So I’ve been doing that since the fall. And I’ve already seen some improvement there. So I’m, you know, I’m excited about it, I have my first half marathon this year, coming up to the RBC, Brooklyn, half in May. And then I have a local half marathon, near where I live in September. But by September, I want to hit the hour and 45. And this is the training I’m following you, you know, the heart rate training, so definitely can relate to what you said there.
Speaker 3 22:52
Now, that’s cool. And like an hour 45 is quick to like, that’s, that’s gonna like you, I know, you will hit that goal, like and you’re right, like, making sure you’re doing these hard runs on heart and the heart rate, the heart rate is gonna make it feel like much easier when you run to that. It’s very interesting, like the signs of running and stuff. So that’s, that’s cool.
Richard Conner 23:13
For sure. And you know, it’s funny, because I wasn’t monitoring my heart rate before my training. But for sure, I probably use running, I don’t know, 85 90% of my runs, probably close to zone five, like every single one of them, and not even knowing it. So so now that I’m monitoring it. And now that I’m adding many more miles to my training, you can start to see it coming down. Right, I’m running a faster pace with a lower heart rate. So that’s encouraging to see that I’m making some progress there.
Speaker 3 23:42
Definitely, definitely. It’s a it’s, it’s so cool. And like, how many miles are you doing per week?
Richard Conner 23:48
Yeah, so when I was doing the base was probably up between 30 and 40 miles. So between six and seven hours of running a week.
Speaker 3 23:57
Nice. Yeah, that’s, like people don’t understand like this stuff. I mean, there’s some guys here that are doing the 220s and stuff, or lower. Maybe they’re running 100 mile weeks imagine. And then also people don’t think about the recovery. Like, at every stage, as you’re increasing these mileage, you also have to increase the recovery, right? Like that, like, what does that look like? Like the foam rolling and stretching? And then that takes an additional, what, at least 15 minutes before and after the run. So like six to eight hours of running really probably looks like 12 or something like that? You know?
Richard Conner 24:30
Exactly, exactly. And, you know, that’s what I’ve been trying to build more into my routine. So, you know, to be totally transparent. I don’t do as much with the stretching and the foam rolling. I’ve started to incorporate more into my training now. But I didn’t do it as much before and I’m like, You know what, based on where I’m headed, and based on how many miles and how many hours I’m on the road, I have to do it now. Like, I can’t skip it, or else I’m just never gonna get to where I’m going to be because I’m gonna be too tired. My muscles are going to be too stiff. I’m gonna get you know potentially get injured. So something I’m trying to be a little bit more serious about.
Speaker 3 25:05
Yeah, I will say that is the actual like hack, because you can get more out of your sessions as well. Like with the recovery. I’ve been extremely focused on that lately, and I’m getting like, a longer runs are better. My everything is just way, way more in tune.
Richard Conner 25:21
That’s awesome. Well, I’m going to be cheering for you. I know you’re gonna hit your goals, too. I mean, your first marathon? That’s incredible. I think you said less than three hours.
Speaker 3 25:31
Yeah. So three hours. It was cool. Because like, everyone’s telling me like it takes it takes years, multiple attempts. Are there other type of stuff? So I’m excited about that excited to like qualify for Boston as well. So I’ll do that. Next year, April. So I’m like, you know, I’m excited about that the world majors. I’m just, I’m getting into it now. So
Richard Conner 25:51
yeah, that’s awesome. So, you know, tell us a little bit about, you know, kind of thinking about your journey as a whole, what would you say would have been the biggest obstacle that you faced? And how did you overcome it,
Speaker 3 26:04
I would say the biggest obstacle, probably like the people you’re around, honestly, because as you’re trying to change or become a new person, everybody wants you to be the old person, because that’s what’s familiar to them, I would say the best way to do that is to isolate. I know a lot of some people can’t do that. I get that. I would say that’s critical like and kind of changing your environment. Because as you becoming a new person, you also have like different needs, you have different values, you have different things like that, I would say the hardest part is just like the people you’re around. Because if you’re trying to make that shift, nobody really wants to see you make that shift. Because sometimes it’s also a reminder that they need to make a shift to and that it’s possible. So it’s not really even about you, sometimes it’s about them, and they’re projecting or whatever it may be. And then even if it’s like they want you to do it, it’s just they are who they are.
Richard Conner 26:53
Okay, okay. You know, that’s really interesting. Definitely being intentional about who you have around you. So in your case, you’re saying, you’re just gonna isolate right from from others, but just really being intentional. And being careful about who you have around you making sure that those folks if you do have folks around you making sure that supportive of what you’re doing because it’s it’s really important along your journey, you’re going to have a lot of doubts, you’re going to have a lot of negative self talk, you don’t need others around you kind of adding to that are fueling that fire. So you want others to help kind of build you up and support you. So definitely appreciate you sharing the way you kind of, I would say the way you think about those around you and having the right people, if any right to kind of support you in that journey.
Speaker 4 27:37
Yeah, so for me, it’s not just isolated from everyone, it’s just isolated to reset, and then find that community that kind of really fuels and empowers you to be that next version and kind of level of yourself.
Richard Conner 27:50
I love that. I love that. Carmichael, I really appreciate you coming on the show and sharing all of these insights and sharing your journey with our community. So you know, one of the as we kind of wrap up here, one of the things I love to ask her or guests is what would be the one thing you would say to inspire someone to run.
Speaker 4 28:11
But on your shoes right now. lace them up, open your door and start going by stretch if you’re over 30
Richard Conner 28:23
for sure for sure I am in that camp. So I need to do more of that. But Carmichael, I appreciate it. I love this conversation. Thank you again so much. You know good luck to everything that you’re doing to to get to where you want to be for your races in your marathons. How can our inspire to run community find you and follow your journey online?
Carmichael Caldwell 28:42
Definitely. If you want follow me on Instagram, it’s at Carmichael, CA R and IC H EY l underscore I am the third and hopefully following to lead to the fourth at some points. No, just kidding. But that’s a great way to follow me. And then I’ll also be launching YouTube doing some stuff on tick tock and kind of mapping out and showcasing more of the things that I’m doing leading up to Copenhagen and hopefully some other marathons the end of the year that I’m working on right now. So yeah, stay tuned. Some good energy and watch me get 7030 soon enough.
Richard Conner 29:23
All right. Well, best wishes to you. Best of luck. Thank you again for coming on the show. And with that, have a great day.
Carmichael Caldwell 29:30
Definitely thank you so much.
Intro/Outro 29:32
That’s it for this episode of inspired to run podcast. We hope you are inspired to take control of your health and fitness and take it to the next level. Be sure to click the subscribe button to join our community. And also please rate and review. Thanks for listening
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Hey everyone, today we’re going to talk about how a 2% better mindset can help you reach your health and fitness goals. We’re also going to chat about some tips that can help you improve your performance when it comes to race day. Also, our guest today is very active in the running community and happens to be at the London marathon running show at the time of this recording. So this episode might sound a little bit different, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Intro/Outro 0:26
Welcome to Inspire to run podcast. Here you will find inspiration. Whether you’re looking to take control of your health and fitness or you’re a seasoned runner, looking for community and some extra motivation. You will hear inspiring stories from amazing runners, along with helpful tips from fitness experts. Now here’s your host Richard Conner.
Richard Conner 0:49
Hi, everyone. Welcome to Inspire to run Podcast. I’m here today with Carmichael Caldwell, who is an American nomadic entrepreneur, philanthropist and runner splitting time between the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa. Given his hectic travel schedule, Carmichael found his passion for running through his desire to find a sustainable approach to fitness that was location agnostic and provided a low barrier to entry. Carmichael has lost over 50 pounds and inspired others through his 2% Better philosophy to increase their fitness and take a sustainable approach in general to accomplishing their goals. As an entrepreneur, Carmichael leads a sales consulting firm, helping b2b technology companies sell their products to large enterprises, and is ideating on a new project in the health and wellness space. Welcome to the show, Carmichael.
Carmichael Caldwell 1:43
Thank you, man, thank you, I’m super excited to be here.
Richard Conner 1:46
I’m excited to have you as well, I have a lot going on here between your fitness journey between the work that you’re doing in the entrepreneurial space, visiting and living in different countries. So really excited to have you on the show. And, you know, just kind of learn a little bit about you. So, you know, let’s kind of jump into the conversation a little bit and just learn a little bit about your background and kind of what led you to the life that you’re living now.
Carmichael Caldwell 2:10
I often think about this a lot. Like why do I travel all the time? Why do I never want to live in one place. And I think it kind of goes back to my childhood. I lived in like 13 US states as well. So I guess I’ve kind of had this curiosity, just throughout my life of like seeing new areas, having friends everywhere, seeing new cultures, and just meeting new people. And so that’s kind of how this has all happened, I guess from childhood. And then like, from like a career standpoint, I guess everybody’s asked like, Well, how do you make money? Like, like, how do you get to live everywhere, all these type things. And so I used to lead with that answer, but they’re like, no, like, like, actual tangible thing, like making money. And so that’s how I always wanted to kind of live everywhere. So wanted to do things remote, studied the future of work, the future of living, and actually the future, the future of education as well. And that led me to start like more like a remote consulting company, something that I can do anywhere and everywhere. And I think a lot of that inspiration also came from my first company called minty, where I moved to the silicon, I moved to Silicon Valley and just saw all these people just kind of challenging the status quo and kind of bending the rules of life. And I want you to do the same.
Richard Conner 3:19
I love that. I love that. And you know, I never had the opportunity to live somewhere else I should say, Never took the opportunity to live somewhere else. But I’ve had the opportunity to visit a number of countries. And I just, you know, I would recommend that for anybody. If you haven’t left the country that you’re living in, just get out and explore even if you’re not living there just to see what life is like outside of you know, kind of your, your country, your bubble, I would say so I love that you’ve had you taking that experience, taking the opportunity to do that.
Speaker 3 3:50
Definitely, definitely, I would say the same. I think everybody should like try to live somewhere different. Even if it’s the city next door to you or state or even even just just local neighborhood or like whatever it may be. I think it’ll it’ll challenge your your mindset or challenge, like the way you think and push us out of your comfort zone to kind of just be a different person in general. For sure,
Richard Conner 4:11
for sure. So you mentioned mindset. And I want to talk a lot about that today. Because I think you have a great mindset you have like this positive thinking positive mindset, and you talk about growth. So let’s learn a little bit from you about your philosophies around that. I think that drove a lot of what you’ve been able to accomplish and the success that you’ve had in your life. Speaker 3 4:32
Definitely. So I guess I go by like the 2%. Better, like philosophy, I guess, everybody a lot of people say 1% better. I say like 2% Because it’s doing more than what’s expected. But it’s still that compounded interest every day, doing things that are sustainable. A lot of people like going zero to 100 and then they don’t sustain it. If you don’t sustain it, it’s almost as good as doing nothing at all. So for me, it’s like what can I do daily? And what systems can I create that allowed me to be a better person overall? More down the line. And most importantly, over time, I think a lot of like, some of my other philosophies have come in like ideologies, I guess have also come from like traveling and studying like, more like stoic philosophy, like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, reading some of their old books. There’s also a book called The monk who sold his Ferrari who talks about like the sage who really didn’t have lands about kind of how they change their behavior around negative thoughts as well. So I tried to, like practice some of those things in my life every day. And that I think, bits and pieces of those have helped formulate what that means for me. And so I guess down the line, I’ll be also writing two of my own philosophies as well as
Richard Conner 5:38
I love that I love that 2%. And, you know, I’ve been on this journey myself, about, you know, overcoming fears and doing things that I’ve never been able to do right to be better than where it was before, whether it’s in fitness, whether it’s in business, or just other aspects of my life. So I love that 2% rule and, and just doing or being better than you were before. And it’s you against you, right? It’s not a competition with others, necessarily, but it’s, it’s doing more than what you what you did before.
Speaker 3 6:05
Definitely, definitely. I mean, there’s like, I guess a lot of people compare themselves to others, but everyone’s unique, right? So it’s, it’s to your points, it’s really just up to you. And kind of defining your own reality, I think a lot of people will live in other people’s reality. So they’re kind of not that, you know, they may be unhappy, or whatever it may be. But it’s really to kind of define your own reality. And as your, to your point, you’ve as you like, what is that next level for you? And just be okay with that, too?
Richard Conner 6:30
For sure, for sure. So, you know, let’s apply this to or let’s learn a little bit about your fitness journey. So I know that you’ve kind of applied this mindset to your journey, and your bio, read that you lost over 50 pounds. You’re a relatively new runner, I think so, you know, tell us a little bit about how that journey started.
Speaker 3 6:48
Yeah, so I guess in my 20s, I’m 31. Now, like, in my 20s, I was just partying constantly, like wild parties, like it was, it was actually crazy. Because like I’ve been traveling for, you know, quite a bit. And I would say most of the most of the time, I would know a lot about the light nightlife. I would obviously, obviously do some of the cultural things as well. But that was like just one piece of it. And then I kind of the pandemic, honestly, I was just super bored. And I guess some people may say this is bad, but I was living down like near Miami, we were still throwing like pool parties and stuff in my house. And then I was like man like, this isn’t there’s gotta be more to life than just like, kind of drinking, partying and doing all these things. And then you could only do so much like we couldn’t go out. So only a certain amount of people could even come to our house, like me and my buddy’s house. And so we just started running or exercising or doing something like with our bodies every every day. And so I just started running a little, I would actually run and walk because I couldn’t even run a mile. At first, I had gotten like extremely overweight, I was like 216 pounds, 220 pounds, I guess that’s over 100 kg. I don’t know how many stone for my UK people, you know what I mean? And so I just started to just slowly like, we were living close to the beach. And so the goal was, can you run to the beach, then the second goal was can you run to the beach and back. So while we were living in this house, we were just trying to just run to the beach without stopping. And yeah, that’s kind of just how it started. And then I guess after that, I started traveling again. And I was like, alright, like I’ve already started to change the behavior around this, I should also just keep it going. And so then it moved to to these Lost and Found runs. So every time I would hit a city, I would immediately as I stepped off the plane, I dropped my bag off, the first thing I do is go for a run. And maybe I go to maybe I’m running down the street and I say every red light, take a right, every stop sign, take a left, you can’t stop period. So just make sure you don’t stop there, take a left, take a right just don’t start right. And so I would get lost in the cities, it would be kind of like a fun way for me to just stay fit. And it would be something I couldn’t make an excuse that I couldn’t do. Because I didn’t want to say Oh, I can’t find the gym. I can’t box today, I can’t I can’t do yoga today, whatever it may be, as long as I have a pair of shoes, I could hit the street and go for a run. So you would see me running like it would be pouring down rain I’d still run. So that that was kind of like the like unlocking the mentality as well. Or like the 2% piece, and also the start of the fitness journey as well. And I think once you start changing the behaviors, then you start kind of getting addicted to it. And so then I started joining gyms and that’s sort of getting more strategic with the plan and all that type of stuff. But I think a lot of people would look at the goal, like oh, I want to lose 50 pounds. Like that was actually never my goal. Actually. I didn’t I don’t think I even wanted to lose 50 pounds at all. I just wanted to change my behavior and my relationship with exercise. And that was my main focal point.
Richard Conner 9:54
I love that. I love that and you said so many great things and you know, try to recap some of what you said. So I love which you said about your run Walk Run method, which is actually pretty common for new runners, if you’ve never run before, I love what you said about community have doing this with your friends and having someone there to rent to the beach and back or you know, whatever that run might be. And then the work that you’re doing overseas and kind of continuing with the running, and kind of a no excuses mindset, because that’s one of the great things about running is that you can do it from anywhere, and you don’t really need a lot to get started or to do it. So it’s wonderful that you kind of carry that with you through your travel. So you didn’t have those excuses to say, well, I can’t do you know, certain exercises, if they don’t have a gym or don’t have access to equipment, you have your pair of shoes that you’d mentioned, and you just did it? I love that.
Speaker 3 10:43
Definitely definitely. And Nike, maybe I’ll talk about that. And as well as like, because now I don’t even run with headphones I started with with headphones then. So like, you start unlocking these crazy things for yourself mentally with running. And it really just starts with just not making an excuse. Because you realize, like, at the end of the day, there’s two things will always say one main thing is you have to keep the promises you make to yourself. And I guess we’ll say the second one is you have to be honest with yourself to like self criticism, right? So those are two things that I think can unlock a lot of people’s lives that they just don’t do. Some people are not honest and critical with themselves. And some people are just like, not true to themselves. And saying that, hey, I’m gonna wake up and run. Like now I say, I told a guy in the steam room the other day, I take a cold shower every day. And I’m like, every day I’m like, do you really want to take that cold shower? Well, you told that guy that you do it every day. Are you a liar or not? Right? So it’s like these these type days are like, no excuses is cool. But always just say like, keep the promises you make to yourself. And if you don’t like don’t expect anyone else in the world, to keep their promise to you. You can’t even keep it to yourself. So
Richard Conner 11:52
yes, yes, totally, totally agree with that. And, you know, I’d love to learn a little bit more about what was that moment in time where you made that decision that you wanted to make a change, you mentioned that you were, you’re partying or hanging out with your friends. And then at some moment, you’re like, I need to make a change in my life. And I want to choose running like, was there like a specific moment in time where like, this is not the life I want, I want something more I want something different at first. And then Part B to the question is why running?
Speaker 3 12:23
I would say I don’t even know if there was a moment per se. I was just like, oh, I should probably like work out like, if not, this is gonna be bad. And then I just chose running. And I was like, Alright, I can do this from anywhere. It’s easy, like, just start doing that. And then now I would say is I’m putting like stakes in the ground like, No, you’re going to be meat running, right? So I think it like kind of evolved. I didn’t have that moment of like, oh, you should stop drinking and partying and all this stuff. And I actually didn’t even give that up until later, after I was changing the behavior. So I would still be working out. I still go out and drink. But then I guess you hit a point where you’re like, I know to get that next game. I’m gonna have to cut alcohol one day or two days. So you started doing Oh, one day a week. But then you’re like, alright, well, I’m only gonna drink once a month. Then you’re like, Well, why am I drinking at all right? So now I don’t actually drink at all. So that just kind of spiraled out. And then even even in that, like, I when I quit drinking, I started like smoking cigarettes because I was living in Eastern Europe. Right. And so Eastern Europe, that’s just culturally, that’s just what you do. Like, you smoke cigarettes and drink coffee. So I don’t even think I had a moment it was just like more realizations throughout the journey, you know? But is is like a whole thing. It wasn’t it was not easy. I will say for sure.
Richard Conner 13:41
For sure. Okay. All right. That’s cool. And, and that’s interesting to know, you know, one of the things that you said, I think it’s important for our listeners is around not having to give up everything right to get into health and fitness. And I think that might scare people away. They’re like, Oh, well, I can’t do all these things are keen, ie all of these things. And, you know, there’s certain things that are probably not good for you, right? That you probably should consider limiting anyway. But it’s not something that you would need to do or need to do cold turkey. Right? So I love what you know your journey where he you started on the health and fitness journey, but you made changes along the way that best suited you that best fit the lifestyle that you wanted.
Speaker 3 14:23
Yeah, and to be fair, I wouldn’t even tell people to even go to the extreme that that I am of like, I don’t drink because I just don’t have the desire to. I wouldn’t even say I don’t drink at all. Like that’s I’m never gonna drink again. Like I don’t I don’t know if that’s true. Because like Life is like, this is life. Right? So maybe I drink or another time. I don’t know maybe like I smoke another cigarette one day. I don’t know. It’s life. But like right now I just don’t have the desire to and I think you just go with like the seasons of of your life and your body. And at the very minimum. I think you keep that in moderation. But yeah, you definitely don’t have to cut out These days, you know,
Richard Conner 15:02
for sure for sure. So you have an incredible journey, just even in the last couple of years. With your races, I see all of your photos on Instagram. I know you’re working with a coach, you’re doing just incredible things, and you have incredible goals. So let’s talk a little bit about that. So you know, you mentioned that you want to be that elite runner, that’s what you’re striving for. Tell us a little bit about that. How’s that journey been for you so far, and kind of where you headed?
Speaker 3 15:26
Yeah, so far. So I guess my goal is to definitely get self to 30 in the marathon. So like 220 something, I want to be like the 220 guy, right? Like at some point, like, once I hit that, I’m sure that’ll be I wouldn’t be sub 220, whatever. But that’s the goal right now. So I guess my last marathon, I did 250, which was good. But I was a little bit disappointed only because I was definitely like, right there to get to 40 something, which was my first marathon properly. So I like I’ll take it. But obviously, every runner they see it, they’re like, Oh, I’m so close. But I learned a lot, right. It’s a lot of fuelling like strategies, I could have done differently pacing strategy, I could have done differently. A few little tweaks would have definitely gotten me in the 240s. But I’ve had some success with like the 5k in 17 minutes, but this year, going sub 17 For sure. had some success last year in my first year of running with 10k. And I was like 36 minutes, definitely going down to 34 this year. So it’s like, I’m just trying to keep pushing the limits and all these things. The half marathon last year, I went 119. That was kind of the race where I was like, okay, like, you’re pretty decent at running. But I want to get that down to 110 At some point, right? So it’s, it’s now like, Alright, hey, you, you have a good base. But now it’s the studying of the game and become in becoming a student of the sport that I’m really interested in now. So even even now I’m, I’m London Marathon weekend, right? So talking to a company that focuses on glucose levels of athletes. So I felt like I had poor fielding on my last race. Alright, well, how do I get more in tune with that and my training sessions, and then make sure I’m ready for that, like in the week leading up to the race to make sure I’m, like not overfilling, and not under fueling. So it’s now I’m getting like more scientific about it taking lactate tests, like all these activity, things, to try to get to that like elite level, like ideally in the next 18 months, or close to it. So those are like some of my goals. And like, you know, some of the metrics I’ve heard so far, but I’m switching up a lot of things on my training, I was like, more so doing a lot of strength work, more like Eastern European bodybuilding style, because at first I was still like, I want it to be like kind of built. But But, but still fast. But now I’m very focused on speed. So doing more running specific type of training, like yoga twice a week, like actual strength work for the legs and things twice a week, and then maybe just upper body, like one time a week, you know, it’s still summer in Europe coming up. So after that to be proper, you’re properly prepared for that, as well. But it’s these are like the goals and kind of the things that I’m doing. I’m doing now, just taking a much more like student approach to the sport. And still having fun even though I know all of that you’re like, Whoa, like, You’re doing all this testing man. Like, I do love it. Like, I am obsessed with it. I love it so much. And I think the community too, is just so critical, like so like podcasts like this. People, people that are also encouraging you, I think with running, it’s one of the most amazing sports because everyone has started with like slow times or, quote unquote, slow times, like the slowest person is like, actually, you know, sits on the couch, right? So, so everyone’s already fast now. It’s just constantly making progress. And so that’s what I really love about the sport right now.
Richard Conner 18:38
For sure, I love that as well. I mean, everybody has to start somewhere, and then kind of build from there. So I love that you mentioned that and, and thank you for shouting out podcasts. I mean, this is an opportunity for me as a host to share inspiring stories like yours and help others learn how are you doing it? What’s your success look like? What’s your failures? What have you learned? So this is a great opportunity to, you know, for others to learn from you.
Speaker 3 19:02
Definitely, it’s very interesting to be on that because like, a lot of people have been reaching out to me like, Hey, what should I buy? How do you get faster, and like, I’m still learning as well. But I also now do have some knowledge to share with people when like how to tweak the running game just a little bit. So I’m definitely trying to, you know, get do a better job of, you know, sharing some of the tips that I’ve learned too, but like, I’m still a student, I’m, I’m studying like now intensely on kind of every aspect of it.
Richard Conner 19:29
So, yeah, for sure. So tell us a little bit about those tips. So, you know, you mentioned hydration was big, right? And then you’re looking to use technology to help you kind of in a hydration and fueling part. But, you know, what are the other things key things that you think this helps you as a runner?
Speaker 3 19:45
I think the biggest thing is like really looking at this as like a longer journey. A lot of people try to get fast, quick, right? And it’s like, that doesn’t happen typically. And so just like enjoy the ride, right? I would say that’s the The main thing that you need that extra Foundation, because the next step that is like run slow, right? A lot of times people are just running too fast. And really, it’s also about like running to your heart rate, right? So making sure you’re like in your specific zones from your coach or whatever it may be, but like that zone, too, that’s different for everyone. And I specifically say zone two, because you’re gonna be like, what? Like, like, what does that even mean? Like, that’s good, like, go Google that, so you can understand it. And then, like, make sure you’re staying in that zone a lot. Because that’s actually how you’re gonna get like faster, or at least, like build up your base. And then after that, you move into more like, like speed training, like, like, that’s like really taking advantage of those hard sessions, as well. I would say something else is uphill. That’s something I’m working on a lot right now is like trying to increase like my knees, like, like, like my stride length. And then also like my knees coming up more as I’m running. So the smaller details, I didn’t probably take advantage of hills sessions, enough in my last session. There’s not a lot of hills in London, and like Central London, to be fair. But I’m definitely trying to do like more of that, for sure. Like that. That is definitely I think, an unlock that a lot of people don’t take advantage of I
Richard Conner 21:16
agree, I agree. And I can relate to a lot of what you just said, especially around the hills. So I’ve had so many conversations actually just share this with the community last week, so many conversations with runners. And that was one of the number one thing that they self said help them improve their performance and improve their speed and races was doing Hill work. And I think most of us as runners avoid hills, I know I do. I know I used to have him in my in my workouts, but not as much anymore. So now I’m building it back in so definitely can relate to that. And also can relate to the heart rate training. So I’ve been running half marathons, which is my longest distance at this point, probably for about three years. But the training plan that I’ve been following was definitely a beginner plan, right, it got me to the starting line, but not didn’t get me to the finish line at the time that I was looking for. So I went to my coach, probably last fall, and I said, Look, I didn’t hit my target time this year, for at my half marathon, I got a PR I’m happy about that, but didn’t get my target time, I will do whatever it is you tell me to do to help me get to that time. So whatever the training program is, that’s what I’m going to follow. So that’s what he put me on. So instead of running by pace and distance, I started running by time and heart rate. So I’ve been doing that since the fall. And I’ve already seen some improvement there. So I’m, you know, I’m excited about it, I have my first half marathon this year, coming up to the RBC, Brooklyn, half in May. And then I have a local half marathon, near where I live in September. But by September, I want to hit the hour and 45. And this is the training I’m following you, you know, the heart rate training, so definitely can relate to what you said there.
Speaker 3 22:52
Now, that’s cool. And like an hour 45 is quick to like, that’s, that’s gonna like you, I know, you will hit that goal, like and you’re right, like, making sure you’re doing these hard runs on heart and the heart rate, the heart rate is gonna make it feel like much easier when you run to that. It’s very interesting, like the signs of running and stuff. So that’s, that’s cool.
Richard Conner 23:13
For sure. And you know, it’s funny, because I wasn’t monitoring my heart rate before my training. But for sure, I probably use running, I don’t know, 85 90% of my runs, probably close to zone five, like every single one of them, and not even knowing it. So so now that I’m monitoring it. And now that I’m adding many more miles to my training, you can start to see it coming down. Right, I’m running a faster pace with a lower heart rate. So that’s encouraging to see that I’m making some progress there.
Speaker 3 23:42
Definitely, definitely. It’s a it’s, it’s so cool. And like, how many miles are you doing per week?
Richard Conner 23:48
Yeah, so when I was doing the base was probably up between 30 and 40 miles. So between six and seven hours of running a week.
Speaker 3 23:57
Nice. Yeah, that’s, like people don’t understand like this stuff. I mean, there’s some guys here that are doing the 220s and stuff, or lower. Maybe they’re running 100 mile weeks imagine. And then also people don’t think about the recovery. Like, at every stage, as you’re increasing these mileage, you also have to increase the recovery, right? Like that, like, what does that look like? Like the foam rolling and stretching? And then that takes an additional, what, at least 15 minutes before and after the run. So like six to eight hours of running really probably looks like 12 or something like that? You know?
Richard Conner 24:30
Exactly, exactly. And, you know, that’s what I’ve been trying to build more into my routine. So, you know, to be totally transparent. I don’t do as much with the stretching and the foam rolling. I’ve started to incorporate more into my training now. But I didn’t do it as much before and I’m like, You know what, based on where I’m headed, and based on how many miles and how many hours I’m on the road, I have to do it now. Like, I can’t skip it, or else I’m just never gonna get to where I’m going to be because I’m gonna be too tired. My muscles are going to be too stiff. I’m gonna get you know potentially get injured. So something I’m trying to be a little bit more serious about.
Speaker 3 25:05
Yeah, I will say that is the actual like hack, because you can get more out of your sessions as well. Like with the recovery. I’ve been extremely focused on that lately, and I’m getting like, a longer runs are better. My everything is just way, way more in tune.
Richard Conner 25:21
That’s awesome. Well, I’m going to be cheering for you. I know you’re gonna hit your goals, too. I mean, your first marathon? That’s incredible. I think you said less than three hours.
Speaker 3 25:31
Yeah. So three hours. It was cool. Because like, everyone’s telling me like it takes it takes years, multiple attempts. Are there other type of stuff? So I’m excited about that excited to like qualify for Boston as well. So I’ll do that. Next year, April. So I’m like, you know, I’m excited about that the world majors. I’m just, I’m getting into it now. So
Richard Conner 25:51
yeah, that’s awesome. So, you know, tell us a little bit about, you know, kind of thinking about your journey as a whole, what would you say would have been the biggest obstacle that you faced? And how did you overcome it,
Speaker 3 26:04
I would say the biggest obstacle, probably like the people you’re around, honestly, because as you’re trying to change or become a new person, everybody wants you to be the old person, because that’s what’s familiar to them, I would say the best way to do that is to isolate. I know a lot of some people can’t do that. I get that. I would say that’s critical like and kind of changing your environment. Because as you becoming a new person, you also have like different needs, you have different values, you have different things like that, I would say the hardest part is just like the people you’re around. Because if you’re trying to make that shift, nobody really wants to see you make that shift. Because sometimes it’s also a reminder that they need to make a shift to and that it’s possible. So it’s not really even about you, sometimes it’s about them, and they’re projecting or whatever it may be. And then even if it’s like they want you to do it, it’s just they are who they are.
Richard Conner 26:53
Okay, okay. You know, that’s really interesting. Definitely being intentional about who you have around you. So in your case, you’re saying, you’re just gonna isolate right from from others, but just really being intentional. And being careful about who you have around you making sure that those folks if you do have folks around you making sure that supportive of what you’re doing because it’s it’s really important along your journey, you’re going to have a lot of doubts, you’re going to have a lot of negative self talk, you don’t need others around you kind of adding to that are fueling that fire. So you want others to help kind of build you up and support you. So definitely appreciate you sharing the way you kind of, I would say the way you think about those around you and having the right people, if any right to kind of support you in that journey.
Speaker 4 27:37
Yeah, so for me, it’s not just isolated from everyone, it’s just isolated to reset, and then find that community that kind of really fuels and empowers you to be that next version and kind of level of yourself.
Richard Conner 27:50
I love that. I love that. Carmichael, I really appreciate you coming on the show and sharing all of these insights and sharing your journey with our community. So you know, one of the as we kind of wrap up here, one of the things I love to ask her or guests is what would be the one thing you would say to inspire someone to run.
Speaker 4 28:11
But on your shoes right now. lace them up, open your door and start going by stretch if you’re over 30
Richard Conner 28:23
for sure for sure I am in that camp. So I need to do more of that. But Carmichael, I appreciate it. I love this conversation. Thank you again so much. You know good luck to everything that you’re doing to to get to where you want to be for your races in your marathons. How can our inspire to run community find you and follow your journey online?
Carmichael Caldwell 28:42
Definitely. If you want follow me on Instagram, it’s at Carmichael, CA R and IC H EY l underscore I am the third and hopefully following to lead to the fourth at some points. No, just kidding. But that’s a great way to follow me. And then I’ll also be launching YouTube doing some stuff on tick tock and kind of mapping out and showcasing more of the things that I’m doing leading up to Copenhagen and hopefully some other marathons the end of the year that I’m working on right now. So yeah, stay tuned. Some good energy and watch me get 7030 soon enough.
Richard Conner 29:23
All right. Well, best wishes to you. Best of luck. Thank you again for coming on the show. And with that, have a great day.
Carmichael Caldwell 29:30
Definitely thank you so much.
Intro/Outro 29:32
That’s it for this episode of inspired to run podcast. We hope you are inspired to take control of your health and fitness and take it to the next level. Be sure to click the subscribe button to join our community. And also please rate and review. Thanks for listening
Transcribed by https://otter.ai