Latest / The Unsexy Businessmen / Running After a Torn Achilles: Getting Back to 13.1 Miles with Juan Guitron
Transcript
- Aaron: welcome to the Unsexy Podcast, where we talk about everything unsexy. Today we have a special guest, and not only is he a special guest, but also he is the first guest to make a reappearance on the Unsexy Podcast. Our one the the one and only one. I forgot what we called you in the last one. Something Lionel Bushy. Lionel Bushy. That's what it was. Alex: What do we call No I thought you Juan: I almost wrote it in the because it asked for me to I was wrote Aaron: You you're like, please don't remember, please don't remember I like to think for your name. Alex: That's funny. Aaron: so we wanted to have Juan on. we've had a few people reach out about recovering after surgery, especially for running and stuff like that. So in the last podcast, if you didn't listen to it, go back, listen to it. Juan talks about how he blew up his Achilles playing soccer, and then kind of how he rehabbed it and stuff like that. But What we wanna go over kind of today is the so you get past your, you know, I guess everything that that entailed getting back to doing like half marathons. Because you did some in the past, I'm assuming, or 5Ks or whatever it is, and then you kinda there. So if you wanna just take it, take it from there. Juan: Yeah, yeah, no. Thanks again for having me guys. yeah, so you know, obviously playing soccer, part of that, the conditioning is doing a lot of running. So, that's always been kind of part of the part of my routine is making sure that I'm getting some miles and and getting some intervals in. So going through that process of tearing the Achilles, that was gonna be something that I really wanted to get back into. And of course it was a it was a long process and through the rehab. there were steps things along the way that helped me kinda get to a point where I felt like I can you know, at the beginning start walking and then there was a lot of things along the way, like biking to help with the conditioning. and then at our p at the P T that I went to they had an underwater treadmill. So that was actually my first I guess the first exercise that I did Aaron: What's what's what's an underwater treadmill like? Are there like are you weighted down at all? Juan: Yeah, so you're you're in a pool, it's about waist deep Aaron: Yeah. Sure. Juan: and yeah, it's just a treadmill under w underwater. Aaron: okay. Okay. Okay. So is it is it weird though? Like I've heard of underwater treadmills and I just imagine it being Yeah, you're like scuba diving. Alex: Wearing a mask, it's like you're you know I Yeah. Juan: No, no, it's always it's yeah, it's way steep. It's kinda cool though, 'cause you know, you you start up and then you get it s it goes down and you get submerged and you know, it's this whole yeah. Aaron: Hold your breath. Juan: That that Star Wars feeling, you know, you're just you're all hooked up. Aaron: Yeah. Alex: Wait, like a Bacta tank? Wait, do you actually go all the way in? that'd be so cool. Do you also kiss your sister? St for I know we don't I know we don't have a lot of nerds. That's a Star Wars reference. Juan: No, you don't. It's waste it's it's it's I know. Aaron: He didn't know. Juan didn't know. Spoil spoiler alert, Juan: Yeah. Aaron: Alex. Juan: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Spoiler Alex: Yeah. Juan: alert. But yeah, no, So that was part of the PT was getting to use that and it was really weird at first because at that point I was only in a boot and I was trying to figure it out and so I could tell that everything was off balance. So even Aaron: Yeah. Juan: though it was underwater and the weight was just a little different, every time I'd take a step I could just feel I was a little off. but I was super happy that I was able to kinda get to that point where I was moving. and then if if we wanna go back, we can touch on more details how we got to that point. But yeah, I just remember the first time getting in there and then, you know, them speeding up to I think it was like a a two, maybe a three, and I thought, This is awesome, you know, like I'm I mean I limp in I'm limping a little bit, but I'm moving, right? Aaron: You're moving. You're moving. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is it is it is it awkward? Like I I'm like almost more interested. We don't even care about your half marathon. We want to know more about this underwater treadmill you're working. Alex: Underwater tank. Juan: Yeah. Aaron: Like, was it is it weird to I'm just trying to think I guess I guess it's not weird. It's like if you're at a beach, you're at a lake, and you're at waist deep, it's just walking. So I don't know, well in my mind I feel like you're w you would start floating away, but that's not how gravity works. so you were you were just there. It's just but the the point of it is to kind of just alleviate some of the pressure on your foot, I'm assuming. Juan: Yeah, you're just not putting as much weight on it, you know. So there is a handrail so you can Aaron: Mm-hmm. Juan: kind of hold on as you're moving, especially in the beginning, you know, you start off with that and as you increase the speed, and you start increasing some of the strength, you can start letting go and then starting to do a little bit more Aaron: What's the fastest they it gets up to? Can you like sprint underwater? Juan: I feel like yeah, you could. I don't think I ever got to that point 'cause by the time I was to that point I was like, All right, I I can do it outside. Aaron: That's kinda cool. All right. You took your floaties off and you're like, all right, I'm ready to go. Juan: But yeah, that was one of the things I thought it was really cool. Mentally it was really cool because, you know, you got to see that progress. and again the my PT, he actually we played together so he knew where I wanted to be and so he started to throw in little things like not only was I walking straight but then I was also like doing a little bit of side shuffling, a little bit of that Aaron: okay. Juan: mobility. again you can do a lot more things with that underwater 'cause you don't have that much pressure. Aaron: How long how long were you doing that type of exercise for? Juan: I wanna say that I did that for a couple months until I started getting more strength in my foot and then I can do it, you know, not in the pool. But it it really helped I think the mental thing. I think we touched on that last time was mentally it was probably the most challenging thing. it wasn't as painful of a process. And I actually know someone who just did it recently, and he that was one of his comments was, you know, it's all mental, just Will I get there again? I think that's the main thing that comes through your mind. So as you're going through PT and there's little milestones that you're hitting, like this treadmill, it really just kinda boosts boosts you up and kinda gets you to a point where you're like, Okay, yeah, I can I can see the progress and I'm moving closer to what I wanna be. Aaron: Did did your PT give you benchmarks like all right, we're starting you on the underground underwater say underground, your underwater treadmill within you you should be okay within two months, or was there anything like timelines? Juan: Yeah, he gave me a good timeline of what it was gonna be and then, you know, hey, this is this is where I want you to be at this month, this is where I want you to be within the next two weeks, this is what we should expect, and then kind of adjusted based on whether I was progressing or maybe I needed to pull back a little bit 'cause I was pushing a little too hard. and being, you know, just an athlete and wanting to you know, I I knew there was times where I was pushing it a little bit more than he wanted to, but Aaron: How do how did you know? Like what was like was it start hurting more the next day, kind of a thing? Just sore? Yeah. Juan: Just sore. Yeah, just sore. Yeah, really sore. but he was he was really great. I mean I can't say enough positive things about just his Aaron: Was this was this every day you were doing this? Juan: I wanna say it was every Monday and Wednesday, so two times a week I was going in and doing work. Aaron: Did you have an end goal of like I I want to do a half marathon? Alex: This time. Juan: Not at that at that time. I mean the the biggest goal was, hey, I just wanna get back on the soccer field. Aaron: Gotcha. Juan: and once I got to that point then it was, you know what, yeah, I wanna start running again. Because running on a treadmill is is very different than running on the on the street too. and so that was gonna be a challenge when I got to that point was, you know, how's my body gonna react to to that, you know, to running on concrete. I would say the very first time I did it, I like conditioning wise, I felt good. Like I my lungs felt good. I felt like I can run longer, but just my body, like my right foot was the one I tore, it just felt really tired. I just couldn't I didn't have that that explos explosive movement. after a while it just felt like it just got really tired and I just needed this to slow down. Aaron: Yeah. Did did you I we kind of touched on this in the last podcast, but did you notice anything with your left foot getting messed up because like you were like overusing your left foot or like you're compensating for your right foot with your left foot? Juan: Yeah, the biggest thing in in again I mentioned the mental, but the the most painful part of that is the sciatic pain, the sciatic nerve. Got messed up on my left side, so my hamstring I'd get the anytime I would sit up, like I'd sit down I'd be fine, but as soon as I'd stand up, man, I'd get this sharp pain on my left hamstring that just would be like someone stabbing me. And so I focused a lot to get over that. I looked up, you know, some mobility exercises, a lot of flexibility work to try and stretch out or or work on my flexibility, especially on that side, 'cause it just felt so tight on that left side and so I Aaron: What were some of those exercises, do you remember, for like flexibility and stuff? Juan: A lot of hamstring work, so working on Yeah. Aaron: Is it sorry, keep going. Juan: Yeah, no, a lot of hamstring work, that just helped loosen things up. 'cause I felt I was really tight and so my the biggest thing was just working on starting to even just laying down, pulling my foot back, and seeing how Aaron: Gotcha. Juan: far that can go. And I've at the beginning, man, I I mean I don't think I could get past my my right leg. It was that tight. Aaron: Like really? Juan: yeah, it was so it's super tight. And so doing things that you know, I would even use a little bit of heat to help with that. so like a heat pad on my left hamstring and then starting to do some of those mobility, flexibility movements to start to get loosen that up and it you know, it took about a week and a half of really just being intentional and really working on that flexibility and after that it it it helped. Aaron: God, I thought you were gonna say like three months. Juan: No, I thought it was gonna be more but I started seeing progress right away. and so then I just continued to just work at it. I mean, maybe two, three times a day where I was just focusing on any any time I had a little bit of opportunity I would just stretch, you s use some of those moments and then at night I would I would just take a little bit longer just to stretch. and so I still kinda Aaron: Was it tight Juan: do that. Aaron: Yeah. Was it tightening Juan: You know, not not Aaron: up in the in the morning? Like when the morning would you wake up and it like back to square one? Or like just progressively it just got better and better and better. Yeah. Juan: Yeah, in the in the beginning it was. Yeah, in the beginning it was really tight in the in the morning, but Yeah, after a little while it it just started loosening up and and then I I wasn't working on just my hamstrings and I was working on my IT bands. 'cause that's a big one too. When you start running your IT bands get really tight and so you wanna roll out and make sure everything I mean, as you know, when you hurt your shoulder or when you have any injuries, it affects i all the parts of your body. So you wanna make sure that you're not just focusing on one area but you're also starting to work on the different parts of your body, a lot of stretching, a lot of Aaron: For those who aren't PTs, what's your what are your IT bands? Juan: IT bands is just and I'll stand up real quick. It's just this this part of your let's see. It's just right here. So it Aaron: Okay. Juan puts a pants on for all those listening. Juan doesn't have any pants on. Yeah. Alex: All right. Geez, for all of our sorry for all those listening. my gosh. Juan: and it goes all the way around. Aaron: So one is putting at his Alex: So butt Aaron: hip and then he's he's Alex: butt to knee. Aaron: going down to his knee. Juan: Yeah, so a lot of times like when I've had Alex: Yeah. Juan: I've had like this last year I had I coached a high school team. And I had a couple boys that never had stretched out their hamstrings or or sorry, their IT bands. And after a Alex: Don't like where the story's going. Juan: tournament, they were hurting pretty bad around their knees. And so part of our recovery from that tournament was, you know, I took out a foam roller and they were working on that and just again being a little bit more intentional on on that. and I Yeah. Aaron: Yeah, you gave me that advice. My knee was hurting and you're like, dude, do you foam roll? I was like, what am I why don't I say that? I don't do yoga. Juan: Yeah, if you've never if you've never done it before, it's super painful at at first. Alex: It has the letters you're gonna say in yoga. Aaron: No, and it worked, dude. It worked. Like I started like the foam rolling. Yeah, it's it's very uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. But my knee pain went away. Like you Juan: It's in some people, yeah. Yeah. Aaron: were absolutely right. That's it, it would made a huge difference. Juan: So yeah, so I think that as you're going back into as you're going back into running, especially after an injury is making sure that I think, you know, working on your flexibility is a big one, especially your your hip flexors. That's that's a that's a big one too. And then also depending on the injury, whatever it is, like for me, I w I mentioned that I would get tired on that right foot. So then I started doing exercises that would then strengthen that that right foot. So is that Aaron: Like what? Juan: like I would do calf raises. the bar on the right side. I didn't start with the bar but you know you start doing calf races and start to get some strength there. then you start adding a little bit of like plyometrics to it so that way you're getting some strength there. and then I actually added some jump rope where I was you know focusing on that right foot. but yeah you start adding those things and really focusing on the areas that are injured. to give give you some of that strength back. and so as I was leading up to that run, that half marathon, and that was that was actually one of my goals was hey, I wanna see if I could still do it. and yeah, I I focused really hard on strengthening that right side just because I knew how weak it was after after the injury. Alex: So is there like any trepidation? Like I know that you said like most of this is mental, but as like you're leading up to it, you start running. Is there like anything where you're just like, man, 13? Like, I I assume that you're doing the normal training of like, I'm doing my two mile runs, now I'm going to my six mile runs, now I'm going to my seven mile runs. So does that eliminate it? And is that is that essentially the training you were doing? Like, what was the training for the half marathon now that your Achilles is feeling good? Juan: Yeah, I mean it's that. It's you know, I I took the a similar plan that I did before, but that first like I mentioned, that first run that I did was just a mile. That first one was just a mile just to kinda get loosened up, but you know, after that first mile I was like, Okay, there's some work to do 'cause I'm doing I'm only doing one mile and I'm already it's already really fatigued. And so that's where I started to add some of those exercises where I was focusing on strengthening that leg. Alex: So then and then did you exp obviously and then you go to four miles, Juan: Yep. Alex: to seven miles, you're just progressively adding more and more miles and then when was like the moment where you're like, This is gonna be fine? Like I could go half marathon, half marathon today. Juan: Yeah, I would say about a month and a half in Aaron: God, one I'm always gonna think you're saying it took me four years. So I was like after fourteen minutes, I realized I could do it. Alex: I realized I wasn't a pussy. Juan: Yeah. Aaron: Or a geek pussy. Juan: No, I think it just goes back to like I was doing a lot of I was doing a lot of work, you know, I was almost doing doubles, just to kind of get back especially there was a little bit of of pressure too because we my brother and I, he I convinced him to do it with me. And Alex: You're such a bad brother. Aaron: Shout out Ivan. Shout out. Juan: Yeah, shout out Ivan. so yeah, I had convinced him to do it and we decided that we're gonna go back and do it in Eugene, Oregon. That's where we grew up. And so there was always that like my family was gonna be there, his family was gonna be there, you know. so it was like, dude, I gotta get this together, because we're all gonna be there. And so I better put in some double time to make sure that I can that I can do it. Yeah. Aaron: Social pressure, baby. Social pressure. Alex: Did you end up beating your Aaron: It can be Alex: brother? Sorry, I don't Juan: What's that? Alex: want like you don't have to tell us what your time was when you ended did you end up beating your brother at the the race? Juan: No, I so one so he had never done a race like that before. So I wanted not just to do it, but because I had completed one before, I wanted to help him get through the finish line. Alex: Gotcha. Juan: so it wasn't I wasn't trying to PR or anything. Mm mm. Yeah. Alex: There's no competition on that. You weren't trying to prove that one Achilles Aaron: It was a perfect tie. Alex: is stronger than two Achilles of your brother. You're a good brother. You're a good brother. Aaron: Ha ha ha. Juan: Yeah. Dude, I got fresh miles on this man. It's got so I gotta it's brand new. Fresh smiles. Alex: It's brand new. It's even better than your. Like my bionic Achilles is way stronger than your too. Juan: Yeah, dude, it's Aaron: Do you think about it at all? Do you ever think about your Achilles? Does it like cross your mind when you're doing stuff? I I told one every I thought about you today. Alex: I think about your Achilles all the time and I don't even know you that well. Aaron: twice a week I think about one. At least every time I do calf raises, I think of my Achilles snapping off. Alex: And sometimes when I'm not working out, you know? All sorts of things. But no, like Aaron's question though, like do are Juan: Yeah. Just a bit just a Alex: do you are you thinking about it as much as we are? Juan: you know, I I I do think about it, mainly when I know that I've overdone it. Like if I if like I've li for example, In June we had a tournament that we did and we played I think it was f five games in a day. and so by the end of that tournament, I mean I was pretty sore and so that was like the one one time that I feel like I'm I was like really like dude, I I'm I'm feeling really tired, you gotta be careful. but other than that, I mean I know, I feel I feel good, I feel n normal. It so yeah, I don't think about it as much as I honestly probably thought about it. No well, honestly I probably Aaron: As I d as I do? Juan: thought about it more before the injury than I do now. not Alex: okay. Juan: quite not quite. Aaron: Were you th were you thinking about it twice a week? Should I be worried? Alex: Because you think about it too much, that's why you're it's Aaron: yes. Yeah yes. Juan: Yeah. Alex: well then tell us like walk us through like the actual like race itself. Like w was it just pretty like benign? Like just like, yep, it's just your classic half marathon, or is it just like pr I mean, Juan: Yeah. Alex: obviously you're going slower because you're trying to help your brother who has really weak Achilles. Yeah. Like Juan: No, it was it was no, it was a great experience. I love I love Eugene and and that run itself. that was actually I had done that twice before and so the great the the race was great and actually the day before the race we had an alumni game so I ended up playing about sixty five minutes, maybe seventy minutes, in a soccer game. And so that was just kind of a fun weekend for me. And then yeah, that that race was just kind of the the cherry on top, man. It was I had done the work Alex: Do you do anything nutrition-wise for it? Like so like I've I've ran one half marathon. Like Juan: Yeah. Alex: are you're you make it sound like you're like raw dogging this. You're just like, all right, cool, I had to get like my Achilles back to like where it needed to be. Then I went and ran a marathon. Juan: Yeah. Alex: sorry, a half marathon. Like Aaron: Fedicini Alfredo, Alex, Fedicini Alfredo. Juan: Yeah. Alex: like are are there are there other things that like people should know like outside of like Juan: Yeah. Alex: rehabbing of the Achilles, but like other things outside of that that people should know for prepping for an event like this? Juan: Yeah, and I think so I guess it depends on which aspect you're going, right? Like so yeah, of course nutrition is big and making sure that you're getting the proper nutrition, especially as you're leading up into a race. You wanna make sure that you're feeding your body the right the right things to make sure you're you have the stamina to run. I guess for you for I wanna put it back on you just a little bit. When you ran your race, did you have no, I just I was I'm just cu I'm just curious real quick just about your process. Alex: This isn't about me one. No, I mean, honestly, Aaron: Yeah. Alex: so this is gonna like I don't wanna like look, I'm gonna ask you first before I answer. Juan: Yeah. Okay. Alex: Do you think most people could do a half could do a half marathon? Juan: Yes. Yes. Alex: I think I think like any I I would say obviously there's some people like, all right, yeah, you need to lose some weight so that there's not so much pain on the joints or something like that. But anyone who's relatively healthy, like I'd love to like put a picture of me up when I ran it. somebody liter and offensive, but it's all right. Somebody literally said it looks like Gimli running down because I had a really long beard at that time. Like it looks like Gimli running down there. Like awesome. Short joke, re ginger beard joke and fat joke all in one. Really appreciate that. Aaron: It did help that you're carrying an axe with you too, Alex. Juan: Yeah. Alex: and little did everyone know the person who made that joke, I kicked their ass in the actual half marathon. So I could only Aaron: Yeah. Alex: imagine what I would do right now. Juan: Yeah. Alex: But yeah, so like my thing, I had like a very specific thing, the one that I ran. It's just like I don't want to piss myself and I don't want to take a shit. Like those are like those are like the I I wanna like go continuously Juan: Yeah. Yeah. Alex: continuously the entire time. and so it was I think there were stations every mile, maybe every two miles. I don't remember exactly. It's been a while. And I would just carbo load. I carbo loaded in the morning and I just kept ta like they had the little gels for you. Gel, gel, gel. Like not a whole lot like water every now and then, but it was just the gels. And Juan: Yeah. Alex: I was very happy with my performance. I think it I think it went really well, all offensive comparisons excluded. So Juan: Yeah. Alex: yeah, like I don't know if I did anything in particular. I don't know if I did anything in particular like the night before. I think I like pe like I ate a lot of pizza, if I recall correctly. and then in the morning it was like much simpler carbohydrates. Like I was just getting my fat stores up. and then I went from there and like I said, I was This is everyone's gonna think I'm bragging here. Like like I had a seven fifty or like seven forty. It seven forty to seven fifty, I forget the exact number, like average mile time. I was just like, I think anyone can do this. Juan: Yeah. Alex: I think I think anyone can can do the half marathon if they just put some have you ever sorry, I feel like I'm all over the place right now, but you asked me Juan. This is your fault, not mine. Have you ever Juan: No, no. Aaron: Yeah. Alex: have you ever felt runners high? Juan: yeah. Alex: Okay, like so tr I'd say that's one thing in training for the half marathon is like the first time I've ever felt that. I'm just like like it's literally a state of euphoria for like seconds, maybe mi like it would never last for minutes, but I'm just like this is the best I've ever and it usually happens for me around like mile eight. So, you know, Juan: Yeah. Alex: stop off for a bathroom break to just achieve full euphoria and then back to running. And Juan: Yeah. Alex: so everything everything that that was just a Just kidding. Just kidding. Just kidding, everybody. Juan: You Aaron: 'Cause you had a pee. Alex: but like I I think that's the coolest thing in and I haven't done it, I haven't done a half marathon since then, but like the coolest thing for me was that was finally like literally training for it. Like those last six or seven runs I did before the run was just like achieving like that Juan: Yeah. Alex: euphoria every single time. Like, my gosh, I get why people do this. Like it it does feel amazing. I'm gonna go back to being a fat ass. Aaron: Yeah. Alex: So what was your nutrition? Like what were you doing as you're coming down? Like also mine was like all downhill. So that's why I say coming down the hill. But like what was yours as you're like going through? Are you like every single like I gotta fuel every single time or are you pacing what you're doing? Juan: Yeah, I mean for for those for those runs, yeah, I don't do a lot I mean, maybe maybe a honey stick halfway through. but it was just everything that I did was before the race. and then a little bit be sorry, the night before the race and then before in the morning before the race I I'd like to have, you know, a little bit of a little bit of oatmeal, with that the what is that that peanut butter powder. Aaron: yeah. Juan: first thing in the morning. Alex: PB fit. Juan: Yep. And then a l some toast. and then black coffee. So that was kind of that was kind of Alex: That sounds good. Yeah. Juan: my go to for those races. And then I'd carry like one or two honey sticks with me. And so right around maybe the s seventh mile then I would just, you know, kinda have that and then carry a little bit of water with me as I'm I'm as I'm going. but that was kind Alex: Do do you feel like Juan: of my routine. Alex: do you feel like you get like I I don't really remember mine like super well. When do you feel like you're going your fastest? Juan: I think I start kicking around mile four. I start Alex: okay. Juan: I start kicking and then one of my favorite things to do is as as you're going through is I would just pick people out in the distance and then I would just like I'm gonna Yep, I'm gonna get and then I'd take the next person and then that that just kinda Alex: I'm gonna get Aaron: Yeah. Juan: it was kinda f a fun game that I would do and yeah, just kinda keep picking that next person and then you'd start to kick. Alex: And that's like pretty awesome too, because I don't I I assume all half marathons are the same. Like they're you're you're doing staggered starts. So like Juan: Yeah. Alex: s someone the first wave goes and then five minutes later they'll send the next wave, five minutes later they'll send the next wave. So a lot of times like you're catching up to people who have five, ten, fifteen minutes on you. Juan: Mm. Alex: And that also for me like what was incredibly highly motivating. it's Juan: Yeah. Alex: kind of a weird you know, cause nobody really wins these things, right? It's at least the ones I do are like always like the one I did was for charity. Like it's for it's Juan: Yeah. Alex: like a cancer thing. And so it's it's kind of fun making like gamifying it almost. I love I I love hearing that. I'm like, yeah, same, same seas. And yet Juan: Yeah. Alex: you wouldn't destroy your I guess you've done multiple of these, and so you're just humble one with your brother. Was that was that like your can I ask, was that your worst one? Juan: All right. Aaron: Well what really happened is Ivan was kicking his Juan: Was that my worst one? it was Yeah. Yeah, Alex: Yeah. I sorry, not like just like from like a like a time standpoint. Juan: time standpoint I would say it was one of my Aaron: Best ones with Ivan keeping you keeping you at pace. Go Ivan Juan: It was my f it was my it was definitely my favorite one, I will say that. Alex: Fair, fair enough, yeah. Juan: yeah, it was my favorite one. but yeah, no, it was it's it's fun and to to go back to that point, 'cause I wanna s you mentioned it, and I do think that anyone that is just willing to try it can do a half marathon and w it does experience I've I've been trying to convince your brother. I'm trying to get a Aaron: I don't know. Juan: convince your brother to do it. But yeah, no, I think it's just th there's so many benefits to it that comes along. And even if you don't run it, getting out there and even just walking it, right? Like walk and run. But just to be able to accomplish that is is is a big thing. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Aaron: I could walk a half marathon. I do that every time I go to Disneyland. Alex: Yeah. And I hate Juan: It's true. Alex: I hate to be that guy, Juan. I mean, Aaron, you can do it, but it's like one of those things where like you'll do it the one time and then Juan: Yeah. Alex: you'll be like, All right, now I know what that w know what this was. Like I signed up for one. That's this is Juan: Yeah. Yeah. Alex: probably getting two two in the weeds. I signed up for one the following year. such a bad story. I probably shouldn't tell this. and you know, we were dr we Aaron: murdered a child. Alex: were we were drinking a little bit the night before and I was drunk dry no, I kidding. I was drinking a little bit the night before and then I I woke up at like four in the morning and like you're supposed to be there by four thirty. I like I did it last year. Aaron: Haha! Alex: It's just like I I've already done it. I don't know what there I don't know what there is for me to accomplish from this at this point. And like I knew for a fact Aaron: They got my money. Alex: I wasn't beating my numbers from the year before, even though I Juan: Yeah. Alex: was no longer Gimli. But but yeah, like I think it's like the coolest thing for me isn't necessarily like signing up for the half marathon, it's literally when you're training for it and finally feeling like an actual runner's high because now I can empathize if that's the right word, I can empathize with runners where I'm just like, I get why you do this. Juan: Mm-hmm. Alex: It's not for me, but I get I get why you do it. Because you can feel that without having to do any actual drugs. And probably the healthiest thing that you can can do to get that feeling, it's pretty amazing. Juan: Yeah, no, I think and it's it it really is, you know, you just kinda force gump it and just start running like, you know, you just just start running. Aaron: just started running. So Alex: Well, Aaron: one, are you are you planning on doing another one anytime soon? Or are you planning on doing like a full marathon? Juan: Yeah, once and I know I know probably there's there's probably gonna be people thinking like, Hey, yeah, thir thirteen point one, you know, half marathon is probably not that impressive. But to me it's it's Aaron: It is to me. Juan: it's more of just the the Alex: It's crazy, man. Juan: the feat, right? Of just getting something done having some goals, setting them and then accomplishing that. And that was one of the things that, you know, I got to help my brother with. He had never done one before. I think it's just one of those like you always just kinda think like, yeah, I don't I don't know if I can do it or not or whatever. Just but yeah, just being able to do that. but yeah, no, I do I do want to. So that that is probably gonna be one of my next goals is just to go and do the full. it's always been kind of on the back of my mind. But yeah, I think because of the injury and then the you know, as you know, the I think the marathon or the half marathon was at the end of April. So living in eastern Idaho, there's like a short window of of training that you have where you're running outside. and so that kind of was part of that factor where I didn't sign up for the full and just wanted to s Aaron: gotcha. Juan: you know, just wanted to say, okay, I I did it before, I wanna do it post injury and see where I was at. Aaron: I wanna do one last thing. So from injury to running a half marathon, what was the amount of time? Juan: I think it was You know, I don't I don't remember maybe the a couple of years, but that was just because I was already playing soccer and so it wasn't one of those like Aaron: Wasn't on the like on like your radar of doing a half marathon. Juan: Yeah, it wasn't on my radar, but it was just something like, you know, now I'm looking for something else to do, right? I want another goal to set. I've been Aaron: Right. Yeah. Juan: playing, now I want another goal. So that's that's where Aaron: Gotcha. Juan: that's where that was. Aaron: Okay. Well, do you have any other questions, Alex? Alex: I was just gonna say something that that came to mind as I was, you know, belittling plus also like being positive about it. I think what's cool about half marathons is they happen everywhere. Juan: Yeah. Alex: And it's another one of those things that you can add into the journey. So Juan: Yeah. Alex: if you're like like I don't have a goal. I don't have a goal. I don't have a why or I don't have a what's next. Half marathons are perfect for that because so many people can go and execute them, as Juan: Yeah. Alex: opposed to a marathon where you could die. I I literally do think there's a huge difference between doing the half and doing the full, just from all Juan: Yeah. Alex: the people I've talked to who have literally passed out c comp in comparison to the two, like so many people who just like malnourished, et cetera, et cetera. So that's a very accessible kind of almost like high rocks, where you have you have like different weight classes that you can go into Juan: Okay. Alex: or something like that. It's a very good, this is the next step in this journey that I'm taking, which obviously you've done so many of them. I'm sure that has kept you incredibly healthy and probably has made your rehab even easier because you're constantly setting goals. your entire life, which is something I fail to do. So I end of end of my monologue there. I think it's a it's a Juan: Yeah. Alex: perfect entry point for like I can't think of what's next. Do a half marathon. Juan: Yeah, and and maybe yeah, like to that, I mean maybe you start off with like, Hey, I'm gonna do a five K, you know, and then bump it up, right? Then the ten K and then you're at the half marathon point and but it's your that it's the just initiation, right? Just get just to get started. And what what you mentioned, I I I love that about how there is half marathons everywhere. Like you can use that almost as a motivational thing too is yeah, I'm gonna go somewhere where I've never been and just kind of do like a destination run, right? I'm achieving my goals and then to celebrate I'm gonna go somewhere where I've never been. so that's yeah, there's there's a lot that goes into that and I th those are great points, Alex. Alex: You don't need a bike, you don't need a swimsuit, you know, you just need some running shoes and a hill. Aaron: All right. Well, thank you, Juan, so much for coming on and sharing your story Juan: Yeah, thanks guys. Aaron: with us. That was awesome. and I never remember how this ends. go beyond sexy. Alex: Go be go be on sexy. Juan: You're gonna Yeah, you're gonna sign up for a ha for for a race, right, Aaron? Alex: I'll just