Latest / Reimagine Running / Reimagine Running | Interview with Joe Paquette S1E37
Transcript
- Joe Paquette: So one bad day or one good day isn't gonna define who you are. They're probably in a low spot because of many bad days stacked up or bad decisions stacked up. So like it's just like anything in life, like just start stacking, right? Just do one thing in this moment to reach like if you have a goal in mind, what's something I can do right now to reach that? Are you gonna be able to reach it right now? No. Like, that's the simple answer. But it's like, okay, tomorrow, what if I do the same thing the next day? What if I do the same thing the next day? Same thing, right? If someone tells you to go eat a house sized apple, you're not gonna be able to do it. But if you take a bite every day for for however long it takes you'll be able to accomplish it. I mean it's just like the small decisions you make is really what what makes you so yeah you're not gonna see results right away, you're not gonna achieve your goals right away, but it's the you can make quick choices to to get there. Coach Ryan Head: Running is a strange thing. Some people find it on the sidewalk at sunrise. Some find it deep in the mountains chasing daylight. And some of us find it when life feels heavy and running is the only thing that makes sense. For some, starts with the 5k. For others, it's a marathon. And for a few, it's a hundred miles that changes everything. But somewhere between the first step and the finish line, something happens. Running stops being about pace or distance or medals. It becomes about purpose. I'm your host Ryan Head. And this is Reimagine Running, the podcast dedicated to talking about why we run. Each episode, we'll sit down with runners from every background, trail runners, road runners, beginners, veterans, and talk about their journey. Not just where they've run, but why they run. Because for many of us, running didn't just change our fitness. It helped us find clarity, healing, discipline, hope, and sometimes even ourselves. Whether your why was born on a short loop around the block or somewhere deep inside a long, lonely mile. This podcast is for you. Welcome to re-imagine running. Ryan Head: Alright, everybody, welcome back to Reimagine Running the podcast talking about why we run. Alright, we've had a lot of race recaps over the last three, four, five weeks, whatever it's been, and we are back to interviewing individuals about their why. we are gonna get some race recaps still, but in this episode, we're gonna get both. We're gonna talk to someone, we're gonna interview them, and we're gonna get to hear about their 100 miler that they just chased a few weeks back. So I'm really excited about this. But more importantly, I'm excited because this is someone who I've had the opportunity to get to know over the last two and a half years. funny enough, as weird as it sounds, me and him were hired on the same day at our current company, and we have worked together for the past two and a half years. me being an HR and him in safety, it's been kind of fun to get to know him and what he likes to do, his activities, his family, get to know his wife, get to know their newborn. it's just been fun. It's been a really cool adventure to to spend time with him and getting to know him. And you know, the things that I would say about him is he's just dedicated, he's committed, he's a hard worker, he's willing to do whatever it takes to to accomplish his goals and and that's what I I I seriously admire about him and I think just super highly of him. So without further ado, I'm excited to bring Joe Paquette onto the episode with me today. Let me give a little intro to who he is. I've got to know him pretty well, like I said, al already over the last little bit. Joe is originally from Michigan. He attended a Michigan state. So go Spartans, right? Joe Paquette: Don't do it. Ryan Head: anyway, exactly. No Michigan Wolverines. He moved here to Utah when he was working for a company that had brought him out here. And so he's been in Utah for the last four or five, six years living here in the Salt Lake City area. Again, kind of a transplant, but he loves it here. You know, obviously it's a little bit different than where he is from where he's at in Michigan. You know, other things about Joe that I've gotten to know over the over the last little bit is not only is he a good runner, but he's very avid in the fitness. one thing that he is super passionate about, and we're gonna have to touch on a little bit, is kickball. I love this about him. It's so cool. I'm like, I remember playing that crap in like first grade, so this is cool. so he's passionate about that. He's he they got a pretty good team that they play on. And you know, the thing I'd say is I I really think he loves being a dad and being a husband. He's he's very passionate about those things, amongst a myriad of other things that I know about him. And It's just been cool to see his journey in the two and a half years that we've worked together and be fun to see where he goes from here. So without further ado, Joe, welcome to the podcast, man. Joe Paquette: Glad to be here thanks for having me on. Ryan Head: Dude, of course, man. I'm excited to have you on. it's gonna be fun because as as I always joke with him, he's he's definitely one of my favorite people I work with. And we get to joke and laugh and not only just talk about work and all that jazz, but then we also get to talk about running and some of the other things that we're passionate about. So it's been fun working with him and and getting to know him better. So before we jump into it, as always, love to throw a big shout out to our premier sponsor for the podcast, Fleet Feet. they're doing amazing stuff. If you have any gear needs, nutrition needs, hydration needs, you got a race coming up, you're wondering what do I grab, head over there. in Ogden and Leighton. They'll get you taken care of. So go over, see Jamie and their team over there. they got all the stuff, all the gear you need, especially as we're getting into the colder months, we're heading into winter. go over there, they're gonna have all the gears you need, So, anyways, Joe, like I do with everybody, dude, first question, it's kind of the the wild card question, kind of throw a curveball at you. It's not even one running related, which is kind of fun. dude, what is something else in life that you're passionate about outside of running? it could be anything. it cannot be running related. What's something you love to do that you're passionate about outside of outside of running? Joe Paquette: Right. Well, the the real simple, easy answer is definitely d like you mentioned before, I'm I'm a new dad. So just being like Ryan Head: How can you? Joe Paquette: the best dad possible and just he's little Joey, he he has the same name as me, so we call him Joey. he's ten months now and growing every day, growing like crazy and changing every day. So I just like I said, just trying to be the best dad I can be, being the best husband I can be and getting to share my other passions with him and maybe he's gonna be into them, maybe not. But one thing, before I was a dad or even a husband is like my love for the outdoors. I've ever since, you know, growing up, I've had a passion for the outdoors and especially once I moved west. I lived in Colorado for a few years and then Montana and here and have I was just shared like some of my adventures on Instagram and Facebook and just trying to share that love for who whoever is willing to see it, I guess, right? I mean social media is a crazy thing, but Just I I just think, people travel all over the world or all over the country to see certain aspects and I think living in Utah and where I grew up in Michigan, like there's people that like will never be able to see like what we do every single day, you know, like Driving home from work, looking at the Wasatch Mountains. right now they're snow capped, fall in Utah's beautiful, fall in Michigan's beautiful. So just sharing that love for the outdoors, going out for hikes, going out for tr well, we can't run or we can't talk about running in this, but just being outside. I know you mentioned might as well say, kickball. That's it doesn't have to be some goodling race or something like that. It can just be getting together with other people out outside and having fun, you know. I grew up playing competitive. competitive sports. I very small town that I grew up in at and graduated with 33 other kids. So very small. So we had the chance to play pretty much any sport we wanted and s and start and play a lot. So you know I grew up playing basketball, hockey, football, played tennis all four years, played a year of golf, baseball, actually played baseball for a different high school. so tons of team sports and like you mentioned, I still I still have that interest, I still have that competitive aspect. My h wife hates how competitive I am 'cause we could be skipping rocks and I wanna get the most skipped, right? she always teases me and my sisters when we get together there's if there's snow, we're throwing snowballs at a sign who who can hit it the most times or whatever it may be. So definitely very competitive. I still play kickball, flag football, dodgeball. and I'm joining the hockey league this winter, so just I still stay Ryan Head: Let's go. Joe Paquette: stay a little active. Yeah. Ryan Head: Yeah, that's cool. Alright, dude. Not that I'm trying to tease you, but I gotta hear more about this kickball. Cause I guarantee people are gonna be excited, like, to hear this. Cause that's like so it's something you do in like elementary, right? I remember playing kickball, like our gym teacher would like, Hey, we're playing kickball today and it was really fun, but I think even then I sucked at it. But dude, like what what's this all about, dude? Like, 'cause you're you're really good. Like he he was just showing me the other day they just won the championship. I was like, what in the world? But like, this is not This isn't like what like some little garbage league or something. Like these people take it super seriously. He's told me about how serious it anyways, tell us more about this, man. I'm I'm really fascinated by this whole kickball thing. Joe Paquette: Yeah, f first off, I I play most of these sports other than the the hockey league I'm joining through, Beehive Sports. I Beehive Sports is like in my at least their claim is it's the biggest adult rec league in the country. I and this guy actually I think he used to work a corporate job, he moved to the East Coast, started playing in the Kitball League over there and kinda hated his w work life and just looked forward to kickball every week. So he was like, I could do that back in my home state. Drove back across the country, started a kickball league and then grew it and I think now they have ten plus sports that he, organizes for adults. there's probably all there's a spring, summer and fall league. There's it's three nights a week. There's different levels. it's I don't know. It's tons of fun. It's like it's not like cup in hand or it's not it's not there there are like some more relaxed leagues, but again, yeah, our league takes it as seriously I guess as you can take co ed kitball, but it's it's tons of fun. Ryan Head: Dude, that's awesome. So what what position do you play? Joe Paquette: Yeah. so guys can only pitch to guys and girl girls can pitch to anybody but we rotate. So I pitch as much as you know, as much as I can and then like shortstop third base. Yeah. Ryan Head: I heard her Okay. I hear you're pretty you have a pretty mean curveball too, is that correct? Joe Paquette: Supposedly I do. I people always compliment my pitching. I I funny enough I can strike a few people out playing kickball, which is kinda crazy, but just special hitting talent, I guess. Ryan Head: That's awesome, dude. That's just crazy. Like I I guess I get it a little bit more now as I'm getting older because my feet aren't as sound. But I just like remember if you ever miss kicking the ball when you were like playing kickball in like elementary, you were just like I'm walking away. Like I'm I don't even I'm not playing anymore. Like you you feel so dumb. So that'd be crazy. That's awesome, dude. Huh. And how do go ahead. Joe Paquette: Funny enough, it's a pretty good feeling when you can throw a ball and make a grown man whiff. When he he swings with his foot and misses, it's a feel good moment for me. Ryan Head: So is it just like baseball though? Is it like two strikes, three strikes you're out, or what is it? Joe Paquette: Y you start with one ball, one strike. So really if you throw three balls you walk Ryan Head: One ball. Okay. Joe Paquette: the the guy, if you throw two strikes or if they hit like three foul balls, it's a strikeout. Ryan Head: Okay, yep. So just like men's softball or co ed l softball, I played played in a lot of those and same idea. They always start at one on one count, so Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: that's cool, dude. So you guys won the championship just recently, is that correct? Joe Paquette: Yeah, yeah, we did. Ryan Head: Heck yeah dude. Heck yeah, this is how good they are. he was showing me the pictures and that's really cool, man. Any shout-outs to your team members? Come on, they might listen to this. Joe Paquette: I don't I yeah, I mean this this league, the fall league is usually a little condensed and s small, so I didn't play with my regular team. I played with the different teams. I I didn't actually Ryan Head: Okay. Joe Paquette: know and then I was in Michigan for the beginning of the the the league, so I only really played the last like two or three regular season games and then the playoffs was just one game for the championship. Just 'cause it's a smaller Ryan Head: That's cool. Joe Paquette: league. So yeah, I mean a lot of good guys and gals that I've met along the way. It's it's fun. It's like I said, we all we all kinda take it probably a little too serious. Who knows? But I haven't gotten any fights, so that's that's probably good. Ryan Head: Dude, that's awesome. Heck yeah, heck yeah. Well, I wish I could say that about softball, man. There was times it got really heated and I'm like I'm like we're what are we talking about here? Like we're a bunch of adults Joe Paquette: No, I'm Ryan Head: like getting ready to fight with each other. I'm like, this is stupid. That's part of the game though, right? Like I d Yeah. Joe Paquette: I'm little worried for for hockey season this this winter 'cause exactly. And I I mean I'm not usually like a I'm not a bully but I'm not I'm very competitive, you know what I mean? And sometimes Ryan Head: Yeah. Joe Paquette: I let competition get the best of me. Ryan Head: That's good. That's good. Yeah. He's not a bully. I don't I I can I can vouch for him there. He's he's a nice dude, but he also looks like he could pummel any one of us. So I'll throw that out there too. So that's awesome, dude. Well that's cool. like honestly. as much as you take running serious and and the th stuff that you've done, it is cool to see that you're so well rounded with other sports. I think it just it tells a lot about you and like you said when you're like I'm super competitive and you know, throwing snowballs with your sisters and stuff like that. Joe Paquette: Right. Ryan Head: It tells so much about you, and then as I saw you this year at a couple of your races, I'm yeah, he is super competitive. and a lot of times just with yourself, you just want to be the best version of yourself, but it's just Joe Paquette: So sure. Ryan Head: cool, super cool to see. So awesome. Okay, well, that was fun. I like that. That one was a fun wild card question of you know, just something completely different that that has nothing to do with running. Well, let's jump into running now. So, when did running first enter your life? I know you said like you played most sports. Growing up. I don't know if this was when you were like elementary, junior, high, high school, or maybe it's been in your adult life that you're like, dude, I kind of like doing this because I always like most of people I have on here, not most, I mean everyone's different, but you know, most of the time people hated running in in junior high and high school because that was the punishment, if you will. Joe Paquette: Right. Ryan Head: And that's you know why we named this podcast Reimagine Running, is I'm like, people gotta reimagine or think different about what it is because so many of us just think, running. sucks and it's like no it actually can be super fun so yeah I thought go back to you with the question like when did running become something different for you or when did it become kind of where it is now for you? Joe Paquette: Yeah, it probably the idea probably got in my head. My dad was always like a marathon runner when I was growing up. some of my earliest memories are my dad training for Chicago and it's gr grandma's, right? Grandma's marathon, I think, in Duluth. I Ryan Head: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yep. Joe Paquette: he's done probably ten or so marathons until he blew out his knee too many times and 'cause he played tons of rec sports too and just ended up hurting his knee, but so like the idea of running was kind of always there, but I I always hated it like Like I said, I was kinda played tons of sports growing up, but s sixth, seventh, eighth grade, especially when people start taking track and cross country a little more serious. I was actually a little bit of a heavier set, bigger kid. I was just kinda s didn't maybe mature, like grow into my body super quickly. So like seventh and eighth grade I was on the track team but I like throwing shot put and that's probably that's just about it. I hated I hated running. Ryan Head: Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: now looking back I didn't really run at I didn't run anything in high school other than one track meet, because one kid got sick and I just jumped in, honestly. I wasn't even on the team. Ran in a relay. But Ryan Head: Awesome. Joe Paquette: again, like kinda I mean, liked w I didn't mind the running at football practice and h basketball and stuff like that, but I I I wasn't never on any of the teams. It was it wasn't probably until like after college and moving to Denver when I really got into like more of what I am into it now. I think I w as a company we signed up for a Ragnar that was from Castle Rock, Colorado up to Fort Collins. And then I was doing a a tough mudder or Spartan race every year. So just kinda getting into it. And then my first real single I mean again I would run five Ks and half marathons and stuff. But then I think a 50K and 20 twenty one or something might have been my first real real race. Still to date I've never done a marathon. Road marathons don't really sp spark my interest too much. Kind Ryan Head: Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: of draw that line at a half marathon, but like the the trail running probably started like to take it a little more serious in twenty twenty one. Also did a few Iron Man seventy point threes half Ironmans. So I mean that's you know half marathon on the road. So just endurance sports probably really started taking off in twenty twenty one, you know. Ryan Head: Dude, that's cool. That's cool. you know, as I've said on multiple other episodes and of this podcast, it's so cool like the impact that our parents play on us with that kind of stuff. And you are like one amongst many who had a parent that either just liked to go for casual runs or ran marathons or whatever it is, right? And that's cool that you had that same impact that your dad played that role with you. And I know we're gonna get to this, but it was kind of cool to hear the impact that your dad had on you for your home. hundred mile attempt this year as well. And I know he he played an important role and part in that. But i likewise like it's cool to see because I know you're passionate about the outdoors as you've already mentioned on here. And so now what you've done is you've taken running and the outdoors and you kind of merge the two together Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: by being out in nature and mountains and stuff. Because again, that's a lot of the trail running or races you're probably doing if you're in Colorado, Utah, Michigan, or Montana, any of the states you've lived in, it's probably you're gonna be in the mountains somewhere, which is pretty pretty cool. And then I know you're tra sometimes you'll travel, but that you're just in some pretty cool places. So tell us about that first fifty K dude. I don't think I've even heard about this story. What what what was the first fifty K that you did? I'm c very curious about this. Joe Paquette: Yeah, the the first fifty K I can I can't remember if I did my first I'd say, I I wouldn't necessarily consider a half marathon endurance event. I I forget if the fifty K came first or my first half Iron Man. But my first fifty K was Dead Horse Point and Dynamo. So I'd already I'd already moved to Utah. We moved to Utah in twenty twenty from Denver. And yeah, so Dead Horse Point was my first fifty K. That was it was fun. I trained with two of my really good friends that I've met here and are still good friends now. and we ran the race mostly together. We dropped one guy for a while 'cause his hip started bothering him. And then later in the race he caught back up and he like the s the strongest one out of the three of us. So yeah, it w I mean it was it was a t and that that race is like November Ryan Head: It's how it goes, man. Joe Paquette: tenth or something like that. So it's pretty late in the season. So it's fun. We Ryan Head: Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: trained all summer together. We ran the race together. We went and spent the weekend down there. It was it was tons of fun. And that's again another f really fun running as an individual sport, but you can definitely make it a group activity for sure. Ryan Head: dude, for sure. And that's cool. That's cool to hear that you stuck with, you know, a couple of your friends and you guys just had a good time doing it. You trained all summer long. honestly, that's like some of the funnest stuff for me. Like, especially, you know, I know you kind of started a group run and I'll let you share a little bit about that. Not you didn't start it, but you joined one and you're kind of one of the main ambassadors for it. But that's what I love about like a good community and you know, getting people together, 'cause it's it's fun when all of us can just all go out together and and when you're doing hard things together, it kind of just it fortifies your relationship and your friendship Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: and I don't know man it's just cool it's really really fun and I know when me, you and Donovan have gone for runs on our lunch breaks and stuff like that. at work it's always been really fun because we'll just go and we're like spending an hour ish running together and yeah we just talk a lot and you just spend time like getting to know each other and it's kind of fun. I I totally agree with you. So that's cool. That's cool that you've had that experience. So Joe Paquette: Yeah. I think when you suffer with other people or even if it it's just, working out you don't have to go through the trenches, right? It's just it could just be something more than the mundane day to day type conversations you have. I think you get a little deeper conversation and you form those relationship re relationships and it's it's it's a cool activity. Ryan Head: Yeah, yeah, 100% agree with you there. Yeah. and I and I know I've talked about this. our listeners are like, are we really gonna go here again? but we are we're gonna go there again. We gotta talk about the lightning storm. because me and Joe were at the front of the line on this one. And I know we've talked about it multiple times how we ran from Lambs to Brighton. But the thing is, is like I I guess that's the only one thing I'll take a w like one of the big things we'll take away from it. And you can share any other thoughts you have about But I just thought, you know, it was me, you, Nate, Jenny, Ken, Eric, and I know I'm missing someone else. I'm trying to remember who it was, but Joe Paquette: Think I think that's it. Ryan Head: Yeah, maybe it was just us us. And I like as bad as that sucked and it was really dangerous. And again, I'm not advocating you go run in a massive lightning storm ever. Like it formed a pretty deep relationship with all of us, man. Like we all walked away being like we're grateful to be alive and like yeah, we we we definitely yeah, we shared a moment together. I don't know, how was that experience for you? Joe Paquette: Yeah, and I I will say that my job, my profession is in the safety realm of things at our at our company that we both are employed at. And I did have to speak up during that run to be like, hey, I don't think any run is worth dying over. We could turn around. And everyone else was just kind of crickets. But I don't know, I mean, I don't really know if there was a right move because I mean we were halfway through our run. So Ryan Head: Yeah. Joe Paquette: there wasn't necessarily a right move other than keep moving, I guess. Ryan Head: Yeah. Well and we were we were all in this I don't know shock was the right word, but I still remember you saying that to me, and I don't even know if you remember me saying this to you, and I was like, Joe, what do you want us to do? I'm not going back down where the lightning's been striking. I'm like, I'm not going back there. we are gonna press forward, and I hope that if we keep going, we're gonna get out of the storm. Cause I'm not going that's where that lightning bolt just barely hit, dude. Right where we were at. Like, if we'd been five minutes slower, what it could have been bad. Joe Paquette: And I I do like that we all like it wa and is it wasn't like some big argument we had up there. It was like we were just throwing out suggestions Ryan Head: No, no, no, no, no. Joe Paquette: of what we should do and then we all made a decision and just kept going. And it was like you said, Ryan Head: Yeah. Yeah and Joe Paquette: it kinda it was a cool it's cool experience we shared together, but maybe not something we wanna repeat. Ryan Head: Yeah, as I as I've said on other on when I was recapping my Wasach one hundred, I was telling about this story and I was like, I don't advocate for it. by any means for people to to run in lightning storms that's not a cool thing to do but if you find yourself in one do your best to get don't be hiding under trees but I don't know if you noticed but I was running weird because I was trying to run on the balls of my feet that's what I've always been told if you're in a lightning storm run on crouch down on the balls of your feet. So I was like trying to run like I was on the balls of my feet. I looked like probably a T Rex trying to run out there. And I didn't know what else to do. I was like dude we just gotta go and like I was like we don't To be in open areas, and sometimes we didn't have a choice on that. but you also don't want to be right under a tree, so I was like, dude, I don't even know how we figured this out. So, anyways. Joe Paquette: I just w I just wanna make sure your listeners know that Ryan's telling us this information. Now he didn't share this information of how to survive a lightning storm while we're in it. he looking out for himself. Ryan Head: Dude, I was like, really at this point, nothing's gonna save us. I was like, holy Joe Paquette: Yeah. No, I mean Ryan Head: cow. I but I was, I was like, I was like doing this weird like T-Rex rod and I was like, anyways, it but it was yeah, I should have probably yelled it out to everybody like run on the balls of your feet, crouch down because then the lightning will go through you faster, but anyways, really Joe Paquette: And I I think you've mentioned it in other podcasts, but say if someone listens 'cause I'm on here, new listeners, we did not intentionally go out to run in this lightning storm. Ryan Head: Yeah. Joe Paquette: It was supposed to hit hours later and just like anywhere the weather's unpredictable and halfway through our run there was lightning then we dealt with it, so Ryan Head: Yep. Yeah. Like like Joe said, we we didn't intentionally put ourselves in this situation. We had saw so we started our run and this is where we can really validate it. We started our run five in the morning and we were like, Hey, if we get going by five, five thirty in the morning That storm says it's supposed to be there at twelve thirty. And it was supposed to be really bad at twelve thirty. And we're like, hey, we we should be able to make it in seven hours. that gives us even a little bit extra time. And so we're like, we're good. We'll we'll be golden. but some super cell came through at like nine. And so we're like halfway through, and just like Joe said, we were in a bad situation. But I again we don't I I mean, know Joe feels the same way, and I obviously 'cause he's in safety, but just in general, and I feel the same way. I'd I do not encourage people to run in a lightning storm. Do I like running in elements? Yes, I love running in ro rain. I like running in snow as long as the snow is not cause people slide off roads and hit you if you're on, you know, paved course or like, you know, roads in your streets or whatever. But I agree with you. Like, I would never encourage someone to go out and run in lightning. Like that's just you're asking for problems for sure. So but it was definitely an epic memory. Let me put it that way. Like I think the six of us became closer that day than we wanted to. So I remember just I remember getting in the car and I was like, boy, I I really had our odds against us that things were gonna end well. So it was just good that it did. So but Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: anyways, well cool dude. Well let's let's jump into this year and some of the things you've done. So before we do talk us through where your mind went last year. for some of the races you decided to do this year or what the big race that you were gonna do this year. Like, how did you get how did you make that decision? I don't wanna share what it was, but feel free to share with all of us why you decided to do the big race you did this year and and what led to that decision. Joe Paquette: Yeah, I think it was either last year or the year before I'd first heard of the race. It's called the Margie Gessick. It's in Marquette, Michigan. It's from Marquette. It's a point to point from Marquette to Ishpermin, Michigan, up in the upper peninsula. And that's near where I'm from. There's not too many you there there's a lot of trail running up there, but not too many hundred milers. I had previously never run a hundred miler, but it's it's always been on the the back burner or in the back of my mind that someday I would like to do it. and it's it's actually a real a really big bike race. There's I think close to fifteen hundred, sixteen hundred bikers that do it every year between the hundred miler and the fifty miler. And the there's so they have a running and a bu a bike race, but in the biking realm of it's way bigger. So I I I forget if I had heard about it previous year or last year, and then I was like, hmm, that's interesting. It's only about 40 minutes. The start line's forty minutes from my hometown and my family's there, yada yada. And but the more I learned about it, the the less I knew. It's a very kind of cult like almost race. I mean, there's no aid stations, there's no pacers. Signing up for the race is a crapshoot of like when registration opens. There's five or six different dates he'll put out there. He'll send some people like these Willy Willy Wonka golden tickets that actually funny enough my wife got this year. She was upset. so he it's it's a lot of mind trickery, right? It's kind of like I'll say the Barclays where he ha he hangs jack-o'lanterns, plastic jack-lanterns in all along the trail to prove that you've done the route. So he'll put in a jack-o' lantern, maybe some dumb dumb suckers or some wooden nickels, and you have to bring those to the finish line to prove you did it. Well, and some he'll leave empty. So not as big of a deal for the runners, but it's still a mind, messes with your mind a little bit. The one I came across that was empty this year, I I made sure to film it to show hey, there's nothing in here. I don't know if someone took them all or if it's supposed to be empty. But for the bikers, I mean they do the same course as the runners, but he'll put some of these jack-o'-lanterns at the bottom of a big hill. So it's like, you know, they can't get any momentum going in into the hills. And obviously Michigan doesn't have the same type of elevation gains as like Utah and some of the western states, but I mean it's still a race with twelve thousand feet of vert and it's twelve thousand feet of Tons and tons and tons and tons of up and down. So Anyway, yeah, I heard about it last year and I I didn't get in. I I did try to get in on the registration night, but I missed it. and then I I ended up the race director's name is Todd Poquet. It's this it's spelled the same as me except P-O-Q-U instead of P-A-Q-U. So I ended up DMing him on Facebook and said, Hey, I'd like to get into your race to the 50 miler or the 100. At the time I had done neither. I think about the farthest I'd run at the time was like 30 miles, 32 miles. And I here are my reasons. I said, we almost share the same last name, just spelled differently. I I'd be traveling from Utah but coming back to my home area and that'd be cool. And then I my family makes maple syrup in Elder County, one county over from where the race is and offered him a jar of maple syrup. And he's sent me a passcode and and I got in. Still paid for the race, but yeah, he Ryan Head: I care, dude. Yeah. Joe Paquette: did allow me to get in and he Here's your code for the hundred miles. I was like, well Ryan Head: Ha ha. Joe Paquette: Yes, I signed up. So that was I think last November, December that I got into that race and yeah, kinda knew I was doing it from there on out. Ryan Head: Heck yeah, dude. That's cool. That's cool. Did you actually take him a jar of maple syrup? Joe Paquette: Yeah, when I went and picked up my pocket pickup I I brought on the drawer, sir. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna have to show you some. Yeah. Ryan Head: Heck yeah, dude. That's cool. That's cool. Dude, I want some of that maple syrup. You're gonna to bring me some sometime, dude. Dude, heck yeah. That's cool. That's awesome. That's I remember you telling me that story. I thought that was actually really epic that he was cool about it. And yeah, you guys almost share the same last name, which is just really, really cool. Especially not in a remote place, but remote. You're up in the UP of the upper peninsula of of Michigan. So that's just cool. Just super, super interesting. So cool. So dude, take us to 2026, dude. this year, what talk about some of the races you've done. Obviously I know I'm very familiar with a lot of them that you did, some that I thought you did exceptionally well with. But yeah, like what did you do to get ready for for your race, How what did you do to get ready for that? Joe Paquette: Yeah. so yeah, for some reason, again, three years ago, two like not last year, but the year before I got into the backyard ultra kind of format. I've never really done super well in any of them. Like the first one I ever got into was the the this brand right here, the BPN backyard Ultra, which I mean if anyone's on social media, it's kind of blown up the last few years. My goal there was fifty miles. It was hot as crap that year. It started you know, I trained through the Utah winter. I think it was like first week of June or last week of May and just outside of Austin, Texas, and it started at noon. Like by the time we started I had I looked like I had ran a hundred miles. Like I was sweating and I was beat down. We had just we'd set up our tent and everything and all I was seeing stars. from mile twenty through, when I dropped out at mile twenty eight. So that was pretty disappointing, right? I you go into a race hoping to get to fifty miles, and you drop out at twenty eight, you know, it's kinda kinda sucks. If you don't know the backyard format is four point two miles every hour on the hour until you quit. So you get one hour to run four point two miles. If you make it in fifty nine minutes, you get a one minute break. If you minute make it in thirty minutes, you get a half hour break. And if you make it in one hour, one minute, they they cut you off and you're done. So Did a few of those last year and then to start this year I did the Bonneville backyard down in on Deer Creek. Again, I set my distance PR there, but it was I think thirty-eight miles. And then I started having a little bit of hip issues and just didn't want to push it too far because I didn't want to get hurt. about a month later I did the backyard ultra of northern Utah up around what's that city outside of Logan with that reservoir. Manoway. Yep. And hit fifty miles there, that was my goal. So finally hit the fifty mile mark and felt pretty good. again ran with a buddy there, a few friends there and ha had tons of fun. It was I think it rain it down poured for like the first eight hours of that race, but it it was still tons of fun and pretty flat course and a r a really nice course. And then really didn't do I don't think I did any other races, real races between June and September. I think I started working with you, doing long runs on the weekends. Did a lot of night running. you see my Strava and anyone that follows me, it always kinda gives me grief because one of my most active times at night is, between 10 30 to 11 30. Or, there's it's nothing for me to leave out the door at 11 15 and get back at 1 a.m. for for from a run. It's just when I have time, I don't know if it's smart, I don't know if it's great, but it it works for me. I've never been a morning person, I've always been a night hole, and it's it's continued. Ryan Head: Dude, that's awesome. I wanna just touch on a couple of things you said because I have some pretty good memories of you. So when you did the the Manaway Backyard Ultra, I wanna say that's like the Northern Utah Backyard Ultra or something, some name like that. Joe Paquette: Yeah, they call it Bo bo B U N U Backyard Alcher of of Northern Utah. Yeah. Ryan Head: That's what it is. Yep. Yep. That's the name of it. And I was fortunate to come up and see you do like the last what, two and a half laps. I think I got there when you were about halfway through the your eighth lap or whatever it was, ninth lap and seeing you come in and dude you look strong. and the thing is is like for people who are listening to this, like, you think, okay, backyard ultra on man away, right? That's like a hundred feet overt max, right? And th and yes, it's true, but you're working the same muscles for you know, how many laps now? And that's Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: what I think was so impressive with you because, you know, you hadn't You hadn't gone past, you know, that thirty ish number, whatever it was, until this point, and all of a sudden now you're just blowing it out of the water. I remember every time you came in, you looked you you were starting to be look a little bit beat down, but you were like, No, I'm gonna get back up and get after it, keep going. And I was just proud of you, dude. I was like, Heck yeah, dude, just get go after it, get one more. And you know, I you know, I was fortunate. I got to sit there with your wife and and your boy and and just hang out with them and talk to them and just cheer you on. And I I just was super impressed with how good you did there and you're like, I'm gonna make it fifty or whatever it was, fifty-one, fifty-two, and then you're like, I'm out, dude, I'm I'm done. So I thought that was cool. It showed Showed a lot of resiliency. And then there was a lot of group runs you came and did with me this year Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: with our group and stuff. And it was really cool. Like you did Ben Lomond and you look so strong. that's almost 4,000 feet of vert over 16 miles. I mean, the first eight is really where all the vert is, and then the last eight's all downhill basically. Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: but you look strong on both of those, and I thought, you know, dude, you're you're looking pretty strong heading into you know your race here in September, and you know, kind of suck because I've always loved having Joe help me with my races. He's been a really good pacer and whatnot. And I was like, man, this time maybe I'll help him. And unfortunately I had Wasatch and then the very next week one was his race, his 100 miler, and then the week after that was the Bear 100. So we were kind of in a in a bad situation if we both wanted to help each other, which just didn't could wasn't gonna work out this year. But that's okay. It's how it goes sometimes. Joe Paquette: Right. Ryan Head: So yeah, it was really cool to see what you did and and you know I guess the one question I'll throw at you and It's a fun one to ask is what's something you felt like you learned about yourself or just about being successful with training through, you know, this whole summer as you were preparing Joe Paquette: Yeah, I think the answer would probably be, you know, it's not always gonna go like e ev you know, I had you giving me a plan and it's spelled out a few weeks in advance, but it's it's not always gonna go to plan. Right? Being a new dad, I don't think it much goes to plan. Sometimes you're gonna miss things, sometimes you you have to, sometimes you're tired or whatever it may be. Maybe don't need to get too into it, but I had a little bit of a stomach bug this summer for months. the the whole lettuce situation, it hit me pretty hard and would take me out for three, four days at a time, you know? And obviously when you're training for a hundred mile race and suppose you know, supposed to get a s fifty mile week in or whatever it may be, I mean, you lose four days of that. It's it's not great. So but just doing what you can when you can. you know, like I'm not a big quote guy and whatever, but one of my favorite quotes is from Corey Gregory. He's he started the supplement brand that I've been following for years. And he said he he's one of the fittest dudes you natural that you've ever put your eyes on. But he's like I don't do anything special, I just don't effing miss. Like he's just consistent, right? He shows up every single day, no matter what. And Ryan Head: Yeah, yeah. Joe Paquette: I mean, like I said, there's days that I do miss, but it's like it's doing what you can when when I can and I said, sometimes that's 1130 at night. Sometimes when you plan a group run, it's a lot easier to get up and show up at 4 30, 5 a.m. when there's when there's other people counting on you. But when it's just me, I'll pick night over over morning all the time. So yeah, that was the big takeaway, just just show up. Ryan Head: Yep. I love that. Yeah. Joe Paquette: 'Cause like the in the back of my mind I wasn't like or I said it to you, I said it to my wife, er anyone that I talked to is like I was gonna run that race. I if I didn't train a single day all summer, I was still gonna run that race, so might as well train for it and show up like you're like you're gonna complete it. Ryan Head: Yeah. That's cool. No. And I think it was really cool to see that with you. And and you touch on a really important point because I think a lot of times when we're training for races, a lot of times we want to be perfect, right? And and truthfully, like as a running coach for me, my goal with LMA athletes is if I can get you 80% consistent with the training block or the training plan, you're gonna have a pretty good opportunity and you're gonna have a good chance to really crush this race. it is when it's like 40 to 50 percent of the time that. That they're doing what you're saying. when they're gonna struggle. and you're gonna see that a lot of time and and whatnot. So it was cool. You were pretty Johnny on the spot. Like honestly, truth truth be told, like you were really good outside of those explosive times that you had this summer. So nothing nothing like dropping like 30 pounds in the middle of the summer while you're trying to trend for a hundred miles. So that's insane dude. You pushed through it. Like even in the tough times you're like dude I'm still trying to get out there and get it done. And I was proud of you. I like, you know, it's a crappy situation. Anyways, but he he just kept he just kept pushing. Wow, I'm I'm on fire today. This is good stuff, literally. So Anyways, I was just proud of you. I thought you did a really good job and in a bad situation that just was kind of unfortunate. So but well cool dude. We'll take us to race day, man. How did that go? Well how did it feel like the you know the night the day before, the night before, you know, waking up that morning? How did how did you feel? Joe Paquette: Yeah, definitely. So it was September 18th, you know, in Michigan. So I actually actually was in Michigan the week the weekend before I drove home. I took my dogs and my wife and son flew. So I was Ryan Head: Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: in Michigan in the area already a week in advance and kinda had a week to just relax a little bit, went for a few short runs, nothing too crazy. And it was pretty pretty confident all all summer. I knew it sounds dumb after the result, but it's like I knew I was gonna finish that race. I had three goals going into it. A finish B under 36 hours because it's a 48 hour cutoff, but I wanted to go do it under 36. And then goal C was under 28 hours because that was belt buckle. But I thought that was like a far fetched goal for myself. the morning like and then like the day before I was like I got a little nervous just 'cause I had never done something that Ryan Head: Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: was that right, that big. I was a little nervous to run through the upper Michigan woods at night by myself just 'cause it's dark up there. it's not like Ryan Head: yeah. Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: running here where you look down the mountain and you see tons of city lights. It's it's pretty dark up there and you're by yourself. There's no pacers. There's no aid Ryan Head: I remember you. Yeah. Joe Paquette: stations. I mean there's you can have your crew aid you wherever, but they can't run with you and there's no like race organized aid stations. So I was a little nervous for all that kind of stuff, but like still in the back of my mind I knew I was gonna finish. Long story short, Ryan Head: Yeah. I just No, I was gonna say, I just remember you telling me about that even on the race, how you're like, dude, it is so dark out here. You're like, it's not like Wasatch where you have you can see the valley down below and there's light pollution and you're like, it's pretty bright. you can still see stuff. Dude, you're like, it's really dark. I remember being like, ooh, that that does sound a little scary, dude. Joe Paquette: Yeah, and on luckily once I was out there I was pretty locked in. I never really got spooked out there other than I r I did turn a corner, there was a d a deer that ran right in front of me, which was s just caught me off guard. And then th just that time of year in Michigan there there's acorns falling everywhere. So like there's just Ryan Head: Ha. Joe Paquette: rustling going on all night in the woods, but it is what it was. I ended up putting my music in and a few times I'd stop 'cause I heard something, look around and then just be like, just put my music back on and keep running. So But I I'll just add a lot of these old commun or where I was running, it's like old mining communities, right? So there's a lot of this weird old infrastructure out in the middle of the woods. So you're like you'd be running along this trail and then all of a sudden you're just running down a staircase in the middle of the woods, like concrete staircase, and there'd be like old brick walls or ol old sidewalk and it's just like it's a little creepy. Yeah. But Ryan Head: It's like Texas chainsaw massacre crap, dude. Call, dude. Holy cow. Okay, that's crazy. Joe Paquette: Overall tons of fun. so I I I was gonna say long story short, I didn't achieve any single one of those goals. I didn't finish. I definitely didn't finish under thirty six or twenty eight. So Ryan Head: Yeah. I think what's really cool about your race and obviously for our listeners, like I I follow along pretty closely with Joe. obviously I coached him a lot through this, so I was very vested and interested in how he did. But you know, he he did really good, especially given the circumstances. and yeah, I'm proud of him. Proud of him for what he did. So yeah, dude, go ahead and yeah, talk us through. how, certain parts of it went and how it all finished up with you, dude. Joe Paquette: Right. one one thing I'll say about the race, it it's it's super unique, kinda like I already talked about the no pacers or age stations and the sign up process and there's I showed you a little bit of the Facebook group page. It's like it's very it's like either you love it and you're a part of it, or it's like you're a maybe not a hater, but you don't understand it and it's just like, what is going on here? So th to start the race, to start the hundred mile run, you got a half mile bike. That's the start of the race, so luckily I had family in the area, borrowed my dad's bike, got off the bike and I started, went out with the group and I I wanted to make sure I didn't start out too fast because you know, obviously I never had experience running that far and I wanted to make sure I set myself up for success. So had my first aid station at mile eight and through mile eight I was feeling great. then I don't think my next aid station was for the next twelve or fourteen miles and that actually a mile sixteen was probably I still felt good. I felt good in the most of the race, but mile sixteen I I just remember that just being like my actual lowest mental point in the whole race. I just think so it's not a hundred mile race, it's a hundred and ten miles. So I knew I still had, you know, ninety some miles Ryan Head: Cheese. Joe Paquette: to run. And it was just a wheel like I said, I had spaced out my aid stations pretty far right there. And then I got in this little bubble where you're only sixteen miles into this big long race, but I hadn't seen I hadn't ran with anybody now in two, three hours. So I was just like, dang, this is how the whole race is gonna be, just by myself out here the whole time. And again, that only probably lasted like a low mental spot for like an hour. And then after that, honestly, the race was so good. Like, I feel Ryan Head: Hmm. Joe Paquette: like I don't like to use the term runners high for some reason, but I just felt like I was killing it. I was on top of the Ryan Head: Yeah. Joe Paquette: world. Felt great through the whole the all the daylight. So it started at 8 a.m. So it got probably dark around nine, nine thirty up there. Was feeling good feeling great through mile fifty. I guess probably around mile thirty-five, forty, I s I started feeling this little shooting pain every once in a while on my right ankle, but again it was it was really nothing at that point. I think yeah, a little after mile fifty it started getting dark and again I I was a little nervous for the night, but as it got dark I felt like even better. I could just focus on what I could see in my headlamp. I was passing people left and right. People that when they passed me earlier in the race, I was like, dang, they look super, super strong. But that was, early, early on. and through again, throughout the day and throughout the night, like I've showed you some pictures of the terrain. It's like very, very I would say like appalachian-esque. It's big rocks, big roots, a lot of ankle twisters. And funny enough, I had told you what a few weeks before, I think on that Lamb Brighton to or Lamb's Canyon to Brighton, I think you were behind me at one point and you're like, dang, and I was like, What? And you're like, You just rolled your ankle. I was dude, I always roll my ankles. It's no big deal. I I think my ankles are bulletproof. I remember saying that to you. And Ryan Head: Mm-hmm. Yep. Joe Paquette: again, I rolled my ankles probably fifteen, twenty times throughout, this race and there was no one big event, but again, that right ankle kept kinda like shooting pain. All through the night I felt good and I got to mile seventy. Still I still remember thinking at mile seventy, I like couldn't wait to like feel how good it was gonna be to finish. I knew I was gonna finish and I knew I was doing really good. I was actually on pace to finish under that twenty eight hour cutoff for a belt bottle. I was like Ryan Head: Yeah, you were. Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: right around I think you know twenty-six hours, I think, was my my pace at that point. Maybe not at mile seventy, but at least through mile fifty, twenty-six hours. But then slowly that that achy like about I remember at like mile seventy two all of a sudden I like, dang, I can't like it's getting really hard to run. And that it happened really fast where I couldn't really run because of my right ankle and then like was pretty much walking. I remember I think I walked for four hours straight. And again, no no one I passed so many people in the in in the night and I like they're all like, Dang dude, you're you're kinda killing it. I'm waiting for my second wind. I like, Yeah, I'm just kinda riding it out here to see how long it will last. And they none of those people ever taught me that whole four hours that I was walking. So I think In that four hours, I only covered eight miles, which is not great. So I mile seventy, I was still running, felt pretty good. Mile 71 kind of started slowing down. 72 started walking. I think I saw my parents at mile 76. Had my dad tape up my ankle, see if that could help, and that started the way he it was taped, my the then the arch of my foot was hurting, and then my kind of started messing with other things just because I changed my gait. And then yeah, my last mile I I dropped out at mile seventy nine something or eighty something and called it quits. I just I j I got to the point where I was like, my last mile was a forty minute mile, I think. And I was like, I signed up to run, right? If this was my one and only life goal, I think mo could I have pushed through. I still had twenty hours to finish. Right. I or I think at n really at mile or hour nineteen I dropped out or hour twenty. And then I sat in my parents' car for an hour just to see if an hour off my foot would help and try to run after that and and no. So Could I have hobbled for the last thirty miles and finished? I don't know, maybe in the back of my mind I still to this day think like, did I just take the easy way out? Maybe. But I mean, it wasn't what I signed up for. I signed up to run. I could not run. I'm just now Ryan Head: Yeah. Yeah. Joe Paquette: like this week, it's a it's a month later, and I'm just now starting to really feel feel real good again on my ankle and that's running six miles, not thirty, so Ryan Head: Yeah. Joe Paquette: is what it is. Didn't accomplish my goal, but I am super excited how good it was going. Like it's It's proof that, working with you, having a plan, sticking to it as much as possible, it works. I think it was also way to my advantage, like what, Salt Lake City's at forty two, forty five hundred feet. Training up in the mountains you're nine, ten thousand feet. And then this race in Michigan was at six hundred to twelve hundred feet. So, you know, it's there was twelve thousand feet overt, but it was, you know, at at a low elevation overall. but yeah, it was going super good until it wasn't and then it kinda came crashing down, which Sucks, but it is what it is and then you just look for the next goal. It is the s the result is really the same because I was never gonna finish and be like, Alright, well, done with that. Looks like I'm done running. You know, it's like there was always gonna be something next anyway. So Ryan Head: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: this is just the next thing. Ryan Head: Yeah. Well, a couple of things I w takeaways that I I saw, from my point of view. So, I was really excited for you, as you head into that race because I was like, dude, you're so ready. Like you're I I remember talking to you and you're like, dude, I'm gonna get a finish no matter what. And I like, I know you will. Like you're gonna be golden. And I remember thinking in my back of my head, I'm like, only if there's like a major injury, that's probably gonna derail you. Outside of that, I think you're locked into nutrition, weather's perfect, hydration, you've got that locked in. strength training better than almost anybody. I'm like, dude, we're golden. I really think you're gonna do just great. So I'm like, it's gonna be good. And you know, I remember talking with your wife Haley, and like she's like he's cruising, like he's killing it. And I'm like my gosh, I just remember being like, dude, okay, this is really good. And they had a little bit of a tracker. I'm not gonna say it was like the best tracker ever, but it was like it probably told us your spot, like at six or seven places throughout the whole race or whatever. But every time it told me where you were at, you were like top twenty or higher. And I was like, Joe Paquette: Right. Ryan Head: my gosh, like he is killing it. Like this is crazy. And I remember Haley would just tell me, she's like, dude, he's moving so so good. it's impressive. And I was like, Yeah, like I can tell. And she's like, he looks strong. And then you know, she'd be like, Hey, he's thinking this. You know, he has a question about this or what have you. And I was Hey, this is how I would attack it. And then he's Yeah, still moving good, still doing great. And then, you know, that night, kind of a funny story was I was pacing another friend here in Utah and her Goat Rather 100. and so I remember knowing that. Joe was out there running at in here in Utah it was 1 30 at night. so whatever time that would have been two or three thirty at night for you. And I was like, I'm gonna call him. I'm gonna see how he's doing. And at this time, Haley had had texted me and and you had been texting me too, and you're dude, my ankle's really jacked up. And so my intention was to call you and get your mind off of it. Cause I was like, maybe if I talk to you for, you know. 30 minutes or something, all of a sudden you'll be dude, my ankle feels better. Don't know why. And I'm like, dude, it'd be so sweet. that's that was my hope. I'm like, maybe you're just focusing too much on it mentally. So I called you, we just chatted. I remember we talked about work. We just talked about how the race was going. Talked about, your family. We talked about everything. Just like how good it is to be doing this stuff. And then I remember 30 minutes in, I'm just like, how you feeling, dude? And you're like, I still feel like crap. And I was like, dang it. I was hoping Joe Paquette: Yeah. Yeah. Ryan Head: I could have tri I I could have tripped tricked your mind a little bit. And you're like, dude, I'm in I'm in a lot of pain. And I was like, okay. and I think that was before your dad had wrapped your ankle. And so you're like, I'm gonna get in this aid station, I'm gonna see my family, I'm gonna see Haley, and we'll see what we can do. And I remember she texts me and was like, Hey, he's thinking about DNFing, you might want to call him and I'm like I texted her back and I was like, I talked to him for thirty minutes, so I don't know how Joe Paquette: Right. Ryan Head: much more I can call him and and talk him out of it. And I I just want you to know, dude, you know, I think in life, a lot of times we all, and you already know this. I'm not I'm preaching the choir with this, but like it's not so much, yes, you wanted a finish, and I respect that 100%, but it it really is more about all the work you put in, the journey that you took to get here. That really changed you. Like, if it hadn't been for your freaking ankle just going sideways on you, yeah, you would have totally got a finish. And and I want you like anyone who's curious, go and look at the race profile or Any pictures of this race, go look at it. and maybe when when we post about this on social media, you're gonna probably see some pictures of what the trail looks like. You'll see how nightmarish this is. This is not Wasatch 100 course. Wasatch is mean, it's technical It's nothing like that. This is way worse, guys. It is ruddy, it is rocky, it is these freaking climbs. Like he said, he's like climbing down. Down these boulders, and then you're climbing back up boulders. And I'm just like, what are we doing here? Like, this is insane. Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: And so I I'm just impressed with you, dude. I think you did amazing. You know, you you the thing that I'll I'll give you, and I'd say this to anybody, is at mile 70, when your foot is just killing you, you still went 10 more miles. And that that tells me a lot about who you are. You were you really were trying to get that finish no matter what, and that was impressive. And I remember thinking, you know what? If this is where you call it, it's where you call it. And you've earned it, man. Because really, your ankle's so messed up. You're like, dude, I can't even like it hurts to put any pressure on it. And you still have 30 something miles left. because again, remember, people, it's not a hundred miler. Even though it is a hundred mile race, it was a hundred ten. So he still had thirty miles to go. I just I I'm not I I I like I said before on Jenny's race recap last week and and I'll say the same thing. I'm never gonna tell someone a DNF unless it's starting to impact their health. And I thought that this could be a situation where if he continues to push, it could have long term impact on his foot. And so I said, obviously it's your call, as always, Joe, but I'm leaning towards it might be time. It might be time Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: and I was proud of you, dude. I don't I I don't Henna. Joe Paquette: I I mean honestly I think the hard the hardest part of dropping out was only because it was going so I I I think I've said to you and the my wife, it's like I almost wish not really, but I wish it was going worse because it would have been way easier to drop out. Like my I I was like mentally locked in tremendously. Ryan Head: Yep. Joe Paquette: My stomach was great, the weather was amazing. No there was zero other issues. and so yeah, it made it really hard because like just a few hours before how how good it was going, I was like, well Can that can I get that back? And can I just take enough ibuprofen? Can I take enough Tylenol? Can I just stay off it for an hour? But yeah, nothing was nothing was helping. I had huge calluses Ryan Head: Yeah, and I can val go. Joe Paquette: on my hands from like how much pressure I was just putting on my poles because like at one point I was trying to like I like, Well what if I like got crutches or what if I do this? What if I do it's like, but it's just like what am I doing? You know, like I I've said many times, I signed up to run, I couldn't run. I can go walk a hundred miles if I want to, right? I can go hobble a hundred miles if I want to, but it's like that's not that wasn't the goal to Ryan Head: Yeah. Yeah. And I remember you saying that you're like, I I could get crutches and I was like, okay, dude. No. Come on. Like let's not let's not do that. Joe Paquette: Right, yeah. It's like w who are you trying to be at that point, right? It's just Ryan Head: Yeah, like let's not let's not play this game. So I I'm just impressed with you, dude. I know it's a hard decision to make, but it in a lot of ways it it's the journey of what you did to Joe Paquette: Right. Ryan Head: get there is what really changed you. And it's been cool to talk to you since because you're just like, I I know I can do this now. Like you're I I really believe I can. try to keep the ankle healthy. Again, I don't know if that's necessarily the best 100 miler for you because of how Joe Paquette: Right. Ryan Head: mean that race is, but I'm like, you know, you should you should try again. because I know you're gonna crush it. I mean to make it eighty miles on a freaking destroyed ankle I mean it's been a month now and you're finally able to get out and move on again. you definitely put you gave everything you had to get to that point and it I think it's just impressive so but Joe Paquette: And I I did share with you on Friday, I am I did sign up for it again. I got I did get into it this year, so So I'll be Yeah. Ryan Head: Let's go. He's go back. Yeah. Joe Paquette: I'm doing the hundred. My wife is doing the the tw it's again, it's listed as a fifteen mile trail run. It's this year it was twenty some miles. So everything about this whole organization and event is a little quirky, but but I like it. So she'd Ryan Head: That's cool. Joe Paquette: be a good test for her as well. And I c Ryan Head: That's cool. Yeah. Joe Paquette: I just wanna give a shout out to my wife. Obviously Joey was a trooper, my son, but like my s my two sisters and my mom and dad and a few other family friends, like tremendous. Like I said, there was no aid stations. We had to plan all the aid stations and they were where they needed to be, when they needed to be with everything I needed. New socks, food like tons as much real food as I could handle. Anything I needed. They were they were on top of it. Especially my Haley has done it on a few different races, but like my parents, no really experienced crewing like that and they were above and beyond. And I I really couldn't thank them I I'll never be able to thank them enough for for everything they did. So just I'll Ryan Head: That's cool. Joe Paquette: say that. Ryan Head: Yeah. like I always say almost on every episode I think I've had, I can never do it without the community. I can't do it without my crew. And I love Joe Paquette: Right. Ryan Head: that. You do I I'm grateful that you that you share that because dude, it is. It's it's about those people who are who are selfless, they're charitable, they give up their time and they wanna see you be as successful as possible. So Joe Paquette: Well then too, it's just like it's it's one thing about on showing up on race day, but it's like as good as anyone, training for these takes a lot of time. I it's kind of lack of better words, it's sometimes you it's probably a little selfish, right? To take off every Saturday, Ryan Head: It is, yeah. A hundred percent. Joe Paquette: Sunday morning, Fridays, whatever it may be, and go run for hours in the mountains by yourself or away from your family. Like, credit to my wife, 'cause she puts up with it all summer long, all the time, and I'm like we still do our what we wanna do. We still have family time. We still get to spend time together, but there's a lot of time where it's just like she knows that I'm also gonna go for a run at some point on a Saturday or Sunday or Friday, right? It's like and again, I'm not always the best about getting up and going early Saturday morning, especially by myself. So maybe it's the first part of the day we hang out together and I take off out of the house at four thirty and I say it should only take three hours, but all of a sudden I'm not back till you know, way later than I expected. So it's just like I'm horrible about s guestimating what w how much time some of these runs are gonna take and she puts up with it and she's Ryan Head: That's crazy. Yeah, that's crazy, dude. That's awesome. Well, no, that's cool. I'm glad it was a good experience. I'm glad you learned a lot. but I also am excited that you're gonna go back. That's always one of my questions. I'm like, what's next? But now we know what's next. You're gonna go back and do it again. And I can't wait to see you do it, dude. I think you're gonna do really well. You know what's coming this time, and I think you know how to attack it. And I think like Make sure the ankle's strong, like do Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: tons of stability and mobility work. You do that, dude, you're gonna be unstoppable. You're gonna have a great day. A hundred percent. So that's cool. Okay. Joe Paquette: Yeah. Yeah, I'm excited. And yeah, who knows what else? that's not till next September, so who knows? Especially now that my wife has something to train for, so maybe, some shorter trail runs or something that we could do together and we we love spending time together, so I'm sure there'll be something. Ryan Head: That's awesome. Yeah, that's cool. Well, it'll be good to see what both of you accomplish and yeah, the direction you're going. It's cool that she's gonna go do it too. So I love that. I love that story when you shared that with me. That was that was great. So we're getting to the end of this, but the same question I ask every guest I bring on here. you know, and it and it goes back to your why. Like why do you do all this? Like as you talked about, you've really elaborated on like just especially just barely You're talking about the Saturdays that you're gone for three, four, five, six hours. You're talking about, you're having to eat clean. You're dealing with stomach problems. You're dealing with mess up ankles on races. You're, we're dealing with lightning storms. why, dude? Why do you do all this to yourself? What what's what drives you to to do all this crazy stuff? Joe Paquette: Right? would say a little bit of it is just maybe self ego, right? Just like it's just prove yours or see what you're capable of. Maybe that's Ryan Head: Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: not ego or whatever. It's not like, look at me. It's more like what I don't think any of us ever reach our actual potential, right? No no one does no matter what level you're at. So it's just fun to kind of keep pushing that line because you know, like ninety percent of the population Myself included, used to think ten miles is crazy. Five miles is crazy, right? So you get somewhere and then the bar kinda like I said, even though I DNF'd, the results the same. Even if I would have finished, there would've been the next thing. Now that I DNF'd, the next thing is show back up and complete it. So Just never being satisfied and just wanting to push yourself. And now that me like me and my wife talk all the time, now that we have a son, it's just showing him that doing hard things is is what we do in this family, right? It's not maybe not all the time, we're not like, you know, stay hard. That type, maybe, but it's like, you know, pushing yourself in life and having goals and trying to achieve them is is what we do. It's just setting that example early. I doubt right now he knows that I go run or do any of this stuff, but slowly over time he'll realise and maybe maybe he'll be into it, maybe not, but maybe he'll just take that into a different aspect of life. Maybe he'll be the best piano player he can be, or the best whatever, and that'll be good enough. So Ryan Head: Yeah. I love that dude. I love that. And and I I honestly that's one of my whys as well is just like I hope I'm setting a good example for my daughters. I've always said, I don't want them to do hunter milers. if they wanted to, I'd love it. But I don't I'm not pushing them to do that. Like, it's crazy. It's crazy stuff. Like Joe Paquette: Right. Yeah. Ryan Head: it it is. let's be honest, this whole thing is pure craziness, but it's Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: fun and and it's like you said, like, I'm like you. I love to push myself. I wanna see what I'm capable of. Because even now, even with what I've done, like if someone had told me that doing back to back hundred milers was impossible. Well I I proved it is possible. I've done it now. I've Joe Paquette: Yeah, multiple times. Ryan Head: yeah, I'm a three years straight of doing it. But it's not a gloating thing. It's not something that I'm like, look how amazing I am. I'm just like, I can't believe I can do this with a how screwed up my right knee is like it's impressive I can pull this off. and I'm like if someone like me, who is damaged if you will, with a right knee that's so jacked up, like can do this, like then what can if someone continues to work at this, like what can they accomplish in their life? And that's what I love. I love hearing that from you. And and you've been such a good example of it. You know, one thing that always stands out about you is I just remember and I need to get back to doing it, but for a long time I was doing it. I remember you being like, every time we we have a gym in our in our office at work, and you're like, every time you go by the gym, you gotta do pull-ups, and I remember being like, dude, I gotta be like Joe, like I gotta do that. And so I started doing it for a long time and I've gotten bad. And but I was yeah Joe Paquette: I s I've always sucked at so I had gotta now that we have a gym in there, I'm like, I might as well do a few. And I still suck. Ryan Head: Yeah, and like he got me back to doing Yeah. I I I do too. I'm not good at by any means. But I'm like, dude, I gotta be better at these 'cause I used to be really good and I'm like, if Joe's like Joe's the one telling us to do it, like let's do this. And so I've seen that from you, that you're always trying to be a better at what you do, and I think that's impressive. So love it. And and you are a good example of that. And even though maybe like, yeah, your your boy doesn't see it necessarily, it's just like it it's these early memories that he's gonna form of who his dad is and just like you're pushing yourself, you're trying to be the best version of yourself always. And I think that will fortify in his brain, as he's developing just like who he is. Because I I think that's what my daughters see of me. They're just like my dad is a runner and he likes to try to push himself and be the best version of himself. And, you know, he's he's yeah, he might be crazy a little bit, but but he does he's always trying to to better himself and what have you. So and I hope I'm setting a good example for them. I hope they know that, yeah, maybe I'm not always home but I love him to death and I care about him. But that But I want them to always try to be the best version of themselves as well. So trying to set a good example of that. So well cool dude. Well, before we wrap up, one fun thing I always like to do for everybody, it's the lightning round questions. You cool if we do these? Joe Paquette: Sure. Ryan Head: Okay, you can answer them with one word, you can answer them with a sentence or two, whatever, I don't care. They're meant to be kind of rapid fire type of questions. They're kind of fun. We haven't done them in a while since we've been doing all these race recaps, so it's gonna be kind of fun. So, okay, first lightning run question. Favorite race distance? Joe Paquette: Favorite race distance. Hmm, well I know it's supposed be quick, but it's like I get stuck on right? So it's like like before I got into endurance sports, I just did five K's and then I like a half marathoner, and then I was a backyard ultra marathoner and now I just do well just did a hundred. So it's like I I'd say my favorite race distance is probably not a race, it's just going out with two or three friends and having a good time for Ryan Head: Heck yeah. Joe Paquette: under fifteen miles. Right around that fifteen mile mark for with a group. Ryan Head: There you go. I think that's fair. Yeah, that's fun. I I'll take that. That's cool. I like that. Yeah. I mean, that is one of my favorite things too, is just go out with a couple of friends. And like I said, when we did Benny, when we did Lambs to Brighton, it was still just a blast and good memory. So you just that's things you just never forget. So cool. Next one. Road or trails. Heck yeah. Joe Paquette: Trail for sure. Yeah. Keeps your mind busier, it's way better views. It's I wouldn't say even comparable. I do train on Ryan Head: Yeah. Joe Paquette: the road a lot just 'cause it's accessible, but trails all day. Ryan Head: Yeah, sugarhouse park, bro. There you go. I'm just teasing. Joe Paquette: Yep. Yep. Ryan Head: That's awesome. Okay, morning or evening runs. I already know the answer. Joe Paquette: Easy answer is evening but I do always feel good when I get up and go in the morning. It's a great way to start your day but yeah. It's easy for me. Ryan Head: Yeah, heck yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Favorite post run or if it's easier post race meal? Joe Paquette: Yeah, the weird thing about meal is I n I'm never super hungry after a Ryan Head: Mm-hmm. Joe Paquette: big a big race. but just favorite meal overall is steak and potatoes. Ryan Head: Heck yeah. Yeah. Joe Paquette: And then like a a cherry Pepsi. It's just I was very good, yeah. Ryan Head: Nice. Dude, wild cherry Pepsi used to be my favorite soda. I haven't drinked soda in many, many years. but that will always still be my favorite. When I smell it, I'm like, it smells so good, dude. Joe Paquette: So good. Yeah. Ryan Head: I'm weird like that, but cool. Okay. la couple last questions here. lightning run questions. Music, podcasts, or silence on your runs? Joe Paquette: Most podcasts are book. I honestly that's probably the most I l ever listen to audiobooks is when I'm running. I just music's good sometimes but like it kinda just gets repetitive 'cause you know the song, you're like I've heard this song before and blah blah blah. But I w I love podcasts and I love audiobook when I'm running. Ryan Head: Heck yeah. what's a good audiobook that we should listen to right now? Joe Paquette: what was the one when I was talking to you the other day, the The Endurance Artist, I believe. The the Ryan Head: Yeah. Joe Paquette: la about Laz, that's a r a really good one. Ryan Head: Yeah. Joe Paquette: And I I'll just listen the Green Lights by the Matthew McConaughey. That I'm a great book. Ryan Head: Matthew McConaughey. Yeah. Joe Paquette: I mean I don't like Ryan Head: is real. Joe Paquette: fantasy and stuff like that or Ryan Head: Okay. Joe Paquette: I wanna real life stories or biographies or I'm I'm really into Steve Rennell, he's like the meat eater guy that he but he loves American history so he talks about like the fur trappers, the beaver trapping, you know, Daniel Boone and the the guys that used to go out and shoot ninety deer and sell the buckskins, like it's it's all interesting to me. Ryan Head: That's cool. That's awesome, dude. that's super cool. If you do have a song, I I eventually I'm gonna put together the playlist for Reimagined Running, because everybody gives me a song. What's one song you would add to the playlist? It can be any song you want. Joe Paquette: probably a Biggie Small song, like Notorious or Juicy or Kodak Black, no flocking. Ryan Head: Heck yeah. Nice. That's a good choice. Good. Dude, I love it. All good choices, bro. Love Joe Paquette: Yeah. Ryan Head: it. Heck yeah. Okay. I like it, dude. Alright, I love that. Cool, cool, cool. awesome, dude. Last question I'll throw at you and then we'll wrap it up. Just because you're a good example of this year, you just like what you said about, I forget the the gentleman you talked about who's kind of an influencer who's like just show up every day, you know, never miss or what have you. What would you say to someone right now that may have lost their why with running? Like, or just their why in general, like in life, what would you say to someone like that, like to help get them back on the right path? Joe Paquette: Yeah, just like they didn't get to where they're at currently because of one day, right? So one bad day or one good day isn't gonna define who you are. They're probably in a low spot because of many bad days stacked up or bad decisions stacked up. So like it's just like anything in life, like just start stacking, right? Just do one thing in this moment to reach like if you have a goal in mind, what's something I can do right now to reach that? Are you gonna be able to reach it right now? No. Like, that's the simple answer. But it's like, okay, tomorrow, what if I do the same thing the next day? What if I do the same thing the next day? Same thing, right? If someone tells you to go eat a house sized apple, you're not gonna be able to do it. But if you take a bite every day for for however long it takes you'll be able to accomplish it. it's what it is. I mean it's just Ryan Head: like it. I like it. That's a good one. Joe Paquette: like the small decisions you make is really what what makes you so yeah you're not gonna see results right away, you're not gonna achieve your goals right away, but it's the you can make quick new choices to to get there. Ryan Head: Yeah, I love that. Consistency is king, like you said, and that's basically what you're insinuating here is consistency is king. It you don't have to be perfect, you don't have to be the best athlete. All you have to do is keep showing up every day, put another penny in the piggy bank. One of my best analogies I love to use with my athletes is today, how many pennies are you gonna put in the piggy bank for race day? if you're get out and get your run in, great. you get, one penny. If you get on and you do strength training, that's another penny. if you do heat training, you go to the sauna. It's another penny, right? If you're eating healthy, you're avoiding garbage, salty, processed foods. That's another couple pennies. Like, how many pennies are you gonna put in? you don't need to be perfect, and and that's how that piggy bank is built. That's how you're able to go buy, you know, cash it in on race day. it's by putting those in every day. Like you said, nothing's done over one day, it's built over a consistent time period. So, dude, I love that. Love that you say that. And that that's important. And yeah, you just gotta start. Just start today. It doesn't have to be anything grand. Just start today. Do one little thing that's gonna start putting you in a good direction. And I have a really good friend who I've been talking a lot with about that exact same thing where I'm like, dude, just start with one thing. Just do one thing today. It's all you gotta do. You don't need to be doing you don't need to do what I do. Don't be Ryan. Be you. Be yourself. Like you don't need to be do crazy because if you try to do what I do in a day, you're eventually gonna get hurt pretty quickly 'cause you're you're just not to that level yet. And that's okay. I'm not this is not a shaming thing. It's just be just start with something that you Joe Paquette: Right. Ryan Head: can do. So Anyways, Joe Paquette: Yep. Ryan Head: love that. Okay. Last two questions. I forgot to throw out your lightning round questions because it's more to make fun of Nate alred. Enya, yes or no? Joe Paquette: What was sorry to say that again? Ryan Head: Enya, do you know who Enya is? Yes! That's all I need to hear. There you go, Nate. He doesn't even know who Enya is. That's perfect. Joe Paquette: wait, is I think this is the band you guys are talking about during our run? Ryan Head: Yeah, it's it's like she sings a lot in like Lord of the Rings and like that kind of music type of stuff. Yeah. Joe Paquette: Probably not my style. Ryan Head: Yes. Yes, I got another one on my team. There we go. There we go. We've had too many people side with Nate, which I love it. So I love it. Okay, and the last question, it's just kinda fun one. Cats or dogs? Let's go. Joe Paquette: all day. I've two German shepherds, not a cat person. Ryan Head: Heck yeah, dude. That's awesome. Nope, I get it. I'm a cat person, but I I'm if I could get a German Shepherds, I would in a heartbeat. They're just beautiful, beautiful creatures. So alrighty, dude. Well we'll wrap it up, dude. Thank you so much for coming on, man. This has been fun. dude, Joe Paquette: Yeah, thanks for having me. Ryan Head: yeah, when you finish when you get it next year in twenty twenty seven, would you be willing to come back on and tell us how you do Joe Paquette: Yeah, Ryan Head: it? Joe Paquette: for sure. Ryan Head: Heck yeah, dude. Love to have you back on and I'm excited for you. I can't wait see how this this 2027 training block goes for you and what races you and you and the missus do, man. It'll be cool to see the adventure you both have and maybe we'll bring you both on and let you guys tell this story. So, anyways, okay Joe Paquette: Awesome. Ryan Head: dude, thanks again for coming on, really appreciate ya. Coach Ryan Head: Hey runner, thanks for hanging out with me today on Reimagine Running. I'm grateful you're here and a part of this great podcast. I just want to remind you, if you ever feel stuck and unsure or just want someone in your corner, I do offer coaching for runners at any distance, whether you're starting out with the 5K or you're chasing some crazy big goals and dreams like the marathon or the 100 miler, I'd love to help you. Please reach out and I'd be happy to set up a time to go over options and plans and goals with you. Well, until next time. Take care of yourself, trust the process, stay disciplined and keep chasing that Y.