July 23, 2020
007_Chris_Smith_Raw
###### Kevin Chang: [00:00:00]
we're so excited to welcome the big dog himself, mr. Chris Smith to the program. Welcome Chris. Thanks guys for having me. Appreciate it. Awesome. We like to give our guests, a little bit of a chance to introduce themselves, how they got into fitness. So give us a little background, give us a little history, a little story.
###### Chris Smith: [00:00:20]
Well, , I've been active my entire life. It all started with just, first of all, just having very active parents growing up around a household where it wasn't TV's and a generation to where it wasn't TVs and internet and phones and social media. I mean, we went out there and we played, so I was.
Active parents had, athletic parents who instilled that in me at a very young age. And it just kind of, it grew, , I was always participating in my first sport I ever did was soccer, , competitive soccer. And then it was dinner was T-ball and then a pop Warner football and so on. So it just, , I've been active pretty much entire life, but I, I got that athletic gene as like, say from my parents, I would say.
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:01:03]
I mean, active is a statement. This, everybody listeners, please. This is that dude. So we all were in school with somebody who you knew when they walked through the hallway. That man that's
that's Chris Smith, Chris
crushed the football game. The night before that dude scored five touchdowns. This is not like.
wise stuff. He was that guy more than just being the athlete of athletes. He was always very humble, very approachable, always a man of the people, always willing to share his knowledge. And I've known Chris since, junior high high school all the way. Now we're in our early fifties and this dude has been putting in work every single day, always in shape.
Always, and has been an inspiration to so many, both on the athletic field, but also just as a working professional, and your educator, , personal trainer, accomplished and well-rounded in so many areas. and we're just very excited to hear your story and how you just find that drive day in and day out.
###### Chris Smith: [00:02:13]
Thank you. Thank you. Well, it just, you know, it just starts with, Fundamentals just having, you know, having goals, setting goals, achieving goals, being, as I always say, being the best person I can be. It's never really me competing against anybody else, but being me, you know, obviously I participated in a variety of teams sports, so it's always been team.
First and then individual second. but also I enjoy competing in individual sports, you know, track and field as an individual sport. I always like to do that because it, you know, you get out of basically what work you put in, you know, when you have a team sport, you know, you can kind of feed off. You may not be the best athlete on your team, but your team may be very good.
, so it doesn't mean you have to really give it your all, you may not, you know, reach your full potential because you have, Other pieces in the puzzle, other teammates that help , help, you know, build that team. But those individual sports Burt, those individual sports, you know, track and field is a.
It was one where, Hey, you know what, it's kind of like suit up and boot up or shut up. You know, it's one of those things where, you know, you really get to see exactly how good you really are when you line it up, but get somebody who's putting in the exact, you know, are putting in work or not putting in work.
And then, you know, after that particular race or jump, you know, you go back and you, you know, given your, your. Place in that particular event, you know, you're going to go back and you're going to reassess and to be like, Hey, you know, I need to work on this. I need to work on that or that work or that didn't work.
So, so the drive has always been there, but it's really about being the best person I can be. It's never, ever about me competing against anybody else. Because at the end of the day, only person I can control is myself. And you know, my outcome on whatever it is in life, kind of take that same approach. It's, it's never me about competing.
It's always encouraging, but never, a competition with somebody it's usually just being the best person. I can be the best athlete, the best father, the best teacher, the best trainer, the best person, you know, that I can be. So that's kinda. Kind of how I see life take life.
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:04:19]
Okay. And Chris, earlier, you mentioned you played a lot of different sports.
at what point were the sports starting to speak to you where you felt you excelled at one or two or three in particular that really resonated with you and stuck with you continue those sports and or junior high high school and college careers.
###### Chris Smith: [00:04:37]
I think, you know, again, I started off with soccer and tee ball and, but track has always been there and then eventually pop Warner football.
So eventually I switched over, I think for baseball, when I got hit in the throat with the ball, I was playing center field and I coming up where a ground ball and right up the, where the infield and outfield meeting, you know, a fine chopper came up and hit me in the throat. And I was like, you know what?
I don't think I'm going to do any more baseball. You know, it was one of those things. And then it was also at the same time when I was doing track. So I kind of had to make a decision, but I think that one day I'll never forget it was in pony league. At, in Monterey at Jack's park and that ball came up and it hit that, hit that ground and it came up and hit me and threw us it.
Nah, I think I'm done with baseball. So, so, you know, and then football is just kinda been, you know, starting off in flag football there locally in town rec rec, flag football, and then, you know, went for recreation, flag football to, to a pop Warner and then pop Warner to obviously high school and it's on.
So, yeah, anything that I can use my gifted. Speed. I think that was something that, that really helped me out, you know, being, being, you know, relatively fast. those were sports that I excelled in and those are sports that I tend to, to focus on later on in life, primarily in, in, in high school and on in college.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:05:55]
Yep. And which events in track were you competing at and,
###### Chris Smith: [00:06:01]
Oh, well, I did the, I did all the jumps. You know, I did a long jump, triple jump, high jump. And then I did, and then I did all the relay. So I did the, the, four 40 and then the mile relay, you can only do four events. So I mean, it's, sometimes we are, we kind of mix mix and match wherever they needed us time.
So it usually was, I would do a jump. And really we'd go by points. So wherever we need to points, I would do, you know, if we were going against our Spartans, well, Spartans and everything, and, you know, there were certain, bits, there were certain events that we knew we weren't, we're going to win. And so we focus on, you know, obviously it's, whoever has the most points at the end of the, at the end of the match wins.
So, you know, I, I have my specialties and, they have their specialties and so I would just kinda mix and match, but I would usually do the jumps and then I would, do both realize.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:06:49]
In college,
###### Chris Smith: [00:06:51]
which college I went to Cal poly SLO. And then I just, yeah, so then I just did jumps there. I was really, I really ran track to, to focus on football. We had a lot of football guys out as well. And then we also had a, we had the Olympic coach that was there. So we had a lot of world class athletes that.
You know, train there year round. And so to be able to work out with them, man, it was a, it was an honor and it was also a humbling eye opener, you know, to actually run against. I remember at the time Butch Reynolds was, was training there and he was the a 400 meter record holder. And, you know, to see that guy, you know, go, you know, to find out there was a different.
Gear than what you were actually running, you know, it was, it was really impressive and amazing and very, very humbling. It's this kind of like, okay, that's, that's, what's world-class looks like, you know, you're a to go in one speed and all of a sudden he's just like, there's like a sixth and seventh gear and, but they would, you know, great, great, great experience and really helped me out as far as, playing football, being conditioned.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:07:50]
What do you remember about training, your training program and training regimen? what was that like in college?
###### Chris Smith: [00:07:57]
Oh, man, it was, it was easy because I had the found foundation at home. You know, I had, I had a great group. We've had our peninsula is just so rich in athletes and, you know, former athletes present athletes, we have professionals.
I mean, we have a, it was easy for me to. Get all that I needed as far as the drive and push, because I had, you know, guys who were older than me, who were just out there that would, you know, I trained with them every year, you know, in the off season. So, and then also we live close to the beach, you know, that's one of the blessings there to live on the central coast.
They're in such a beautiful place. I mean, and I lived right across the street from, a Sandhill right there on, on Delmonte. So it was great for me to. I'd use that Sandhill and I, I, you know, all summer long and I used the beach all summer long. And then, you know, I had the fellow, again, fellow former athletes who, who were just, we just, man, we just, we just push each other.
We just constantly fed off each other. Again, it wasn't. Us racing each other, but you saw them going all out and you want it. You know, you knew that. I knew that I could do it as well. And it was, so it was easy. You know, the training was easy because the, the, the word ethic was always, you know, was there and it was instilled at a young age.
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:09:08]
Hmm. And see Chris being, Exposed to people like mine and some cases, if they were older athletes. So they had experience in some cases, may, they may have been a little bit stronger in their willingness to share you just being able to see their work ethic, but also, you know, you're
a personal trainer.
So you you've had a lot of athletes that you've worked with, that you've trained with or have trained and work ethic. With you. I mean, I can just look in the dictionary and see where the see work ethic. And I'd see a picture of the big dog, Chris Smith. Everybody has good intentions. Everybody wants to put in the work.
Everybody, most cases wants to get stronger or wants to lose some weight, wants to do something, but with the people that you've worked
with, What
is it where you see the people who were doers and the people who are wanders, and the people who are, who are about it, or the people who just like for whatever reason, find a way or something happens where, you know what I was going to come to the training session, but, you know, or, you know, I got in the go halfway or, but, or I'll see you at the track next week, coach and it's track day, and you're waiting there.
All set up and that person or people don't show through what is about those individuals versus the people who regardless are still able to find a way to put in the work like the Chris Smith.
###### Chris Smith: [00:10:31]
I think it comes down to just commitment. Number one is you have to commit to something and, and it's a longterm process.
It's not something, I think the people who, who failed to kind of get on the same page as some of us. And I'll just say it the same page as myself. Is that, first of all, they don't even understand the commitment and the work that I've already put in. You know, that there's a foundation that's been there since, since high school pretty much it's it's there, you know what I mean?
So it's easier for me because it's, I've made it a part of my life. And, you know, after you put enough time in you, you know, it's only natural that you, you are going to get some, some type of results. So the people that I'm running that I'm, that I'm encountering more. In life, you know, either in a personal training or even a lot with these, these younger athletes in high school that I'm seeing and it's, they just don't have the focus there's so much going on in their life.
And, and, and it isn't a priority like it is when we were growing up where it's not a priority to them and, you know, and then they don't, you know, either it's not a priority, there's a lot of other things going on. There's, there's very little commitment. And they're afraid to get out of their comfort zone.
I think that's the biggest thing. and a lot of people in life are like that, you know, it's results require work, you know, that's the bottom line. And a lot of people don't want to put in the work because there's a, there is a level of, of fear and there's a level of, of, You know, not, not reaching that goal, getting out of your comfort zone, but those are where the gains happen.
Those are where the, those are where the moments later on when you, when he knows somewhere in life, when you were uncovered and you work through that, it just, you know, you're able to get over the hump and a lot of young people and just people, you know, people in general, they're afraid to be.
Uncomfortable, you know, and they're afraid they're very comfortable being, being comfortable, but with, to get ahead and whatever you want to do, you, there is gonna be some type of commitment, sacrifice and being uncomfortable, whatever it is that you're doing. So, the difference is just, and then two making sure that it's, it's a longterm commitment.
It's not it's, For me, it's a lifestyle, you know what I mean? It's not work, you know, it's, you know, it just, I think that I enjoy doing, because I know that, you know, it's, it's, you know, it's keeping me fit. It's keeping me healthy. There's a wellness part to it. There's a physical part to it because I could physically see the results.
And then it's, it's easier for me because of the longevity that even if I'm. Out of shape, I'm always in shape. You know what I mean? If I'm not, if I'm not working out, it doesn't take long for me to get right back on because I put the work in and it's just the commitment, really the commitment. And, you know, a lot of people just, they want it, but they don't want to work for it.
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:13:23]
And there are no shortcuts, you know, no shortcuts, not nothing in sustaining wellness and health and fund it. So, yep.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:13:33]
Talk to us about a couple of success stories. you know, cause you told us, okay, if you don't commit, you might fall off the wagon. You might not make it there, but I could see in your eyes, you've had it a couple of clients that I'm hard early on.
Look like they're going to fall off the wagon and just stuck with it a little bit longer. So
###### Chris Smith: [00:13:50]
yeah, I think too, money helps people, you know, when you're doing personal training, it's, it's, it's a, you know, it's a service. So, you know, money is always, is always there. It's set up to do things. And once they, and what I usually do, how I do my services, they pay it all upfront for the whole month.
So that way it's like, okay, let's get the money part out the way and let's get to training. And I'm going to be honest with you. I do it for free. I just want a commitment, you know, and, but a lot of times when there's nothing to lose, There is no commitment. You know what I mean? So money is a, is a good goodness for people to do it.
So I've had clients that have, you know, that been overweight that have been, you know, it had very little muscle tone, very little muscular strength and over I've had clients that I've had for, for three and four years. And the transformation from. When we first started, you know, to, you know, three years later, four years later, five years later, where, you know, they have not only, transformed, you know, their body and their, and their, their lifestyle and their wellness, but they're also educated and they're able to help others because it's not just me.
Commit it it's more it's it's education, it's educating it's on, on, you know, nutrition on body mechanics, on everything so that they can go out and do this because the information is there. It's just, you know, a lot of people just don't know it. So, again, I've had clients that I've worked with for many, many years, and it's just, It's been a great experience.
I've become part of family. I've worked them, I've trained their kids, you know, I'm family, you know what I mean? And then obviously, you know, you get referrals and things like that, but again, I do it for free, but it's just, you know, it's nice to get paid, but I do it for free.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:15:40]
Yeah. Well, I mean, I think it is so surprising how important having that money there.
How big of a motivating factor that actually is for people. And I think that's one of the reasons why we keep saying, Oh, you need to sign up for a race. You need to sign up for something to have a goal, because once the money's out there, once it's put out there, now you have motivation. Now you have to
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:15:59]
go right.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:16:01]
Absolutely. To go, go attack it, go chase after it. Yeah. And that's probably the best money that you're going to spend because now you're spending money on your health.
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:16:08]
Oh, absolutely.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:16:09]
Absolutely. Just getting there. It's not on other stuff that you might go to waste, but it's also it's it's on you, which is, which I think is fantastic.
Thanks. Talk to us a little bit about, okay, you get a new client, somebody who's maybe overweight or out of shape. What's the first thing that you have them do. How do you, how do you ease them into training with Chris Smith?
###### Chris Smith: [00:16:30]
Usually what I do is, you know, time is, is I don't, you know, like a lot of the trainers, they, you know, you may have an hour, an hour time slot.
I don't have a certain timeslot. when we're done, we're done. So usually what I try to grab the clients do, you know, they're doing all. I want them to do all their cardio. Before we get started. So by the time I get there to the gym or to the track, they're already warmed up and we can get right. So it's usually a, you know, the cardio all I have to do on their own.
and then we're getting into the muscle and beginning, whatever the goals are, obviously there's going to be some flexibility there. It's going to be some core training. There is going to be, obviously a combination of, body weight training with, with resistance, meaning weights or bands or, or dumbbells or things of that nature.
And then it's, you know, identical down. So it's, it's, it's a warmup on their own. And then we hit that core. And then after we hit that core, then we get into whatever's, you know, as far as, depending on how many days they're going to work out, I'll usually have them, do you know? probably most clients are doing about three days, three to four days.
So when I'm doing three to four days, I'm making sure I hit every body part at least twice. You know, we're not, we're not doing arms every day. We're not doing legs every day. We're doing, we're doing everything and we're doing a variety of different things and it's just keeping them. Guessing at all times, keeping there, keeping that you never know what we're going to do because they'll never know.
All they need to do is just show up. And, but that's just me just making sure I'm prepared, making sure I'm educating, make sure, keeping them safe because obviously once who were overweight, there's, you know, it's a different type of, of training regimen that you do in a different type different type of philosophy because you know, a lot of things have to be non-weightbearing because, you know, they're not going to be running.
You know what I mean? They're not going to be jogging. They're going to be using the bicycle elliptical, you know, swimming, things like that. So, so it's, it's, it's educating them. It's under letting them. Educating them to let them know that, Hey, listen, it's a lifestyle. It's a whole, pack is that you need to work on and change lifestyle.
It's not just us coming into gym and working out it's, it's your nutrition. It's, you know, your water intake it's, you know, and then, and then also, you know, on top of that dentist, the strength training and cardio and things like that. But one without the other just doesn't work. Yep. Yep.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:18:50]
And I love what you mentioned because you know, when you are overweight, you do have to build up that base.
You can't expect somebody to just have to want to work cardio and jump right into running. Right. We have to build the muscular definition. We have to build the tendons and make sure that they're able to support that weight, whatever exercise we're doing. And we have to build that up slowly.
And there's no shortcuts to any of that. You can't just jump in and, and be ready to, to run a long race and, and having somebody guide you and, and know, and understand for your body type for your level of fitness, where you should be going, what you should be doing next. I think that's, that's amazing.
Yeah.
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:19:28]
Having that people absolutely game changer. Absolutely. Chris what's changed for you. you know, being a lifelong athlete, mentor, master motivator, when you became a father, you know, what, what, you know, you always have had that, that get it done. No excuse still being humble in the process. I will say that, but always fiercely putting in the work.
but what changed in you? The man and your, your emotional makeup with the birth of your beautiful,
daughter Iris.
Well, I think first of all, number one is just, you know, the blessing of just being, having a, a child, a healthy child. And, you know, I've waited, you know, I had a child later in life, you know, I have a lot of my friends went back home, you know, their grandpas, grandpas, and grandmas.
So I had a, I had a child later, so she just, you know, having a girl too. Oh my God, I, you know, we, that we're gonna have a boy. And then all of a sudden we got a girl and it just wasn't. It was a blessing and it was a game changer. It softened me, you know, I just had to just, you know, change my approach to just, you know, how I talk to her.
I'll, you know, guys are guys, but she's made me a better person. She's obviously, you know, you know, love her to death. And, you know, I, I tell you she's my, my pride and joy she's, she's everything to me. She really changed, my life.
She made my life whole and complete, you know, and she does every day. And. You know, as Burt knows, you know, and parents are, you know, being parents doesn't mean that you're, that you're a UDA friend. You notice times when, when daddy says no daddy means no. And, you know, and they cry and all that stuff, but you know what, in the end, you know, your dad and, and you're, and you're always going to have their best interests.
###### Chris Smith: [00:21:13]
And, I'll tell you what her coming. And she just, she just made it, made life complete. She really did. Yeah.
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:21:18]
Some of
the best social media posts and best father-daughter photos you will ever see, see I'm in between Chris and his, his beautiful baby girl, just, just beautiful in Sosa sear in ingenuine. And she's, quite an accomplished, athlete in her own.
Right. You know, Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.
###### Chris Smith: [00:21:39]
Yeah, there's a little picture over there. She's doing her little, little and everything. Yeah. She's a dancer and she's found her niche. Like daddy's found his, so, you know, it's great.
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:21:48]
And let's talk about the evolution of a coach, Chris Smith, as an athlete, you know, youth college athlete, and now in our adulthood, you're still out there, mixing it up and, and, and, pushing, pushing the needle, motivating many people in the process, a very accomplished obstacle course racer.
Just kind of talk about how you got into that. fun world of staying active, tackling obstacles. Like we tackle obstacles in life. some of the parallels and, how that passion of yours has grown, where you've traveled. You know, coast to coast traveled internationally. take us on some of those, wonderful fitness journeys through your love of obstacle course racing, how you got into it.
###### Chris Smith: [00:22:33]
Well, I mean, it just, you know, and being actively doing something my entire life, when I got done playing. collegiate football. And then I tried out, to play professional, but I had some hamstring injuries. So that, that kinda didn't work out. I just had to find something that was going to keep me active.
I mean, I I'd always hit the gym. The gym was all was as part of my life. So that was never going nowhere. But. The, there was no, no cardio, well, there was no competitions. It was just, okay, I'm not playing ball anymore. I'll get into coaching, I'll get into teaching and I'll just go to the gym and, you know, stay in shape.
And, you know, that was fine, you know, and it, it, it, it feels so the need at the time, but I wanted to find something a little bit more, that was still kind of challenging and competitive. And so, Man, you know, obviously, me and bird got together and, you know, and it was like, Hey, you know, let's do this wire dash.
And you know, I think neither one, one of us knew what at first we, you know, I didn't, he never even heard of it. So it was just kind of like, Hey, let's, let's get, you know, we had a bunch of, friends from back home and you'd get a chance for us to fellowship. And to be honest with you, I didn't care what the race was.
I just was happy to see my friends from back home. You know, so, and, and, and especially them coming down to San Diego today, our first reason is actually out in Lake Elsinore and I lived in Temecula still do so it was only like a 10 minute drive away. And to have them come down here and it'd be in my backyard, I'm like, Hey, this is going to be great.
So we just had a lot of fun. First of all, just go, they're seeing each other connecting again. We bought like birthday, we've always had, a special bond and, and, and friendship and more, a mutual type of respect for one another and everything, even after all these years of not seeing each other. So when we got together, it just was, it was just so natural that we would click, we did the event, we had a wonderful time and then it was just kinda like, okay, what's next?
You know, so it's like, okay, we, we out here and again, like we were talking about, I think the biggest thing was that we committed it wasn't too expensive, but yet you still gotta pay, you know what I mean? So it's out of the commitment yeah. Was there. And I think it was like, and we developed a good little bond and the community and we wanted more.
So it went from the first one was a little three miler, and then we were like, Hey, what else can we do? We've already kind of accomplished that. It really didn't didn't push us physically. It was kind of like, it was, it was just, it was a big party, to be honest with you, a lot of fun out there. So we heard about a tough Mudder, you know, tough border.
We went, we went from three miles to now doing 12 miles. 12 miles. So that's a big jump. So that required, you know, the physical part a was never a problem for me, you know, the obstacles because a lot of them have to do a muscular strength and I'm being a gym guy that was easy for me to do, but the cardio, the distance part.
Is, you know, having the lungs to go that type of distances. And you gotta remember, I was a sprinter in college and high school. So anything that was longer than one lap was never something that I was really looking forward to doing. So we did the tough Mudder. We loved that, you know, one tough motor became two to two tough Mudders two became three, three became four, four became five, and then we kind of conquered the tough Mudder.
So what can we do next? And then Spartan, we heard about Spartan and they had a race back home. And, we just, you know, put the word out there cause we had already established and we meaning bird. Yeah. And some friends from back home, you know, if we'd already established, a little, little community, so to speak.
So it was easy to get tough. When, when Spartan came along, it was like, you know, all we had to, I'm not gonna lie. All I had to do was make a phone call and people would show up from back home and they did our first one that we did back home. We had about. Burton. And we have about, I think we had about 15 people out there, 15 to 20 people.
We had a large group. Now, let me tell you, these are people who have never done any races before at all. And we're going to have them go out there and do a 12 mile race on at Mt. Toro. That was not easy. That was not so good. Imagine going from sitting on the couch. To all of a sudden being out on the course for at least six hours
and
doing that, these are guys who had not trained, they hadn't trained with you or anything then right out.
So let me tell you, let me tell you a lot of them were one and done, and there was a whole nother appreciation for what I do and what we do after that one. But again, it was a. It was just getting, you know, encouraging people. Cause we're older, you know, we're, you know, we're the we're older generation and getting, you know, and just courage of people to just build a, Hey, listen, you're not too old to come out here and do this.
You're not too old. We're in our forties at the time. Now we're in our fifties and we're still not too old. You know, I run against people who were in the sixties and seventies. You know, easily right next to me. And I'm just kinda like, wow. Some of them beaten me, you know, so though it's pretty impressive.
So it just the journey, when it, when it switched over, it was just so natural for me because it, it, it, again, it was me being the best person I can be. It was never me competing against anybody just going out there, completing your race. And then obviously you're getting an award at the end. You get a nice medal, you get a shirt like I'm wearing here.
And, you know, it just was, it became addicting, you know, And then, to be honest with you, I I've done so many. I know this is what this was about six years ago now. So, you know, it's still, I still get butterflies at the start of a race, you know, and I've done and I've done over a hundred races, but I still get butterflies.
So, for me now, the race is that what drives me? I'm looking for more than to me, physical, because the physical part for me now is relatively easier because of, you know, my, my conditioning year round and the gym and all that stuff. But the mental part. Is just brutal because of the distances, the distances are, you know, we're talking, you know, 20, 30, 35 miles, you know, and you're out there, then you have the elements and then there's a, unlike, with the regular races, there's cutoffs to the cut offs are, are really, a good, a good motivator, a good, a good P you know, they push, they really push because if you don't make the cutoff.
You're out, you're disqualified. You're immediately taken off the course. So that part is a Dick about you've paid, you know, we're talking $300 a race now, you know, talking, you know, $50, you know, from our first race. Now we're talking $300 and we're out there for, you know, 30, 30 plus miles. You have 70 obstacles.
We're in, we're in taught we're in Tahoe. It's snowing. It's raining. It's. 30 degrees, you know, and you know, but the thing is, you're looking to your left and you're seeing guys you're looking to your right and you're seeing women and you know what? Everybody has that same exact drive and they're going to finish the race.
That is what drives me. Everybody else was out there too, of all ages of all body shapes. Don't let the, the, the bodies, Composition for you. You know, that means nothing with these races. I've seen people who have been, who would be categorized as being overweight, but can go out there and do a 30 mile race.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:29:43]
No problem. So, yeah, no, I mean, no problem. And when it does get tough, do you have mantras? What, what gets you through those tough situations?
###### Chris Smith: [00:29:54]
really just. You know, and it does get tough. It does. There's there's there's times out there where there's, there are a lot of mental, mental lapses, and really it's just one foot in front of the other.
Just keep moving, you know, and again, I'm not, I'm not reinventing the wheel. You know, we, there was a community that we follow that encourages us as gives us tips. Just like I give tips now, just keep moving. Just keep moving. Just keep moving. Just keep moving, that's it. So, you know, never stop, keep moving one foot in front of the other and you know, that's it.
And then there's, you know, there's things that, that I, that I, you know, poems that I say to myself, you know, so, that we have in our fraternity, you know, poems, like see it through, you know, and, and, and, you know, life is going to get tough, you know, hold your head up high. To the finish line, see it through, you know, so there's things at times when, you know, I may use a poem, I'm gonna use the saying, but really I'm just going to be honest with you.
It's just one foot in front of the other one foot in front of the other, and eventually you're going to get there, you know, just don't quit and don't stop.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:30:57]
Chris talked to us a little bit about training. how has training changed or how, how do you now train for, you know, these 30 mile races and, and how has training changed as you've gotten older?
###### Chris Smith: [00:31:09]
Well, I'm still a gym rat number one. So the hardest thing for me is to, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's a give and take, you know, I'm, I'm still committed to the gym. I love the gym. I love that pump, but I have to put in these miles. Of, of trail running of street running and it's, you know, in doing those miles, there's a, you know, there's, you know, lose some of that muscle mass and that, that body mass and everything.
So, for me, I just try to make sure that I'm doing a combination, like today, this morning, you know, it was a 10 mile run and then I'm going to do another one this afternoon, but, you know, and then try to do the gym. So really with me, Diet is really important, you know, so I've got to eat right now.
My output is more my input, so I have to make sure after these, after these 10 mile runs that I come home home, and then I'm eating and I'm eating healthy. You know, I'm having chicken, I'm having fish, I'm having rice, you know, I may have a protein shake and then, you know, then I'm resting for a little bit and then I'll, I'll hit the gym up in the garage and then, you know, I'll eat again.
And then, you know, when I do some more cardio, I'll eat again. You know what I mean? Cause I don't want to keep, With me, I want to maintain what I have and I'm, and I'm still a combination. I'm kind of a, I call myself a hybrid. So I'm not a, I'm not a, a long distance runner. you know, per se just I am, but I'm not, but I'm still looking an obstacle course.
Cause it's a combination of both. You know what I mean? I still keep a lot of the muscle. There's still a lot of obstacles. There's still a lot of muscle muscular strength and training that I do, but I still need to put in the miles because of the races that I do as well. and we're talking the 30 mile races, the altruist, I have to put the miles in, you know, really what it comes down to.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:32:46]
Yeah, walk us through a 30 mile race. Are you really running from obstacle to obstacle? Is there a good amount of walking between are and how long does it take to do a 30 mile race?
###### Chris Smith: [00:32:57]
Well, what it is is it's actually a it's, it's two loops, so it's not a, 30 miles, one way it's, it's basically one loop and then a one 15 mile loop, basically a beast it's called it's called, sprint.
A super a beast and then an ultra. So what an altar is, is it's actually equivalent to two beasts plus what's called an ultra loop. So after the first 15 miles, you know, I've done so many races of that. You can kind of get through that. And then when you get to the, there is an ultra loop, which is really a, a mental mine challenge.
Let's just say that mentally, physically, you know, you're. And it, and it's designed to do that. It's designed to break you and, once you, and that's a part of the first loop and then, the last part would be the last 15 miles of the race.
###### Kevin Chang: [00:33:51]
it's designed to break you as in it's a it's additional obstacles or it's really?
###### Chris Smith: [00:33:56]
Yeah. Yeah. You would be, let's just say you would do. The ultra loop would be a no, when you're doing and, and mind you, when we're doing our race, our race starts at four o'clock, four, four or five o'clock in the morning. So we're out there doing the first loop, right. And then the, and then the regular people, we're doing the, their first loop as well, and only doing one loop, their rates to start at seven o'clock.
So by the time we're done with our first lap, People are starting to start their first lap when we've already done 15 miles in. So we see. Yeah. Yeah. So we'll have different shirts. We'll have an ultra shirt on, so there'll be doing lap one. We'll be doing like 15. So we'll be doing the same obstacles that they're, as they're doing twice.
Plus the ultra loop. Now the ultra loop again is, is what makes a difference between people actually finishing it and not finishing it. So the ultra loop would be, I mean, it's brutal, it's usually, you know, and, and, and these races are always in the mountains, so there's always going to be some type of, of incline, you know, our, our inclines, you know, I mean, so to speak.
So, No race that I've done has been completely flat, for an ultra they've always been Healey Tahoe was, was, was brutal. not only was it hilly, it was, again, it was cold. He had all the elements. So an ultra loop would be like, okay, you know, 70 pound a sandbag, you need to carry this for. And it's three miles, so carry this for three
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:35:22]
miles,
###### Chris Smith: [00:35:27]
you know? So it's, you know, so yeah, so it's, it's when they, and, and it's interesting, cause you'll be doing the race, the first loop, and then you'll see a sign that says the ultra loop this way. And when you know, and when you go, when you get to the ultra loop, it's just kinda like. Okay, take a deep breath because you know that that's going to pretty much be the difference from you making the race or making your time or not making your time, literally how you do in that ultra loop.
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:35:55]
Right. Well, and,
###### Kevin Chang: [00:35:56]
and what does, what do the cutoffs look like?
###### Chris Smith: [00:35:59]
And the cutoff would be, let's just say, if I go out at six in the morning, I, you have six to seven hours to finish 15 miles. Rest for, you know, I would say no longer than 10 minutes.
And then your ride back out again for another 16 miles. Wow. So, yeah. So the longer that you rest, the longer that you rest in that transition, the more your mind starts to play, because believe you, by the time we get we've already got 18 miles in. Okay. Remember it's 15 miles, 15 miles for the first loop, and then we have a three mile ultra loop, and then we've got to go back and do it again.
So the mind does not want to go back. For that second loop. Nobody looks forward to getting back out there the second believe you me. But as soon as you commit to that, and that's what I was talking about, you know, commitment and dedication. Yeah. There's a lot of people that tap out after that first one, so, it's definitely something that you have to earn, which is what makes it for me is what makes it very rewarding because it's a difference between. Going out there and going out there to go out there to finish without a time. And everybody finished and everybody gets a medal are going out there and having checkmarks that I have to, you know, push myself and challenge myself mentally to remember there's a mind game that's going on after, you know, 18, 19, 20 miles in.
You know, I've got to overcome that too. So they're just, they're just unbelievably challenging and unbelievably rewarding when you finish. Let me tell you when you make there's a last cutoff last cutoff time. So the first one would be six hours. So if I go out at six, I gotta be back by one. O'clock the next one?
The next check. A cutoff would be at, to be at this obstacle at maybe three 30. The next one will be at, to be at this one by five 30. And the last one you gotta be done before the sun goes down. You know, remember when you're starting, when I'm starting the race. It's it's it's at night when I'm starting.
So I have a headlamp I'm wearing, so yeah. So, so to start a race in the night and finish a race in the night, you ran for 12 plus hours. It's rewarding and very exhausting. Right? So
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:38:14]
Chris share and thank you for opening up and taking us deeper into the, the ultra side of obstacle course, running share some of the, maybe one of your tougher experiences where you just made it or those, those voices in your head were like, man, you have.
You're tired. You know, it's been a long week. You've had a long week at work, you know? why don't you just stop where you were able to persevere and you know,
###### Chris Smith: [00:38:37]
all the time. Yeah. All the time. It's just, you know, I do a lot of visualization, so, you know, I, visualization has always worked for me and visualization to me means that I have already run the race in my head.
Before I've actually physically ran a race. No. What the physical challenges are going to look like the mental challenges. I know what nutrition, I know what my body's going to. I feel like I've already seen that in my head before the race before race day has even happened. So, for me, it's just going out there and actually finishing the race.
And during those times of, let me tell you, there are times when I do want to quit, you know, I mean, it's just. There are they do happen, you know, and that's just, that's, it's, it's going to happen after a certain, you know, you get to a certain mileage or a certain threshold, you just, you know, your body, you know, your brain is just physically just going to be like, Hey, listen, why are we doing this?
You know, let's why are we doing this?
And
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:39:38]
with those voices of, of, of doubt, what's the, the counter, is it conversations maybe with you and your father growing up? Are there conversations with teammates? Are there moments where you're drawing on internal strength, maybe where someone has passed on and you're finding the strength on, on taking steps and, and breasts that is fueling your journey, or is that that powerful, as you said, the visualization on seeing yourself.
Cross that finish line and the metal being put around your neck and knowing that you are carrying on the torch of, one foot into the other foot in front of the other, and that's, your students are going to be able to, you know, that this may be a metal that they're eventually going to get, you know, Because obviously there has been no DNFS.
I mean, you are, you are, you're knocking it out. So, again, you know, peeling back the layers of coach Smith, you know,
###### Chris Smith: [00:40:29]
where
###### Bertrand Newson: [00:40:30]
are you drawing on that inner strength?
###### Chris Smith: [00:40:34]
I'm drawing it from everything that you said birth. It just depends on what's going on in my life first it's it's itself. Number one. And the expectations that I have that I carry myself, Just giving it my all.
And then it's. What others, you know, with me finishing, how am I going to be? How does this going to encourage others to come out here to, you know, either do a race or to try something I've never experienced before to get out of their comfort zone. So at first it starts with me and then it's internal and then it becomes external.
Meaning how can I motivate others to get off the couch, to try something I've never tried before? And then it comes out to everybody, you know, it comes out to my kids getting. Experienced, you know, you know, me bringing that, that metal home to them and them being like, Hey, you can me encouraging them. I also, depending on what's going on in my life, you know, I've, I've done somebody races with, with a heavy heart, you know, and, and I've used motivation there.
You know, I've had, some brothers that have, yeah. I asked away, when I did my, my big serve American Don, I dedicated that to a, to a childhood friend. And let me tell you, you know, I kept his, his, his picture right here with me. And let me tell you, I talk to him a lot. You know, it was, the journey was, I mean, there were many times guys were, you know, there were tears.
Throughout the race and just reflection on life, respect, reflection on the journey, reflection on, wow. I can't believe they're gone. How life, how short life is I'm here, you know, out here being able to do this one, this race and this accomplishment and they've passed on. So I use that. I use whatever I can, to be honest with you.
And sometimes it's. it's easy. And other times it becomes very emotional, especially if I've had a, a loved one, you know, whether it's a family member or, or a childhood friend who was passed away. And I still got to go out and do a race, you know, I I've, I've dedicated a lot of races for childhood friends.
And let me tell you, I I've needed them. During difficult times, like when I did big Sur, it was a big story, probably, you know, even though, LA marathon was my first race and it was most of my most meaningful, my most spiritual race was big Sur marathon because my brother had just passed, not my, my, my blood brother, but my childhood brother had just passed.
And so it was going, you know, doing a race. In, in an area that we grew up, it was our, it was our home, you know, and it was, and let me tell you why I leaned on him a lot, you know, during that race. And again, I had to pull over many times and just reflect and, and cry and, and just, you know, it, wasn't a, well, I worry about how fast I do to race.
I'm going to finish the 26.2 miles brother. It takes me. Four hours, five hours, six hours. I'm going to get you the apprentice line, but I'm going to take my time to enjoy the journey along the way. the journey is more and more meaningful for me than the actual, the end. It's what happens from start to finish, to meet in a race like that.
Not all, not all of them, but most of them are
###### Kevin Chang: [00:43:32]
what was that finish line? Like when you finished the big Sur marathon?
###### Chris Smith: [00:43:35]
Oh, man. It was a. It was relaxing. It was kinda like I let everything go out during the race. So when I finished the race, it was like, wow, I did it. You know what I mean? It's like I finished it, but really the journey was from start to finish and not crossing. The finish line to finish line was more of a, of a tribute to, Hey, you know what?
This race is for you. This is for you. . I mean, it's always about others, to be honest with you. I don't, you know, the satisfaction of finishing it.
Yeah. That's great. But you know, I like to share, you know, it's, it's deeper, you know what I mean? It's just not, It's not a me type of thing, even though it's a me doing the event, an individual event. It's not a me accomplishment. When I, when I succeed, everybody succeeds, my family, my friends, you know, the people will fall in strangers, my kids.
So, I love it. I love that type of weight. I love it. It drives me and it keeps me going and it keeps me humble too, because, you know, it's a reminder just how short life is. And, You know, I have kids who will never be able to experience this physically through their challenges, you know, just disabilities and uniqueness.
And then, you know, you have fallen soldiers who were passed on. So I've got, I've got a combination of both going and I use everything that I can to channel my energy to when we get to that. Man. I'm tired, man. I'm sore, man. I, you know, the self-talk so to speak because it's going to happen. It's going to happen.
And what are you going to do? What, how, what type of self talk are you going? Am I going to have when it happens and that self talk again comes in many, many forms, many forms. Sometimes I can just look down at a picture and be like, that's all I need. You know, that's all I need.