April 08, 2021
### Guest Quote
Gerald Schattle: [00:00:05]
You know, asking myself to lose 200 pounds is like telling somebody to climb a mountainGrew up with both two parent household. Both of my parents were educators. I didn't have a lot of adversity. This weight thing has basically been the hardest thing I've had to deal with in my life. And if that's the hardest thing I've had to deal with, I got it pretty easy. You know, where some of my other kids are dealing with a lot of different things. They're being raised by their grandparents, or they had, battles with, drug addiction or whatever they're dealing with. It's way more than what I'm dealing with.
### Episode Intro
Kevin Chang: [00:00:36]
Hello, and welcome to the RaceMob podcast, where we're all about running long, having fun and making the human connection.
I'm Kevin entrepreneur technology and fitness nerd, and I'm joined by the head coach of RaceMob and master motivator, the incomparable Bertrand Newson.
Gerald was introduced to us by a previous podcast guest, Mr. Adam Welcome. And when an author, marathoner and motivational speaker tells you that this guy's story motivated him, then you listen. And when you hear that he's been featured in runner's world magazine and live with Kelly and Ryan, man, your ears perk up.
And of course, when you hear his unforgettable story of losing 150 pounds all, while working a very challenging job, you get inspired.
The road hasn't always been easy, but what I love about Gerald's story is that he just keeps getting back on the horse time and time again. This interview is full of matter of fact advice, useful takeaways, and an incredibly inspiring story.
And without further ado, here's Gerald.
### Guest Introduction
All right, RaceMob audience, we are so excited to welcome the one and only Gerald shuttle to the RaceMob podcast.
Welcome Gerald to the podcast.
Gerald Schattle: [00:01:52]
Thank y'all for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity to tell my story and be with y'all this afternoon.
Kevin Chang: [00:01:57]
This is so fantastic. And the honor is all ours. We know that you've been able to tell a portion of your story through runner's world magazine, through the Kelly and Ryan show, live on air.
### Gerald's Origin Story [00:02:09]
But for those of our listening audience at home, walk us back to the origin story, and how you got introduced into the running world.
Gerald Schattle: [00:02:17]
So, you know, it's funny, like my fitness journey actually started. In 2015, I ran my first half marathon at 350 pounds.
Kevin Chang: [00:02:28]
Wow.
Gerald Schattle: [00:02:28]
And I was, uh, an AP at a campus in my school district, uh, Lewis middle school.
And I told my staff at the beginning of the year, I said, Hey, I'm going to do, I'm going to train for a half marathon. And so I ran. It was called the Jailbreak Marathon or half marathon in Baytown, Texas. Uh, ran that as my first half. And then I, I use that as kind of like a, uh, game half marathon, because I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it, cause I'd also signed up for the Woodlands half marathon
And my wife, and I did it, there at the Woodlands. And, , so ran, ran the Woodlands at 350 pounds. And, , after I did it, it was like, okay, I did it. And it went back to my old habits. Cause I had gotten down to three 50. I was like at three 75, got down to three 50 and then kept going, had, uh, you know, my daughters and everything.
And, and so basically just life continued to go on. I, it was just like a box checked. Okay. I did something, but then whenever I became principal, it was my first year here at the conceptual education center here in all Dean. And we're the district on the Northside of Houston. If you could find into intercontinental airport, you're in the heart of all beings.
And so basically being a first-year leader, you got so much stuff going on. And , you're stressed to the max and you're 397 pounds. I got on the scale and I had talked about trying to do something and, and started stop yo-yo at all, all these things. But I should, I got to find some kind of control to find some way that I can get a handle on this.
And, and I basically a new year's Eve. I had a conversation with God. I got prayed to my Lord and savior, uh, as a Christian, uh, and I said, Hey, I can't do this myself. I've tried myself. I need your help. And so, uh, basically I started right hiding my why, why was I doing this? What was I going to gain from this?
What's my goal. And so basically I said, Hey, I want to lose 200 pounds. I said, Hey, I want to run a full marathon. And I just set a series of goals. And, uh, what I started doing was I started with my diet first. Usually whenever I did these, these fitness things, I was doing exercise and diet, and it was just too much to try too many variables to get discouraged and beat myself up and everything.
So I said, I'm making a lifestyle change. And so I started identifying myself as somebody that healthier choices. I started identifying myself as. Working towards something else, a better person, a better version of myself. And so I think that's what played the biggest factor in this journey. Being more of a success because you know, on it and you know, I haven't achieved the 200-pound weight loss I actually had.
COVID sent me back just like everybody. I gained weight, I got up actually even having a plant-based lifestyle. I also changed that. And I'll talk more about that, that later, but this journey is ongoing and that's when you realize you're really progressing towards something else it's never-ending. And, and, uh, I know that I have an addiction it's it's food.
And that's another thing that I've had to kind of realize is that I do not have a positive relationship with food. And, uh, so having those things written down and seeing it, and then really leaning on my faith and realizing that, Hey, there's going to be ups and downs. I can't tell you how many times I didn't lose weight week to week.
I gained weight week to week, but I constantly said, look, you're in this for the long haul. This is a journey you're working towards something. So it was easier to start back up when I had adverse effects. And if I. When a week or a month, you know, where I didn't have a lot of success. I knew that I had that foundation that kept me moving in the right direction.
So those were a lot of things that I did. But, uh, using that app tracker that I use, I used to lose it as my preferred calorie counter. I still use it. I listened to, uh, Benjamin Hardy. He's an author and, uh, does a YouTube thing, but he talks about basically saying your willpower won't work and you got to set up the environment to be successful.
And so one of the things I did was I put the app on my home screen. So it's right there. I'm constantly seeing, just like I got my Bible and I got my, my lose it app right there on my phone. And so it's staring me in the face, so I can't avoid it every time I opened my phone. Boom. I got those things looking at me.
And so, um, you know, that's been part of my process.
Kevin Chang: [00:07:11]
Yeah. I mean the followers of their podcast and our YouTube channel know that, uh, Coach "B" and I also had a weight loss challenge that we were doing in January into the early parts of February. And then I was also using the lose it app. That was one of the things that I was showing our audience, how to track some of your calories.
So that is fantastic. That that was one of those things I know it's helped me in the past and I know that it can help so much of our audience. So it's a fantastic app that allows you to basically track the items that you're eating throughout the day. It has a, a huge database of food products on the backend.
You simply have to either scan barcodes or type something in and keep track of the things throughout the day. And oftentimes just tracking it will help you just aware of how many calories are in food. What's in food, all of that, and it can really help you lose weight in the long run.
### The Decision to Make a Change [00:07:59]
Gerald, I want to go back to the decision to make a change. And you said that it was new year's Eve. And that's you, you were asking for help. What led you to that decision to say yes, I need to make a change. I need to make a lifestyle change that I'm going to actually do something today or this year, or this is the actual time for me to take action. What was that?
Gerald Schattle: [00:08:21]
Kind of a lead up to that conversation was I was here at my campus and I went into a bathroom stall, in the students' restroom and, and had to kind of contort my body to get into the stall. Cause I was too wide to like go in and straight ahead. And I was just like this ain't living.
And so that kind of planted the seed and then really start doing the math and saying, okay, how many acres year olds are this? Wait, 397? And there's, there's zero.
My father, I love him to death. He'll be 78 in August. And right now he weighs about 200 or 50, but he's fluctuating his lady's a tight weight and he's a type two diabetic. Has, uh, you know, hypertension, all gout, all these different underlying health conditions.
And I see him now and, uh, he's somebody that I've always looked to as a pillar of strength in everything, but, you know, these health problems happen because we don't make good decisions. And I, and I, it was kind of staring me in the face too, with that.
I said I got to be here for my kids. I've got to be here to be an example. And I don't want my daughters to have to experience that the loss of a parent and you know, my dad up and down with his weight as well. But, uh, it's taken a toll.
I mean, he's not as mobile as he used to be, but I go to these marathons and these half marathons, I want to be the 80-year-old. I want to be that guy running still. I that's, that's why, even if it's just the shuffle, I want to be there. You know, that's my mindset now.
Kevin Chang: [00:09:52]
You know, you mentioned something that so many of us have the good intentions to have a healthy lifestyle or live a healthy lifestyle. And you actually wrote down goals. You actually started creating that blueprint, that map for how you were going to get there.
So you mentioned you're a very busy principal. You're a leader of a school that is a high-stress situation where you're spending a lot of time working at the school that you know, you're responsible for.
### First Steps for a Lifestyle Change [00:10:18]
So what were the first steps that you started to take, you know after you decided to make that decision for a lifestyle change?
Gerald Schattle: [00:10:25]
So after writing down my goals, I, put on my computer home screen, once again, having those goals staring me in the face every day.
At that point in time, I was coming to my campus very early 5:30, 6 in the morning, getting my day started because you know, day in we have 70,000, about 70,000 kids. And at the DAEP, you know, in a normal year, we could have anywhere from as low as 150 students to as many as we've had as many as 300 students. And so the population fluctuates and the students that get placed to me are for disciplinary reasons.
And, uh, sometimes it's things that they've you know, a crime, they might've committed outside of school, or they just made a poor choice. And it's a discretionary placement. They got into a fight or a mandatory placement where they brought drugs or something more serious to the campus.
So, kids that have trauma, you know, and they're not able to cope with that the best way. And you know, we'd like to think that, kids are excited to learn and everything, but I've got kids that have stories you know, they've overcome and they've put in a lot of work to get where they are but yeah, they've just made a poor choice.
And my job is to help support them, get them on the right track, build them up. And I think really, and truly my journey is kind of in connection with what my kids go through. You know, asking myself to lose 200 pounds is like telling somebody to climb a mountain.
I grew up with both two parent household. Both of my parents were educators. I didn't have a lot of adversity. This weight thing has basically been the hardest thing I've had to deal with in my life. And if that's the hardest thing I've had to deal with, I got it pretty easy. You know, where some of my other kids are dealing with a lot of different things.
They're being raised by their grandparents, or they had, battles with, drug addiction or whatever they're dealing with. It's way more than what I'm dealing with. I'm extremely blessed. And I have to tell me even whenever, cause everybody has a pity party.
And the one thing that I, I tried to, uh, use this journey is, I think that's when it got a lot better was whenever I connected my fitness journey to my community, to my students that I serve.
And just yesterday I was talking with a kid and I shared the story from the local news with him. And he said because we wear the mask, he said, I thought that was you. I saw you on the news this summer, but I wasn't sure that was you. And so, he connected the dots. And so, uh, you know, and then he saw the metals in the, in, in my office and everything. And so, you know, it's just, it's a lot of different things.
I think just pinning down what I've done is, like you said, goal setting, constantly having it at the forefront. And making sure that I have that mindset, that this is a lifestyle change.
I think that's the biggest thing. And then also could trying to do something bigger than myself. Uh, you know, I set goals that I wanted to, uh, when I did the marathon goal, I connected it back to my community and I said, Hey, I want to do my long runs in the community I serve. And I picked strategically the different neighborhoods and everything that had a connotation of being rough or, you know, things happening on those streets.
But when you run in the morning, I don't care if you're in Beverly Hills or if you're in Houston, Texas. At six in the morning, there's beauty going on. And there might've been something last night or there might be something going on later yeah. Day. But at that point in time, six in the morning, seven o'clock in the morning, it's beauty.
I loved it. And I still love it, waking up in the morning, just enjoying the day. And I can't tell you how many times I've seen community members. I didn't always see students on my runs, but my kids knew I was running.
They might've said something to me later and said, Oh, I heard about you running over here and they've made the connection or the parent we would talk about a street or cornerstore at church or whatever that was in reference to their community, their specific area of all of them.
And I made that connection. And so by doing all these little things that I didn't really, you know, now that I'm taught the more I talk about my story, the more I connect the dots and see how this has all played a role in sustaining this, journey and keeping me going consistently in the more that I, that I talk about it and share my story. I'm able to see kind of the bigger picture of it all.
Kevin Chang: [00:14:53]
I love that. I mean, I think that that just speaks to the power of community, of people holding you accountable to your goals and bringing that whole circle back together to help continue to motivate you and other people because your journey has motivated and inspired so many other people.
### Working out and Being Overweight [00:15:13]
I want to go back to, you know, you're 397 pounds. What are workouts looking like for somebody of that size? How did you scale down to be able to make sure that you could potentially work out, but not get injured at that size and not that weight? Um, what were you doing to start?
Gerald Schattle: [00:15:32]
Yeah, so at 397, I started tracking, lost the way I got down to 320.
So once I got down to 320, that was in July and I was at my mother-in-law's and that's what sparked the community run. Cause my mother-in-law still lives in Aldine she lives in a neighborhood called Hidden Valley and, uh, qactually one of the old, former superintendents of Aldine he's in his nineties, WW Thorns, you know, But he still lives there at least as far as I know, he still lived in the community.
And so I started running and in that, having that first-mile run, I did a run-walk method and I said, Hey man, Jeff Galloway, he's got it. I figured out. And that was the method that I used to run my first marathon. And I signed up for, a USA fit marathon here in Houston, down in sugar land. They run it the weekend after the Houston marathon.
And I signed up for the eight-hour limit. You know, I was like, I don't know how fast I'm going to run. And I did the run-walk method for that, first marathon. And that's what really helped me stay injury free.
### The Run-Walk Method
Kevin Chang: [00:16:37]
And explain to our audience what the run-walk method is. Yeah.
Gerald Schattle: [00:16:41]
So basically you kind of set based on what you're capable of doing.
And I, I went and started out running just two minutes and then walk a minute. And sometimes it was two for two. Sometimes it was five for two, it just depended on how I felt based on what I felt my body could do. And, uh, you know, I've gotten belt, built my stamina up and after I did that first marathon, then I said, okay, you're starting back at square one again.
And I started training where I want to continuously run a marathon. And so then I set myself up for another marathon and signed up for the Woodlands and, uh, did that one. And then what kept me going was, on my running journey was I had a buddy of mine at church who I said, Hey, you know, he had run the half.
I was like, brother, Jim, you can run. A full marathon. He's like, you think I was like, I'm telling you if I can run it at close to, you know, 300 pounds. I said you got this man, this is nothing walking apart. And so we, we started running together, uh, different, long runs and everything. And, uh, we ran the college station, Bryan college station, which is about an hour and a half away from, uh, Houston.
We ran the BCS marathon there in college station together. I constantly sign up for races to keep, keep me going to keep me pushing and, and, and just different things. I try to keep it fresh. New goals. Keep you motivated, inspire you and keep you pushing forward.
Now that we're sitting here talking, by connecting with other people in my running journey, it's allowed me to continue it and they say, I'm inspiring them.
But now man, you're, you're helping me. You know, I told Jim, I said, look, man, there were days I didn't want to run. And all my community runs, there were times I didn't want to run. And Mr. Siddha Bay, one of the APS here at my campus, uh, he's now a program director in special ed here in all Dean, but he went with me on my long runs and he's from Mali just by having that accountability partner, I was making built-in counter accountability partners.
I didn't even realize it. And my staff, they would sit there and ask me about my weight loss journey. Once again, saying professing my goal, telling people what my goal was, another layer of accountability, and talking to people about it. And I didn't realize what was happening, but I was setting myself up for success.
I was creating an environment of success.
### Fisrt Marathon Experience
Bertrand Newson: [00:19:04]
Wonderful, fantastic. And we'll circle back. We talked about that initial half marathon journey, but there's nothing like that very first time toeing the line for the marathon, all the work you would put in. Going circling back to that time and that school going sideways into the bathroom stall to the point you're there on race day.
Take us through that very first race day marathon experience through your eyes.
Gerald Schattle: [00:19:29]
That morning, I woke up and I had to drive to Sugar Land and I'm on the Northside of Houston. And I got to drive all the way down the Southside of Houston and people that that are from here. You know, you're going to drive an hour. I don't care where you're at Houston. You're going to drive you're driving.
So I had to go down to Sugar Land and, and drive. And, uh, there was a song by Hillsong worship, who you say I am was the song. And I listened to that song from the time I left my house all the way down there and it gave me a lot of comfort and helped me connect with my, with my Lord and savior.
And basically that whole time, because I didn't play any music. I ran, walked that whole deal. And I just had that song in my head. It was funny. I got to mile 20 and even doing the run-walk method look, man, I was like, you gotta be kidding me. And, uh, this lady said, Hey, you want some, Tylenol?
And uh, I said, I sure do. And I took, I took some Tylenol and it got me you through. And then, uh, you know, I crossed the finish line. And what was comical was, I want to say, when I was an AP at a hall center for education, another campus here in my district, me and my wife had signed up for the full marathon at the USA fit. And I didn't even really train and I only could do the half.
So I failed at it the first time I did it. And so then crossing the finish line, doing this method. I was just like, dude, man, you, so even my failures ended up propelling me to finish it. And I've, I've learned to start realizing that I'm not a failure until I basically say I'm done with it.
Like I just view it as a setback and I say, okay, okay, it's set back. And uh, it set me up for my comeback. I just say, okay, I can't didn't do it this time, but let's, let's get after next time. And I'll just kind of move forward and really embracing that process of, I don't know if it's a, Goggin saying of embracing the suck and, and just kind of saying it, it is what it is and moving forward.
Bertrand Newson: [00:21:22]
And this, the parallels, Gerald we've talked about several podcasts guests. That particular distance or training in general, but certainly at the marathon distance, the parallels it has with everyday life.
And you're going to have moments when it's a tough day out there, you know, and you want a helping hand, you, you want a, an emotional aid station and you want to stop. Sometimes you want to turn around and get off the course, but you know that if you just calm your thoughts and put one foot in front of the other, that good things will happen.
And that you're setting an example for other people who see you and see your journey and resonate with your journey and look how big that your community has grown based off your efforts. And that you've crossed some finish lines, but you know, you got miles ahead of you and people you're bringing along in the process as well.
### Involving the Family [00:22:16]
So, and how are the kids, the kids, the girls, you know, and the wife you said is run with them as well. Are they involved in this wonderful journey of yours as well?
Gerald Schattle: [00:22:25]
Yeah. So it's, it's funny. I've run a 5k with my youngest daughter, my oldest who's 12. She runs, she did cross country. She didn't, she's doing track now. She did basketball.
But, uh, actually when she was in elementary school, uh, we ran the jailbreak together. And, uh, I, I joke and say that might've been child abuse cause uh, there were times where she wanted to quit and I said, Hey, now we're getting this done. And so I might've held her hand and we just, and together, but we did it together, you know, and it's been a cool experience.
And I told her, I said, you know, you got to understand something. Cause we ran together a couple times. She would go on my runs here and in Aldein from time to time. And I told her, I said, look, I'm training you to do hard things. You gotta know that life's not going to be easy. Nobody's going to give you anything.
And you've got to be able to have that mindset that you can do hard things. And so a running has kind of enhanced us as a family. Actually, most of our races, my kids and my wife, haven't been there. So, uh, this past, uh, half marathon, uh, in the Woodlands, they were there to cheer me on. And my girls said, you know, this was fun.
They made signs and my wife, she got done, it was me, my brother, and my two brothers-in-law, we all ran. They ran their first half marathon for the first time. They're part of my run group, uh, champions, runners association here in, uh, the Northside of Houston. And they all ran for the first time.
And and my wife said, y'all ran in 13. I'm going to run a 10 K. And so she went home and ran, she didn't get a 10 K, but she got five miles in and she's, uh, she's part of the run group too, but she said, I'm going to run a marathon. She says> I'm 40 years old, You know, we, we lost my father-in-law this year.
Um, you know, she says, I'm just going to kind of. Give the middle finger to 40 and say, Hey, I'm, I'm shooting, shooting for higher Heights and I'm getting through, uh, adversity. And so she's gonna run her first marathon. She says I'm going to do it. And so, you know, that's, what's amazing about this whole deal is that we're doing it together as a family.
We're running as part of what we do as a family now. And I, you know, I can tell you, uh, you know, cause my wife has had, you know, she's been on a journey with her weight as well. We she's gone plant-based with me and she lost quite a bit of weight and then gained it back. And now she's like, she's doing the app tracking and everything.
But the one thing I learned with her and with everybody because people did it with me is I don't push people to try to do what I'm doing. I just give them the knowledge they come and ask me. I got a buddy, Jerry Collin. He's run, uh, Leadville several times and, uh, finished it and he's got the buckle, uh, I think he's, he's got the buckle like three or four times and he tells me he's like, you're going to run a hundred miles. And, uh, he says, I have no doubt. Whenever you're ready. You'll do that. But the one thing that I appreciate about him is he has been with me the whole time and my journey.
Every time I started running, every time I stopped, he just kept encouraging me. And, and he's asked me a couple of times, well, what do you need from me? And I said, Hey, man, I just need you to. If I post a run, just like it, just say, Hey, keep it up.
That little bit of support. You don't realize it, but it adds up and adds what, uh, I've learned with my relationship with my wife, because there's been days where she doesn't want to hear a lecture from me, even though I've, I've gone on this journey. She's like, you've lost so much weight. And I don't think I can do that.
I just keep on planting seeds. It's the same thing I do here. I just keep planting seeds with my kids here at the campus. I might never see that flower blossom, that tree grow, but guess what? I'm just going to keep playing and be consistent and it's no different than running.
You just put one foot in front of the other and keep pushing forward and eventually people are going to look over there and say, Oh, okay. I want to be a part of that. And that's, what's happened with her. She's running with my, uh, actually my daughters, my, my youngest daughter's teacher. She's part of our, our run group.
And so it's like I said, talking about this, it's just crazy how many connections and running has enhanced my life, man. It's crazy.
### Gereld's Proudest Milestonese [00:26:35]
Bertrand Newson: [00:26:35]
Let's talk about some of your milestones, whether it be distance-based time base, where you have those goals. We talked about, you know, you, you, as you've written things down and put in the work, as you're closing that gap in achieving those accomplishments, what are some of your proudest milestones?
Gerald Schattle: [00:26:50]
So my is, was during COVID. I ran, uh, four 50 Ks. Wow. I ran a four 50 Ks. I ran a 50 K each month and I didn't care how I got it done, whether it was running, whether it was walking. I said I'm getting it done, man. I want this, I did it with trail races over Texas. And I'm going to tell you something comical.
This is how funny about goal setting and realizing, ah, I got to run Coach, uh, Juan Arrietta. He works in Aldein and, uh, he's been my run coach and, uh, he never doubted me, but he was like, Hey man, your body has done a lot. Cause after I did my 50 Ks, I signed up for 400 Ks cause I was stupid.
Kevin Chang: [00:27:33]
Next logical step.
Gerald Schattle: [00:27:38]
I basically made a donation to trail races over Texas. Cause it didn't happen, man.
Bertrand Newson: [00:27:42]
We call it the runner's high..
Gerald Schattle: [00:27:44]
And I'm just like that. He was, he was supportive. He was like, Hey brother, you, you, you want to try it? Hey, let's, let's get after it. And you know, Once again, he didn't ever discourage me and he tried to, it put me in the best position to be successful, but whenever I said, Hey, I'm gonna scrap this. He's like, okay, that's cool. And uh, he said, I totally agree.
And, and now, you know, my big goal that I'm working towards is, you know, we're in the season of Lent and the church. And, uh, I want to cap off my, in Germany. I do a devotional during lint, uh, Mark Batterson, uh, the 40-day prayer challenge. I've done that during advent and lent throughout my weight loss journey and actually his book, uh, the circle maker, uh, is, was one of my inspirations today doing a marathon.
And then after that, yeah, that book I ran, I read out and Welcome's book Run Like a Pirate. And so it was like these two books were like, just lined up. Both as an educator, as an, a faith perspective. And it was like, look, man, you got to do this first marathon. But now, like I said, going back to what my next goal is, I said, I want to run 50 miles.
And last year, about this time during spring break, after it, well, actually it was after spring break. It was during COVID. We had just gotten. We just go on into spring break. We go, we shut down here in Texas, across the country, we shut down and, um, you know, I ran 39 miles to support my school day and, uh, basically had about $500 in donations.
And for our scholarship foundation here in Aldein, I did about 34 miles and I had no problem with it. So now I want to do 50 miles because I think that's just, I know I can do it. And so we talked about that. Me and Juan he's like, okay, yeah, 11:30 pace, he's like, you'll get it done. And I have no doubts.
Uh, you know, we're just going to keep pushing forward. You know, like I said, I've connected my running my faith journey. It's all part of it, man. And, and I, I can't tell you how much it's been a blessing to me.
### Scheduling Training Runs
Kevin Chang: [00:29:58]
That's incredible. Talk to us a little bit about how do you schedule the training runs in with your busy schedule?
Because, you know, when we walked back to the beginning of your journey, you said, Oh man, this is a busy guy. It's hard to get in a workout. Sometimes I know a lot of our audience has difficulty figuring out the time that it takes to train for a marathon or now ultras and those things.
So walk us through some tips and things that you've learned over time to schedule that in.
Gerald Schattle: [00:30:26]
So, uh, basically I run most of my stuff in the evening after the kids go to bed. So sometimes that means I'm running at eight o'clock now my wife, because she really has understood what I'm trying to do, and that was the progression too, she really has taken that on and said, Hey, you go ahead and get the run in.
And so. As my pace has picked up, she knows it's going to be anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour, you know, give or take the mileage and everything. And so it's been easier to accommodate, but most of my runs, whenever I first started out, man, yeah, they were like eight o'clock at night and you know, it was therapy for me, man.
It was a way to decompress from the stress, of being the principal here at my campus. And just like I said, my kids have a lot of emotions, trauma, and hearing stories I've dealt with kids being picked up by CPS. I've dealt with kids being arrested. I've dealt with funerals, you know, Lot of different things.
And so running those runs in the evening and reflecting on the day and praying about what's going on in my life. You know, it's really prioritized that I tried at the beginning of this year to try to run early in the morning, I get up at three 30, do that's not sustainable. And, uh, you have to find out what's convenient for you to get it in.
And sometimes it's just two miles, sometimes it's Four miles, sometimes it's seven miles, but however you get that in, you've got to find what works for you and not be discouraged if you miss a workout. It's consistency is the key. And that's what I, that's another thing that I've really kind of begun to understand was how much consistency.
I had to miss two workouts this week. Yesterday was I, my daughter had a track meet. I had gotten the COVID vaccine. I had kind of few side effects. I'm just like, look, it's okay. The world's not going to end. And that's a progression too, because there were times where I got fanatical about it. Like if I didn't get a workout in, you know, but it's a progression man.
And, and that's what you have to realize. This whole deal is another layer of progression. And as you develop, you start developing a comfort level and, and uh, you figure it out how to schedule it. But if you're committed to it, you're going to find a way to do it. Cause I'm going to tell you all the time, your mind is going to consistently make up an excuse in your head or when it's, when it's warm out inside the bedroom and it's cold outside.
Oh man, you're going to make up an excuse. And what's funny is during the winter storm here in Texas, a man, I still got outside and ran and it might've been ice. It might've been snow, but Hey, guess what? We're getting it in. That's just my mindset now, you know, but like I said, it's a progression, but I still get days where even after all these years of running now, I'm like, Oh man, it'd be nice just to lay here. Yeah, no.
Kevin Chang: [00:33:17]
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