Rebecca Hammond does a deep dive into her life successes and her hangups.

 

 

 

 

 

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Waking up – Same Harris

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rebeccaminghammond.com

 

Full Transcript

Rich Ryan: [00:00:00] Today is not your standard episode of HHMC our friend, Josh Reed. He’s out in the mountains. He’s having, what I can imagine is the greatest time of his life. And honestly, every Thursday, when I’m sitting here waiting for Josh to come to the podcast, I feel like Ben Affleck and Goodwill hunting. I’m like, you know what the best part of my day is maybe one day I was sitting here waiting for the podcast and you won’t be there, no goodbyes and seal it and no nothing.

[00:00:30] Just left to the mountains. So Josh, I wish you the best. We’ll see you next week. But today we have Rebecca Hammond and it was awesome. I had such a good time chatting with Rebecca. She’s a deep thinker and who, who I would consider a leader in the OCR space. And that’s mentioned a kick ass at the, as you guys know.

[00:00:50] So during the episode, we talk about how to overcome injuries, how to handle the highs and lows of racing and training. And how finding the lives, why just can make things easier. So I love this conversation, lots of great insight to the mindset of all the best athletes we have here in OCR. So I think you’ll enjoy the conversation as well.

[00:01:07] Here we go. Rebecca Hammond,

[00:01:14] Rebecca Hammond: [00:01:14] Rebecca

[00:01:14] Rich Ryan: [00:01:14] Hammond. Hello.

[00:01:16] Rebecca Hammond: [00:01:16] Hello.

[00:01:17] Rich Ryan: [00:01:17] How are you today?

[00:01:19] Rebecca Hammond: [00:01:19] I am good. I’m a sweat in my, Fluids out of my body right now. It’s kinda hot up here in Boston. How are you doing dude? The

[00:01:26] Rich Ryan: [00:01:26] same, the weather, we just talking off air, like the weather in mass and in Philadelphia, pretty similar. Would you say, I mean, it’s definitely colder in the winter, but the summer is up there.

[00:01:35] I mean, you don’t really catch that much of a break. It’s still pretty bad, isn’t it? Yeah. That’s pretty bad. You’ve got to deal. It makes it, it makes it tough, tough people.

[00:01:42] Rebecca Hammond: [00:01:42] Right? Totally, totally.

[00:01:44]Rich Ryan: [00:01:44] cool. Definitely excited to get into some things. Talk about some training. I feel like you have a lot of good, solid advice to share.

[00:01:50]but first we’re going to ask some random questions. We call it poor rounds. Are you ready?

[00:01:54] Rebecca Hammond: [00:01:54] Okay. So

[00:01:55] Rich Ryan: [00:01:55] if you could live in any city, that is not the one that you live in now, or say where you’re from from home, where would you pick.

[00:02:07] Rebecca Hammond: [00:02:07] So Boulder has a great training and social scene. but to be honest, I might. Choose C it’s an interesting question for me, because I tend to be pretty itinerant. Like I moved from place to place a lot, and right now I’m supposedly moving to Boulder, but I’m kind of like spending half my time in Boston.

[00:02:26]I really just want to get a van and live in various places. I think because choosing one city is too hard.

[00:02:33] Rich Ryan: [00:02:33] You picked all is like, how many wishes would you want? It’s like my first wish would be to have infinite wishes. So you choose all the places.

[00:02:39] Rebecca Hammond: [00:02:39] Exactly. But basically mountainous places. I love, I love, I like high mountain places to like a Boulder Santa Fe Flagstaff, one of those places.

[00:02:48] Rich Ryan: [00:02:48] Yeah. And that’s something I do want to dive in with you is because it seems like you’ve lived in more urban sea level places, especially getting into obstacle course racing and you’ve done so well without the mountains. So I want to like pick a brand about like, How you’ve done that because a lot of best racers, you know, they are living in those areas.

[00:03:05] Is that why you’d want to live there for training or just because of like the whole like mindset around the mountains and being

[00:03:12] Rebecca Hammond: [00:03:12] outdoors. So I think it, it started with, like back when I. Back when I was running Spartan races still happened and they were at altitude and I was training for altitude.

[00:03:23]I would look for places. I would, I would go spend a month at altitude, like in Tahoe or, in Colorado, et cetera. And, when I was looking for places to go stay, I was, you know, looking at altitude maps and figuring out where I could go to at altitude. And so I built this positive association with places at altitude.

[00:03:39] And so then whenever I was in a place. At altitude, I like felt happy and relieved. Cause I was like, Oh yeah, like I’m preparing for the race at altitude. And so, I kind of started to associate that, you know, that feeling, when you go to altitude, you kind of like notice that feeling where you’re a little bit loopy.

[00:03:53] Yeah. I like that feeling.

[00:03:56] Rich Ryan: [00:03:56] I like that feeling.

[00:03:57] Rebecca Hammond: [00:03:57] So I love that feeling and I love how I’m, it just gets a little less hot and how the vegetation changes. I think I’m quite familiar with the vegetation down here and I’m someone who loves novelty. So as soon as it changes a little I’m real happy, We mean, so who’s to say whether I’d get used to that and then get tired of that.

[00:04:12] But I, at the moment I love how stupid place.

[00:04:15] Rich Ryan: [00:04:15] Right. And if you had a van in the house, I’ll just come down and see levels, see some different vegetation, they seem to escalate that way. Yeah. And I’ve had that same feeling about places in the mountains and like high altitude. And like, because I always, I wanted to do better at these mountainous races.

[00:04:29] And this year was the first year that says, all right, you know what? I’m going to go after. Like DECA fit, high rock stadium races. Like this is what I want to do. And then I stopped caring about the mountains. It’s obsessing about living in Maine.

[00:04:43] Rebecca Hammond: [00:04:43] Yeah. So w

[00:04:45] Rich Ryan: [00:04:45] in your opinion, what is the best medicine slash like hospital-based television

[00:04:50] Rebecca Hammond: [00:04:50] show?

[00:04:51] Oh, dude, I just started watching this, new one. I don’t really want so much TV, but, I watched one day of TV, and two episodes of this new Netflix show. It’s a documentary about Fox chase hospital in New York city. It’s fantastic. It must have been made by doctors cause like watching it. It’s like, Whoa, this is, this is what it’s like, like this is like being a med student and that you get to skip around to the funnest parts of things without all of the bad parts of being a med student.

[00:05:18] I E like having to stand around for hours when nothing’s happening and, being really tired and being on your toes. Cause you’re having to perform for people, but you get to see you get this, like behind the scenes you have, like hospitals, what it’s like to be a doctor, basically. It’s fantastic. And I think, I feel like, In med school, you know, we were taught to really like respect patients and like, Oh, you know, patients might get really upset if they hear you laughing or something.

[00:05:40] And the thing is when you’re like, it’s really stressful to be, you know, dealing with sick people, having people die around you all the time. And so doctors end up, you know, making jokes and having kind of gallows humor. It’s kind of dark humor just to kind of survive. And I feel like this show, Humanizes doctors in a way that hasn’t really been done before.

[00:05:59] So I would highly recommend it. Fox chase it’s on Netflix.

[00:06:02] Rich Ryan: [00:06:02] It’s just called Fox chase. Is it telling a story or just following specific, like the characters quote unquote, or

[00:06:09] Rebecca Hammond: [00:06:09] is it, characters? The it’s falling like a set of neuro I’ve only watched two episodes, but so far it’s following a set of neurosurgeons.

[00:06:17] So that’s fun also because like I’m not. Into neurosurgery. So it’s, I get to learn something, and also a, an OBGYN and chief resident who’s pregnant. And so it follows like the neurosurgeons and their patients is OB-GYN who’s has this pregnancy, that isn’t a normal pregnancy and also an emergency medicine physician.

[00:06:38] And you get to see like what it’s actually like to be an ed doctor, where most of your patients are like, You know, homeless or just, I don’t know. It’s, it’s really good

[00:06:49] Rich Ryan: [00:06:49] from someone like from outside, obviously it would be helpful to see like how these people are actually human beings. Like you said, humanizing the actual doctors, because they are put up on pedestals people in the medical field and we just want them to be perfect because they’re the ones that will be taking care of us.

[00:07:04] So I think that that would be a worthwhile and Deborah, they, our episodes are half

[00:07:08] Rebecca Hammond: [00:07:08] hour. I’m not sure 

[00:07:11] Rich Ryan: [00:07:11] won’t even matter.

[00:07:12] Rebecca Hammond: [00:07:12] Yeah.

[00:07:14] Rich Ryan: [00:07:14] What is it an unusual habit or something that is absurd that you love

[00:07:21] Rebecca Hammond: [00:07:21] something absurd that I love? Hmm. I think that I do, which I didn’t think was very weird because it didn’t really strike me as anything as I put fruit stickers on my hands, because when I’m about to eat a fruit and I have a sticker on it and I have to do something with the sticker.

[00:07:38] It an easy place to put it. It’s just on my hand. And I just like did that without thinking. And then, one of my, yeah, one of my exes was like, Oh my God, that’s so funny. And like, started like really talking about it and like doing it themselves. Yeah. Oh, okay. I guess it’s interesting.

[00:07:52] Rich Ryan: [00:07:52] the back of your hand, or like on your finger

[00:07:54] Rebecca Hammond: [00:07:54] in the back of my hand, so people always be like, Whoa, there’s like, you know, Bonanza or whatever, like.

[00:08:01] Thing fruit. It is. So I don’t know if there’s something

[00:08:05] Rich Ryan: [00:08:05] that’s good. I mean, I just eat the sticker sometimes. I’m just like, I’m just, I have, I will do it, but

[00:08:12] Rebecca Hammond: [00:08:12] I

[00:08:12] Rich Ryan: [00:08:12] would imagine, I don’t know. I haven’t like done the proper.

[00:08:15] Rebecca Hammond: [00:08:15] Yep. Have you liked, you haven’t dug through your poop. I’ll send

[00:08:19] Rich Ryan: [00:08:19] it. I’ll send a sample away, send it to a lab.

[00:08:21] If you have any recommendations, I will go ahead

[00:08:24] Rebecca Hammond: [00:08:24] and I’ll

[00:08:24] Rich Ryan: [00:08:24] send it out there and see if everything is good with the sticker that goes through. cool. So what is the best piece of advice that you’ve gotten in your personal life?

[00:08:37]Rebecca Hammond: [00:08:37] So this isn’t the format it was given to me. But, but I think to put it simply relationships, like treat your relationship, you know, you’ll have people say your body is a temple, so you should treat it well, well, relationships are also a temple. You should treat them well. So when you start a relationship, you have to like, make sure that you really have to start off on the right foot.

[00:08:59] Because when you’re, when, like, Your relationship with your significant other, you spend so much time with that person. You become so vulnerable with that person that if in, like in a cup in like 20 years, if you don’t have healthy sort of interactive habits interaction habits, then it’s going to be really hard to get out of those habits.

[00:09:21] Because you’re essentially training your own emotions with this other person. You’re like talking to them and they’re, they’re like, they’re training you, you know, like when you grow up with your parents, you’re being trained by like your environment, your, your brain is learning how to interact. You know, when I do this sort of thing, and that thing happens, like that’s, you know, it’s learning.

[00:09:37] And so the same happens when you’re in a relationship with somebody because you’re spending so much time with that person. So if you start that training off wrong, you’re going to train yourself to like react to them in a certain way. And then like, If it toxic relationships, that’s where it’s really hard.

[00:09:52] Once people are deep into a toxic relationship to fix things. Because even if you it’s like clear that there’s a miscommunication or misunderstanding somebody, like one of the, like you might get so triggered by something that somebody else says, you might just get that strong feeling of anger that you can’t even like, listen to them, talk or explain themselves.

[00:10:11] So I would say that the biggest. The most important thing or the, the something that I would try to communicate to everybody is that when you’re starting off in a relationship, fucking treat it well, like treat it right. Like be nice to the other person do not, be mean. And if you’re mean, like talk about it, talk about stuff,

[00:10:28] Rich Ryan: [00:10:28] the explain why your main, like, and is that what that looks like in practice is essentially just honesty, like setting up the foundation of things or is it.

[00:10:37] Kind of like, we could call it even like basic it’s training your base mileage and your relationship

[00:10:44] Rebecca Hammond: [00:10:44] first

[00:10:44] Rich Ryan: [00:10:44] before you start stacking on top. That makes total sense. And like, it’s a good piece advice because like, is the opposite, like what would it be the opposite would look like? Would it be just kind of playing power games or just like having some sort of internal struggle there instead of just being honest and, and.

[00:11:02] Rebecca Hammond: [00:11:02] Yep. Power games. Not like if you, if you’re feeling a certain way, not telling them I’m being manipulative or I’m trying to be like indirect about things or yeah. Basically like being dishonest about your own feelings. Like if you’re being dishonest about your own feelings or not telling them about your own feelings and that, that tends to be not good.

[00:11:22] Cause yeah.

[00:11:23] Rich Ryan: [00:11:23] Yeah. And I’ve I’ve I found out that it can be even. In a different respect. Like if things are going well and you feel like you’re on the same page as somebody, like you can still have miscommunications without it being spoken and having that foundation laid and being open to share back and forth.

[00:11:41] Cause you might be thinking, you’re thinking the same thing, right. Because you’re agree a lot across the board on a lot of things, but. You don’t know,

[00:11:48] Rebecca Hammond: [00:11:48] it’s totally open. Communication is so important and setting the, starting that super early, because it’s hard to talk about your feelings when you’re, if you’re upset, it’s really hard to talk about that.

[00:11:57] Cause you just want to like, you know, if you’re upset, you just want to like hurt. I don’t know. Like you, you might not even know what you want, but it’s like hard to just talk about it. Cause it feels almost like you’re giving up sometimes. But if you get in that habit really early and build like this trusting relationship where you’re sort of like.

[00:12:12] Your brain body knows that it can just talk about stuff with this other person because good stuff will happen. Then that sets you up for success later, if you, yeah.

[00:12:22] Rich Ryan: [00:12:22] Yeah. I like what you said about like the analogy of when you’re a kid growing up and you learn to act certain ways like that is how a relationship is like its own thing.

[00:12:29] So it’s the whole, the whole analogy. But going back to the beginning, it’s like, It’s like a temple tree. Well, that’s good advice. Cool. You made it through the rapport round. Well done. So, just for people listening, tell everybody a little bit more about who you are, what you got going on, as a person and as an athlete.

[00:12:46] Rebecca Hammond: [00:12:46] Yes. So my name is Rebecca Hammond. I am a professional obstacle course racer. I grew up in California, went to college in. Outside of Philly at Swarthmore college ran M D three track was an all American and D three and, ran post collegiately in Norway where I did a Fulbright research on tuberculosis, then started at Harvard medical school in Boston, where, which is why I’ve been in Boston for the past.

[00:13:15]now five years, I graduated in 2019, so I’m a doctor now. And. after I started obstacle racing my final year of med school and, decided that set of applying straight to go straight into residency, which is further medical training. I am taking time off to be an athlete. And this year with COVID happening, I have decided to apply into residency I’m going into psychiatry.

[00:13:40] So, like going through those applications now to start in 20, 22, I believe. So I have one more year band, this, whatever I am.

[00:13:49] Rich Ryan: [00:13:49] So what does that process like? Cause isn’t it typically you go through med school and then kind of get matched. Is that how that works? And then you go and, do the residency that way or how, what, what does that like now, like where, how does that affect, like where you’re going to

[00:14:02] Rebecca Hammond: [00:14:02] be.

[00:14:04]covert or residency or what

[00:14:06] Rich Ryan: [00:14:06] a residency isn’t that? How it works. Like you go through med school and then when you go into residency, you kind of have like your top three choices and you get matched to all, everybody gets sent to their destination one day, essentially.

[00:14:18] Rebecca Hammond: [00:14:18] So you apply as if you’re applying to, you know, anything, and then you get an interview if they like you.

[00:14:25] And then, after the interview, like on a certain day by like March something or other, or maybe. December something or other, you submit a rank list where you rank your top 10 programs or rank. I don’t know, however many programs that you set them in order. So like, this is my first choice. Second choice, third choice, fourth choice.

[00:14:41] And all the residency programs do the same for candidates. This is our first choice candidate, secondary candidates, and then a big algorithm called the match. you know, it takes all of that information and matches people with programs. And so then you’re giving your, like you get this letter, like a paper letter, you open it up and it tells you where you’re going.

[00:14:59] That’s

[00:14:59] Rich Ryan: [00:14:59] so wild. I always thought it happens all one day too. Right? It must be so exciting for people. Like, what is this going to be like your whole life hinges on this letter that you’re going to get? Well, that’s awesome. I didn’t, I didn’t know that you were taking a couple of years to pursue athletics here.

[00:15:14]and it’s unfortunate with COVID that we’re going through that. And I know you also were kind of going through some injury battles, anybody who follows your, your journey. last year you had some injury ups and downs too. So tell us a little bit about what was going on with the injuries and kind of how that’s been battling these past couple of months.

[00:15:31] Rebecca Hammond: [00:15:31] So I basically, like as long as I’ve been a runner, I’ve had these sort of chronic injuries that have kept me from running too much. So, I was a sprinter in junior high, in high school. I was sprinter and moved a little up to mid distance in college. I was mid distance post, literally mid distance. I.

[00:15:49] Like, but basically I always got these like medial tibial, shin splints, shin splints, you know, like little girl injuries. And that kept me from running more than like two to three times a week. So that’s basically how I operated, through post-collegiate track and field. Like I was a miler, I probably would have been a five care, but I couldn’t get enough mileage.

[00:16:10] And so finally in med school, I, quit. Running because I was like, this is when I was in med school. There was enough boring stuff happening that sitting on a stationary bike for an hour was just too much boredom. So I gave it up. I gave up running and started CrossFit. and yeah, so anyway, like CrossFit eventually brought me to OCR and with OCR started trail running and discovered that I can do a lot more trail running than I can road running to be uneven drain.

[00:16:36]so that brought me through 2018. I like ran pretty regularly. And was able to do it just because of the uneven trails. then 2019, I got this Achilles injury and it’s, I’m not sure exactly sure why I have like a little bit of, I’m not exactly sure why, but anyway, I got an Achilles injury and it was the kind of injury where it’s like, you’re not going to.

[00:16:57] Terry probably wasn’t going to tear my Achilles, like nothing horrible was going to happen, but it was so painful that if I kept running on it, it would have just like been painful for longer. You know, would’ve been harder to heal. And I was like F that like, I am over running with them because it’s just not fun.

[00:17:14] It just makes like, It’s weird right now when I’m not injured, I look forward to runs and that is such a weird thing for me, because I’m so used to being in pain and just like dreading the run. I didn’t even really, I wasn’t because I was injured all the time. I wasn’t even aware that that was part of the reason why I didn’t like running, but I just associated with pain.

[00:17:31] And so anyway, so last year, I got that his Achilles injury at one of the early races, maybe the second race of the season. And, after that, I just like. I tried to keep training kind of, and it just kept hurting really bad. And so I sat out the next race and that took me out of a convention for the series.

[00:17:48] So, so I kind of, yeah, but I think that was the right decision. and it was tough though. It was a tough decision. And I think a lot of people who are dealing with these sorts of injuries where it’s not like, like if you break your leg, it’s easy. Cause you can’t run. But if you have some kind of chronic thing, it’s like really hard to make those decisions.

[00:18:08] Rich Ryan: [00:18:08] Yeah. And the Achilles that one in particular is tough because there is like this period where you’ll run for like five minutes, be like, is it gone? Is it gone every step? You’re like, am I okay? Am I okay? And then it slowly comes. And then when I had it and, I remember it just kinda disappeared. Like, I don’t even know what happened.

[00:18:23] It was just running one day and it just never, never started to hurt again. And that’s what you hope for every time you run with it. I think that soft tissue like that, that you’re like, okay, maybe this will be the time where I’m not injured. And like keep to pushing it. And like, you just kind of set yourself back on that.

[00:18:37]so like what, what made you get to the point where you just were like, all right, I’m just going to have to hang this up. Like it’s not getting

[00:18:45] Rebecca Hammond: [00:18:45] better. so I tried to run big bear and then. Like it hurts so bad at the top. Like I made it up the giant climb, so I’d done all of them elevation came worth.

[00:18:56] Yeah. The descent. And I was like, I can’t, I don’t want to do this. Like I was like over halfway done. I only had downhill left and I was like, I don’t want to, like, I can’t, I don’t want to run right now. It’s hurts too bad. And after that I was like, okay, like if I don’t want to finish a race, like I’m all the way down with uphill and I’m just coming downhill and I don’t want to finish a race.

[00:19:12] Cause it hurts too bad. Like it’s time to just. Like shut it down for a little bit and just let it go away so I can be good for the rest for the end of the season. So that’s what I did. And I like did a bunch of the, you know, all the Achilles exercises and they really work.

[00:19:27] Rich Ryan: [00:19:27] I think things we’re doing this, like East Centrix and, it’s a lot of like calf mobility things

[00:19:32] Rebecca Hammond: [00:19:32] it was doing, weighted East centrics, with like, You know, carrying like 60 pound kettlebells in each hand.

[00:19:38] So getting my grip workout in nice. Yes. A way to do Centrix. It takes for freaking ever, because you like take 10 seconds to lower yourself and you do like three sets of 15 or something. It’s like, so incredibly tedious, but it works. Cause it’s not like, and the, the, the rate at which it works tells me that it’s not your, it’s not that you’re like.

[00:19:58] Strengthening anything or stretching anything. It’s, it’s really that you’re like rewiring the connections down there. You’re, you’re changing the coordination of, the like Achilles to calf muscles.

[00:20:10] Rich Ryan: [00:20:10] Hmm. And that’s, and that it makes sense to be able to go through that. And I think that’s kind of the idea behind the East Centrix, right.

[00:20:16] Is that it can kind of straighten things out where it might be kind of in. Improper alignment more or less, or you had, or do you think it is more along the lines of like what’s firing and like the pain signals that are going through?

[00:20:29] Rebecca Hammond: [00:20:29] I think it’s probably both of those things. Yeah. Because yeah, I think it’s both those things, but the Achilles is just such a massive tendon that like that thing that thing’s fine, you know, the fact that it would get injured the way it does.

[00:20:39] And so many people, like, it’s not because it’s about to rip. It’s like, I don’t know.

[00:20:44] Rich Ryan: [00:20:44] Yeah, it is just the tough one. And when you were going through that, and through the process and, just cause it sounds like that’s kind of been your process for almost your entire time as an athlete is trying to balance how to become more fit.

[00:20:57] Well, not getting injured and I guess to a certain extent, we’re all doing that, but when you are only. Able to do two or three times a week, of actual running through post-collegiate like, how did that, how, how were you able to balance that and continue to improve your fitness? Was everything quality when you were on your feet and everything aerobically was done on like a bike or in the pool?

[00:21:17] Or how did you balance

[00:21:18] Rebecca Hammond: [00:21:18] that? Yeah. So basically I did workouts on my feet and, just kind of maintenance, aerobic stuff, cross training, but it wasn’t, it was not fun. And I wouldn’t go back. I wouldn’t do it again. No,

[00:21:30] Rich Ryan: [00:21:30] that sounds awful.

[00:21:32] Rebecca Hammond: [00:21:32] Yeah. Some people, some people are like, just really love, you know, like exerting themselves.

[00:21:36] I don’t know if I do, I guess I do, but like, CrossFit even now. So I use an Ellipta go now for my cross training. I still run every other day and cross train every other day, they lift, it goes great. It’s like a bike, but you’re doing an elliptical motion. So it’s like pretty much the, I would say it’s the best cross training for running.

[00:21:52]even with that. So it’s way more fun than anything stationary. But even with that, like I still. I’m still like, I procrastinate more for my elliptical workouts, even if it’s just like go out for a 90 minute, easy elliptical, go ride. I procrastinate more for that than I do for like a tempo run. So I just, I like, I like running, I like running a lot more and.

[00:22:14] Rich Ryan: [00:22:14] Are you filling that space with other work as well? Like, you mentioned CrossFit and strength training and AP post, some pretty cool things on like core work, and rock climbing and things like that. Are you, are you trying to fill that open space or how you getting like the total amount of volume in what’s that look like for you?

[00:22:31]Rebecca Hammond: [00:22:31] the volume is basically with the Ellipta go and running and then if I, If I can borrow some bike, I bike sometimes too. And back when there were gyms, I would do rowing as well, but there’s not gyms anymore. Or maybe there are now going to be, but

[00:22:42] Rich Ryan: [00:22:42] no, I’m not sure. What’s it like up by you? Is it are things open at all?

[00:22:47] Rebecca Hammond: [00:22:47] Things are starting to open up, like, I think July 6th, Boston entered phase three of reopening. So I think some gyms in Boston might be open now, but my, the gyms that I use, Brooklyn boulders, which are in like, you know, other neighboring little towns are still closed.

[00:23:01] Rich Ryan: [00:23:01] Huh? Yeah. I think that happened to us too.

[00:23:03] We were supposed to open everything. like it’s far as Jim’s last weekend. What we pulled backwards last second. And like, Jim’s nevermind. Maybe at the end of August, I think there, it’s probably the right call at this point, but it’s a bummer. It’s about, I just feel bad for like the gym owners, you know, you get to know them and they got their hopes up.

[00:23:22] We’re gonna get back in order, but. I just have to wait it out. but speaking of wait it out, like that’s kind of a world where we’re all at, none of us really have, have a race. And we were talking off air about potentially West Virginia happening and used to happening and Spartan being pretty aggressive in terms of like pushing those forward.

[00:23:41] But all season long, they’ve. Basically dangled races out in front and just canceled them leading into it. So I’m not convinced that these races are going to happen, any races are going to happen. So what’s that been like now that you’re coming back out of injury, like have where’s your mindset as far as training and like the motivation to kind of keep your foot on the gas.

[00:24:02] Has your, has your mindset shifted at all on that?

[00:24:05] Rebecca Hammond: [00:24:05] Yeah, so I think, Once racist once, like racist started being canceled because of COVID I kind of gotten this like, Oh, I guess races is or cancelled mindset. And it’s been really hard to get out of that because races are fun, but they’re also, it’s like, you know, it’s a big source of anxiety.

[00:24:20] So the relief of like, not having a race, once you, once you kind of taste that, it’s like, Oh no, now there’s going to be a race. Now I have to like, get all geared up again. And what if, and the other thing is like, if it does get canceled, then. Like, if I’m gearing up for a race, like the month leading up to the race, the two months leading up to the race, like I’m not a fun person.

[00:24:39] I mean, you know, okay. I’m, I’m a fun person, whatever I’m always, but if I’m like traveling with, like, I was in Australia, traveling with my boyfriend before, Like basically rate is COVID was starting to hit. And we were like, I was training there, you know, I couldn’t just like Jack off and like do whatever and like drink and like, whatever, like not, you know, not work out in a day, go on a hike.

[00:24:59] Instead. I was like, I borrowed a slip to go there. I was running, I was training hardcore. And that, that, like, it puts a lot of, it’s just like a lot of stress to get your workouts in. So. Then my race was canceled after that. So it’s like, Oh my God, that whole time, like all of the sort of procrastination and anxiety and whatever, like, Oh, am I going to get my work?

[00:25:18] I didn’t, blah, blah, blah. All of that, that I went through, I could have just been having fun at that time. So that’s a little bit like, like thinking back on that makes me kind of. I don’t know, it makes me of like, want to know whether a risk is going to happen because it’s, it takes a lot of energy to gear up for a race, mental energy, mostly.

[00:25:39] So

[00:25:39] Rich Ryan: [00:25:39] I agree. And yeah, from the practical standpoint, and being able to position your training to point to a certain thing, it’s like, okay, if I want it to peak for West Virginia and now it’s canceled, it’s like, okay, well now where is this volume go? Like what happens to all my training now? And, So with that is, did you just think that the re the year is kind of over, and has that changed what you’re doing in terms of the training, or just kind of going into maintenance or is there always going to be a certain level of intensity that you have when you’re, when you’re, working

[00:26:11] Rebecca Hammond: [00:26:11] out.

[00:26:12]I mean, right now I’m doing, I’m probably probably training as if West Virginia were happening. I have a coach Kim Nadeau and she makes my, she does my programming. and so I assume that she’s been programming me as if I’m running in West Virginia, but like the main thing that’s happened is I’ve had a lot of.

[00:26:26] Trouble with motivation for lifting. And so, after like a two week period went by where she was assigning me lifting and I like, wasn’t doing it. It’s just like, how about we just, you know, not do lifting for now. And then we’ll start up again at the beginning of July, you know, for West Virginia or Utah or wherever you’re going.

[00:26:41] And so, okay. Yay. So, I just started lifting, I’m just starting lifting again. but I mean, I’m getting some good workouts in it. Yeah, I I’m probably, I’m not as, so if I, if, if this were a regular season in like West Virginia were definitely happening or Utah were definitely happening or I, or my brain was convinced that they’re happening, I would be doing a lot more.

[00:27:03]like I would be, I would be doing my recovery routines, but I’ve kind of, those have kind of fallen by the wayside, my lifting and my recovery routines have kind of fallen by the wayside and that, and even if it’s like, so. Yeah, so it makes me more injury prone. Cause I’m not doing my foam rolling.

[00:27:15] I’m not doing my tennis ball rolling. I’m not doing my car buffering after every workout. I’m not being as careful with my nutrient timing. even if like, you know, that itself makes a little bit of difference. But aside from that, like just the focus that, that like the amount of time that that takes in my day means that I’m doing that instead of.

[00:27:33] I dunno if there is something else and it it’s, but that’s actually a good thing for me because my brain operates best. And it’s the most relaxed when it has a very structured and time consuming stuff to do. Like it, like when I have like unstructured days, it’s really hard for me to just stay focused.

[00:27:49] And so, yeah. Yeah.

[00:27:53] Rich Ryan: [00:27:53] I guess that was kind of what I was thinking with that. Cause you mentioned has like though the race day anxiety, has that always been a thing, like even like. High school collegiate all the way through. Yeah. And, and so, and now, like have it, do you continue to raise them the kind of push forward because of the structure that it brings you?

[00:28:13] Is that something that you just like to have because you just feel like it is a productive way to live.

[00:28:19] Rebecca Hammond: [00:28:19] Oh, I love the way you put that. Yeah, absolutely. I think the reason why I stuck with track for so long and then fell into Spartan racing is because, like that anxiety feels makes it feel so real.

[00:28:30] Like you feel like I just would feel like horrible for like a whole week leading up to something, unless I have more frequent track meets, then, you know, if I, if you have two track meets a week, then you can’t feel like the whole week leading up to it. It’s just the day or something, but still like that, that like, Big like feeling of anxiety and then the huge high after the track meet, like that was sort of like my drug.

[00:28:49] That was like my meaning in life, because like, I didn’t want to think about, you know, what I was going to do in the future or the fact that life feels kind of meaningless. So, but it was just like really nice to have that, to hold onto. I think it’s like, yeah, like. I think it’s why a lot of people get into drugs.

[00:29:04] Same thing. It’s just that society isn’t looked down upon this.

[00:29:08] Rich Ryan: [00:29:08] And like when you finished, there is, there is a, a feeling that goes along with that as well. And, and when you’re done with the race, I mean, you can go through it and it’s fun. And like you get some field goods, whatever, but there’s also when you push yourself to them, Point of like going somewhere where you’re not familiar with going, you can kind of finish and you have another feeling that kind of can fill that where it’s like, you can be like proud of the effort that you put forward and proud of everything that, that led to that point.

[00:29:36] Or like, you can be disappointed. So it’s like this huge, like payoff of a race and an after something that needs to fill that as well. Like, is that kind of the flow of it all for you as well?

[00:29:47] Rebecca Hammond: [00:29:47] I’m sorry. So you’re saying that like there’s a big high, and then there might be a let down because you didn’t perform right.

[00:29:51] Well,

[00:29:52] Rich Ryan: [00:29:52] or there’s something that needs to fill what that feeling of anxiety was leading into the race. Either it’s like disappointment or it’s like, PRI pride or, or

[00:30:01] Rebecca Hammond: [00:30:01] something it’s going to be matched by a feeling of similar, strength, like regarding like,

[00:30:07] Rich Ryan: [00:30:07] I believe like in my experience, that’s kind of what I feel from it is do you have that similar or does it kind of like, you know, what the race and it’s like, okay.

[00:30:14] Back to feeling.

[00:30:15] Rebecca Hammond: [00:30:15] Oh, no. no, there’s like a big if there’s at least like a day or a couple of days of like, ah, feeling so good and just like, you know, replaying and like thinking about it. Yeah. Like it feels really good. Yeah.

[00:30:28] Rich Ryan: [00:30:28] Yeah. And that feeling too, it’s the same thing. It’s like, okay. Like that is another reason to keep going after it.

[00:30:34] And like, would you ever do, like, cause I know some people obviously. And puts these races on and people fly to Jacksonville during a pandemic to do a race that doesn’t count for anything. So there is, there are people there that are doing these races out of just the pure enjoyment of them. Do you see yourself ever being like that or is there always going to be some sort of competitive piece there that like is going to help keep the structure together?

[00:31:01] Rebecca Hammond: [00:31:01] Yeah. So I guess maybe it’s kind of, well, at this point, like I don’t, I. Don’t really identify with that. Like, I, I. Like going and doing a race for fun. Like doesn’t compute to me. Like, I, I just, I just, I guess I haven’t ever done that in my life. So it seems like so weird to do that to, you know, just because it’s always been such a big thing.

[00:31:23] Like, it’d be hard for me if are out of shape right now to go and just like, do a race, just feel horrible. Or it would be impossible for me to like go to a race and not. Try. I guess if, if my coach told me, okay, this is a workout, you’re going to hit this pace, then I could do it. But like just going like, Oh, I’m just having fun.

[00:31:38] If I’m going to see that time afterwards or going to compare myself to people that I know. Like, I, it’s really hard for me to think about doing it for fun. I’d need a big break.

[00:31:47] Rich Ryan: [00:31:47] I, yeah. And I think trying hard is fun. Like if I would to go, I would either have to try, like, so not hard. I’d have to like walk literally like be playing another game or doing something else during it.

[00:32:00] It’s like, that is excellent. But like trying hard is what’s fun and me,

[00:32:04] Rebecca Hammond: [00:32:04] well, cause it’s engaging your mind. Like for people who have, who like need something sort of extreme to. To focus their minds so that their mind, like all the kind of noise in their heads kind of goes down. that’s the kind of person who’s gonna have a hard time just doing something easily.

[00:32:17] Cause like it’s like going on a hike is really hard for me. Oh. Cause you’re just like walking. So I mean, if it’s like super steep, you have to hike and you’re exert yourself. That’s fine. But if it’s just like, Oh, I was just walking slow for no reason. Like why are we going so slow? We could be going so much faster.

[00:32:32] That’s hard for me. You know, like go do a run first or something to calm down. But.

[00:32:37] Rich Ryan: [00:32:37] I want, I want it to like hiking. I do. And it’s always like, Oh, we should go on a hike. I’m always like,

[00:32:42] Rebecca Hammond: [00:32:42] we

[00:32:43] Rich Ryan: [00:32:43] can go on a hike, I suppose. Exactly. Okay. All this stuff let’s pack a huge picnic basket. I’ll carry it. And so like,

[00:32:57] Rebecca Hammond: [00:32:57] well,

[00:32:58] Rich Ryan: [00:32:58] to get to a certain point, like you do.

[00:33:01] Like with all the structure and everything, you’re kind of putting in place in all the things that you have in lines that kind of lead to the racing, everything that we just kind of talked about. There is a lot of things that you seem to have to juggle, right. And like, I’m fortunate. I don’t have a family or anything like that, so I can kind of focus on like my business and, and the, and training, you know?

[00:33:21] And it seems like before this year for you, that you had a lot going on and I could only imagine what the demands are of med school. And training full time and traveling to these races. So like, how do you prioritize what to do in terms of like training and like your regular, everyday

[00:33:39] Rebecca Hammond: [00:33:39] life back when I had a lot going on, like in med school, it was actually, it was like, it felt easy, but it actually wasn’t, like it felt easy because I didn’t really have to make too many decisions cause they didn’t have much time.

[00:33:52] So when I had. I mean, okay. So my performance in my rotations probably suffered because I was literally like, I’d have like a shift, an emergency medicine shift. And then, I was like, I was like squeezing in workouts in places I should not have been squeezing them in, you know, so I was like a little bit late to stuff and that’s not okay when you’re a med student, like you gotta be on time.

[00:34:10] You gotta be five minutes early. And so I’d like sprint in like finishing my workout, like pouring sweat, like, you know, Right at the, at the line. so my performance in my med school probably suffered because of my training. Cause I, but, but, now that I don’t have that structure, it’s like, It’s harder for me to stay focused because I’m not.

[00:34:32] So I, that I need structure and I love structure that makes it sound like I’m somebody who’s really good at creating structure, but I’m actually not. I’m kind of a open-ended person. Like I like keeping things open or my, my propensity is to keep things open, but actually, like, I know that I’m happiest when things are not open when things are set, but I have a hard time setting them.

[00:34:52] Like, it’s just hard for me to. Close off possibilities. I guess. I always feel like making a decision is shutting down possibilities even though. That’s just a stupid way to see things. Cause it’s just pointless. So, I mean, it’s not,

[00:35:05] Rich Ryan: [00:35:05] not true, right? It’s like a zero sum game. There’s only so many hours in a day and not so much bandwidth.

[00:35:10] So I mean, I haven’t thought about it like that, but I

[00:35:12] Rebecca Hammond: [00:35:12] understand. So when you’re, when you’re so far, like I used to, I get so frozen, by feeling with that feeling that I end up letting time be my decider. So I ended up like waiting until. All of the options are no longer options. This presentation, I guess.

[00:35:29] And there’s only one option left and that’s the one I do. But if you think about that, like how deliberate are you being with your life? If you’re always just letting time decide for you, like you can’t make as many decisions, you’re just limiting yourself when actually you could be, if you’re thinking ahead, like deciding like what is it that I want, then you can make decisions to get there.

[00:35:44] But if you’re just like, Oh, it’s too late. That’s like the funny thing is I ended up doing a Fulbright in Norway because of this. Like I waited too long, do other things. It was the only thing left to do. But I could still apply to you. So I applied to it last minute and did it, but like with like, I don’t know, I don’t, I mean, I don’t know what it would have done if I had thought more ahead of time, but it’s just, it’s a silly way to live.

[00:36:02] Huh.

[00:36:03] Rich Ryan: [00:36:03] Because, and like you’re saying, just because you don’t want to make the choice to, so you don’t eliminate other choices and is, is so like. With it being open-ended. Now, are you just like picking up a bunch of hobbies or are you just picking up no hobbies? Like, have you been able to put us fail safe in there for yourself?

[00:36:20] Or have you done that with things like school and racing and doing like all these opportunities that have been put out in front of you do like, just start saying yes to things

[00:36:30] Rebecca Hammond: [00:36:30] or right. So.

[00:36:36] Yeah, I’m not used to, this is the first time in my life where I’ve had a lot of unstructured time. I’ve never had this before. So like before, like always in my life, I was super busy. I was doing like two sports in school and blah, blah, blah. And so this is the first time I left for him. Not so the first year or so, it was kind of was a big transition period.

[00:36:53] I mean, I guess I’m still in a transition period, but now it’s COVID so these are also different. I don’t know, but it was weird for me to realize, Oh my gosh, I’m so used to not doing stuff for fun. I’m so used to like. Just operating on autopilot where I like, literally I would get home from something like B the show get out and like first thing on.

[00:37:12] And like, I’ll meet somebody somewhere. You know, I was just like running around, rushing, rushing, rushing, like, you know, running like red lights on my bike. Like just getting there, biking 40 miles an hour to get somewhere ridiculous. and coming out of that, it’s, it’s like, It took a long time to realize, Oh my God, like you can bike slowly.

[00:37:29] Like you can take your time. It’s okay. And like the first, the first it was probably just like, figuring like realizing, Oh, it’s okay. Like this is fine. Just take your time. It’s okay. But because I wasn’t used to having time, like I’m not used to. Doing stuff like watching a movie for fun or doing something for fun.

[00:37:47] I’m not used to that. So it, it meant that there was a lot of time where I was just like, Oh, like feeling anxious, not doing anything now I’m starting to, well, now I’m working for money. so I’m like, I’m a med school. I’m a med student. Med school application consultant. So I’m, I’m helping kids write essays.

[00:38:05] I’m like advising kids on where to apply. I’m like reading over their applications. And then a lot of it ends up being kind of like life coaches, because like I spoke with a premed the other day who was really worried about like different options and we just like slowed down and like talked about what, Like what would be best for her in life, you know, not just focused on med school and that’s, that’s kind of what I find the most rewarding.

[00:38:27] Also helping people with essays, it’s like helping them tell their stories, which I love. So that’s also like freaking out, like you end up like figuring out what them what’s important to them, which is really cool.

[00:38:36] Rich Ryan: [00:38:36] Yeah. I haven’t seen the light bulb go off for them and be like, okay, I. I guess that is something good that I do

[00:38:42] Rebecca Hammond: [00:38:42] Holly.

[00:38:43] Rich Ryan: [00:38:43] So when I was doing some research or, this podcast, I do what I typically do and just go on Instagram and you can run a lot of people about people on it. You’re just going to great by the way. Very, very honored. Very, you have a great things to say meaningful things to say, check it out. But you did make a post about mindfulness on there.

[00:38:59] I noticed. and that was one thing I did want to talk to you about because even in just the last, you know, piece of the conversation we just had, it kind of was going toward there. It’s like just being able to learn to let go. And that’s something that is often brought up in mindfulness is like just letting it go.

[00:39:15]so has that been something that has come into your life recently? Or is that something that you’ve been, like working at, having in like your, your routine. for awhile now.

[00:39:26] Rebecca Hammond: [00:39:26] Yeah. So before, I was, yeah. Wow. mindfulness has been something that’s been hard for me, I guess like before I, I would, I would.

[00:39:38] Achieve what mindfulness achieves sort of by like, by like exerting myself super hard. So in my workouts by like super rushing. So I was always in a complete rush. So when, when my, when I was entirely engaged like that, like you you’re able to be a little more mindful, although you also have this like anxiety that’s driving you.

[00:39:55] So as soon as I had to slow down, I then had. To learn how to be mindful because my, I was someone who was so used to going around so quickly that once you start to slow down, like my inner inpatients just like goes crazy. And so I had to learn how to get, like how to be open to the stimulus. That was all around me at all times.

[00:40:20] So like just sitting in a dark room, like there is stimulus and that is enough to just sit there and survive. I like, felt like I would die if I like had to sit down somewhere for still. And now it’s like, okay, like I can do this. Like stuff is happening. I just have to notice it. And so that’s, that’s been huge and, meditation has been okay.

[00:40:42] Rich Ryan: [00:40:42] That’s an interesting way to put it is about the stimulus being all around. Cause I’ve kind of done something similar and I’ve found myself in the same kind of patterns. It’s just like needing to have something to do. And regrettably more often than not, it ends up being like on my phone on Instagram.

[00:40:53] It’s like, I have time that I’m not doing anything. Let me just scroll through mindlessly where like I’ve literally like said that I’m just like laid on the ground for the past. Like for some time, these past couple of days and just like laid there didn’t nap. Just laid on the ground. And I was like, Oh, okay.

[00:41:07] This serves me. This serves me even better than looking at my phone so much better. but if you worked in meditation into your, like routine, like how have you found that to be helpful?

[00:41:19] Rebecca Hammond: [00:41:19] So I meditate for 10 minutes every morning. Like one of the first things I do, I get out of bed, make my bed and sit on it and like meditate sit up.

[00:41:27]and it’s been really good. so one thing it’s like very relevant for my training, because one thing that I’ve noticed is, When you’re exerting yourself in a hard workout and you start your body starts to tell you to stop. You know, it’s that like uncomfortable feeling. It’s like, you should stop.

[00:41:45] You should stop. You should stop. Just stop. It almost feels kind of like anxiety. And the weird thing about it is that if you, if you like try and like, shut that feeling down, like try and like move away from that feeling. It almost becomes worse. And I found with meditation that, so when you’re meditating, I use a guided meditation.

[00:42:03] I use waking up by Sam Harris, when you’re, when he, like, you know, when he’s quiet for awhile and my mind starts to wander in the beginning when my mind would wander. And I noticed myself thinking, I’d be like, ah, stupid, like, you know, a huge think. And I’d like, feel this kind of like bad feeling. I was like almost punishing myself.

[00:42:18] And that feeling felt kind of similar to. In a weird way. It felt similar to when I’m working out. And my body’s telling me to stop. It’s just feeling like you need to get away from that feeling. It’s like a bad feeling. And, I, after a while I realized that if instead, like when that would happen to me during meditation, if, instead of like moving away from that feeling, if instead I kind of like felt that feeling to like, felt it as if I heard something or whatever, like focused on it, whatever, like, let it happen then.

[00:42:46] It didn’t come as much. It wasn’t, it didn’t feel as bad. And then it wasn’t as strong the next time it came maybe, or even if it was, it didn’t matter because it didn’t feel as bad. And as soon as I. Picked up on that. Like I started doing that during my workouts. and it’s really great with when you’re starting to push really hard and that feeling comes on.

[00:43:04] You should stop if, instead of like, Oh, feeling, I hate you if instead you’re like, Oh no, that’s okay. Hey, feeling and like, feel it and like, feel it in its full intensity. And you realize like, Oh, that’s it. That’s all there is. It’s just this feeling. It’s nothing like the world’s not going to end. You know, it’s not super scary.

[00:43:19] It’s just this feeling. As soon as I started like sinking into that, I’m. I’ve found that it’s, I don’t know if I’ve been able to push more, but I’ve found that it’s easier to push. Like I don’t dread hard workouts as much anymore. Cause I know that when stuff gets really hard, I can just. You know, feel it and it’s fine.

[00:43:35]yeah, so that’s been really nice,

[00:43:38] Rich Ryan: [00:43:38] huh? Yeah. And that, and that, that feeling that, that comes in, it’s what we all are trying to almost hope doesn’t happen during workout, but that is that like, when that feeling comes that’s when that stimulus that’s happening, that is going to pay off the most for your fitness.

[00:43:51] Like that’s where it happens. So if you’re in a, if you’re trying to avoid that or you’re fighting it and not in like steering away from it, like you’re not going to get the most physical benefit out of it as well. So I love the idea of letting

[00:44:02] Rebecca Hammond: [00:44:02] it happen.

[00:44:03] Rich Ryan: [00:44:03] Was that like, do you remember what that was like when that first came in or is just like, alright, let’s just see how this goes or was like, do you typically have like some sort of, of like pump up, talk like, or no weakness keep pushing and one time you’re just like, No, it was like, let’s just see if I don’t die here.

[00:44:24]Rebecca Hammond: [00:44:24] it happened, so I normally don’t say anything. I’m like pretty, pretty nonverbal during my workouts, except, except if I’m like singing one line of a song in my head over and over and over and over again. But, I, it happened, it was like feeling really bad. So some days like I have, I struggle with mental illness, like, yes.

[00:44:43]just like, I don’t know if I get. Like there’s some days where I just have, I just have this like really unpleasant feeling, like just so unpleasant, like I would get out of bed and it’s just like, ah, I feel awful. And like, it’s almost like. I dunno. It’s like, and then my brain just looks for reasons why I’m feeling so awful.

[00:44:59] And I still horrible and it’s like actively uncomfortable, like just, just being as actively uncomfortable. So it was one of those days. and I was going out for an elliptical Ellipta go ride. and so I was like, Oh, this is horrible. Like, it’s horrible. It’s like hard just to function. It’s like even worse to like, have to kind of low level push myself for a long time.

[00:45:18] So it was during one of those days, it was like, Oh, wait, it’s like, This is fine. It’s all just a feeling. And so I, like, I like realized it was just a feeling during my ride or not realized, but remembered and remembered to practice, feeling it as a feeling. And, Oh, I guess as well, maintenance wise, it was an actual workout.

[00:45:32] And then during one of my intervals, It was almost like I just relaxed my mind during the interval. As soon as that bad feeling came on, I relaxed my mind and it just felt so good. Like you get this burst of good feeling and you’re able to push harder. It’s like, it’s so nice. Like there’s no, there’s no downside to it.

[00:45:48] Cause it just makes hard stuff easier and it feels good, but it takes practice. Like you just have to practice like relaxing your mind, you know? And like your body doesn’t relax, but yeah.

[00:45:57] Rich Ryan: [00:45:57] Yeah. And that’s what meditation essentially is. It is practicing. Just letting the thoughts come. Like acknowledging them when they do come letting them go.

[00:46:05] And that’s something you’ll hear sometimes, like I’m not good at meditation and it’s like, this isn’t a contest, you know, like you need and you still need to practice. Like you can get quote unquote better, but you need to practice that yet, which is also nice for the workout. So you don’t have to put yourself in an uncomfortable, dangerous situation all the time to practice that.

[00:46:21] So, it’s nice to, and then do you think that’s a, that’s a direct result from the meditation?

[00:46:28] Rebecca Hammond: [00:46:28] I think so. Cause I’d never been able to do that before. And it happened like when I was meditating after I started meditating regularly for a while.

[00:46:34] Rich Ryan: [00:46:34] That’s awesome. So just like that alone is enough to just even try it.

[00:46:38] There’s so many of those apps out like that one, that one is probably a pain. There’s a couple of paid ones. They use a free one just called insight timer. It’s not as nice. It’s not structured. It’s like really loosen all the way out there. So some of the structured ones I feel like are a little bit better at first, but I’m definitely glad that that that’s something that’s been in your life.

[00:46:54] Now, how long have you

[00:46:54] Rebecca Hammond: [00:46:54] been doing that? now it’s been a couple months, it’s a few months, maybe three months or something. I think when I made that post, it was like 10, a couple of weeks into it, maybe. so it’s been a few months and it’s, this is the second time in my life that I’ve meditated. The first time was a couple of years ago.

[00:47:08] And, It really helped me at the time then I kind of stopped, but thinking back on it, I realized that after it was like, during that time, when I first saw meditating ever, and like the subsequent, like, you know, during that period that I learned how to like, steal with my anxiety as a. Sort of physical sensation as when I started to like, see what I call my anxiety as something that’s like, not just the world doing something to me that it’s actually like this feeling in my mind and my experience.

[00:47:35] And, so meditation has been huge for me both times. And now it’s been a few months that I’ve done it and it’s just like so great.

[00:47:41] Rich Ryan: [00:47:41] And it’s one of those things, like if you don’t. Once it’s like you fall out of it. You kind of forget what it was like when it was in your life. So you don’t think anything’s changed until you start it up again.

[00:47:51] You’re like, Oh,

[00:47:53] Rebecca Hammond: [00:47:53] that’s why I

[00:47:54] Rich Ryan: [00:47:54] was doing that.

[00:47:55] Rebecca Hammond: [00:47:55] It’s like, when you’re sleep deprived for awhile, you like get used to feeling really slow and stuff, but all the time. It was normal

[00:48:03] Rich Ryan: [00:48:03] and

[00:48:04] Rebecca Hammond: [00:48:04] you’re like, Oh my God, what have I been doing?

[00:48:07] Rich Ryan: [00:48:07] They so stupid for so long. It can’t be about talking to people. I was like walking around that stupid.

[00:48:13]well, cool. And, and I don’t know if it’s along the same lines, but. And it sounds like that because you are taking these two years to pursue some things. It seems like things are a little bit more entrepreneurial as well. Like your whole thing as an athlete and as a professional athlete, essentially, you’re entrepreneurial up making your own living and doing some of the life coaching and helping people with, the applications and things like that.

[00:48:36]sounds like you’ve made some, some decisions recently to kind of. Push herself forward. And it’s not, it seems like from the outside, looking in that you do have a lot of opportunities presented to you. and like, so I’m just curious how you kind of go through the decision making process to see what’s going to serve you best.

[00:48:53] Or if it’s kind of along the lines of what we were speaking before that you just brought things in and just. Saw and just like worked it out as they came, or is there a process that you go through to, to like take new things on?

[00:49:06] Rebecca Hammond: [00:49:06] So until quite recently, I kind of felt like I was just flying by the seat of my pants and like would, yeah, I would let you know, I’d let time make my decisions for me.

[00:49:14] And I was just kinda like doing random stuff. It’s like, It’s like, you’re trying to get to the top of Kilimanjaro maybe, but you’re just, just like wandering out at the base. And you’re just like taking random parents like, Whoa. And you don’t even really know where the top is. I worked with a life coach, That’s when Yana Robinson, for a little bit, for a couple months.

[00:49:33] And she, her big thing is to find your truth, which is basically like your, your, like, what is your reason for living? Like, what is your, what drives you in life? What is your ultimate like drive? And you come up with a single statement and you say like, this is my life. My reason for living, this is what I want to do in life.

[00:49:50] And then it’s like general, it’s like specific enough that it resonates with you, but it’s general enough that. You know, it’s, it’s like, you can have it forever. You know, it’s not like the thing you’re driving for today. It’s like, no, this is going to be my thing forever. And then once you have that, like curricular job, whatever you’re spending your time doing for your work, like it, you just want to make sure that it’s working towards that achieving that goal or statement or whatever.

[00:50:14] And, that having that goal is it’s great because it means that your job can change. As long as you’re still working towards that thing. So like maybe you’re getting at it by being a doctor. Maybe you’re getting at it by being a writer. Like, but that thing doesn’t matter, like what you’re actually doing doesn’t matter so long as you’re moving towards it.

[00:50:34] And as soon as you start thinking about things, that way it’s just like so relaxing because I feel like I used to feel like. I was just like climbing to move up, up, up, up, up, but I didn’t know where I was going. Exactly. And I knew that also at some level, that was impossible to achieve the weird thing in my mind that I was supposedly going for like this weird feeling of greatness.

[00:50:52] I knew I was never going to actually get there. Cause it’s just like, it’s an impossible feeling. It’s just like this high that you’re seeking, but it’s can only ever be fleeting. So, Like as soon as I, as soon as like, I worked with her and I was like, okay, like, I’m gonna, I’m gonna like work towards this goal.

[00:51:05] And then I realized like, okay, like psychiatry would be in line with that. And it’s just been sort of things have been more simple. Well, I’ve been able to relax a little bit, so it’s been nice. In

[00:51:16] Rich Ryan: [00:51:16] that sounds like just having like a compass more or less, right? Like which direction in my head is just looked.

[00:51:22] I was like, Oh, that’s right. I have that thing. Was that process hard to, to like uncover, I mean, you’ve got to take us through it or anything, but like I could imagine like, Oh yeah. And like kind of the things that you mentioned, like striving for greatness and just kind of the system we’re kind of put in, right.

[00:51:36] It’s like push as hard as you can rise to the top. Like, like be competitive. You do all these things take, make, take these steps. So like when you had to boil it down to find what’s your, like guiding light is, or whatever, your goal, your big goal, like, was that hard or did you have to do some searching for that?

[00:51:53] Or was it like right obviously in front of your face?

[00:51:56]Rebecca Hammond: [00:51:56] I mean, it takes a little bit of work, like thinking, writing, but it’s not. Like, you know, some writing is like, really it’s like really boring. You have to do it. And it like sucks, but this, this is just like free writing. Like you’re basically writing stream of consciousness to get there and just really thinking it’s quite satisfying because yeah.

[00:52:14] I mean, so yeah, it takes a little bit of work, but it’s not. It’s not unfun.

[00:52:19] Rich Ryan: [00:52:19] Nice. Yeah. So it could just be part of like just journaling and just writing whatever comes to your mind. And there’s probably a feeling there. I would imagine that you’re like, okay, yeah, this is true. This rings true. When I say this to myself, when other people say that, that I can consider it that.

[00:52:34]and do you do that with like your training? Cause that’s something else that is. Like with Ali, with new races popping up, like, I know he did a high rocks, right? Like, are you kind of doing the same type of thing with that? Or is it just like, what’s going to kind of how I mentioned before, it’s like, Oh, I thought I want to do these races in the mountains, but it turns out I don’t, I want to do these other races and it made me feel so much better.

[00:52:54]are you kind of doing the same thing with your, your training and where you’re going to hear your. Gear your performance toward,

[00:53:02]Rebecca Hammond: [00:53:02] so like basically did I use my wife’s statement to figure out what races I was doing?

[00:53:07] Rich Ryan: [00:53:07] Yeah. Like, is there a competitor? Is there like a Raceway?

[00:53:10] Rebecca Hammond: [00:53:10] Well, so I don’t have a separate, well, now, now that I know my why, so I guess the way that I came to, which is actually sort of a working, why, like it’s going to change.

[00:53:18] Cause it’s kind of encompasses half of what I am interested in, but it was, I want to help people discover the freedom of being that was my why statement. So basically like helping people realize that they’re, they create their experience with their minds. Like your entire lived experience is synthesized by you.

[00:53:38] Like you are creating it and. Well, that could sound scary because it’s like, everything’s just you and like, it’s actually quite freeing once you realize that. so as soon as I kind of realized that I was like, okay, like this whole racing thing, like, this is it’s great. Cause I get to connect a lot of people.

[00:53:55] And like now, you know, I have social media followers. I can like connect with them about and like help them with this. But, It made me realize that this is more of a thing that I do just for fun. This is not like my life’s work, you know, so that as soon as I acknowledged that, well, I have to like practice acknowledging that, it’s stopped feeling like it.

[00:54:17] If I work on acknowledging that it working out these races, like they will stop feeling as heavy. They will feel lighter because I’ll realize, Oh my God, like, this is just fun. You know, like I’m just doing this for fun. And then it won’t be like life and death. And like, ah, like I’m just so anxious. Oh my God.

[00:54:34] And so it’s like, no, this is just fun. This is just a hobby. Like, it’s fine. You know? And, and the funny thing is I’m guessing that as soon as I get better at that, like, I’m probably going to get better at the sport too.

[00:54:44] Rich Ryan: [00:54:44] Yeah. I’m going to click on all of this. Are you looking forward to that? Like, that’s something that I was thinking like, are you looking forward to, to going into racist now that you have a why?

[00:54:51] And kind of like looking at it from a bigger picture, are you looking forward to seeing how that may have may help or change the way you approach your race day?

[00:55:01] Rebecca Hammond: [00:55:01] Yeah, I’m interested. Cause it’s weird. Like. On the one hand, like I know that having a Y and like, you know, having other things in life, other than racing, like having a boyfriend, who’s not an athlete.

[00:55:14]it’s, it’s like, it’s really great. Cause you get perspective having this whole like medical thing that I’m into like becoming a psychiatrist, like it’s, you know, you could say like, yeah, it’s amazing to have those other things in life and it is, and it makes me happier, happier person, but the. And like, that’s what I want to help people.

[00:55:31] But the truth is our, I don’t know if it’s the truth, unless like, okay, you look at the top women in OCR, all of them, like at world championships last year, both Lindsey and Nicole, like smashed everybody. Nicole smashed everybody and the both of them were dating. Other professional obstacle course racers.

[00:55:48] Both of them were like living their entire life around obstacle. I mean, you know, not exactly their title, but they’re super focused. And it’s true that when you, if you believe that I’m not saying that these ladies do, but, but if you believe that obstacle course racing is everything where your sport is everything, and there’s nothing else in life.

[00:56:06] Like you probably will work harder. You probably will do better. So like some of these. Top athletes who have been top athletes their entire life, since they were children, like to them, like their sport is their why. And I it’s like, I’m not them. And I don’t want to be them because like, what happens when your sports don’t what happens if you get injured?

[00:56:28] And that’s when those people find out, like when their sport is over with, they get injured, like, yeah, maybe they become a coach or something, but they end up having this like giant life change when they’re like, Oh my God, there’s other things in life that matter. and. Yeah. So it’s a weird thing to grapple with because I still feel this like passion for competing.

[00:56:46] And so that’s, I think that’s why I haven’t been able to quite let go and feel it as something light because I know, or I feel, I still believe, I don’t know if it’s true, but I still believe at some level that I have to kind of believe that it’s really important for me to, Like really do it, you know?

[00:57:01] And like, I also know that when I’ve been at my best athletically, I’ve been super anxious and like had total trouble sleeping and like been medicated up to sleep, like, cause I was just so anxious all the time. Like that’s when I performed the bed, that’s when I performed the best in the past. I it’s not to say that.

[00:57:15] I can’t, I it’s interesting to see. I’ll have to see now whether I can. Get like that without all that mental suffering, like it’s been a lot of suffering, but then at the same time, I had this weird high of being really in shape. So we’ll see. It’s it’s this is uncharted territory for me.

[00:57:31] Rich Ryan: [00:57:31] It’s like, it seems like both of the worlds are colliding.

[00:57:34] Right. And like, doesn’t know what’s going to come from that collision. Of it all like, so it’s going to be fun.

[00:57:40] Rebecca Hammond: [00:57:40] That’d be really cool.

[00:57:43]Rich Ryan: [00:57:43] well, very cool. So, yeah, I don’t wanna keep you all day, but, and that was something that I was thinking as well, that this sport has helped give you this a platform.

[00:57:52] Right? So it kind of elevate you to, again, help people with like your ultimate. Life’s why, and I can kind of get that feeling from you that you almost have like. It seems like you’ve like emerged as like a leader amongst the OCR athletes somehow. I don’t know how, but it just seems that way. and, I was curious if, if that was something that you have tried to facilitate, because now from what I learned about like your life’s, why, or if it was just kind of like a byproduct of, kind of like how the message that you want to put out there, is that anything that you feel

[00:58:26] Rebecca Hammond: [00:58:26] okay.

[00:58:27]like, do I feel like I’m a leader in that? Oh, Sierra community. I mean, I am in so far as I’m one of the top athletes. I don’t know if relative to the other athletes, I’m a leader in OCR specifically. like I’m starting to figure out. What I’m into, like basically when somebody really knows what their, why is like what they’re really into, like, you can see it and like, it they’re there.

[00:58:47] They just become inspiring, like, because they are super inspired and that’s contagious. and I think for awhile, I dunno. I dunno if I feel like an OCR leader, maybe, maybe. I mean, I, I hope to help people and, Like, I hope that people trust that what I say is what I mean, like that I, that I’m not trying to be dishonest.

[00:59:11] And that’s part of why I’ve had trouble, like with some sponsors, it’s just like, I, I have trouble. I like can’t, I can’t say something that I don’t really mean or feel, I don’t really want them to do stuff. So it’s just like, Oh, that’s really hard.

[00:59:26] Rich Ryan: [00:59:26] I know. That’s the thing about that sort of stuff. Like being an ambassador or a sponsor for some product or something, it’s just like, It’s like fine.

[00:59:34] Like

[00:59:34] Rebecca Hammond: [00:59:34] it’s hard. And if you

[00:59:35] Rich Ryan: [00:59:35] like, but like that’s is how you come across, not, not against the sponsors, but you come across as being honest and authentic. And I feel like people do care. What you, what you say and what, like the messages that you have there. So, so I think it’s working. cool. So, last thing, what are some of the goals that you’re thinking for this year?

[00:59:54] I know things are all up in the air, but say. Every season is going to happen. or what were you kind of looking forward? What are you thinking for the rest of the year?

[01:00:01] Rebecca Hammond: [01:00:01] Yeah. Well, I mean, it’s, that’s easy. Like if, like, when you’re talking about sport goals, goals, or it’s the win, like, you know, my goal would be to win whatever thing it is, or like do as best I can.

[01:00:14]I’m not, you know, if I feel like my performance was at my best at the time that I’m not going to be bummed, I’ll only be bummed about a performance. If I feel like if there’s like things that I can like regret about that day, like, Oh my gosh. Like, I don’t know, but I, I, if I feel like I didn’t push my hardest, but.

[01:00:30]yeah, my goal is to win whatever there is to win and, yeah, if not wind just do invest in them.

[01:00:38] Rich Ryan: [01:00:38] Yeah. Yeah. I guess, like you said, pushing your hardest is the ultimate goal. Right. And like enough to win then the whole, right. are you going to try and do any good deck of fit stuff? I mean, it’s like got to travel places.

[01:00:50] I don’t know. Like, I don’t know how I’m going to feel about traveling. I don’t know when I’m going to be okay with like, Going to Florida because that’s where all the races are going to be

[01:00:58] Rebecca Hammond: [01:00:58] before the season. The reason I didn’t, I haven’t signed with Spartan and the reason I didn’t sign with Farnaz, cause I was deciding whether I was going to do hierarchs or Spartan and then what would happen.

[01:01:05] And so it’s like, Oh, this is like a silly question. but yeah, I was thinking I would focus on high rocks power for happening, but since it’s not, or maybe it’s an option in October or something, but like us can’t even go to it. You’re up right now. So who knows what’s happening with that? I guess I’m just, I’m going to focus on Spartan.

[01:01:23] I’m going to focus on whatever’s happening. So if it’s happening and it’s paying, then I’m going to go there. yeah.

[01:01:28] Rich Ryan: [01:01:28] Hi, Ross has a couple of, domestic dates still set. There is a Boston. There’s a New York. They’re all in like October, November on December. They haven’t canceled them yet.

[01:01:37] Rebecca Hammond: [01:01:37] Yeah. I don’t know.

[01:01:38] I mean, U S is going to have second waves and like, if it’s, if it’s a place like Boston or California, like. You have to go someplace in the South that doesn’t care about the safety of its.

[01:01:52] Rich Ryan: [01:01:52] Did you see the thing with Spartan hold? they said that they’re, they’re not gonna, I don’t know if they said that, but speculation is that they’re not going to be in Abu Dhabi for the world championships.

[01:02:00] So I just assume it’s going to be in Jacksonville back to Florida. We’ll just all go down there and see who doesn’t get sick the winter in

[01:02:08] Rebecca Hammond: [01:02:08] Florida.

[01:02:09] Rich Ryan: [01:02:09] Yeah. But that’s where the two DECA fades are they’re down in Florida, but yeah, I can’t imagine a high rocks is going to happen in New York or. There is a new Orleans.

[01:02:18] There’s a Houston. So maybe a Houston that might be a go

[01:02:21] Rebecca Hammond: [01:02:21] it’s going to happen. So we’re just going to have to see cause like, you know, Covitz coming back. Cause like, if you’re. As you start to open stuff up, it’s not going to get better cause we don’t have a vaccine yet. So it’s not going to get better for opening up.

[01:02:34] We have we’re nowhere near her immunity, even the places hardest hit. So like it’s gonna get worse again. And you know, what, what people are trying to balance is like the economic impact with the, you know, death toll. So basically as long as our hospitals, aren’t overrun, they’re gonna like accept more deaths.

[01:02:50] I think.

[01:02:51] Rich Ryan: [01:02:51] it’s going to be like balancing that, like when there’s more room open, more stuff. Rooms, fill up those things down because that’s just how we’re going to have to

[01:02:58] Rebecca Hammond: [01:02:58] operate. You think? I don’t know. I don’t know, man. Like, I don’t know how much, like what, they’re, what price they’re going to put on life.

[01:03:04] We’ll see. but yeah, so like there’s gonna, like stuff is starting to open up and like California, I think just had its highest. Death toll today. Oh yeah. It’s like more than the first wave or whatever it was. So as that starts to hit the South, I think we’ll see, we’ll see what happens with the races later.

[01:03:25] Cause like waiting until October is not, you know, like maybe it might be better to do it now because now that it’s not crazy yet, but it’s starting to get crazy and I think it will be pretty crazy back there, but we’ll see, we’ll see. I dunno.

[01:03:36] Rich Ryan: [01:03:36] I just don’t know. Yeah. It’s all, all we can do is speculate.

[01:03:39] Maybe we’ll raise, but I’m really not counting on it. I would like to let

[01:03:43] Rebecca Hammond: [01:03:43] us know. Yeah. It’s like too much mental energy to count on it.

[01:03:46] Rich Ryan: [01:03:46] Yeah, exactly. I’m back. I really appreciate you hanging out. chat, chatting with me. I was awesome. I had a great time tell, tell the people like where they can find you on socials or your website.

[01:03:58] Rebecca Hammond: [01:03:58] Yeah. So my Instagram is Beckham, B E C C H a M M. My, website is Rebecca Ming, hammond.com. I’ll be updating that soon. So I’m gonna, I’m opening up to take on some more life coaching clients. yeah. And, Facebook, I think is at Harvard hammer. And that’s it. I don’t have to talk yet. Should probably get that, get on that.

[01:04:24] Or you want to talk?

[01:04:25] Rich Ryan: [01:04:25] I have one just because I wanted to see what it was like. And have you ever even been on it?

[01:04:30] Rebecca Hammond: [01:04:30] So I, I actually guess I technically am, cause I, my nephews are always on it, so I downloaded it, but I like don’t understand. I’m like an old person now

[01:04:37] Rich Ryan: [01:04:37] seeing like, you know, Instagram is mindless enough.

[01:04:39] But you still have the power to kind of scroll and like where to start you put in, as soon as you open tick tock, there’s a video playing, like he doesn’t like, it just puts something in front of your face and you’re just like, ah, and then I’ll just tell you something else. Like, Whoa, it is so mindless.

[01:04:53] Like I can’t, I’m like scared of it. I’m like, I can’t have this

[01:04:55] Rebecca Hammond: [01:04:55] anymore,

[01:04:58] Rich Ryan: [01:04:58] but that’s my, that is my theory about it’s going to be. A good thing to have, because what happened with like Instagram, like people were established and I was like kind of hard to get established on Instagram. You know, like there’s celebrities on there.

[01:05:09] They come in and everybody’s parents are on there, but eventually people are gonna move to tick tock. And when all the parents and everything moved to tick talk, there can be people who were on there early and established a bunch of followers. So I think you’ve got to strike that.

[01:05:21] Rebecca Hammond: [01:05:21] You’ve got to get on there.

[01:05:22] Got a strike dude. Also wait, does Facebook own tech talk yet?

[01:05:27] Rich Ryan: [01:05:27] No, I don’t think so.

[01:05:29] Rebecca Hammond: [01:05:29] They’re probably gonna assume, but I R I hate Facebook, Instagram. I hate them. They could be doing, they could be using their platform for so much. Good. And they’re not like, if you think about like, you know, Russians, influence on the previous election, like that, all that stuff happens through social media.

[01:05:42] Like, we, they, they. They have so much money and they could be making such a difference. They could be brainwashing us for the good, but they’re not, they’re just totally greedy. It’s it makes me so mad and we’re all working for them. We’re all like creating good content so that people stay on it longer. So they make more money off of advertising.

[01:05:58] It’s like, it’s insane.

[01:06:00] Rich Ryan: [01:06:00] Do you think that they will fold? Cause I mean, he’s been pretty set and like, Hey, this is not, that’s not my place. Like I don’t, I’m not here to monitor what people are saying or Twitter kind of gone. They’ve they’ve. Taking some steps, right. To at least give like flag different things that are being said is maybe not truthful.

[01:06:18] Do you think Facebook will fold or do you think it’s just, they’re just going to,

[01:06:21] Rebecca Hammond: [01:06:21] I don’t think so. I think they’re going to fold the other way before they fold. I don’t know. We’ll see. I mean, like if, if, I mean Instagram, you know, Facebook is like dying now. Now it’s only old people. Like as soon as everybody moves to Instagram, then that’s going to die.

[01:06:32] And so we’re going to move to the next thing. So. But they’re probably just going to buy tech talk, you know, like that’s the annoying thing. Like they’re big enough now that they’re just going to buy the next thing as it comes. I don’t know. I’m I would like to be optimistic, but okay. Kind of doubt it, but then again, like, is.

[01:06:48] I don’t know. It’s like, you know, it’s a whole other discussion about like, censorship, like how do we know that we’re censoring the right thing? I don’t know.

[01:06:57] Rich Ryan: [01:06:57] Right. And when it’s private companies, right? Like when there’s, there’s one person who has the, the, the, the authority to do that, like, is that his place?

[01:07:05] You know, or

[01:07:06] Rebecca Hammond: [01:07:06] yeah. Yeah. But then it’s like, there’s so many. Yeah. I don’t know. I don’t know.

[01:07:10] Rich Ryan: [01:07:10] The answer is like, yeah, you should do the right thing, but it’s like, well, what’s the right thing.

[01:07:14] Rebecca Hammond: [01:07:14] That’s good thing.

[01:07:16]Rich Ryan: [01:07:16] I’ll go back again. I appreciate you hanging out. after I stopped this, we’ll, we’ll be back in that first screen so we can to go.

[01:07:21] So I appreciate you guys hanging on listening and we’ll

[01:07:23] Rebecca Hammond: [01:07:23] see you later.

 

 

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